Tag Archives: losing weight slow

MAKE IT COUNT MONDAY

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“Don’t give up! It’s not over. The universe is balanced. Every set-back bears with it the seeds of a come-back.”
Steve Maraboli

Good Day to all, it is  Weigh In Monday and I am off for two days. I love to use my days off to catch up on my writing and my plans. I am always redesigning my life, even when set backs happen. I continue to forge forward always, and I never give up. I love this quote above, it truly speaks to me.

I think I am going to call Weigh in Day “MAKE IT COUNT MONDAY.” It has a special kind of hopeful ring to it.

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This week the scale did not budge, but I expected that. I stayed at 159 lbs. I know the scale can sometimes be that fickle friend, one day it shows you love and the next day it stands you up. There you are, standing on the scale with all the hopes of the hard work you put in the previous week, and then nothing. Not one bit of movement, no matter how many times you step on the darn contraption. 

Weighing in should not cause that much drama, do not view the scale as a frenemy; someone you love to hate. Instead embrace the process, weight loss is just like life; you will have your ups and downs. Each week is a brand new chance to reinvent your approach. This week I did not feel well, I felt a bladder infection coming on and I drank all my extra points in cranberry juice. I knew the extra calories of all that juice could alter my outcome on the scale, but my body needed healing. I recently discovered cranberry pills, highly recommended by friends and I am now on the mend. Remember, this is all for your health and wellness. I am completely fine with the scale staying the same this week.

I am embracing the process of the journey. I am going to work harder on my fitness this week, and keep my food clean and keep my points on point. Monday is my splurge day, but I will not go overboard. Splurging within my point range.I will make an effort to get at least 6-8 fruits and vegetables a day. Maybe I should begin making smoothies with veggies again. I will stay motivated and put in the work, it is all about the work.

My workout schedule for this week:

The 3 W’s. Four days a week on my work days after work, I will do my workouts by #benderfitness. I am tailoring them to the fact I have a shoulder injury, and I will also be doing exercises for my shoulder to help myself heal. I will complete two walks a day on my work days. This is all easy to remember, if I work, I workout and walk. The 3 W’s, walk, workout on work days.  http://www.benderfitness.com

Three days a week I will run, I will work up to 3 miles each day. I will also do home yoga and flexibility training 3 days a week. Again, 3 days off equals 3 miles. No way I can forget this plan. Here is my yoga, flexibility and running plans.

http://www.benderfitness.com/2015/05/5k-training-for-new-runners.html

http://www.benderfitness.com/2016/10/daily-yoga-challenge-10-sun-salutations.html

http://www.benderfitness.com/category/flexibility-training

I will work on sleeping better, and not stressing even though life can sometimes throw a pie in your face, and trust me I have dodged a lot of pies lately. Willpower, a good attitude and a smile works wonders; and perhaps just a taste of the pie. 

I am off for now. Namaste’ Love and Light.

Happy Monday,

Make it Count

Rose

WEIGHT LOSS MILESTONE

16387009_1393904893988306_2621029889834396704_nMy weigh in day is on Monday. I am working so hard, and I really get excited for weighing in. This week I finally made it into the 150’s, a milestone I have been chasing for over a year. I finally broke my long time plateau with Weight Watchers Online and I lost 9 lbs in a little over a month. That is 10% of my body weight.

I lost my initial weight between the summer of 2013 and 2016 and than the scale just stopped moving. I continued to work hard on my fitness and I continued to eat healthy but nothing could get the numbers to go down. I even kept off every pound through an ongoing crisis. I never gave up nor will I ever give up. One day I will write about the crisis I am in, but for now I keep all of that private.

I can officially say I am 24 lbs from my goal weight of 135 lbs.

Cue Happy Happy face.
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EASY ITALIAN CHICKEN

Hello to all and Happy Saturday.

