Category Archives: Richard Simmons

GOALS

Happy Friday to all. As I start anew I’m starting to set goals again. Im fighting some fatigue this second time around, I work late and usually I don’t get to bed late. I may do a lot of my workouts at 11 or 12 midnight since I’m so wired after work. My fatigue only hits me in the morning when I wake up, so prepping meals and giving myself time to wake up and have a morning routine before work is easier for me and my schedule. 

I am so blessed to have Bethany as my trainer, and to have Melissa Bender Fitness videos and guidance. I may join WW online to help me with my food monitoring. It’s a great program and it takes the fear away of food being good vs bad, it’s all food. As a vegan I’m trying to make sure I get everything I need, but WW will help with little splurges within reason. It helps keep me from binges. I’m signing up Monday. Today I weighed in at 183 lbs. 

My trainer Bethany and Melissa Bender Fitness are the experts,  but as a former dancer and this being my second go at fitness, I do have a lot of knowledge about proper form and the body. I’m beginning my studying for the American Council of Exercise group exercise certification, and I hope to take the exam in the fall. After being in the Richard Simmons Video, and taking two classes with him weekly I was so inspired. I thought, this is what I love, I can do this to. So my plan is to pass the exam and teach upbeat, inspirational dance aerobics classes like he did. I’m a dancer and this is in my heart and soul, it’s the one thing missing from my life. Once a dancer, always a dancer. I will leave the heavy exercise to the professionals, and do that only as a student and not a teacher. My plan is to learn to teach all the areas I excel in, stretching, dance, etc. I’m really excited about this new chapter and I have quite a lot of work to do to get there. 

I have chosen a new charity to get involved with once I lose ten pounds. I’m going to first lose 3 more pounds since I went up 3 lbs since Easter. So when I reach 170 lbs I will be volunteering alongside my trainer Bethany at a local non-profit near and dear to my heart. I will announce this Monday, the day I join WW online and do another weigh in. We also plan to register for a 5k locally and take a yoga class. I’m dying to study ballroom but unfortunately that’s not on my budget at the moment. More goals to come but I think this is a good head start.

It’s Mothers Day weekend and I wish everyone who is a Mother a Happy Mothers Day. That includes all the wonderful women who take care and love their companion animals. It’s your Mothers Day too. Happy Unconditional Love Day. Mothers Day and May 21st are not easy days for me, since I lost my Mom May 21st 2017. I send love and hugs to my sisters who feel exactly like I do, and all of you who also lost a beloved Mother. My Mother would expect me to keep going and never give up on my goals. She would always say to keep trying, all they can say is no. 

Love and Light 

Rose

 

WEIGH IN

I had a little bug again, it’s been so cold here and everyone around me has been sick. It was just a quick cold and I’m back feeling  like brand new. 

Things are really starting to look brighter here, and I’m very inspired and motivated. I know I said I would only weigh myself once a month, but I lied. I am currently 182 lbs. I was 190 around the holidays. I am so excited to see the scale dropping again. I’m really trying to work on my nutrition and portion control. The Loseitapp keeps me in check. I keep a food journal daily, it helps me tremendously. I’m 24 lbs away from my lowest weight I reached on this blog, before the loss of my Mom and our move to Houston. I’m finding my way back to myself now, finding my way back to true happiness and all of my plans and goals. 

The one thing I’ve learned in the last few years is no matter how motivated I am, I am not perfect. I really believe in eating a Whole Foods, plant based way of living. Sometimes, I may splurge though. Cravings happen. The one thing I won’t do, is cheat on my vegan lifestyle. This is something that has nothing to do with diet, it’s my moral compass and I strive to follow what’s in my heart. I’m not perfect, but I strive to be my authentic self. So when I speak of occasionally splurging, I am referencing vegan fun foods that I choose to only eat occasionally. My daily way of eating is clean wfpb with limited oil, salt and sugar. I have chosen to say limited instead of completely omitting these items because like I stated before, I am far from perfect. 

