Tag Archives: New year

DIETING, REINVENTING MY VISION



I have done well, and I am proud but my husband and I were discussing that I am not even half way there. How do I sustain the momentum to get to where I am going. I still would like to lose 40 lbs more. Food has been a struggle and I feel like I am playing a tug of war with my thoughts about dieting. I decided to nip this feeling in the bud, reinvent my vision and start to do Weight Watchers online. I can attend occasional meetings, track my points and weigh myself in the privacy of my own home. My weigh in is now Saturday mornings, I think the perfect time to weigh in. Today my scale was not cooperating so I decided to be safe and add four pounds to my weight of 177, just in case I have put on a bit of water weight. So I tracked my starting weight at 181 lbs. I would rather error on the high side and work my way back down. During the holidays I did not watch my sodium, so that is why I feel I may have gained a bit of water weight.

I am motivated, it is a new year and I have brand new momentum. Reinventing my vision to get to where I want to go is necessary to keep it fresh and keep up the pace. I also love if I feel I need extra support I can attend a meeting. So my next charity will be in roughly 14 pounds or around 168 pounds.  That is my first goal. If I get the scale working today I may update this, if not I will go with the higher number I posted and purchase a new scale. I just felt the need to get this documented now.

Quick update, scale is working and my weight is 179. I gained two pounds only, and this is after two cups of coffee, 16 oz of water and breakfast. I am on track pretty much. So thrilled.

Wishing everyone a fresh new beginning as the 2014 begins. 
Namaste’
Rose Bruno Bailey

2013 YEAR IN REVIEW PART ONE

As the end of the year dawns I find myself lamenting on all of the moments, good and bad. At the start of 2013 I was not in a happy place. I started working for the first time at Seasons 52 in Century City CA, and while this job would later prove to be an instrument in many of my positive changes that were to come later in the year; at the time it created a time management problem. I ceased all yoga and working out and let myself go.  At the start of the New Year my weight had risen to an all time high, I was 207 lbs. I refused to let anyone take a picture of me that was full body. I had tried to hide my weight gain to everyone, especially to myself. Denial is common with weight gain.



For me, confidence and weight go hand in hand. My confidence was at an all time low. In NYC I had attended poetry readings and open mics frequently and I loved reading my poetry in front of an audience. Here in California I refused to read publicly, I did not feel like myself and did not wish to put myself out there. As a former dancer I mourned my dancing days, and I felt full of regret. I had taken a self esteem dive, and I was drowning in the after affects of the tsunami that my overweight sense of self had created. I did attend one poetry reading with my wonderful friend Xiomara, and this photograph above would help me take a long hard look at myself. It would be months before I had the courage to make positive changes, A storm was literally about to brew.


The last weekend of January I noticed our beloved tabby cat Stormy was not eating. I immediately took her to the veterinarian, and within a day she was diagnosed with renal failure. James and I were walking zombies, but we made the decision to try to give her a chance with home fluids. She deteriorated fast, and on that Thursday she passed away in our bed. It was a surreal moment, we heard a cat rustling around in the living room and a meow come from that direction and minutes later she was gone. We believe she was telling us that she was ok and it was time to go. 2013 had a cruel beginning. We were completely crushed, to us pets are family. Our family unit was broken, and we were truly devastated. Picking up the pieces would take a few months of healing and love.



A lot of the love came from our friends and family. The out pour of support was so comforting. The staff at Trader Joe’s in West Hollywood gave us a Dragon Plant for healing. We burned sage, had the apartment professionally cleaned and bought new bedding. We were told to do all of these things to clear out the sickness and negativity that lingered. It did seem to lighten up the space. 

Our other cat Rascal was grieving too, so in April we decided to adopt our second Siamese cat Spanky. Spanky was found by a wonderful couple in Long Beach, and we made the trek to bring him to his forever home. We would always love and miss Stormy but we felt Rascal needed a companion.  We love Spanky with all of our hearts, he is a quirky yet loving cat. We were finally starting to see some light again.



In May we decided a get-a-way was badly needed, so we booked a weekend in San Diego at the Grand Hyatt Regency. Trains are my favorite way to see the country, so we took Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner all the way to San Diego. The Grand Hyatt Regency was an amazing experience.  We received the best service and a room with a beautiful view of the bay. We took the ferry over to Coronado Island and visited the famous Hotel Del Coronado, where the film Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe was filmed. Getting away was just what I needed to inspire me to move forward with my goals. Sometimes you need to get away to see your life from a different vantage point. You relax, rejuvenate and are able to see the possibilities that await back home….. 


My New Year’s resolutions for 2013 would take six months to begin, but better late than never.