singer1961’s BodyBlog

Well, I survived my crazy weekend!  The audience loved the jazz band’s R&B and rock set.  I never thought "Ms. Former Opera Singer" would be in a band playing that kind of stuff - but it was fun!  I never thought I’d go from singing in "La Boheme" to playing guitar and singing back-up on Lay Down Sally! 

Anyway, I ate really well at the fair on Monday.  I only had 4 meals, I usually try to get in 5 or 6, but I didn’t bring enough food and there was nothing there that was worth eating.  I’m feeling better, much better, actually.  I only slept a few hours Sunday night, but I was able to get a nap in the afternoon in the back of the truck.  I slept pretty well last night and have been getting the essential oil treatments regularly, so I felt up to a cardio workout this morning.  I didn’t work quite as hard as usual, but pretty good for just coming back.

A friend at the fair told me a horror story of her bout with shingles, so I feel very thankful at how well I’m doing.  I’ll be back to normal real soon at the rate I’m improving.  I’ll try to do weights tomorrow.  We’ll see how that goes.

Thanks for listening!  Have a wonderful day.

I’ve already missed two diet posts.  Oh dear!  But I think I have a good excuse.  I finally realized that the rash on my back that has been bothering me so much is shingles.  Friday, I skipped out early from a contest my singing students were in because sitting in the chair was so uncomfortable and I just felt generally yucky.  I came home early, grumpy and in pain.  I spent the evening getting ready for performing on Saturday in Portland.  I just was not up to going on the computer except to research natural remedies for shingles.  My husband gave me a really good treatment with essential oils and then some apple cider vinegar and several supplements.  I felt much better, but still did not sleep well from the discomfort.

Saturday morning we repeated the treatment and I felt much, much better!  Then a 2 hour drive, 2 hour set-up, almost 3 hours of performing with some essential oils on my back a few times and I did pretty well until about 4 pm.  We had to stick around until about 6:00.  I think I did too much and pretty soon the treatments weren’t helping.  The drive home was miserable.  When I got home I went straight to bed.  I managed to stay awake until 9:30.  My husband gave me another treatment and I slept for 11 hours, but I woke up a lot from the discomfort. 

I skipped church this morning, 2 hours in a chair would be more than I could handle right now.  But, I have the Portland gig on Monday again.  But I won’t be performing as much that day.  I just have some of my students performing, one set with the band, then stick around to make sure all goes well for the rest of the day (I’m entertainment coordinator for the event) and I can leave when the last band starts to play.  I may see if I can lay down in the truck in the middle of the day for a little while so I don’t get so burned out this time.

I skipped workout on Friday because I was so uncomfortable and tired and Saturday is my regular day off.  I may workout later today if I’m up to it.  I really don’t want to get out of my good habit of working out 6 days a week.  The gym is closed on Monday and I’ll be gone all day.  If I feel good enough and it doesn’t rain (but this is western Oregon, it always rains!), I can run on the track for my cardio.  So I’ll try to do the upper body workout I missed Friday today and run on Monday when I get home from Portland.  Then I can get back on my regular schedule on Tuesday.  Sigh….why did I have to get this during my BFL contest?  Oh well, it will show how important this is to me. 

As far as my diet goes, I’ve been really good!  I had gained some weight and now have lost most of it again.  Friday I stayed on my diet to the letter!  Saturday is my normal cheat day, but I ate perfect except for sharing a small bag of kettle corn.  I wonder if the sugar in the kettle corn increased my crash Saturday afternoon?  I wouldn’t be surprised since my body is in a rather precarious place right now as it is.

Well, thanks for listening!  I hope all of you are well, and healthier than me!  But I’ll be back on my feet soon.

Two rehearsals today made it easy for me not to eat too much, but left my poor fingers pretty sore.  I haven’t been playing the guitar enough lately, the calluses are going away.   Well, here’s my diet for today.  Knowing someone may read this helps me keep my diet in line!  I’ve gotten into good exercise habits (6 days a week), but still need to work on my diet to lose those last 20 pounds.

7:30 am, 8 oz water with MSM and ThermaBurn

8:00 am, 2 eggs, 1 cup veggies, 1/4 cup salsa, 1 piece Ezekial bread toast with butter

9:30 am, cardio workout

10:30 am, whey shake with 8 oz raw goat milk (I know it’s high in fat, but easy to digest, and we have our own goats), 2/3 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt, 1 TB flax oil, 1TB ground flax seed

12:30 pm, 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese, 1/2 cup mandarin oranges

1:30 pm, chicken breast

4:00 pm, 1/2 orange

5:30 pm, spaghetti with extra lean ground beef, on spaghetti squash instead of noodles (I usually overeat this kind of thing, but not this time!), olives and 2 TB parmesan cheese, 6 baby carrots

10:00 pm, Casien whey shake

11:00 pm, MSM and ThermaBurn in water

I don’t think I drank enough water today, oh well, I’ll do better tomorrow.

I forgot to take a snack to band practice, so I went too long without food.  That made it hard not to eat a bunch when I got home at 10 pm. 

Oh, and last night I said I was going to have a casien shake before bed, but I didn’t.  I wasn’t hungry at all, I ate my snack so late, I didn’t want it.

