That Moment I Lived the HI Life

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to Hawaii to visit my best friend. I took the trip alone, which seemed crazy to me, but I couldn't take the kids with me for a few reasons, and I needed some R&R anyway. And what better place to do it than the beautiful Aloha State? ;)

As most people that visit Hawaii say, it is be-a-u-tiful, and for me, it was more than I imagined it to be. I spent one week there, and it was not long enough! There was too much to see, too much to do, too much to EAT. I left really wishing that I had time to do more, but all in all it was a great trip. I mean--I can't complain too much...after all, I got to go to Hawaii!

Being with my bestie satisfied some much needed girl time (that I didn't even realize I needed!). Ever got caught up in life so much you don't even have the time to realize that you need a break?? That was me. Not that I'm complaining, I love my life and I love to stay active and busy...but what a relief it was to slow down and take time for myself! I spent a week on an island with a new culture, knowing only ONE person on that entire island, driving along long windy roads along the coast (traffic sucked, but it is what it is), eating new food, meeting really nice people, and experiencing picture perfect views EVERYWHERE! And the cutest little island babies! The kids were just too adorable. (And now I really want to teach my kids how to surf.)

But what this trip really opened my eyes to is how to fully live in and accept every moment--each moment--one at a time. I realized that no matter how good or bad a moment is, they are all temporary. They don't last. And you can ruin a great moment by putting all your effort into trying to make it last, or putting all your thoughts towards how you're going to cope when that moment ends. Stopping that habit was the best thing I've done for myself, and it was a great life lesson. The truth of the matter is, I need to learn how to best experience things. Not think ahead or look behind, just take it for what it is and let it be just that. Here's an excerpt from an article a friend shared with me. This for me, sums it all up:

Enjoy now fully. No matter how much time you have in an experience or with someone you love, it will never feel like enough. So don’t think about it in terms of quantity—aim for quality, instead. Attach to the idea of living well moment-to-moment. That’s an attachment that can do you no harm.

Quality over quantity--why didn't I think of that before?! It makes so much sense now. I put so much effort into creating moments; rather than making them last, I need to make the most out of them. So that's what I did for the rest of my trip. Enjoy my collection of moments below. ;)

1. Amazing sunsets.

 

2. Amazing views!

3. Local food to feed the foodie in me! I have to admit--I didn't take a picture of each plate like I wanted to. I didn't wanna be "that girl"! Lol! (Regretting it now.)

4. Catamaran with new friends. Blue water. Just...really blue water.

 



5. Experiencing nature at its finest. Double rainbows, lava tubes, and exotic beaches

We walked through this...

To get to this!

Mermaid Cove

Green Sand Beach.
This was a sight to see, as there are only two in the world! The sand is a green/olive color, and it got its color from olivine crystals created from a volcano eruption many years ago.

6. Driving new cars! ;) --and off-roading. Forreal. We had some bumpy rides on the Big Island. But it made for a better experience! Let's just say, you can't make it to Green Sand Beach, or a lot of other nice places on Big Island without a 4WD.

  


7. Cliff jumping! I am afraid of heights, but I managed to do this. This was a big accomplishment for me! Although, I'm not as ballsy as the chick in the bottom pic. Props to her but I'm not on that level yet! :p

Spitting Caves

Of course there are many more pictures, but I thought I'd share the most memorable ones with you. Plus, I tried to stop myself from going too snap-crazy everywhere I went since I was trying to enjoy the moment and all. ;)

Wait...one more...this is just fitting for this post. :) Aloha!

My Fitness Journey...Just Got A Little Bit Dirty...

Who doesn't love a little mud bath?!

Recently I participated in the LoziLu Mud Run in Frederick, MD. My knees will never forgive me for it, but I had a blast! This was an obstacle course 5k, so in addition to running, we also had to climb 8-12' walls, nets, jump through hurdle loops and crawl through mud. I will say that I completely underestimated the difficulty of this 5k! The climbing, the jumping, the crawling on mud-covered ROCKS...oh and did I mention it was raining too?! And on top of all of that we still had to run 5k. And I am still not a runner. Lol but I'm proud to say I did it, and I'm proud to say we weren't last. In fact we were first-ish. :p

Anyway, I've learned that committing to something like this does help you stick with it. Especially when you commit along with people who are much faster than you, much more athletic, and much more...committed. Lol...all in all, it was a great run and especially a great workout. Oh and meanwhile my 5-year-old is wondering why I can jump and crawl through mud and he can't. Haha! Ummmm...because Mommy says so!


Here are more pictures from the run:

Oh yeahhh, baby.

