Happy Easter: Day 16

I had a fun day. Jamba Juice for breakky. Church. Pastels. Jesus' resurrection. Window shopping. Zippy's pudding parfait for lunch, and mashed potatoes with gravy for dessert. Redbox DVD. Home. Watch it with me sisters. "What does 'homogenized' mean?" That was a line from the movie btw. Dylan O'Brien... :)

Gah! I can't eat anymore ice cream!! I want some REAL FOOD!!!!! But alas, I cannot chew. Boo hoo for you me. Okay. Not much going on in my mind presently. So, I'll talk to you later.

Food Intake
Jamba Juice - Original Orange Dream
Water
Zippy's - Pudding Parfait w/ Chocolate Ice Cream
Zippy's - Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy
Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
McD's Plain Sundae

Exercise
None

Dylan O'Brien :)

Very excited for this movie.

The Wedding Crashers reunite + Dylan O'Brien.

Sweet.

Trailer perhaps?

With the Faith of a Mustard Seed: Day 15

Well. Today was quite a good day. Crazy right? But true. I had my FOUR wisdom teeth pulled out. IV sedation is the business. I remember that I was praying as I closed my eyes. I woke up to a woman saying, "Good morning." That was it. My surgery was over. And I didn't even know it had begun :) Then I laid down on a bed and rested for a bit. My mom took pictures of me and texted it to people. No chipmunk cheeks. No, well, anything. I looked the same. Amazing. So remember my post from yesterday? Where I said this, "And I prayed that God would allow everything to go well with my surgery tomorrow. And that I would miraculously be totally good afterwards. So good. No chipmunk cheeks. No pain. No bruises. So that I can go to the Easter service thingy with my nana tomorrow. Because there's another one. Tomorrow. Prayer is powerful. I totally believe that I could wake up from my surgery, walk out of there good as can be. Go watch The Host with my mom, and go to the Easter service with my nana. Yup. I have faith. In God. Please God. Please." Well, I just got home from the movies. I watched The Host with my mom and sister. You see, through faith in prayer, ANYTHING is possible. Even painless teeth extractions. Huh...

So I was kinda bleeding all over the place. Always fun. No pain though. Which is awesome. And I am on a liquids only diet. Fun. But I'm kinda tired now. I just took my medicine which I think is making me drowsy, so I'm going to bed. See you later.

Food Intake
Jamba Juice - Original Orange Dream
Water
McDonald's Plain Sundae
Water
Kiddie Strawberry Icee
Fruit Punch

Exercise
None

Kiko and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: Day 14

I am right now, currently, taking part in emotional eating.

I had a bad day. And I realize that having a bad day does not equate to stuffing my face and making my body suffer, you see, right now, I just don't care. I just ate a slice of cheese pizza. One Samoas. (Thank you Girl Scouts.) And presently have a quart of Baskin Robbins Gold Medal Ribbon sitting on the table in front of me, with a spoon. A spoonful of ice cream that I just jutted into my mouth. Yummmm.

Let's start from the beginning. Oh but before I start, let me warn you. SPOLER ALERT FOR THE MOVIE G.I. JOE: RETALIATION.

This morning, soon after my mom left the house I get a phone call. It's my mom. Our car got broken into last night. while. I. was. at. Hot. Yoga. What the heck? The thieves popped open the passenger side door lock, took a bunch of CD's (not all of the CD's that were in the car, just the ones on the passenger side,) the ash tray (with eight pennies! , ) popped open our trunk and took a printer, and possibly other stuff but I don't know what was back there. How did I not know that someone broke into the car?! Well, my purse was still in the trunk. Thank you God. I mean it. I hid it under a jacket close to the back of the trunk. Which is weird because if someone gets into the trunk of your car, they can take anything they want. Hiding things won't matter. But for some amazing reason, in my case, it did. Oh. And the thieves took our car papers. The deed, insurance etc. Why?! Who takes car papers!?!?! So my mom files a police report. But the DMV is closed today (state holiday) and so we can't really do anything about the papers.

So because of all this, I am running late, when for some odd reason I realize that my library books were due yesterday, and I planned on dropping them off at the library on my way to work, but because of all this, I am too late to stop at the library. And yes. I realize that overdue library books is no big deal. But I'm weird. I don't like overdue books. It makes my stomach hurt. Don't judge me. I get to work the fastest ever due to the state holiday and school is out for most. So thankfully I'm not late.

I go into work and start boiling the water for the Matzo Ball Soup we'd be having at morning snack. Man, water takes  f o r e v e r  to boil. But I get it going. However, I was talking to my mom about the whole car fiasco as I'm adding the water and I put too much. So after adding the packets of soup mix I realize it's too watery. I add in the matzo balls that I prepared yesterday and had in the refrigerator, so they don't get as soft as they should and take longer to cook, and I totally could have just done everything this morning instead of starting yesterday and blah di doo. I end up having to cut all 40 plus balls in half. Divvy it out for the three classrooms. And deliver it. Of course the kids love it and continuously want more until it's all gone. So okay. This soup business doesn't count as a problem. But at the time, I was a little upset that it wouldn't turn out good, and if you know me, you know I'm a perfectionist. Especially about the things I know how to do well. If you are a perfectionist, you understand.

