Tag Archives: Losing weight

WEIGH IN DAY

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Happy Saturday to all. It’s been two weeks since I last posted, and even though I did not post here last week I did weigh in and I lost 2 lbs. Today I weighed in for this week and I’m down another 2 lbs bringing my weight to 193 lbs. I’ve lost 7 lbs total so far. Can I get a high five? 

I started at the 200 lb mark, and I’m doing things a bit differently than I’ve done in the past. I’m changing how I approach this particular weight loss journey. It’s different from the one large success I had when I began this blog in 2013, and very different from the many fails and yo yo diet moments I had in the last six years, in six years I steadily gained 50 lbs.

Here’s what’s working for me now, what’s different from my many attempted diets, and how I’m now navigating this new weight loss journey autumn 2023. 

1. I’m down 7 lbs so far. I decided WW wasn’t for me as a vegan. I think it’s a wonderful program but as a vegan if I eat something that has high points but not that high calories, I end up eating too low calories. I’ve switched to the Loseitapp and I set my goal within the app and it calculates the calories I need to lose my weight, and when I should reach my goal. My calorie budget is 1,585 and I try to keep my calories within that parameter. I’ve sometimes reached up to 1,685 but never under 1,200 calories. It’s easy to track and see my accomplishments as I trek through this process.


2. Have you noticed food is really expensive? Another thing I’ve changed this time is I do not freak out if I don’t get all the healthy food in daily that I believe is crucial for good health. You are probably thinking, what does that mean? When I was young I struggled with major eating disorders and as I got older my eating disorders went from not eating ( starving) to nitpicking the values of food; good food vs bad food. It creates problems as someone who already chooses to be vegan ( it’s my moral compass) and it can make you crazy. So instead of worrying if sourdough bread is ok to eat, I eat it and count it in my daily calories. I do try to eat 80/20, the majority of my food is healthy and the other 20% might not be as nutritionally beneficial. We are all trying to get by these days, so if I eat a sandwich for dinner instead of a big salad so be it. As I type this I’m about to make sourdough toast and coffee. It’s all about balance, right?

3. The only food that is off limits is a big spaghetti dinner, or vegan pizza, or any food I believe I will binge. Just a month or so ago I was becoming a binger,I started overeating and in bit of a mood. I’m happy to say I’m facing those bad habits, starting new ones and a brand new routine. Pasta and pizza are my trigger foods. One thing I know is in the beginning of a weight loss journey you have to be strong to get to the next level. I can count my calories, and eat what I wish, but I also know myself. In the past eating virtuous all week and having big cheat meals on the weekend has never worked for me. I would lose and gain the same 5 lbs over and over and never get to my goal weight. It’s like being a hamster running on a wheel. I stopped that crazy pattern, and recognized certain foods I will overeat and I will not count, so I’m abstaining from pasta and pizza for now.

4. In the past I’ve done charities with each 10 lb weight loss. I plan to begin this format again, I just have to decide how I would like to go forward. In the meantime we are working on my group Letters From Uncle Louie, we send cards to seniors that need cheer.

5. I am starting new routines and new habits as I go from being a night owl to a morning person. This includes fitness, but more to come on this subject.

Start strong and stay consistent, and remember it’s just food. We can do this.

 

 

STARTING OVER 2023

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It’s my first weigh in day. Starting over isn’t easy. Here’s my thoughts after returning to this blog and trying for the millionth time to lose the fifty pounds I gained over the last six years.

Transition isn’t easy, and besides the pandemic I’ve been the queen of changes. When I was in Los Angeles I had a community behind this blog, I felt the support on a deep level. Now in our first house as I start over I realize I need to look to myself for inspiration and make the commitment on a deeper level. I need to be able to stand alone and get it done. That means home workouts and meal prep.

Those late night junk food days are over. In the last week I’ve lost 3 lbs weighing in at 197 lbs. I made it to onederland as they say, and I hope to never see 200 lbs again. I set my plan with the loseitapp and my maximum calorie budget in a day is 1,610. This week I’ve hovered under 1,400 calories. Last night my husband James wanted beyond burgers with the bun and fries etc. I chose to eat mine bunless with a salad. I’m also limiting my breads. I feel for me bread is the gateway to my binges. First it’s bread, than a ton of pasta and finally I find myself reaching for sweets. Those things are not off limits permanently but limiting them now, especially in these crucial first days of my diet is so important as I build my mindset momentum.