As I type this latest post I’m watching Madonna. She is probably my earliest inspiration and one of the reasons I chose to dance in college. I’m getting back to my fitness and I’m excited to say I’m taking the American Council of Exercise group exercise exam in September. My plan is to start with dance inspired group classes. I learned a lot after  being in the Richard Simmons video and taking his classes, and I plan to use all my experiences in this blog as well as my classes. I’m lucky to have real women in fitness in my life, inspiring me and making a difference with their fitness careers. I’ve decided I would like to interview these wonderful real women warriors, so stay tuned. It will be a week long series, with one interview each day for seven days. My real life inspirations. I’m nothing without my influences. 

I will leave you with a snippet of an interview I saw with Jennifer Lopez. She said she remembers seeing Madonna running in Central Park. Here was this big star, but she was working hard. So if you have a dream, a goal or a plan; start by working hard. It’s the cement of the building blocks of your goals. Go get it now, but start at the base and build upon it with sweat and dedication. Don’t forget your inspirations and influences, they are there to teach you if you are willing to learn. We all uplift each other. 

If you believe you will achieve, but you have to put the work in. Nothing of worth comes for free. Believe, Achieve, Become the butterfly. 

 

DO WHAT YOU LOVE

Depression, I think I was depressed for a while. I’m trying to understand the idea of depression. I’m such a happy go lucky person, for me to be depressed is unheard of. The loss of my Mom, leaving my beloved Los Angeles and losing our cat; among other things left me with this void. It’s not something anyone can see, it’s like a numbness. In Los Angeles I was so alive, like life on steroids. Things here in Texas are much slower and with all of what happened I felt my vibration at an all time low. Time to choose to change and raise my vibration.

Recognizing it is the first step. Making goals again and being impeccable with my word is the second step. I am here, posting every single day. My computer crashed, but this time I make no excuses and I make it happen with my phone. I keep a food journal every single day. I can feel already changes in my body. I’m so happy to be back, this is just the beginning. I’m laying the basic groundwork for bigger goals. 

Do what you love, do all things with love. I treat others with love, I should do so with myself. That means never giving up and making the commitment to stick to starting over.

What do I love? I love to write so I keep writing and submitting my work. I want to be a healthy weight loss success story again, and I want to help others. I’m interested in motivational speaking sometime in the future.

After being in the Richard Simmons video and taking his classes, I too want to teach classes. I’m a former dancer and I love dance as much as I love writing. My husband James paid for me to get my American Council of Exercise group exercise certification. With all that has happened I missed my exam, and I was so disappointed in myself. I hit an all time low with that one. 

There’s always light at the end of the tunnel. I was told I still have one year to take my exam. Do what you love. That’s my motivation for me going forward. Round two is underway and going strong. 

It’s time to study. Do all things with love, for yourself and for others. 

So much love and light.

Namaste’

Rose


 

 

I GOT A NEW ATTITUDE

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.

Maya Angelou

That quote sums up what I need to do since I moved from my beloved West Hollywood CA to Houston, Texas. It’s time to make radical changes in my thoughts and attitude. I am starting over fresh, in this blog and my goals; to commit to posting at least every other day and to start over in my weight loss/fitness journey. As soon as I settle in I will be looking for new charities to help again. No more complaining I miss California, as I plan to embrace all of the positives of where I am living at the moment. I have landed in Texas, but I plan to take off in my goals and dreams. This is a gift of a new beginning. There is beauty when you open your eyes and look for beauty.

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Since 2014, We moved from LA to San Francisco, from San Francisco to LA, and recently from LA to Houston. That is one move a year. My husband James was unemployed for over a year and my Mother passed away recently. Sometimes I am surprised we are both still standing. That was a lot of changes and a lot of new beginnings, but each new beginning is just that; a new beginning. Life happens, we adjust, we falter; and we finally pick up the broken pieces and put them back together again. We figure it out. I am doing that now, I am figuring it out.