On my break I called the dental office (the one where I'm having my surgery tomorrow) back to ask some questions. Which just made me think more about tomorrow. Which I am very much so NOT looking forward to. The four wisdom teeth that are getting pulled. The pain. To be sedated, to not be sedated. The cost. The painful cost. And because of this, I had less time to read my book during my break. And I just thought more about my teeth. And I can't eat or drink anything, including water, eight hours prior to my surgery. I wonder if I'll be able to eat after my surgery. Who knows.

Later on in the afternoon, my mom pulls me on the side to pray with me. I'm so confused. The paramedics and fire department are at our house because my sister's heart sped-up, or slowed-down, and she called 911. (She was home because they didn't have school today due to the state holiday.) And she would be taken to the emergency room. So my mom had to leave work to go meet her there to see what happened. We didn't understand what was going on. And my nana called crying. And I'm not going to say what happened with my sister exactly. This is the internet. But my mom went to to my sister. To the hospital. And I stayed at work. Confused.

So we were supposed to go to this Good Friday, Easter service thing with my Nana at her church. But because of everything that happened, I was just waiting around the phone to see what the deal was. When I finished work, I saw that my mom had texted me. They were at the hospital still. Waiting for test results. She said to go do something with Miss Gayle and then bring her home to our house, and my mom would take her home. So I was like, okay, no Easter thingy I guess. So I checked movie times. Now, you know I really wanted to see The Host. I also wanted to see G.I. Joe: Retaliation. And The Host wasn't playing for another three hours. And there was a G.I. Joe showing in one hour. So we decided to watch that. It took us a while to find parking. But we found a spot. Got our tickets. Got our seats. And our popcorn. And it was all good. Until. Channing. Tatum. Died! I could not believe it! They killed Channing Tatum. Like, five minutes into the movie. I was so shocked. I couldn't. I just. I was like what?! Are you kidding me?! Aw man, we shoulda just waited the three hours to see The Host! How could they just kill of Channing Tatum?! Gahh!! Now, I will say this. It was a great movie. But THEY. KILLED. CHANNING. TATUM! And in the beginning! My favorite part was when Snake Eyes and Jinx were fighting the guys on the mountain. Now that was pretty wicked. It was so fun to watch. And then, Zartan blew up London! My city! (Today I was looking at places to rent there if I so chose to move there one day. Purely out of curiosity and fun.) And while I knew that was going to happen since it was in the trailer, I was still upset. At least they saved the world. But Duke! Why did he have to die? I don't get that. See, if everything in the movie happened the way it happened, and Duke didn't die, it would have been the best movie ever. But he died. So I don't really think I'll need to watch that movie ever again. That was the stupidest thing to make him die. Channing Tatum. Channing Tatum. But alas, life goes on.

After the movie finished, I checked my phone and saw that I had missed calls and texts from my nana asking me if we were coming to the Easter thingy tonight! I instantly felt so terrible. I didn't know she was still going. I didn't know my mom didn't tell her that we weren't, due to the whole sister thing. I felt bad. And I was like, ah! In my head. I didn't mean to! I texted her back that I was so sorry and such. Man. Mean Kiko. I didn't even know. As Duke died, I was unintentionally letting my nana down. :(

On the drive home I just talked to Miss Gayle. Basically all that I just told you. And I prayed that God would allow everything to go well with my surgery tomorrow. And that I would miraculously be totally good afterwards. So good. No chipmunk cheeks. No pain. No bruises. So that I can go to the Easter service thingy with my nana tomorrow. Because there's another one. Tomorrow. Prayer is powerful. I totally believe that I could wake up from my surgery, walk out of there good as can be. Go watch The Host with my mom, and go to the Easter service with my nana. Yup. I have faith. In God. Please God. Please.

My mom is driving Miss Gayle home. She told me not to feel bad about missing the thing tonight. But I do. That's who I am. I feel bad for things. And I am at my computer venting this all out to you. My sister is in her room sleeping. So I am unable to pester her and figure out what the heck happened today. And I need to know. Goodness.

But I must say. I do feel a whole lot better having vented it all out. It's a release of some sort. And by the way, my emotional eating wasn't so bad. I only had the one slice of pizza, one cookie, and maybe 1/2 a cup of the ice cream.

Still thinking about Channing Tatum. Okay. My favorite movie of his is hands down, She's the Man, with Amanda Bynes. Actually, it's one of my most favorite movies of all time as well. And recently my sisters and I have been watching it all day err day. Well, not factually, it most certainly feels like it. It's the best :) And in that movie, his character's name is Duke. In G.I. Joe, his character's name is Duke. Haha. Just thought I'd say it.