I am busy, and sometimes it leaves little time to cook. I do love to cook, when I have time to be creative in the kitchen I can concoct some delicious recipes. On other days I try to cook something that takes little time and preparation. Let’s face it, we are busy but we still wish to eat healthy and delicious home cooked food. I tend to cook a lot of soups and chicken dishes, foods that help me stay within my smart points on Weight Watchers.

One of my go to recipes is a one pot chicken dish, Italian style. Have you heard of Dump Cakes? It is when you just throw all the ingredients in a pan and bake and voila you have cake. This is my version but with chicken.  It is absolutely delicious and low smart points if you follow Weight Watchers. I usually serve it with mashed cauliflower. One pot meals make eating healthy and staying within calorie and point range seamless. I buy frozen chicken because I am on a budget, but the recipe can be used with fresh chicken as well. I hardly call it a recipe, it is so simple to cook. Healthy home cooking on a budget doesn’t have to be complicated.

My portion of one piece of chicken, mashed cauliflower, sauce and one small red potato was 10 points.

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You will need:

I bag of frozen chicken

Two tablespoons olive oil

Vegetables of your choice cut into pieces. I used Portobello mushrooms, zucchini, red and white onions, yellow squash, red potatoes, green and red peppers, and about 8 cloves of garlic. 

Two cans crushed tomatoes (low sodium)

Half can of water

salt, pepper, oregano

In large roaster, add two tablespoons of olive oil. Than add chicken, vegetables and potatoes and garlic. Finally, add two cans of crushed tomatoes, garlic, and season with just a little bit of salt, pepper and oregano. 

Mix all ingredients and cover, baking for over an hour at 375. It depends on your oven, mine took a while. I always just check the chicken. The package of frozen chicken says to bake it for 30 minutes, but that is not correct for my oven. My chicken took over an hour.

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This is a simple recipe, and it makes the most delicious sauce. It is all done in the oven. The Mashed Cauliflower is so simple as well. 

Boil Cauliflower until soft. I just added two tablespoons of lite butter and used a potato masher. I spooned in some of the tomato sauce for flavor and mixed with pepper, oregano and a dash of sea salt.

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Happy Saturday. Food that is simple leaves more time to get active. Have a wonderful day.

Rose

5 reasons I went back to Weight Watchers

The journey is never over, each time you get close to your destination life decides it’s time for you to take a different route.

Rose Bruno Bailey

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My weight loss journey, my life. Ups and downs for sure, but in my heart I definitely feel I experience more ups than downs. In the beginning of this weight loss blog I began with Weight Watchers, and after some time I decided to go at it on my own. I lost about 60 lbs and then hit one major snag, a plateau that lasted about a year. When I moved up to San Francisco my weight actually went up about ten pounds. I lost that when I moved back to Los Angeles, then I got stuck at 168 lbs. I even did a six month clean eating challenge, and did not lose a pound.

On January 14th, I joined Weight Watchers Online. I decided this was it, I needed to do this again, and I planned to journey with Weight Watchers all the way to my goal weight of 135 lbs. Since that day and moment, I am loving this new route of my journey and I lost 7 lbs. I broke that plateau, and I truly am loving the ride. 

Here are the 5 reasons I went back to Weight Watchers Online.

Weight Watchers works in real life, it has been proven. You get a set of daily points, and some extras weekly points. I broke my plateau since I joined on January 14th, 2017 and I lost 7 lbs. You get live support if you attend meetings, and virtual support online if you do not. You can choose to have a coach for a little extra, and for some I am sure that is a life line. Weight Watchers works for weight loss and maintenance. This is not a fad diet, this is forever.

Weight Watchers Online is only 19.95 a month. That is truly doable. For someone on a budget I know I can make that payment. I get the app and all of the wonderful features that comes with it. I track my food, my progress and weight on the app. I get recipes and ideas and share inspiration with others on their Weight Watchers journey. Weight Watchers Connect is like Instagram and Facebook, but for all of us on Weight Watchers. So far I track everything I eat and drink, and I would never do that without the app. I love it.

