Resistance Need Not Be Futile

So today was one of the prime chocolate holidays.  Not only that but I did not indulge in one of my favorite seasonal treats, Hot Cross Buns, for the whole Lenten season..  I am looking toward holidays not because of the food associated with them but because of the family memories and the celebration of my faith.

Today for Easter I made a marinated pork roast and sweet potatoes mixed with mangoes and sugar free caramel syrup.  Everyone enjoyed the dinner but there was some protest from my daughter because I did not make my traditional bunny cake.  I haven't quite made it to where I can bake things I won't be eating.   I don't know if I'm strong enough yet to make frosting but not taste it.  Maybe by next Easter my family will be eating healthier on their own.

Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan

The Best Intentions

Well so much for jumping back into my fitness routine.  Enter stage left the nastiest cold I've had in a long time.  I can't remember the last time my head felt like it was going to explode from all the pressure in my sinuses.  I said I was hoarse after the opera but I had no idea how much worse I was going to feel.  I worked on Monday and Tuesday but by Wednesday morning I felt too miserable to take care of sick people.  I was off today as usual but I still am coughing and sneezing too much to go in tomorrow.

Today I tried irrigating my sinuses with saline.  Some people swear by this but I get only a brief respite.  As I still have sleep apnea I must sleep with a c-pap machine.  With a machine blasting air into my  nose all night the nasal secretions get really packed up there in my head.  My nose is very red and tender in spite of using the Puffs with lotion tissues.

So needless to say I haven't gotten back to the gym yet.  As for my food diary I start out in the morning but have not kept up with it all day.  I'm eating a lot of the sugar free popsicles to soothe my throat.  Tonight I made myself some French onion soup.  It was pretty yummy.  Maybe tomorrow I'll make myself some Five Alarm Chili to get things cleared out.

Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan

I tried to place this as a gadget on the edge of the blog but it didn't work for me.  My HTML sklls are pretty minimal.  I do love this site however.  It allows me to track my foods and exercise from both my home computer and my Iphone.  It is really simpler to use than the site I was using before.

a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com">

MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

Back From My Alternate Life

Now this picture is a little scary.  Understand that I was onstage with about twenty people who were dressed much like me.  Our characters were basically crazy, bloodthirsty natives who sing in French.  Don't ask me to explain opera.  Its bigger than life.  I was supposed to be barefoot but I wore the flip flops backstage.

I took a week off from the hospital and most of my family responsibilities for a week of being strictly a performer.  I also took a week off from the gym and documenting my food intake.  Both my meals and my waking hours were drastically different.  While I didn't get too far off my usual foods I did have more times when I snacked rather than did full meals.  Towards the end of the week I started having a scratchy throat.  I was worried I would not have any voice for the final performance on Sunday afternoon.  However the pipes held up till the end.  I'm hoarse now but who cares?

On Saturday I attended a baby shower for my fifth grandchild.  I chose wisely from the buffet.  For dessert I did indulge in one huge strawberry that was dipped in dark chocolate.  I did not suffer the dreaded dumping syndrome.  It was delicious and I stopped at only one strawberry.

Today I was back to my normal routine of working and keeping track of my calories.  I am trying to park farther from my destinations everywhere including work.  I go back to the gym tomorrow (I wanted to catch up with Dancing With the Stars tonight even though I dozed off a couple of times).

As for my weight I've now lost 135 lbs.  People are surprised that I still want to lose about 100 lbs more.  I'll do it though.

Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan

Enduring Hell Week

What is it about performing in an opera that makes me hungry?  Some of the best food I've had in my life was late at night after an opera production.  I don't really think it was the food per se but my appetite.  Before performance I usually don't feel like eating very much.  A full stomach (even without one that has been surgically decreased) does not work well with singing in an opera.  Usually I have something in the dressing room to nibble on.  So far this week I've brought a nice naval orange and some Glucerna Snack Bars with me each night of rehearsal.

 Thursday morning was our early day.  We have a ten a.m. dress rehearsal with an audience of middle and high school students.  Since we were up till 10:30 p.m. the night before doing our first dress rehearsal I did not wake early enough to do much for breakfast.  I had a Pure Protein Shake in the car on the way to the theater.  I was late for the 8:30 call but I was ready when the curtain went up.  After the performance notes following the show I was ready for meat.  I stopped at McD's for a regular cheeseburger.  Just the burger.  No diet Coke or fries.  OK I ate one of my son's fries.  Only one.