My nana just got home and I went outside to hug her and tell her I'm sorry about not coming and how I felt all bad and everything. And she said no worries. But it was great. And I told her about my prayer for a miracle tomorrow. And about Channing Tatum. And how they killed him off so quickly. She watched it last night with my papa. Why did you do it? Why'd you kill him off? But anyways, now I feel even better. Cuz I hugged my nana. And she's praying for my miracle tomorrow. :)

Maybe my day wasn't soooo bad. But little things, when added up all together, make something seem big. Just sayin'. But there's always balance. So maybe today was so bad for me, because tomorrow is going to be great! Faith! :)

Food Intake
Apple
Water
2 String Cheeses
Matzo Ball Soup
Matzo
1 Tbsp Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
1/4 cup of Egg Salad [Hard-Boiled Eggs, Mayonnaise]
Banana
1/3 cup Strawberry Yogurt
Water
Stick Cheese
Matzo PB&J
Kiddie Movie Popcorn with Butter
Kid's Strawberry Icee
Reese's Pieces
Mochi Crunch
Slice of Papa John's Cheese Pizza
1 Samoas
1/2 cup Ice Cream
Water

Exercise
None

Channing Tatum as Duke in She's The Man

 Channing Tatum as Duke in G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Matthew 6:19-21 NIV
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Be Good: Day 13

I woke up this morning with the absolute worse back pain of my life. And I still have no idea why it was so bad. I didn't really do anything yesterday, I don't think. But I took Advil and sucked it up. And I told myself that I'd be alright. That I'd do yoga today, so I had to be alright. Haha. The pain kinda stayed around the whole day, but hot yoga was amazinga! Felt so good! I love love love it!

I had the funnest day at work. A lot of hide-n-seek and duck, duck, goose with my kiddies. :) Hoorahzoo! Yip skip hop! Hahaha.

The Host comes out tomorrow. Just sayin'...

Food Intake
Apple
Water
2 String Cheese
Matza
2 tsp Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp Strawberry Jelly
Egg Salad [Hard-Boiled Eggs, Mayonnaise]
Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
2 Sticks of Cheese
Water
Tomato Basil Soup
Ritz Crackers
Water
Banana

Exercise
Hot Vinyassa Flow (75 min)

Whole Lotta You: Day 12

Back to work! Fun fun! The kids seemed extra happy today for some reason. Which always makes me happy. I had a fun day with them. So silly. I love it!

We had our last meeting of our Building God's Temple group. Sad. We had a potluck. Happy. I did kinda eat a lot though... but hey. I'm gonna miss having this group every week. It's been a great two months. I've learned a lot. About myself, my body, my mind, my heart, and where my priorities ought to be. On God. Focus on God to give me strength and it's all good in the hood.

Btw, new song stuck up in my head. Whole Lotta You by A Rocket to the Moon. It's so... sha la la la :)

Food Intake
Smoothie - [Mixed Frozen Fruits, 1/4 cup of Strawberry Yogurt, 1/3 cup of Fat Free Milk, Banana]
Water
3 String Cheeses
1/4 cup of Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
1/2 cup of Egg Salad [Hard-Boiled Eggs, Mayonnaise]
Carrots
Water
1/4 cup of Strawberry Yogurt
1 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
Panda Express - Bowl [1/2 Mixed Veggies, 1/2 Chow Mein, Mushroom Chicken]
Water
Chicken Salad
Couscous
Carrots
Piece of Naan
Chinese Chicken Salad

Exercise
None

Here's the music video for Whole Lotta You :)

"All I need, baby, is a little time and a whole lotta you."

Come On Rainbow Wheel: Day 11

Happy 15th Birthday Kulia, my littlest sister!!! I love you!!!

A Rocket to the Moon's new album Wild & Free came out today! Whoohoo! I love it! So happy! So good! Current song on repeat from that album is Wherever You Go :) I listened to their album all day as I made my an 8X8 book on Shutterfly. I had a code for a free book, so I had to use it, of course. Haha, so I created a quick book today. Oh, and by "quick" I mean six hours. Yeah, it took me all day. I watched some movies while I worked. Hairspray. Stick It. Date Night. Love those movies. I had a fun day. Oh, and btw, we didn't have work because it's Prince Kuhio Day. State Holiday. That's why I was home all day, doing all this business. Computering. You know, typical Kiko stuff.

Food Intake
2 cups of Trader Joe's Vanilla Almond Clusters
1/4 cup of 2% Milk
Water
1 cup of Life Cereal
Almonds
Water
1 Whole Wheat Tortilla
2 Tbsp Least Mexican Shredded Cheese
1/2 cup of Ice Cream
1/4 cup of Rice
Chicken
1/2 Redondo's Hot Dog

Exercise
Arms - using two 5 lb weights (20 min)

"Baby just know, wherever you go is where I'll be."

Once Upon A Time: Day 10

Work today. Then I went to the library to pick up some more books. Hot Yoga. Home.

I've been catching up watching Once Upon A Time. I like that TV show. I'm still on the first season. But it's really fun to watch. It's cool figuring out the characters, seeing their stories and figuring out why some are the way they are. Such as why Regina is the way she is. And I'm excited to see where it all goes.

Food Intake
Club Crackers
Water
Panda Express - Plate Leftovers [1/2 Orange Chicken, 1/2 Mushroom Chicken, 1/2 Chow Mein]
Egg salad
Club crackers
Animal crackers
Fat free milk
Almonds
Water
1/4 cup 2% Milk
1/2 cup Life Cereal
1 Tortilla
2 Tbsp Kraft Mexican Shredded Cheese
Spaghetti Factory Leftovers - [A little bit of Chicken, Broccoli, Spaghetti with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese]

Exercise
Hot Yoga Flow (75 min)

"It's the most wonderful and amazing thing in the world. Love is hope.

