Monthly Archives: September 2014

Melissa Bender Fitness: My First Bikini Competition Prep: Month 1 Workouts…

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Melissa Bender suggested I do this series, so today was day one of month one. I also did my cardio. 

I will be posting more about how I am getting to my goals each day. Day one, done. I am not competing, but these are challenging workouts and I am excited.


I will be doing other exercises and workouts on my quest for fitness, and I will also post as I go and progress. I am beginning anew amongst the chaos of moving to a brand new city. 


Namaste’

Rose

Melissa Bender Fitness: My First Bikini Competition Prep: Month 1 Workouts…: This is Month 1 of the workouts that I have done to prep for my bikini competition. This is the order I completed the workouts in…

RIDE WITH THE WIND

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With the wind comes a change in direction, and I am adjusting my compass and blowing in the breeze. The sea is below to catch my fall. I will never falter, it sometimes it takes me longer to get to my destination. Loving the journey just the same.

With everything going on with the move, I realized I need to push harder than ever. I have decided to blog more about what I am doing each day to get to my goals, and when I get to San Francisco I will not feel like I have fallen behind. Friday I did cardio for 45 minutes and took a Les Mills Body Pump Class. I am still sore from that. Saturday I went speed walking outdoors for over an hour.

Today I am going to do about an hour of speed walking outdoors. I am taking advantage of this amazing weather, I hear San Franciso is much cooler. I am planning on speed walking for now. I have slacked off a bit, so I am starting with that so I do not make my toes any worse. I am also seeing a Dr. before the move. Running will come as soon as I feel back in the swing of things.

Today I am also going to do day one of Melissa Bender Fitness Bikini Competition workouts. She suggested I add those to my routine a while back, and it is so amazing to work out with my best friend even if it is virtually. She is such an inspiration and I do not know where I would be without her.  I plan on going through the routine twice, after my cardio. I plan on doing 15-20 reps.

I struggle with lunges, so that will be the most difficult part for me. I can do her routine at the gym or at home. I have been watching the videos and writing down the breakdown so I can do it at the gym without the computer. They have all the equipment I will need.

That is it for today. I downloaded brand new music from the 70’s and 80’s to keep me moving. It also makes me happy and energized. With this move I need to keep my energy high. Onward and Upward.

Love and light to all
Happy Sunday
Namaste’
Rose

MOVING CHAOS

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Moving is full speed ahead, as soon as we are able to secure an apartment. This is very difficult from afar since we are both still working our present jobs. A lot of stress and it is easy to fall of the wagon. Yesterday I decided I would find time to work harder than ever, to keep my momentum going despite of the stress. I will be on my own in the city by the bay, without the security of having my trainer Mike push we twice a week. I need to reset my goals and plan for what is to come in a new city. Mike will still be helping me with my fitness bucket list and I know he will help me from afar as much as he can.  My husband James said Mike gave me the keys to fitness, now it is up to me to open new doors in my new city.

I took a Body Pump Class yesterday, I think it will be perfect to help me transition in San Francisco. I am working out and pushing myself, and downloading brand new music to get me moving to a new upbeat tune. I ran into my dear friends at 24 Hour Fitness in West Hollywood, and was so grateful we could capture a photo. 

James wanted Chinese, and what’s a girl to do? Steamed chicken, vegetables and brown rice, and I only ate half a portion with some fruit. I have a piece of dark chocolate for later, after I work out. It is so important now more than ever that I stick to my healthy lifestyle.
Off for today, we need to start going through our belongings and purging and donating what we do not need.
Love and Light to all
Namaste’
Rose

Steamed brown rice, veggies, and chicken with no sauce. 

I love Peter and Agatha, They swim daily




RELOCATING TO SAN FRANCISCO

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I do Love LA



I have been very quiet here, and it is because I felt I had nothing to say. September has been full of uncertainty and transition. My husband James took a job up in San Francisco last week, a position he was interviewing with for about a month. In that period, I did not know if we would stay or go. We were in limbo, and the waiting was so stressful. All of the goals I had for September were put off, after all how can you sign up for classes if you are not sure you will still be here? 

At this same time my trainer Mike was going through transitions of his own, moving into a new apartment and we were not able to work out. I still kept up walking, running, and yoga but I found the more I got stressed out about my possible move the more I slacked off a little. My diet is still on point, right now that is the only arena in my life I have control over. I love my LA home and I am very sad to go, but on the same note I look forward to a brand new adventure in San Francisco. I am so proud of my husband James, he truly is a determined go getter and relentless when it comes to getting what he wants in his career. 

