Chapter 45: My 5 "secrets" to staying in shape!

With the new year comes new resolutions. Two things that are on a lot of people's list is to get healthier & get in better shape. I'm right there with you all! I think it's a wonderful thing to make your health a priority! In fact, I don't only think it's wonderful, I think it's important! A motto that my husband & I use is, "Stay healthy. Stay fit. Stay happy." We try our best to work out & eat healthy. I believe that probably 25% of our friends eat healthier & exercise more than we do. You guys motivate us! We're always striving to lead a healthier lifestyle! I never used to like working out in the gym because dancing [hip hop, jazz, ballet, tap, etc...] was my form of exercise. I thought the gym was boring, & all the equipment intimidated me. It wasn't until my husband introduced me to the gym that I ended up loving it! He had been trying to get me to workout with him for the longest time, but I never wanted to do the "gym thing". Then, last October, our base finally opened up their newly renovated gym that they poured millions of dollars into. My husband took me there, taught me the ways of the gym, introduced me to weights, & thus a gym junkie was born! I love working out with my husband! I never thought I'd enjoy being a gym-goer. We motivate each other. We push each other. We reward each other with kisses after finishing a set. It's pretty romantic, really ;) Or we're just that annoying mushy/corny fitness couple. No shame!

swolemate [noun]: Your life-long gym partner.
The one you simply can't lift without.
You would never dare let someone else spot you
once you've found your true swolemate.
You and your swolemate grow together,
both literally and figuratively.

Before I list my [not so] "secret" to staying in shape, I feel the need to mention that not everyone thinks being called "skinny" is a compliment. For me personally, I actually get offended when someone calls me skinny.  I've been guilty of retorting with, "I'm not skinny. Feel my abs!" I'd rather be called fit, in shape, or slim [if you must]. If it's rude to call someone fat, why is it ok to call someone skinny? That's a conversation I've had with one of my friends. In my opinion, I just think there's such a negative connotation attached to the word skinny. If someone calls me skinny, I think they're calling me boney & ugly. I don't think boney is beautiful. [Note: To clarify, I don't believe being boney by choice is beautiful. The people I'm referring to excludes those with medical conditions who are unable to put on weight. They are beautiful & strong in their own way] So please, think twice before you call someone skinny! They may not take it as a compliment, even if you mean it as a compliment! Also, please keep in mind that some people are just petite & born with a small frame. I've met people who want to gain more weight, but have trouble doing so. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. You may wish you were skinny like Sally, but Sally may wish she were curvier like you! You may wish you had straight hair like Katie, but Katie may wish her hair had more volume like yours! Too often we want what someone else has. OWN your OWN body! Treasure YOUR looks instead of envying what someone else looks like.

After HIT [high intensity training] gymnastics class with my husband.
I learned how to do kipping ups!

Furthermore, you shouldn't strive to be a certain size or weight. Just strive to be HEALTHY! That is what makes you beautiful [or handsome, if you're a guy reading this]! We were all born in different shapes & sizes. I know I won't ever have the biggest *ahem* chest area, and that was never an issue for me. I didn't care. You know why? Well, here's one reason... if I had a bigger chest, then I wouldn't be able to fit under the bed anymore ;P Call me weird, but in High School I used to lay under my bed all the time. I'd talk on the phone under my bed, I'd read a book under my bed [or in my closet], & I'd hide from my little sister under my bed... until she figured out that I could fit under my bed—then my hiding place was blown! Find any little or weird reasons to love everything about yourself. Strive to be healthy. If you want to go a step further & get more fit, then go for it!

I absolutely love under armour gear!

People will ask me what my secrets are to staying in shape & if I workout like crazy. Honestly, I don't workout as much as I should/want to. I used to say that I was in my best shape my senior year in high school—my college years, because I danced a lot. As I mentioned earlier, it wasn't until just recently that I jumped into the "fit lifestyle" & started trying to go to the gym regularly. Now I can say that I'm in my best shape now & gradually improving! I can now do push-ups—which I've never been able to do before—thanks to my workout dates with my husband! [Thanks babe! :D] The reason I put "secrets" in quotes in the title of my blog is because my "secrets" aren't really secrets. I don't follow a cleanse every X amount of days, I don't fast, I don't take diet pills, or what have you. No. I've just learned some simple tips over the years [mostly in high school] that I've tried to stick to, & I think they've helped shape my life & health in very positive ways:

1. Drink more water!

Simple, right? I've read that often times you're really just dehydrated, but you end up eating instead, & your body extracts the water from your food. You should try to drink a glass of water 30 minutes before you eat a meal. This will help hydrate & fill you, so that you don't overeat. 

