Category Archives: goals

WEIGH IN MONDAY

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Happy Monday to all. It’s Monday weigh in day. Today my weight is 171 Lbs. I’m 13 lbs down since beginning ww online and 18 lbs total. I’m stuck at the same weight for two weeks but that’s ok. I admit my tracking and my meals were not exactly on point last week. I realized when there’s pressure and stress sometimes I revert to bad habits, skipping meals, making a pasta dinner and overeating pasta. My cat Max had a little trip to the vet due to a health scare but he’s ok. Work of course is my main source of losing energy, but I’m working around that to stay on course for all of my goals, including the main ones of losing weight and getting fit again. Each weigh in day is a day to reset and begin anew. I’m really going to focus this week on fitness ( flexibility, cardio and workouts) and clean vegan nutrition. I’m doing Melissa Bender Fitness Workouts and yoga.  

Pretty robes and coffee for my semi morning motivation routine.

I will start posting all of what I’m doing regularly , since I’m committing to blogging daily. I do not have a laptop at the moment, so every blog will be done from my smart phone. One thing I’m doing from here on out to begin everything else is to stress a lot less. No longer will I worry about tomorrow or yesterday. I’m focusing on the present and keeping all of my thoughts positive. Thoughts become things. Eckhart Tolle is someone we listen to daily. You should check him out, very enlightening. 

Accept – then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.

Eckhart Tolle

 

I’ve chosen this present moment. Yesterday I began changing my approach on how I’m going to travel the path to achieving all of my goals.  Tony Robbins always says if something isn’t working, change your approach. I understand great goals take greater sacrifices, so I’m going to work harder and try to be more disciplined. I’ve already started blogging daily, and I’m going to bed just a little earlier. Today I plan to begin the second phase of my fitness journey, and start really studying my American Council Of Exercise Exam, I may even call and set the date for the exam. I’m going to be volunteering and trying to help others, my first volunteer experience in Texas will be at Henry’s Home and Horse Sanctuary in a few weeks. I’ve put it on hold due to my husband James, he really wants to go with me. I plan to share all with each new post.

Those are my first four goals, as well as marketing my books and doing social media regularly, writing, submitting and reading more. I also have some tech goals for my blog, a website for my books and blog, etc but those tools I will worry about later. Right now I’m focusing on the work I must put in. I understand it’s been a few years since I’ve blogged regularly, and getting an audience  back may be a challenge but it’s ok, I’m doing it anyway, build it and they will come.  I came up with this quote, and I plan on living my own words. I’m definitely worth the extra effort, and so are you. Find the system that works for you, and stick to it. It may not be easy, and you may struggle. Just keep moving forward. I would love to know if you are on a Journey to your goals. Let’s do it together.

As always I wish you love, light and happiness on the road to all of your goals. There are no obstacles, no age barriers, no blocks. Only you and the decision to do whatever it takes to make your soul sing happiness.

Namaste’

Rose  

 

CHANGING MY HABITS

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I’ve been thinking a lot of habits. Everything begins with a habit, and those habits can be positive or negative. I’ve been meaning to begin blogging daily, but I’m yet to actually start the habit of signing in daily. It’s something I really want to commit to, so today is day one. Habits sometimes happen when you adopt other habits which become your routine. Changing for the better is not easy, but the first steps to change is the willingness to do so. 

Habits can make or break our goals. There are healthy habits that become life changing routines, or unhealthy habits that develop when we are busy grinding through the mundane chores of life. Our business of being so busy often gets in the way of developing healthy habits and routines. We reward our hard day with fast food instead of taking the time to grocery shop and meal prep. The drive through is convenient, it’s open late. There is no clean up, or thought that has to go into it. It’s fast, delicious, and takes almost no effort. Changing your habits is especially difficult when you are strapped under financial and time constraints. 

