2010: A Weight Loss Odyssey

or..."New Year, New Me."

So, I know I haven't posted since "Days 3 and 4," but it's definitely NOT because I've "fallen off the wagon" or have been struggling through the holidays. Today, my first day back at work, is honestly the first time since I left for holiday vacation that I have sat down at a computer for an extended amount of time. Any Facebook and Twitter updates have been from the ol' BlackBerry, and I have to say...I've enjoyed my time away from the blinding screen.

However, here we are, back to the daily grind and onto 2010, which I am dubbing the Year After the Reckoning.

Over the holidays, I shared with several family members and close friends my goals to start a healthier lifestyle immediately. First I was going to cut down to 1500 calories or less every day. I wish I had a nickel for every time someone asked me "Dude! Why not just wait until January 1st and enjoy yourself during the holidays?!" Because! I don't want to stuff my face when I'm already unhappy and then have MORE weight to lose come 01/01/10! I am so thankful to those who did NOT give me that crappy sentiment and instead applauded me for taking one of the toughest times of the year to start my weight loss goals and begin my journey toward a healthier ME.

Traveling was the hardest part. Not everyone cooked or prepared a menu that made sticking to my diet easy. We sometimes were in an aiport where my choices were limited. However that's the key word: choices. Every day, I made choices. I chose to only have a little of the raw seafood spread that was an appetizer at my Italian in-laws' Christmas Eve feast, because I knew dinner would follow. I chose not to have cocktails all evening, opting instead for one small glass of red wine for toasting at dinner. I chose not to have Death By Chocolate dessert.

However, I also chose to enjoy a 3-course meal at a French Bistro on Long Island, where we were given a gift card as a Christmas gift. I chose to have a piece of pizza at Ray's Pizza on 53rd in New York City. I chose to drink (too much....oye) on New Year's Eve.

So, even though I felt great and I knew I was making, overall, very good choices, I was ridiculously nervous to step on that scale when we got back from New York. I prayed all the way down the hall, "Please PLEASE God let me have not gained any weight...even if it's EXACTLY the same that's fine!"

I stepped on the scale.......

and I had lost five pounds!

YES! You read that correctly! During the MOST difficult time of the year, I lost FIVE pounds. In 8 days. Which is a lot of weight to lose in a week, I know, but you have to understand that I have changed my diet pretty drastically. A LOT of that was probably water weight and just my body going, "What the...???" I know it won't be that obvious or drastic every week, but DAMN! What a motivator!

I couldn't have been happier. I practically danced down the hall to my husband to share the news. I KNOW I can do this.

Now, I know it won't always be easy, especially the more I lose. I'll probably try to make excuses for myself since I'm losing weight. I'll get lazy. I'll have days when I would kill my own mother for a plate of cheese fries with bacon and ranch dressing....oh man just TYPING that out made me want some.

But it will not override the joy I felt when I saw the results on my scale. :)

So, I AM making changes as of the new year. Today was the first day back to a normal(ish) routine for me, so I've got to add some exercise in. I think that when I get home I'm going to change clothes, stretch, and take the pup for a LONG, brisk walk around the neighborhood. God knows we BOTH can use the exercise.

Next weigh in is on Wednesday morning. Thank you ALL for your comments and support!

Let's go, 2010!

Days 3 and 4

I ask again -- Could I have picked a more difficult time to try to kickstart my diet plan?? But, honestly, if I can make it through the holidays and be stern with myself (but not militant, which could cause ridiculous cravings and horrible bingeing as a result, which would only lead to self-loathing....do you see where I'm going here?), then I can make it through most "normal" times.

Friday night was the cast party for the show I'm working on right now. I was so hungry backstage, so I texted my good buddy and said "HALP WHAT DO I EAT AT CAST PARTY!?" She gave me some helpful suggestions, and told me she'd be asking for a report the next day. Having that kind of accountability really helps me SO much.

My sisters-in-law and I also had our 2nd Annual Holiday Cookie Baking day yesterday. Guh. My sisters-in-law are quite thin (and easily so...it seems like they don't even try), and were munching on Whataburger taquitos when I got there. Luckily I had anticipated this and had eaten on my own before I left the house. I only had a small bite of each kind of cookie we baked (and completely avoided the chocolate self-filling cupcakes - which were filled with cream cheese and chocolate chips) and I drank water most of the day -- after my morning cup of Joe of course.