It fuels our dreams. And if you're in it, you need to enjoy it. Because

love doesn't always last forever. You need to be with the person you love.

Now go. Find your love. Find your hope. Find your dreams." - Belle

200 Minutes

So last week's goal went great! I ate no chocolate and no ice cream! And I definitely had a ton of opportunities to do so. But because I made it my goal, I restrained. And to top it off, I didn't even crave any. I was totally good not eating any. Which surprised me. But I am a very goal oriented type of person. And if I set an attainable, realistic goal for myself, I am good about reaching it. As long as I am focused and disciplined. Discipline is key.

So this week I thought I'd focus on my exercise portion. My goal for this week is to exercise for a total of at least 200 minutes. Can do. I already did 30 minutes today. That means I have 170 more minutes to reach this week's goal. :)

Mighty Mango: Day 9

Went to church today. Ate lunch at Panda Express with my momma and Mitsu Gayu. Yum yummers. My fortune cookie said, "You will touch the hearts of many." They watched a movie while I walked around Alamoana and Ward area. I ended up at the Ward Starbucks where I got me a delicious Mighty Mango and chilled. Btw, the Naked Mighty Mango is my favorite. I love that. So good! I also love the Green Machine. Ooh. I'm getting thirsty for some more. But it's late. Time for bed. G'night!

Food Intake
Panda Express - Plate [1/2 Mixed Veggies, 1/4 Chow Mein, 1/2 Mushroom Chicken, 1/2 Orange Chicken]
Water
Naked Mighty Mango
1 Mozzarella Cheese Stick
2 cups Quaker Oat Squares Cereal
2 Tortillas
1/4 cup Kraft Mexican Shredded Cheese
1 cup Life Cereal
1/2 cup 2% Milk

Exercise
Walking (30 min)

Here it is. My favorite. Yum :)

Normal Day: Day 8

"Everybody be cool, it's just a normal day."

I finished it! The Host! :) And now I can watch the movie with it fresh in my mind. Hooray. And it comes out this Friday! Yay hay! Very excited, I reiterate. Well, I'm out. Peace all.

Food Intake
Water
1/4 cup Tuna
1 tsp Mayonaise
1 Egg
1 tsp Light Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Bell Peppers
2 cups Quaker Oat Squares Cereal
1 cup of Fried Rice
Outback Steakhouse 1/4 of Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla Small Portion (leftovers)
1/2 Tortilla
1 Tbsp Kraft Mexican Shredded Cheese
2 cups Quaker Oat Squares Cereal
1/2 cup of Life Cereal

Exercise
Arms - using two 5 lb weights (15 min)

Weight Loss
Week loss: 6 lbs
Total loss: 6 lbs

Rainy Chill Day: Day 7

Today was another chill day. And a rainy day, might I add. A nice day to stay inside. More reading. Watched a movie. Went to dinner with my mom at Outback Steakhouse. I didn't overdue it there and I'm really quite proud of myself. A funny thing I realized is that wearing a belt, besides being good at keeping pants up, is good at helping me to not eat as much. The belt puts pressure on my stomach, and since it can't expand as much, makes me less hungry. It's a silly thing. Haha. After dinner we stopped at Safeway and I got two Redbox DVD's. I'm gonna go watch one right now. Snow White and the Huntsman. So, tata for now :)

Food Intake
Apple
Water
3/4 cup Tuna
2 tsp Mayonnaise
1/4 cup rice
1 tortilla
1/4 cup Kraft Mexican Shredded Cheese
1 cup Quaker Oat Squares Cereal
Almonds
Outback Steakhouse - Cup of Clam Chowder
Outback Steakhouse - Side House Salad w/ Ranch Dressing
Outback Steakhouse - Alice Springs Chicken Quesadilla (3/4 of the Small Portion)

Exercise
None

Tired Reader: Day 6

Today I mostly read and slept. A nice chill day. I'm currently re-reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer before it comes out in theaters next week Friday. Which btw I'm so stoked for! I read it back when it came out, about five years ago. So I'm getting refreshed. I love this book. When I read it, it became my favorite book for a while. Until I read... The Hunger Games. Four years ago. And now that has been my favorite ever since. So good. The best. Okay, getting off track. The Host. I'm very excited. I can already see the small changes in how the movie differs from the book, but it looks like it's going to be good for the movie. And can I just say how excited I am about who's playing Jared? Max Irons. He's beautiful. When I saw that he was playing Jared, I was like, "Yes!" Because the leading man can make or break a movie. Just saying. Ok. I'm good.

Food Intake
Small sliver of Butter Mochi
Smoothie - [Mixed Frozen Fruit, Banana, 1/3 cup Strawberry Yogurt, 1/3 cup Fat Free Milk]
Water
3/4 cup tuna
3 Hard Boiled Eggs
2 tsp Mayonnaise
Baby Spinach
1 Tbsp Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
Banana
Water
Quizno's Regular Broccoli Cheese Soup
Quizno's Small Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread
2 Saltine Crackers

Exercise
None

Here's a trailer for The Host!

Have a soulful day!

