Category Archives: law of attraction

Selfless Saturday

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When I began this blog in 2013 I had two intentions, to lose weight and get as fit as possible and to help charities with each ten pounds. I accomplished much in the time between July 2013 and May 2017. My hiatus and weight gain after 2017 was the result of a few personal losses.

Here I am approaching 2020 and beginning again like it’s a brand new journey. I still have some personal struggles I’m dealing with, but the point is I’m getting through and getting back on track. Life happens to all of us, it’s how we react and take action that shows who we really are. I’m first navigating through the holidays then really setting my intentions on my goals for 2020.

I want to start Selfless Saturday’s beginning today, so here’s my first contribution to my weekly Selfless Saturday. Feel free to join in and let me know how you are celebrating paying it forward on Saturday, this one has a bit of a backstory.

As my weight loss journey evolved coffee is still my non-negotiable. People have said to me, now you must stop drinking coffee. That didn’t happen in 2013 and it’s not happening now. I also believe in kindness, giving back and paying it forward; all while fueled on my delicious morning java. One cup is usually my limit, with an occasional second cup when I visit book stores and coffee shops.

Of course sometimes disaster strikes in the form of a broken down coffee maker. This happened back when we first moved to San Francisco in November 2014, my new co-worker Alba sold me a brand new coffee maker for just ten bucks, and she put what seemed like a years worth of coffee in the bag for me.  That coffee maker made delicious coffee and kept me going for a few years.

The dreaded broken down coffee maker moment happened to me again last week. I woke up and my coffee maker just stopped working. We are on a budget and a new coffee maker was not in the cards. Cue my dearest friend Kristen who happened to have two coffee makers she never uses. Do you believe Kristen doesn’t like coffee? Yes, neither did I, but her wonderful qualities outweigh her lack of coffee love. The one coffee maker I chose to use is working perfectly and it turns off automatically, which is needed because I tend to be just a slight bit neurotic. The other coffee maker is a two cup single use coffee maker, a black and decker.

I was at work this week and one of my co-workers was brewing coffee and I mentioned how delicious it smelled. He told me he agreed, and how his coffee maker recently just stopped working. I, of all people understand the horror of a broken down coffee maker. I mentioned the extra coffee maker Kristen gifted me with, so today I’m taking it in for him so he doesn’t have to purchase a new coffee maker. I’m sure he would rather spend the extra cash on Christmas gifts for his daughter. The beauty of the ricochet effect. That’s what I call when people share kindness and pay it forward, it comes back to you ten fold. I’m grateful to Kristen for helping me fuel my mornings with my much needed cup of caffeinated joy. This is my first Selfless Saturday and it wasn’t even planned. Kristen started it and I’m just paying it forward.

My hopes for you this Holiday season is that people share their kindness with an open heart, and you go forward doing it for someone who may need an extra smile or just a cup of deliciousness found in coffee. It warms the heart and soul. Happy Selfless Saturday. Love and light Rose 

 

 

 

 

44 Day Challenge

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Did you know it’s 44 days until Halloween arrives? This really begins the Autumn/Holiday season for many. My hubby James and I always have our little tradition. We eat burgers ( now vegan)  and carve pumpkins and drink cider, all watching scary movies. It’s a tradition we honored since our Pittsburgh days. This year we will not let that tradition slide by.

Today I’m starting a 44 day challenge. I’m going to try to show up here daily and share what I’m doing. I’m going to take it Day by day because I may change things up, but my plan is to focus on nutrition, fitness and goals. To show up daily despite my work schedule. I’ve lost 23 lbs but in my opinion I’ve been not working as hard as I can. I watched a video with Tao-Porchon Lynch and she really inspired me. So today begins my challenge. It’s 44 days until Halloween. Let’s do this!! 

No cheat days until Halloween. No pasta. Only whole grain foods in moderation. A little dark chocolate is ok. I’m really going to try to not eat my goodies at our bake sale, just the vegan healthy cookies but in moderation. No refined junk of any kind. I’m going to eat clean vegan. 

