It's been a while!

Hi all! Its been a while since my last post.  I've been so caught up with school and life.  I'm trying to definitely balance everything going on and still be able to put on that smiley face. 

School's got me super stressed out and I've sacrificed a summer so that I could meet my graduation goal...May 2012.  I tired of school, I'm ready to start working again.  So far, some of my classes are great but others are like "are you kidding me?".  Between school and being there for Dame with whatever, it gets pretty overwhelming.  After this semester, I have about a two-week break and than Intersession and Summer classes begin. YAY!?

I've doing pretty good on my weight loss journey, I've lost five pounds thus far.  I haven't been working out lately, but I've been doing pretty good maintaining where I'm at.  It's not at all an end to my journey, I will be back on track come saturday.  I've add the website: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ to my support circle.  Its a pretty good site where I could keep track of my eating habits, count calories, and track my exercise.  I also could do weigh-ins and show my progress.

Well, thats whats been going on.  I will be back soon! I promise!

5K Family Fun Run

Yesterday, I ran my first 5K.  It has been about 6-7 years since I actually ran hard like that.  I've ran on the treadmill, and a few time around a track, but never pushed myself to really RUN.  The post has a family fun run done every month and its FREE.  So I decided I wanted to try it as a push to getting back into running.  I had two goals in mind going into this run...1. finish the 5K and 2. finish in under 45 minutes.  And I am happy to say I accomplished both goals.

For not running in a long time, I surprised myself.  I started out at a pretty good pace.  Than we came to a steep, long hill and man it was hard.  I walked a few times but mostly ran the entire route.  Towards the end I started to feel the my little breakfast wanting to come out.  At the homestretch, I already had it in my mind that I didn't make my time so I just kept going to finish.

When we got to the track where the finish line was in sight.  Jay kept pushing me to sprint, but legs were in so much pain I wanted to walk across the finish line.  But when I saw the time, it said I was still under 45 minutes.  I couldn't walk, I had to push myself to run across that finish line.

I am happy to say I crossed the finish line at 42:22.  I was and am so proud of myself!

The rest of yesterday and today, my legs are super SORE.  It hurts to walk...ALOT ALOT.  But that just means that I worked muscles that haven't been used in a while. I have a month to train and better myself in the running aspect.  The next Family Fun 5K is April 16 and I can't wait.

here I am after my first 5K run...sweaty & tired!

Productive day...

Hello All! Its been a busy week, but a productive one.  Yesterday was my most productive, I think.  I worked out, went to school, made a flower headband, cooked dinner, made mini apple turnovers, and made playdough.  Since I've started working out, I've had so much energy, I don't know what to do.

School, or one class, has been really stressing me.  I'm very tempted to drop and take it another time and with another teacher.  Ugh, I just want to be done with it already.  A few more classes, and I can finally walk across that stage.

I've been trying to find a hobby besides baking.  So I tried my hand at hand-sewing fabirc flowers for barrettes or headbands.  And I must say I'm liking it. 

my first flower headband.

I made chicken enchiladas for dinner and I've been craving apple turnovers for some time.  I finally made them yesterday and they were super delish.  Maybe I should be going to school for a pastry chef instead of a social worker...lol!

mini apple turnovers

My son was asking for playdough so he could roll it out like making a pie.  I called my Auntie who works at the CDC to get her recipe but she was still at work.  So of course, we googled it and found a pretty good recipe for homemade playdough.  Dame chose the colors he wanted to color his playdough.  And now we have safe, non-toxic playdough.  Goodness, who knew trying to be frugal was so much fun.



homemade playdough--spring colors

So til next time...more adventures in the kitchen and the craft world...

UBE-licious!

My dear sister-friend has been craving ube-macapuno cake.  She's been on a mission to make it and find a good recipe too.  So I found a blogger, Heart of Mary, who had a real easy recipe for this cake.  I attempted to make it today and it turned out way better than I expected.  I am so proud.  Chiffon cake is very delivate and a bit hard to make...but I made it work.

I'm glad to say that when I brought the cake over to her house, she was sooo HAPPY.  It was exactly what she was craving and not doubt I will be making it again.  The chiffon cake, the frosting, and macapuno strips put together make a slice of heaven.  I love baking and I love the look on my family and friends face when I've satisfied their craving or just baked up something delicious.

Here are some pics that I've taken of the ube cake making process.  I had so much fun making it and more fun sharing it with my lovely sisters.

the ube cake batter

the cakes after they've cooled and halved (need to work on that)

layered, frosted, and decorated (need more practice too)

a slice of deliciousness...(dont mind the frosting, dame was picking at it)





1 week down!

It's been a week since I've started my weight loss journey.  And it has not been easy.  The first two days I had not motivation to work out.  But by the third day, I had forced myself to get moving and have been doing pretty good.  I'm still having trouble with my food intake.  I hate the word "diet" cause I feel so deprived of the yummy goodness of food.  Ugh, couldn't we all just have bodies that could eat anything and not gain any weight? (oh the joys of wishful thinking) I'm not seeing a difference in my weight number, but I do feel a change in my body.  I feel more rejuvenated and I actually sleep better at night.  I can only keep going from here and I am cause I am so determined to CHANGE.  Now if only I can figure out my career path cause as of right now I am so LOST.

Weight Loss Challenge

So I admit I'm obsessed with the weight loss shows that have been on tv. I watch Biggest Loser, Heavy, and I Used to Be Fat. I sit on my couch sometimes with food watching them, saying "I can do that." Yet, I'm not.  I've lost my motivation. 

