Tag Archives: inspirational

END OF A CRISIS

Good afternoon to all, I am still on west coast time, but I am adjusting. For those of you who follow my Facebook page you know my husband James and I just made the trek from Los Angeles to Houston, Texas. This was not an east decision, but we both decided the opportunity for his career was too good to pass up. Here I am again in yet another transition, and this one was particularly tough because as we were moving my Mother passed away. A lot to deal with in such a short time. For us, ever since we left Los Angeles in 2014 for San Francisco everything has been a bit more challenging, but we got through our crisis. The hardest thing we faced was a sudden loss of a loved one, it is one of those things you feel you may never recover from. Below is a story about my Mother Shirley, she was truly a beautiful soul and unique character. She is the love of my life.

http://lebomag.com/what-my-mother-gave-me/

I have learned many lessons about life and loss, and how time is so precious. I promise to see all family, both of our families from here on out. My fear of flying I will deal with, there are loved ones to see. I fly home Friday for a memorial dinner in honor of my Mother.

I also wish my dear Mother in Law Julie a very Happy Birthday. I have the best in-laws and I cannot wait to see them soon, even if it means bringing them to us in Texas. As I work on my goals and plans it is so very important to spend time with loved ones, family and friends. I will keep in touch better going forward.

In the time since 2014, no matter how challenging things got, I never gained a pound. I stayed on my goals and accomplished a lot of new goals with my writing and my weight loss and fitness goals. I was on it, until the last few weeks. I fell off program for a few weeks, and life and loss showed me how incredibly human I am. I know I have put on a few pounds, and as soon as the movers arrive with our stuff and my scale I will post exactly how much weight I have gained. My blankets I collected are being delivered at the end of June. I plan on looking for more charities to assist in my new home.

So here I am, A die-hard Californian in Texas and embarking on day one today. No more treating my body like it is a trash can, back to honoring this body as the temple it is. It is the home where my soul dwells and I will treat it with the respect it deserves.

I will keep this short and sweet, as I begin anew in another new home. I can say today I have met two new friends, and learned a lot about my new community. I plan on posting what I plan to do as I move forward, including diet and my benderfitness workouts. I also plan on starting a Youtube channel as I work towards my goals in my new home. I am very proud to say I finally got my book Camellia in Snow into the famous Book Soup on the iconic Sunset Strip, so LA I will be returning. This was a goosebumps moment indeed.

For now, hello Texas I embrace you with an open heart and open mind. Thank you for this chance to begin anew. I found my first Texas tree, and how unique is it? It looks like an open hand reaching out for the heavens. I plan on treating my life with the same reverence, and making it my mission to help people more than ever.

3 BOOKS THAT MAKE YOU THINK

Leave a reply

As I sit here typing on this keyboard there are a million things for me to do, a million and one to get done in a little time. All I wish to do after my run is to sit outdoors with a book that leaves me feeling better about life and the world around me. A book that makes me think and feel deeply.

Here is a list of the top 3 books that make me think, books I often go to over and over again. Some of these books may be inspiring in a different way, maybe motivating you to do more for someone else or to volunteer with seniors. These books make us reflect about the beauty of being alive and the consequences of our actions, and whether or not we use our time to give back to those who need it most. Life is about the connections we make. These are 3 of my very favorite reads. I hope you like them as well.

MATTIE J.T. STEPANEK

Reflections of a Peacemaker

“I want to be a poet, a peacemaker and a philosopher who played.”

https://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Peacemaker-Portrait-Through-Heartsongs/dp/0740756257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494620124&sr=8-1&keywords=reflections+of+a+peacemaker

Before I ever embarked on my poetry writing journey I devoured Mattie’s books. Mattie was so wise beyond his years. His optimism for life was contagious, he knew the disease he was fighting was terminal but he always showed a reverence for life and living. All he wanted was to spread peace, kindness and compassion to all, He was an angel in human form. I recommend all of his books, but you can start with this collection of his profound poetry. It will make you think, it will make you cry, it will remind you how beautiful it is to just be alive, to hug your favorite dog and share laughter and love with those around you. He will teach you how to be a peacemaker.

