Category Archives: inspiration

BOOK DRIVE FOR READING TO KIDS

Leave a reply
Good Morning to all. Since I am finally closer to my ten pound goal, and 40 pound total goal I am starting the leg work on my book drive for Reading to Kids. My wonderful friend and soul sister Xiomara made me this beautiful flier. I am so blessed to know her.



Tonight my trainer Mike and I work out, and I am ready to keep up the faster pace. I went running and walking yesterday and forgot water and that was a major mistake. It is hot now, and dehydration kicks in fast.

Off for my day, love and light to all.
Namaste’
Rose

HAPPY WEDNESDAY

Leave a reply



Happy Wednesday to all. I just read a quote from Dr Wayne Dyer, “One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” I totally agree. I believe you can manifest the mood and direction of your day. I try to live by this and begin my day on a bright note. I have many reasons to be happy, and one of them is the opportunity to change my form, change my attitude, and change my life. I am honored I can assist charities along my journey. It is taking me forever to break my plateau but my book drive is still on for Reading to Kids when I finally lose another ten pounds. It will happen, and I am in a positive frame of mind. The little things, like my ThinkThin bar and coffee make me smile.

Yesterday was my first workout with my Trainer Mike in a week. I took off a few days of exercise to recuperate my muscles after my accidental 10K. I was sore and needed to rest, plus I was out of town. My workouts with Mike are awesome but always challenging, and yesterday I felt a little fatigued from lack of sleep and of course taking time off made everything seem more difficult. We did some new things, I lifted a sand bag and that was not easy. Running is on hold for a few weeks until my slight injuries heal, we do not want to take any chances. My girl push ups are great now, and I am also getting better at squats and the TRX exercises. I am definitely much stronger than I was late July of 2013. I am incredibly proud of myself, and thankful to Mike. I also have a lot of work to go, and I am far from done. I have a lot of fitness milestones to accomplish and my fitness bucket list to do. For the month of April I did the accidental 10K, so now I need to pick something for May. 

Off to get ready for work, than another workout with Mike later this evening. I will be sore tomorrow, it has not caught up to me yet. Love and Light to all. Think beautiful thoughts and have a beautiful day and do not forget to smile at a stranger today.

Namaste’
Rose

FITNESS MILESTONES

2 Replies
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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM

Leave a reply
My Mother Shirley in the black with a friend and my older sister Dona

Me and Mom at my wedding on April 7, 2001. I took a photo pic of the original photo so this is blurry.



Happy Birthday to my dearest Mother Shirley Bruno. No one in my life has taught me to be a survivor as she has. She is still a spitfire of a woman and does not let anyone get her down. My Mother was never heavy until she got older. She was a smoker and had to quit when she had triple bypass surgery. She got through with flying colors but had gained a lot of weight. In the last few years she had both knees replaced and cannot exercise too much. Last summer she decided that her weight gain had gone too far, she started counting her Weight Watchers points and since that moment has lost a whopping 41 lbs without exercise. She is ahead of me in my weight loss and I exercise all of the time. I am so proud of her, and I am trying to catch up.

Happy Birthday Mom. Today I celebrate you, your weight loss success, and your inspiration. You are the epitome’ of what a survivor is, and at 78 you keep at it. I am very proud of you and honored to be your daughter.

My Mom at 16 in the black bathing suit with a friends Mother.

Photo booth pic of me at 19, I am her look a like



Namaste’
Happy Birthday Mom
Rose

WEIGH IN SATURDAY

Leave a reply



Today is weigh in Saturday, and I did a gluten free experiment all week. I swear I feel less bloated and my face looks less puffy. I lost one pound, and I am completely happy about that. That brings my weight to, drum roll please, 170 lbs. I am so close to the 160’s.
I am loving this ride, and I am making it happen. I worked out every day of this month but one, and I am reaching fitness milestones and well as scale wins. My girl push ups are so easy now and the boy push ups are coming along too. 



My charity I am working on is a book drive for children for an organization called Reading To Kids. I will write more about them soon, and include links. I am still a few pounds away but I have started the ground work to this ten pound charity project. I am collecting books to donate and I also plan to volunteer and read to the children. I believe children, especially under privileged children can learn that there is adventure and beauty outside of the four walls they reside in. Books take you far away when you are unable to do so physically, and will inspire when you are old enough to adventure out on your own. The best education and escape can be found in a great book. 


I am off for now, it is the weekend and it is going to be 80 today.  I was supposed to volunteer with Two Hands, To Cans this morning but my co-worker who I was going to ride with had to work this morning, and it is farther than I thought it distance. This is not one of my chosen weight loss charities, just another chance to give back and help the community. I am trying not only to help my chosen charities, but give a little of myself through extra volunteer work here and there.  Two Hands, To Cans has opportunities for volunteering  weekly so I will have another chance to assist their wonderful organization.

I have not driven in years because of fear, and maybe, just maybe, once I tackle all of my other goals I may have to get over that and drive again. It is in my thoughts and one day I might just go for it and leave my fears in the dust. After all I  have decided to be fearless, so this I will have to work on in the not so distant future. 
Fear is the antithesis of everything I stand for.

Love and Light
Namaste’
Rose

PACKING A PINK PUNCH

2 Replies



Good Morning to all and a very Happy Friday. Today my friend and I at work bring in little surprises to kick off the weekend. We call it Surprise Friday. He usually brings me in something a little decadent and I portion it out over the weekend and share it with James. Tomorrow is weigh in and I am in my sixth day of my gluten free experiment and I will see how it reflects on the scale Saturday morning. I met someone at Trader Joe’s last night, and he was explaining to me all about gluten free and the many products that are now available. It was inspiring to listen to him and learn. I got the best compliment from one of the regular staff, he said I look like I am glowing. It is nice to get progress compliments, it keeps me going.

