easter sunday

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I realize that Easter was actually on the 20th of April, but since I write everything so far into the future (yes, I really am that kind of type A), most of the posts that I write in real-time end up getting posted much later. Bear with me! :O Sometimes, I even manage to make an edit of in my posts of something that’s actually current (e.g. happened in the last day or two). It’s rare, but it happens. This was the weekend after the last of my classes finally ended (hooray hooray!), so I volunteered to help my friend prepare food/help out with whatever she might need. F: Is there anything I should bring? What can I help with? E: Yes! Thank you so much for offering! Can you be here at 6 tomorrow? A: …in the morning? F: (thinking the exact same thought and thoroughly regretting having said anything) Due to a late study night/morning and the misplacement of my house keys, I ended up getting there at 7 and instead of helping with the cooking (Heidi had it well covered; she is magical in the kitchen) and helped with vacuuming, setting up all the tables, chairs, centerpieces and being the accompanist. Our breakfast included buckwheat or whole wheat pancakes, oatmeal banana waffles, a tofu scramble with veggies, walnut oat patties and hash browns. Toppings for the pancakes/waffles included coconut cream, diced strawberries/kiwi/cantaloupe, sliced bananas + apples, blueberry syrup and maple syrup. :]

The food was amazingly delicious and I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I ate 3 more plates of food even after I was already at the point of being uncomfortably stuffed. It was too good to pass up. :/

I thought all this looked pretty spiffy! :]

After studying on campus for several hours, I had a light dinner with Linda before heading to Sean/Isaac’s to study a little more before our weekly gathering for Game of Thrones.

My favorite roll at Fujiyama is the Paradise roll (It’s spicy salmon and avocado topped with more salmon.  <3)

Twas a good weekend. :D Probably one of the most relaxing ones I’m gonna have in a very long time.

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And now…for a rather abrupt change in topics (I gotta work on my transitions!), I’m joining in on my first-ever fitness challenge that’s being hosted by Jen (a fellow GGSA), Samantha, Carley, and Anna. It’s basically to get in some kind of movement for at least 20 minutes for every day of May, which should be completely doable, and is something I very much need because I’ve been feeling guilty for even taking a break to eat these days because it detracts from my studying time. I just keep a bag of food next to me and eat while I study. Sad, but true.

Karen (also a fellow GGSA :) over at Kama Fitness is also doing a challenge, so I figured I’d just stack the two. The more the merrier!  You can find out more information by clicking the link below!

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chillin’ at PSAC

The day after I finished my last final ever (it still feels unreal) and after I’d recovered from my Once-Upon-A-Time Netflix marathon-coma, I went to go help out at Please Save A Cat. :D Linda is pretty much like my mom here and I love getting to help out/hang out with her whenever I have the chance to. We share a lot of the same loves (animals, sushi, California, salmon, avocado…food of all sorts), and now that classes are over and done with, it makes being able to set my own schedule of studying/meals/working out/breaks a lot easier.

The sunset on the farm was breathtakingly gorgeous.

While I was out poop-scooping and feeding the cats, Linda put some salmon on the grill.

We had to get past a 15-cat barricade to get to the salmon in the grill.

Herman decided to hitch a ride across my shoulders.

Multitasking!

Lady loves attention, but gives up fairly easily.

The cats? Not so much. :P

I have a purring rumbly cat-scarf. <3

We had a late dinner of grilled salmon with lime & celery, brown rice cooked in chicken broth, a bed of organic spring greens and half an avocado in the living room (while covered in happy, snuggly pets). :]! There really is no better way to spend my downtime. <3 I’m going to miss it here so much.

This is my adorable roommate when I stay over at Please Save A Cat.

I’m about two steps away from fostering/adopting her. ;_;

Her owner recently passed away from cancer and she’s been rather depressed, but lately, she’s been coming out of her shell and she apparently loves me. The only thing stopping me from actually taking her is the fact that I don’t want her to have to be moved around every couple months for wherever I happen to end up. I don’t stay anywhere long enough to settle down anywhere long enough right now. :[

Whatcha doin’ there?

fitness goals (revisited)

Tis a beautiful spring day on the farm! (Please be here to stay, spring. I’m about done with your random end-April snowstorms.) I’m not much of a morning person, but have been dutifully trying to turn myself into one because it lets me get more done each day.

 

It’s been almost 1.5 years since I made my list of fitness goals. I feel like an update on progress + some new goals may be in order, especially because my friend and I just administered PPD tests on each other and we think we might actually live.

I also got my hospital ID for my clinical rotations!