Weight Watchers helped me with my food issues. I admit it, I had eating disorders. I always looked as food as being bad or good. I would get anxiety if I ate something considered bad. I was getting obsessive and it wasn’t pretty. Now I eat whole grains again, and I am losing weight. Weight Watchers keeps my portions in control for me, teaches me to love food again. I couldn’t be happier.

Weight Watchers may be a format, but I can work the plan the way I choose to, and each week I can change it up if I feel something is not working. On Mondays after weigh in, I have coffee cake with my coffee. I would never have done that before. I actually love weigh in Mondays!!

Weight Watchers is for everybody. Anyone can rock this plan, and everyone can be successful at it. I have seen people on Connect who have lost over 100 lbs with Weight Watchers, people of all ages. It can be done, and I am going to get to my goal of 135 lbs with Weight Watchers. In about ten pounds, I plan to start going to meetings, and when I get to my goal weight I can be a lifetime member. Lifetime members get to attend for free. Talk about the perfect weight loss maintenance plan. 

I am all in with Weight Watchers. All the way, journeying to my goal and beyond.

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I CHEATED ( this is what happened)

It is now common knowledge that the average American gains 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Marilu Henner

The dreaded scale after the holidays, how many of you faced it today? I did, and I gained five pounds. I knew I put on a few pounds so I felt there was no reason to avoid the scale. Better to know now, as I begin anew in 2017 with my weight loss and fitness goals.  One of the reasons I feel this happened because I went so extreme on my diet for five months.  than I ate whatever I felt like eating off and on in between Thanksgiving and New Years. I did not plan to eat with abandon, it just happened. I am human.

My plan for my next 10 lb charity is to deliver the blankets I am collecting for the homeless to the Midnight Mission when I lose 10 lbs and finally make it into the 150’s. 159 I am coming for you.

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I am here to tell you one or two cheat meals are ok, but every day cheating for a few weeks left me feeling as crappy as the food I ate. I thought maybe I would feel the joy of the holidays if I indulged, I worked every holiday and I was trying to find my joy elsewhere. This year the holidays lacked sparkle for me. I am here to remind you and remind myself that food is not the answer to happiness. A little moderation is better than an all out binge. It left me feeling empty and not healthy. I felt bloated, ill and my stomach and joints felt off kilter. It did not bring me the joy I was seeking, it did the opposite.

Marilu Henner got it right on the nose, but I was lucky I only gained five pounds since Thanksgiving. Now I have to back track a little, but no complaining. I got this. Lesson learned for the future. Back to the 80/20 rule. Eat healthy almost all the time, but leave room for occasional treats, of course within portion control. 

Life is not linear; you have ups and downs. It’s how you deal with the troughs that defines you.

Michael Lee-Chin

Back to the drawing board, as I sketch the 2017 I envision. I need to do some grocery shopping and I am reading health magazines for ideas. I am on day three of Melissa Bender Fitness 30 day Challenge. ( I am behind so I am doing one round of day two and one round of day three so I can be in sync with Melissa.I am also going to join her and work on my flexibility.  Here is the link. I got 2017 by the collar and I am showing this year whose the boss. Who is with me? Let’s do this. 15870575_10154786151473617_1135422458_n

http://www.benderfitness.com/2017/01/muffin-top-meltdown-body-weight-exercises-to-burn-fat-strengthen-your-core.html

 

JOY IN THE JOURNEY

In 13 days I begin my summer solstice to winter solstice, and I will be on a quest to be the best me inside and out. Yes, I will not be taking cheat days and I am fine with that. I find cheat days can sometimes lure you into cheat weeks and I want to approach my 50th birthday proud that I did what I set out to do. Some people can have cheat days, some can use moderation but for me this is what has worked in the past and I am going for it. I love a good challenge and I am excited and ready to go. I did have a cheat day this week and to be honest it made me feel completely ill so that is motivation enough.