Last night, after the show, the group all went to Sweetwater in Denton, which was like MY OWN PERSONAL HELL. I knew I wasn't really HUNGRY, but being there and not eating cheese fries or fried pickles or even having a beer was REALLY hard for me. But, I managed, and since I was feeling a bit hungry when I got home, I had a small bowl of Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal instead.

Accomplishments:
* Resisting Temptation at at least 3 separate occasions
* Entering in my calories and coming in at or UNDER my goal
* Telling my friends and family WHY I'm making these choices, so that they don't hound me (or ask me if I'm pregnant) when I avoid snacks and alcohol.

Onward we go.

The Day of Reckoning, plus 1 and 2

Today is my first "official" day after the Day of Reckoning, which occured between 12am and 2am on Wednesday night (or Thursday morning if you want to get all official about it).

This is the first time in my life I have ever counted calories. I've always been against it, and I think it's because of my mother. She is CONSUMED with it, and in a really obnoxious way. I just knew I didn't want to be one of those obnoxious fitness nuts that people can't stand to be around, and so I ended up going wayyyyyyyyy too far the other direction.

It took seeing videos of myself singing at a concert to really wake me up. It also completely killed my buzz of having a very successful musical project come to fruition, but, whatever works I guess. I knew I had to make a change.

Immediately.

Could I have picked a more difficult time to start tracking calories and watching what I eat? Seriously. It's Chistmas time and there is FOOD ALL AROUND ME AT ALL TIMES. This is going to be really hard. But, I did NOT want to just tell myself "Oh, I'll wait until after New Year's to really get started."

It's time to get serious. It's time to make a change. I can already tell that the hardest part is going to be getting my body used to a fairly drastic drop in calorie intake every day. I'm hungry, and I need to buy things that I can snack on without going through my daily calories goal. I know I can do this. I KNOW I can.

This is the beginning of what I hope will be a long and VERY fruitful journey.

Um...hi.

This blog has been seriously neglected over the past several months. One, because I've been busy. Two, because I've kinda been sinking my teeth into my other project, which is my DFW Backstage Blog (see the pretty header below?):

I'm not saying that I'm going to be abandoning this blog forever, but I will encourage any of you who are interested to go ahead and add that puppy to your Google Reader. I still don't post daily over there, but I do post more often, and with more of what I've been busy doing lately (performing, auditioning, stage managing, reviewing shows, etc).

So. How are you? :)

Love is...

No matter how WRONG, I laugh so hard every time I watch/listen to this. Enjoy.

Getting Married Today

By the way, I don't think I ever posted this. Here's a clip of me, my Super Talented Husband,and the rest of the cast of Company in my character's song "Getting Married Today:"

Everybody ______ a Critic

Well, put another script on the shelf for posterity. Crazy For You closed on May 10th after what I feel was a VERY successful run. We sold out the entire second weekend of performances, which is a huge step in the right direction for MTD, and I could not be more proud of this show. The cast, the production team, the crew -- everyone and I mean everyone worked their asses off on this show, and we all were boo-hooing on the last performance. Not just because it was the last performance, but because we truly all formed an emotional bond that I can't describe to anyone who hasn't been a part of such a process. I'm blessed to have known and worked with ALL of them, and my thanks go out to each and every new relationship I formed within this production process.

That being said, the reviews are in, and prove that everyone does in fact have their own opinion and that you can't please everyone! This one was written and posted by John Garcia of The Column, a weekly email group that began as a source for Dallas/Ft. Worth theatre-lovers and has expanded to more than 12,000 subscribers. This one was written by a couple of new reviewers who are just starting their "business" as it were and only have a couple of reviews up.

No matter what, though, nothing will take away from my experience and my views on a wonderful, exhausting, emotional, and rewarding experience.

Now. What's next?

I'm going to be assistant stage managing Denton Community Theatre's production of Don't Dress for Dinner, which is a play opening the first weekend in June, and there's a chance I'll be auditioning for a new adaptation/collaboration piece with a smaller theatre in Denton that same weekend. I'll try to be better at keeping everyone posted. I know, I've been bad...but work + two shows back-to-back = one stressed out and tired and BUSY lady! Summer will be a lot more laid back. :)

P.S. those beautiful photos above were taken by my friend and Very Favorite Photographer, Lynn Michelle when I invited her to be my guest at our preview performance. She rules...as usual.