In the early days of this new journey it’s important for me to build my willpower back up. If I slip up too early in this process I will keep yo yo’ing and gain five lose five pounds over and over. I had a revelation. When I eat or overeat junk food, it’s usually gone or over in five to ten minutes. Those five to ten minutes of satiation are not worth the sacrifice of my goals. I’m trying to be mindful of this lightbulb moment each time I have a craving to overindulge.

It’s a vicious circle, a cycle I overcame the first time I began this weight loss blog in 2013. I know what I must do to overcome any chance of an early setback. I’m going to choose a charity for my first ten pounds, something attainable. Maybe a can food drive for a local food bank. I’m open to suggestions. I’m also reinventing my passion project of Letters From Uncle Louie, we give back by sending snail mail to those who need cheer. I’m working on many writing projects and I started a part time server job so I’m busy, but I am so excited for fall. Fall to me is new beginnings, autumn 🍂 decor and fashion, and more social time because we will finally cool down here in Texas.

So if you find yourself thinking you can’t start again for whatever reason, I’m here to start again right beside you. We can do this, connecting virtually and cheering each other on from our little corner of the world. It’s not our location that makes us achieve great things, it’s our dedication. Happy Weekend to all. 

Vegan Vegetable Beef Soup

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I decided to come back to this blog, to figure out things by returning to what worked for me in the past. Losing weight, achieving fitness and wellness milestones while helping charities. I haven’t exactly figured out my 2023 spin on it yet, but I’m excited to be here. My other blog JuiceJavaJoy will launch once I wrap this one up in a big red shiny bow.  I plan on getting my spark back by finding my fitness, losing the weight I gained and helping others along the way, as I help myself.

Today I begin by tracking on the loseitapp ( sometimes I use the WW app)  My daily calories will be up to 1,600 a day. I’m starting with smoothies again even though I need a better blender. 

Cooking is important, as is planning meals. I have to not only plan meals for me but my husband.  That can be tricky, as it is if you have children too.

Here’s a delicious soup you can make for #Meatlessmonday  I’ve been under the weather so even though it’s 107 here in Texas, it’s a soothing dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day. 

Serve with a delicious crusty bread and oyster crackers. Remember your portion control. Let’s do this again. Welcome back to my mychangeforaten journey part two.

Bon Appetit

Vegan Vegetable Beef Soup 

Prep time 30 minutes

Cook time 45 minutes

Ingredients

7 stalks celery diced

Half bag shredded carrots

1 medium diced onion

6 diced cloves of garlic

3 handfuls spinach

2  1/2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon no beef base

1 bag frozen vegetables

8 cups water

2 cup noodles

1 bag frozen beyond beef steak or optional white beans or both 

Two tablespoons olive oil  

In a medium to large pot add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and celery, carrots and onions. Cook about 5 minutes or so until the onions are translucent.

Add diced garlic and continue to sauté another 3 minutes or so.

Add 8 cups of water and stir, adding the Better than Bouillon no beef base until it dissolves.

Add bag of frozen vegetables, stirring.

Add spinach and continue to cook for about 20 minutes.

Add noodles to soup and time according to the directions on the noodle package. If adding white beans drain and add after the noodles and cook an additional ten minutes. 

As the soup cooks add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a nonstick pan and cook frozen beyond steak according to package.

When the beyond steak is cooked add directly to the soup and stir.
Enjoy 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TODAY IS A GREAT DAY FOR CHANGE

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It’s Sunday and I just started weight watchers Friday. I’m feeling a bit reflective.

It usually takes me a thousand tries before it sticks. I get sidetracked, I’m all over the map with my goals and I’m not a multitasker.

The reason I chose weight watchers again is because I don’t vilify food when on this program. It’s just food. It’s not bad or good. It’s super easy to do with the app, and if I need support I can attend a meeting.

If you really know me you know I eat a very healthy vegan diet, but it’s not enough. Portions, age related obstacles and the synthroid I take for hypothyroidism are all a part of my weight gain equation.

But that’s ok, I’m not looking backwards. I’m not going that way.

Those obstacles are not a dead end. I’m jumping over the road blocks, I’m finding how to navigate my vegan ways with some semblance of balance. If I want toast with coffee I will have toast with coffee, but I count it and usually don’t eat bread the rest of the day. It’s about the little choices you make that will help you journey to your destination.

Exercise is huge. I couldn’t do it without movement. I will keep working on it to be as fit as this body will be.