Weight loss and fitness is personal, so while I will always share what has worked for me to lose my 60 pounds and what works for me now, please feel free to adjust what I say and make it work for you if you are also on a weight loss journey. Everyone has a different body type and a different mind-set. So while I will always share what I am doing to get to my goals, I will try to never sound preachy. I am there to help anyone if they need advice and you can take out of it what works for you. I am here to be a better me inside and out, to lose weight and be fit and strong, all while sponsoring a charity with each ten pounds. If you follow my journey and wish to learn from me, well then I am humbled and grateful.

I know that space someone is in when they have to lose a lot of weight. For me it was shame and embarrassment. I was a former dancer and I could not understand how I got this way. I was far from family and friends on the west coast so I hid it well in photos from the neck up. My weight has fluctuated in my forties but my highest was before I began this blog. My Change For A Ten HeaderRose Bruno Bailey Before Pictures

I was so ashamed the first week of my blog that I almost backed out of one of the best things I did on this blog. My blog was going live, I had a trainer, ( thanks Mike for all you did to help me the first year) and I was starting new. I always wanted to attend a Richard Simmons class and I saw a casting to dance in one of his videos. I was cast and I almost didn’t show up because I thought I was too fat. Did you just hear that statement? I almost didn’t attend the video shoot with Mr Richard Simmons because I thought I was “too fat.” Everyone knows Richard Simmons is the patron saint for all who wish to lose weight and be healthy again so that statement and mind-set was completely ridiculous.

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If you have followed my blog I did do the video shoot, and after made life long friends and continued to attend his amazing and inspirational classes. Mike my trainer convinced me to take lots of before photos, and to I own where I was, so at the classes I took tons of pics.   The energy at Richard Simmons Slimmons studio was so high it really propelled me forward. A side note and prayer for our friend Richard. He has been in the hospital and out of the spotlight for some time and he is so loved by many. I send healing energy, prayers and love into the universe for him and hope to take a class again when and if he returns to teaching.Rose Bruno Bailey Richard Simmons

The reason I am looking back on this post is because I myself am looking forward and taking some of my own advice that I followed when I began this blog. I did things in the beginning to help motivate me, and I believe these things really help you feel good about yourself as you embark on your journey to better self-esteem though being a healthier human. These things can help you feel good about yourself as before you lose your first pound. The Richard Simmons video and having Mike as my trainer helped me to realize what I needed to do to begin with a better frame of mind. I shifted from hating my body to loving who I was inside and out, and knowing with this frame of mind and positive attitude I could only feel better and be better inside and out as I moved forward. There were little things I did in the beginning to help my self-esteem, things that did not cost a dime. of course see your doctor first and foremost.

  1. Groom yourself before you lose a pound. For me I was overweight and had slacked off on taking care of myself. So I did a little grooming pre- weight loss. It may sound silly but personal grooming does make you feel better. I know many a lady who does not shave their legs all winter and that is fine, whatever makes you happy. Be you, and own you.  One way does not work for everyone. I find for me though, shaved legs, nails and toes done or at least clipped and filed and neat lets me be ready for that impromptu yoga class. In the past I would have backed out of a yoga class because my toes looked a fright. Now I am always ready to go. A day at the beach? Sure, my legs are smooth and I can get some walking done barefoot in the sand. When I recently moved my hair was really out of control, so I broke down and had it done. My self-esteem feels 1,000 times better and I have not yet began my June 20th challenge. I believe taking care of yourself on the outside also helps you feel good about yourself not only as the weight numbers go down, but as the biological numbers go up. Rose Bruno Bailey Weight Loss
  2. Get walking. I started walking in the beginning, before I trained with Mike and before I did any of Melissa Bender Fitness workouts. For some, working out is overwhelming and intimidating so walking especially to music is cathartic and makes you feel great. Take baby steps, any step is better than no step at all. I use Spotify for my running playlist, and before I ever took a step I downloaded my favorite music to get me motivated. Motivation-Meme-Richard-Simmons-My-Face-When-Meme-e1419396438857
  3. Tell people what you are doing and take before photos. I almost did not do this, the photos and Mike convinced me to be authentic I need to be real. It made me own who I was without shame and soon I was taking full body photos all the time. Like I said, it definitely gets better from here so take the photos and love yourself. One day you will look back with immense pride of your accomplishments.10635777_10152741885703617_7441659690638254617_nRose Bruno Bailey weight loss
  4. Find a workout or walking buddy and your tribe. In the beginning working out with Mike, well I was terrified. I had no idea what to expect. He had me do boot camp stuff like crawl in the dirt. No one is asking you to go crawl in the dirt but for me Mike made working out so fun that to this day I miss having someone to workout with. He taught me life lessons beyond fitness ( I am no longer afraid of dirt)  and I am grateful to have him has a friend. Camaraderie is everything. Find a friend and a mutual cheerleader. You do not need a trainer, just someone who believes in you as you do them. Get out in nature and move it. Now I do benderfitness workouts and she is absolutely fantastic and free.unnamed (3)unnamedRose Bruno Bailey Fitness Ambassador for Melissa Bender Fitnesstrainer1