A Rocket to the Moon w/ A Clean Carpet: Day 5

I went to work today. And cleaned the kitchen! It was so fun! Got rid of stuff, organized, cleaned. Very exciting stuff. Carpet cleaner man came. Hooray for clean, stainless carpets! Haha. Currently jamming out to my A Rocket to the Moon station on Pandora. Yes. I LOVE A ROCKET TO THE MOON :) I also listened to it at work as I whipped that kitchen into shape. Just got home from midweek and it's blogging time. Oh, and there were brownies tonight. But did I eat any? Nope! Because... No chocolate. No ice cream. I'm doing great! Yup. Continuos reassurance is just what I need. It might sound funny, but I love being able to resist and not eat chocolate and ice cream. I know it's only a small thing, but you have no idea how much this small victory feels.

Food Intake
Smoothie - [Mixed Frozen Fruits, Banana, 1/4 cup Strawberry Yogurt,1/3 cup Fat Free Milk]
Water
1/4 cup Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
Carrots
1 Naan Flatbread
2 bites of Kalua Pig
Water
1/4 Open-Faced Turkey Pesto
Carrots
2 Tbsp Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
1/4 cup Strawberry Yogurt
Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken Half Size Salad w/ Avocado Ranch Dressing
Fruit Salad
Water

Exercise
None

Song Playing as I Click the "Publish" Button
On A Lonely Night - A Rocket to the Moon

I was sixteen, met you out in Ohio
You were only fifteen, living life by the mile
We laid under the stars, fell asleep in your backyard
You said you could fly,
But you never need to cause with us you never try too hard
And you never will

On a lonely night, you will see
You're everything to me (you got everything)
On a lonely night, oh the truth
Is every night is lonely without you
Every night is lonely without you here

We are older now, and you came back to Ohio
You whispered something to me I haven't heard in a while
I wish I could lie and just tell you I'm fine
You wouldn't believe me if you tried
If I listen to our song, I'll be up all night

On a lonely night, you will see
You're everything to me (you got everything)
On a lonely night, oh the truth
Is every night is lonely without you
Every night is lonely without you here

It's been forever, lately it's been hard
Like when we took your parents car
And drove forever in the dark
I'd give it all away if I could see you once again
And have a summer love, growing close and then we'll grow old

On a lonely night, you will see
You're everything to me (you got everything)
On a lonely night, oh the truth
Is every night is lonely without you
Every night is lonely without you here

And every guy would be lonely without you there

Scared

So last night I watched The Call. Again. You know, watching a thriller a second time isn't thrilling. You know everything that's going to happen. It takes the thrill out of it. But my sister wanted to see it. So I took her. I tried to pretend to be scared, and join in the ruckus as the theater audience shouted, "What are you doing?" , "Call the police!" , "Don't go down there!" , "Don't tell him! Don't tell him!" , "I told you to call the police! Why don't you listen to me!?" and such.

It reminded me of how you can ride a rollercoaster, and it can be so scary the first time. Not knowing what to expect. Butterflies. Excitement. But for me at least, if I go on it enough times, I get immune to the thrill. Which is a bummer because the thrill is the best part of a rollercoaster. I love the feeling I get in my stomach when the rollercoaster drops and my stomach follows suit. I love the adrenaline rush.

But last night I fell asleep teary-eyed and scared about something else. Something completely different. Remember how I said I have to get all of my wisdom teeth pulled out? Well it's happening next Saturday. And I'm terrified. You see, my bottom right wisdom tooth (instead of pointing up like a normal tooth) is pointing to the left, into my other teeth. So they are going to have to slice it in half, extract that part, then go back and take out the rest. And on top of that, both of my bottom wisdom teeth are touching nerves, so he's going to have to be extremely careful not to touch them. Or else. I'm praying for strength and for it all to go well and smoothly. I'm kinda like, oh please just put me under. Well, it's next week, so I may be a little premature in my scared nature, but hey, me no likee pain!

This is definitely not the extent of things that frighten me. It's just my most current fear.

What frightens you? Leave it in a comment below :)

1 Peter 5:7 NIV
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Spring Cleaning. Spring Running: Day 4

So our floor in our hallway is a bit termite eaten and my nana and papa are fixing it this week. Therefore we gotta get all our stuff out of the hall. So last night I emptied my cabinet. Today I decided that it was the perfect day for SPRING CLEANING! I organized my other cabinet whilst getting rid of stuff I didn't need. Just fyi, I love organizing. It soothes my soul. Haha. So that was very fun for me. I got a hold of my hand weights I'd just bought and did a quick arm workout. Then I went running around my block. Below are some pictures I took along my run/walk. Spring is so pretty! I had to stop and snap some pics! I strolled down over to the beautiful beach and caught a bit of the ocean breeze. Thumbs up for phone cameras. Enjoy!

Food Intake
Apple
Water
Banana
Water
Carrots
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter
3/4 cup Tuna
1 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tsp Light Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Kraft Mexican Shredded Cheese
Bell Peppers
Mushrooms

Exercise
Arms - using two 5 lb weights (10 min)
Run/Jog/Walk (30 min) 550 cal

Open-Faced Turkey Pesto

Let me introduce you to this tasty deliciousness. Inspired by Starbucks' Turkey Pesto Sandwich. I call it the Open-Faced Turkey Pesto. Try it. You'll love it. It's soooo good! Thank you mommy, for this great idea!

