The Next Hundred Pounds

THE MOJO REPORT

One hour on the bike while watching extremely trashy TV (America's Next Top Model re-runs, don't be a hater) --- check.

Training plan for the remainder of the month drawn up --- check.

Refusing to bitch (out loud or mentally) about my injuries --- check.

Use of extremely girly shower gel as reward for working out as well as for mojo enhancement, followed by dressing for dinner --- check.

Inspirational reading --- check, more on that momentarily.

Singing something that makes me feel awesome --- double check, although general awesomeness was somewhat curtailed by loud editorial comments from the Dachshunds. However, I did go back and do the ending again, holding the high Bb extra loud and long, in order to drown out the protests. Was met with Dachshund equivalent of "Hmmph!"

Writing food plan --- no check. Well, five out of six today, and I did eat well even without the plan.

All in all, it was a pretty good day for mojo. I should add to my list of things that make me feel powerful, getting stuff done that I said I'd do. A productive day is a powerful day. And I'm feeling pretty good about my productivity. I practiced, I ran a lot of errands, I worked out, I did a lot of little tasks for my opera workshop, and before I go to bed, I'll do some more work on my desk area. (It's always a big mess and I am trying to get it clean before abandoning it for four months). Furthermore, even though I don't leave until Wednesday, I am packed. Except for those last-minute items, I am packed for four months, three cities, and two significant climate changes. Wooo-hooo!

Speaking of woo-hoos, I'd like to give a shout out to Alan at Pounds Off Playoff for his very nice writeup about this blog and me. Alan has come up with a very fun plan for losing weight: he's trying out 16 different weight loss plans for two weeks each. Two plans "face off" for two weeks each; the plan with which he loses the most is declared the winner and advances to the next "round". What a great way to lose weight, have fun, and educate yourself about a lot of different ways of eating! Alan is extremely organized and so is his blog. He's got a blogging schedule, he profiles people (like moi!) and keeps score. It's a creative concept and a fun blog. Check it out.

Pounds Off Playoff certainly counts for some inspirational reading, but I also happened to check in with Tara Parker Pope's Well Blog and find her timely and tongue-in-cheek invitation to the general public to help the Corn Refiner's Association rename HFCS (overwhelming public favorite: Liquid Death). This counts as inspirational reading because so many of the responders aren't buying into King Corn's propoganda. (However, the number of people who didn't get that the renaming game was a joke and ranted at the Times for supporting King Corn was quite alarming).

Finally, I purchased a long-coveted paperback version of Dr. David A. Kessler's The End of Overeating today. I've been sneaking peeks at bookstores for over a year now, while I waited for it to come out in paperback; it shall be my plane reading and I will, of course, report back to you. 

The mojo-meter has definitely taken an upswing today. Turns out nothing works better than taking action!

THE WOEFUL TOE

Somebody really doesn't want me to work out any time soon.

First on my list of woes: I have some sort of eye infection. It's annoying but will go away soon. Besides, there's a bigger woe: today, while packing to go down to San Antonio for Production Week  of Suor Angelica, I caught my foot on the wheel of a suitcase and either broke or badly sprained my little toe on my right foot --- the foot which is already having problems. It hurt like heck, and within a very short time puffed up. It's quite painful to put weight on it, and I am hobbling about like an old lady.

Fortunately, for the role I am currently singing, I get to use a cane. Meet Yorick.

This terrifying character is the head of my cane. It tells you a little something about my character, who is not much friendlier than Yorick here.

My costume this time around is quite glamourous, much more than one normally sees for this character.

I think I look rather like Madame Arnfeldt from A Little Night Music! Here's a close up of the makeup, done by the marvelous Melanie Steele.

Happily, what with Yorick's aid and the adrenaline, having a bum foot didn't interfere much with my performance in rehearsal this afternoon. I had to wear my Birkenstocks under those voluminous skirts, but I hope by opening on Friday I can get into my character shoes.

I've done really well with writing a food plan for the last couple of days, and making mostly good choices. I packed some healthy snacks to come to the hotel with us, and brought our cereal, almond milk, and fruit from home for breakfast! Hotel breakfasts are a big temptation, and it's way too easy to load up on carbs, sugar, and fat. Not a good plan.

It was very exciting to find Honeycrisp apples in the grocery store this week! Honeycrisp apples are the heralds of fall, and I look forward to them every year. I'll eat at least one a day as long as they're in season --- there is just no other apple that compares. We are also enjoying ripe, sweet canteloupe, and the last of the season's raspberries. There was a time in my life when I didn't get excited about fruit. Things do change!

