Monday, December 24, 2012

Marvelous in My Monday! {Christmas Things}

Merry Christmas Eve! 
Wow, is it me or did it come a bit too fast? I'm so glad we're celebrating MIMM today because I have a lot to share with all of you beauties. 



Big thank you to the Diva herself and her amazing little baby to be! 

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Let's get started! 

For the holidays, my family from South Korea wanted to visit but not all of them could make it. I am blessed to say that my grandma was already in LA meeting with her sister, so she decided to come and spend Christmas with us! 


My sister also came from UF and we are having the best time just joking around :) 


On the fitness and health front, I am now part of the Polar family! 


I've already begun to use it and it gets my approval! It's simple, efficient and it doesn't feel uncomfortable to wear the heart rate sensor at all. Definitely an early Christmas present ;) 

My workout clothes were getting a little old so I knew it was time for a new look. Enter PV Body


I am absolutely in love with the outfit they made for me and I'm thinking about continuing my subscription because it's that cute! The fabric is super elastic so it's easy to move in and is comfortable enough to run in. 

I also purchased the new edition of Intuitive Eating. I heard that it was a great read for those who had eating problems so I decided to give it a try. So far, I'm learning a lot and find myself making peace with foods that I usually have a dislike for. 


Many Marvelous happenings this season and hopefully more to come! 

Remember to spend time with your loved ones and hold them tight. 
Merry Christmas! 


For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 
Isaiah 9:6 



Sunday, December 23, 2012

Happy Holidays!

Hello my fellow reindeers! 
I have been gone for a while haven't I? 


Alina's very sorry. 
Sometimes life can take over and get you a bit crazy! After mid-terms, I was definitely in recharge mode. I'm getting a lot more sleep and exercise has finally come into balance after spending time studying. I hope everyone has had nothing but peace and love while I was gone :)

Since I've been out, a lot of things have been happening around the world. I want to send out my deepest prayers and condolences to the community and those families affected by the CT shooting. I pray that God may be the peace and strength to those who are hurting. 

That tragedy really put my life in perspective and helped me realize that every second we have on earth is precious. Don't have anything or anyone taken for granted because everything is a blessing. I couldn't hold back the tears when I was watching the live report on the news and knowing that some families would not be able to spend time with their loved ones this holiday. 

Make every breath count! Laugh more, smile often and surround yourself with love this holiday season. Recognize that there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. 

I'm thankful for all of your support on Keep Smiling and Love Life. I started this blog as a little journal  and to keep myself accountable. But it's grown into something much more than that. I've made so many friends through this and learned things that I would have never thought of otherwise! You all make my a difference in my health and my heart. I can never thank you all enough for reading my posts and making me feel at home. 

I will be back with more to say but for now, I wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday! 
God bless<3

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Days Like This

It's days like this where I realize what I have. For some reason, I have those special days when my blessings really are made evident to me. 

Where I'm with family and friends,





when I have lots of GOOD food,






and my health is where it should be. 


It's days like this when I know that my ED past is a blessing in disguise. Everyone that has been with me these last 17 years have been supporting through the bad times and picked me up when I fell. I struggled with food for such a long time but now? I appreciate every single second that God gives me. 

That smile that I faked before meeting my friends? 
It's real now. 

The anxiety before eating a meal?
Gone. 

The frustration I felt when I didn't exercise everyday for a certain amount of time? 
Who the heck cares? 

There is much more to life than food and exercise! I think many people forget about that when they are trying to live a healthy life. Mental and emotional health is just as important, if not more important, than physical health! Never let anything or anyone hinder you from having fun :) 

Eat out once in a while, have a rest day and spend time with your loved ones. 
Because that my friends, is when you are truly living. 

God bless my loves, and have a great night<3 





Saturday, December 1, 2012

My SATurday

Hello my loves! How is everyone's weekend going so far? 
I hope it's been AMAZING. My weekend started with something a little different. 


Yuppo, this girl had to take the SATs this morning. And let's just say it wasn't an activity I was excited about doing.
The test started promptly at 8:30 AM and went on until 1:15 and it was probably the longest 4 hours I ever had in my life! But I'm very proud that I was able to fit one test in before the new year. I can now kick off the year knowing what I can work on to get better :) 

I made sure to pack in my protein in the morning to wake my body up for the big day! 


Delish<3 

During the breaks, I snacked on some grapes and persimmon to give me some energy and also so I don't go home wanting to chew my arm off! 

Lunch was scrumptious as always. My brain was a bit fried at this point and food seemed to help so much.

Spicy Korean Pork

Romaine lettuce for "wrappage", roasted seaweed, kimchee

Sautéed spinach with garlic and sesame seeds

Special stew made from mom's veggies from her garden! 

Just call me Ms.Veggie Head! ;) 

This is the part all productive things came to an end. I decided that my brain needed from rest from the rigorous work I did this morning! Just like listening to my body, I never reject rest when it comes to my studies. 

After some blog surfing, kabocha roasting (LOVE times infinity), and Instagraming, I fit in an awesome workout!

Workout

Today was toning day so I focused on the different muscle groups. 
Who knew lifting some weights can make you this sweaty? 



I showered up and prepared dinner! Let me tell you right now, it was quite a unusual one...


Kabocha is my main obsession as of late and the craving hit as I was rummaging in the fridge. 
I pulled out all the guns to build this beautiful bowl of yums. 

Kabocha, egg whites, sautéed spinach and cucumbers all topped with pan fried salmon! 
Sriracha drizzle for a bit of a kick! 

Wow, where has the time gone?! 
Sorry for such a short post but that test made me pooped! 

Goodnight everyone :) 

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Question of the Day

What are some weird combinations that you create?