FOLLOWING THROUGH

It is almost the one year anniversary of this blog, and I remember saying I will always follow through with what I say I will do. That promise began when I was set to be in the Richard Simmons Video. I was not feeling well days before, and I almost backed out. Then I decided to stick to my word and it changed me in so many ways. I met the best people at that video shoot, and I had the best time ever. Almost one year later I find myself reflecting on that promise I made, and continue to make to myself over and over.

I have experienced some personal challenges in the last five days, life's stresses that we all have them from time to time. Sometimes though, I get so caught up I forget how to breathe. I am coming out of the worry now, and back to work on all of my goals. I had a few days of rest because I strained my knee a bit, and now I my plan is to work out and focus my energy like I in the very beginning. Totally motivated and inspired.  No excuses, I am going to work super hard on my exercise and diet like this is the first day of my blog. Back to square one.

Yesterday I had plans to meet my friend Francie and her Mother Fran for lunch in Beverly Hills. She asked me if I was up to it, and I said yes. I had made a commitment and I followed through, plus I so wanted to meet Fran. I am so happy I did, Fran is as lovely as I imagined her to be and I am blessed to be friends with Francie and well as Fran. Guess where I met Francie? The Richard Simmons Video. No regrets, follow through with promises.

So it is Tuesday, and I am focusing on focusing, breathing, and my weight watchers points. Yes, I am back to counting. It is funny when life throws you curve balls you tend to skip meals and forget how to eat balanced and healthy. Back to the drawing board for me, working out with Mike my trainer tonight. A lot has happened since our last workout less than a week ago, and I am going to have to get my hyper energy back.

To quote one of my favorite movies of all time, It's A Wonderful Life
Dear George, remember, no man's a failure who has friends.
I think I need to watch it soon.
Namaste'
Rose

GROCERY HAUL

Ok, so I am new at trying to budget food but I think I have food for two for the next five days. That would balance out to ten dollars a day. I am trying to improve my food budget and I probably can do so even more. This is my first attempt.

Sometimes for dinner I make simple tuna sandwiches with veggies with no salt albacore tuna and veganaise. I bought mahi mahi burgers to have with either brown rice or baked potatoes with fat free sour cream and lemon.  I also purchased 97% lean burgers to eat with veggies and potatoes or brown rice and Dr Praeger veggie burgers with vegetables. I am hoping this works through Wednesday and next time I may walk to Ralph's or Jon's to see if I can do even better and buy food for a full week.

We have eggs, oatmeal, protein bars and vegetarian sausage and bacon on hand. We also have a loaf of Ezekial sprouted bread and bags of frozen fruits. I know I could be stocked up better but this is a beginning. I do all of the shopping on foot so this is where I began with my quest to eat healthy on a budget. I got a lot of my ideas from my bestie Melissa Bender Fitness.

http://www.benderfitness.com/2012/07/melissa-benders-grocery-list.html

Here is my grocery haul for the next five days. I still need to pick up a bag of onions, some 0% Greek yogurt and vinegar and more protein bars and coffee. I probably should make a list.

I have been in a major slump the last few days. I am trying to pull myself out of the gutter so to speak. This healthy eating and planning should help. I am a work in progress and this is my first meltdown so to speak in one year. I almost started crying out in public earlier. I think I may start a gratitude journal to get myself back to my Pollyanna ways. I am human, after all.

Namaste'
Love and Light
Rose

CRYING IN MY COCONUT WATER

I have to remind myself how far I have come
even if some numbers are still high
I am not a number
I am a soul
with a body
I am trying to train

I cheated and had pizza. I hardly ate all day and decided to splurge when my husband ordered pizza. If you have followed my journey in the past year I have rarely deviated from my diet and lifestyle. 

I am going through some struggles at the moment and I gave in. This is not a weekend long splurge, just one meal and one time. I am trying to figure somethings out and make a plan. Next month is my one year Anniversary of this blog and I will get past the minor setbacks that are occurring in my life and make all of my goals a reality. I am not down or out, I just have to set the bar higher and work harder. I will be seeking balance as I try to accomplish multiple goals.