Open-Faced Turkey Pesto

What You Need:
Tandoori Naan Flatbread
Basil Pesto
Baby Spinach
Sliced Turkey
Sliced Provolone Cheese
Tomatoes (sliced)

What To Do:

Lay your flatbread on a baking sheet so that the flat side is facing up.

Spread one or two spoonfuls of basil pesto on top of the flatbread.

Add a handful of spinach, spreading it around so it's covering the pesto.

Place 3 out 4 slices of turkey, evenly covering the top.

Place 3 slices of provolone cheese to evenly cover that. Top if with slices of tomatoes.

Bake at 375 F for 14-18 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling.

Remove and enjoy! 

Smiles and hugs from my kitchen to yours!

Hot Yoga: Day 3

I went to the dentist today. Bad news. I need to pull out all four of my wisdom teeth!! Pain!! :(

On a happier note, it's Spring Break! Whoohoo! But I did go to work today. Haha. Teacher Prep day. No kids. Just us grown-ups. My mom had me make Open-Faced Turkey Pestos for all my co-workers for after our staff meeting. She also had me bake chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cup cookies for our birthday celebration. And guess what. I didn't eat any. Yay! Keeping with my goal of the week like a pro! :) Will power. Success. I'm so glad that that's my goal this week. I probably would've eaten one of each (at least) if it wasn't. So hooray for weekly goals!

Hot Yoga! I have missed you my friend! Okay, so for those who don't know what hot yoga is, it is yoga that is done in a heated room. 90-100F. It feels amazing. Trust me. I fell in love with hot yoga when I was in Ohio and today I took my first class since moving back home. Btw, groupons are the business. You see, yoga classes can be pretty pricey. $20 for drop-ins, or you could buy class packs. For example, you can do 20 classes for $300, which comes out to $15 a class. But with groupon, I got 20 classes for... drum roll please... $89! What a steal! That's like $4.50 a class. So yup. I was very happy about that. Hot yoga was so good tonight. There's nothing like the feeling you get after just finishing a hot yoga class. I feel so detoxified. So open. So cleansed. If you've never taken a class, you should definitely find a class near you and try it out. You'll thank yourself.

Food Intake
Apple
Water
1/4 Open-Faced Turkey Pesto
Spinach
Peppers
Mushrooms
1 Hard Boiled Egg
1 Slice American Cheese
Water
Smoothie - [Mixed Berries, Spinach, Banana, 1/3 cup Strawberry Yogurt, 1/2 cup Fat Free Milk]
Water
Banana
Water
Carrots
1/4 cup Sabra Classic Hummus

Exercise
Hot Vinyasa 75 min

Quick Tip:
I buy the pack of six bell peppers (2 red, 2 orange, 2 yellow), and big thing of mushrooms from Costco, dice/slice it up, and stick them in Ziplock bags in the freezer. That way, when I want to make myself some veggies, I can whip them out and just toss them into a pan with some fresh baby spinach. Quick and easy. Saves me time and money. And if I know it won't take me long to prepare, I am more inclined to eat it.

This is what I made at work today. Yummy veggies! :)

Choices: Day 2

After church, I went to the movies with my mom and Mitsu Mitsu. We watched The Call. So good! I was like, wow. It's already done. Aah!

Today was about making choices. I knew I would be going to the movies. So I knew I had to eat healthier foods the rest of the day. I would usually get a kiddie popcorn combo with an icee and some recess pieces and mochi crunch on top of the popcorn, and sometimes also a nachos (a lot! I know) when I went to the movies. But today I only got the nachos and I didn't eat it all. I did eat a little bit of Mitsu Mitsu's popcorn though. Just a bit :) It's about taking small steps. Compromising. Letting yourself have some, with limits, so you don't have withdrawals or something like that. Haha. I'm currently at Zippy's with mom and Mitsu Mitsu. Blogging and eating a salad :)

That's my Zippy's salad. I removed the croutons though. I don't like those...

Food Intake

Apple

Banana

Water

Movie nachos (chips and cheese)

1/2 cup movie popcorn w/ butter

Water

Fruit salad

Sips of midori/champagne

Edamame Water

Tossed greens

Ranch dressing

Broccoli w/ butter

1/3 cup Saimin broth

Exercise

None

Me and Mitsu Gayu!
[ That's Kiko talk for Miss Gayle ]

Have a silly day!

Smiles, hugs, and love from me to you!

No Chocolate. No Ice Cream.

In my attempt to better my health and work towards my ultimate goal, I have decided that I am going to set weekly goals for myself. Whether it be restricting a certain food, reaching a certain amount of workout hours, trying something new, I'm going to set out to accomplish it.

So for this week's goal, I am not going to eat any chocolate or ice cream. Reason being that I have been eating either, if not both, chocolate and ice cream, practically everyday recently. I hate to admit, but 'tis true. And just fyi, the ice cream cones from McDonalds are my absolute favorite. Even though they are only 4 points through Weight Watchers (which is how I justify myself having one when I do,) I am not having any this week! Go big or go home! No chocolate. No ice cream. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this!

