Category Archives: working out with a trainer

BACK FROM VEGAS

I am back in town from my trip to Las Vegas with my husband James. We had a wonderful time together. Now it is back to my workouts. Today I walked to my workout, worked out with my Trainer Mike, and walked home. I took the time to stop at the thrift store to buy some used book treasures for additional inspiration.

Icing my toe and off to bed soon. Love and light to all.
Namaste’
Rose


WEDNESDAY WORKOUT

Me last summer and now.



I had my Wednesday workout with my trainer Mike before I escape to Vegas for a long holiday weekend with James.  I am getting really good at my push-ups and I am very proud at how far I have come. I will go much farther too, the skies the limit. I am really working on my fitness goals. My workouts are really changing my body, much more so than if I would have gone at it alone. I am very grateful for the help and expertise of Mike, he is a great teacher. 

I downloaded some music for my cardio, some fast 70’s and 80’s music to really get me moving.
Here are some of my new songs.

Wild Wild Life, Talking Heads
Turning Japanese The Vapors
Paradise by the Dashboard Light Meatloaf
Running on Empty Jackson Browne
Let it Ride BTO
Flashdance Irene Cara
Fame Irene Cara
Hollywood Nights Bob Seger
I’m Alive ELO
Shine a Little Love ELO
All Over The World ELO
Sweet Talking Woman ELO
I Got You Split Enz
I Ran Flock A Flock of Seagulls

Off to do some packing. Love and Light to all.
Namaste’
Rose




HAPPY EARTH DAY

Good Morning to all and Happy Earth Day. I love nature more than ever since moving to southern California. There is nothing like a being amongst the trees and feeling a tepid breeze kiss your cheek. The ocean, the sand, the wind and the sound of the waves. I am completely in awe of nature and so grateful to have the opportunity to work out in the outdoors verses always being in a gym atmosphere. It makes me feel at one with the earth, at peace. I call it mobile meditation. Do not get me wrong, I love going to the gym but this is completely different and you tap into your mind and body and feed your soul as you are working out your body.

Tonight is my workout with my trainer Mike. I am completely grateful to him for introducing a whole new world to me. When I started this project my intention was to help charities as I lost weight, and I assumed I would get there by a little speed walking and dieting. Never in my wildest dreams did I assume I would do a 10K and plan the fitness goals I have on my bucket list. If you told me I would be doing burpees and pushups I would have told you that you are crazy. 

My other fitness motivator is Melissa Bender Fitness. has not only been a best friend but a huge inspiration to me and the masses. I am lucky to have such a fitness support network guiding me as I do whatever I tell this body I can do. A shout out to Mr. Richard Simmons as well, it is time I make a visit to his classes again. 

I am at awe of my friends old and new, and so grateful for the inspiration they grant me on a daily basis. I am overflowing with gratitude for all that have touched my life in one capacity or another.

You never know who you may turn out to be, and life sometimes takes turns in directions you never dreamed of going.
Happy Earth Day
Love and Light to all
Namaste’
Rose

FITNESS MILESTONES

Working on my strength so I can take trapeze classes soon.


Good evening to all. My modem is broken at home so I am behind on my posts. Today we arrived in the valley of the sun Phoenix, Arizona and we are here for a long weekend away. I am taking this time to rest and recuperate my muscles so I will be raring to go when I get back. After the 10K I was a little roughed up, and I strained my muscle just a bit. I am taking it easy as a precaution, but there is a pool here so I will still be active. I also brought my yoga mat so I can practice my yoga and keep my muscles stretched.

My trainer Mike and I decided we are really going to focus on goals more, and I am not going to be so wrapped up on what the scale says weekly. Now mind you, I am still going to document my weight loss and as soon as I get to my elusive next ten pounds I will do my book drive for Reading To Kids.I am still hovering at 171 lbs, and I am officially in a plateau. We are just really going to focus on my goals and making those happen. I am really inspired. Here are a few of the first goals.

1. 10 guy push ups
2. five minute plank. I am currently at 2.5 minutes
3.Run around the park 4 times, improve on my running
4.Do pull ups
5.10 minutes of rowing

We will be working on these and other fitness milestones as we continue on my fitness journey. The fitness milestones will help me with my fitness bucket list. In example, the pull up will help me with my strength needed for Trapeze classes.

Love and Light to all.
Namaste’
Rose

MONDAY UPDATE

Good Morning to all. I weighed in on Saturday and went up a pound. I did everything right so this frustrates me. I am trying so hard to get into the 160’s and be at my next ten pound charity. I am going to focus of my fitness goals and my charities I plan to help. I will get there, it will just take some time. My current weight is 171. I just want to make it into the 160’s in two weeks when I head to Phoenix AZ.