I give mad props to everyone on those shows for having the courage to show all of themselves on tv.  So to give me that boost of motivation to get back on track, I have decided to show all of myself on my blog.  I may not be as big as some of them on the shows but I do have a long way to go to reach my goal.  I am so disappointed in myself for just giving up on myself.  I want to change for the better.  So here it is...

My name is Ysa and I weigh 180 pounds.  My ultimate weight loss goal is to lose 50 pounds and get back to the weight I was when I graduated high school.  130 was not only how much I weighed when I graduated but it is also the weight I should be for my height.  As of right now, I am OVERWEIGHT!!!  I know I can do this once I start, I just have to figure ways to keep my motivation going cause I could easily lose it. 

I am not only announcing it but posting some pictures.  My thinking is "if I post pics and announce it, than it would keep me going cause I don't want to just post this and not do anything about it."

here I am at 180 lbs.

from the side, I don't look that bad!



Wish me good luck on my weight loss journey. My journey starts today and I know that I can do it. Baby steps, right?

Weekend FUN!

My parents came in to Fayetteville Friday. My mom had a conference in Virginia and my dad came along.  They were here for about 5 days.  Man, that was not long enough...not at all. 

Saturday - We were invited to a BBQ for our friend Charles Taijeron.  He came to visit Jay's cousin, Therese.  It was a great little reunion.  We got to meet up Ash and her family.  My mom and dad had a great time. My dad got to meet up with a guy that was in his engineer unit in the guard.  My parents are very well known people and they really know their family history and relatives.  Jay and I got to meet our relatives that have moved out here to Fayetteville.

Sunday - We went to 930am mass. Than we drove to my Auntie Reese's place in Goldsboro.  My mom hasn't seen her sister in about 7 years.  My dad cooked a fantastic lunch.  Our menu was shrimp in butter & soysauce, mussels & crab in coconut milk, pika salad, okra in fine'dene, crab poke' and kimchee.  Gardner also bbq'd some steaks that were super yummy as well.  We were stuffed.  We had some good laughs and went down memory lane.  Tish and I told stories of our adventures in Malojloj.  The boys played cornhole.  We played Rock Band too.  That was loads of fun!

 

Monday - We took my parents around town.  We went to the 82nd Airbone Musuem and to see the planes.  Than we did a little shopping.  Ciena, better be happy with all the clothes she got...spoiled!!! My biha-girl also got lots of clothes too.  Dame also was spoiled with two new xbox games.

Tuesday - Dame and I both played hookie from school so we could spend as much time as we possibly can with them. I took my mom to do more shopping and my dad chilled at home with Dame.  They both did not want to go shopping.

Today I was so sad that I just wanted to stay in bed.  I miss them already.  The sacrifices we have to make to better our future.

Roskette

So I attempted to make my mother-in-law's recipe for roskette.  I prepped my ingredients.  Then I remembered that she mixes everything using her hand. So thats exactly what I did...from creaming the shortening and sugar to adding the flour and cornstarch.  Man was my are on fire! The next time I make it, I'm definitely going to use my kitchen aid or a hand mixer. I colored the dough red for Valentine's Day.  When it came time to roll the roskette, I attempted to do some heart shaped ones.  There were some that turned out nice and others that well looked more like eyes popping out.  My son made the best heart shaped cookie out of all of them!

I ended up making the roskette in the regular style (just making a coil) and the simplest one (rolling into a ball and pressing with a fork).  They tasted awesome just like how my mother-in-law makes it.  Her recipe ended making soo much cookies that I packed some for Dame's teachers and Jay's soldiers. 

Random Thoughts

I am a student at Fayetteville State University. Everyday on my drive to school and home, I am always thinking about my life and random things. Lately, my thoughts have taken me to whether I chose the right major. I am currently majoring in sociology...only because the school does not offer a bachelors in social work. I guess some of the courses that I am taking make me second guess my career choice.  I want to be able to work with at-risk youth/children or assist the elderly. How is a course in research methods going to help me do that? I'm just not sure of who I am anymore and what it is I want. Sometimes I feel like I've lost myself in being a wife and mother that I question what career path I want to take.

I think about my family back home and all I feel like I'm missing.  I miss just being around my family and just having them around. I've been thinking about my papa and how his health is going. I feel it in my heart that when my nana passed away, my papa just gave up on everything.  I just don't want to get the phone call that he's already passed and I didn't get to say good bye.

Even before my son was born, I've been struggling with my weight. In high school, I was in my weight range cause I played sports and danced hula. But after I came back from basic and ait training, I had gained about 20 lbs. From than, I had a hard time losing the weight and doing any pt.  I just gave up on myself and felt comfortable in what I had at the time. After I had my son, I had gained more weight, and today I still carry some of that weight. I watch so many shows about weightloss (Biggest Loser, Heavy, I Used to Be Fat) and always tell myself that I can do that....but I have no motivation.

My mind is full of random thoughts that I could never full jot down any of it. I could go from one random thought to another  just from hearing a song or seeing something.  So thats just some of the randomness that goes on while I drive to and from school.

Inspiration in the morning!

Every morning I have to have me a cup of coffee. The day is just not right if I don't. A few months ago, the usual coffee mug I use broke(well, I threw it at the wall). So I went on a mission to find the right cup for me. And I did. The coffee cup says,
 "Courage doesnt always roar
sometimes courage is the
quiet voice at the end of the day saying,
'i will try again tomorrow.'"
This quote by itself reminds me that everyday is a new day and that at the end of the day, we should leave all our worries of yesterday in the past and look to the new day.

hello world, this is me!

Why Hello! I've been searching around for a good blog site and I think I found a good one. Well, I'm not an avid blogger but when I have something to say or somethng on my mind, I will definitely be blogging away. I've found blogging as a good de-stresser and a way to vent it out.

Wish me luck on my blogging endeavors!