My unhealthy habit is sleeping in late. My schedule and routine has altered in the last year when I began working nights waiting tables. I often do not get home until 11 pm and sometimes later, and I tend to stay up until 3-4 am. If I’m suffering through anxiety induced insomnia I will even fall asleep even later. I need my sleep, that’s a non negotiable, but I also have a laundry list of goals I wish to accomplish to change my life for the better. It all begins with slowly beginning new habits and adopting a routine which can work for my schedule and my goals. It all comes back to habits. 

My husband James explained to be my hours are not that unusual. When a person works 9-5 they pretty much do the same as I do. They get home around 6 pm, have dinner, and they normally unwind for hours doing what they enjoy before bedtime. I get that I’m doing the normal things, but because my shift is different, I do it at an abnormal hour.

I also have friends that tell me to be gentle with myself, and treat myself with grace. These things are true but being too easy on myself won’t get me to where I’m going.  Sometimes putting in the work to accomplish goals takes great sacrifice. I’m a work in progress but I’m trying to figure it all out. Habits, it all comes back to my habits. I want to be a habitual go getter, so going forward my routines are going to be changing, and that’s all the better for me.

 

Here are some of my goals that cannot happen if I do not change.

Blog daily, track food, lose weight, incorporate fitness through cardio, flexibility and yoga and strength training, help charities, study for American Council of Exercise group exercise certification exam, take exam in the fall, write more, submit writing to be published, work on marketing for books, blogs and do social media. Not to mention personal goals like financial, family, travel etc. This list can get out of control but I’m putting it out there. Tomorrow is Monday, and I love a new beginning. I’m beginning my Monday with weigh in, blog post, workout and study.

Ok, now I’m tired but I feel good. Time for a delicious cup of coffee to begin fueling my day.

What are your goals? Do you have a routine? Is it a morning routine? I would love to hear how you get it done. With much love and Light. Let’s be goal getters together.

Namaste’

Rose  

HENRY’S HOME AND HORSE SANCTUARY

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Happy Tuesday to all. I weighed in yesterday and lost 1 lb, my weight is now 178 lbs. I’m on my fitness journey, and I’m tracking on my WW app every day. I feel this time I got this. I’m officially on a brand new weight loss journey, and the scale is slowly moving again.

When I began my first weight loss journey my goal was to help a new charity with each ten pounds, and I was successful at my weight loss because I focused on my accountability to the charities I chose. I also focused on being disciplined with my food and fitness, and my fitness goals, but giving back was my main motivation. I believe being of service is my reason I’m here. I’m a work in progress though, I wish to do so much more. 

As anyone who knows me well, I love to help others, humans and animals. There’s a list on the various charities I assisted previously on my sidebar. 

My first charity for my second round is a charity that has touched my heart. I started following their Facebook page after Hurricane Harvey. They are a beautiful Horse Sanctuary named  Henry’s Home and Horse Sanctuary. I’m just so moved by all they do, for animals and humans.

My plan is to volunteer after I lose my first ten pounds, and my trainer Bethany is accompanying me. I’m really looking forward to meeting the animals and helping any way I can. I couldn’t be more honored and humbled to visit the sanctuary and give back a little.

Below is information on Henry’s Home and Horse Sanctuary plus links. You can find them on Instagram @henryshome. I find when you give a little you receive so much more in return. I also believe there is nothing better than helping others when you are in a crisis, it helps you heal. I’m healing and growing. Love and Light to all. Rose 

Their Programs with links below

  1. Horse Sanctuary Program: We provide a permanent home for horses and other farm animals who have been through neglect or starvation, or are surrendered to prevent going to auction/slaughter.
  2. Herdmate [Volunteer] Program: We are a simple, loving and nurturing family who pitch in to care for our sanctuary grounds and our four-footed members, as well as this nonprofit business.
  3. Horses & Heroes R&R Program: We provide a variety of Riding & Recreation opportunities for veterans and first responders, and their immediate family members, always at no cost to them.
  4. Horses & Heroes Equine Therapy Program: We provide confidential equine assisted psychotherapy for veterans and first responders, and their immediate family members, always at no cost to them.

