Life is full of "what if" moments...

Life is full of '"what if" moments...

The moment before you try to lose weight AGAIN... 

"What if this doesn't work? Will I be stuck feeling this way?"

The moment before going to the gym for the first time... 

"What if people stare at me and start laughing?"

The moment before stepping on the scales each week... 

"What if I've put weight on? I'll be so deflated."

What if you thought about life's moments in a different way?

What if you stop complaining and took action?... 

That moment could change your life...

What if you took responsibility for your decisions and realized you're the one in control? 

That moment would be a breakthrough...

What if you chose your own happiness over what others think?... 

That moment would set you free...

What if you stopped thinking about "what if" and started enjoying life's moments?

“I would rather never give up on my dreams and end up disappointed than give up on myself.”

What if you Clicked This Link and truly changed your life...

10 things you can control RIGHT NOW!

• How much you smile.
• Who you follow.
• How you treat others.
• How you talk to yourself. 
• What you eat.
• What you wear.
• How you experience stress. 
• Whether you ask for help or not.
• When you go to bed. 
• The "What if's" you ask yourself.

As we begin 2019, BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOU! What matters most is "NOW"!

P.S... Life has many moments ahead. Enjoy them... Don't fear them! 

XOXO,

Cindy Lane Ross

1 Week Out... It's Peak WEEK :)

It's finally here... PEAK WEEK! All the hard work, discipline, and consistency is ready to hit the stage on Oct. 20. 

Celebrated 41 Years on Saturday. 

                       227lbs- Feb. 2006                   120lbs- Oct. 16, 2018                

It doesn't matter what obstacle you have in your life, anything is possible... Just set your mind to it and watch the magic happen.

This week has been great and we even made it out to the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama and watched a beautiful sunset on the beach.

Some days feel like Groundhog Day, although I'm thankful for the routine especially on the lower energy days. Week 3 Keto and here is my Sunday check-in

Top is Oct. 7 and Bottom is Oct. 14

I have completely fallen in love with this sport. This whole process has been amazing, I am not saying easy... I like the HARD days, it's all about the challenge even when you want to give up!

I told my coach today, I'm sad to see it come to an end on Saturday, but excited for putting on more muscle and staying lean during the OFF-SEASON. 

Everyone keeps asking me, what will I eat after the show? Honestly, I'm not a foodie and I don't need anything dirty. I want a higher carb meal and then after a rest day on Sunday you will see me right back in the gym hitting the weights. With less cardio of course and more life until the next prep, but excited to jump right back in. 

Hubby bought these for my birthday... LOVE!

I haven't really celebrated my birthday yet, I figured I would wait and toast Jason with a cocktail after the show... we booked a little trip over to NOLA to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday both of which fell during my prep :)

Although I did enjoy my special day...

I worked out and trained as normal, went for a manicure/pedicure and enjoyed a beautiful sunset evening from our boat dock all while counting my blessings. 

I'm excited to share with you the results from the Battle on the Beach Saturday, Oct. 20. I will do my best to post on Sunday.

Follow me on Facebook & Instagram... lots of live videos and pics coming soon!

If you are interested in attending, the show is at the Erie Myer Civic Center in Gulf Shores, AL

The afternoon show starts around 1pm after intermission. 

Thanks for following along with me during this journey!

XOXO,

Cindy Lane Ross

www.cindylaneross.com

www.orangebeachfitness.com

Final 2 Week Push...

A few days late posting, but better late than never :) (Words to LIVE by)

My personal goals-

My personal goal was to be in the best shape of my life when I hit 40... well that didn’t happen! I was in the worst shape due to travel, stress, work, and the list goes on. I’m closing in on 41 this upcoming Saturday and I’m proud to say, I’m in the best shape of my life. Never give up, that’s the secret! 

The pic on the left is this past March while cruising around the Polynesian Islands weighing 167, and today weighing in at 121. I hit the reset button and it feels good. 

The best gift you can give yourself is HEALTH! Happy Birthday to me, I just added years to my life by just deciding to meet my personal goals. You can do it too!  

When I decided on this journey back in June, I thought it was the best Birthday present I could give myself. Make your Birthday month be your very best. 