1) Get my BF% down to 20%. (Ideal goal = 17-18%.)
I have no idea where I am with this one right now because I haven’t found anyone to fat-caliper me, but I am fairly certain that I’m not under 20. I do have discernible definition in my abs though, so hooray hooray!

2) Be able to deadlift 1.5x my body weight. (Ideal goal = 2x BW)
As of 09/14, I could deadlift 275 and it felt easy!

3) Be able to squat 1.5x my body weight. (Not sure what my ideal goal is yet. We’ll see what I can do.)
I’ve been lagging on this one, but I squatted 180 on 09/14 and that also felt easy, so…achievement unlocked.

4) Be able to bench press my body weight. (Same as with squats. We shall see.)
My best thus far is 125 lbs! Goal reached!

5) Run a 7 minute mile. (Ideal = sub-7).
This girl has not been running. ._.

6) Teach and perform a hula for the international festival in January.
The International Festival is held every year by PAX (my school’s international medicine/cultural interest group) to raise money for the medical service trip to the Dominican Republic (which I got to go on this year (I think I have about 5-6 posts on this; post #1 here!). Follies is annually at Carnegie Hall and raises money for the Family Refuge Center/domestic violence shelter in town.

Last year, I informally started a dance group and we performed a hula to the song, “Love and Honesty.” This year, I got to teach weekly dance classes at the gym; we performed an ‘aparima to “Ti Ti Raina.” I decided to take it a step further (probably because I really miss Na Keiki ‘O Hawai’i) and we made our own hip heis (+ armbands and headpieces). Our first priority was obviously still med school, so getting enough practicing in and all that was a struggle, but we managed to raise a substantial amount of money for both causes. :]

• International Festival 2013
• Follies 2013
• International Festival 2014
• Follies 2014

7) Get a resting HR of under 60. Hooray for increased stroke volume?
…I haven’t really been doing much endurance-related anything.

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2014 Goals!

1) Be able to deadlift > 310 lbs.

2) Be able to squat > 215 lbs.

3) Be able to bench the “big wheels” (that’s what I like to call the 45-lb. plates).

4) Be able to do 15 pullups in 1 set.

5) Find some way to keep dance as a constant in my life.

6) Try to stretch/do some form of flexibility training for just 10 minutes/day.

7) Intervals at least once a week!

8) Get my BF down to 20% (Ideal goal = 17-18%).

9) Run a 7 minute mile.

10) …I still want all the state powerlifting records in my weight class. Hopefully, I’ll actually be able to go to a powerlifting competition sometime this or next year!

study habits + girls gone sporty

“Your study habits now are the best you’ll ever have.”

I find this somewhat frightening.

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In other news, I’m super excited to announce that I’ve been accepted as a Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador! GGS is a community of a very diverse array of super inspiring and motivational ladies; Laura seems like a truly awesome person and I’m really looking forward to being part of the team! I think part of me very much misses writing for newspapers, and I’ve filled that void with blogging. I hope I can contribute to writing for GGS soon!

“Live the sporty life!” Women who work hard, play hard, compete and eat, all with the intention of being their best, most positive selves.

facebook | pinterest | instagram | youtube

For the record, my rather underwhelming presence on social media (aka the fact that I am only on pinterest and my instagram account is private, although this may change) stems from the fact that I’m very much trying to keep my blog separate from my “professional life,” so to speak. By nature, I’m a somewhat private person, but the lack of internet infamy is really only because I’m slightly worried that future residency programs might decide not to hire me if they were to discover my recreational pole dancing/ring-girling (due to the negative associations and whatnot). If said hypothetical populations saw just how many women we’ve empowered, how much confidence they’ve gained/re-gained, and how many have started exercising regularly as a result of pole dancing (the ring-girling just helps with my livelihood), I’d like to think they’d change their minds, but since I cannot predict what they might think, this is probably how it shall stay, at least for the time being.

I’ve pretty much been living at Please Save A Cat these days and it’s impossible not to have favorites–this one’s definitely one of em’! <3

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Protein Balls

I happened to have all the ingredients to make this last weekend, so here we are! Recipe was taken from here! This made me 10 protein balls (only 8 are pictured because the plate couldn’t fit any more). I took the picture right after I scooped em’ onto the plate because I figured I’d likely forget to in the morning. :O

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Protein Balls

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup oatmeal
-1/4 cup almond butter
-1/3 cup pumpkin puree
-1 scoop Designer Whey vanilla protein powder
-1 handful cinnamon chips

Instructions:
1) Mix everything together and form into little balls.
2) Chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight)!