We leave Hawaii for Birch Bay on Wednesday. I'll miss it here, but I must return to simpler meals. I've mentioned that we've had guests over several times, and we've also been out to eat. It worked out very well because I created many keto options during these times.  However, keto options can also be problematic when I overeat, especially the protein options.  Eating foods like steak, bacon, eggs, and cheese is very appealing, but I still need to follow a few rules.  Sometimes I find myself overdoing protein and consuming too many calories, which I understand, is a common mistake many people make on keto. I'm still drastically restricting my carb intake and consuming more fats.  I've used my crackers and cheese as snack foods, which might have prevented weight loss this week.  Snacks can be one of the biggest culprits when it comes to overindulging.  A few keto crackers with cheese or a handful of nuts are healthy and a great source of good fats, but the calories add up quickly.  It's also easy to overeat when eating out.  We began this week at our favorite dim sum place, Mei Sum Dim Sum in Honolulu.  It was delicious as usual, and we are happy we found the place.  I had shrimp stuffed eggplant, which was as good as always.  We plan to end this week at our favorite Indian food place, Cilantro's, in White Rock, B.C.  It is incredible how full our life is! We're thrilled to return to Birch Bay on Wednesday, although we'll miss Waianae.  It is incredible how seamlessly we can shift from Hawaii to Washington without missing a beat.  Steve is anxious to get back to Birch Bay and get his boat ready because he and his brother plan to fish for ling cod in Canadian waters near the islands across the bay from our house.  I look forward to having more of these delicious fish and hope they have good luck.  We will stay in Washington through September because it starts to get really gloomy, and the best time of year in Waianae is November through April.  Also, the summer months are the best in Washington.  Although it is getting warmer here, we decided to end our time in Waianae with a hike at Ka'ena Point State Park, which most people access through North Shore.  It is a beautiful State Park that is somewhat remote and wraps around the north end of Oahu.  The section we visited is called the Keawa'ula section.  It is a gateway to Ka'ena Point Natural Area Reserve. The Keawaʻula section has a large sandy beach surrounding Keawa'ula Bay and offers board and body surfing for experts and swimming only during calm conditions in the summer.  During this season, it has a lifeguard, and restrooms are available.  Hiking the Keawa'ula section takes you along a beautiful and secluded beach on the northwest coast of Oahu.  The beach is known for its pristine white sand, turquoise waters, and stunning views of the surrounding landscape.  It is home to various wildlife, including seabirds and Hawaiian monk seals.  We hiked along the coast along the rugged terrain and lava rocks.  We saw seals and baby albatrosses waiting for their mothers to return with food.  We didn't frighten them at all.  This was an excellent end to this year's visit.  Steve and I both want to do this many more times. 

     I've added fajitas to my keto diet and find them absolutely delicious!  I used to make them all the time but eliminated them from my diet long ago due to the fat content.  However, now it is a keto friendly food, particularly given the new low-carb tortillas.  Therefore, this past week we had steak fajitas and served chicken fajitas to our guests several days later.  We used the low-carb tortillas featured in my favorite things and my homemade salsa.  Everything about this meal is healthy and scrumptious.  I put my recipes up for the salsa and the marinade that works for the chicken and steak.  Jake invited several of his university colleagues to have dinner with us Saturday night, and we had a wonderful evening.  Steve and I took the opportunity to toast Jake and Harald's 5th anniversary, which is coming up in May.  By then, we'll be gone, so we took the opportunity to celebrate them with their friends gathered around and enjoying their happy life.  I'm so grateful they found each other!    It was such a lovely event, and it surprised both of them.  We ate together on the lanai, where we spend most of our time.  I begin my mornings on the lanai enjoying the beautiful breezes and the mountain views.  April is the best month to visit Hawaii, particularly on the west side of Oahu.  It is lovely, with temperatures in the mid-70s and continuous daily breezes.  After having coffee and reading several things on my phone, I usually get myself ready to do my bay walk, which I've been doing every morning since I arrived.  If I go early enough, I don't get quite so sweaty.  The additional three-mile trot is helping with my weight loss which continues to decrease in increments.  The place where I walk is the Pillilau Army Recreational Center.  It boasts fifteen to twenty cabins available to army personnel and is a beautiful space.  The cabins range from one bedroom to five bedrooms.  Each has a kitchenette, a living room, a lanai, a picnic table, and a barbecue grill.  The cost is very reasonable, and I wonder why many more people aren't taking advantage of this beautiful opportunity.  I wish my grandson who's in the Army National Guard, would bring his little family here to hang out and enjoy the Bay.  They have paddle boards, surfboards, boogie boards, and everything imaginable for fun.  Having the army right around the corner from us is also very secure because they monitor everything carefully, mainly due to the military brass that stays over often.  I am very secure walking there every morning as I listen to audiobooks.  Steve and In the early afternoon, we go to our workout place where Steve swims and I complete my high-intensity interval training program.  We'll maintain the same schedule when we return to Birch Bay.  I will continue the bay walk I started here every morning.  It should work out fine there since keto combats my seizure activity.  The sun in Birch Bay is sometimes a problem for me because of its level.  It has triggered a seizure more than once, but since I've been on keto, I have not experienced that.  I'll see how it works out.  We'll return to Birch Bay on the 26th.  I'm looking forward to settling back in to our beautiful little space there because I love that house even more than the Mango Shack.  Steve is anxious to get back and start working on his boat again.  He and his brother Ken are planning to fish in Canadian waters in May, and I'm hoping they do because they can fish for ling cod, which is my favorite fish.  It is delicious and another item to add to my keto cuisine! 

