80 DAYS TO NEW YEARS! (#13)

Creativity Keeps It Fun

​If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know that it is a hard journey based on two main components: diet and exercise. And if you are like me and don’t like to exercise, but love to eat, it becomes really tough to achieve your goal.

Creativity can help overcome any hurdles—even when it comes to dieting and exercising. 
 
So what do I do?
 
For the exercising part, I try not to walk the same route every day. Sometimes I use a treadmill or drive to a local park to break the routine. It’s not only the different views that I take in, but also the walking challenges that different topographies offer.
 
I also include other activities for my exercise: swimming, weights, tennis, etc.  In the last few days, I even thought of starting to take salsa classes. If you think about it, the list of exercise possibilities is endless: aerobic classes, Zumba, Pilates, spin classes, hot yoga, etc.
 
The trick is to vary the workouts…unless you are a person that loves routine.
 
It’s the same trick when it comes to dieting. Creativity can go a long way here—not only by the flavor but also by the dish’s presentation. People tend to eat with their eyes first, then comes the taste. Though there are thousands of low-fat and low-calorie recipes out there, I always try to add my special touch to enhance the look and the flavor. Sometimes I don’t use a recipe, I just create something new with the ingredients I have on hand, like this one:

​Ingredients: 1 lemon, 1 shallot, 1 clove of garlic finely chopped, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, ½ teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 tomato cubed, 1 zucchini, 1 carrot, cilantro (optional), 12 medium shrimp (peeled and deveined), a splash of white wine, salt, black pepper, and ½ cup water.
 
Directions:
Mix shrimp with juice of 1 lemon and let stand for 10 minutes.
Sauté shallot and garlic in coconut oil. Add shrimp and sweet paprika, and sauté until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp only from pan and set aside.
Add tomato to the pan and sauté for 3-5 minutes. While the tomato is cooking, julienne the zucchini and carrot. I use a simple julienne peeler; you can get them for a few dollars at Amazon, Williams-Sonoma, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.
Add zucchini and carrot to the tomato and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the water and cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you choose to use cilantro, now is the time to add it.
Return shrimp to the pan with the vegetables, add a splash of wine and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
 
And that’s it…time to eat!

If you have any divine recipes or tips for creative exercising, please send them my way.
 
Michelle