Contact Henry’s Home

For General Questions or to schedule a visit or a volunteer orientation:

Donna Stedman
Phone: 281-292-1110
Email:[email protected]

Mailing Address: 5 Alladdin Lane, The Woodlands, TX  77380

Sanctuary Location:
Camp Strake Rd, Grand Central Park,
Conroe, TX 77304

https://www.facebook.com/henryshomehorseandhumansanctuary/

http://henryshomehorsesanctuary.org/contact-us/

 

 

 

 

 

WEIGH IN MONDAY

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Happy Monday to all. Today was weigh in and I went up a pound. I’m currently 183 lbs. Last week was not a stellar food week for me, I didn’t plan and I skipped a lot of meals. I would literally go to work on empty and eat afterwards. Unfortunately what I ate after was pasta. This week I’m going to focus on planning and prepping and keeping my food journal. It was a minor slip and not a fall. 

So continuing on I’m going to focus on fitness and better planning. It was only one pound and I’m ok with that. That’s why I went back to weighing in once a week. Each week you see if there is something you can improve upon. If I went weeks without weighing in I might have found I gained more than one pound. I still have 24 lbs to go to get to the lowest weight I reached on this blog. This means I really need to start working a lot harder than I have recently. It’s harder for me since my DR said it’s looking like I have hypothyroidism, but I’m choosing ( just for now) to go at this without meds. 

I would love to hear your stories of struggling with weight loss over 40, stories of weight loss through hypothyroidism. I did this once, and I will do it again. I’m learning how to balance my weight loss journey, starting my new fitness journey; and all of my writing and submitting I’m doing. I have a lot going on, lots of wonderful opportunities and I’m nothing but grateful to be alive. The weight will come off, I just need to put the hard work in. Nothing of worth ever comes easy. 

Love and Light

Rose

 

National Scribble Day

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It’s National Scribble Day, so this blog post is going to be the blog equivalent of scribbling. My thoughts are all scrambled, but not in a bad way. My job, ( waitressing) sometimes exhausts me and I admit to procrastinating in the things that are important to me. There is a new documentary on Netflix I really want to watch called Heal. It’s all about healing from a mind body perspective. This gets me thinking. Is my exhaustion real? Can I do things that make me feel more energized and ready to take on tasks that are important to me? I think the answer is a big yes. No excuses.

Posting more than once a week is definitely one of my many goals. I’m going to really work on my state of mind like I’m working on my nutrition and fitness. Yes, I work a very physical job, but I believe I can make it softer on my body with positivity and possibly some tools to help me along the way. Good shoe inserts, better pillows for sleep, a foot bath at the end of the night. No longer using my job as an excuse is a biggie. A massage now and then wouldn’t hurt. 

I did say it National Scribble Day, and I’m truly all over the place. I’m so excited for this brand new chapter in my blog/journey. I’m going to be doing a wonderful interview series with real influencers in fitness who focus on achieving goals and teaching others through a positive mindset. These are the women I look to for inspiration. Just in time since I have six months until I take my exam for The American Council of Exercise group exercise certification. Time to get fit again, study and get things done.

I didn’t weigh in today, I gave my mind a break. A budget friendly vegan grocery haul is needed, as I’m trying to get my hubby James to eat clean. He claims he cannot do it until I set him up. We’ve  been working on a positive mindset and it’s totally working. You are what you believe, you achieve only when you believe. We believe, we believe. 

Happy National Scribble Day. Go out and Scribble the vision board if your dreams. I know I am. I’m following a well lit path. 

love and light 

Rose

 

WEIGH IN

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I had a little bug again, it’s been so cold here and everyone around me has been sick. It was just a quick cold and I’m back feeling  like brand new. 

Things are really starting to look brighter here, and I’m very inspired and motivated. I know I said I would only weigh myself once a month, but I lied. I am currently 182 lbs. I was 190 around the holidays. I am so excited to see the scale dropping again. I’m really trying to work on my nutrition and portion control. The Loseitapp keeps me in check. I keep a food journal daily, it helps me tremendously. I’m 24 lbs away from my lowest weight I reached on this blog, before the loss of my Mom and our move to Houston. I’m finding my way back to myself now, finding my way back to true happiness and all of my plans and goals. 