Daily Yoga Sun Salutations, and some other workouts. I’m using Melissa Bender Fitness, and my cardio will be walking, running etc. I plan to move 60 minutes a day plus ten sun salutations daily. Legs up a wall before bed. I don’t care if my workout before or after work, if I have time to sit and watch tv I have time to without. 1 hour plus ten sun salutations. Like that Pizza Guy on YouTube says, that’s the rules. Everybody knows the rules, everybody being me. 

The other things I will be adding will be addressed in future posts. What I’m reading, writing, who I’m watching for inspiration. Fun classes I may take, plus tools for self development. Products I use to help me heal and make me feel well again. I’m not sick but my body can be my temple again. Lots of personal goals I’m going to tackle. No procrastination. Today is the day. As I type this we found out an old friend in Pittsburgh PA lost his battle with Lung Cancer. He was only 38. Life is short. Do what you dream of doing today. RIP Chris Pierce. Thank you for your kindness.

RIP Chris

 

WEIGH IN MONDAY

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Happy Monday to all. Today is my weigh in day, and I stayed the exact same at 173 lbs. Actually last week I weighed 173.4, so technically it’s a loss. I don’t know what happened, but last week I went over my points and my extra weeklies. That doesn’t mean higher calorie, some foods have higher points because of fats and carbs. On the new WW program there are a lot of free foods, lean proteins, fruits, veggies, and vegan proteins like beans and tofu.  This week I will try to eat a little fewer points by focusing more on beans, tofu and fruits and veggies. Tonight I’m making whole wheat angel hair and a low point Eggplant  Parmigiana with tofu. If it turns out I will post my recipe. I make a killer vegan Bolognese and marinara.

My hubby James has to work the next few Mondays, but in August we plan to go to Henry’s Home and Horse Sanctuary as soon as he has a free Monday again.  We are both so excited. The next few weeks will be busy because we have a lot of work. After the first week of August we will be caught up on things, and we can then take the time to go volunteer. It’s something I plan to do on the regular, working with the animals.  We are really working on positive mindset and believing we can accomplish any goal we set our hearts to. 

Going forward on my blog I’m working on time management. I work a lot, and I’m having a little difficulty working on the things I love to do, with my job which is time-consuming and exhausting. I’m grateful for my job and the lovely people I get to work with, but if I’m going to make my goals a reality I need to wake up earlier and have a full day before work. My job is my reality now, so if I want to make things happen I must adjust my morning routine, and wake up a lot earlier. Discipline in the a.m. is something I’m really lacking. 

Here are some things I need to work on. I got the food down, I’m losing weight. I admit though, my fitness routine has been very spotty. I need to incorporate my routine daily. I also have to work on my study time for my American Council of Exercise group exercise certification. I also plan to start blogging more often. Since I’ve started blogging again my weekly posts are consistent, and I’m losing, but I can do so much more. My plan is to share what is working on this second journey of mine, and also get some technical help to make my blog more user-friendly. Down the line I plan to start a YouTube channel. I have one but it’s really not something I’ve ever worked on, and it kind of really sucks. I will relaunch it when I’m ready. To round out my goals, more writing, more submitting writing and maybe looking into some marketing for my first book Camellia in Snow. I also think maybe posting about some things I do to say youthful inside and out may be fun. I will work on my goals, but that means going to bed earlier, sleep is non negotiable for me. I like to shoot for 7-9 hours of sleep nightly. 

I am off for now, drinking my water mixed with coconut water. It really wakes my system up. What goals are you working on? Do you let obstacles get in your way? Do you have a morning routine?

