Tag Archives: goal setting

STARTING OVER

I Have taken to grinding my teeth, which means I have a lot of stress to deal with.  In the last six months I lost my way on this blog and my weight loss journey; my Mother’s passing, a move away from California and a very sick cat left me with thirty extra pounds. I did the unthinkable, I gained half my weight back. This post is not to complain about the changes and stress that I encountered. This post is me facing my weight gain and getting back to blogging and losing weight. I know what to do, it just took me a while to find my way back to me. Half the battle is facing the music head on, admitting it happened and making the necessary changes to get back on track. My name is Rose and I went from 159 lbs in May of 2017 to 189 lbs as of Today November 29th 2017. For the sake of blogging I am going to say I am 190 it is easier to manage the numbers.

Today is my real day one, I am starting over.  I am going to lose my first ten pounds of the thirty I gained. I am going to do my food drive when I lose the ten pounds. I am back to committing to a charity and committing to myself and my health. I couldn’t be more motivated. It took me six months to get here but here I am, ready to get to work. Each day I workout and eat healthy I will collect a can to be donated when I lose my first ten pounds.

How am I going to do it? How did you do it? These are questions I am often faced, but I am in unfamiliar territory having had the moment when I slipped up and lost my momentum. I spent six months eating foods on a regular basis that normally I would only eat as a treat. I also ate a lot of carbs. I know my body and what diet works best for my body type. This is not my first rodeo. I am doing what I always did successfully but I am doing a do over.

Exercise, I am doing cardio mostly walking nightly on the treadmill after work with my husband James. We call it date night. We are getting healthy together and getting back eating mostly plant-based and lower carbohydrate and some lean protein for me. I am also doing body weight exercise based workouts from Melissa Bender Fitness and in a few weeks when I feel ready I plan to tackle the machines at the gym. I plan to run three times a week and Yoga and stretching to round it out. I am also working a server job again, which helps because it is an active job and I can bring home healthy salads and fish dishes.

Here it goes, I got on the scale, all the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone. I have my challenges but that is life. Dealing with my weight gain head on with diet and working out will only help me with these challenges. I also plan to post more often, and some posts will just be quick updates with no fancy writing. I plan to plan to be here and be accountable. Less photos for now and more of the struggles we all face. I will save my writing for publications and photos for when I start losing again. For now it is all about the hard work. I have a slow computer and my goal is to be here and get it done and get to work on my fitness. There will be time later when I get a faster pc for more photo uploads when I start losing again. No excuses.

There is no shame in admitting you stumbled, there is no shame in admitting you fell on your face. Can you get up? Stand back up? Fall nine, get up ten. I am getting back up, my self esteem is bruised but soon it will heal.

After all, we are all human. I found out how human I really am. I also remembered feeling strong, fit and healthy feels better than eating pie.

Love and Light, 

Namaste’

Rose

 

 

MAKE IT COUNT MONDAY

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“Don’t give up! It’s not over. The universe is balanced. Every set-back bears with it the seeds of a come-back.”
Steve Maraboli

Good Day to all, it is  Weigh In Monday and I am off for two days. I love to use my days off to catch up on my writing and my plans. I am always redesigning my life, even when set backs happen. I continue to forge forward always, and I never give up. I love this quote above, it truly speaks to me.

I think I am going to call Weigh in Day “MAKE IT COUNT MONDAY.” It has a special kind of hopeful ring to it.

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This week the scale did not budge, but I expected that. I stayed at 159 lbs. I know the scale can sometimes be that fickle friend, one day it shows you love and the next day it stands you up. There you are, standing on the scale with all the hopes of the hard work you put in the previous week, and then nothing. Not one bit of movement, no matter how many times you step on the darn contraption. 

Weighing in should not cause that much drama, do not view the scale as a frenemy; someone you love to hate. Instead embrace the process, weight loss is just like life; you will have your ups and downs. Each week is a brand new chance to reinvent your approach. This week I did not feel well, I felt a bladder infection coming on and I drank all my extra points in cranberry juice. I knew the extra calories of all that juice could alter my outcome on the scale, but my body needed healing. I recently discovered cranberry pills, highly recommended by friends and I am now on the mend. Remember, this is all for your health and wellness. I am completely fine with the scale staying the same this week.

