Day Two of "Accountability" Journal...Cindy Fox Fitness

Sunday, January, 23rd

I started the morning with my usual 2 cups of coffee at home while waking up and checking emails. I decided to workout on an empty stomach so my body would start burning the "stored" sugar and fat, rather than have extra calories to work off. I don't always do this though.

Workout of the day:

-walked on treadmill with slight incline 14 mins. doing one mile (a good warm-up)
-3 sets of dumbbell flys: 20lb D.B's/30 reps, 25lb's. D.B./15 reps, 25 lb. D.B. 12 reps
-3 sets dumbbell bicep curls with 20lb. D.B's
-3 sets tricep press downs with cables (single arm) 20 lbs. 12-15 reps.
-3 sets of "kickbacks" on machine for glutes and hamstrings (although I felt my quads on this particular machine)

-jogged 3.35 miles on treadmill in 30 mins.
-15 mins. on elliptical (1.5 miles) on levels 7-9

Food:

-protein bar (was meeting my mom, aunt Barbara, and friend Miriam at diner and knew there would be nothing there I should/would eat...just had 2 more cups of coffee there)

-2 Tofu hot dogs with a slice of soy cheese on a mini-wheat bagel with ketchup (at home)
-bowl of spinach leaves with a tomato and balsamic dressing

-Starbucks iced coffee with soy milk, peppermint, and sweet n low (at Barnes & Noble with Robert and my Godson, Joseph)

-2 glasses of red wine
-cheddar cheese pretzels

-a whole bag of Quaker Rice Cakes (Lemon and Rosemary flavored) with Hummus (a bit too much)

Day One of "Accountability" Journal...Cindy Fox Fitness

For anyone reading this that doesn't already know, I'm mostly vegan with the exception of occasionally using half n half in my coffee if I can't get soy milk. If I'm home I use non-dairy creamer. That means I don't eat animals or anything made with eggs or milk, and the only fish I'll eat is scallops, mussels, clams (if cooked) and of course, Blue Island Shellfish Farm's Naked Cowboy Oysters! Most of my protein intake is from soy products, chickpeas, beans, soy protein powder, and protein bars not made with milk or eggs.

Saturday, January 22nd (mentally preparing, but NOT weighed in until Sunday)

7am- 2 cups of coffee (sweet n low and non-dairy creamer)
9am- Protein Bar (new one...was sent a case to try)

workout (Retro Fitness)
-light weight workout with machines...7 sets in total and some abdominal work on mat
-36 minutes on treadmill (4.1 miles)
30 minutes on elliptical (forward and reverse), level 6 (3.08 miles)

-11:45am... soy protein shake w/ half water/half soy milk light & 2 tbs. of flax seeds
-1:30pm... bowl of green beans left in fridge (I think it had margarine on it)
-2:30... (wanted to eat, but got a coffee instead) Starbucks grande iced coffee with peppermint, soy milk & sweet n low
-3:00... a Luna Bar while food shopping

-6:30... pm started drinking wine (red, 2 & 1/2 glasses with ice throughout the night) and practiced guitar for 45 mins. (I had been slacking)
-8pm... (getting into the bewitching hours...the snacking begins) started snacking on honey mustard pretzels while cooking for family (chicken, rice, and mixed vegetables). Unfortunately, I still have to cook things for them that I don't eat, but I made myself grilled eggplant, red pepper, and mushrooms and ate a few mouthfuls of white rice
-9:30... 1/2 bag (the bigger one) of Quaker Rice Cakes (lemon and rosemary flavored) with hummus
*Bed by 11pm

First Weigh-In Sunday morning at Retro Fitness (will only use the same scale with clothes and NO shoes, in the morning, every 3 to 4 days)....137 lbs.

* just for perspective...I weighed 128 when I graduated high school, went up to 150 by 19 yrs. old, down to 125 for a bodybuilding, and have fluctuated between 134 and 148 during my bulimic days. Since I became vegetarian 2 years ago, I dropped down and maintained an average of 135-139. I'd love to see what 130 looks like again:)

From Fit to Fabulous in Fourteen Days!