S2B2 Smoothie

Gotta start off by saying how much I love my Magic Bullet. It's just quick and easy, and I can make just enough for me. I buy frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries from Sam's Club because you get more for your money, they don't require washing and cutting, they have the same nutritional value as fresh, and I don't need to add ice since the frozenness of the strawberries and blueberries act as such. So basically it's a win win win win! I call it an S2B2 Smoothie. Strawberries, spinach, blueberries, banana. Get it ;) Let's get started. It's super simple. :)

S2B2 Smoothie

What You Need:
Frozen Strawberries
Frozen Blueberries
Baby Spinach
Banana
Milk (I use Fat Free milk, but any kind of milk works)
Magic Bullet

What To Do:
Add in the frozen strawberries, spinach, frozen blueberries, and a banana into the cup (I use the Tall Cup.) Then pour the milk in, until it covers about 3/4 of your ingredients. Take the Cross Blade and twist until tight (you don't want the milk spilling out on you.) Flip it over, attach to the Magic Bullet, lock on, and mix until smooth. Remove from the Power Base. Detach the Cross Blade. Twist on the Comfort lip ring. And drink it up!

Have a delicious day!

First Steps: DAY 1

Today marks the first day of my journey. My goal is to lose 45 pounds. By August 2013. I will do my best to blog daily, in order to keep myself accountable of my actions. Accountability is key to discipline. At least for me anyways. Everything I eat. Exercises I do. Weight loss. I'll blog it. So let's go on a journey!

I found this page through Pinterest that lists 50 running tips. I read through it and so I decided that hey, I'm gonna run today. I used some of those helpful tips, and away I went. Like it suggests, I decided to start off easy. Especially since last week Saturday I Charlie-horsed my right knee and I still had pains this week. I didn't want to overexert myself and do more damage than good. So I kept a light pace. My goal was 30 minutes. Success! I have a New Balance HRT. You wear it like a watch and has all these different functions. I don't know how completely accurate it is, but it supposedly tells me how much calories I burn during exercise. I take it as truth. Why not? It's pretty fun to see how much calories you can burn, don't you think? I just ran out my door, around my neighborhood. Thank you tips! Haha.

Food Intake
Apple
Water
S2B2 Smoothie
1tsp peanut butter
1tsp sugar
Bell peppers
Mushrooms
Spinach
2 eggs
1/4 cup Kraft Mexican shredded cheese
Water
Carrots
2 Tbsp Sabra Classic Hummus

Exercise
Jog/walk 35 min (600 Cal)

These are just my running shoes that I absolutely LOVE!

See, it shows how long I ran and how much calories I burned.

Hebrews 12:1 NIV

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

So here I end. Having taken that crucial first step towards greatness. Let's see how far I can go!

You can do it!

I love you!

Have a great day!

Smiles and hugs from me to you!

I'm Ready!

It's funny. I feel like I've been trying and failing, trying and failing, trying and failing. At getting back to how I was. In August 2011 I decided that enough was enough. I was tired of being overweight. I was tired of hating the way I looked. The way I felt. I was tired of complaining and not doing anything to change. So Phylicia and I decided that it was time to do it. Lose the weight we wanted to lose. So she created this "contract." A contract that laid out the rules and terms for our weight loss competition with one another. I doing weight watchers. She following Naturally Thin/Skinnygirl book. John Hancock. Signed. Done. I signed up for Weight Watchers Online on August 2, 2011. It was a Tuesday. I kept to my targeted food points. I went to the gym basically everyday. In three months I lost about 45 pounds. I maintained through the holiday season. And on March 2, 2012, I reached my goal weight. I honestly could. not. believe. that I had done it. I was happy. But at the same time, I knew that I still wanted to lose a lot more. Get fit. I set a new goal weight and tried to continue on the path to a better me. But I lost myself along the way. Somehow I just stopped trying. I couldn't get myself to keep track of my points. Mind you, I was still working out. But as most of you know, it doesn't matter how much you work out if you are eating badly or too much.

I moved back to Hawaii late October 2012. Just living. Not focusing on what I was putting in, or exerting out. And although I haven't weighed myself, I can see it. My belly is slowly but surely coming back. My jeans don't fit as nicely as they used to. And I hate it. I hate that I am doing this to myself. No one is shoving the food down my throat. I am doing this all by myself. But I don't want to beat myself up about it anymore. Like I did back in August of 2011, I need to just to it. Be disciplined. Somehow. And. Get. 'Er. Done. Be responsible. Be focused. Be the me that I want to be. And I can't wait 'til tomorrow. Or the next day.

I don't have Phylicia to make a contract with. So I am going to make one with myself. I'll come up with it and post it here on my blog.

Am I scared? Definitely. I'm scared that I will fail again. I'm scared that I am not strong enough. And maybe I'm not. But I will never know unless I try. Put myself out there. Lean on God to give me the strength. Pray that He instills in me a disciplined spirit. I pray that I can treat my body like a temple. Take it seriously. Because this is my life. My body. I am in control of me.