I am embracing the process of the journey. I am going to work harder on my fitness this week, and keep my food clean and keep my points on point. Monday is my splurge day, but I will not go overboard. Splurging within my point range.I will make an effort to get at least 6-8 fruits and vegetables a day. Maybe I should begin making smoothies with veggies again. I will stay motivated and put in the work, it is all about the work.

My workout schedule for this week:

The 3 W’s. Four days a week on my work days after work, I will do my workouts by #benderfitness. I am tailoring them to the fact I have a shoulder injury, and I will also be doing exercises for my shoulder to help myself heal. I will complete two walks a day on my work days. This is all easy to remember, if I work, I workout and walk. The 3 W’s, walk, workout on work days.  http://www.benderfitness.com

Three days a week I will run, I will work up to 3 miles each day. I will also do home yoga and flexibility training 3 days a week. Again, 3 days off equals 3 miles. No way I can forget this plan. Here is my yoga, flexibility and running plans.

http://www.benderfitness.com/2015/05/5k-training-for-new-runners.html

http://www.benderfitness.com/2016/10/daily-yoga-challenge-10-sun-salutations.html

http://www.benderfitness.com/category/flexibility-training

I will work on sleeping better, and not stressing even though life can sometimes throw a pie in your face, and trust me I have dodged a lot of pies lately. Willpower, a good attitude and a smile works wonders; and perhaps just a taste of the pie. 

I am off for now. Namaste’ Love and Light.

Happy Monday,

Make it Count

Rose

FLEXIBILITY GOALS 2017

To follow, without halt, one aim: There’s the secret of success.

I love this quote, as a Sagittarius I have my arrow on my prize always. I have many prizes in the form of my goals. I have so many goals, and I believe in never giving up. Some goals may have to wait because of money constraints, and some goals are put on a hold because let’s face it, one can only do so much at one time. I do not consider this procrastination, but a pause. I focus on what I can do, and return to my other important goals as soon as life and time gives me a little more freedom to do so. I keep adding new goals, I guess you can say I am driven my making goals. I aim for my goals.cirque11

I photographed this statue of a dancer in this beautiful pose and added the quote I felt best represented the image. It struck a cord with me when I saw it, it inspired me. I was a dancer when I was younger, and one of my motivations/goals when I began this blog was to return to my dancers shape and flexibility. Age was not a factor with this or any of my goals. To do this that takes consistency and hard work. I have come a long way but there is still a lot of work for me do to get to my goals. I want to attend ballet and yoga classes in my area, because face time in a studio really makes me come alive. In the meantime, there is no reason why I cannot do this on my own. I can prepare for the time when I am in a place to pay for such classes. My plan is to add to my home workouts a rigorous home yoga and flexibility training. I know my body, I know what to do, and I have my benderfitness videos to help guide me along,http://www.benderfitness.com

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It reminded me of the time I slacked off on flossing my teeth. ( I know, gross huh)  I realized I needed to floss again twice a day to get my teeth in good shape so my next cleaning would not be painful. Once that happened I vowed to never not floss again. If you have ever stopped flossing and went for a cleaning you know this is a painful experience. Same holds true for any goal, you can prepare on your own, take baby steps. You want to take an acting class but cannot afford it so for now you can find a library and read. Prepare, prepare for your aim. Use your time wisely, spend your time learning.

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So instead of complaining that I cannot afford the classes I covet, I will prepare my body by doing the work myself at home, and on nicer days I will take my mat to the park. I will begin this starting Monday next week. I have been meaning to write out my schedule, but that too has been on pause. I am on top of that now.

Rome wasn’t built-in a day, but I am sure the Romans worked really hard day in and day out to get to where they wanted to be, one brick at a time, one day at a time. 