Today I’m writing in my pretty Paris Notebook, all the things small and grand I dream of. Life is beautiful, and dreams are worth dreaming big. It doesn’t matter how old you are, or how much you weigh, or how much money you have. Dreams start in the form of your thoughts. Thoughts become ideas, ideas begin action, and your active involvement in making your thoughts into reality turns into you working on your dream life. It’s like magic. Magic thoughts, make it happen. I plan to. Let’s do this. Love and Light, Rose.

 

I LOST TEN POUNDS

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Happy Monday to all. It’s July, and I love this month. Everything is warm and happy, it’s the best of the summer. I’m starting to really focus on all aspects of my life, and I plan to post more on here what I’m doing to live my best life, and to give back to others and animals. First things first, I lost ten pounds. 

This is the first time I have lost any significant weight in two years. For new readers I slipped back when we moved to Texas from Los Angeles, after losing my Mom and our cat Rascal. It took me a bit to get back to feeling like myself and I believe I am on my way. 

I really enjoy using the WW app to track my points. I have tracked no matter what, it’s important to stay accountable. Another motivational moment for me is when I committed myself to volunteering at Henry’s Home and Horse Sanctuary. They are my first ten pound weight loss charity, and I truly hope to volunteer with them on the regular. I can’t wait to meet the horses and wonderful humans that care for them. Much gratitude to Donna at the sanctuary.  I’m coming for you 20 lbs and a brand new charity, but my intention is to volunteer with the animals long after I pick my next charities. 

My day starts later since I work nights. So right now I’m having coffee as I blog, and after I’m writing down my short-term intentions, and my long-term goals. Some of my long-term goals may seem crazy, but I’m writing them down. Today begins my 30 day yoga challenge with Melissa Bender Fitness, so after I’m done writing I’m stepping on the mat. I will begin with gratitude in the moment, and stay present and grounded. Lots of positive changes are happening, and it all begins first in positive thoughts. 

Follow the 30 day yoga challenge, here is the link to what I’m doing. Melissa is my best friend and also I look up to her as a mentor too. Love and light and reach for the stars. Rose http://www.benderfitness.com/2016/10/daily-yoga-challenge-10-sun-salutations.html

National Scribble Day

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It’s National Scribble Day, so this blog post is going to be the blog equivalent of scribbling. My thoughts are all scrambled, but not in a bad way. My job, ( waitressing) sometimes exhausts me and I admit to procrastinating in the things that are important to me. There is a new documentary on Netflix I really want to watch called Heal. It’s all about healing from a mind body perspective. This gets me thinking. Is my exhaustion real? Can I do things that make me feel more energized and ready to take on tasks that are important to me? I think the answer is a big yes. No excuses.

Posting more than once a week is definitely one of my many goals. I’m going to really work on my state of mind like I’m working on my nutrition and fitness. Yes, I work a very physical job, but I believe I can make it softer on my body with positivity and possibly some tools to help me along the way. Good shoe inserts, better pillows for sleep, a foot bath at the end of the night. No longer using my job as an excuse is a biggie. A massage now and then wouldn’t hurt. 

I did say it National Scribble Day, and I’m truly all over the place. I’m so excited for this brand new chapter in my blog/journey. I’m going to be doing a wonderful interview series with real influencers in fitness who focus on achieving goals and teaching others through a positive mindset. These are the women I look to for inspiration. Just in time since I have six months until I take my exam for The American Council of Exercise group exercise certification. Time to get fit again, study and get things done.

I didn’t weigh in today, I gave my mind a break. A budget friendly vegan grocery haul is needed, as I’m trying to get my hubby James to eat clean. He claims he cannot do it until I set him up. We’ve  been working on a positive mindset and it’s totally working. You are what you believe, you achieve only when you believe. We believe, we believe. 

Happy National Scribble Day. Go out and Scribble the vision board if your dreams. I know I am. I’m following a well lit path. 

love and light 

Rose

 

WEIGHT LOSS THROUGH STRESS

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Happy Friday to all. I’m doing a lot of soul searching and thinking this week. If you know me, I’m a firm believer of the law of attraction. This week seemed to spiral in the negative direction. Once we started to focus on something that happened early in the week everything just seemed to go downward. It’s like they say, if you wake up and stub your toe and believe it will be a bad day it will. You are what you believe. I’m trying to change that. Fall nine times, get up ten. 