I'd like to start this blog by saying, "I know I'm not FAT, under most people's description of the word, but when you're in front of a camera and possibly on TV, there's no room for error". When you're wearing revealing clothes (like a bikini), standing in a certain positions can make a "roll" in the mid-section or a shadow that accentuates cellulite, even if there's very little. Just take the tabloid magazines for example; some of the hottest celebrities have been put on the cover in the most unattractive photos.
With that said, I am giving you just a little background of my dieting history so you realize I can TOTALLY relate to what any of you go through with your attempted weight loss. After this first blog, the rest will be more up a journal-type entry with food intake and workouts of the day, and weigh-ins about every 3-4 days, which I usually do only a couple times a month.
All through school I was very active with gymnastics, cheer leading, softball, and by senior year I was an "aerobic instructor" too. I ate whatever I wanted (and I ate a lot!) and never worried much about my body until my senior year when I was nominated "class pin-up", which made me pay attention to my figure. Once I graduated and got an office job where I sat on my butt most of the day, I put on a quick 10 lbs. and NOTHING fit me or looked good anymore. I got very depressed about my job and my chubby body and turned to food for enjoyment. This is when I became "obsessed" with food and my body. Almost all of my thoughts were consumed with what i ate, was going to eat, shouldn't eat, and how much I needed to workout to burn if off.
I tried diet pills, laxatives, Slimfast drinks, starving and then binging, and induced vomiting. I even ended up in the intensive care unit at 18 for taking an overdose of Maximum strength Dexatrims (with caffeine) with the intentions of getting sick and not eating for a few days for a quick fix. I was bulimic from 19 until about 4 years ago (off and on). So I DO KNOW
HOW YOU FEEL!
I have learned to avoid what triggered my binges, which for me was sugar; kind of like an alcohol who can't have JUST ONE DRINK. It's not the 300 calories in a piece of cake that did me in, it was the other 6 pieces that followed. Any EXTREME diet, like liquid diets make my start obsessing and work against me instead of for me. I have decided to do "the best I can do" over the next two weeks without making myself crazy and see what difference it makes. I am calling this "accountability journal" From Fit To Fabulous in Fourteen Days" and will try to log in daily with my initial weight, may daily food intake (good and bad), and my workouts for the day. Stay tuned if you're interested.

Holiday Energy!

Just as the seasons change in many parts of the world, so do the attitudes of the people in it. Right about now, almost every person reading this is probably having very similar experiences being that it's December 23rd...two days before Christmas. Whether you're Christian, Jewish, or another religion, you can't help feeling a shift in the level of energy surrounding us...at least here in the United States I think that's true.
There's an enormous lift in spirituality this time of year in preparation for the celebration of Christ's birth, as well as the celebration of Hannahkah which always falls closely together during the month of December. Although the "Holiday Season" has become very commercialized, one cannot help but to reflect on the true meaning and reason for all of the festivities. I can't speak for the whole world, but here in the New York/New Jersey area, it seems like we share each other's holidays regardless of our own religious background. Consisdering we all come from the same source, isn't that the way it should be?

From Fitness Diva to Naked Cowgirl

After 6 years of being the significant other of the Naked Cowboy of Times Square and having people ask me if I am the "Naked Cowgirl", or why I'm not the Naked Cowgirl, I finally decided to give in and take on the role. It never seemed like the right thing to do at the time, and now it seems like the position has been just waiting for me to jump into it! Yes, there's been a few Naked Cowgirls coming out to Times Square on and off over the last few years, but there hasn't been one who can come close to having the same standards as the Naked Cowboy...until now, that is.
"There's a time and place for everything"...so they say, and I do believe that. In February of 2005 I went to Mardi Gras with Robert (Naked Cowboy) and wore jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat as I walked along Bourbon Street with him. That's when the questions started. "If you're the Cowgirl, why aren't you dressed like him"? Let me first explain that I didn't even realize he was famous outside the New York area until that trip, nevermind parading in my underwear.
Shortly after that, I went with him to A Motivational Convention in Chicago, where he was hired by New York City and Company, a NYC tourist organization, to draw in people and take photos with them. I got a little more daring and brought a mini-skirt and halter top, to wear with the boots and hat. I was able to walk around this absolutely huge convention center for three days dropping my business cards and networking with people from all over the world. That's when I started my book of contacts, from which I send fitness postcards to once a year.
There were many more events and trips since then that I dressed up as a Cowgirl to accompany him. Many times the guys would feel more comfortable taking photos of me than with a guy in his underwear. It still always came back to the same question..."Why aren't you in your underwear"? I guess there were three big reasons why I didn't imitate him...I couldn't play the guitar, my kids would've flipped out if I was outside wearing my underwear, and I also didn't feel comfortable enough in my own skin at that time. I was constantly trying to get thinner. Robert's standards were so high that there was no way either of us thought I looked good enough to pull it off at that time.
I've since learned a lot about promoting myself, my videos, my website and everything fitness-related I'm involved in. One thing I've realized is that no matter how good you are at something, you still usually need either a lot of money or some really good connections to make it to the top. It's hard to put the time into your creative endevours when you need to work a lot to support your family.
With all the publicity this summer pertaining to the lawsuit of Naked Cowboy vs. Sandy Kane, one of the Naked Cowgirls, for trademardk infringement, I decided "now is the time". I decided to sign a licensing agreement with Naked Cowboy Enterprises to become the first "Officially Licensed Naked Cowgirl" in Times Square. I became vegetarian 2 years ago and have become leaner, plus I have learned to play a few cords on the guitar. As for my children, they are older and I think will eventually understand why I've made this decision.I work out hard, am totally dedicated to what I put my mind to, and realize I need to do something extreme now to get noticed before it's too late. I am the closest thing there is to being the female version of the Naked Cowboy. So there you have it...I am the NAKED COWGIRL! E-mail me at info@cindyfoxfitness.com to see when I will be in Times Square so you can get your photo with me and "tag" it on Facebook.

