Everyone Is Sexy...They Just Don't Know It.

I taught myself a lesson today.

Currently, I'm sweaty, tired, nauseous and I have a really bad taste in my mouth.

Let me start from the beginning of my story at about 1pm today when my dad called me at home to tell me he was coming home from work early and needed me to drive him to the ER...

Don't worry! He's OK...kinda. He has muscle strain due to having a really physical job. The docs have him taking muscle relaxers and prescription NSAIDS, & now he's falling asleep on a heating pad (poor guy, what a way to end what was a terrible year).

Back to my story!

So, I'm in the ER for a few hours, no water (though I should have asked for a cup) & no snacks. Then, after leaving, there was still another hour of picking up the prescriptions...

Le sigh...

So, what I should have done...was go straight home.

What I did do...was go to the Taco Bell drive through, and when I finished eating that, I ate a crazy amount of Dove Peppermint Bark Dark Chocolate.

So, I bring this story up, not just because it's very current to my life, but because it ruined what my original post was going to be about...SEXINESS!!!

Because for the last couple of days, up until today's binge eating moment, I've been feeling pretty sexy. Maybe it's the new workout clothes? If you've seen my Instagram and Twitter, you know that I invested in the new Standout and Incredible Sports Bras from Victoria's Secret. And now, I've also invested in a couple of their Supermodel Bootcut workout pants. All get 5 out of 5 stars from me!

I don't know how, but I am able to squeeze all my ass and hips into their large size (I had been wearing XL previously). I wore these pants to a Zumba class on Christmas morning, and found myself checking out my own derrière in the studio mirrors. It made shaking it even more fun.

These are also the pants I wore to the ER because I was supposed to be starting my workout when my dad called. And when I saw my reflection in the ICU room doors, I stopped, stared and smiled for a moment.

Now, I may have spent so much of a good chunk of time on the couch and at a desk job that my ass is not what you'd call small...

But(t) I know it is my greatest ass-et.

See what I did there?

Guys have mentioned it, I don't mind seeing it sans clothing. Maybe it's all the yoga squats, gym squats & now years of spinning classes that have helped it defy gravity just enough to still be sexy.

I'll admit it. I'm all about my ass!

So, after having all these great sexy feelings, instead of embracing it and using it to my advantage, I get thrown off track and turn to food...After dropping 7 pounds!

Dammit!

So, I decided to punish myself with a good ole fashion sweat session!

I gave myself a couple of hours to digest, but then I broke out the "Just Dance" and "Ripped in 30". I had plenty of moments where I thought I was gonna have to run to the bathroom and have a Biggest Loser 1st workout moment. Very sexy indeed!

So, that awful taste in my mouth? Taco Bell trying to settle AAANNDD...regret.

I may not have burned off all the calories I consumed, but I'm definitely not missing the drive-thru right now.

And by the end of this typing, I no longer feel gross, have showered off the sweat and am ready for beddy-by, so let me get back to the original point.

Sex, sexiness, and our sexual nature is needed. I'm not saying be a ho and sleep around, but dress sexy (not slutty), act sexy, and you can build your self esteem and eventually believe in your sexual nature. I think embracing this side of me will help me make healthier choices.

I'd rather feel sexy than gross.

So, here is your BUDDY TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Your Sexy Parts! Obviously, my booty is mine. I don't know if I could have typed anymore about it. And a year or so ago, I wrote about how I could see my collarbone, and how that made me feel sexy. So, what part of you makes you sexy? Body parts, attitudes, style, expressions, laughs, what you notice, what other people notice; LET'S BUILD SELF ESTEEM NOW!!!

Feel free to post in the comments below or on Twitter using the hashtag #sexypartsWoBud. Have fun with it! Creative photos/Videos (please god, no nudity) are welcome.

Alright, workout buds, until next year...

Your Workout Buddy,
Roxy

Reward Yourself...CORRECTLY!

Food is not love…ooommm…

Food is not comfort…ooommm…

Food is not joy…ooommm…

Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there! I was just in the middle of my meditation. Every day in every way…I need to keep reminding myself that food is just nourishment; nothing more, nothing less.

Let me tell you a secret. You’ll have to get close to the screen for this one…

I’M AN EMOTIONAL EATER!!!!