For the first time since I began this blog I gained weight. It started with 6 lbs and went up to 13 lbs. I realized I needed to go back to #weightwatchersonline before it was too late. It’s been one week and tomorrow is my first weigh in day. Starting over again at 173 lbs. I went from 159 lbs up to 173 lbs but now the scale will be moving in my favor again. The goal is to treat this blog as brand new, with new excitement and ideas. 

Today I met with a friend I know from The Richard Simmons community who also happens to be an author. It was an inspirational lunch, and I got my copy of her book signed. She even brought me a copy of her children’s book that just came out. Her first book, An Exodus From Obesity is filled with so much insight from someone who lost a lot of weight. Wisdom, inspiration and life’s lessons. I also picked up a copy of The Alchemist. Everyone who read it said it was life changing literature. It is just what I need for my new tomorrow.

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To Tomorrow, and new beginnings and life’s changes. Out with the old and in with the new.

Namaste’

Rose

MAKING FOOD MY FRIEND

Your body is a temple not a trash can. At the same time, you have to learn to live with food, not without it. It is fine to occasionally eat foods that are not considered healthy. For me, I now follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time I eat real, clean food, and the other 20% I allocate a little wiggle room for occasional treats and goodies. I find this plan is sustainable for life and living. I can maintain this forever, and not feel deprived. This is how I am moving forward in my weight loss journey, and my life.

Rose Bruno Bailey

Food, it is a necessity of life, the staple of living. We need fuel to live. Food not only feeds the body but it can nurture the soul. Food can be healing, and it can be addictive. For some food can cause anxiety and fear, how much is too much?  One cannot decide to just quit food and go cold turkey. You have to learn to live with food, to achieve balance, to make food your friend.

For the longest time food was my enemy. When I was age 13 I began dancing, and an adult dance teacher told me I must lose 30 lbs between freshman and sophomore year of high school. That began my journey of making food my enemy. I had eating disorders and spent most of my early days trying to avoid food. You can read about it here. http://mychangeforaten.com/eating-disorder-past/

That post was in 2013. This is now 2017, and I am here to say the old habits came back after that moment. I decided I did not need Weight Watchers after some time, and went at it on my own. I lost my weight, but the old feelings of being obsessive about food came back, in the form of what I was eating instead of not eating. I went from my starving days of yesteryear, to being obsessive over good vs bad foods. Carbs, gluten, sugar, just a little sent me over the edge of guilt and obsession. I think I was bordering on a new eating disorder called Orthorexia. Melissa Bender from Melissa Bender Fitness was the person to suggest this was how I was behaving. She knows my background with food.

melissabenderfitness

or·tho·rex·i·a
ˌ
noun
  1. an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy.
    1. a medical condition in which the sufferer systematically avoids specific foods in the belief that they are harmful.
      noun: orthorexia nervosa; plural noun: orthorexia nervosas

     

I am happy to say here I am in February 2014. I feel like I am back in control of my eating disorders, and I have done so with Weight Watchers Online. Melissa Bender told me she is so happy I am making food my friend, and I am too. I can safely say I am still eating healthy, but I now have a little wiggle room. I no longer obsess with what I am eating, I track it daily on the Weight Watchers App and I am done with it. I eat clean, but I allow some treats here and there. I work the plan each week, and if I feel something is not working, I try something new the next week. I have broken my year long plateau and lost 9 lbs since January 14th, 2017. That brings my weight loss goal closer, I am now 24 lbs from 135 lbs. I will always do this, I will maintain my weight by the points system after I get to goal. I will achieve lifetime status with Weight Watchers, and have a healthy relationship with food.

I am grateful for the food that nurtures me and fuels my body to do the things it loves to do. I will not obsess over bad and good food. I eat clean and healthy yet I enjoy life, and with life comes the occasional treat or celebration. Food is no longer my enemy, food has become my friend. Every Monday, after weigh in I enjoy a treat with my coffee. I do that, and I am still losing weight. I really look forward to the scale, and the treat afterwards.