High Impact vs. High Intensity Workouts

Prior to the discovery of Spinning classes, Step Aerobics, and "Low Impact" Aerobics, if a person wanted to take a cardiovascular class at a gym, it was more than likely a "high Impact" Aerobics class. This usually put a lot of stress on the joints over many years of doing it, especially the knees. High Impact Aerobics consists of bouncing on the balls of your feet through out most of the class with a variety of moves to keep your heart rate up, such as jogging, jumping jacks, high knee runs, shuffles, etc...in which both feet come off the floor at the same time. There are modifications a person can do during these classes to avoid the bouncing and the impact.

In "Low Impact" Aerobics, on foot is always on the ground to support the weight of the body. These classes use rhythmic movements and tend to use larger muscle groups to get the heart rate up. BASIC Step Aerobics class is also considered low impact, although many instructors add little hops which are optional. Swimming, walking and bicycling are other ways of getting a good workout without impact of the joints. These are safer activities for people who have injuries, poor balance, and women who are pregnant.

Regardless of the type of activity you choose to do, you will only get out of it as much as you put into it. This would be referred to as the level of "Intensity" at which you perform the exercises. Anyone who has ever ridden a bicycle would know there's a difference between a slow ride on a flat surface and going up a hill. There is a much greater intensity in the latter due to the amount of energy expended to make the muscles in the legs move the bike up a hill. This is an example of a low-impact exercise at a high intensity.

Although walking is a low-impact exercise, jogging and running are both high impact because there is not one foot on the ground at all times. In any given marathon or race there is always someone who comes across the finish line first and someone who finishes last. The difference between the two in the pace or speed at which they are both going. The person running the fastest is using more energy and muscle power to propel him or her forward, as opposed to the person who is jogging and keeping a slower pace. Both of these runners are doing a high impact activity, but one is at a higher intensity than the other.

If you're trying to keep your fitness level up without putting the extra impact on your joints, there are a few ways to do that. Walkers can try adding small hand weights, pick up the pace and try occasional hills to increase the intensity and raise the heart rate. With the exception of the hand weights, bikers can use this same method for getting more out of a workout. If you're a "Cardio Junkie" and love the adrenaline rush you get from sweating and having your heart rate way up, but can't take the impact anymore, try going into a low impact class and keep your center of gravity low forcing yourself to use your leg muscles more. Doing big arm movements will also keep our heart rate up, such as in a kick box class, and will have you walking out of class dripping of sweat and feeling like you had a great workout!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is a day to appreciate the gift of life and the person who brought us here. Some of us are fortunate enough to step into this role and continue the circle of life. When we were children, we didn't understand why our parents wouldn't let us do what we wanted to do or have everything we asked for. Children are small and can only see what is right in front of them. Parents are supposed to protect their children from the things they cannot see or imagine yet. Children learn from their parents and model their actions. This is why it is so important for a Mother to be loving, nurturing, and affectionate to her child so these traits can be fowarded to future generations.

For those who have lost their mother, may your heart be filled with good memories and know they are the angels who watch over us all. For those who have lost a child, may those angels above give you the helping hand you need to keep you lifted. To all who are blessed with the joy of motherhood, may you forever be grateful and cherish the moments.