Ay Amor

I'm too uninspired this morning (read: not awake just yet) to do my quote of the day so that will have to come later.

But, I do have good news. I got on the scale this morning and I met my goal for the last week. Right on the nose, in fact. Obviously the very slight change in diet (really, it's not totally different - just smaller portions and no carbs or very few after 4pm), working out 4x week and a half hour of cardio 3x a week has worked. The thing is, I hate hate hate working out. I hate the resistance training, I hate running on that elliptical and above all else, I hate the stomach crunches and planks. But now I have a reason to want to do it. Turns out it's not the weight loss that's motivating me. It's that I love the bellydancing so much and I know that the weights and crunches will help me be better at it and the resistance training will make my arms more toned and leaner which will make the snake arms look better. Snake arms are far more attractive when there's not sacks of fat flying about.. Ok, maybe it's not that bad but would I be a woman if I was in love with my arms? It's stunning to have found a whole new reason to want to get fit that has nothing to do with vanity. It's that I want to get better at something else, something that's self-expressive.

Anyway, I was looking for some online stuff on bellydancing because I'm having a tough time grasping ribcage circles/thrusts. While doing so, I read that Shakira's dance training is actually in bellydance. I recalled a guy I dated once who stated, and I quote, "If I found a girl who could dance like Shakira, I'd marry her on the spot." The thing I read went on to say the influence of that dance is most evident in La Tortura video. Now, I will practice with Shakira music (which now, duh, makes sense why) and the obvious Hips Don't Lie is good but I also like La Tortura as well. But never have seen any of her videos so I had no clue of what the article was refering to. I'm too old to sit around watching MTV these days. So I actually paid 1.99 on iTunes to download the video. And I totally see the basic bellydance moves with a salsa twist. And I know I have a looooong way to go but why not?

Incidentally, if I ever do learn to dance like Shakira (which I suspect I will if I stick with it) and am brave enough to do it outside of class and the house...I will not marry him. He was a dork. :-D