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I will leave you with this, a quote from the weight loss guru himself.  We miss Richard Simmons. If you would like to hear the number one podcast in the country, Missing Richard Simmons, here is the link. I was interviewed on the last day of Slimmons. I hope Richard is well. https://www.facebook.com/MissingRichardSimmons/

We miss you Richard Simmons.

I’ve always practiced this: Love yourself. Move your body. Watch your portions.

Richard Simmons

 I love myself, I am watching my portions and moving my body Richard. Thank you.

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WEIGH IN MONDAY

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To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.

Emily Dickinson

Happy Monday, good morning world. It has been a while since I posted here, I have been updating my social media pages, but I have neglected to write more blog posts. That is changing today. Life takes over, worries and fears crushed my motivation to write anything new. We have had our ups and downs, disappointments and distractions. I decided to put my seat belt on and ride the wild roller coaster of life with the enthusiasm of a child at a theme park, instead of getting run over. I love life too much to let the problems of living take me down. 

I joined Weight Watchers Online on January 14th of 2017. I felt I needed something new and fresh to get me to that elusive goal weight of 135 lbs. Since joining, I have lost 7 lbs. I now weigh 161 lbs, I am getting so close to the 150’s. I am really loving using the app for Weight Watchers Online, and counting points. I still eat the way I have always done since beginning my weight loss journey, but with wiggle room. Today is weigh in Monday, and I have to admit I get so excited to weigh in. After, I allow a little treat with my coffee, of course I portion control it and count it in. Today I ate a portion of Russian Coffee Cake with my delicious Dunkin Donuts coffee, with zero guilt. I officially weigh the lowest I have ever been since I began this weight loss blog.

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In addition to committing to posting here, I am writing out a new cardio and work out schedule. It will be geared to my rotator cuff injury. That has slowed me down, but I am going to begin doing the exercises I can do, along with running, walking, and some rotator cuff injury exercises. Of course I am working out with Melissa Bender Fitness. 

I am also looking for ways to update this blog, I added pages at the menu or the top of the blog, and I plan on adding more. Down the line when things improve I am going to get someone to really help me jazz this blog up. I added before and now photos, photos from my volunteering and my experience with Richard Simmons and Slimmons, and all the friends I met through that part of my journey. I am going to add pages of how I eat and my workouts, and races as well. I am also going to do a collaboration on a brand new book, and market my poetry Camellia in Snow. I am excited to be featured more than once in Asana Journal, and I plan to write and submit more, volunteer more etc. Lots of creative and exciting endeavors to focus my energies on.

Plus the work of life, do it all and survive. That is the challenge.

Since January I have lost 7 lbs. That is a beginning of a brand new year I wish to see more of. No more worries and stress. I will work hard and work off the worries with endorphins through exercise, of course listening to a motivational playlist.

The scale is finally moving again, hurrah.

Weight loss, worries, we got this. Are you with me?

Ready, set, Go!!

 

CRISIS CHALLENGES

It is Thanksgiving week and it never escapes me how lucky I am, despite being in what seems to be a long-term financial crisis. I keep dieting and exercising through my challenges. This week we had yet another disappointment, but I am not going to allow myself to wallow in my woes. I took a moment yesterday, cried in my coffee over conversation with my dear friend Mary. I shared with her some things that concern me about being in a financial crisis as a weight loss blogger. My friend is a fixer type of friend, she is completely giving and the kind of person who tries to come up with solutions to your issues. She is amazing and I am lucky to have her around the corner. I am thankful indeed for all of my friends, family, my husband James and our beloved Siamese cats Rascal and Spanky. I am thankful for life.