Finish Line Fine. ;)

My Fitness Journey & Tips to Stay Motivated

It has been a great year for getting in shape! I have so much to motivate me and keep me going. The main thing--apart from being a very healthy me--is my trip to Hawaii this summer! It's my first time going there, and to my understanding, I will spend a lot of my time half-naked, soo...I need to look good half-naked.

Anyway, I put a lot of focus into cardio nowadays. From my experience, it's the best way (for me at least) to lose fat. That and eating right. I've spent the last 2-3 years on Weight Watchers, and it's taught me how to be mindful of portion size and calorie intake. And it works! It's now pretty much second nature to me so I'm fine doing it on my own. Toning is still a big part of my workouts as well, but my main priority is to lose fat in order to show the muscle. ;)

I can honestly say that the most challenging part of working out is remaining motivated to work out. I'm sure I'm not alone on that one! And what I've really gained out of all this is the mindset to keep pushing. I believe it when they say you work your mentality more than you work your body! Here are some things that have really helped me along the way:

• Work out in a public area. I purposely do not work out at home anymore. I have some equipment and videos, and could very well have a good workout at home, but here's my problem: I see Shawn T. (for those that don't know, he's the guy from the "Insanity" videos), and I see my couch. And the couch looks muuuuch more appealing. Lol! I know a lot of people that do great working out at home, but my house is too much of a distraction for me so it helps when I'm out and about. Plus, if I run around my neighborhood instead of running on a treadmill, the only way to get home is to run/walk back, so it motivates me to keep going!
• Workout with other people. Finding good, equally-motivated-if-not-more, people to work out with was THE BEST thing I could've done. I cannot workout by myself. I'll quit too soon. (Yeah--I'm working on that. Another mentality challenge.) I'm so lucky to have people to workout with, run with, to coach me...Sometimes it takes someone else telling you what to do to keep you moving. It also helps if those same people partake in the same healthy eating habits as you do. (Yes, I'm talking about you, Kristy. Weight Watchers Queen.)
• Commit to doing something you never done before. I donated $50 to participate in the Mud Run. Oh, trust me, I was gonna get my monies worth! The no-turning-back-now mentality will click in and you'll be working out/training like never before!
• Make other small commitments to improve your health or appearance. Working out and eating right aren't the only ways to look and feel beautiful. Studies show that taking care of your overall appearance will boost your mood and can serve as easy self-motivation. For instance, when I started taking better care of my skin, even wearing makeup a little bit more, or dressing up a little bit more, I felt more of the need to take care of the whole package! That motivated me to not just look great in clothes, but also in my own skin, which led to more efficient workouts and more conscious eating habits.

I'm proud to say that my focus on cardio is really paying off. My cholesterol is back to normal. My blood pressure is back to normal. I've participated in two 5k's since May--something I NEVER thought I would ever do! (Always been a sprinter, never a distance runner.) I feel better, look better, and the scale is loving me a little bit more. ;)

More posts on my workouts and meals to come! Until then...off to the gym.

Dad's 50th Birthday

The day has come when my oh-so-young father has turned 50. FIFTY. Over. The. Hill. It's hard for me to believe that my parents are getting older. Probably because the older they get, the younger they act! Lol...I'm not lying when I tell you they partied hard until 3 in the morning. I mean...clubs (here in the DMV) don't even stay open that late...

I helped with the food table of course, and decided to keep it simple. My dad on the other hand, transformed his unfinished basement into a sah-weeeeet karaoke bar! Enjoy the pics:

I am big quote person so I love when I can incorporate a good quote or two as part of the decorations! I used two here. One was on the picture timeline hanging above the food table: "I may be over the hill but the climb was terrific." And the other I thought captured my dad perfectly! "50 is fine when you look 39" Both I found on good ol' Pinterest. :)

Cake credit: Follow Jen @allcakedupdc on Instagram! She is amazing and the chocolate-mocha cake tasted so so good! It was the FIRST time the cake was completely finished by the time the party was over. We normally always have leftovers! Anyway, I couldn't have been happier with the finished product. I've ordered from bakeries who didn't even make their cakes this clean, and they charged me double than what she did! Hit her up if you're looking for a cake in the DMV area. You can thank me later! ;)

The basement was covered with colorful plastic table cloths. Amazing how much that can transform a room! The red and blue walls kinda reminded me of the big top ;)

It wouldn't be one of my dad's parties if he didn't have his friends do something crazy--like participate in a balut eating contest! For those that do not know what the filipino delicacy, "Balut", is, please feel free to see the exact definition here. Warning: Don't freak out! ;)

Judging from the Facebook pictures (that I refuse to share for good reason)...I think everybody had a good time! ;)

Happy 50th Birthday, Dad!

(I clearly get my coolness from him.)