Bye, Bye Waianae.....

    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.