Tag Archives: mychangeforaten

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 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 2023 Restart

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Hello, I’ve missed you. I kept falling off the wagon for five years and counting.  I started this blog in 2013, and I was totally on it once I committed. What most people didn’t know I went spent years yo-yo-ing. I need to get serious again.

I plan to start a new blog but I decided to stay here for now, to lose the weight and chronicle my struggles and successes.  At a later date I will start blog JuiceJavaJoy which will be more of a wellness lifestyle blog. I’m happy to be here and to have this opportunity for change. I’m Rose Bruno Bailey and this is mychangeforaten ❤️

In the meantime here is my recipe for happiness as I find my way back to being me.

Happiness Tips from me. 💕
1.Live in the moment, not in the past and not in the future. Embrace the now.
2.Don’t go it alone. Find your tribe, and keep all connections going even when you are not close physically. Try to visit loved ones and friends when you can. No one is an island.
3. If you don’t like living somewhere, just move. Adventure awaits.
4. Find your passions and follow your heart.
5.It’s never too late to dream a new dream or chase an unrequited one from the past.
6. Give back to someone in need, there is someone always needing your help who is worse off than you. It will serve both you and those you help.
7. Find joy in the simple and the grand.
8. Spend time with animals and or children. The innocent need your love and they reciprocate love in spades.
9. Live a life of no judgement, love all creatures of the universe.
10. Don’t do harm to others, we should be safekeeping animals and the environment. Try to not do harm to yourself, treat your body like a temple not a trash can.
11.Hold the elderly in high esteem and listen when they talk. They have lessons to teach if you listen.
12. Spend time in nature, it’s our home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FASHION FOR ALL BODIES

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As I’m in the process of beginning my weight loss journey, I realize clothes are not just for when you hit your goals. Fashion is for all bodies and all ages. We are all a now, so wear all the clothes now.

A lot of people might not know how much I love fashion, since I was a teenager. My Mother bought me outfits that my sister said looked straight out of Seventeen Magazine, my favorite magazine. I was first introduced to the pages of teen fashion by my childhood friend Judy. I would spend days at her house, perusing her endless stack of magazines. I was soon hooked, and to this day I love a good fashion magazine. I learn a lot from YouTube these days too. 

I have a little time on my hands this week, I took time off for my second vaccine. I was sick for a little over a day, and now I’m  going through my wardrobe purging what doesn’t serve me. I realized a lot of these clothes hang with hopes I will feel good enough to wear them. I’m good enough now. It’s important to feel good about yourself as you make big lifestyle health and wellness changes. Feeling good is not just reserved for getting to goal.

Wear what makes you feel comfortable in your own skin, whatever that means for you. Everyone has something positive to highlight. It’s all individual. Don’t focus on your self perceived flaws. Confidence is everything. 

Weigh in is tomorrow. Week one is in the books. I think I did great, but I’m also not going to be a slave to my scale. I really do love weight watchers, it quiets all the negative noise in my mind. I also had blood work done this week, something I always dread. It was perfect, so moving on to all things healthy, positive and happy. 

There’s no art on my bedroom walls because we are moving. I am really looking forward to my last six months in Texas, lots of amazing experiences planned. 
The best part of this photo is Cosmo photo bomb.

Be your own happiness and health guru. I’m learning from all the experts how to improve my life for the better, but I’m my own life coach. It’s all up to me. I am self actualizing the life I want to live.
Are you with me?

wear all the clothes ❤️ 

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 

 

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 

 

 

WW FOOD DONATION

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Happy Friday to all. I know, I know, every day seems like the day before. I sometimes forget what day it is. It’s like we are living through a scary version of Groundhog Day. I’m trying to go forward with positivity and focus on what I can do to better my health and life, and what I can do to help others during furlough and lockdown.

As I posted yesterday, I’m starting brand new. Back to WW online, eating clean vegan, and a brand new lockdown fitness routine. In the last two years I didn’t lose much, but I did lose 16 lbs of the weight I gained, and staying on WW earned me points that get converted to produce donations for families that are affected from Covid-19. I decided to donate my points to begin my brand new journey. If you have followed me I lost my weight helping charities with each ten pounds. Lockdown makes picking new charities a challenge, so the opportunity to donate food to those who need it through my WW points is the perfect way to begin my brand new weight loss journey. I have 35 lbs to go, to achieve my normal BMI at 140 lbs. That number seems so elusive to me, but I’m chasing my goals.

Yesterday I began my lockdown fitness journey with 3.1 mile walk/run in my apartment. I plan to do this daily, and go outdoors when there’s enough space to social distance. I’m planning the rest of my fitness goals and I will post the plan soon.

Today I’m visiting the clinic to follow up on my allergies and go forward. I’m starting to feel better but I want to be sure my allergies have not morphed into a sinus infection. I plan to really work on my health, and appearance will just be a positive bonus. Now, more than ever I recognize the importance of good health.

I send love and prayers to all who are suffering during these unprecedented times. Together we can get through this.
Love and Light to all, 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

 

 

QUARANTINE MUSINGS

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Hello everyone, Happy Saturday. it is Saturday, isn’t it? How is everyone doing during this strange and scary time. I know there are many ways of looking at this pandemic. Some are afraid of the disease and are taking social distancing precautions, and some just want life to go back to normal. I admit, I’m more cautious and fearful. My allergies have been bad for a month, I only have post nasal drip and some coughing from that, but it is annoying and it feeds my health anxiety. My allergies and my anxiety kept me from doing the productive things I hoped to do from this time. Fear can be incapacitating. I’m going to buy the allergy meds and move forward, eventually getting allergy tested. One thing I know is fact, the symptoms of my allergies are the same, nothing has become something more. Time to medicate a little, relax and do something positive with my time. In this challenging period my wish is to get reacquainted with my creative self. To restart my health journey now that my knee is healing. To start the groundwork for the life I wish to live. I’m going to let go and let god as far as worry and anxiety and life.

As I type this I’m drinking coffee on my balcony, surrounded my trees listening to the soothing sounds of a train nearby, awaiting the rain. In the past my poet self would have written a dozen poems by know. It’s time I go back there. Leaving LA and living after loss seemed to break me, and when I injured my knee in January I thought such negative thoughts. I believed my best creative self may have been in the past, I had doubts I could start again at a brand new journey. I complained about my work, my knee, and missing Los Angeles. Now in hindsight I regret any complaints. My wish is we can all heal collectively, stay healthy and eventually move the world forward. James and I continue to practice social distancing, the numbers are growing here in Texas despite loosening the reigns on the public. At this moment i will not complain any longer but pray for health for all.

We have been enjoying my vegan home cooking but Monday we are going to start eating more basic whole food and plant based, and less processed vegan foods. My weight is currently 172 lbs and my goal is 140 lbs.  During a global pandemic health is number one. Getting James to eat vegan is easier when I make the comfort foods he’s used to. I told him for now we can enjoy those ( with portion control) on weekend and eat clean vegan Monday through Friday. That’s a doable plan. I still have the WW app (weight watchers) and I plan to continue to exercise and run/yoga at home. More writing, organizing my work, studying my group exercise certification book, clean etc. I’m going to try to get out of the part of my brain that holds me back and think forward thinking, so when this thing is over I will be better then I was before. That’s not too much to ask, is it? I wish everyone health and wellness, with more joy and less worry. We are in this together, even if we support each other from the segregation of our imposed six feet separation.
With Love and Light, Rose