What's funny is this. My sister and my cousin begged me to drive them to Jack-in-the-Box and 7-11. So me being the amazing older sister/cousin that I am, I agreed. As I sat in the car, parked outside 7-11, watching YouTube videos as I waited for those girls to come out, I saw one of my old friends from high school. He came over to say hi and how I've been etc. Then he asked if I was still paddling and that he would be this summer. The girls got back into the car. We drove away. And on that drive home I thought, "I'M READY." I want I NEED to get back into shape. I would want to look the way I do now and paddle. Not with this belly back in action. Not that I'm necessarily going to paddle or anything, but it's the mere idea that's changed me. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what I am going to do. I don't know if I will succeed. But I promise you that I am going to try. I am going to try with all of me. And as I sit here, typing this incredibly long blog post, listening to The Piano Guys, I feel determined. More determined than I have been in a long time. And that feels good. It feels great. I don't want this to be a fleeting feeling. So each day I will remind myself.

So I've been reading a lot of books recently. One of them is called Food, Fitness, and Faith for women that is about how God has a plan for me and for every aspect of my life, including (but not limited to) my food, fitness, and faith. I am doing this as part of a group. It's an easy read. Simple. To the point. Scriptures. Quotes. You should check it out if you feel like you need a little extra boost. As amazing as this little book is, I feel like I have just been reading, but not really following it. Not really living it. Which is not going to help. Obviously. Can you see why I struggle. Even the best sound advice won't help if you're not in a place to receive and follow through.

But I've also been reading quite a few Young Adult Novels I borrowed from the library. It's funny how when there's a topic on your mind, everything jumps out at you as related to your thoughts. For example, this one book I read was called The One That I Want. A typical tale. Girl sees boy. Boy sees girl. Girl likes boy but thinks boy likes another girl. Boy likes girl but thinks girl likes another boy. A little drama, but they end up together happily ever after. But this one had a little twist. Girl used to be 50 pounds heavier. Now she's hot, and finally meets this guy. Her insecurities get in the way. Even though he obviously likes her for her. Okay, the point is, there were good points in there. #1: On page 81, she's asked how she lost all the weight. She mentions how it was explained to her in mathematical terms. If you take in more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight. If you take in less, you'll lose weight. So she got on the internet, figured out how many calories she was burning a day and then added up what she was eating. - You see. So simple. Math. I like it. Just gotta do it. Like Weight Watchers points. #2: On page 82, she mentions another thing she was told to ask herself, "Am I hungry? Or do I just want something to eat?" - Great questions!! I LOVED that. My new thing to ask myself. Check. #3: Also on page 82, she mentions that she hasn't gone on a weird diet. She just eats less. "And no cobbler, ever." - You can eat. Just don't over eat. And sometimes you need to know your danger zones (ie, cobbler) and JUST DON'T GO THERE. #4: On page 83, she exercises too. - So if you limit what you eat AND exercise, well, you are good to go. So yeah. I loved the boy and the girl together (obviously,) but I took away far more that the cute little love story. I took away obvious tips and reminders to living a healthier lifestyle, and to lose the weight.

Another YA novel I recently read, entitled Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality. I know right. Saying a girl has a "great personality" can sometimes kill. Haha. I love it. So her little sister a beauty pageant girl (like Toddlers in Tiaras,) and she's in this world, surrounded by people beautifying every little thing, and judging, and she doesn't feel beautiful. Then one day she puts on make-up, wears nicer, well-fitting clothes, and now guys are suddenly into her. But even before this, you can see how, even though she has a great body, she watches what she eats, watches her calorie intake, doesn't indulge. In fear of becoming like her overweight mother. The book doesn't delve into weight loss and such topics. But I like what she realizes in the end. how she says, "I'd rather be single and myself than try to fit into a mold of a person that I'm not for a guy", "...the only way for me to be truly happy is to be myself..." and how she's glad she went through what she went through because it made her a stronger person, and made her realize what's important. I like how she ends by declaring "I, Lexi Anderson, am proud to say that I do, indeed, have a great personality. And it's only a matter of time before the Beautiful People will be wishing they had great personalities too." I like that. Being happy with who you are. Who you want to be. Not being who others want you to be. And I want to be healthy and fit for me. For myself. To feel good about myself. This isn't about others anymore. Though for most of my life, it was (but that's a whole 'nother story.) So I decide. I want this. For me.

Thirdly and lastly, I recently read a YA novel, called Burn for Burn. The first book in a trilogy btw. And one of the girl's backstory is this. She was a fat kid. One day a new boy came to her school. Teased her. Everyone followed suit. She was bullied so bad. But when they were alone, they were like secret friends. Then one day it all came tumbling down. He pushed her. Hard. She fell. Hard. Into the water. She went home and. Oh, I totally don't want to get into all the heavy stuff. But after that, she moves away. Loses the weight. Looks good. Moves back. He's in trouble. I'm not going to go into detail about this book. I just thought it interesting how all these books relate to the crazy thoughts going on in my head pertaining to weight loss, body image, etc. So I just thought I'd share. Throw it out there.

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline."

I'm excited! I'm ready! Wow, that was a lot of words. Here's something fun. No words. It's my current favorite from The Piano Guys. What Makes You Beautiful. :)

You are beautiful!

I love you!

Have a splendid day!

Smiles and hugs from me to you!

My Little Friend Tom the Gecko

Yesterday after work, my mom pointed out this little guy. She said, "I love these. When you hold them, they're all sticky," and walked away. I immediately dropped to the ground and started taking pictures. (Cuz that's what I do) Ain't he a beaut? So I named him. Obviously. Tom. Tom, my little friend. Say hello, guys. Say hello to my little friend.