The one thing I’ve learned in the last few years is no matter how motivated I am, I am not perfect. I really believe in eating a Whole Foods, plant based way of living. Sometimes, I may splurge though. Cravings happen. The one thing I won’t do, is cheat on my vegan lifestyle. This is something that has nothing to do with diet, it’s my moral compass and I strive to follow what’s in my heart. I’m not perfect, but I strive to be my authentic self. So when I speak of occasionally splurging, I am referencing vegan fun foods that I choose to only eat occasionally. My daily way of eating is clean wfpb with limited oil, salt and sugar. I have chosen to say limited instead of completely omitting these items because like I stated before, I am far from perfect. 

As I type this latest post I’m watching Madonna. She is probably my earliest inspiration and one of the reasons I chose to dance in college. I’m getting back to my fitness and I’m excited to say I’m taking the American Council of Exercise group exercise exam in September. My plan is to start with dance inspired group classes. I learned a lot after  being in the Richard Simmons video and taking his classes, and I plan to use all my experiences in this blog as well as my classes. I’m lucky to have real women in fitness in my life, inspiring me and making a difference with their fitness careers. I’ve decided I would like to interview these wonderful real women warriors, so stay tuned. It will be a week long series, with one interview each day for seven days. My real life inspirations. I’m nothing without my influences. 

I will leave you with a snippet of an interview I saw with Jennifer Lopez. She said she remembers seeing Madonna running in Central Park. Here was this big star, but she was working hard. So if you have a dream, a goal or a plan; start by working hard. It’s the cement of the building blocks of your goals. Go get it now, but start at the base and build upon it with sweat and dedication. Don’t forget your inspirations and influences, they are there to teach you if you are willing to learn. We all uplift each other. 

If you believe you will achieve, but you have to put the work in. Nothing of worth comes for free. Believe, Achieve, Become the butterfly. 

 

It’s a Lifestyle

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Happy Day after Valentine’s Day to all. I hope the special day brought you joy, whether you have a valentine or not. I work in a restaurant at night so my day was all work and no play. That’s ok, it’s my hump day and soon my my off days will be here. I’m working hard for the money and grateful for my blessings. 

It’s day 4 of my 30 day Whole Foods plant-based challenge. I’m vegan and I’m trying to lean more towards a cleaner way of taking care of my temple. Day 4 and I feel fabulous, not as fatigued from waiting tables. For a while I thought I was getting sick, or old, and now I realize I just wasn’t feeding my body correctly. I’m doing the challenge to help myself kick it into high gear, to be accountable. At the end I will have a delicious vegan cheat day and do another 30 day challenge. I’m going to do this plan going forward. I plan to check my cholesterol in a few months, to see how this is working for my body. Staying away from all oils is the biggest hurdle, but I’m sticking to it. In 30 days I will jump on the scale, and going forward I will only weigh myself once a month. 

We had a cat health scare with Max, but it was a false alarm. I will take him in to be safe soon, but it seems he was constipated. I found out today my Mom’s sister, my Aunt Elaine in Chicago had a stroke. I think she’s going to be ok, but send her lots of prayers. In life, challenges pop up when you least expect them. No matter what comes, I’m not deviating from my food plan. This is for my heath, period. My weight loss will be an added bonus. 

Next week I will post on my fitness plans, and more of what I’m eating. I’m going forward and not looking back. Onward and upward for me.

Love and Light 

Rose

Smoothie Prep

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I bought these little containers to prep smoothies the night before. They are just simple containers, but it will be a huge factor in my success going forward. On my work days I need to be set up for success. This is my week one, and I’m beginning strong. I did a mini plant-based haul and I’m ready to rock it. My smoothie consists of spinach, kale, blueberries, banana, chia seeds plus soy milk and a little peanut butter with no salt. 

My 30 day challenge will actually be a few days longer than 30 days. I want my one cheat day to be on my day off. That will be the day I weigh in. In the next 30 or so days I will be posting what I’m eating and how it’s making me feel, including recipes. Day two and any heart burn I had from eating consistent processed food is gone.