5. Take it one day at a time. Begin in the beginning, and take your time. I do not believe            in fast fixes when it comes to weight loss. In the past I have followed the 80/20 rule.            Eat clean 80% of the time and it is ok to allow small splurges from time to time. Even          though I am embarking on an extreme challenge now, before I followed the 80/20                rule and it worked for me. Every day one day at a time, time to move more, time                  nourish your body with clean healthy food. The weight loss will come, you just need            to put the work in and find joy in the journey. The destination is on the horizon,  love          who you are and the path you are taking.    I am still traveling with the wind in my              hair and much more zest to my life.13346974_10154150687853617_6948320970163668120_n        

Namaste’

Rose

 

 

 

NOT A NUMBER


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“Life is like music on a scale, shifting up and down. When your life is over, your song has been written.”
― Peggy Toney Horton

This quote is not about the same scale I am talking about, but it is a true example of the ups and downs of life and living as well as the ups and downs of weight loss. How do you measure your worth? Are you unworthy on days when the scale tips upward? These are the questions I often ask myself as I continue on my quest of weight loss and fitness.

Today is weigh in Wednesday, and I gained three pounds. Does that mean today I am a failure?

I could go on and on about the fact I ate more sodium than usual over the holiday weekend, or the fact I got a nasty virus from my husband James that sidelined me for almost a week. I could go on and on about that one piece of cake I decided to indulge in, or the fact that I work nights and sometimes I find myself skipping meals.

I could go on and on for the reason I gained the dreaded three pounds. Or I can just say my scale is a fickle bitch and toss is aside. 

I would like to believe I have many more lyrics to compose in this life of mine, many more stanzas to the poems that make up my purpose as I walk this planet. My weight has no bearing of the reason of my existence. It is easy to self sabotage,  to self bash and follow a pattern of self destructiveness. Or I can choose the other race course, lace up my hot pink running shoes and just keep running towards my goals; even though my flat surfaced race course sometimes feels more like an extreme obstacle with barbed wire hurdles to jump over.

Am I a failure or a fighter? 

This week I begin again, as it seems I am constantly doing as of late.  My elusive weight goal is far in the future. I will fight my mythical hurdles, take them on one step at a time, one mile before the next and try to get there even if it seems to be taking forever. Barbed wire? Bring it on.  I will get there.

After all my song is far from over.

Jump that wall, run that mile, the scale does not get to decide how far you will go. Numbers don’t hold you back, only you can do that. Keep running towards your goals.

Namaste’

Rose Bruno Bailey

WEIGH IN WEDNESDAY

I saw this unknown quote today and it made me laugh.

I put the scale in the bathroom corner, and that is where the bitch stays until she apologizes.

Author unknown

Good Morning. I woke up with a scratchy voice and it is taking me some time to get moving. and on top of that my computer is fighting me this morning. Doing a simple blog post is a challenge, so this post will be short and sweet.