Did I scare you? I’m sorry…mwahaha.

I’m certain I didn’t at least shock you. Most overweight/obese people aren’t eating because they are unusually hungry (though it’s possible, and you might have a tapeworm or a disease, so go see a doctor, would you? But not until after you finish reading this post, K?), and the more I focus on clean eating through my Isagenix program, the more I recognize that I’m eating passed the hungry on days I slip up.

I know that I’m eating to fill a void(s) in my life. Food isn’t a punishment. I enjoy food because it is a treat to me. I reward myself for getting through a bad day, or for holding back saying something so that I maintain a status quo that may not even work for me anymore (the latter being related to my former job most of all). I treat myself to ice cream, Starbucks, greasy burgers and Taco Bell (not all of these at the same time…usually) because I’m trying to fill a hole in my life where a boyfriend and/or a better career might fit better.

And unfortunately, this kind of eating gives instant gratification that doesn’t last very long, especially if you eat until you bloat.

I’m like the crazy cat lady of fast food, constantly collecting and filling my home (or in this case, my belly) with junk food…and if you’ve seen my Vines and photos, you already know that I also have 4 crazy cats (thanks Mom and Dad). So, I’m doubly trying to fill that void.

So, since it’s unhealthy to eat ourselves to 400+ pounds, hoard animals, and have constant one-night stands (though I’m sure that last one is much more fun, and barring STDs/STIs, a nice, healthy workout), what can we do to prevent ourselves from emotional eating?

To me, the answer is two-fold.

The first part is inspired by Jillian Michaels and her podcast. If you haven’t listened to any of her episodes, I highly recommend it. I like to listen to them in my car, while doing dishes and laundry, working out, or any other time where using my ears is better than watching TV.

Jillian says that in order to control her food intake, she has made her eating habits as routine as possible. Most days, she knows what she'll be eating ahead of time and when. If you have a plan, it’s harder to make the decision to break away from it. It also makes you look at food as nourishment instead of as a treat to have whenever and wherever.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean making food boring. Never be afraid to use spices, especially hot peppery stuff that’s good for your metabolism. But establishing a basic routine for what you eat in a day can make it easy to track your calories, and eventually, the more you do it, the less you’ll have to write down because it will be in your head.

This simplicity is why I like my Isagenix plan. It’s a basic routine, and I only have to worry about a minimum amount of calorie counting. For example, I have a delicious shake or bar for breakfast and at dinner, a snack around 200 calories mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and lunch is a full meal between 400-600 calories.

To prevent me from going overboard, I give myself just a few choices. I switch between either boneless chicken breast, eggs or fish (sometimes eggs and fish to fill in calories), some sort of carb (either brown rice or whole grain wheat toast) with a serving of Smart Balance low sodium butter, and a side of Steam Fresh veggies (my favorites are the Brussels sprouts and the garlic cauliflower). I’ll also mix in my veggie of choice, baby spinach, while cooking the main protein dish. And maybe a piece of Babybel if there is calorie room.

There are also supplements to take, and I like to add non-caffeinated tea to the end of my day. And ALWAYS drink plenty of water water water!

So, part one deals with how we view food, but what about that void? Whatever it is that we can’t fill, or aren’t ready to fill yet?

Well, this is where part two comes in, and it is inspired by me, me, selfish little old me!

I have a pretty good idea what is missing from my life that makes me eat so much, and it’s not something I can just go buy in a store…so while I’m not spending money on eating out all the time, I think I’m going to save this $$$ and put it toward treats that help me fulfill other goals and get the other things I want out of life that are currently more in reach.

Feel free to peruse my personal goal/reward list/timeline:

Which leads me to your BUDDY TOPIC OF THE WEEK. How can you, or do you, reward yourself for good health behavior? Feel free to leave your treat ideas in the comments [I’m always looking for new suggestions for myself ;) ].

OK workout buds, I’ll see you next week!

Your Workout Buddy,

Roxy

Look over there. It’s…A DISTRACTION!!!

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An Era of Real Change

Readers?

Is that you?

I barely recognized you (all 2.5 of you)!

After months of blogging silence, I’M BACK BABY!!!