I took a nice nap in the afternoon.  When I got up at dinnertime I had a reasonable dinner but I had the munchies all night.  I think it is because I'm just really tired and if I had any sense I'd just go back to bed.  Tomorrow night is the first performance for the paying audience.  Opera is more physical than I expected.  It is in our company anyway.  We do a lot of running around while we are singing..  At least I'm in much better shape than I used to be.

Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan

Surviving the Cheesecake Factory

Yesterday after a day of painting scenery our director Dan took us to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.  I was a little apprehensive about going there because, of course, the main attraction is cheesecake.  Nevertheless I don't get out to eat much and I went along.

I got a wonderful beet, goat cheese, pecan and arugula salad.  After I saw it I realized I'd had it the only other time I'd eaten there.  For an entrée what I got was actually an appetizer - Vietnamese Summer rolls (kind of like spring rolls filled with shrimp and asparagus.  There were three of the summer rolls so I ate one and brought two home.  The food was delicious and I felt satisfied.  I was doing well when on the way out my companions decided to get some cheesecake to take home.  We went to the display case near the entrance and as I stood there looking at all the desserts I became overwhelmed at the sight of them.  It all looked so irresistible that I had to get out of there.  I told my friends I'd meet them at the car.

Next to the restaurant there is a Whole Foods Market.  I went in there to get some fruit.  I got a container of cut up strawberries, kiwi and mango to have later during rehearsal.  I was looking at the protein bars and discovered Think Thin Bites.  I bought two boxes one white chocolate raspberry and one chocolate toffee nut.  The bars are 100 calories each with 8 grams of protein for the raspberry and 6 grams for the chocolate toffee nut.  I had been buying Glucerna mini bars which are 70 or 80 calories apiece.  For the few extra calories they are well worth it.  I've found a new favorite treat to tuck into my lunch box or purse.  I arrived at the car with my goodies ahead of my friends and felt very proud of my self for thwarting temptation.

Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan

Journal Keeping

I may be 130 lbs thinner but I'm still me.  I find myself late at night at the computer and have irresistible urges to snack.  True I'm not eating sweets or high calorie snacks but it bothers me when I get out of control.  I picked up an old PEOPLE magazine today I found in the waiting room at work.  It is a special double issue that focuses on celebrities and regular folks who've had significant weight losses. I picked up some interesting recipes and a good idea, a food reaction journal.  In other words, write down what I feel before and after I eat something.  I feel like this will really help me with the night nosh problem.  

I've had my I Phone for less than two weeks and I pick up new apps nearly every day on recommendations of friends.  One great one is My Fitness Pal.  Its a food and exercise log which is easier to use than Fitday.com.  In addition, I can use the same account with  my phone and my home computer, something Fitday doesn't do.  (There is a Fitday mobile but it does not hook up with the other version).  The myfitnesspal.com has the advantage of being able to log everything right away.  

A doctor at work today saw me and told me he's never seen me look better.  He was so happy for me he gave me a big hug!  What a surprise!  Good wishes sure keep me going.  

Love to all, 

Marlena of Mohegan

Sunday Night Wrap Up

The weatherman fooled us after all.  We had some snowflakes but they never piled up anywhere.  I'm very happy about that.



Tonight I'm boiling some chicken leg bones for my opera costume.  WHAT?  You read that right.  The Pearl Fishers is set in ancient Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).  Our director wants us to look very primitive.  We are wearing Thai fisherman's pants with a loose fitting top.  The men will be bare chested and wearing turbans.  We women need to wear wigs or frightful looking hair.  We are all supposed to accessorize  ourselves appropriately.  I decided to use chicken leg bones for jewelry or hair ornaments.  I have not figured this all out yet but I've invented some pretty unique looks for myself in previous operas.

This was my gypsy look for Il Trovatore

Believe it or not the Easter Basket was for Otello (an updated version)  Our director says this is his favorite.  

This was for the Mardi Gras scene in Mefistofele.  My concept was Carmen Miranda meets Marge Simpson.  It was rather heavy to wear but I had fun making and performing in it.  

This was for Madama Butterfly.  I made the kimono myself.  The fabric was authentic Japanese.  I wish the wig had been fuller so I could have done more ornamentation.  

The necessity for doing my own costumes was evident in my first opera when the costumer didn't have much to fit me.  We sometimes rent costumes but there isn't much that I could wear.  The only exception was the two times we were nuns so I could wear what everyone else wore.  This time, being much thinner,  I did not have to do any alterations to make room.  

Busy times for the next two weeks. 

Love to all, 

Marlena of Mohegan.