I decided to do a quick post and share my thoughts and concerns about being in a financial crisis and how it affects my blog, These thoughts are ridiculous to me when I type them up, but they are my feelings. Being in a financial crisis puts a limit on a lot of spending. If you know me, you know I am more interested in helping others, in reveling in nature than I am about material possessions. With that said, everyone likes nice things, and I am not immune to that fact. If you follow fellow weight loss bloggers and well as fitness bloggers it seems a lot of the things they post I cannot post because of my situation. I feel like I do not measure up. This is not a pity statement, rather a way to get it out and share and to come up with other ways to be a motivational weight loss blogger during my lean time. I love that I said lean, because despite my crisis, I can say I accomplished my lowest weight on my blog. I did it even though there were times I wanted to dive head first in a vat of chocolate cake batter. It has been five months without a cheat day, and I have one more month to go. My workouts are at www.benderfitness.com which are all free. My equipment is weights, a mat and again a pair of worn shoes. Here are my silly concerns and how I am moving past them. I keep moving.a02b9032-b84b-415f-b804-150a63cc676414705636_1268334023212061_7219886695795970552_n

  1. My running shoes have seen their best day. I almost did not go to the last Richard Simmons Slimmons class out of embarrassment. I shared this in a private group, and the beautiful support that came my way through the Slimmons family taught me I am not an embarrassment. Someone even kindly offered to mail me shoes his wife has never worn. That touched me but it was not why I posted it, I just felt the need to vent. I am grateful to him and the whole Slimmons family, and as I type I am sporting my proudly worn Asics and my new Nike’s that were gifted to me. I am proud of all my steps. I am proud where these shoes have been, and where I am going.15073486_10154639242963617_6508711910709230700_n15078580_10154628087623617_8586468506395100455_n
  2. Instagram is filled with photos of people posting work out gear. I love nice work out clothes too, so I love liking the photos. I cannot do that now, and that is OK. I will find other ways to share my journey. So I am at my lowest weight on my blog and I am not clothes shopping. It will come soon enough, perhaps when I hit my ultimate weight loss goal. For now I keep keeping on and staring as trees as I run in my worn shoes. This gives me something to work for and something to look forward to. Perhaps a fun photo shoot when I finally reach that elusive weight loss goal of 135 lbs. The new clothes can wait, I am refocusing on the work. It is all about the hard work, the health and the wellness. And of course the connections with people.12592393_10153807006948617_2827822076568560780_n
  3. Races. I have done a few and I wish to do more. They are not cheap.  I  hope to run in a race in the new year. In the meantime, I will maybe do a virtual race and ask my followers to run along with me virtually. In 2015 I ran across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and that was such a high on national 4/20 day. I can find another place to do a run here in LA, some place that really is special. As long as I keep running in my worn shoes I will reach my dream destination. I am a work in progress.unnamed-15
  4. Recipes and Food. Lately I have fallen off the wagon with cooking and shopping for groceries. We are keeping our diet simple, and I eat a lot of my meals at work. I tend to rely on the same fast and healthy options. It does not leave me much time or money to make elaborate recipes and that is OK. We have food, we eat healthy, we are grateful. Tonight I am off and trying a couple of healthier autumn treats. I am going to bake apples and make a baked sweet potato with just a few pecans, marshmallows and banana. I will post these budget friendly recipes. I can do one or two new recipes a week. I love shopping at thrift stores and finding treasures on a dime. This is my vintage Cuisinart food processor that I made black bean brownies with. 13731689_1191796280865836_7205266471736481432_n
  5. My Blanket Drive. I wanted to hold a boot camp to raise blankets for the Midnight Mission in LA for the Homeless. This is my next charity. I ended up sick and I have an injured rotator cuff so this felt like a failure to me. The game may have changed, but the prize is still the same. I am collecting blankets for the homeless and I will continue to do so from now until I deliver them to The Midnight Mission in December. It is getting Cold here in LA and the blankets are needed. Here are my thoughts on blankets for the homeless.http://mychangeforaten.com/1750-2/ I am getting to my goals despite the issues and nuances of life. My best friend Melissa Bender called me Mulan today. I am a warrior fighting my metaphorical huns. Much love and light, I am thankful for you. Happy Thanksgiving to all. Remember to treat your body like a temple but still enjoy life. It is the holiday so it is totally acceptable to indulge and share delicious fare with family and friends. Try to watch your portions and maybe get out for a walk or run. xocirque11