Yesterday was my Thursday workout with Mike my trainer. It really packed a punch and was a lot of fun. We did a circuit. First I had to use these long ropes and work my arms, and then we did some boxing, and then planking and push ups and then I had to run and do it over again in a fast manner. The boxing took a little instruction, and I now have my own pink boxing gloves. I kind of hit like a girl, but my kick packs more of a punch. It was fun, and it is interesting how it reminds me of choreography although it is a lot harder and more awkward to master. We are going to be boxing every other week I think, and you can feel the full body workout this gives, plus you can beat out your frustrations and worries on the punching bag. 

Working out in the park is like childhood play in a way, there are dogs everywhere and of course they love to come up and visit us. This little white one is such a lover, he kisses me on the face every week. His owner told us he is to be in a movie soon. I adore animals so I am right in my element. We were working out and the funniest thing happened out of the blue. Mike tells me he tore his pants from behind, and not a little tear but all the way down. It was hysterical and he mentioned he thought he was getting a bit of a draft back there. He ran to his car and changed and was no worse for wear, and he was not embarrassed in the least. It reminded me of a lesson in life my sister Dona told me. There is no embarrassment unless you let yourself feel embarrassed. I have worked out that one for years.  

Now every time I fall flat on my face in public I stand up, shake myself off and walk in a confident manner with no thought of what people think. We have control over our emotions, negative and positive. I have had some major embarrassing moments in my life. I went on a date with this guy once. He picked me up in his brand new Mercedes. He took me to the state fair and fed me cotton candy and we rode all of the rides. On the way home you can imagine how cotton candy and twirly rides affected me. I got sick all over his brand new car. Oh, he never called again. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful Friday, full of lots of surprises and no embarrassment. 
Love and Light to all
Namaste’
Rose

THURSDAY WORKOUT

Leave a reply
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

CHEAT DAY

Leave a reply



I had a pizza cheat day, and it was awesome. We went to Bruno’s Pizza and Italian Restaurant in Santa Monica. I feel if I do have a cheat day it needs to be somewhere that feels unique. I come alive when I am near water, always have. The pizza was simply delicious.

After nine months I have this, I trust myself to deviate just a little and get right back on program. I did not go overboard and I ate until I was full. After I walked for over six miles, and did a work out when I returned home. I made sure to drink tons of water, and it was just one cheat meal and not a cheat day.

I am still doing the 30 day challenge. Today is day nine and I am heading out in a bit for some cardio. I am really working on my push ups and my burpees, and I am almost in full dancers pose. These milestones mean as much to me as seeing a decline on the scale.

I am almost 169, such a great feeling since I was once pushing 210. I feel amazing in mind and body and I feel like I can take on the whole universe.

Love and Light to all.
Namaste and Happy Sunday
Rose

WEIGH IN SATURDAY

Leave a reply
I lost two more pounds. I am now 171. I am knocking on the 160’s and so excited. I do not know when I weighed in the 160’s last, probably 2005. Focusing on my fitness but the scale does make me smile from time to time. 

Tonight I am having a little pizza, I have decided to have one small and controlled cheat meal a week. I am so diligent, and I think I need to lighten up just a bit. I am still doing the 30 day challenge, today is day 8 of  Melissa Bender Fitness 30 Day Challenge. I am exercising every single day of the month. No rest days.  I am really working on my push ups and my burpees to improve. I am getting stronger and loving the ride. I am so grateful for the support network I have. I could not go at it alone, no one can. No man is an island.

I cannot hide my enthusiasm for life and living. Hope you have a wonderful Saturday full of bright sunshine and lots of smiles.
Namaste’
Rose


MARCH MOTIVATION

Leave a reply


I don’t believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.



Good Morning to all. Today is Thursday, and day six on Melissa Bender Fitness 30 day Challenge to exercise for every day out of the month. I am on it, no skipping. My ankle feels a bit tender, but a brace is helping me stabilize it. I am so grateful to Melissa. Not only is she an amazing best friend, but one on my main inspirations in life. I am so proud of her.

Tonight is my workout with my trainer Mike. I am trying to go further in my yoga and in my strength. I am focusing on the fitness and not the scale, but I have to admit I cannot wait until I get in the 160’s. I am so so close. I have signed up for my first 5k, Run Seal Beach and I am signing up for Aerial classes at the Cirque School in Hollywood. I am knocking two things off my fitness bucket list. Life is an adventure and I am in competition with myself. 

Thursday my trainer Mike and I did a video of me doing burpees, and we are doing a redo tonight and I am going to post it. It is not instructional, merely me doing burpees to show my improvement in a month or so. They are not great, but in the beginning I could not do them at all. I wish I had video of that, or maybe not. Funny how you can really look like you have lost weight in still photos but video, that is another beast. I am doing it though, I promised no fear.

I am busy coming up. I am volunteering next week with Two Hands, Two Cans, and working on my book drive. Training, yoga, and James and I are heading to Arizona at the end of the month. This Month is already moving too quickly for my liking.  I am excited to see one of my dear friends Ally and to see Phoenix for the first time. 

Off for now, I need to give these Siamese cats a little attention. They make it so difficult to leave. Love and Light.
Namaste’
Rose