I write about anything that touches the essence of my existence. What I witness, what I feel, what I think, what I fear, what I treasure. I write about life, which is our greatest gift.” –Mattie Stepanek, 1990-2004

MANY THINGS TO TELL YOU

Natural poetry by people living in nursing homes.

Thomas E. Heinzen Ph.D.

https://www.amazon.com/Many-Things-Tell-You-Collection/dp/1885778147/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1494619954&sr=8-7&keywords=many+things+to+tell+you

This book I came across while browsing a book store in Astoria, Queens. It was then I first got an opportunity to publish my own work by the publisher that published this book; a book that will totally make you think and cry. It is natural poetry from elderly people living in nursing homes. Thomas E. Heinzen goes into nursing homes and takes down the poetry, the feelings, the remembrances of those living in nursing homes. A profound read. Make sure to have a box of tissues nearby.

THE RED LETTER DIARY

Reclaiming a life through the pages of a Lost Journal.

Lily Koppel

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Leather-Diary-Reclaiming-Through/dp/0061256781/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494620609&sr=8-2&keywords=lily+koppel

Lily Koppel found an old diary in a steamer trunk in a dumpster in New York City, what follows is a fascinating tale of a young woman named Florence Wolfson and her diary from 1929 to 1934. The diary was reunited with its author in 2003 and it gave an aging woman a new lease on life and living in the twilight of her years. A must read. Everybody has a story, and this is one to definitely add to your reading list.

CORRIDORS OF LIFE

Leave a reply

Good Morning to all, it is Friday and I plan on running today. On my playlist is a song from the group Electric Light Orchestra titled I’m Alive. Each day we awaken is such a gift. If you forget that, maybe you should take a trip to your local emergency room. Nothing puts your life, your personal strife in perspective then spending six hours in the emergency room. I went to the ER this week, and this post is about my experience within those four walls of sickness, healing, anxiety, grief and compassion. My experience left me with gratitude to the Healers, the Doctors, the Nurses, the volunteers, and everyone in health care who chose such a selfless career. My ears could not tune out the agony of pain from the lady across the hall, her young sons by her side trying to console her; the healers trying without success to just make her feel more comfortable. The cries out to her lord were so intense I forgot my own reasons for being there.

My reason for being there does not matter. My health is fine, my numbers were perfect. I was one of the lucky who got to leave. My husband James and I mused as we were walking through the hallways looking for the exit, that the hallway felt like a maze leading to the escape route back to where life makes sense. Trees and a cool breeze would await us on the other side. Cars, streetlights, people smiling; real life or the reality we all like to live in. What goes on within hospitals is very foreign to many of us, almost like a world within a world. It takes special types of humans to live and work in that center of sickness and healing, and to them I send my gratitude. We walked through the automatic doors hand in hand as if we had a renewed lease on living, never forgetting those who we left behind. Kindness and empathy for others should always be a given.

In yoga we often make an intention in the beginning of the practice, and we may offer up well wishes and healing thoughts for someone we know; for someone who is struggling. I offer this to the lady in the emergency room and her two children who stood lovingly by her side. They do not know me, but I know them. I was just on the other side of the curtain,veiled yet not blind to her suffering. Empathy for the sick and gratitude to the healers.

Namaste’

Love and Light

Rose

I CHEATED ( this is what happened)

Leave a reply

It is now common knowledge that the average American gains 7 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Marilu Henner

The dreaded scale after the holidays, how many of you faced it today? I did, and I gained five pounds. I knew I put on a few pounds so I felt there was no reason to avoid the scale. Better to know now, as I begin anew in 2017 with my weight loss and fitness goals. One of the reasons I feel this happened because I went so extreme on my diet for five months. than I ate whatever I felt like eating off and on in between Thanksgiving and New Years. I did not plan to eat with abandon, it just happened. I am human.