I am the architect of all of my goals, the designer, the builder, the person with the vision. I will do so, one brick at a time. 

Namaste’

Love and Light

Rose

 

 

WEIGHT LOSS MILESTONE

16387009_1393904893988306_2621029889834396704_nMy weigh in day is on Monday. I am working so hard, and I really get excited for weighing in. This week I finally made it into the 150’s, a milestone I have been chasing for over a year. I finally broke my long time plateau with Weight Watchers Online and I lost 9 lbs in a little over a month. That is 10% of my body weight.

I lost my initial weight between the summer of 2013 and 2016 and than the scale just stopped moving. I continued to work hard on my fitness and I continued to eat healthy but nothing could get the numbers to go down. I even kept off every pound through an ongoing crisis. I never gave up nor will I ever give up. One day I will write about the crisis I am in, but for now I keep all of that private.

I can officially say I am 24 lbs from my goal weight of 135 lbs.

Cue Happy Happy face.
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5 reasons I went back to Weight Watchers

The journey is never over, each time you get close to your destination life decides it’s time for you to take a different route.

Rose Bruno Bailey

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My weight loss journey, my life. Ups and downs for sure, but in my heart I definitely feel I experience more ups than downs. In the beginning of this weight loss blog I began with Weight Watchers, and after some time I decided to go at it on my own. I lost about 60 lbs and then hit one major snag, a plateau that lasted about a year. When I moved up to San Francisco my weight actually went up about ten pounds. I lost that when I moved back to Los Angeles, then I got stuck at 168 lbs. I even did a six month clean eating challenge, and did not lose a pound.

On January 14th, I joined Weight Watchers Online. I decided this was it, I needed to do this again, and I planned to journey with Weight Watchers all the way to my goal weight of 135 lbs. Since that day and moment, I am loving this new route of my journey and I lost 7 lbs. I broke that plateau, and I truly am loving the ride. 

Here are the 5 reasons I went back to Weight Watchers Online.

Weight Watchers works in real life, it has been proven. You get a set of daily points, and some extras weekly points. I broke my plateau since I joined on January 14th, 2017 and I lost 7 lbs. You get live support if you attend meetings, and virtual support online if you do not. You can choose to have a coach for a little extra, and for some I am sure that is a life line. Weight Watchers works for weight loss and maintenance. This is not a fad diet, this is forever.

Weight Watchers Online is only 19.95 a month. That is truly doable. For someone on a budget I know I can make that payment. I get the app and all of the wonderful features that comes with it. I track my food, my progress and weight on the app. I get recipes and ideas and share inspiration with others on their Weight Watchers journey. Weight Watchers Connect is like Instagram and Facebook, but for all of us on Weight Watchers. So far I track everything I eat and drink, and I would never do that without the app. I love it.

Weight Watchers helped me with my food issues. I admit it, I had eating disorders. I always looked as food as being bad or good. I would get anxiety if I ate something considered bad. I was getting obsessive and it wasn’t pretty. Now I eat whole grains again, and I am losing weight. Weight Watchers keeps my portions in control for me, teaches me to love food again. I couldn’t be happier.

Weight Watchers may be a format, but I can work the plan the way I choose to, and each week I can change it up if I feel something is not working. On Mondays after weigh in, I have coffee cake with my coffee. I would never have done that before. I actually love weigh in Mondays!!

Weight Watchers is for everybody. Anyone can rock this plan, and everyone can be successful at it. I have seen people on Connect who have lost over 100 lbs with Weight Watchers, people of all ages. It can be done, and I am going to get to my goal of 135 lbs with Weight Watchers. In about ten pounds, I plan to start going to meetings, and when I get to my goal weight I can be a lifetime member. Lifetime members get to attend for free. Talk about the perfect weight loss maintenance plan. 

I am all in with Weight Watchers. All the way, journeying to my goal and beyond.

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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

 

 

 

SUMMER TO WINTER SOLSTICE COUNTDOWN

A goal is a dream with a deadline.