The one thing I do know, when my food feels in control and balanced everything else follows. My journey this time is not that much different than it was in July 2013 when I began mychangeforaten. I am better and chasing goals, better at life when my food is in control. 

Today is a great day for change. As my husband James always says, don’t think, just do. He also says don’t live in fear, because if you do, you are not living at all. I think we can all relate to fear after the last year and a half. 

Live, and thrive today. You can’t make a difference in the world if you do not take care of your health. We want you here. So if you need to change, today is a great day for change. Begin Today. In six months you will thank your younger self. 

Love and Light, 

Rose 

 

TRAIN LIKE YOU MEAN IT

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I am beginning again with my fitness journey, and I have a few experts helping me along my way. My inspiration is always my best friend Melissa at #benderfitness. I always turn to her videos, for workouts, yoga especially. She always helps me and gives me amazing advice. If you love home workouts you can find her here. She’s a total professional.

http://www.benderfitness.com/


I also realized need someone in person to motivate and kick my but. When I began this blog back in July  2013 I worked out with my friend and trainer Mike, and it made all the difference. Sometimes we need someone in person to push us to be our very best. I got extremely stagnant over the Pandemic, and I’m really back at square one.  I knew I had to make a change. I posted in a local group and luckily I found the perfect person. 

Introducing my NASM certified personal trainer Kristi Burr Blount. Kristi started training me a few weeks ago, before my return to this blog. I can’t express how thrilled I am to be working with her, TRX, weights, functional training etc.  Our sessions have been amazing and challenging, and she knows when to make a session more difficult than the last. She really takes care to insure you do not get injured and that you are using proper form in your movements. This is just the beginning. I’m absolutely thrilled to be training with her.

You can find her here.

 

https://m.facebook.com/KBLifestyleandFitness/

As I go forward I will be sharing everything I’m doing, to help others as they start over. It’s not easy to begin again, but it’s so much better than staying stagnant.
Here’s to brand new beginnings.
love and light,

Rose

 

 



NATIONAL COOKIE DAY

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Happy first day of October. I get so excited at this time of year, I can’t wait to visit Trader Joe’s to see all the deliciousness of the season. It’s also #nationalcookieday. One of my favorite healthy chocolate chip cookie recipes I bake often I posted on this blog when we lived in San Francisco. I also used the cookie recipe for when I helped my friend with a bake sale for her dog Oreo. I know, it’s too perfect of a dog name on National Cookie Day. By the way, Oreos are vegan as are my cookies. I’ve included a screenshot below from my original blog post if you would like to try the recipe. They are healthy and I believe only 3 ww points per cookie. Made out of mashed bananas and one of my favorite cookies to share with my friends. My non vegan friends go crazy for them. I hope you are having a fantastic beginning to October. I find it’s the perfect time for me to begin anew on this blog, I just love the Autumn. Happy October and Happy Cookie Day to all. Love and light, Rose.

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THE TIME IS NOW

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Get busy living or get busy dying.
The Shawshank Redemption

 

I often here people say they wish they would have started their health journey a year ago. If I learned one thing from the last three years it’s to live that quote from The Shawshank Redemption with a vengeance, so next year I don’t have to wish I would have already started my wellness path.  So much has happened in the last few years yet I feel like I could have accomplished so much more. I am proud of my writing and publishing credits, and I worked hard and kept my family from sinking in a crisis. These are all things to be proud of, but I wasn’t consistent here on this blog. I gained half my weight back and did not keep up with my fitness journey. So today here I am, at 170lbs ready to get busy living my healthiest life. It’s going to take work to be consistent again, it’s been years since I’ve been successful at being consistent. What else do we have but time? So here I am, starting now. I’m done with waiting for tomorrow to come. Tomorrow is today. Are you with me?
With Gratitude,

Rose

Ro

THIRTY DAY CHALLENGE

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Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine Be Thy Food.
Hippocrates

Monday, I’m here for you. I’m starting brand new on Monday. I need a health reset, a 30 day challenge. Something to motivate me going forward. Since my Candida I’ve expressed I do not feel my best. I’m having gastrointestinal issues. My fun vegan foods do not make me feel any better, they need to be once in a while occasional treats. It’s time to get back to nature and food in it’s most pure form. So for thirty days I’m going to get back to whole foods plant based meals with no oil and very low on salt and no sugar. I can do this. Monday it begins along with my restart of my fitness journey, and better time management of all my goals. I’m working on my life as a whole and tackling each area individually, beginning with wellness and health. I’ve broken it all into categories that I will share later this week. The first category is the most important, wellness and health. This weekend I’m doing a few healthy grocery store hauls. I plan to eat clean whole plant foods and move a lot more. Hello Monday!! Hello blog, I’ve missed you and treated you like a fair weathered friend, but that’s about to change starting  8/10/2020.  I challenge you to try this with me, just for one month. Happy Monday to all and Happy Health. 