I will also be going over my workouts, and what I’m doing this time to get in the best shape of my life. My week one is all about getting back to basics, finding my footing through clean eating nutrition. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday. It’s never too late to dream a new dream or revisit dreams you never were able to accomplish. As long as you are breathing there is time. 

30 Day Challenge

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Good Day to all. Today is the first day of my wellness journey 2.0. I’m really starting over this time. I choose now because a lot of the struggles and stresses are quieting down, and I’m open for change. Sometimes you must wait until you are ready to commit to change. This is that moment for me. 

I am vegan for ethical beliefs, and I do believe it’s the healthy way to wellness. With that said, I’ve been kind of a vegan junk food addict.  I am happy all of my fave vegan comfort food exists, but I’m taking on the Whole Foods plant-based lifestyle again. My plan is to eat completely clean for 30 days, no oil with limited salt and sugar. To be honest the sugar will just be in my coffee each morning, that’s it.

I have so many reasons why I’m doing a 30 day wfpb challenge. I feel ill, my stomach aches. I’m bloated. I feel for me vegan convenience food should be rare treats like any convenience comfort food. In 30 days I will have one cheat day after my weigh in and I will do another 30 day wfpb challenge. Stay tuned for what I will be eating with recipes. I’m just starting new on this blog and finding my footing again after a long time of not being consistent. I’m starting my cardio this week with yoga and stretching. Workouts will follow, and daily updates on my blog. 

One of my favorite vegan influences I follow is Tabitha Brown. She said don’t wait until you are sick to make changes in your nutrition. That really resonated with me, so let my 30 day challenge begin. It’s the perfect way to start again on my blog.

This blog will be all about wellness, weight loss, veganism, plant-based life, workouts etc. Charities and giving back won’t be featured here anymore. I’m launching a brand new sister blog for all of that goodness. 

Let my challenge begin. 

Happy Brand New Beginnings 

Love, light, and good health to you

Rose

 

 

 

WEIGH IN MONDAY

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Happy Monday to all? Today is weigh in Monday and I lost 2 lbs, cue happy dance. That brings me to 182 lbs. I’m down 7.6 lbs. I’m keeping a journal of my meals and calories on the Loseitapp and I’m using Dr Greger’s Daily Dozen App to keep track of my vegan nutrition. I’m doing this six days a week and one day a week I allow a vegan cheat day. On that day I eat whatever vegan foods I like, but I do my best to keep my calories in check. 

Losing weight through stress or when you are in a personal crisis is not easy. For me what’s working this second try around is I’m focusing on my nutrition and my fitness. My meal plan six days a week is very clean, with very low salt, no oils and just a bit of raw sugar in my coffee. Using both apps keeps me accountable. My energy is definitely up since I started the Dr Greger Daily Dozen. My one vegan cheat day a week allows me to eat the vegan foods I love. This week I’m choosing that day to be Halloween.

Another bonus is how incredibly inexpensive this way of eating is. Lentils, tofu, split peas, canned beans no salt, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, quinoa, Ezekiel bread, oats, flax seeds, no salt peanuts and no salt peanut butter. It’s not always easy to tick off everybox, yesterday  I missed cruciferous vegetables; but that’s ok. I strive to each day do better. 

I am also working on some new and exciting projects, I also plan to waitress more than usual, and I’m continuing forward with this blog with the intent to post more regularly and I plan more videos in YouTube.

Dr Greger recommends exercise daily and I may start my workouts in the evening on my work days to be able to manage everything I’m working on. I bought an amazing planner from Barnes and Noble to keep everything organized.

It is all about a positive mindset. Stress gets me, and sometimes I feel like I’m drowning in it; than I remember I’m a good swimmer. Right now im treading water through my struggles and my eye is on my health, fitness, strength, flexibility, and longevity. I’m proud to be a plant eater. 

Stay tuned for next post when I announce how I’m doing my small part to help others in the community I live in with the wonderful people I work with.

When you find yourself struggling, it helps to help others.

Namaste’

Rose