Category Archives: volunteerism

My Change For A Ten

Good Monday Morning,

After being Mia for quite some time, I decided to return back to this blog, and the theme behind it. I’ve been running in circles for a few years, but I’ve finally caught up with myself and I’m making changes. In my weight loss journey I have over forty pounds to lose. I’ve decided to go back to what made this blog and my motivation work, sponsoring a charity with each ten pounds I lose. I’m still running my group Letters From Uncle Louie, and it’s such a blessing. Every time I lose a pound I’m going to put ten dollars in a jar. Each ten pounds will equal one hundred dollars. I’m going to donate one hundred dollars to a charity I choose. That’s how I’m going forward with sponsoring a charity, along with possible volunteer work. The idea is I lose and I give so someone gains as I get healthy. Just like I did when I began.

I will also be sharing my program, my routines, my vegan fitness and nutrition and everything I’m doing to be healthier and happier in mind and body. That includes tackling the health anxiety I’ve had since the pandemic began. I no longer wish to live in fear, but I choose to live in joy and abundance.

I hope you join me on this new endeavor, as I get back to this blog and to fitness and wellness. It’s been way too long. I missed you.

Love and light to all and Namaste’

Rose

MY CHANGE FOR A TEN

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Happy Tuesday. This is the second week of my second half of my wellness journey ( as a vegan) and I’m starting off strong with a positive mindset. I began this blog in 2013 and I helped a new charity with each ten pounds. I lost a significant amount of weight and helped several charities. I was in the best shape I’ve been in since my twenties, and I regained my sense of purpose in the process. I had a lot of help from others in fitness and philanthropy. It was a team effort from friends who got involved.

When I decided to go all in on this blog again ( for real this time) I didn’t think I could take on a charity with each ten pounds. I am still doing charity projects separately, but I wasn’t sure one charity with each ten pounds could be managed, until I came up with a fresh idea to accomplish my original mission with a new twist. My new my change for a ten plan is to donate something every ten pounds, with the number ten. For example, ten cans of food to Food bank or homeless shelter. Ten pounds of cat or dog food to a animal rescue. You get the idea. I would also like to start a movement to get others to do the same. Challenge yourself to do something for others using the number ten. Send ten cards to family members, ten blankets to a homeless shelter. You can do what I did originally and motivate yourself to lose weight by helping others. It worked for me then and I believe it will work for me now. I weighed in yesterday and my current weight is 169 lbs. When I get into the 150’s I will be doing a giving back to an organization I am passionate about. I’m yet to decide my first ten pounds donation, so stay tuned.

I’m also running the Facebook group I founded called Letters From Uncle Louie, we send cards and letters to seniors in homes to let them know they are not alone. I feel like teaming charities with weight loss really helped me be successful the first time around, and keeping it up is very motivating to me now. I would love to inspire others to do the same. We get healthy and it helps us be happier, and helping others is so rewarding; it’s a real win win.

Have a wonderful day.

With Gratitude, Rose

WEIGH IN WEIGHT GAIN

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I was reading Mantra Wellness Magazine, (photo from the pages of the magazine). I opened the magazine and this was the first page. It totally spoke to me. I messed up, again. I gained 3 of the 13 lbs I lost. Here I am, facing the music and starting over.

Weight loss is a series of ups and downs. You begin all gun go until a holiday or other food related event comes along. All of a sudden you stop tracking and you promise yourself just one bad day. Then there’s leftovers, so one cheat day becomes two. Soon you have lost your momentum. I’ve been there when I was successful in my weight loss the first time around, and I’m there now at the beginning of my second weight loss journey. The key is to catch it, to own your slip up and get back on that weight loss wagon. Get on the scale, face it and get moving. I gained three pounds. My weight is currently 174 lbs. I’m still down ten, and I’m catching this now before I gain the whole ten back. I’m making like a GPS, I’m yelling recalculating. Here’s how I’m going to get back at it and stop the gain cycle and continue on my wellness/weight loss/fitness journey part two.