love and light, Rose 

 

 

FIVE POUNDS CHALLENGE

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Happy Friday to all. I have been a bit under the weather through lockdown, allergies and now I’m being treated for a Candida infection. I got oral thrush. I’ve been on anti fungal meds now for one week and will continue to take them for another week. I’m finally starting to feel better. I’m not completely healed but I’m improving. My health anxiety through all of this has been a bit incapacitating. I haven’t been happy and worry consumed me. I’ve been somewhat productive in these last months, a few of my articles were published in VegWorld Magazine, and I’m writing three more for the year, and my poems were featured in two literary journals. However, I dropped  the ball with working out, blogging and health. Anxiety held my happiness hostage. 

It’s time for me to take back control of my thoughts and my health starting today. It’s time to get it together and chase happiness and peace of mind. I’m starting an after lockdown weight loss challenge and you are welcome to join me. I’m going to lose 5 lbs at a time, drawing this diagram in my notebook. My goal weight is 137 lbs and I’m currently 172 lbs. So in my planner I will draw 8 squares. Each square is 5 lbs. That doesn’t sound that difficult. I’m watching my calories on the Loseitapp. Dealing with Oral Thrush has caused some difficulties eating but I will get through. I’m also going to work on my fitness. I’m starting with 1 mile a day of running or walking. I will probably do more but that’s the goal. More meditating, yoga and finding my way back to myself. So much to work on but health is my why. I want to be healthy, and I’m talking control of that with healthy vegan eating and getting my mind and body back into shape. Are you with me? If you find having a lot of weight to lose is intimidating, start with me the 5 pound challenge. We can do it, our health depends on it. Daily small steps become big leaps later. You just have to make the decision to start. Love and Light, Rose 

 

 

QUARANTINE WEIGHT LOSS

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Happy Thursday to all. My quarantine started rocky in mid March when my allergies sent my health anxiety to new levels, coupled with a world pandemic. I had goals for the sequestered time, but all I did was worry and fear, and complain about my symptoms while watching Netflix with my hubby James. Ozark is really great btw, a world more messed up than the one we are living  through.

I decided this week as I am starting to feel better to get off my but and start blogging about my new quarantine weight loss journey. As many of you know I had weight loss and fitness success, and a few years later gained half after some personal losses. I’ve tried time and time again to start over and I dropped the ball. That’s the beauty with dropping the ball, you can pick it up again and try harder. That’s where I am now.

in the last month I ate more pasta than usual, and I didn’t even attempt to count my points. Today is weigh in and I currently weigh 175 lbs. Today is day one, I’m up 3 lbs. I’m hoping my allergies have cleared up so I can focus on all my goals, fitness, weight loss, wellness and creative goals. I plan to start fresh with the WW app (Weight Watchers) because I plan to incorporate the 80/20 rule. It’s always worked for me in the past. 80% of the time I will be eating clean vegan with low salt, sugars, and oils and 20% or less of the time I will count in occasional small splurges like vegan cream cheese on my toast. The idea is to eat highly nutritious vegan food but also enjoy in life’s little indulgences, counting them in as part of my daily points. I believe Friday we are grocery shopping to stock up for the week. I’m cooking a lot more these days. 

Tonight I’m making Split Pea Soup for dinner. I’m going to bake some vegan treats to enjoy with coffee or tea. I will be posting more about what I eat in a day, my grocery haul and my quarantine fitness routine. All things I’m doing to try to find wellness, joy and fulfillment during these unprecedented times. I’m making a commitment to myself and accountability to anyone who is reading my words. I’ve fallen before but I keep getting back up, bruised backside and all. There is no failure, only the fear to begin again, so just pick up where you left off. With love and light Rose Bruno Bailey

I will leave you with a few quotes about failure and starting over fresh by some very important historical figures.

 

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
― Thomas A. Edison


“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston S. Churchill

“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” 

― J.K. Rowling

“It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.” 
― Zig Ziglar