My plan for my next 10 lb charity is to deliver the blankets I am collecting for the homeless to the Midnight Mission when I lose 10 lbs and finally make it into the 150’s. 159 I am coming for you.

I am here to tell you one or two cheat meals are ok, but every day cheating for a few weeks left me feeling as crappy as the food I ate. I thought maybe I would feel the joy of the holidays if I indulged, I worked every holiday and I was trying to find my joy elsewhere. This year the holidays lacked sparkle for me. I am here to remind you and remind myself that food is not the answer to happiness. A little moderation is better than an all out binge. It left me feeling empty and not healthy. I felt bloated, ill and my stomach and joints felt off kilter. It did not bring me the joy I was seeking, it did the opposite.

Marilu Henner got it right on the nose, but I was lucky I only gained five pounds since Thanksgiving. Now I have to back track a little, but no complaining. I got this. Lesson learned for the future. Back to the 80/20 rule. Eat healthy almost all the time, but leave room for occasional treats, of course within portion control.

Life is not linear; you have ups and downs. It’s how you deal with the troughs that defines you.

Michael Lee-Chin

Back to the drawing board, as I sketch the 2017 I envision. I need to do some grocery shopping and I am reading health magazines for ideas. I am on day three of Melissa Bender Fitness 30 day Challenge. ( I am behind so I am doing one round of day two and one round of day three so I can be in sync with Melissa.I am also going to join her and work on my flexibility. Here is the link. I got 2017 by the collar and I am showing this year whose the boss. Who is with me? Let’s do this.

http://www.benderfitness.com/2017/01/muffin-top-meltdown-body-weight-exercises-to-burn-fat-strengthen-your-core.html

CRISIS CHALLENGES

Leave a reply

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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. xo

Happy New Day

Leave a reply

Yesterday was the Jewish New Year, and to all of my Jewish friends I wish you abundant blessings and joy. To my non-Jewish friends I send you the same love. Tonight I witnessed people sharing well wishes for the New Year to all, no matter what their backgrounds were. I was completely in awe to see the best in humanity. It does not matter where you come from or what your background is. You can always learn something from other cultures and embrace the celebration and joy of living. I am pleased to say tonight I was inspired.

New Beginnings, I admit I have always been a fan. A chance to reinvent yourself, a chance to start over and try again. Mondays, the beginning of Autumn, Birthdays, The New Year. Every new day is a brand new beginning. Didn’t have a great day yesterday? You woke up breathing today so you get a second chance at it.

I have been blogging about my weight loss journey, my fitness journey and my charities now for three years. I believe I have experienced many successes but at the same time I struggled with some things; I am human after all, I have flaws. With all the success I had, the 60 lb weight loss, the fitness milestones, the charities I helped, sticking to a strict diet, there are also some things I feel I failed at. In life we tend to look at our failures and not our successes. In the last two years I experienced a whirl wind of change, a lot good and some not so good. A sudden move to San Francisco and a move back to Los Angeles. I now find myself back to where I began this journey and inspired by the Jewish New Year to start again on what I consider to be one of my failures. How perfect to embrace the newness of the holiday and give myself another go at it. Every one you encounter has a lesson to share. Are you listening?

I keep up my fitness, I get out and run and walk every day. I workout all the time. My diet is on point. My failure is that I never made it through Melissa Bender 12 week Bikini Prep schedule. I somehow always get sidetracked and I end up just doing what I learned from my former trainer Mike and Melissa Bender, basically a mish mosh of exercises. I always wanted to make it through all 12 weeks. I have been going strong on my six month diet challenge with no cheating but I have come up short on this particular goal of mine. So inspired by the Jewish New Year and a brand new Monday, today I begin anew and start over the 12 week program. The timing is perfect and If my calculations are correct I should be wrapping up this goal along with my diet goal by the time I reach my 50th birthday

http://www.benderfitness.com/bikini-competition-workouts-12-week-program

Today is day one. I do have an injury so I will do everything but also modify what I cannot do with my shoulder. I also have some physical therapy exercises I will work on. I admit I lost a lot of strength when I hurt my shoulder. Of course I am going to commit to running regularly and work on my yoga practice.