If I was not feeling bad already I had to go and throw salt on my open wounds. I finally had my fat percentage and measurements done today. I never did them a year ago so I do not have a starting point to compare them to. I was highly disappointed and I felt like all of my accomplishments of the year were taken away. I felt like I was back at square one. My total fat was 40%. I thought, wow, what the hell was it to begin with? My lower abs were 37, (high) my arm 12, my hips 42 and my thigh was 25. The guy at the gym was rushed for time and only did the right side of my body. He did not do around my upper waist around my rib cage so I did that, and that was 32.  According to an online BMI chart mine is 30.1 
The numbers really left me feeling down, especially with my personal issues I am dealing with now. I almost cried in my coconut water.

A friend once told me life is compromised of hills and valleys. I am stuck in a temporary valley at the moment, but I will climb out even if my fingernails end up bloody and torn, because I will believe that I can. I have come a long way in the last year and I will not let some little occurrence derail me and leave me stranded down in some creak in the bottom of a valley. I will climb high and believe in me. I am a majestic dolphin not a whimpering guppy. I will swim to the surface.

So those are my thoughts at the moment. I have been MIA lately and not been keeping up with my posts. I did volunteer with Reading To Kids last Saturday and I now have two bags of books for the children. I am hoping to have much more when I am finished with the book drive. Volunteering was very rewarding and I feel grateful for the opportunity to do so. I am grateful to friend and children's author Benjamin Harper for his kind donation of his own books. 

No weigh in tomorrow. I am giving myself a break since I have been stuck at 169 lbs. I was told sometimes deviating from your diet tricks your metabolism so tomorrow I am back on track with some healthy changes. Starting now from square one and working my way towards my Birthday on the Winter Solstice, which is six months from tomorrow. That is the next time I will take my measurements and fat caliber test. 

Love and Light
Never Give Up
Rose

ALMOST ONE YEAR GRATITUDE ( introducing my trainer for one year Mike)

It is Friday the 13th, and I cannot believe it is June already. In one month it will be the one year anniversary of this project and blog. I feel I have accomplished so much, and I have come so far but I did not do this alone. I am very grateful to the wonderful new friends and all the support I have as I continue on my journey. It may have almost been a year, but for me it has only just begun.

I began this thinking I would speed walk, diet, and then return to dance classes and at the same time assisting various charities. I never dreamed of the things my body could do, or would do, or would even endeavor to do.  I never knew what this body of mine was capable of. I am now 40 lbs down, but I have gained fitness knowledge, strength, and endurance. I did a 10K,A Richard Simmons Video, and I am conquering my fitness/adventure bucket list. I can plank for 3 minutes, do burpees and push- ups and more. I feel ageless, invincible, fit, strong, and free. I am reaching for the clouds.

I have to give a huge thank you to my friend and Trainer Mike who has taught me so much about fitness, and guided my way. He is more like a teacher and a coach than a trainer to me, and I am so thankful for this last year of working out with him, and more to come. He is one of my fitness inspirations, he is doing a triathlon in Malibu in September. At first he asked me to do it as well, it is amazing when you have someone training you that totally believes in your ability to conquer even the biggest goals. We work out twice a week at the park,  I call it Mobile Meditation because you work out side by side with the trees, the clouds overhead, and a refreshing breeze that makes it all worth while. There are dogs everywhere and I admit to giving in to the cute canine distractions as I plank and a cute dog licks my face. I have taken many breaks because of the friendly dogs.

Now the workouts are getting harder, and Mike is pushing me. He knows how to strike the best balance between pushing someone and holding back so they do not get injured. It is an honor to have him in my corner as I continue on my journey. Anyone who trains with Mike is very lucky. His expertise, kindness, and motivation have truly helped me to get to where I am today. 

The journey continues, the destination a little elusive but I am chasing down my dreams and never too proud to say thank you to those who have guided my steps.