And now, under Yorick's baleful eye, I need to get to bed. Tomorrow is the Sitzprobe (I know it sounds like an unpleasant medical procedure, but it's simply the first musical run-through with the orchestra) and the orchestra dress. Big, long, day. I hope a night off my feet will help the woeful toe!

PONTIFICATING ABOUT PERFORMING

I hope you'll forgive me if I take a little vacation from blogging about weight loss/health/fitness issues and pontificate about performing just a little. I don't have a blog dedicated to my performing; I tried, once upon a time, but I just can't keep up with more than one. But career and artistic issues certainly impact health and fitness, so there are clear tie-ins, and some readers have indicated that they really enjoy hearing about these things. So here we go.

We had a great orchestra dress last night. Everybody was just "on". It doesn't always happen this way, but this is a cast in which we all really like each other. Furthermore, not only is every singer really well-suited to his or her part, but we are well-suited to each other, and our scene partners in particular. For example, the singers playing Figaro and Susannah really look and sound their parts and have wonderful chemistry. As do David Ward and I as Bartolo and Marcellina. I've worked with many amazing artists but I don't recall ever having quite the connection that David and I have. We sort of read each other's minds, and if one starts playing an idea, the other will follow. And sometimes wonderful things happen by accident, as they did last night. David tripped over a piece of the set that had come loose and fell. He wasn't seriously hurt and was able to finish the scene, but the adrenaline rush we all got spurred everybody on.

Without giving too much away, let me just say that there is this dance I do ... um, sort of a flamenco dance, actually ... completely improvised ... and he is supposed to be horrified by this display and stop me. That's how we've been playing it. Last night, as I came out of a particularly energetic spin, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me to him, and we had a "Rawr!" moment. If you know the play, or the characters, this has the potential to be very funny. Bartolo and Marcellina are middle-aged former lovers who had an illegitimate child together and went their separate ways; on public discovery of this child as an adult, Bartolo has been rather forced to marry Marcellina and is pretty ambivalent about it, while she's been dying to get her claws into any man who will actually marry her. So to see this old flame rekindled is ... well, it's pretty funny if I do say so myself. I hope we can make it work again, and that the director likes it.

Your goal --- well, at least, my goal --- as a performer is to keep the character fresh. It's never about learning what you are supposed to do when and then dutifully hitting your marks like a trained pony. At least, it shouldn't be. I see some of the young artists doing this, unaware; but that's why they're apprentices, and they'll learn. Opera is not like what we singers call "straight acting" (acting without music); you cannot afford to get completely lost in your role because you must keep pace with the conductor, the orchestra, and your colleagues. It takes a great deal of physical control to sing properly, and if you allow yourself to get too emotional, it affects your ability to sing. It is possible to completely lose yourself in a role, but this can only happen with good results when your muscle memory, understanding of the piece, and trust in your colleagues is so strong that they will keep working even while your personality takes a little vacation inside the character's.

It's rare for me to lose myself completely in a role, though it's happened; it only happens with very dramatic and emotional roles. And Marcellina is not one of these, although I am pleased to say that I think we have found the honesty and truth beneath the comedy and there are actually some rather touching moments, which is lovely and rare in a show like this. What can happen, however, and what I strive for, is to constantly enrich and detail my character (while staying true to the director's intentions). 

I'm very grateful for the opportunity to sing Mozart's beautiful score with such fantastic colleagues, and to be allowed to realize this character in a way which suits my personality and abilities. 

Yesterday, I did my Power 90 Sculpt DVD, plus 100 crunches. And I did very well with my food plan up until the cast gathering after the rehearsal. We're all starving by that time, and I ate my planned food and then some. It was quite late by the time we all staggered off to bed, and I neglected to make a food plan for today. I planned to do it first thing in the morning. Well, this morning around 5 a.m. a frighteningly violent thunderstorm blew in. The winds were so high, the rain was horizontal. It hit my window with such force that I was afraid it would break. I was also concerned that there might be a tornado warning; so I got up and turned on the TV. Fortunately, there was no tornado, so I staggered back to bed and dozed through the rest of the storm, only to be awakened again by the birdies ecstatically heralding its end. I did finally get back to sleep for a while, but the food plan never quite got written down. 