RICHARD SIMMONS SLIMMONS CLOSING


Good Day Monday. In the spirit of Thanksgiving I feel an over abundance of gratitude. This weekend was a very emotional weekend for me and many others. Richard Simmons Slimmons Studio held it’s last class in Beverly Hills CA. I was lucky enough to be living back in LA to attend the last class. It was such a bitter sweet moment, a reunion and a goodbye; yet for me the connections and friendships will last a lifetime. Richard Simmons himself did not teach the class, and he was missed dearly yet it still was such a beautiful moment, a gathering of people from all ages who are forever connected by Richard Simmons and his message. Love yourself, love others, such a simple yet profound message.

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If you have followed my weight loss blog and journey you know in the beginning in 2013 I was in the Richard Simmons’ HairDo video, and soon after I was a regular and a member at Slimmons Studio in Beverly Hills. I met so many wonderful people through my Slimmons experience, and getting to know Richard Simmons was indeed a high point not only in my weight loss blog and journey but in my life. I made life long friends, I became part of a community where everyone is welcome. We are all on the same path, working towards better health and wellness and Richard Simmons, the Slimmons staff and members of Slimmons welcomed me and everyone with open arms. I felt like family.

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In 2014 I moved to San Francisco, and it was about the same time Richard Simmons decided to take a break from public life. He stopped teaching classes at his studio. I continued to follow my friends online and I followed his Facebook page from afar. Like the rest of the world I was concerned about him. I am so grateful I was back in LA to be at the last class taught before Slimmons closes its doors for good. 

A little back story about my Richard Simmons experience. Way before I ever met him, before my little appearance in his video, and before the classes, I was a dancer who did my Mother’s Sweatin’ to the Oldies tapes with my sister in our living room in Cleveland, Ohio.  I can still do all the routines. My favorite tape was Sweatin’ to the Oldies 2, it had the best music. I dreamed of appearing in one of his videos. ( little did I know that one day I would be in one of his videos).  Every time I hear the song Heatwave, or Shout I bust into a routine and skip through a grapevine, it doesn’t matter where I am or who I am with. 

I am and always will be in awe of Richard Simmons and the whole Slimmons community and I am forever grateful to call myself part of it.  Richard Simmons and his community were the beginning and inspiration that got me rolling on this weight loss journey and blog. The video was in July 2013, the exact week I began my weight loss blog. I almost did not go because I was so embarrassed about my weight. Since that moment I am now at 164 lbs. I am 29 lbs away from goal.  I have learned many lessons along the way, lessons from Richard Simmons and his community.

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I owe so much to Richard Simmons, Slimmons and the friends I met along the way at that little lively Studio in Beverly Hills, CA.  Saturday was a moment of memories, of tears, of people gathering around and dancing to the music. The energy could light up all of Los Angeles. Richard Simmons was not teaching, but the wonderful staff (Sherry, Michelle, and Anne) captured that same spark, that feeling that I kept coming back for. I am alive, and I love life. That is the feeling I got from Slimmons classes. It was not about the size of my thighs, or how my body image felt on that particular day. It was this sensation, you know that magical feeling when the hairs on your arm stand on end? That is what it felt like to dance within the hallowed walls of Slimmons.

It was Magical. 

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I am only half way there but so grateful for the journey. In my head I will always hear Richards words of wisdom:

Drink your water

Move every Day

Watch your portions

Be kind to yourself and to others.

The closing of Slimmons was a reunion, a sad yet joyful reunion. I was just grateful I had the opportunity to be here and share in the moment and memories with the people I now call life long friends. My inspirations, my mentors, my contemporaries, the loves of my life.  People of all ages, we are all connected by Richard Simmons.