There is a quiet kind of loneliness when you find out you are moving to a brand new place. I cannot explain it, but all of a sudden for a fleeting moment you feel very alone in the world.

I knew with Mike’s transitions and my own impending move that our workouts would be coming to an end soon, I felt that this possible move to San Francisco would happen and it did. It was exactly four years ago James and I made the move from our beloved big apple to the city of angels. NYC to LA in a span of three weeks time in September 2010. The timing was just too similar, and I felt that this would happen exactly like it did back in 2010. My intuition was on par as usual. At the time I was so sad to leave NYC behind, but I felt it was time for a change. I grew to fall in love with sunny Los Angeles. Leaving is not as effortless now.

My trainer and friend Mike and I will keep in touch, and we are still planning on working on my goals from afar, and I plan to come down to LA to take my surfing lessons, trapeze classes etc. I also have a lot of goals for my new life in San Francisco, to begin this project with a new city and that iconic Golden Gate as my backdrop. I will talk more about my  new goals in the near future. I am forever grateful to my Mike who began as a stranger I worked with and hardly knew, to trainer, coach, and friend. Now I consider him a friend for life. Distance does not take that away. When I become close friends with someone, I am that forever. I thank him for his patience, time, and kindness, and for giving me the keys to fitness. 

Mike my trainer and friend and  adorable Apollo



My last ten pound charity is wrapping up, I received more books from a generous friend Mary who delivered them to my work. She is a lovely soul I met one day at work, and we have kept in touch. Even though her life is busy, she took the time to deliver a bag of beautiful books for children. I will deliver all the books to Reading to Kids before we make the drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to our new home by the bay.

beauty by the bay




So much to think about my head is spinning. I may just go to the pool today and erase the day.
Namaste’
Love and Light
across the miles always
Rose

KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

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I am still doing my book drive for Reading to Kids, and I am taking my time to get the most books. I will pick and announce my next ten pound charity within a month. I am so grateful for all the book donations from friends and new friends. Today I received a box of children’s books from someone I met at the nail salon. We began a conversation and I told her what I was working on, and she did not hesitate to offer to help by donating books.  In a mere moment in a nail salon I am granted a new friend. I am so grateful. I look forward to treating her to coffee and cake in the near future. Be kind to others, and sometimes being kind rewards you with new friends.

Children’s books are magical


On the subject of the kindness of strangers and strangers becoming new friends. I have to give a shout out to my wonderful friend Amy. She and I also met in a nail salon, she approached me when she heard I too was from NYC. When she tells the story she makes me cry, because she explains it was my kindness to the staff at the nail salon that caught her attention. In return I was gifted an amazing friend and I am so thankful she said hello to me on that sunny afternoon. Amy is one of my dearest friends and my first friend in California. 

Amy and me. 

Off for now. Tomorrow is my first workout with Mike my trainer and friend. He had to move so we took a break, and I look forward to getting back to the grind. I have been doing yoga and cardio but I have slacked on weight bearing exercises. I will be sore, this I know.

I am also grateful to Mike for taking the time out of his busy schedule and move to train me. His kindness definitely never goes unnoticed. It is amazing how people you meet become your good friends, people you may never have expected to be. You never know who you may meet around the corner or around the world. I love that about life. 

Namaste’
Love and Light
Rose

CALM WITHIN THE CHAOS

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Good afternoon and hello to all. I am still here, working on all of my goals. Collecting books for my latest ten pound loss and working out. It has been a stressful few weeks since I did yoga on a heli-pad, and I felt like I do when I get writers block and cannot write my poetry. I had a blog block. A lot of things are going on personally, and I will talk about them soon enough. In the meantime I felt like I had nothing to give or say, until the answers to my personal riddles become clear. At the end of the day, I am still my same optimistic self. Forging forward to help better myself and help others too. All with a little help from my friends.

Today my husband James and I are going on a long walk, and doing some shopping for healthy meals. It is going to be a scorcher here in LA but I kind of want to make some healthy soup. Comfort food plus it is healthy and full of vegetables. It is a low key day since we have been overwhelmed the last few weeks. 

Off for now, hitting the reset button and getting back on track. I am at 165 lbs and working on my book drive. I will announce my next 10 lb charity soon. I will finally be in the 150’s.

Happy Weekend to all
Namaste’
Love and Light
Rose