MIke, trainer and friend

TRX using a tree

Just a sampling of equipment I have to conquer

Mrs Jones, a local favorite and friend of ours at the park

One regret is I never took the time to do my measurements and fat caliber, and the gym does it for free. Better late than never, I am going to get it done asap and go from there. I know I have lost inches, and since I want to lose 40 more lbs it is definitely not to late to have this done.

Off for my day. I am doing my book drive and tomorrow taking a few hours of my time to go read to the children at a local elementary school for Reading To Kids. Life is beautiful, embrace it. There is inspiration everywhere, you just have to open your eyes and look.

Love and Light

Namaste'

Rose

MARGUERITE SANDWICH,VEGETARIAN BRIE AND APPLE

When we are born our first bout with individuality is when our parents bestow upon us the gift of a name. What is in a name? Does a name define who we are or how we are perceived by others?  What about those souls who are lost to their families, perhaps they ended up homeless and one day when their time was up they couldn't be identified? They are just as much a human as anyone else but because their "name" was not known they were coldly stamped John or Jane Doe.

WALK IN EMPATHY
Step into my worn shoes,
How would you feel?
When People walk by,
Forgetting you are real.
Beyond your reach,
The hopes of a warm meal;
Or a place to lay your head,
To let your weary body heal.
Your spirit is broken,
Yet your head held high;
Only to be ignored,
By oblivious eyes.
A face with no name,
Is what they see;
Unloved, forgotten,
Throughout society.
Such lonely solitude,
Unanswered prayers;
Hopelessness and sorrow,
But no one cares.
Who will miss you
When it’s your time to go?
Will anyone remember,
Your name is not John Doe.
© Rose Bruno Bailey

The name Rose has caused many a remark from people when they first meet me. Usually it is the standard "that is my great great grandmother's name," thanks a lot for making me feel ancient. Or sometimes it is the cheesy "oh Rose, the name of beauty, the flower," by some guy dripping in too many chains and wearing too much men's cologne. When the movie Titanic premiered I got lots of "never let go Rose."  When I first met my husband he actually believed I gave him a fake name.

That brings me to the Sandwich. It was named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, he was  an 18th-century English aristocrat. Apparently he requested his valet bring him his meat inside two slices of bread. He was playing cards and wished not to get his hands greasy. Soon others followed suit requesting to have what Sandwich had.

Many sandwiches over the years have gained individual names of their own. The BLT, The French Dip, The Dagwood, The Club Sandwich to name a few.

This inspired me to make my favorite sandwich to take on a picnic in the park or a day outing to the shore. Malibu breeze and a delicious light sandwich to feed my senses. I first had this unusual yet simple sandwich at my friend Marguerite's house back in Cleveland, Ohio. Marguerite was French,world traveled, sophisticated, and whimsical. She sliced a french baguette, and spread some Dijon mustard on both sides. Then she topped it off with thinly sliced green apples and sharp cheddar cheese. My version is a bit more gourmet, but in honour of my long lost friend( I used the English spelling of honor since Marguerite lived in London), I have decided to name it THE MARGUERITE. A whimsical, sophisticated sandwich with a french origin just like it's name sake.

You will need for one MARGUERITE

A  good french baguette or whole grain roll

Extra virgin olive oil.

One green apple, sliced thin.

Brie cheese, enough to spread on both sides of the baguette.

Arugula, a generous handful

Toasted pecans( lightly spray cooking spray on a cookie sheet. Place pecans on sheet,and toast for five minutes in an oven set at 350 degrees for about five minutes).

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil, and a teaspoon of a good Dijon mustard.

Drizzle olive oil on baguette and place on a cookie sheet in a pre-heated oven set at 400 degrees.Bake baguette for about ten minutes til crusty.

Spread Dijon on both sides of the baguette.

Spread a generous amount of brie on each side of the baguette.

Top brie with a handful of the toasted pecans, spread them in the brie so they are firm in the sandwich.

Place thin slices of apple on one side of the baguette in a uniform line.