My Thursday workout with Mike was awesome. My workouts have become faster and more challenging, but they are a lot of fun. Mike has be doing a circuit, the ropes, burpees, push ups, boxing and kicking, then running back and doing it over and over. In workout language they call those sets I think. It is a lot of fun and I am grateful to him. I workout with him again tomorrow, and we are working on my running once again. 

We had an earthquake and I freaked out a bit. I am not used to them and I really was scared. I did not sleep at all on Friday night but I still made it to the Charity Boot Camp for 2 Hands 2 Cans taught by Corey Sousa of Revline Fitness. It is such a wonderful cause and I had a blast. A year ago I would not have been able to even do the boot camp. I met some great people and discovered a beautiful park near my house. The Pan Pacific Park is so lovely, I want to go back and bring my mat and do some outdoor yoga. Off for the day, work and walking and workout later.
Have a beautiful Monday
Love and Light
Rose

Here is a link to the facebook page of 2 Hands 2 Cans founded by Chris Willard.With the gang from 2 Hands 2 Cans.

https://www.facebook.com/2Hands2Cans

Some photos of the Boot Camp for Charity for 2 Hands 2 Cans


The gang from 2 Hands 2 cans
Masha from 2 Hands 2 cans
Kerry and friend
Founder Chris Willard
Trainer Corey Sousa from Revline Fitness

Kerry Flowers and me




BOOK DRIVE

Good Tuesday Morning to all. My next ten pound charity is the wonderful organization Reading To Kids. I am holding a book drive, collecting brand new books for children ages K-5. I am currently three pounds from my next weight milestone but I wait til I am a few pounds beyond the ten pound mark. I am now doing the legwork for the book drive and trying to get the word out. I also plan on volunteering in the near future and reading to the kids.

Here is some information about Reading To Kids.

Reading to Kids is a grassroots organization dedicated to inspiring underserved children with a love of reading, thereby enriching their lives and opportunities for success in the future.  To this end, Reading to Kids gathers on average 876 children and 367 volunteers at reading clubs on the second Saturday of every month at seven Los Angeles elementary schools.
At the monthly reading clubs, pairs of volunteers read aloud to small groups of children, while their parents receive training on how to encourage their children to read at home.  Kids, parents, teachers, and school libraries receive book donations at the end of the reading clubs.  These are important donations, as 60 percent of low-income homes do not have age-appropriate reading materials for children.
Since its inception in 1999, Reading to Kids has given more than 124,442 prize books to children who attend the reading clubs, donated more than 22,469 hardcover books to school libraries, and our volunteers have spent more than 145,899hours reading to kids.  Click here to see our entry on Wikipedia. 
Reading to Kids is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the state of California and has been classified as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code. The organization is exempt from both state and federal taxes; our tax ID number is 95-4758698.  
Off for now. Tonight is after work I am working out with my trainer Mike. I have been gluten free and eating completely clean during the week, and I have had amazing energy. 

Love and Light
Happy Tuesday to all
Namaste’
Rose

THURSDAY WORKOUT

Rough waters, calm seas, I weather the storms and wait for the sun.



Good Morning to all. Thursday is here, and for me yesterday was such a long day. Happy the weekend is almost upon us. Tuesday I worked out with my trainer Mike, and I am surprised I am so sore. We did not seem to do anything out of the ordinary, I was a little fatigued and he admitted to being low energy himself. That happens from time to time. I am doing a gluten free experiment this week, and I have noticed my concentration is a bit off. Today I will make sure to eat enough, especially before my workout tonight with Mike. I am getting so much better at doing push ups, such a milestone for me.

I am also so happy I can now do dancer’s pose in yoga. This is a fitness milestone for me. Before I could not even reach behind me and touch my toes. I am very flexible forward but reaching back not so much. I have come a long way though, and my quads are really starting to open up and be more flexible. 

Off for now. I am a little sleepy. Love and light to all and Happy Thursday.
Rose

TUESDAY WORKOUT AND DAY 4

Inspired by the beauty of timeless trees



Good Morning to all. I am up and tired, My Siamese cats were in rare form last night. Nothing that a little caffeine cannot fix. It is day 4 of the Melissa Bender Fitness 30 day challenge, to exercise for all thirty days. I have been doing her workout videos along with everything else I am doing, I wanted to raise the bar so to speak and this should really help me gain strength. I already feel like it is working, to be stronger in my workouts with my Trainer Mike and to improve in all of the exercises we do. I mentally feel the results.

Tonight after work I workout with Mike, and I believe we are videotaping me doing burpees today or Thursday. I am not instructing, only showing where I am now. We will do more videos in the future to show my progress. My burpees have improved since the beginning, but I do have a ways to go. I am so up for the challenge.