I walked away with renewed willpower and inspiration. I am looking into becoming a group exercise instructor myself. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time and Marie a member of Slimmons (and an aerobics instructor) inspired me to go for it. I admit the last few weeks my will lass been at a low. I got sick, I have an injured rotator cuff but reuniting with the Slimmons family was just what I needed to keep going. I am sad it is closing but so grateful for the experience.

I will take this renewed inspiration and move forward. I will try harder, work harder, and be kinder to myself as I am out chasing my goals. I will keep in touch with the lovely souls from Slimmons I call friends, and I will attend classes of those who now teach in the style that captured the world by storm. The eye of that storm as retired yet his influence will go on forever.

Next time you take a sip of your water with lemon, remember Richard Simmons is the straw that stirs the drink. Keep Dancing. You are beautiful. We are family.

Much love and Light to all

Let’s Sweat

We love you Richard Simmons

Love, Rose

CHASING GOALS

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.

Tony Robbins

Hello to all and a very Happy Wednesday. I have been thinking a lot about this blog, my goals, and what I wish to accomplish as I move forward. This summer is my three year Anniversary, I have lost a lot of weight and kept every pound off. I have helped numerous charities, and started a fitness journey that has taken me beyond anything that I could have expected. My book was published, I was in a Richard Simmons video, and my story made it into a few websites. In the process I met lifelong friends and have been inspired by all the stories of people crushing their personal goals. I have done all this through a move to San Francisco, and back to Los Angeles and kept my optimism through a tough personal crisis. I could never have done any of this alone, and a huge shout out to all of my mentors, friends, and family.

Here begins the new chapter. I am all in my 6 month clean eating challenge with no cheat days until my 50th Birthday which falls on December 21. Summer solstice to the winter solstice. I admit there have been a few days when all I wanted to do was drown my sorrows in a tub of cake batter, but I have resisted. I have broken my plateau and my weight is now 166. 

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I have really exciting news to announce, but I am trying to wait until it happens before I say what it is, but I will say it is a milestone in my life. A personal goal was accomplished, and I am giddy as a school girl. 

I have a giving friend who has been down lately, and I hate to see her sad. I suggested we meet once a week to have coffee, write down our goals for the upcoming week and discuss how we feel. We have been doing this for three weeks now and I can honestly say it has worked just as much for me as it has for her. She has started a new opportunity and she has also returned to playing a sport she is passionate about and has missed dearly. For me it has helped me set new goals as I move forward. I am still in a personal crisis, but it is much better now that we are back in Los Angeles. I am crushing my weekly goals and I feel extra motivated and inspired.

Two months in my clean eating challenge and here is the workouts I will be doing for the next six weeks. Thanks Melissa Bender Fitness for always pushing and inspiring me and the masses. Today is day 3 for me. Melissa is a new Mom to baby Maverick and I could not be happier for her.   http://www.benderfitness.com/2016/08/postpartum-beyond-6-week-workout-challenge-week-1-day-3-cardio-day.html

I also am knee deep in planning my next Charity. I will explain all in a future post but here is who I am helping next. I am planning an exciting event. https://www.facebook.com/TheMidnightMission/?fref=ts

http://www.midnightmission.org/

It makes sense since this charity is very similar to my first charity back in October, 2013 with The Monday Mission. I went to skid row with My trainer Mike, his girlfriend Maria, and my friend Courtney and her boyfriend to feed the homeless.  We donated food courtesy of Chef Jessica of Seasons 52. This photo was before I lost my weight, and the beginning of my journey. You can read about that experience here. http://mychangeforaten.com/middle-of-the-night-monday-night-mission-musings/

The-Monday-Night-Mission

So that somewhat catches me up to today, almost the end of the summer 2016. One of my goals is to get back to posting daily here. You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook. Have a wonderful day, Namaste’ and keep crushing those goals.

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https://www.instagram.com/mychangeforaten/?hl=en

 

 

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