Napoleon Hill

 

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A few months ago I posted my intention to do a ten month countdown to my 50th Birthday on December 21st. I planned to go hard-core on my diet, my exercise and yoga goals. Then life happened, we decided to move suddenly and transition got in the way of training and my countdown goal.

I love a good deadline, I actually thrive when I am challenged. In the beginning of this blog I went hard-core and it worked, I thrived and lost the bulk of my weight. Now I find myself within transition, finding my footing back to what works for me. 

I have decided to begin my countdown to my 50th Birthday after all. I will begin on June 20th, which is the summer solstice and I will keep going until I get to my goal date of my birthday which falls on the winter solstice on December 21st 2016. 

I am settling in Los Angeles and figuring things out here in the city where I began this blog. Are things still crazy and chaotic? Of course they are, that is one of the reasons I am doing this challenge. I need it now more than ever.

I will be doing a charity every ten pounds, but I am not putting a time limit on how fast I will lose my weight. The goal is to get healthier, eat cleaner, and be in the best physical shape for me at this point in my life; all while still helping others in the process. I wish to be the at my personal best inside and out when I turn 50.

I will be sharing everything I am doing to get there, almost as personal as reality television. I plan to be honest and authentic. I hope you can join me as I travel on my latest journey, I can use cheerleaders to help me as I take my first baby steps on this new path. One never travels completely alone. We are all in this life together. I learned that through this blog and I am grateful to all the beautiful souls that now grace my days as dear friends. Thank you for being a part of my journey.

To be happy you must own who you are, treasure who you are and do not measure your life in numbers, You can do anything, be anything if you believe in the light that burns in your soul. 

I look to the trees for inspiration, they are our ancient mentors. Standing tall and graceful, weathering storms and waiting patiently to bask in the sun.

I was born on the shortest day of the year with the least amount of daytime, but it was that darkness that brought me into the light. Like the trees, I wait patiently to have my moment in the sun. I  will continue to work hard to make that moment happen.

Love and light,

Rose Bruno Bailey

 

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HAPPY ST PATTY’S DAY

“Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.”
Sophia Loren

 

Happy St Patty’s day, eat your greens.  I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and my Italian father had a restaurant in  the downtown. My memories of St. Patty’s Day was watching the parade from the front windows, all while stuffing little green petit fours in my mouth. Eating and food was celebration in my childhood household. 

As a child growing up with an Italian father, and with a Mother who learned to cook like she was born in Napoli, I can say I can totally relate to Sophia Loren’s words about spaghetti. To this day, it is the one food I cannot control portions over, so I choose to just eat it on rare and special occasions. When I began my weight loss blog I tried to portion spaghetti, and on one occasion  my hubby James caught me with my face deep in the pot of spaghetti  at 3am. Pasta seems to rule my willpower with an iron wooden spoon.

I found out what works for my body. When I don’t eat gluten, my skin looks radiant and I drop the pounds with much more ease than when I try to portion out processed foods. For me eating clean is a lifestyle, but I am not above occasional cheat days and splurges, well until now.

I announced a week ago that this week begins my ten month countdown to my 50th Birthday on December 21st. I decided since my blog is called My Change For A Ten  and I helped charities per every ten pounds lost, that I would do the same but change the format for the next months. I dropped my initial 50 lbs, and then the weight slowed. Now I am taking a different route to the same destination. Ten months, ten charities, no cheat days, workout, running and yoga. The point is I want to arrive confident and strong to my 50th Birthday. I want to be the best me inside and out.

So, with that said this is a quick primer on what I am doing. 

My food will consist of non processed, clean real food. No cheat days. I have been asked what I consider a cheat day. So this is what I will be eating, and if it is not there I will not consume it for ten months. Yes, this is a challenge, and my husband James is already looking ahead to Fourth of July and Thanksgiving and telling me I have to cheat on those dates.