Since I started back weight training May of this year, Versagripps have made all the difference. My good friend Tony Kennon suggested them to me because I had a hard time gripping the weights due to my Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have been able to put on good upper body muscle for the first time since getting sick at 19 years old. 

8 Weeks and Counting...

8 Weeks until the OCB Battle on the Beach

Every week gets a little more exciting, enjoying the journey, and the sport! 

My week started with getting long hair, definitely made a certain someone happy! 

Thanks to Chasity Rice at Mane Stop Hair Salon

Something that my good friend Jill Seymore, who is also competing has turned me on to is Sweet Drops, flavored Stevia... thank god I found these! I keep getting accused of buying all the inventory by my fellow fitness fanatics... sorry girls, it's every woman for themselves!

A quote that I am in love with! 

I have been wearing my SteelFit stomach & ab cinchers during my cardio and Angel Curves waist cincher during the day & night relentlessly, definitely starting to see the results along with clean diet and intense workouts!

Acai Berry Fashion www.acaiberryfashion.com Use Code Cindy20 for 20% off your next purchase.

Check out this super cute tank I found in my Instagram Feed... if you aren't following me my username is @cindylaneross, let's be friends :)

Acai Berry Fashion www.acaiberryfashion.com Use Code Cindy20 for 20% off your next purchase.

So the "Coach", Christian Simmons text me on Thursday and said as we head into 8 weeks we are kicking it into high gear... a bit intimidating but super excited for the transformation. So for the past 6 weeks, I have been able to eat 5 Hershey kisses after my workout in the am, well guess what? They didn't make the cut this week. I ate them in the beginning along with oatmeal kicking and screaming, he taught me to love them, and now they are gone :(

RIP Hershey Kisses, see you in the offseason!

Thank you to my husband for asking me to do legs and giving me the nudge I needed to get serious in the gym again. It's been a fantastic journey since the first week of May. The gym has become the best part of my day and I'm in my Happy Place again! 

Acai Berry Fashion www.acaiberryfashion.com Use Code Cindy20 for 20% off your next purchase.

Acai Berry Fashion www.acaiberryfashion.com Use Code Cindy20 for 20% off your next purchase. 

I want to apologize for all the restaurants I may walk into leading up to the show, my lunchbox will be in tow. Yesterday we celebrated my hubby's Grandma birthday, she turned 90. First time ever I plopped my own food on the table. I wonder if I will get banned??? lol, We shall see! 

So I checked in yesterday, big changes made to meal plan and cheers to 8 weeks!

Bottom pics 8/25/2018, top pics 8/19/2018

The shredding phase begins now! Have a great week and look forward to sharing the progression pics next Sunday! 

xoxo

Cindy Lane Ross

www.cindylaneross.com

www.orangebeachfitness.com

2 Months & 12 Days...

My days start out now at 3:15am and begin with fasted cardio. I never knew I could hate walking so much. Who knew walking at an incline with no hands could ever be harder than running 5-10 miles per day.

Meal prepping has become a huge part of my day. I always tease Jason, I'm moving my office upstairs so I can be near the kitchen and the bathroom. Drinking over a gallon of water a day and walking up stairs everytime I need to use the bathroom is exhausting, especially when working glutes often.

Today as I was training, I had a client ask me about staying on track... I will tell you having the goal helps with the discipline. If you are needing something to keep you on target, set a personal goal other than just losing weight, and set your sights high. For me, it was doing the OCB Battle of the Beach Bodybuilding competition.

I'm so thankful for my partner in life... he pushes me daily to push beyond what I think I can do.

xoxo
Cindy Lane Ross

www.cindylaneross.com
www.girlbebrave.com
www.orangebeachfitness.com
*Paid partner promotion with Girl Be Brave & Orange Beach Fitness

#girlbebrave #ocbbattleonthebeach #orangebeachfitness #cindylanerossfitness

Brand New Recipe! Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

As Promised, here is the recipe from my Sunday night Dinner... delicious!