I did my cardio and 200 crunches first thing, and felt pretty virtuous. By the time I got ready to face the day, it was lunchtime. We had a reception, and being uncertain of what kind of food would be available, I grabbed a cold slice of veggie pizza (light on sauce and cheese). That kept me from pigging out at the reception, although I certainly could have done better with the desserts. I had a modest dinner before heading to the theater, because I know I will want to eat afterwards. We're just all expending too much energy and sweat not to be hungry after.

So here I sit, at the final Figaro dress, and as soon as I sign off here I am writing that food plan for tomorrow! No more leaving it to the last moment! And I hope the weather is better tomorrow, so I can run. I have to make the most of the few days off we get.

WEEKEND UPDATE, WITH PAGEANT HAIR

What a weekend. I apologize for not updating sooner, but the internet connection in the hotel was lousy, and I eventually gave up.

On Friday night, I sang the gorgeous Elgar Sea Pictures in concert with orchestra; my first outing with these songs, and I was very pleased with how it went. I was also pleased with my dress. I bought it back in the fall and haven 't had a chance to wear it. Calvin Klein never lets me down. He knows how to design for curvy girls.

Note the matching pedicure:

Klassy with a capital K, no? ;)

Not quite a week ago, in the midst of producing an opera (by which I mean: company administration,stage direction, stage management, lighting design, props production and mastery, set design and schlepping, house management, and so on), I got a call from a conductor with whom I have worked on numerous occasions. Could I come down to Laredo this weekend to sing the Mozart Coronation Mass? 

I had never looked at a score. I had never heard the score.But a pro doesn't let a little thing like that stop her. I consulted some trusted advisers who said things like "yeah, you can learn it in fifteen minutes". I grabbed a score and started cramming like a college student who's put off studying for finals. On Saturday morning, I hit every Barnes and Noble in town until I found one that had a recording, popped it in my boombox, and drove the four hours down to Laredo listening over and over, and sneaking glances at the open score on the seat next to me. Oprah would have had a fit if she knew. Fortunately, once you clear San Antonio, it's pretty much a straight shot down. No turns, nothing to run into or fall off of. It's straight, it's flat, all the way down to Mexico.

I arrived just in time to meet up with my friend Suzanne and do a little quick shopping for Mexican pottery (score!) and having some dinner before rehearsal. Now, unless you are jonsing for some excellent Tex-Mex, there are not a lot of fine dining options in Laredo. It is the home of every chain restaurant known to man, but the good home cooking is all Tex Mex, which is a pretty fattening, carb-loaded cuisine. We went to Logan's Roadhouse, a steak place, where we were able to get our meat prepared plainly (I asked for no seasoning on mine) and sides of salad and veggies also simply prepared.

Then it was off to the orchestra rehearsal, which went well, and then back to the hotel, where there was a quinceneara in progress. The music was pounding, and I feared that it would penetrate upstairs to my room on the 7th floor, but thankfully, it did not. It was quite an extravagant party, as these things tend to be, but la quinceneara looked beautiful in her red and white ball gown. It was sweet.

On Sunday morning, there was a breakfast buffet at the hotel. These things are always dangerous for me; I feel compelled to "get my money's worth" even if it's free!  But I told myself that I really did not want to stuff myself; and I needed to eat healthy, especially since I planned on TexMex that evening. So I did well: fresh fruit, including sweet, delicious local grapefruit and oranges; an omelette with lots of fresh veggies, and a biscuit. For lunch, it was back to chain restaurants. I wouldn't normally eat at Red Lobster, because they buy from Canadian fisheries who support the inhumane slaughter of baby seals. But my choices were limited, and I wanted healthy food. I must say, they prepared my meal exactly as I asked --- wood grilled fish with no seasoning (yet still moist and flavorful) and steamed broccoli and asparagus, also unseasoned. If they change stop supporting the seal killers, I wouldn't have a problem eating there.

Too bad I didn't get a decent photo of my concert gown. I did attempt to snap a pic of my big giant pageant hair.

It's a mess here, but by the time I went on stage it had calmed down.

I did get a fun photo as I entered the campus. Where else but Texas would you find such an admonishment at the entrance to a university campus? (Click for a bigger view).

The concert went off without a hitch, and afterwards I went to dinner with my friends Suzanne and Fritz at my favorite Laredo TexMex joint, Palenque Grill. Parrilladas, mmm! They have the best charro beans and homemade tortillas. Still, I managed not to overdo, and the parrilladas are grilled and pretty healthy. I did stop for ice cream on the way home. When it's this hot out, I almost constantly crave something cold and creamy.