The bulk of what I eat will be eating is plant based,  as much produce as I like, fresh or frozen.Occasional fresh juices and coconut water.  Lean proteins, fish, chicken, and occasional red meat. No processed meats. As for Dairy I will include milk, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese on occasion as well as occasional eggs. Nuts, seeds, nut butters, dried fruits. Olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oils. Occasional baked potato, sweet potato, and Ezekiel sprouted bread. Coffee and dark chocolate, within portion control, are my treats. I will still allow my protein bars because I just cannot give those up. Basically my plan is almost grain free, if I ever feel weak I will eat the occasional bowl of steel cut oats. I drink water all day long. I am taking some supplements, all natural and I will talk about those in a future post.

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My plan will be low salt and sodium, and I will make my own dressings. Low sugar except for a teaspoon in my coffee every am since I cannot have the fake stuff and I am not giving that up.  The dark chocolate I buy is 85% dark chocolate. Above are some photos of my meals I ate this week.

I will be posting about the fitness, running, yoga and charities I have planned in a future post. I also plan to start doing YouTube videos talking about my weight loss and fitness goals. Today my weight was 169 lbs. I am up from lbs which was my lowest weight I achieved on this blog and journey of mine. I have not yet decided, but I may put the scale away until I reach my 50th Birthday on December 21st. I am ready for my challenge and today is day four and I feel like I am going to be fabulous at 50. I want to look like Sophia Loren when I am her age, but this Italian girl will get there without spaghetti. 

Happy St Patty’s Day, eat your greens.

Namaste

Rose

 

5 ways to survive a crisis

“The best way out is always through”

Robert Frost

Life is beautiful, life is grand, and it is most definitely a privilege to be alive. Nothing is perfect though, and life is a series of hills and valleys. You definitely have to journey through the valleys before you are back on top of that metaphorical hill. I love that quote by Robert Frost, and I said it to myself daily for the last eight months. “The best way out is always through”

We all have our trials and tribulations, and each of our journeys are different. Our destinations may not be the same, but we are all connected through our shared humanity. For me I made sure I practiced a few steps to help me survive and not lose sight of my horizon, my goals and dreams. For me this made all the difference in the world. To be honest, I had a few meltdowns, I am human and with my humanity comes my flaws, scars and all. I make no apologies. It was through my meltdowns that I realized what I needed to do. The current was trying to bring me down, but I refused to drown and instead I chose to stay afloat and tread water until I saw the shore once again.

The dream is the bearer of a new possibility, the enlarged horizon of great hope. 

Howard Thurman

These are the steps that kept me sane and working towards my goals. Now that the murky water is clearing I can say I did not regress, I grew and I am in a better place than I once was last summer. I did not falter, I persevered. You can too. Keep your eye of that horizon and never give up. Hope is a beautiful state to dwell in. Love and light to all. Namaste’ Rose

 