I got on the scale, and my weight remained the same. I will take it, it is better than gaining weight. Weight loss isn’t a fluid process, there are a lot of ripples on the way to your ultimate weight. I did a calculation yesterday on my weight loss app lose it, and it said I can hit my goal weight of 140 by September 2016 if I only eat a thousand calories a day. Yeah, I doubt that’s happening.

But I still feel great. I am back on track and again today is my second run of the week. I posted the link to my running schedule from Benderfitness.com on my Facebook page. This computer is not cooperating today.

I promised to write about all the resources to help you lose weight and get fit when you are financially strapped, and I am working on that for a future post.

Yesterday’s run was amazing, and I love that runner’s high you get. Yes, my throat feels scratchy and my lymph node a little swollen, but I think I can fight whatever bug is trying to bite me. Coffee first, always coffee first. Today may be a second cup kind of day. You run the day, even if you have to run it on a little caffeine. xo2d8bb3d203079c6b72bc2705f6ff1412

Namaste’ 

Love and Light

 

 

 

NEW MOON ON MONDAY

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Music inspires, it invigorates. It heals a bad mood and can remind you that someone broke your heart just as you were starting to forget. I was a dancer in the past, and music motivates me to run instead of to walk, to pick up my pace just a little more, and to keep going when my energy is starting to falter. Before I even started to workout, to speed walk, and to run I made a playlist to prepare myself to make it joyful and fun. Music keeps me going then, and today music motivates me to begin anew.

Duran Duran just happens to be on my running playlist, and when I first began this blog I would practice my burpees to New Moon on Monday.  ( I practiced burpees. Have you done them?  Don’t judge) My former trainer Mike and I worked on them over and over. I tried not to be embarrassed because I was a beginner. Here I am after my move and it feels like I am a beginner all over again. 

Starting over after my move is not easy but my commitment begins today. I have no shame, here I am and ready to run.  I really missed my regular scheduled workouts and running, and my body feels it.  My weight is dropping again, and now I add my workout and running schedule since things are starting to revert back to a routine here in Los Angeles. My next charity will occur when I hit 164 lbs, and I will announce what I plan to do soon. Back on track, back on track. Have you ever slacked off for a few months and found yourself a little slower and softer?  Mondays are perfect for new beginnings.

Here is my plan for the week.

 This week I will run 3.1 miles three times a week. If I am not running, I will be speed walking and getting plenty of cardio in. My day off will be Sunday.

I will do melissa bender fitness workouts three to five times a week depending on time but at minimum I will get it in there times a week.  I am doing her Bikini Prep Series. Each week I will do three to five workouts, starting with day one.

Today is a new day, my new moon on Monday. Coffee first!! That was non negotiable in the very beginning as it is today.

Namaste’

Rose

http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/02/my-first-bikini-competition-prep-month-1-workouts.html

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5 ways to survive a crisis

“The best way out is always through”

Robert Frost

Life is beautiful, life is grand, and it is most definitely a privilege to be alive. Nothing is perfect though, and life is a series of hills and valleys. You definitely have to journey through the valleys before you are back on top of that metaphorical hill. I love that quote by Robert Frost, and I said it to myself daily for the last eight months. “The best way out is always through”

We all have our trials and tribulations, and each of our journeys are different. Our destinations may not be the same, but we are all connected through our shared humanity. For me I made sure I practiced a few steps to help me survive and not lose sight of my horizon, my goals and dreams. For me this made all the difference in the world. To be honest, I had a few meltdowns, I am human and with my humanity comes my flaws, scars and all. I make no apologies. It was through my meltdowns that I realized what I needed to do. The current was trying to bring me down, but I refused to drown and instead I chose to stay afloat and tread water until I saw the shore once again.

The dream is the bearer of a new possibility, the enlarged horizon of great hope. 