The first thing is to access the damage, weigh yourself. You need to know where you are.It’s easy to be in denial. Better to cry over a few pounds now. I weighed myself and tracked my weight.

My next step is to track all my food, and as a ww member I’m going to try to be in blue dots. That means stay within my healthy range of points, period. I noticed my weight went up when I didn’t track. When I did track I went over my points. My day begins with 24 oz of water with lemon, and a banana and an apple or whatever fruit I have. I let my body digest it before my daily one cup of coffee. Then my breakfast. Lately I’m eating a garden of life plant based protein bar with my coffee. Hey, I’m on the run and it’s only 5 pts. I’m going to make oat and peanut butter protein balls too. If you are vegan I would love to know some fast and healthy breakfasts that are your favorites.

Being accountable here helps, so I plan to try to blog daily and try to get better sleep. I have two Siamese cats, and the minute our heads touch the pillow they decide it’s time to party. We have to get better sleep, that’s number one.

Move daily. Non negotiable. That’s my only fitness rule right now. I’ve been spotty with my fitness so I’m making this one goal to start. Move my body vigorously for 45 minutes to 1 hour daily. I will be more specific later, but that’s my rule. It could be running, walking fast, Melissa Bender Fitness workouts etc. I just have to move it for 45 minutes to 1 hour. I started this on Labor Day. Plus I’m going to also add sun salutations, stretching and legs up a wall pose for circulation.

Eat clean 80/20. The majority of my vegan diet must be Whole Foods plant based with processed vegan food only occasionally. Tracking every bite. I stopped this and I gained three pounds. It’s ok, I’m painfully human. I may try to not eat past 8 pm, but this may be difficult with my work schedule. I’m going to try. Time to revisit vegan meal prepping.

So this is my restart of my restart. We are still planning to go to Henry’s Home and Horse Sanctuary soon, definitely this month. Ive been asked by my husband James to go when he can go. I do plan to visit and volunteer regularly after our first visit. There’s a lot going on in our life but this is something I can’t wait to do. I’m also helping a friend with a bake sale for her dog that needs surgery. I will post more about that later. I’m baking vegan goodies!! I believe we are here to be of service to others. Sometimes stress gets in the way, I’m working on ways to destress naturally.

I’m off to get my daily exercise in. I want you to know the road to goal does have potholes, and an occasional thunderstorm or two that can throw you off track. The sun will shine again, just begin traveling your path as many times as need be. The destination will always be there. Love and Light. Rose

WEIGH IN MONDAY

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Happy Monday to all. It’s Monday weigh in day. Today my weight is 171 Lbs. I’m 13 lbs down since beginning ww online and 18 lbs total. I’m stuck at the same weight for two weeks but that’s ok. I admit my tracking and my meals were not exactly on point last week. I realized when there’s pressure and stress sometimes I revert to bad habits, skipping meals, making a pasta dinner and overeating pasta. My cat Max had a little trip to the vet due to a health scare but he’s ok. Work of course is my main source of losing energy, but I’m working around that to stay on course for all of my goals, including the main ones of losing weight and getting fit again. Each weigh in day is a day to reset and begin anew. I’m really going to focus this week on fitness ( flexibility, cardio and workouts) and clean vegan nutrition. I’m doing Melissa Bender Fitness Workouts and yoga.

Pretty robes and coffee for my semi morning motivation routine.

I will start posting all of what I’m doing regularly , since I’m committing to blogging daily. I do not have a laptop at the moment, so every blog will be done from my smart phone. One thing I’m doing from here on out to begin everything else is to stress a lot less. No longer will I worry about tomorrow or yesterday. I’m focusing on the present and keeping all of my thoughts positive. Thoughts become things. Eckhart Tolle is someone we listen to daily. You should check him out, very enlightening.

Accept – then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.

