Hashtag Pain is My Fuel

Welcome to my first post of 2015. I know I've been a bad blogger. I haven't been posting as often as I said I would, or even as often as I've wanted.

Life is complicated, and seems to be getting even more so everyday. So...I'm not going to make anymore promises about future posts...

You'll take them when I give them AND LIKE IT!!!

If you've been following me on Twitter, you've seen 2 things:

1. I'm tweeting more and
2. I've started using a new hashtag: #Painismyfuel

Which totally relates to my life in the last week.

Honestly, I've been consumed with misery...and the only reason I'm being this honest is because I have huge doubts that any of the people who actually know me will actually be reading this, or that they'll even care.

So, here it is. Shit is happening in my lack-of-love life, family life, friendships and financially. I don't know who I can really talk to about it...couldn't even type it all out here, and I'm less than a year away from being 30...

But you know what I did this week? Dropped 11 pounds. And not because I just didn't have an appetite. I've been really angry for the last few hours, wanted to stuff my face, and I still haven't spoiled my calorie count for the day. 

Something about all the pain, and crying, and stomach-churning stress that I've let people put me through made me realize...

I'm just better, and therefore deserve better!!!

I'm not going to purposefully waste time making other people's lives a living hell.

I'm not going to lead you on. If I don't want you, you'll know it.

I'm not gonna judge you based on your job and financial situation.

I'm above all of that crap, and I should be treating myself better. Better food, better health. So, while I work my way through the pain, I'm going to better my health and make ALL this pain my fuel to being in better health.

What pain fuels you?

And I'll end this very angry post with: 

Just f$^k em!

Your Workout Buddy,

Roxy

My Advice To My Online Community

I'm a bad blogger...I'm sorry :(

BUT I have a few minutes, and I'm INSPIRED to begin anew! So...here we go.


Today I logged into my MyFitnessPal account and tracked my breakfast. I haven't done this in...it's been a while.

SHUT UP!

Anywho, with this super moon eclipse just around the corner, there has been this energy in the air that has just been pushing me to do SOMETHING, and I had a question from a friend on my account that I felt needed a good answer. The exact question asked by ealeal99 (username...duh) was, "Are you still using this? I use it off and on but really going to try to stick with it." My inspired response shocked even me, because I'm usually so scientific about the actual science of weight loss, and this response seemed to be such a mix of emotion and science. I think I may have analyzed myself to a point of change, so I thought I'd share my response:


"Sorry it took me so long to get back to you! Obviously, I have issues using this site/app consistently. BUT, when I do use it for weeks at a time, I get great results. The issue is dealing with the psychological issues surrounding health in order to do things consistently and make permanent changes for lasting results. Here's where I am right now. Step 1: Make a routine out of my meals. This makes them easy to track, easy to buy/budget, easy to analyze how your body reacts, easy to plan ahead, easy to know what to pack for when, and so on. It also makes you start thinking of your food in terms of fuel and not treats. And if you can throw in some extra veggies each day, GO FOR IT! I am literally starting over today, and today is a good day to begin anew, don't you think?"


That's about it! I hope you all have an inspired day as well. And today I CHALLENGE you to start something you want to finish with your whole heart!

And...GO!!!


Your Workout Buddy,

Roxy

My Body Hurts...OWIE OWIE OWIE!!!

And today makes THREE!!! Three posts in a row…I’ll try to make the day these come out more consistent, but until then…

They’ll come out when I say they’ll come out :p

It was a pretty good week, but a rough weekend.

This week, I added exercise back in to my routine and lowered my calorie consumption to my goal-weight RMR…

It did not go exactly as planned.

I probably made too many changes at once and didn’t consider how much sleep I should be getting (hint: 5 hours is not enough).

However, despite the current exhaustion I’m experiencing, I was able to stick to my workout plan all week for 5 days straight. One hour a day, plus ½ hour of yoga, full hour of yoga once on the weekend. The hour of exercise varied from my usual spinning classes and biking outdoors to Jillian Michaels and Just Dance routines. I even added in an hour long muscle sculpting class (that kicked my shrinking ass).