Howard Thurman

These are the steps that kept me sane and working towards my goals. Now that the murky water is clearing I can say I did not regress, I grew and I am in a better place than I once was last summer. I did not falter, I persevered. You can too. Keep your eye of that horizon and never give up. Hope is a beautiful state to dwell in. Love and light to all. Namaste’ Rose

 

  1. Assess your situation, breathe and take stock on what you need to do to make it better. A crisis can hit you hard and leave you feeling wounded and torn. Have your meltdowns, cry your tears but choose to live in hope instead of despair. After your initial fall stand back up, straighten your back and tell yourself I got this. Make a plan and take flight.birdie
  2. Do not stop working towards your goals and keep your exercise routine, trust me on this one.  I ran a 5K in October with my manager at work Josh, who inspires me. He has ran over 32 marathons and he actually started running because of a personal crisis he was experiencing. I met some amazing friends who have made an impact on my life running in that race, my inspiring friends Stan and John.  If you make plans, stand by your word and follow through. It is not easy but it is very rewarding. We are now planning another 5K in San Francisco on May 1st, and this time we are building a team of other co-workers who were inspired to join us. If I would have quit I would be starting all over now, and even more depressed because I let my crisis win.  I had to work a lot more hours than I would have liked, but I chose to walk on my breaks and take every opportunity to move as much as possible. I was averaging up to 25,000 a day. A motivating playlist made it fun. Start downloading music and get moving. Get high on those wonderful endorphins of yours. 27472617-2af2-40e7-adb0-7b717f69ec935k35k4
  3. Eat clean healthy food, drink a lot of fresh water and please rest your body and get out in nature.  Last thing you want is to do is gain weight and feel sluggish through your crisis. You need to feel healthy in mind and spirit to tackle the enormous task in front of you. Dealing with fears and the feeling of uncertainty is a lot worse when you are putting trash into your system, dehydrated and running on next to no sleep.  Would you litter? Pour oil into the ocean? Treat your body like you would the earth. Nurture it, water it, and let it grow. You need all the energy to get through this. A clean diet, lots of water and rest and recreation in the outdoors is the way to go. Like Nike tells the world, just do it.  I lost almost 15 lbs since the new year began. Below is my before and now.  2013, and 2016. Get outside and let the cool wind blow through your hair, it is the best therapy. We go to the coast to find our center, find your beach and breathe.pescadero212742839_1088819611163504_1748115292959977888_n
  4. Have a positive mantra. I have a few mantras that I said in my head over the last few months, and one my husband and I shared with each other daily. Of course I kept saying my favorite Robert Frost quote ” The best way out is always through” I also had a song that was my mantra, its a silly song but I love it. Remember the band Chumbawamba? They are a British alternative band most famous for their positive and uplifting song Tubthumping.  It’s title you will may not remember, but the lyrics will bring it all back. “I get knocked down, but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down.” I sang this song in my head, I ran to it, I listened to it during my commute. The last mantra my husband James started in the new year. He began each day with “Today is a good day” and ended it with ‘Today was a good day and tomorrow is a good day.” I am a firm believer in the law of attraction, and he attracted positive energy our way. He focused on the good even on the rough days. We are all magnets, so attract the positive into your life. Today is a good day. Say it, believe it to be true and it will be.12715355_10153861692433617_9154185607114484018_n
  5. Be extra kind to others, smile a little more, exude happiness, giving and love. This is so true, I went through my days being kind to strangers despite my despair and you know what, it helped me more than it could have helped others. I went to work happy and smiling when it was the last place I wished to be. If you are grumpy you will only attract that negativity back at you. I smiled more, shared more of myself, and I gave back a little more. I continued to volunteer and donate through my own personal struggles, and I met some awe inspiring people doing it. If you are kind and happy you will attract kindness and happiness. Such a simple step to the path of happiness and to help you bear your crisis with a little more grace. Be a Susie Sunshine even if you are surrounded by Debbie Downers. You may find your uplifting attitude changes those around you. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Gandhi charity