My Dad turns 60 this year, so I wanted to do something special for him. Growing up in a traditional Asian household, we have always been unexpressive and taught that it is implied that we love and appreciate one another through hard work such as making a living, getting good grades, etc... As I grew up, I've learned that sometimes it's nice to hear someone tell you that they care about you or appreciate you. I know my Dad. He loves his family so much and he "just knows" that we all appreciate him, but I have decided that "just knowing" isn't good enough anymore, at least not for me for him.
I'm putting together a scrapbook for him this year and the pages will be filled with memories from our childhood to present day. The pages will be embedded with photos alongside different topics, such as, "Favorite Childhood Memory" or "What I Admire Most" or "My Birthday Wish To You" where my brothers and sister and I will be filling in the blanks with stories of our own about our Dad. We've been digging through old photo albums and pulling some of our favorite photos. Here are some to share!
Yes, I have been obssessed with calorie counting over the past 4 months to the point where I would get cranky probably because I wasn't getting the nutrients or food my body needed. My extensive research told me that for every 3,500 calories you burn above what you eat, you lose one pound and for every 6-7 pounds you lose, you lose approximately one inch off your waist. When I tried on a pair of pants I purchased about 6 years ago and I couldn't get it past my thighs, I thought "Oh hell no, this ain't happening!" Sure it's only natural your metabolism slows down as you get older and by no means am I whining about being fat, but to me, that was unacceptable. And so I put myself on a very strict diet where I would try not to consume more than 1,200 calories a day and exercised 4-5 times a week burning 300 calories on average. My goal was to lose at least 6 lbs so that I could lose at least 1 inch off my waist. I did all sorts of cardio exercises so that my body wouldn't get used to one thing and also took Pilates classes on the side. After 4 gruesome months, I am happy to report that I am finally DONE. I have burned 21,000 more calories than I have consumed! The last 4,000 calories were the hardest because I had been deprived of delicious junk food for so long that I constantly cheated and ate junk food to meet my calorie threshold instead of eating fruits, veggies and protein. It was more principle by that time anyway - that I was determined to finish what I had started. My final results are a total loss of 8% of my starting body weight and 1.25" off my waist! No, you can't really tell that I lost weight, so hopefully the scale and measurement tape are not lying to me. Now, all I have to do is maintain. Finally, it's over. Hello bacon. Hello french fries. I sure have missed you!