     This week is no different than others by way of keto discoveries.  Chia seeds are amazing because they are loaded with fiber, minimizing the carbs.  I use them in several recipes, most recently to make delicious fruit jams.  Of course, my favorite are the chia seed crackers.  They totally satisfy my urge for a crunchy carb snack.  I have them with cheese, and they are less than one carb each!  Also, the cracker recipe dough is extremely versatile.  I've used it as a crust for quiche, made little cups from it, and filled them with appetizers and desserts.  Everyone loves the nutty taste and crispy texture of the cup, so it's turned out to be a great addition to my menus.  I've also made some new main dishes that turned out quite well.  Most of them used some form of chicken, which is generally healthier than some of my other favorites that use beef and pork.  The most critical part of sticking to keto is having delicious and diverse food options that are always prepared and easily accessed.  Also, now that I am less fat, I am starting to work on specific areas where I have lost competence with age.  For example, I have difficulty balancing occasionally and sometimes have to lean against the wall to lift a leg and put on my pants.  Also, standing from a particularly low seat is difficult.  So, I've searched everywhere to compare expertise on exercises supporting and targeting certain skill sets for the aging.  Obviously, squats are a very good thing to do, as are planks and other exercises that do not require any equipment.  I already do free weights three days a week, so that's not a concern.  I've designed the following 5-day plan:    1) Jumping Jacks--15 x 2 2) Incline Pushup--15 x 2 3) Standard Pushup 10 x 3 4) Standard Squat--15 x 3 5) Superman Fly Back 15 x 3 6) Lying Y Raises 15 x 3 7) Bird Dog Plank 10 x 2 and 8) Sit Stand 15 x 2.  Of course, I am continuing my Tempo Trot and run along with my free weight regimen, leg press, and high-intensity interval training.  I plan to add other activities as I discover that I need them.  I'll report back same time next week.

     Steve's sister Beth and her family left yesterday, and we were very sorry to see them go.  They stayed in Ko Olina near the Disney resort, and that space is quite beautiful.  We never spent time there, but we hiked along the pathways around the Ko Olina Beach Lagoon during their visit.  It is a lovely walk and makes the west side of Oahu even more appealing.  Also, I shared my successes with the keto diet and the collateral benefits.  I failed to mention that the benefits include modifications of pathologies linked with obsessive-compulsive disorders such as glucose hypometabolism, neurotransmitter imbalances, inflammation, and oxidative stress, according to several studies.  Beth is probably interested in these and other side benefits as a psychiatrist.  We tried using keto bread, and it worked out quite well.  I made some yummy bruschetta for spooning over toasted keto bread.  Although we didn't spend our days together, we met for dinner every evening.  It was great recapping our day and catching up on our time apart.  I also discovered several new inventions while they were visiting.  One used cracker molds to hold hors d'oeuvres with fillings such as bruschetta or diced chicken fried in pesto.  I also found a recipe for mozzarella chicken.  It's easy to make and delicious, covered with mozzarella and cream cheese, topped with spinach, and baked.  I told Beth all about my keto experience and my goal to have all the weight off by September.  I also showed her my blog because she enjoyed some of the recipes.  I forgot to tell her how this keto diet has helped Steve because it's gotten him off of refined flour and rice, which he is allergic to.  When he ingests either of these items, he stops up and sneezes her weeks, so the keto diet is helping him as well.  We got some darling little fuzzy bunny Easter purses for the girls and put in Disney Princesses, golden eggs filled with candy, and some tattoos they enjoyed.  We're so happy we did this for them during this visit while they are still little and little things mean a lot.  It was important to spend this time together because we're all getting older.  Before you know it, the children will be grown and doing their own thing.  We're so grateful that they wanted to spend time with us, and we hope we can do it again soon; apparently, we will because they're visiting Birch Bay in the fall.  In the meantime, I am continuing my Bay trot, which is three miles and about 6,000 to 7,000 steps.  I also get about 30 to 35 minutes of cardio and intense cardio during this trot.  That works very well for me because my afternoon workout doubles the cardio.  The good news is that this change has increased my weight loss.  I'm dropping ounces a little faster, so it's less discouraging.