I am also committing to writing more on this blog like I did for the first year. I am going to document everything on this journey, the good, the bad and everything in between. I am far from an after, but a work in progress. I am planning my next charity and I will be posting the official announcement for Beach Blanket Bootcamp this week. I am collecting new blankets for the homeless and the Midnight Mission. The official date is November 12th at noon. More details this week. You can read about my project in the link below the photo. I finally made my lowest weight in 20 years. Now, that is a success.

http://mychangeforaten.com/1750-2/

I love Hope

I love New beginnings,

I love dreams and all creatures of the universe.

I love life.

A quote from one of my favorite movies, The Shawshank redemption

Red: I find I’m so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it’s the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.

I love Hope. Happy New Beginnings to all.

Namaste’

Happy New Year, Happy New Day

Rose

VIBE OFF POSITIVE ENERGY

Leave a reply

The other day two young guys gave me a random compliment, they saw how spirited I was and they told me they were “vibe-ing off my energy.” It is a new word and I like it. Think about it, we are all energy based. Positive not only attracts positive but it also negates negative energy and can turn it around. A bad day can become worse with negative thoughts, it spirals out of control the minute you decide today is a bad day. So if you tell yourself today is a good day it will be. It may seem simple and cliché’, but it is also absolute truth and the law of the universe. If you see someone loving life, make sure to “vibe” off their energy. Their positive energy does not mean their life is perfect, it just means they find the beauty of living despite the obstacles life throws at us all. After all you are alive, so how about acting fully alive.

My blog became challenging two years ago when I found out were relocating to San Francisco. I knew I would no longer have a personal trainer at my convenience and I was afraid I would undo all of my hard work. On top of that I loved LA, I did all my charities in LA and I didn’t think the bay area was a fit for me. I did make it work while I was there for what I call my year and a half sabbatical, and my blog continued in the time I was living there. I even made some life long friends and mentors, hit some fitness milestones and volunteered and helped raise food for the hungry at The Second Harvest Food Bank. I survived a personal crisis and a spontaneous move back to LA recently.

Through it all I woke up each and every day not only with a smile for myself, but for everyone I encountered along my travels. It helps you cope when you just slow down and remember to first be kind first. Sometimes it takes effort when all you wish to do is hide under the covers, but keeping a positive attitude even on the hardest days has helped me survive. In hindsight if I would have kept to myself and sulked, I never would have met the many wonderful bay area souls that have inspired me and touched my life.

It has been six months since we arrived back in LA, and three months since I began my countdown until my 50th Birthday. In this six months leading to The Winter Solstice I am eating completely clean and not cheating or having a cheat meal. It is a huge undertaking, considering we tend to want to splurge when life throws us disappointments. Yesterday was such a day, I am hoping to have my book signing here in LA at an esteemed book store but I let some time lapse from the first moment I corresponded with the book store due to my move back and all of the commotion of getting a new job and settling in. I am not going to jump to conclusions, but I may need a back up plan if this particular book store turns me down. Again I have to reach into my little bag of positive tricks and truck on forward.

This leads me to how often we reach for food to dull the ache in the pit of our stomach when things do not exactly go our way. It is not hunger we feel, but that need for comfort and soothing that we get when we treat ourselves. My husband James said “let’s get cake, no one will know.” I regress, I will know. Back to the four agreements, “always be impeccable with your word.”

So no cheat day for me. This is teaching me to face my feelings and deal with them in a non food manner. I work in a world famous deli with the most amazing food and homemade bakery so this is extra difficult for me but I am standing by my commitment. I am a work in progress, moving forward despite everything that comes my way. I am leaning on my energy and attitude to keep me going. That and morning coffee.