If you’ve been paying attention to any of my Tweets, Vine vids, or listening to my new “Pre-Ass Crack of Dawn” podcasts on Spreaker (CHECK‘EM OUT!!!), then you know I’ve had a rough year: My mom passed away after many years of battling the worst case of cancer I’ve ever heard of, things got crazy at work, then I lost my job…and of course there are the animals I live with driving me nuts (cats, dog…and Dad included lol).

But through all of that, this has been an eye opening time for me. I discovered just how much the job I was in was holding me back. I realized just how far off the path I was that I wanted to be on, and now is the time to get back on it.

So, this is me getting back on track, and I plan to bring YOU in on all the fun!

Basically, I’m treating this time in my life like a bad breakup. You can either A.) Wallow in sorrow, get fat(ter) and be miserable or B.) Get hot and make your previous life jealous…I choose the latter.

As I figure out how my life is going to go from here on out, expect to see some changes. For starters:

• Every Thursday will be a new blog post (To get you in the mood to live healthy for the weekend)
• Every Monday will be a YouTube video (To start your week off right with a healthy attitude)
• This site, as well as all of my social media sites will be redesigned (Let’s make it pretty)
• I’m adding new sections to fill you in on my exercise and nutrition routine in case you want to follow it too, my goals, and maybe even sections where I reach out to you (All 2.5 of you...but seriously, I’d LOVE to feature your success stories, advice, blogs and websites, so feel free to EMAIL ME!)

Oh, I can go on with all my ideas, but I think I’ll stop there, and save stuff for the next post. Check out my Contact/Follow Me Page to see all of the ways you can now keep in touch with me and Workout Buddy Needed.

Let’s inspire each other!

Your Workout Buddy,

Roxy

WHEN FORTUNE COOKIES ATTACK!!!

In my many years of eating, I have learned that the food we eat usually has a message for us…

8 times out of 10, the message for me has been, “You ate too much.”

Then all of a sudden, my food started to get organized in how they display their messages.

Nope, not with constant indigestion.

Not by slipping me into food comas every single meal.

Also, not a clothing size thing…

In fact, these messages have been coming to me in the form of my fortune cookies!

Yes, I admit I have made the sin of ordering Chinese delivery instead of cooking my own food (or even walking to the restaurant and picking it up myself). But apparently, my fortune cookies have been conspiring behind my back and have come to the agreement that they need to be more obvious when making their point.

It started slowly with this message from over a year ago:

But then the last couple of fortune cookies:

 And then:

So, I throw my hands up. OK COOKIES, YOU WIN!!!

I’m doing what I can to pick up the activity level, whether it’s walking at lunch with my co-worker buddies, making myself run after work, never skipping a spinning class (barring horrible, HORRIBLE Ohio weather), or adding hot yoga to my schedule.

As for my diet, I have immensely messed up my motivation over the last year, and need to put myself in check. So, with the guidance of my Bikram Yoga instructor, I am starting a new diet/cleansing system called Isagenix. Yes, it’s probably more money than I should be spending, but I 100% feel that this is the way I can overcome my addictions to eating out and eating junk.

If you’d like to know more about it, CLICK HERE!

To keep this from being a waste of money, and another program I start and then fail a couple of weeks later, I’ve put into place the following preventative measures:

1. Leaving all credit/debit cards at home to prevent cave-ins to Taco Bell cravings
2. Signing up for the IsaBody Challenge, which requires I check in during certain periods of the month, AND can be rewarding (if you want more information on this part of the Isagenix Program and how you can be rewarded for transforming your body…without the help of NBC or ABC...CLICK HERE!!!)
3. AND as a bonus treat, I am posting daily videos of my journey on Vine. YES, I’M ON VINE, AND I’M ALREADY ADDICTED!!! See my first video below, find my profile and friend me please!

Oh fortune cookies, while I may not be eating you for quite a while, I thank you for helping me see the light. Wish me luck!

Your Buddy,

Roxy

Why I Can No Longer Go to Taco Bell

Consider this a break-up letter.

