Monthly Archives April 2012

Down one more lb this week.….seems like I have been in the 150’s for a long time….but I’m not gaining any weight and my work outs are getting longer and I’m definitely stronger so I may finally be getting a little muscle for the first time in my life and that may explain the reason for the slow weight loss. No matter, I’m happy with my progress. I was (barely)  lifting two 8 lb weights this morning and they were SO heavy that I wondered how I possibly could have moved with 70 extra lbs a year ago….equivalent to about 9 of those weights! YIKES….puts things in perspective and makes me realize how much in denial I was…(see below for more on that topic!).

Walking the AIDS Walk in Hilo with my friend Su!

Yesterday was a perfect day for the AIDS Walk so my friend Su and I lent our support to the affair which took us around Queen Liliuokalani Park, a gorgeous park on Hilo Bay with magnificent Banyan trees, ponds and Japanese gardens. I love this place! In fact, this is the park where my husband asked me to marry him over 20 years ago….so it’s pretty special in many ways.

But the beauty of Hawaii or the the importance of supporting community events or even having a good friend to walk with is not what I want to write about today. I want to write about something more important.

Most states on the mainland have their sports and teams that they cherish – football, basketball, baseball, NASCAR – the banners and logos and hats and t-shirts are everywhere when the teams play. In Hawaii, once a year at this time, our little Hilo town comes alive with the Merrie Monarch Festival.

This is the Super Bowl and Olympics of hula rolled into one week, an internationally acclaimed competition that brings out the most dedicated hula dancers in the state – men, women, old, young, large, small, mostly of Hawaiian descent, who have studied the art, the traditions, and the culture – and have spent thousands of hours preparing for this revered event.

This year, the most coveted honor, Miss Aloha Hula, went to Rebecca Lilinoekekapahauomaunakea Sterling. Yes, people here often have long Hawaiian names like that! What I love is that women don’t have to be slim and drop-dead gorgeous to earn this title; it’s based on skill, dedication to the art, and pure performance. Many of the dancers are large, some are old, some are incredibly beautiful, but no matter what size you are, if this is what is in your heart, the hula community will welcome you.

Yikes! He found me!!!!

Happy Easter from Hawaii… looks like the Easter Bunny found his way to this little dot in the middle of the ocean… as I didn’t lose an ounce this week! First time I haven’t had a loss since Week 18! But I have to admit, I didn’t deserve to lose anything. I haven’t exercised as consistently as I had been and I have eaten richer foods and more sweets than normal, although the portions have been very very small.

What happened that I got a bit derailed? The same thing that happened so many times in the past: we had company and I cooked differently than I do when it’s just the two of us; or we ate out more, and had more desserts. Even though most of the time, I ate teeny portions, I still ate richer stuff. I worked out on the elliptical machine one day because our hanai daughter prefers the treadmill (so do I, but I let her have it). But the elliptical hurts my hip, so I was out of action for a couple of days. Little things, but they all make a difference.

Just say NO to rice!

We also had lunch at our favorite Japanese restaurant in Hilo called Miyo’s; a wonderful place and true institution in this town. Wonderful food, but I made the mistake of eating some rice (one of my first attempts since being sleeved). I had about 3 bites; it tasted really good so I was happy. But oh did I pay for it the rest of the day!!! So I have learned that my new tummy is still healing so there will be no rice for me for a while. I guess that’s a good thing, but it is one of the few foods I miss.  (Note to future sleevers out there:  I don’t miss it that much and love my new life style a million times more than a few bites of rice or pasta!). 

Snorkeling is ‘da best!’ in Kapoho!

Aloha from sunny Kapoho on the Big Island! This area is one of the true ‘hidden gems’ of Hawaii that only a fraction of tourists experience. The reason is that it’s not located in an area that has white sand beaches and it’s just south of Hilo which doesn’t have fancy resorts and is known for a lot of rainfall (but Kapoho is usually always sunny!). So the people who get to experience this incredible, natural

Beautiful Champagne Pond in Kapoho

wonderland and those who want to see a more native Hawaii and skip the ‘umbrella-in-the-maitai’ at a fancy resort are usually rewarded with sunny days and light tropical breezes. These are the people who will stay in vacation homes ranging from funky to fancy and walk out over lava fields or, just outside their door, swim and snorkel in warm, crystal clear lagoons.

Still short…..now if I could just grow a few inches….

Our ‘hanai’ (which means ‘adopted’ in Hawaiian) daughter is here visiting us from Switzerland, so we have been having fun with her the last few days. She’s 29, gorgeous, funny, incredibly smart and a true inspiration to us in so many ways. We went out and bought her a cute bikini the first day she was here and it was a good reminder to me to keep plugging away……she looks flawless in it, and even though I may never be ‘bikini-worthy’ I at least allowed myself to be photographed in a bathing suit! So that’s something at least!