2. Don't eat then sleep!

My husband tells me, "that's how sumo wrestlers get so big!" Lol :P Make sure you finish your meal within 3 hours before you plan to go to bed! I've heard that you need this time to digest & have your food turn into energy for you to use & burn off. If you fall asleep right away, your food will just turn into fat. This is something I'm pretty good at doing, but I do have my bad nights!

Under Armour! Love my new workout clothes & shoes!

3. Eat & drink healthy!

"Yes, organic food is expensive. However, last I heard, cancer is pretty expensive too."—Unknown

Pick up a piece of fruit or eat a plate of salad instead of junk food! This is something we're still working on, but I think we do a better job than most people. We'd love to eat completely organic food, but it's not always easy to find, & it definitely is expensive. That's where prioritizing comes into play. Give up a "luxury" expense in order to be able to afford to eat organic. Your body is your temple. Take care of it. Consider cutting out [or at least limiting] soda & alcohol from your diet too! I gave up soda cold turkey in high school because I read an article in TIME magazine about how much soda the average American consumes in a year, & it disgusted me. My husband & I aren't much of drinkers either, & I'm so glad that we aren't! Think of all the money you'll save & calories you'll avoid if you cut out [or limit] your soda & alcohol intake! :) That's money that can go to a traveling fund! New appliances! A gym membership! The possibilities are endless! :) 

He motivates me to push myself harder! 

 4. Flex every chance you get!
When you're sitting at the computer, watching tv, walking around the mall... flex your abs a little! Keep those muscles active. I think this is something I just picked up on due to my background in modeling & dancing. It was something my husband pointed out to me. I never really noticed that I'd often flex my abs ever so slightly randomly. In dance, you need to have a strong core to keep yourself centered & square, so that your dance moves look clean. I learned to have good posture because of modeling & walking the runway. To me, good posture & a tight stomach kind of go hand in hand, so it's almost automatic for me. If I'm standing/sitting up straight, I'm most likely flexing my abs a little as well. I think this simple thing has definitely helped me keep my "baby abs" throughout the years. However, sometimes I use that as a reason not to exercise =X I'm trying to break the habit of telling myself, "if I can still see my abs then I can skip working out today." That is a no no! I would like to get more toned & have more definition. I'm not there yet, & if I keep that mindset of not working out as long as my baby abs are still visible, then I'll never get the abs that I really want!

5. Go exercise!
Didn't see that one coming, did you?! :P Lol. Exercise as much as you can! Take your love & strive to be a FIT couple! Grab a friend & be workout buddies! Go to the gym. Go out for a run. Take dance classes. Go for a hike. Go for a nature walk. Just DO something ACTIVE, & do it often! 

*      *      * 

And wala! That's it :) My simple tips or so-called "secrets" to staying in shape! I hope they help you start off your new year with better & healthier habits! If you have any of your own tips & "secrets" please share them in a comment! :)

I love my husband :)

Chapter 44: An Act of LOVE! My husband's 1st tattoo! [+video]

"So, if you choose always me, I'll make a promise to choose all of you. And if you will follow me now, I'll be always there to follow you..." —Busby Marou [song: All Of You]

My husband getting our wedding date in Roman Numerals
tattooed on his ring finger ♥
Inksmith & Rogers Tattoo [Atlantic Blvd]
www.inksmithtattoo.com @inksmithandrogers
Tattoo artist: Kenny Rice @kennyrice_ir

When you say "I do" on your wedding day, you're saying, "I will always choose you, love you, & take care of you. Forever." Wedding rings are a symbol of love & affection. A tattoo is just another gesture to prove the permanence of your love to your spouse :)

Last week my husband decided to finally get the tattoo that he has been planning to get for the longest time, & I got it all on video [posted below]! The tattoo my husband got is so special to the both of us. It wasn't only a gift to himself, but a gift to me as well. A gift to us. A gift to our marriage. Every time I see it I can't help but smile. I can't even count how many times I've asked to see his tattoo, & he hasn't even had it for a whole week yet! :P He's mentioned that when he catches a glimpse of it in the mirror it makes him happy, & THAT makes me even MORE happy!