Dear Taco Bell Drive-Thru Lady,

You have always been very courteous to me. You take my order with 0 mistakes. You always have a smile on your face when you take my debit card and hand me my meal…you even seem to hold back judgment when I Live Más for over $10.00 and there’s no one in my car with which to share the bounty. You make it easy to just drive up and get a tasty, very filling (unhealthy) meal with nary a thought. That is, until I reach that regretful point of digestion…

And then, in your friendly way, you tell me how every time you see me, I look so nice. Course, that’s because I’m usually grabbing Taco Bell after a night of drinking my calories away at a bar where I’m dressed to pick up some hot guy (and always failing to do so).

Great compliment? OF COURSE…but when the part-time drive-thru person (who looks like she’s in high school) starts to recognize you, it’s a sign that you’ve eaten there far too many times.

So, farewell Taco Bell and Taco Bell Drive-Thru Lady. I’ve officially shamed myself into not patronizing your business anymore…

Or maybe I’ll just go to the Taco Bell the next town over? Nah, nah, I should just give it up.

Your Buddy,

Roxy

Mom, I love you. Always.

Hi everyone,

I thought I might fill you in on why I haven't had time to work on my fasting videos/entries over the last week.

At around 7:14pm last night (2/27/13), one of the kindest, strongest women I ever knew passed away. My Mom.

After almost 10 years of fighting a rare form of Cancer, her battle was lost. She leaves behind her devoted husband of 40 years, her 4 children, 7 fantastic grandchildren, and a load of close family and friends all strong with the love she gave them.

We miss you Mom and wish you didn't have to be taken away so soon. All that comforts us now is that you are no longer suffering and in pain. Love you always.

Mom, I wish that you could be around for all of the big events in my life to come: the day I finally get a job I like (one that brings me above poverty level would be nice instead of my current one that keeps me there), finally bring "the one" home, the day I get married (maybe have kids), buy my first house (or more likely, rent an apartment, or move in with my man) and finally get to my goal weight.

Though I've lost people in my life before, my Mom is the first person I've ever really loved that's been taken from me. She is a huge motivating factor for me in most of the things I do, my best friend in dark times, and just a fun person to have around...also, she was a Rummy champion (shout out to my brother, David, who lost the first game they played this year).

I love you Mom. You will always be these things and more to me and the rest of your family and friends. I know you are having fun in the afterlife with Grandma, Helen (my sister-in-law), your brother Paul, her dog Scruffy, Elvis and Lucy (her favorites). Take care, and know that we will do the same.

Love,

Your Favorite (only) Daughter

You Need an Example? Well, I’ll give you one!

It’s February 11^th as I type today’s entry. I have less than two month till my bestest-best friend in the whole ENTIRE world, or Bestie if you will, gets married to the love of his life…

This also means that I have less than two months to look FABULOUS in my bridesmaid dress. Ok, more like about half a month before I have my first scheduled fitting for the dress I want to look fabulous in.

This is the dress, but in purple...I look hot in purple, no lie, no lie!

!

The past year + has been a mess. My Mom’s health has been failing (which I plan on writing more about at a later date), I’ve been a neglectful blogger [SORRY :( ], I had to have surgery on a torn meniscus in my knee, and I’ve struggled with continuously dropping 10 pounds and gaining it back a couple of weeks later. Right now, I’m holding strong at 242-ish pounds.

Not the heaviest I’ve been, but far from where I was two years ago.

Me in my workout gear. Not bad...but still needs work.

A non-workout pic. I know...look at them boobies :)

Over the last couple of months, I watched (and re-watched) two amazing documentaries: “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” and “Hungry for Change”

And I couldn’t help but think, “Does that really work? Does juicing and fasting really completely reboot your system?”

Well, starting February 16^th, 2013, I’M GOING TO FIND OUT!!!

I’ve invested in a great Breville juicer, been practicing my juicing skills, and downloaded the 15 day fasting schedule from RebootWithJoe.com. This Friday is my shopping day (and PAYDAY HOLLA!!!).

To give you an idea of how my juicing journey is going, I will be providing you with DAILY (D.A.I.L.Y) video sessions on my YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/RainmakerRoxy

Feel free to check out my old vlogs while you’re there.

My goal in all of this is not just to look good, but to feel healthy, BE healthy, and be the person I always knew I could be.

Life begins NOW!!!

Your Buddy,

Roxy

PS. Your assignment for this week is to follow Joe Cross from "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" on Twitter @JoeTheJuicer. He's kind of amazing!