They say life does not have a dress rehearsal, and this is it. So I continue to vow to be grateful and joyful an to not let obstacles chase off my dreams, and I vow to keep going.

I am vibe-ing off the energy of the beauty of being alive.

Namaste’

Rose

MAKE A MAN OUT OF YOU

Leave a reply

Good Morning to all. Today is my run day before I head to work. I am trying to work Monday through Friday (sometimes on Sunday) and I realized I need routine to overcome my obstacles. I was thinking about workout and running inspiration as I begin anew, overcome adversity and bloom the way any Rose should.

Just like everyone else, my life presents me with challenges and sometimes its easier to use them as an excuse to slack of on my running, workout routine and goals. At the end of the day, I feel even worse because I let go what I truly love to do because of a few of life’s problems. The routine should help me get back on track.

I love to look for inspiration, and Disney movies can be very inspirational to me. I am not the only one who loves Disney films. If you noticed there is a Disney princess obsession going around. You cannot sign on to Facebook without seeing silly yet fun quizzes telling you which Disney princess you are. Woman of all ages play these games for fun, myself included. Who doesn’t love a Disney movie of a silly Disney online quiz. I have many favorites, but my top ones are Beauty and the Beast and Mulan. Both movies really move me with their positive messages.

As someone who is trying to overcome adversity and be strong, and accomplish fitness goals I have just dreamed of, Mulan is the perfect Disney Role Model and Hero. Watching this film gives you the feeling that you can accomplish anything if you try and persevere. All you need is passion and a strong will. The problems will always be there, they will come and go but happiness will linger if you just stay the course. Sometimes you may surprise yourself and others how strong you really can be, and you never know how it will change you for the better.

Here are 5 reasons Mulan inspires in fitness and in life.

Mulan is unusually independent for her time, and does not wish to be married off even if it means sacrificing tradition. She wants authentic real love. She is not fake and she stays true to herself.

Mulan is unselfish, even though she did not wish to be married off even it was what her family wish for, she jumps in to help her father because it is a cause she believes in. She knows her Father is too old and injured for war. She dons his uniform, disguises herself as a man and takes his place at training knowing the consequences of being caught could be dire. She believes in family honor.

Mulan is a Disney Princess with real strength. She does not give up during training, and even though she is struggling she keeps trying until she gets it right. If you were ever a beginner in fitness you can completely relate to how awkward she is. She surprises herself in others and overcomes her challenges.

Mulan overcomes adversity combining her intelligence with her physical strength and saves China not for recognition but because it is the right thing to do. She gets her Prince and the respect of her country in the process.

Mulan is humble. She just saved China but all she wants to do it to return home, and offer the gifts of the Emperor to her Father and family.

I’ll Make a Man Out of You is on my running playlist. I can picture Mulan close to giving up, and than she just gets that last-minute life line of motivation to keep going and she succeeds. This is how I imagine I will be as I start all over in my weight loss and fitness quest. Giving up is not an option.

I want to be bad ass like Mulan.

How about you? Are you ready to defeat your metaphorical Huns?

Let’s get down to business to defeat the Huns./Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?/You’re the saddest bunch I’ve ever met,/But you can bet, before we’re through/Mister, I’ll make a man out of you.

Namaste’

Rose

HAPPY ST PATTY’S DAY

Leave a reply

“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.

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

1 Reply

“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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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

MY CHANGE FOR A TEN

Rose Bruno Bailey’s site about vegan weight loss, fitness, philanthropy and more. I’m chasing joy and all of my dreams and goals by becoming my own happiness guru. Let’s spread sunshine and be happiness gurus together.

Tag Archives: inspirational

END OF A CRISIS

3 BOOKS THAT MAKE YOU THINK

CORRIDORS OF LIFE

I CHEATED ( this is what happened)

CRISIS CHALLENGES

Happy New Day

VIBE OFF POSITIVE ENERGY

MAKE A MAN OUT OF YOU

HAPPY ST PATTY’S DAY

5 ways to survive a crisis