  1. Assess your situation, breathe and take stock on what you need to do to make it better. A crisis can hit you hard and leave you feeling wounded and torn. Have your meltdowns, cry your tears but choose to live in hope instead of despair. After your initial fall stand back up, straighten your back and tell yourself I got this. Make a plan and take flight.birdie
  2. Do not stop working towards your goals and keep your exercise routine, trust me on this one.  I ran a 5K in October with my manager at work Josh, who inspires me. He has ran over 32 marathons and he actually started running because of a personal crisis he was experiencing. I met some amazing friends who have made an impact on my life running in that race, my inspiring friends Stan and John.  If you make plans, stand by your word and follow through. It is not easy but it is very rewarding. We are now planning another 5K in San Francisco on May 1st, and this time we are building a team of other co-workers who were inspired to join us. If I would have quit I would be starting all over now, and even more depressed because I let my crisis win.  I had to work a lot more hours than I would have liked, but I chose to walk on my breaks and take every opportunity to move as much as possible. I was averaging up to 25,000 a day. A motivating playlist made it fun. Start downloading music and get moving. Get high on those wonderful endorphins of yours. 27472617-2af2-40e7-adb0-7b717f69ec935k35k4
  3. Eat clean healthy food, drink a lot of fresh water and please rest your body and get out in nature.  Last thing you want is to do is gain weight and feel sluggish through your crisis. You need to feel healthy in mind and spirit to tackle the enormous task in front of you. Dealing with fears and the feeling of uncertainty is a lot worse when you are putting trash into your system, dehydrated and running on next to no sleep.  Would you litter? Pour oil into the ocean? Treat your body like you would the earth. Nurture it, water it, and let it grow. You need all the energy to get through this. A clean diet, lots of water and rest and recreation in the outdoors is the way to go. Like Nike tells the world, just do it.  I lost almost 15 lbs since the new year began. Below is my before and now.  2013, and 2016. Get outside and let the cool wind blow through your hair, it is the best therapy. We go to the coast to find our center, find your beach and breathe.pescadero212742839_1088819611163504_1748115292959977888_n
  4. Have a positive mantra. I have a few mantras that I said in my head over the last few months, and one my husband and I shared with each other daily. Of course I kept saying my favorite Robert Frost quote ” The best way out is always through” I also had a song that was my mantra, its a silly song but I love it. Remember the band Chumbawamba? They are a British alternative band most famous for their positive and uplifting song Tubthumping.  It’s title you will may not remember, but the lyrics will bring it all back. “I get knocked down, but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down.” I sang this song in my head, I ran to it, I listened to it during my commute. The last mantra my husband James started in the new year. He began each day with “Today is a good day” and ended it with ‘Today was a good day and tomorrow is a good day.” I am a firm believer in the law of attraction, and he attracted positive energy our way. He focused on the good even on the rough days. We are all magnets, so attract the positive into your life. Today is a good day. Say it, believe it to be true and it will be.12715355_10153861692433617_9154185607114484018_n
  5. Be extra kind to others, smile a little more, exude happiness, giving and love. This is so true, I went through my days being kind to strangers despite my despair and you know what, it helped me more than it could have helped others. I went to work happy and smiling when it was the last place I wished to be. If you are grumpy you will only attract that negativity back at you. I smiled more, shared more of myself, and I gave back a little more. I continued to volunteer and donate through my own personal struggles, and I met some awe inspiring people doing it. If you are kind and happy you will attract kindness and happiness. Such a simple step to the path of happiness and to help you bear your crisis with a little more grace. Be a Susie Sunshine even if you are surrounded by Debbie Downers. You may find your uplifting attitude changes those around you. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Gandhi charity

 

 

 

NEW YEAR, NEW ME

Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?

Frida Kahlo

 

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Happy New Year to all. If you have been following me in the last six months I have been in a crisis, and I let that crisis get in the way of all of my goals. I gained about 15 lbs in two months just by not working out and eating unhealthy. It was a lesson learned, and now I am back on track with a vengeance. I will no longer have crisis complaints, instead I am going to look at my crisis as a challenge. I am working a lot more hours to make more money, but I am now finding time for my workouts and healthy eating.

When I am on my half hour work break I choose to go power walking and run stairs instead of sitting around. I am packing healthy meals and snacks, and I am totally back to clean eating. My Benderfitness workouts will be timed in the morning before I get ready for work. On my first day back I aimed for over 25,000 steps and I made my goal. I also signed up for a diet bet hosted by Melissa Bender Fitness. I win money if I can lose 4% of my body weight by the end of January. I got this, no more crying in my coffee.

I have decided this will be the best year ever, and I am tackling a lot of different goals and resolutions which I will write about in future posts. This week is a full week of work and workouts, plus I am volunteering Wednesday at the Second City Harvest in San Jose, and I am delivering more donations my co-workers kindly donated for the less fortunate. No matter how bad things get, there is a way out back into the light. Helping others is a way to see the bigger picture of life. I like to step outside of my own little world and see what is happening in the universe around me. It is humbling and enlightening. New Year, New Attitude. Everything is a blessing, and I am going forward with gratitude and a good mood. My feet feel like wings when I am flying high on Endorphins.You can fly too. 

Happy New Beginnings to all.

Love and Light,

Namaste’

Rose