Top it off with a generous handful of fresh arugula.

Drizzle balsamic vinegar on the arugula,and a bit of sea salt and ground pepper.You may wish to use a bit more olive oil, the choice is up to you. I think the olive oil on the baguette suffices but again individuality comes first. It is your Marguerite Sandwich.

Close tightly, slice in half, and enjoy this distinctive yet delish sandwich which is reminiscent of  walking barefoot in a field in Paris during springtime in a Monet painting.
Oh la la c'est marveilleux

MATTIE STEPANEK PEACE DAY

https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/president-barack-obama-declare-july-17th-mattie-j-t-stepanek-peace-day?recruiter=105128120&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Please sign the petition and share with your friends. This little boy made such an impact on me. He is one of my favorite modern poets and peacemakers and he only lived to be 13.

Love and Light, 
We can use a Peace Day in the name of a very special little boy.

RAINBOW BERRY COFFEE CAKE

Happy Pride Day LA. I wish all of my friends a beautiful and safe day celebrating out in West Hollywood CA. Remember, we are all one connected to the core that is our humanity.

I have decided to bake today, and in honor of LA Pride I baked a Berry Coffee Cake and renamed it Rainbow Berry Coffee Cake.

I bought Trader Joe's Multigrain Baking and Pancake Mix, and inspired by their recipe on the box made my own version with some healthy changes.

You will need:

Trader Joe's Multigrain  Baking and Pancake Mix, or another brand if you please Use 2 1/2 cups

1 egg

1 cup low fat buttermilk, I substituted low fat milk

3 tablespoons oil, I used extra virgin oil because that is all I had, but you can use vegetable oil 

1 bag Trader Joe's frozen mixed berries no additional sugar (I used most of the bag)

1/2 cup raw sugar, or sugar or agave

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

In a large bowl mix together  1 egg,  1 cup low fat milk and  3 tablespoons oil.  Stir in 2 1/2 cups Trader Joe's Multigrain Baking and Pancake mix and  1/2 cup sugar. Fold in almost a full bag of frozen berries but make sure to thaw the bag first. I used most of the full bag, I wanted tons of berries.

Mix well and spray a glass pie pan with cooking spray. Spread evenly in pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for ten minutes and serve this not so decadent treat with your favorite coffee or tea. I am of course practicing self control over the portion size. It was oh so delicious.

This recipe is very low cholesterol, low fat, low sugar, high fiber and whole grain. It is a little higher in sodium than I usually eat but it is an occasional treat. 

It was the perfect Sunday accompaniment for some quiet reflection on life before I have to get moving and work out. No rest for the weary, but who is weary anyway? I love working out,yoga, meditation and dancing, and I forgot how I much I love to bake and cook. Sundays are a great reminder to slow down and smell the roses and LA Pride is a reminder to wear your colors with confidence. Be you, your best authentic self always; critics be damned. 
Gotta love life.

Love, Light to all.
Namaste'
After all Namaste' means we are all one
Rose

EVOLUTION OF MY PROGRESS

Weigh in Saturday, and I am holding steady at 169 lbs, and I the first 40 lbs seems to have been much easier than the second 40 lbs. 135 seems so far at the moment, but I am happy with the results so far. I said this before and I will say it again, I am now focusing on my fitness goals and I refuse to be stressed out from the scale. I have made tremendous strides and I will continue to do so, so what if I am in a silly plateau. 

Today I am going to go to the gym and see if I can have my measurements done. I wish I would have done this in the beginning, I know I have shrunk in inches. I am even much smaller than I was in April and I am only a few pounds less.

