Dancing and Dishes

My progress in this challenge has been quite an adventure thus far. I can only walk around so much (at an exercise pace), as pretty as my location is, and I hate exercise equipment. I was getting frustrated with my lack of motivation when I picked up last month's issue of Self. One of the articles concerned exercise routines based on personality. It came with a quiz, as magazine editors seem to love those more and more. My result was the more laid-back personality, one that does not care for gyms (DUH!), so they suggested an exercise I felt so stupid for not thinking of in the beginning: Dancing! I love dancing, from ballroom to Latin to swing to modern, so I could not believe that I forgot about it as a possible exercise. Facepalm for my own ditziness.

I am now enjoying getting more active and as I enjoy getting active, the longer I exercise. It also built up my confidence- this past Saturday, I went to a swing dance and was the girl making the rounds, asking just about every guy to dance with me and having a blast, and kept going for longer periods of time than I ever had before!

On to my forte of improving my health: food. It is also the area causing me the most trouble because the people around me (namely, my Dad) don't seem to realize that I'm trying to make healthier choices, even though I told them from the beginning. This started off as a problem because I didn't want to partake in high-calorie meals, but didn't want to hurt Dad's feelings when he cooks. So I turned to side dishes so I could cut down on the entree, but still eat enough that it would make Dad happy.

Then, as I was perusing the pantry, I came across the stash of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice. The different flavors could take any meal and "kick it up a notch." Now, when Dad makes hamburgers, I take one and a bag of Ready Rice (I love Spanish Style for beef!) and I have two meals, either one for lunch and dinner or a family dinner for Dad and me. I also add a good salad or steamed veggies to fill out the meal for myself.

If you want some ideas for Ready Rice, here are some of my favorite combinations:

Spanish Style mixes well with beef or chicken.

Butter and Garlic is awesome combined with chicken or shrimp.

Jasmine is better on the side just about any dish.

Hope you all are also making progress in your endeavors!

<3 Martha