Today I faced a few morning challenges, and this is how I met them head on.

Woke up tired, friend bought me a muffin. I only ate a quarter of it. No deprivation but portion control.
My ankle feels a tiny bit strained. I am wearing an ankle brace and listening to my body as I work out.
I am tired, the cats were playing all night. I am having some coffee and mentally telling myself I am awake and raring to go.

Wishing you a wonderful Tuesday. 
Love and Light
Namaste’
Rose


BETTER THAN YESTERDAY



Sometimes I get impatient, well a lot of times I am impatient. If you were to ask my husband what is my worst flaw he would tell you I am too impatient. It is no different in regards to fitness and weight loss. I do love the journey as well as the destination, and I am so happy where I am. I do have that little devil sitting on my shoulder telling me I should have come farther by now, and I need to work harder. Yes, I need to work even harder but I should be proud of where I am and where I am going. I am far removed from where I was. I can be my own worst critic, and self bashing is a slippery slope and I will nip this negative banter in the bud. I am in a much better place than I was yesterday, and definitely in comparison to there I was when I began this in July 2013. I will be grateful and not impatient.

So from now on I am just going to focus on my clean eating, my fitness and flexibility. I will be starting my fitness bucket list as well and I am working on my book drive for children which is my next ten pound milestone charity. All of this and work too.

Yesterday my workout with Mike my trainer went smooth. I ate enough and my energy was high. I was timid about running again, I admit I have slacked off on running and I have been walking instead but once I got going it was not so bad. I am grateful to him and he has helped me tremendously, he is good at what he does and I owe him a lot. We are going to video tape me doing my burpees in a week or two. I have improved considerably.

Coffee is my morning elixir on days like these. We are supposed to be getting a rain storm, so I may be spending more time indoors at the gym instead of my outdoor workouts. Mixing it up is always a good thing and California desperately needs rain even though I miss the sun when it happens. I have become a true Californian.

Off for now
Love and Light
Namaste’
Rose

VALENTINE’S VISIT TO ALEXANDRIA HOUSE

The three layer cake for Valentine’s Day
Cookies and Red Velvet Mini Indulgences from Seasons 52
Sweets for the sweet residents at Alexandria House

Mini Indulgences from Seasons 52

Spreading Valentine’s Cheer

Janet number one posing with a mini indulgence, she and Janet 2 as they call each other cooked an amazing dinner for everyone.

The cake was a hit, I was good and did not have any.

Clean up time is all about family teamwork



Good evening to all on this Thursday evening. Last night my friend and co-worker Meagan and I delivered sweets for Valentine’s Day to Alexandria house, a transitional home for women and children in Los Angeles CA.  We stayed for dinner and spent time with the ladies who run the house and the families who live there. It was lovely experience and I am happy I was able to make time to visit. Before dinner everyone gathers and holds hands in prayer and then everyone introduces themselves. Afterwards the children sit at the table and the Mother’s serve them dinner, then everyone else eats. It is a beautiful craftsman home, who amazing woodwork and a beautiful fireplace. It feels like home, and it reminds me of my own childhood home. It is a special place full of hope, happiness and love, a magical place.

We brought a three layer cake, cookies and Seasons 52 donated their award winning mini indulgences, I am so grateful to them for their support and generosity. Dinner was homemade enchiladas, salad, corn bread and kool-aid. I have to admit I was so excited for the kool-aid, one of my favorite childhood indulgences. It was a great experience to stay for dinner, and we also stayed to help clean and chat with the ladies who live at Alexandria House. I truly am humbled to be able to visit and give a little of myself, after all this is their home. I plan on returning in the near future. I am brainstorming, maybe a book drive for the kids who live there and for all of the other children Alexandria House helps. A big thanks to Meagan for joining me on my quest to give back a little.

Tonight was my workout with my trainer Mike at the park. I was rushed for time today and I did not eat enough so my energy was a little lacking but I kept up pretty well. We are really upping the intensity and I am so happy about that. I am really getting stronger and improving. I am only on my way up, I will not slow down or stop. I may struggle but I will not falter. I am determined and enjoying every minute of movement. Tonight I am doing my 25 burpees, I challenged myself to do 25 extra burpees a day along with everything else I am doing.

This weekend I am getting away, woo hoo. James and I are going to La Jolla CA and we are staying right on the water. I am so stoked to use an old California term. I love weekends away, California is the perfect place to get away on little adventures and explore. 

Off for now, I need to eat a salad and then do my burpees and stretching before bed. Wishing you a beautiful evening and sweet dreams.
Namaste’
Rose