Cyndi's Pizza Dilema

An Introduction to Cyndi...LYB Project Creator...

I met Cyndi over 20 years ago.  We worked together in the "Aerobics" world.  The days of leg warmers,thongs and movies like Perfect, with Jamie Lee Curtis and John Travolta.  We have traveled in the same circles, doing the same but different things.  Reconnecting again and again over the years. Cyndi's Passion and energy always radiates all around her.  I have learned more about her story over the last year or so through her Facebook Community Page: Love Your Body Project: Peace, Love and Food. I am continually impressed by her strength and resilience.  To learn a little more about her...check out this blog:


"About three years ago, my husband and I started having Tuesday nights out. I used to work late at my old job and didn't get out until 8 pm. I also had a 37 mile commute, which meant I wouldn't get home until almost 8:45. One week, he texted me, asking if I would meet him at the pizza place down the street from our house. We would sit in the bar, place an order for takeout and have a drink while we waited for our food. It was so much easier than trying to throw something quick together at home.

This became a tradition known as "pizza night" (uber creative name, I know). Every week, I SO looked forward to this. I could not wait to get my hands on pizza. We tried a different kind each week and I ate the s**t out of it. I couldn't get enough.
Until I did.

One day, I arrived at our place and decided I didn't want pizza. I was almost a bit...sad. You see, in all the years I restricted, there were two food items that had achieved legend status in my mind: ice cream and pizza. I thought about these two things constantly and when I had the chance to eat them, I fully took advantage. But, then I began healing my relationship with food. I was coming to terms with the fact that dieting wasn't the answer, the scale wasn't really my friend and exercising 2-3 hours a day wasn't practical for me anymore. I made the choice to allow everything and deprive myself of nothing. After a few months of this, I began to find my balance. I ate more from genuine hunger and intuited what my body wanted. Hint: it wasn't always pizza. All of a sudden, the legend status was gone. It was no big deal anymore because I could have it anytime I wanted, which resulted in me not wanting it all the time.

Now, we still frequent our neighborhood place once a week. We have become very close friends with the bartender who was always there to take care of us. It's fun to have a place to go where "everyone knows your name" (insert theme music from "Cheers" here). But, it's no longer "pizza night" every week. Sometimes, it's fish. Sometimes, it's salad. Sometimes, it's pasta. It changes all the time and I think that's the way it should be.
Allow all foods in your diet. Then, let your body decide what it needs and wants. It's smarter than you think."   Cyndi@ LYB Project


Go to the Love Your Body Project page to find out more about her, and our work together...There are many pearls of wisdom to be cherished...

Sliding Into Joy...An Unexpected Memory

I felt like Kate Winslet in the Titanic as she reached desperately for Leonardo DiCaprio's out-stretched hand....

"Grab my hand" I hear Tim yell...as I see only his hand sticking out of the car window.  I am slowly sliding further away from the car on the ice covered hill in my dressy black boots that I have worn about twice a year for the last 10 years...

The snow bank on the side of the hill stops my slide, and I take a step back to climb back up towards the car in the snow.  I grab onto Rosie's fender(Rosie is the affectionate name of our 10 year old Hyundai).  I slowly scale and slide across the side of the car to grab a hold of Tim's outstretched hand.

He pulls me safely into the car, and asks me to put on my seat belt.  All I can squeak out is "NO...Don't Start the Car!  DON'T EVEN TRY to go down this hill!!!"

"Its OK" he says, "Just relax and put your seat belt on, everything will be OK"

It was only moments earlier I was in full on panic mode, with all of my strength and body weight pressing down on the brake of the car, and still sliding down the hill.  "Slow Down" Tim says in a calm and relaxed voice...
"I CAN"T" I hear myself say as I begin to hyperventilate.

We were on our way to share a night of fun and friendship at a comedy show...


Now, we are stuck with our back end in the snow bank...Emergency brake on.  Tim calmly says, lets change positions...as we do, we look like a Laurel and Hardy comedy skit...

Now...Tim decides to TRY...as he turns the wheel, and we slide and spin...thud, we land facing downhill in the snow bank this time.  We cant possibly walk up this hill on this ice, and our dashboard is lit up like a Christmas Tree...We Contemplate our actions...

7:10pm; We call the Plow/Sand guys...3 different phone numbers, 3 different answering machines

7:20pm; With no call back yet, we call AAA

8:00pm; AAA calls back, be there in about 30 minutes

8:05pm; Plow Guys call back, be there in about 20 minutes

We Place Our Bets...

9:00pm; New London Fire Department(thank you!) Shows "UP", and instantly slides down the hill backward, ever so slightly clipping Rosie's nose, and ends up in the middle of the road mid way down the hill.

9:10pm; Plow Guys(Thank you!) show up, unable to pass the Fire Department Vehicle...9:11 New London PD shows up(thank you!) he addresses the situation...

9:25pm; The hill in front of us gets sanded, by a talented plow driver moving up the hill backwards...

9:30pm; as we slowly creep down the hill, we meet the AAA truck on his way to rescue us.  We thank him...

9:45pm; We stop at Jakes, we need recovery food and wine...

9:50pm; We check in at the Lamplighter Motor Inn (Thank You!) to complete our Date Night...ahhh...joy...

Comedy show? Check...not quite the one we planned
Friends? Check...new ones made, not quite the ones we were expecting!
Date Night? Check...along with a great unexpected memory to tell our grandchildren

What is your most unexpected memory?





The Fitness Family...Forever Friends

What forces are in action when you meet someone who becomes instrumental in your development?  Kickball teams in grade school, high school & college sports teams, Sunday morning Low Impact class (hey there Robin!), Stepping, Kickboxing, Running and Spinning.

The sharing of sweat, fatigue, euphoria, strength and heart break.  The hard work that happens with each other,  brings us together in a bond that is unbreakable.  The shared experiences... the failing and succeeding,  the neverending "One More Time"!

I have formed some of the most unique, long lasting, and fundemental friendships I have ever known. From the days playing kickball in 4th grade, through todays 6am Pilates or Bootcamp class...these dedicated, strong, fun loving  girls and woman continue to share, care, support and encourage each other all while working, striving and achieving thier best efforts.  We squat, we pull, we push, we lunge, we punch, we kick...we laugh and we cry.

You all know who you are...too many names to name after 40+ years...

This blog is for you.

I am grateful for you all...you are strong, dedicated, loving moms, wives, grandmothers, daughters and friends...

You are business owners, teachers, coaches, co-workers and life long learners.

It is from all of you that I have learned to trust, respect, encourage, listen, teach, cry and feel. 

Thank you for helping me build and strengthen my character....giving me hope to become a better person every day.

This world is a better place because of all of you.