Time to make like a GPS and yell recalculating as loud as I can. One thing that has been positive is I’ve stayed true to my word to blog and to stick to my weight loss and health regimen. I lost 5 lbs my first week and I’m very dedicated. I’m working out again. I’m taking my frustrations out on the treadmill.No matter what happens I’m not giving up. Goal or bust. 

We can’t change the outcome of certain circumstances but we can change our thought process. We even may find some clarity to take necessary risks with our future. Sometimes you have to just jump and see where you land.

Breathe in, breathe out 

love and light

Namaste’

Rose 

 

MY DAILIES

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Fall nine times, get up ten.

These are my dailies. I just committed to really try to post daily everything in regards to this brand new journey. I am starting from scratch and my plan is to be a much better version of myself at the time of my winter solstice birthday December 21st. I am not looking behind at past successes and failures, I am now striving to be completely forward thinking. I may start a Youtube channel with one video a week but for now below are my dailies. Of course there will be more but this is the basics that I plan to really stick to. One Hour workout, it may be one hour of cardio and some days my benderfitness workouts combined with TRX, yoga, weights and cardio. No rest days, on rest days I will take a long walk but I need to keep it going or I will quit. I am all or nothing. I also plan to workout on some days around midnight since I work nights.

My food lifestyle is vegetarian but I eat mostly vegan and my days are mostly raw foods. This may sound confusing. I am vegan 95% but if I am out I allow flexibility, In example I am going to a dinner party tomorrow and the host asked how I eat, my husband James responded vegetarian so tomorrow I will do my best to be vegan. On work days I eat mostly raw foods, I am not 100% raw but I am learning so much. I don’t think I can be 100% raw but I like incorporating more fresh and raw living foods into my lifestyle. I will do a post later about which online  raw foods influencer I am following for inspiration. I am also counting my calories on the LoseitApp. I am trying to stay under 1,300 calories daily. The calories help me incorporate foods on occasion without blowing my plan. My online food journal is a must.

The good, the bad, and the ugly. I will post every single day. I need to learn to post from my Iphone. I am not going to get into SEO’s and things I am not familiar with. I have time constraints and my plan is to document this journey and get inspired by those doing the same. To learn from others, experts and people going through similar challenges in life. I will blog and countdown to my winter solstice birthday every single day. I hope to hire someone to help me fix up my page to make it more user-friendly and to learn more about WordPress. In the meantime, I am present and in the moment. Today is day two, and my workout today will be late after work. No excuses. 

My husband James and I are working together to become better versions of ourselves. We are using affirmations and positive self dialogue. No more calling myself fat, or diminishing a complement when someone is kind enough to give one. There is a business center here in our complex and we plan to hold manifestation meetings at least once a week. I also plan to treat myself to swimming and the hot tub, feels so good after working out. Less television time and more doing. 

That is the basic plan. There are a lot of goals I am working on, some financial, personal, creative, and some to do with family and friends. This is the basic weight loss and fitness plan I am doing. Let me know how you get back to working on weight loss and fitness goals after a long hiatus.

It has been way too long, and I am so happy I am back. I promise despite my struggles and the nuances of life I will be accountable here and keep up my dailies. I also want to get back to doing charities so Monday is my day off, I will be making phone calls.

With love and Light

Rose

 

 

WEIGH IN DAY

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Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all. Thank you to the men and women who have kept us safe through the years. We remember those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom. 

I work tonight, but I am off tomorrow. I am enjoying the weekend when I am not working with my husband James, and we are having what he calls summer fun food. I eat plant based so for me that means vegan hot dogs. It is not exactly a healthy weekend though, I do indulge in buns with my vegan hot dogs. I love our time together.