The weekend threw me a bit. I knew I was having family coming over. I knew we were having a BBQ. I knew there would be booze, and I knew I would have to clean house…

Then, my exhaustion really set in on Saturday. After being on my feet for days straight getting my house ready for guests, pushing around a heavy vacuum, I also ended up staying on my feet all day helping my dad prepare the BBQ. I’ve never enjoyed sitting so much!

So, Sunday…I crashed. SURPRISE!!!

I woke up super late and also overate. On the bright side, I didn’t resort to my usual unhealthy, smothered in grease-like treats. Just some sugary goods with peanut butter.

Everybody gets to crash, and I still dropped a few ounces, so, I’m ready to get back to it!

At about an hour and a half of working out daily, according to Pete Thomas’s book (see previous posts), I should be dropping 2-3 pounds per week. This should help me hit my goal in time. Stay posted!!!

That’s about it for now. I did want to share my motivational board with you that’s hanging on a wall in my house:

And most of those photos of me are only 20 pounds ago...
and obviously, the "Game of Thrones" photo is a costume idea lol.

It’s filled with my personal affirmations, outfits I want to wear at goal weight, and my favorite photos of me; any photo that basically makes me feel sexy lol. I think I’ll post it on my social media accounts as well. Feel free to follow me (links under the “Contacts” tab), and share your motivational board and tips with me!

And as always, hang in there!!!

Your Workout Buddy:

Roxy

Let's Get Scientific, SHALL WE?

Holy crap…two blogs, two weeks in a row!!! Not possible. NOT POSSIBLE!!!

OH BUT IT IS!

Happy Sunday workout buddies! It’s been quite a week. My goal for this last week was just to eat to maintain my weight. I’ve been counting calories (and calorie cycling, which I’ll explain a little bit more about in a minute) to stick around my current weight’s RMR (definition here: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_BMR.php).

With my spinning instructor out of town all week, I even took most of this week off from hard exercise. Just the dog walking, and one Jillian Michaels workout at the end of the week because my sleep schedule is still not where I want it, and I’m testing my energy levels.

With all that said…I dropped over 6 POUNDS…since Tuesday (the actual day I started calorie counting)…that’s 6 pounds in 5 days!

So starting tomorrow, I will be eating my goal weight RMR (which is 1,462 calories), and developing my workout schedule. I cannot wait until my weigh-in next week!!!

Now to get scientific on ya’ll. Let's discuss one of several innovative ideas I’ve received by reading Pete Thomas’s book “Lose It Fast, Lose It Forever”.

Calorie cycling…basically you take your RMR, and throughout the week you either subtract 10 or 15%, or you add 10 or 15%.

Start off Day 1 subtracting 10%, Day 2 adding 10%, Day 3 subtracting 15%, Day 4 adding 10%, Day 5 subtracting 10%, Day 6 eating at your RMR, and Day 7 adding 15%.

What this accomplishes:

• It prevents your body from getting accustomed to having a certain amount of calories daily, which helps to stave off plateau; pretty much the same idea behind muscle confusion, but in terms of nutrition.
• It allows you to eat more calories on certain days, so you won’t feel like you’re depriving yourself all week (which I can attest to just from this week).
• It makes you think ahead a week calorie-wise, so you can plan out meals and events, and by the end of the week, you are still consuming your RMR on average every week.

I’ve heard A LOT about calorie counting (pretty much my entire life), but I’ve never heard of it being taken to this level. So far so good on my end!

I promise to get a little more fun and psychological with you next week, but for this week, YOUR CHALLENGE is to try this out! Get a calorie counter (my personal favorite is the My Fitness Pal app and website, and you can find me there @RainmakerRoxy), calculate your RMR for both your current weight and goal weight (Pete Thomas’s website has a great calculator: http://petethomas.com/calculators/), and see what results you can come up with!

And if you’re following this blog, find me on Twitter, Vine, Facebook and Instagram (see contact page for links). I would LOVE to follow you back ;)

Your Workout Buddy:

Roxy

Road to Thirty!!!

Oh, my patient followers…all two of you…

I have returned! After months of trying to figure myself out, I am ready to travel forward on my journey to becoming healthy.

After such a long absence, some of you might ask my why this blog is so important to me. Honestly, the first thing I had in mind when I started this blog was to use it as an accountability tool. The more I write, the more I reveal, the more I have to stick with my plans because it would be embarrassing to not show any progress post to post, right?