What is a tattoo? It's permanent ink on your body through the use of a needle. It's also either:
-A permanent piece of art for you to cherish for the rest of your life [if you got a tattoo with meaning that you thought long & hard about]
-OR it's going to be a piece of regret [if you got a tattoo without thinking hard about it... especially if you weren't in a sober state]

I absolutely LOVE it! It's simple & it's perfect.
We're so happy with the way it turned out! :D

Before my husband & I got married, he told me a long time ago that he was interested in getting a ring finger tattoo. Being in the Navy, my husband has to take his ring off a lot while working on the ship due to safety reasons. We exchanged promise rings in 2009, so he had to deal with taking his ring on & off for years before we got married. There have been a handful of times where we'd have to turn the car around & head back to the ship because my husband left his ring at work. He hates being without his wedding ring, & I love that about him! With our 2nd deployment coming up so soon, my husband wanted to get his tattoo before he deploys. Even though I didn't get to experience getting "inked" myself, I'm glad I don't ever have to go through the anxiety of being without my ring & feeling "naked" without it. I don't have this problem because I never have to take off my ring. The only time I'm without my ring is if I'm showering or taking it to the jewelers for its inspection or cleaning. I must admit, I was pretty stinkin' jealous that I didn't walk out of that tattoo shop with a matching tattoo myself! This was our original plan—we wanted to get our 1st tattoos together. Unfortunately, certain job opportunities don't allow me to have any visible tattoos. I may have to wait to get my 1st tattoo [to match his], but I'm looking forward to that day even more every time I see my husband's tattoo!

My husband already had an idea of what he wanted. He knew he wanted a tattoo of our wedding date in Roman Numerals, & the guys did a great job giving suggestions on what would look better & last longer. The sketch of his tattoo changed quite a few times before my husband decided on one, but the guys were very patient! Finger tattoos are difficult because they fade quicker than other places on your body, so you can't get too detailed or too small with a design, because it won't look good in "X" amount of years. He originally wanted to get our whole date VII VII XII.

First photo with my now tattooed husband! :)
He's EXTRA handsome now!

Why do I want to do this? Why would anyone want to go through this pain? Why would someone do this if they never have to take off their ring in the first place? Sure, if your job requires you to take it off for safety concerns, that makes more sense. But why would anyone else do this?... After your wedding day it's only natural to want to do more to continue to prove your love & show your love to your spouse everyday. We do this because we feel so blessed to have found our soulmate, so we want to make them happy & make sure they always feel loved. My husband showed me a great act of love by getting this tattoo, & I want to show him that same amount of love! What made this day even more special was that he got the tattoo on my Grandma's birthday [rest in peace, grandma]. Needless to say, I love him even more for getting our wedding date tattooed on him forever, & for choosing it as his 1st tattoo. I'm a very lucky lady ♥

--->Click 'HD' to watch the video in better quality<---

Robert's 1st Tattoo! from Darlene Montgomery on Vimeo.

Chapter 43: Hello, 2014! [+video]

"Today is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one"

—Unknown

A friend of mine posted that on her Facebook & I absolutely loved it! It's a new year. Start it off right by always striving to be a better YOU. Sure, that sounds cliché, but who cares? Do what makes you happy. Focus on the GOOD, not the bad. Kick off the new year with positive energy. In the words of Oprah Winfrey, "Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher." Leave whatever may have been dragging you down in 2013, in the past. Start off fresh in 2014 :)

My husband & I celebrated most of our NYE in St. Augustine—the oldest city in the nation! Then we rang in the new year in the comfort of our home. I put together a little video of our day. It would've been nice to celebrate NYE with all of our family, but my husband & I definitely enjoyed our quality time together. He's currently on leave, so I get him all to myself for a few days :) However, it's not enough time together when the visual of the clock ticking closer to our 2nd deployment is on the surface of my mind. We survived our 1st deployment of 6 months in 2011, but this time he'll be deployed for over 9 months.

I try to live in the moment as best I can, but sometimes that's difficult to do. Just the other day I couldn't help but start crying. We were cleaning our apartment, but whenever a favorite slow song would come on Pandora we'd both stop what we were doing & start slow dancing with one another. Whenever I think to myself, "this is something you'll have to live without for 9+ months," I can quickly come undone. These mini-breakdown moments are what fuel me to capture & document our life. I know they'll help me get through the lonely nights while my husband is deployed.