After having bronchitis I am ready to resume my workout schedule, so I decided Tuesday is the perfect day to jump back into my healthy lifestyle and routine. I did weigh in today and I am starting this weight loss journey at 187 lbs. Soon I will be visiting the Dr and seeing about Thyroid medication. I have done the hard work before, and I always felt wonderful so I am ready to begin again. I will share everything I am doing to lose weight again, and resume the wellness lifestyle that is the best fit for me. I am the creator of my life. 

For today, there is work and a holiday tomorrow. See you Tuesday when I begin to live my best life. Past weight loss or gains don’t matter to me. I am only traveling forward.

Happy Memorial Day

Love and light

Rose 

FAILURE IS NOT MY FINAL DESTINATION

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Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Winston Churchill

Dreams, we all have them. It’s one of the things that motivates us to move forward in life. Dreaming feels like stepping through muddy moments and coming out refreshed on the other side, where the sun shines in a bright blue sky and rain comes down like a warm release of cleansing water. Dreams, I live for my dreams and passions and I have many dreams.

This blog was one of my dreams. It began with an idea. That’s the thing with dreams, at first they are just ideas. Our imagination concocts these thoughts called ideas, and it is up to us to either ignore them or find ways to turn thoughts into ideas and then into dreams. Sounds magical I know, and it is. I remember when my best friend suggested I write poems. Her suggestion was a thought, her thought became an idea and when she conveyed it to me it became my thoughts and ideas; and finally one of my dreams. I started writing, first with poems and later memoirs and essays. I am far from done and grateful to Melissa for her amazing idea that changed my life and my direction in which I live it.

The idea for this blog became a dream of mine. To lose weight while helping charities. It became one of my passions in my life and took me to places I had no idea I would even think of going. I had success, I lost 60 lbs and helped a lot of charities, and I was introduced to the world of fitness for the first time since my dancing days. This blog sprouted ideas that I continue to work on. I am so proud of the work I do. One of my largest dreams is to one day after I reach my goal to become a motivational speaker, helping others achieve weight loss and confidence, and encouraging them to pay it forward and help others all while achieving their own personal goals.

That same sky that brought the sunshine and the cleansing rain fell right through, more than once. In the same six months I went from achieving my lowest weight on this blog to gaining 30 lbs back six months later. I experienced the loss of my Mom, a move from LA to Houston and the sickness and loss of our beloved Siamese Rascal. I discovered I  sometimes can be an emotional eater. I did all of those things I thought were behind me, I ate unhealthy food and stopped exercising. Stress took over my life, especially during the three months I tried to save Rascal. The overeating, the lack of exercise, the stress and the grief taught me a valuable lesson. We are all human, we will fall from time to time. Our failures and falls do not define us. Our humanity and connection to each other defines us. Love defines us. What I did to try to save Rascal was love.

So back to dreams. How does one dream of doing something when they worked so hard to get to their goals and they failed? How can you continue if you failed? Where do you go from here? How do you start over? Can I ever make that dream of helping others lose weight after I myself had a setback? Am I not worthy? 

The answer is we are not defined by our failures and our setbacks, but how we stand back up; scraped knees, bruised egos and all. Facing our failure but putting it behind us as we admit we need to make a change and move forward. The key to change is facing you fell, forgiving yourself for faltering and admitting it happened. Connecting to others helps in the process, no man is an island. Connecting to other people was a huge part of my beginning of this blog and I will continue to connect and not try to go it alone. We are all connected.

I am back to blogging, back to losing weight ( with more to lose after my 30 lb weight gain), back to helping charities and working on my fitness goals; back after heartbreak and the business of being human. 

I fell hard, but I stand up again. I am alive, the sun rose today and I couldn’t think of a better way of honoring life by taking the universe up of the gift of another chance to dream and to do what I love; turning magical thoughts into inspirational ideas and dream, dream and do.

Nice to see you again,

Namaste’

Rose

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