Eckhart Tolle

I’ve chosen this present moment. Yesterday I began changing my approach on how I’m going to travel the path to achieving all of my goals. Tony Robbins always says if something isn’t working, change your approach. I understand great goals take greater sacrifices, so I’m going to work harder and try to be more disciplined. I’ve already started blogging daily, and I’m going to bed just a little earlier. Today I plan to begin the second phase of my fitness journey, and start really studying my American Council Of Exercise Exam, I may even call and set the date for the exam. I’m going to be volunteering and trying to help others, my first volunteer experience in Texas will be at Henry’s Home and Horse Sanctuary in a few weeks. I’ve put it on hold due to my husband James, he really wants to go with me. I plan to share all with each new post.

Those are my first four goals, as well as marketing my books and doing social media regularly, writing, submitting and reading more. I also have some tech goals for my blog, a website for my books and blog, etc but those tools I will worry about later. Right now I’m focusing on the work I must put in. I understand it’s been a few years since I’ve blogged regularly, and getting an audience back may be a challenge but it’s ok, I’m doing it anyway, build it and they will come. I came up with this quote, and I plan on living my own words. I’m definitely worth the extra effort, and so are you. Find the system that works for you, and stick to it. It may not be easy, and you may struggle. Just keep moving forward. I would love to know if you are on a Journey to your goals. Let’s do it together.

As always I wish you love, light and happiness on the road to all of your goals. There are no obstacles, no age barriers, no blocks. Only you and the decision to do whatever it takes to make your soul sing happiness.

Namaste’

Rose

HENRY’S HOME AND HORSE SANCTUARY

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Happy Tuesday to all. I weighed in yesterday and lost 1 lb, my weight is now 178 lbs. I’m on my fitness journey, and I’m tracking on my WW app every day. I feel this time I got this. I’m officially on a brand new weight loss journey, and the scale is slowly moving again.

When I began my first weight loss journey my goal was to help a new charity with each ten pounds, and I was successful at my weight loss because I focused on my accountability to the charities I chose. I also focused on being disciplined with my food and fitness, and my fitness goals, but giving back was my main motivation. I believe being of service is my reason I’m here. I’m a work in progress though, I wish to do so much more.

As anyone who knows me well, I love to help others, humans and animals. There’s a list on the various charities I assisted previously on my sidebar.

My first charity for my second round is a charity that has touched my heart. I started following their Facebook page after Hurricane Harvey. They are a beautiful Horse Sanctuary named Henry’s Home and Horse Sanctuary. I’m just so moved by all they do, for animals and humans.

My plan is to volunteer after I lose my first ten pounds, and my trainer Bethany is accompanying me. I’m really looking forward to meeting the animals and helping any way I can. I couldn’t be more honored and humbled to visit the sanctuary and give back a little.

Below is information on Henry’s Home and Horse Sanctuary plus links. You can find them on Instagram @henryshome. I find when you give a little you receive so much more in return. I also believe there is nothing better than helping others when you are in a crisis, it helps you heal. I’m healing and growing. Love and Light to all. Rose

Their Programs with links below

Horse Sanctuary Program: We provide a permanent home for horses and other farm animals who have been through neglect or starvation, or are surrendered to prevent going to auction/slaughter.
Herdmate [Volunteer] Program: We are a simple, loving and nurturing family who pitch in to care for our sanctuary grounds and our four-footed members, as well as this nonprofit business.
Horses & Heroes R&R Program: We provide a variety of Riding & Recreation opportunities for veterans and first responders, and their immediate family members, always at no cost to them.
Horses & Heroes Equine Therapy Program: We provide confidential equine assisted psychotherapy for veterans and first responders, and their immediate family members, always at no cost to them.

Contact Henry’s Home

For General Questions or to schedule a visit or a volunteer orientation:

Donna Stedman
Phone: 281-292-1110
Email:[email protected]

Mailing Address: 5 Alladdin Lane, The Woodlands, TX 77380

Sanctuary Location:
Camp Strake Rd, Grand Central Park,
Conroe, TX 77304

https://www.facebook.com/henryshomehorseandhumansanctuary/

http://henryshomehorsesanctuary.org/contact-us/