Another long drive home, without stopping, until the very end when I had to pull off at Walmart at 10:30 p.m. because I had forgotten that I promised my students snacks and prizes at their final today. I always provide snacks and silly little prizes at my Fundamentals of Singing finals.

I was up bright and early today for juries and finals, and when I got home it was time for a run. It was hot, and it was hard. The Evil Little Voices started in almost from the very beginning, telling me how tired I was, how hot it was, what a long day it had been, how hard this run was going to be ... and then a new voice piped up. It was my Runner Voice, and it said quite drily, "You can make all the excuses you want, but you're not going to stop."

And I didn't. I ran for a full hour, which was about 15 minutes longer than I really felt like doing, and it was hard but it was also just fine. Then I came home and did my weight lifting DVD. And now I am exhausted, but it's all good. When I got out of the shower after my workout, my sweet husband said, "You look like you've lost more weight! You look great, baby."

And that makes any amount of hard running worth it!

OF SHOES AND SNOW ... A LOT OF SNOW

Apparently, I picked the worst possible weekend to come to New York for coachings. All that cute, fluffy snow we got in Texas last week came on up here, too, and turned slushy and nasty. And there is a LOT of it.

The courtyard beneath my window, yesterday afternoon.

The courtyard beneath my window, this morning.

Unfazed although insufficiently prepared for this kind of weather, I got out in the thick of it yesterday afternoon. My first stop was the first shoe store I saw, where I paid way more for a pair of waterproof boots than I would have liked; but they are nice and can be worn as regular shoes, and my feet are humongous and hard to fit. I was just happy to find something.

Then, I made my slow way over to Jackrabbit Fitness on the East Side to meet my friend Robin, works there, and with whom I had a date to try on running shoes. Jackrabbit really does shoe fitting up right. First, you're given a pair of "neutral" shoes to try on, and your fitter films you running on a treadmill for a few seconds. Then she reviews the frames and determines what kind of runner you are: neutral; overpronater (foot rolls in too much); or suppinater aka underpronater (foot rolls out too much). How your foot behaves determines what kind of shoe you need. Robin declared me a neutral runner and biomechanically efficient---yippee, I'm efficient at something athletic! --- and after showing me several pairs of shoes, helped me narrow it down to two pair. I was  surprised at how wide a width I needed. I am accustomed to wearing shoes that just don't fit.

I'm excited to get my new running shoes, the first really "fancy" ones I've had. Now that I've been running for over a year, I guess it's time to invest in some really high quality gear. It will be interesting to see whether these make a difference. And next, I have my eye on a Garmin 405 Forerunner. Get out the gutting knife and start heating the pan; I've been hooked.

I had planned to run while here in NY, but with this kind of snow on the ground and the tale of the poor man who was killed by a falling tree branch while walking through Central Park, I decided to skip today at least. The intrepid Robin did her run in Central Park and reported it to be beautiful and fun, so of course I am jealous and want to go myself. However, I did get some exercise in, just slogging through the piles on the sidewalk and leaping puddles of slush at every street crossing, my jeans rolled up to keep them dry (in my black boots, I looked like I was wearing the original Star Trek uniform ... you know, those sexy highwaters paired with short booties!). I did an hour and a half coaching on two of my upcoming roles --- singing is most definitely a workout --- and later braved the slush puddles to walk about 20 blocks to dinner.

Back home, my Power 90 DVDs came in, and I am eager to get started. It's a six day per week program, and that's a big time commitment right now, especially on top of my training runs and Pilates class, which I am not willing to give up. I may start with the six-day Fat Burner program.

One of the decisions I have to make, along with whether I currently can dedicate the time to do this program as written, is whether to also follow their high protein-low carb diet. I have no problem with that, except that their recommendations are all focused on meat. While I still eat meat, I don't eat much of it, and I like it that way. But I can, of course, substitute beans, seitan (a new favorite), tofu, and tempeh for all the chicken and turkey they want you to eat.

What I am most leery of is "going on a diet", because the minute you stop eating in the prescribed way, the weight comes back on. I know I need to transition my eating back to something closer to what I was doing when I started; but the absolute key is that it must be sustainable. I like food and I like cooking. Seaming some veggies and microwaving a turkey breast is not going to satisfy my tastebuds, my tummy, OR my creativity ... and frankly, the only way for me to be successful in this is to keep all three entertained.

So, I'll be spending some time pondering both schedule and food plan over the next several days. I really want to do this. So I will find a way!