Hello, 2014! from Darlene Montgomery on Vimeo.

Some interesting facts about our video:

-Did you know that balisong knives [aka butterfly knives] are illegal to carry in CA, but they're legal to openly carry in FL? I was impressed with the tricks my husband was doing. I later found out that one of his uncles had one that he used to play with [& ended up breaking on accident]. My husband tried to teach me how to use it, & lets just say that I'm glad we didn't get him a real one with a blade. In other words. I suck at it :P

-Pizza Time was actually a restaurant in Brooklyn, NY! They had photos on the wall of their restaurant in Brooklyn. It was so cool to see a younger photo of the man who handed my husband our pizzas! We definitely recommend that pizza place. It's legit!

-I got my new purse for 80% off :D Such a steal! That shopping trip was a surprise, but I'm happy we stopped at the outlet! I blame one of my best friends for introducing me to Coach purses. I'm glad she did though! Her & my husband both bought me Coach purses as a wedding gift, so I got to start my collection quickly! I was never into designer purses until she showed me hers & told me that they're really good quality. I had a tendency to break most of my purses, especially the small zipper pouch on the inside. The lining would tear or the strap would break because I would stuff my purses with too many things :P I'm happy to say that all of the Coach purses I own are still in mint condition, even with how much I stuff them! I'm definitely sold. However, I don't think I'd ever buy one for regular price! Good thing outlets exist!

-We didn't make it in time to watch the fireworks on the beach, but traffic did come to a complete stop, so we got a nice view from our car & even stepped outside for a little bit. We left before the finale to beat the traffic & make it back home early!

-There are roughly only about 10 alcoholic beverages that we will drink [we're not much of drinkers], & Roscato is one of our favorite wines!

-My husband caught me on camera as I took a photo of an inside joke about being a "rebel" to send to my friend.

Now, if only I video taped our FaceTime with my family [& extended family] in CA! We got to watch them play some sort of charades type of game & stayed up until 3AM to help them ring in the new year! I just wish we got a better view of all the funny gestures they were making during the game :P

Photos from the day...

Chapter 42: A Montgomery Christmas [+video]

"I found the one my heart loves."
—Songs of Solomon 3:4 NIV

Above is the inscription on the inside of the "Mr & Mrs" mugs that I bought for my husband as a Christmas present [as seen in the video]. I also like the other bible translation, "I have found the one whom my soul loves". Whichever translation you prefer, the point of the verse is about having found "the one," & I feel blessed to be able to say that I have.

My husband & I were lucky enough to celebrate Christmas together for the third year in a row. That's pretty rare if you're married to a sailor on sea duty, so we definitely made every moment count! We had our big celebration on Christmas Eve since my husband had duty on Christmas day, but I did get to visit him on the ship for lunch on Christmas!

We had yet another unforgettable Christmas celebration. As always, my husband is just full of surprises, & I definitely didn't see this one coming! He surprised me with a new SLR camera! I didn't think I'd get a new camera for a few years, & he even got me a better model than the one I wanted. I was so shocked at his thoughtfulness, that at one point I didn't feel like I could accept such a big gift. I didn't feel I was deserving of it, but oh was I excited about it! With that said, my husband won, "The Best Surprise Gifter," award :P I had my eye on the Canon EOS Rebel T5i, & he did one better by getting me a Canon EOS 70D. I can't wait to take my photography ventures to another level!

Those who know me well know that I'm big on "documenting" moments through photos, videos, blogging, journaling, etc... Documenting moments is especially important to me now, with my husband's 9+ month deployment coming up. These are the things I look back on to help me get through the lonely & difficult times. We have a limited number of days left together, so I intend to make the most of our time together & to document our life as best as I can! I was so excited to try out my new camera & start getting our Christmas shenanigans filmed, so most of the footage in this little home video I made is shot with my new Canon. I'm amazed at the quality of the footage, especially when viewed in HD. I definitely recommend the camera to anyone who is considering buying it! 

Here is a little 2 1/2 minute glimpse into our Christmas shenanigans...

Click the 'HD' button to watch in high definition!

We had a wonderful Christmas celebration together! I pray that all of our family & friends can say the same!