For Perfect Roasted Sweet Potatoes-

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce 6 (8oz) Sweet Potatoes with a fork. Brush sweet potatoes with olive oil, wrap each one in tin foil. Place potatoes on a baking pan for 1 hour. Split the Potatoes in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with Sea Salt and fresh Ground Black Pepper

Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Chicken & Cashews

Ingredients:

6 Roasted Sweet Potatoes (recipe above)

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/4 cup of finely chopped celery

1/4 cup dried tart cherries

1/4 cup golden raisins

3 tbsp of orange juice

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups of cubed chicken

1/2 cup of dry roasted cashews

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes according to recipe above.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Add Celery; cook 2 min, stirring frequently. Add cherries, raisins, orange juice, cinnamon, and red pepper. Cook 1 minute. Stir in chicken and cashews; cook 2 min. Sprinkle with onions. 

3. Top potatoes with Chicken mixture; ENJOY!

Since I am Pescatarian; I chose to saute' veggies and salmon, then stuffed my sweet potato above.. Mine was delicious as well! :) 

Fat to Fit Total Body Tuesday Workout

It's Tuesday and time for Fat to Fit Total Body Tuesday Workout

Don't give up, remember be thankful you are able to workout, cherish it!

Workout because you LOVE your body, not because you HATE it!

Fat to Fit Cooking with Cindy Lane Ross- Showing you the 6 Pack Abs cooler

Hey guys, so I was traveling down in Florida over past week and while I was waiting on Jason to negotiate a deal on equipment for our new gym I decided to let you in on how I am eating clean while on the road. This is a bag called 6 Pack Cooler, its AHHHHHmazing!
Keeps all your food nice and cool, very organized by seperate compartments, space for your vitamins, protein shakes, bars, tupperware, and much more! Check it out. Also I am a ambassador for their company, get your bag by visiting their website on my blog.
Have a great day!

Keeping on Track with your Fitness Goals while Traveling!

My good friend Arbie is traveling right now and struggling to stay on track. So I thought I would share this to help and if you have any future travels ahead for the summer, make sure to copy this down.

My business partner, Heather Harp and I traveled out to California many times over the past year and to save money and eat healthy, this is how we did it. We got rooms either with a fridge or a kitchen (Marriott Residence Inn's rock!)
We buy plastic bags and plastic utensils, every morning we would cook and pack for the day! I hope you are entertained by our pictures. First trip heather would prepare the salads and I would run downstairs to the lobby microwave and cook eggs.. we definitely winged it and stayed on target with our training and eating clean.

Tips for Keeping on Track with your Fitness Goals While Traveling

1. Take out a pen and paper and write down what food you will need to bring with you.
2. Bring a cooler to store all of it in.
3. Ask for a fridge and a microwave in your room.

4. Go to the local market and get yourself some must-haves for your room. (Protein, Fruit, Veggies, Almond Milk)
5. Scope out the hotel website and check to see if they have a gym on location or nearby that you can drop into. Change of scenery is always good.

Always ask for a fridge, we were able to fit food for 2 people

Heather eating on floor of hotel room 

No plates don't worry, buy ziploc bags and plastic forks, Cindy eating breakfast

6. Plan out what you will do and when based on your schedule
7. Bring some resistant bands and a jumprope with you for in-room training
8. Don't forget to pack your running shoes, gym clothes, and a magic bullet if you have one so you can make smoothies on the go!

Worked out daily!

This would be our wine mishap, or should I say Heather's

Shopping at the local market

This cooler went everywhere with us, even during business meetings we would pull it out and snack :)

So No Excuses when you are Traveling!

The Best Protein Bar Ever! So good for you!

Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Benefits of Dark Chocolate

1. Dark Chocolate is Very Nutritious

If you buy quality dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, then it is actually quite nutritious.

It contains a decent amount of soluble fiber and is loaded with minerals.

A 100 gram bar of dark chocolate with 70-85% cocoa contains (1):

• 11 grams of fiber.
• 67% of the RDA for Iron.
• 58% of the RDA for Magnesium.
• 89% of the RDA for Copper.
• 98% of the RDA for Manganese.
• It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.

2. Dark Chocolate is a Powerful Source of Antioxidants

3. Dark Chocolate May Improve Blood Flow and Lower Blood Pressure

4. Dark Chocolate Raises HDL and Protects LDL Against Oxidation

5. Dark Chocolate May Lower The Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

6. Dark Chocolate May Protect Your Skin Against The Sun

7. Dark Chocolate May Improve Brain Function