Well, several months in between posts and countless weight fluctuations later, I’m back at 235.2 pounds, quitting the Isagenix program I started in the previous post, not exactly swimming in cash (as if I ever was), and starting over anew.

Photo of My So-Called Progress

The difference between now and then? I have just a little over a year before I’m Dirty Thirty, and I have a new tool in my fight against obesity: Pete Thomas’s book “Lose It Fast, Lose it Forever”.

A MUCH Happier Photo

For those of you that don’t remember who Pete Thomas is, he is the 2^nd season at-home winner of “The Biggest Loser”. He dropped about 185lbs and has kept it off for OVER SEVEN YEARS!!! In terms of health, he is the show’s biggest success story. Pete is a man that I want on my team.

Which leads me to my new reason for keeping this blog alive. I’m building my team! All ya'll (sorry for the "ya'll")!!!

At the end of the first step in Pete book, which is about discovering “Your Power”, he advises readers to build a team of people that can help hold you accountable; people you know support you and your goals.

SO WELCOME TO MY TEAM!!!

It’s time this blog is used the way it was originally intended. I’ve already set up my S.M.A.R.T. goals (you can learn more about what that means in Pete’s book), and I’d like to share them with you now:

• I want to lose 40 pounds in 70 days (October 5^th when I set the goal, just in time to buy a new Halloween costume).
• I want to lose a total of 80 pounds in 216 days (7 months, March 1^st, when I set the goal)
• This averages out to about 2.66 pounds per week and 10.64 pounds per month

With these goals in place and met, I will start off my 30s in the best of health and be ready to kiss my 20s BUH-BYE!

SO TEAM! Your turn. What are your goals? Maybe you don’t like to go by weight specifically. What about physical challenges you want to take on? Doing a pull-up? Running a 5K?

Go on…GET IT OUT THERE!!! GO TEAM, GO!!!

Your Workout Buddy,

Roxy

Getting Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Life

It’s hard to avoid a good workout in Cleveland…

during the winter…

when the storms come.

PERSONAL LOG OF RAINMAKER ROXY

Day 1 of 2014 – Woke up, shoveled snow, ate, slept

Day 2 of 2014 – Woke up, ate, slept, shoveled snow

Day 3 of 2014 - …hasn’t happened as of yet, but maybe I should just fill in the blanks?

Ok, a lot of other things happened too, but the shoveling.

Who can forget all the shoveling!!!???

I mean, I love seeing my dad’s face when he comes home from work and sees that he doesn’t have to do anything to our driveway and walkway, but we need to get a damn snow blower (if my brothers ever read this, make a note for next Christmas, his birthday or Father’s Day, PLEASE???).

But, as I said before, I have gotten some things done AND I’ve stuck to my diet (two days straight, hooray!!!)

Now is the time to get organized, before I officially get a new job, before I get too deep in my Isagenix journey and stop being that slug that shovels snow and then sits and watches TV for the rest of the day. MAYBE gets out of the house to eat something full of heavy calories.

So, I bring to you, my basic schedule of activities. And I say basic because I want to be able to have a life. However, having a basic checklist of the things I want to accomplish daily and weekly, and the best times of the day to fit them in, will help me stick to my goals.

RAINMAKER ROXY’S ACTIVITY SCHEDULE (BETA)

           

Activity	Daily	Weekly	Morning	Afternoon
Spinning Class		* - Two Days	*
Spreaker Podcast		* - Two Days	*
Meditation	*		*
Brain Training Games	*		*
Spanish Lessons	*		*
Spiritual Lessons		* - Two Days	*
Music Theory Lessons		* - Two Days	*
Elliptical (30 Minutes)	* - 5 Days		*
Workout of the Month	* - 4-5 Days		*
Guitar Lessons	*			*
WoBN Blog Post		*		*
WoBN Video		*		*
Yoga	*			*
Piano Lessons		* - Two Days		*
Vine Character Story		*		*

And now, here’s your BUDDY TOPIC OF THE WEEK. How do you stay organized? Share your tips and tricks for keeping yourself on track with all of your goals and ambitions. And don’t forget! You can still share what you feel makes you sexy using #sexypartsWoBud on Twitter. Find me @RainmakerRoxy.

Until next week!

Your Workout Buddy,

Roxy

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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