Off for my day, Love and light. Here is some photos charting my progress from when I began my journey last July.
Love and Light
Rose

2013 The photo that started it all with tears and realization I was 210 lbs

The beginning July 2013 kicked off with a bang doing s Richard Simmons Video

August 2013 back at Richard Simmons

October  2013 at the Hollywood Sign hiking

November 2013 yoga with Nicole at Pink Iron

December 2013 At Slimmons with Susan and Joanne on my bday

January 2014 Santa Barbara CA

February 2014 La Jolla CA

                   

March 2014 Hair do

April 2014 In Beverly Hills

May 2014 first new bathing suit in forever

May 2014

May 2014

May 2014 In Vegas

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY TRAINER WORKOUTS

Before and Now, and I am not stopping even when in a bad mood

Hello to all. I have been working really hard, and this weeks workouts with my trainer with Mike are no exception. I am running again, my toe is healing and it feels good to be picking up the pace. Mike has changed some things up for me, since I am getting stronger. I admit to being slightly sluggish though, this week for some reason feels extra emotional for me. I cannot grasp exactly why, but I feel a bit out of sorts.

Nothing I cannot face, a little time to myself and a little upbeat music should do the trick. I do not wallow in my woes for long, and I always find the light at the end of the tunnel.
Off for now, tomorrow comes all too soon and I am in dire need of sleep. 

A little something I wrote this past weekend, to remind me to count my blessings.

Lessons in Joy

I love life, every blade of grass, every kiss from the whispering wind.  I rarely wallow in my own woes and I try to go through my days with a reverance for nature and living. I try to wear a smile for myself and share it with others;  but I admit to sometimes being painfully human. You know those days, when you tend to spend too much time in self pity and not enough time on self acceptance. I am no different from others, even though those bad days are few and far between for me, I do sometimes succumb to them. The dreaded bad day sometimes clouds your judgement to what is truly important in the scheme of life.

I am an emotional creature, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I am much more complex than I come across on the outside. My husband James knows me completely, and has seen my mood transition from jovial to melancholic in seconds. Usually when this happens I am people watching, it is both a curse and a blessing to notice everything around me. My good friend told me I am an empath, someone who feels the energy of others. That makes complete sense to me, because I often feel to the point of emotional exhaustion.

Sometimes in life you bear witness to a moment in time that humbles you completely. My husband and I recently took a road trip to  Las Vegas and we were hungry so we stopped at a fast food restaurant in Victorville CA. I was hemming and hawing about the lack of healthy choices when my eyes caught a homeless man sitting outside the restaurant. Living in Los Angeles homelessness is not a surprise to me, but seeing someone in that predicament out in a small town like Victorville was. I am very empathetic towards all walks of life, and I believe deep down to my core I am no different from the man sitting on the sidewalk. We are all one, connected by our very own humanity.

We made our way inside and before I could offer to buy him a meal the man came inside and ordered. I will never forget his smile as he walked to a table to eat his dinner, that luminescent ear to ear smile that brought me to tears. Here he was having a simple burger and fries and here we were on our way for a weekend get-a-way in Las Vegas, but you would have thought by the pure joy on his face he was dining at the most exclusive restaurant.  Such delight from such a meager moment most of us take for granted.  A hot meal should not be a privilege but a right for all, but unfortunately that is not always the case. That blissful grin on his face will haunt me every time I forget to count my own blessings. Pure and utter happiness found in the middle of nowhere at a burger joint. A lesson I am always willing to revisit.

It is Sunday evening, and tomorrow it is back to work. My cats are slumbering close by, and all is well with my world.  Life is not perfect, it can be messy and unpredictable but it is a gift just the same. To wake up with the sun each and every morning, to have air in my lungs and love in my heart.  To have the opportunity to brew coffee and reflect on the beauty of being alive, to share my gifts with those who need it most. I do not wish for much, but I wish for it all. 

Goodnight

Love and Light

Rose

Love and Light to all.
Namaste'
Rose

FLYER FOR BOOK DRIVE FOR KIDS

This is the lovely flyer my friend made for my book drive for Reading to Kids. I am so excited to start collecting books, books the children earn through reading clubs. I love books, all books. 

I believe a book can take a child and transport them to a place where dreams come true, when they are unable to travel beyond the four walls of their own dwellings.

Off to have coffee and do a little poetry writing, work out later. No rest for me. 
Happy Sunday to all, much love and light.
Namaste'
Rose