Beans and Rice

Three straight days of eating only beans and rice for the Prairie Ridge Challenge is complete. Many different thoughts have gone through my head in the past three days. One was why on earth am I doing this (that went through my head a lot). But, I think since Eric and I were doing this together, we didn’t want to let the other down and we’re always up for a good competition. I am not sure my heart was always in the right place during the past few days- at times, I was more excited about the weight loss aspect, then I was about what I was hoping to experience.

What did I experience? A couple of things like a new found appreciation for the hungry and a HUGE reminder to myself on how God has truly blessed us. In the past, I have been a little hard hearted when it came to the hungry- mostly because it didn’t really affect me (selfish I know). Something someone wrote on the discussion pages of the beans and rice challenge really hit home to me. We always see the children of poverty, but I never thought about the parents- sending their kids to bed hungry every night, what a horrible feeling that must be. I take for granted lots of things and my hope is that I will remember this challenge and be more thankful for everything that God has given us.

One thing I did not gain was a new love for pinto beans. After 9 meals of them, (well actually 8, because I thought I might puke if I ate another bean and stuck with just rice) I am not sure if I will ever be able to eat another pinto bean in my life! Breakfast never tasted so good then it did this morning and it was cereal and a banana! Life is all about perspective :)