First Things First

It's funny, I never thought of myself as one to blog, and here I am starting one!  I don't really know how to start one so I guess first things first.  My name is Rachel Moore, formally Rachel Spiro, and my husband is Robert Moore.  We just tied the knot on July 7th of this year and we couldn't be happier!!!!  My motive with this blog is to share with you all our experience, strength and hope and our journey in the fitness and nutrition world. 

Here is a little bit of my story:

I am a recovering alcoholic (tomorrow I will be sober 18 months), and years of substance abuse on my body really took its toll.  Me getting sober wasn't necessarily a decision I woke up with, nor was it one I put much thought into.  On February 19th, 2013, I woke up sicker than I ever had been after a long night of drinking.  I'd been pretty sick the weeks leading up to it, but this morning was especially bad.  I went to the doctor and after blood tests, found out I had alcoholic induced liver disease.  Something had to change.

So for the first few weeks, I started hiking with friends.  I was beginning to feel AMAZING from all the endorphins pumping through my body and wanted more.  So I started going back to the gym.  Years ago, I would go through phases of going to the gym, but my drinking would bring me right back down to laziness.  But this time, I was up at the crack of dawn every day to go workout.  I was a complete cardio queen, and my weight work outs consisted of 2 days a week upper body, 2 days a week legs, the same routine…with lots of cardio.  I thought cardio was going to get me that body I had always wanted.  I was never overweight, but i most definitely was "skinny fat".

So a couple months go by and I decided to sign up for my first half marathon.  With training for my half marathon, I was running more than I ever had in my life.  Since I didn't really know what I was doing in the weight room, I would buy women's fitness magazines and use their recommended bikini body workout plans.  I gained strength, but I wasn't pushing myself hard enough…and I definitely wasn't looking the way I wanted to.  

June of last year, I met Robert and everything changed.  After my half marathon a year ago…we started training together.  Robert was a body builder, power lifter, personal trainer years ago.  Much to my surprise, he told me I needed to lift HEAVY.  Not light with more reps…but HEAVY.  I always thought that lifting heavy would make me look like a man.  Nope.  It builds muscle to create that "tone" look women want.  You want to get toned = you want to build muscle.  So we trained for a little bit together, and I decided to run a second half marathon.  The second half marathon in November ended my shortly lived running career, resulting from a hip injury.  My body was not made to run!! So now all my time was dedicated to weight lifting with Robert.  I fell in love with both.

So fast forward a bunch of days and months to today, and I am currently training for my first bikini show!!! Anything is possible to anyone who puts in the time and effort.