Thanks to my friends and visitors who encourage me!  You guys are wonderful.

As promised, here’s the diet for today.  This really helped!  I passed up several opportunities to eat some extras, but I knew I’d have to report it, so I managed to do quite well today!  Yeah!  Being at work always helps.  I bring all my food and there are no temptations around.  I usually have more trouble when I’m at home.  I’ll be home most of the day tomorrow.  That will be hard!

7:30 am, MSM and ThermaBurn in 8 oz water

8:00 am lower body workout, 16 oz water

9:30 am, 2 eggs, 1 cup frozen Asian vegetables, 1/4 cup salsa, 1 pc. Ezekial bread toast with butter

12 noon, soy protien shake with 8 oz. water, 1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt, 2/3 cup frozen strawberries, 1 Tablespoon flax oil, 1 TB flax seed, 1/4 tsp stevia

2:30 pm, large mixed green salad with clover sprouts, canned beets, wild turkey, homemade dressing (flax oil, raw apple cider vinegar & lemon juice)

6 pm, EAS carb control protien drink

8:30 pm, chicken breast (probably 1 1/2 servings), 1 cup brown & wild rice cooked in chicken boullion with 1 TB raisins and 1 tsp sunflower seeds roasted in olive oil

10:30 or 11, (I haven’t had it yet, it’s only 9:30) Casien whey shake with 12 oz water, MSM and ThermaBurn

I drank 48 additional ounces of water while at work

I had 2 bites of my kids’ Hamburger Helper

So there it is.  Thanks for listening!

Thanks to the people who have offered diet advice.  I’m looking into your suggestions.  I’ve also decided that I need more accountability into what I eat, so - I can’t believe I’m going to do this, but - I’m going to post everything I eat every evening.  I know it may be boring reading, but knowing that someone may actually read it will certainly help me with my self control!

That is the main reason I made a bodyspace page - to help with my accountability and motivation.  I need to find what ever works for me.  So thanks to those of you who actually read this!  You’re helping me get healthier.  Please feel free to comment (on both good and bad days).  I can’t believe I said that - that’s scary!  But I really want to be able to post those ab pictures, so I’ve got to be able to see muscles.  Knowing that I want to post ab pictures by mid-July doesn’t help my eating today very much.  I need short-term incentive. 

So, I’ll be posting my diet tonight by about 10 pm West Coast time.  If I don’t do it, you can hassle me!

Wishing everyone a blessed day.

My husband and I drove up to Foster Reservoir and took new pics.  I’m pleased.  We’re getting better at taking pictures.  I feel very good about the progress on my muscle development, but not so great on the weight loss.  Sigh….. You’ll notice there still are no ab shots.  I’ll post a "before" ab shot when I have an "after" shot that shows some muscle.  It will take a much lower fat % to see anything there. 

I missed my first workout since starting the Body for Life.  Saturday is my normal rest day, and on Saturday my jazz band practiced from 10 to 3, then I left for a gig with the band at 6 and got home about 12:30.  I managed to stay awake through church Sunday morning, but just couldn’t stay awake to go work out before going to my mom’s house for Mother’s Day. 

My diet was great on Monday and Tuesday, but I broke down and had ice cream for dinner on Wednesday.  Then today (Thursday) was my cheat day since my husband and I spent a fun day together - mushroom onion swiss burger, onion rings, root beer and more ice cream!  I’m going to pay for that tomorrow!  Back to strict Friday and Saturday, one cheat meal on Sunday, then good all next week!  I have a big gig on the 24th and I want to wear a cute dress.  I don’t know if I’ll make my weight goal for that, but I’m not going to miss any workouts! 

I hope everyone out there is doing great.  Keep on working!  The only people who fail and the ones who quit!

I have gotten several compliments this past week!  People have asked if I have lost more weight (I haven’t).  But apparently, it looks like it.  I’ve been really good about working out.  It’s a habit to go every morning.  I feel so good about that.  It has really boosted my spirit!  I do have lazy days where I go, but don’t put much effort into it, like today, but they are rare.  I usually perk up once I get to the gym and really work.  Today, I did a great back workout, and pretty good on my shoulders (my weakness), but the rest was a bust.  I usually really look forward to doing biceps, but not today.  Oh well, there’s next time.

I have been eating SO much, but mostly the right stuff so my weight is staying the same.  Before I would have gained lots eating this much.  I think my body is getting over the lowered metabolism of my diet last year.  If I can just cut out the extras that I’ve been eating, I’ll lose weight and gain muscle.  I think if I can have just 3 or 4 perfect diet days this coming week and then the rest of the week like I’ve been doing I can start losing again without sacrificing muscle.

New progress pictures next week.  I hope I can see improvement.

I have a big gig in Portland with the jazz band Memorial Day weekend.  It’s outside.  If the weather is nice I want to wear a skirt or dress that shows some leg.  I’d love to really show some muscle!  I’m already working on the tan.  I’d love to lose 5 pounds by that show.  I should buy a dress now for motivation.  Hm….I see some shopping in my future.  Now that’s motivating!

Have a blessed week!