Big Bend, Marfa, and the Proposal

Big Bend National Park

This past Labor Day weekend, Brian planned a trip to Big Bend National Park and Marfa for us. Originally, we were supposed to spend the night in Austin and then explore Big Bend with Huong and Andrew. But Marfa was so close (2 hours away), and I'd always wanted to see the Prada Marfa installation, so I asked if we could go! He said, "We'll see."

When Labor Day weekend came, Brian said that we would go to Marfa. YAY! Except I was a little concerned and almost wanted to cancel the road trip because there was a gas shortage scare throughout Texas. We were convinced people were overhyping it, but it was real... throughout the main cities, there was no gas to be found. We had to constantly use the GasBuddy app to see where we could fill up. It was definitely a concern, and we even bought a gas canister as an emergency! 

We left Austin at 4 in the morning since Big Bend was almost a 7 hour drive away. It was amazing seeing the landscape turn into hills and then mountains. I've NEVER seen mountains in Texas before! I was so excited. When we got into Big Bend, we immediately did the Lost Mine hike. The views were amazing. I definitely appreciate Texas a lot more now.

Marfa

That night, we stayed in Marfa so that we could explore the city next morning. The first thing Brian wanted to see was Prada Marfa at sunrise. Of course I was down! So we woke up at 6AM the next day to make the 30 minute drive to the art installation.

When we got there, I took a couple of photos of Huong and Andrew in front of Prada Marfa. And naturally, I asked them to take photos of Brian and me too. Brian and I walked up to the storefont, and we posed for a photo, but then he turned to me, and said, "Hey..."

HE CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD!! We were just supposed to take a photo! Everything was happening so naturally, so this moment was entirely unexpected. He asked me to marry him, and the rest is history!

Thank you so much to Huong and Andrew for being a part of the surprise!! What a happy, happy weekend!

Bikini Body Guide Review

Okay, so this review is probably longggg overdue because I've been doing Bikini Body Guide for almost 2 years now! Yes, I took my very first progress photo on April 9, 2015! My review will include my journey, frequently asked questions, and how to stay motivated.

Pre-BBG & knew very little about nutrition/eyebrows

Why did I start BBG?
I was already weightlifting and a frequent gym goer. I wasn't unhappy with my body, but... I knew I could improve. Fitness was becoming a passion for me, and I especially loved looking at other people's progress photos. So almost every night, I would look through Instagram hashtags like #fitspo, #transformationtuesday, #girlswholift, and that's how I stumbled upon ALL these #BBG posts. I was like, "What the heck is BBG?" The more I looked, the more I was inspired and amazed by the transformations. There were so many women posting their transformation from flab to abs in 12 weeks. That's the moment I decided I WANT A SIX PACK. 

Did I get a six-pack in 12 weeks?
Nope! It took me 16 weeks for me to see separate ab sections, and they only show on good days (aka when I eat well)! But because of BBG, I started reading more about nutrition. Combining both nutrition and exercise is so important to get the body you want. But this journey has also taught me that it's not just about aesthetics... you become mentally and physically stronger. I've also realized that always having a visible six-pack is personally not sustainable for ME, especially because I work a full-time desk job, travel a lot, and have a photography business on the side. I've learned that just enjoying life, eating healthy 75% of the time, and feeling great is what keeps me motivated. And that's why I love fitness because you are always learning about yourself, your goals, and, ultimately, what makes you happy.

Week 0 to Week 16

How does BBG work?
BBG is a 12-week workout guide:
- 3x a week: resistance training for 28 minutes
- 2-3x a week: low intensity steady state (LISS) cardio for 30-45 minutes
- 1-2x a week: high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for 10-15 minutes
- Stretches are in the guide also. Stretch every day!

There doesn't have to be a set schedule as long as you get all your workouts in. So a sample workout schedule could look like this:

	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN
Resistance	Legs & Cardio		Arms & Abs		Full Body
LISS		45 min. speedwalk		45 min. speedwalk		45 min. speedwalk*
HIIT							15 min. (on/off) sprint

*or take a rest day

The longest you would actively be working out is 45 minutes! That's why I like the program because it's short and sweet but EFFECTIVE.

PS - If you'd rather have an app tell you what to do, the BBG Sweat app is available for ~$20/month.

How do you BBG correctly?
I love BBG, but a lot of people get confused about the guide instructions! I'll break it down for you because I'm super detailed and want everyone to succeed!

Resistance Training
There are 3 resistance training days: 

1. Legs & Cardio
2. Arms & Abs
3. Full Body

So many people have gotten the guide and finished the Week 1, Day 1 workout and have told me it was hard, but they finished the first circuit under 7 minutes and had plenty of time to rest. Uhh, REST? You have to KEEP GOING! Here is the proper timing (using Week 1, Day 1: Legs & Cardio as an example):
 

1. Time Circuit One for 7 minutes (if you finish before the timer is up, repeat circuit 1 from the beginning until the timer goes off)
    
2. Rest 30-90 seconds before moving on to Circuit Two
    
3. Time Circuit Two for 7 minutes (if you finish before the timer is up, repeat circuit 2 from the beginning until the timer goes off)
    
4. Rest 30-90 seconds
    
5. Repeat steps 1-3 so that you've completed each circuit twice! 

These circuits are no joke. You will end up drenched in sweat, but in only 28 minutes... you're done for the day! 

Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS)
This is any form of cardio that is low-intensity and low-impact over a prolonged period of time. For me, I speed walk on the treadmill, hop on the elliptical, or walk my dog for 45 minutes straight. It's kind of boring, but you need to incorporate this kind of cardio to recover from high-impact exercise, and it's effective for burning fat. Read more about LISS here.

High-Intensity Interval Training
HIIT is super intense... I sprint on the treadmill for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds for a total of 15 minutes. It has me drenched in sweat and feeling super accomplished afterward! It's a short session, but it's super effective at burning fat, even way after you're done working out. On days where a 15-minute session of HIIT is all I do, I'm usually starving after! Read more about HIIT here.

Can I incorporate BBG along with my normal routine?
I used to follow the BBG schedule religiously. I thought if I followed it EXACTLY, I would get the results I wanted. But I did realize that BBG doesn't really grow your butt. Or define your back. And it can get mind-numbingly boring. So mix it up and have fun. You can count weightlifting, yoga, or spin classes as LISS. You can even stop doing the BBG schedule to start taking workout classes and throw in BBG routines when you feel like it. 

Do I need to buy/follow Kayla Itsines' nutrition guide?
I didn't, but I learned about nutrition on my own. You need to change bad eating habits to really see progress.  I used to eat very little and worked out hard, but it left my cranky and bloated. Now I eat more than ever! So educate yourself on food, and not only will it help you see progress, but you'll learn how to be healthy overall!

How to stay motivated
Surround yourself with like-minded people. Instagram is SO great for that! I even started a fitness account on Instagram to find more BBG and health-related accounts to follow. Also, ask yourself why you're doing this... looks? Health? All of the above? Keep asking yourself that so you don't lose sight of your goal. Keep progress photos also. I've heard from so many people that seeing their own progress is what keeps them going.

Last bit of advice

1. Work on proper form over repetitions when doing the exercises so that you don't injure yourself. 
2. Slow and steady wins the race. Remember this and don't be discouraged. I didn't see my the stomach I wanted in 12 weeks like a lot of other people. I went another month before I finally saw what I was aiming for.
3. The downside of Instagram is wanting to look like fitness idols that you admire. Instead, compare your own progress photos! Everyone's body is different (including muscle structure), so you can't look like someone else, no matter how hard you try.
4. Educate yourself on nutrition. You will not see the progress you want if you don't eat right.
5. BBG has changed my life. I don't do it religiously anymore, but I've learned so much about fitness and nutrition because of it. It comes naturally when you want to improve every day. So I urge you to try this program for 12 weeks and see where you go from there.. a lot can happen in that time. I ended up doing it for 70+ weeks!

Favorite Workout Items:

San Francisco 2017

This past weekend, I went to San Francisco to meet up with Nanette and Joanne! I met Nanette in college when I visited SF for a convention (we're in the same sorority) and Joanne through Instagram! I'm so happy I got to spend quality time with 2 women I respect and admire, and I also got to meet up with old/new friends and my cousin too! Here's a recap of the weekend:

China Live Opening Party

As soon as I flew in, I met up with Nanette for the China Live opening party. We feasted on dumplings, wontons, gua bao, beef noodle soup, and more! At first, I was freaking out about being in sweatpants and a hoodie, but it was so crowded no one even looked twice. I also got to check in my luggage, so many thanks to China Live for hosting such an accommodating and awesome opening party! 

Pier 2620 Hotel

Hold on, I need to talk about my hotel in Fisherman's Wharf. The corner of the room had PERFECT DECOR and was one of the main reasons I booked it. Room inspo! I actually booked Pier 2620 through a collaboration with HotelTonight, an app that is perfect for last-minute hotel bookings (up to a week in advance) at a great price. In retrospect, the location probably wasn't ideal for me since it was so far north of where I explored all weekend, but it's great if you're wanting to be in Fisherman's Wharf. 

PS - Use the code KARLAO to get $25 off your first $135+ HotelTonight booking! 

Napa Valley

The next morning, Joanne drove us to Napa Valley for wine tasting and sightseeing. I'm so glad I went with a pro! We went to VGS Chateau Potelle for food & wine pairing, stopped by Long Meadow Ranch for a little bit more wine and food at Farmstead, got dessert at Bouchon and Kollar Chocolates, and then ended with more wine at Ma(i)sonry. Overall, a fun day of bonding with my girls! 

There was someone sleeping on the left side of the table... check out my photo cropping skills though.

Exploring SF

The next day, I spent all morning with Nanette before heading to Joanne's Passion X Purpose event. We started at Cafe Réveille for some amazing coffee and food, then walked to SFMOMA, got lunch, and then finally arrived at Sweetgreen to reunite with Joanne.

What everyone has been going to the SFMOMA for: Cloud Cities.

The Passion X Purpose: Bay Area Boss Moms talk was so inspiring! I loved listening to strong women talk about their views on health and motherhood. Below are Katie Hintz-Zambrano of Mother Mag, Shahidah Zareef of Boss Mom Nation, and Joanne Encarnacion of GOFITJO. Makes me wonder if I should put something together for women and passion projects in Dallas. Hmmm... 

Later that night, I met up with my college friend Andrew who was in town for a GDC 2017! Then I went home to pass out like an old lady because the next morning was coffee with Jeffrey, Anson, Jimmy, (and I also got to meet Eza and Cam)! Then straight to lunch with my cousin Brandon and his girlfriend Robin before taking off. My heart is full!

In love with Eza's style!

PS - I also came home to great news: I got a promotion at work and am now a Senior Developer! Proud to be representing women in technology, and I can't imagine a better end to my birthday month.