Performance Day!

Mornin' Folks!

It's a cold one here on the East Coast!!! Brrrr!!!!

I awoke early and happy this morning...and no detoxy feelings...although my little tummy is a-grumblin', so i'm definitely hungry!

Here are some images from yesterday's performance day!!! That's me in my new dress (care of Salvation Army for 6$) outside of my house in Manayunk, and there's me and Alex after we performed our show "From Opera to Broadway!" It was a success! More about that later!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I'm writing this on Wednesday night after my successful performance of "From Opera To Broadway" at the Masonic Village in Lafayette Hill!!! Several of the audience members came up to us afterwards and said it was the best show they've ever had. How nice!!!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Here's what i ate/wrote/did today [which was yesterday...i wrote all of this yesterday]

BREAKFAST: several cups of fresh juice made of cherry tomatoes, 1 large head celery, 4 big carrots, 1/2 cucumber, 2 small radishes, 3 apples. Produced lots of juice. Cliff had a cup and i've been drinking the rest this whole morning.

juicing is a grind, literally!...but somebody's gotta do it!

It's 11:30 a.m. now. I feel LOTS of energy now after having juiced and after having drunk it over several hours! But, this morning when i awoke? Whew...woozy. Maybe i was just...hungry? Don't feel any detox symptoms now after i juiced. Feeling MUCH better!

Nerves about singing tonight. Nerves about warming up. I had a lesson with a new teacher and am working on implementing what she taught me.

I'm out of food at home, need to color my hair, warm up and meet Alex for a short rehearsal before performing.

Nervous!!!!

SNACK: some green grapes, the rest of the juice.

Went shopping! Met a nice checker who asked me if i make smoothies with all of the bananas i was buying! 'Why, yes!' i exclaimed. I told her about green smoothies. She told me she adds flax to her smoothies. What a pure raw joy to meet a kindred spirit at the SHOP RITE!!!

LINNER: 4p.m: Creamy Curry Salad - the same curry pate i've been using on a bed of greens. It's almost finished...time for a new one!

Met Alex at 5:30p.m. Had the performance at 7pm. Hungry afterwards! Glad i was only 15 mins away from home!

DINNER POST SHOW: Shake - 6 bananas, icecubes, agave, vanilla. LOTS of shredded organic non sweetened coconut flakes folded in.

I was SOOOO hungry. I enjoyed my shake very very much. I make it thick and eat out of a bowl with a spoon. I like that. it makes me think i'm 'eating' something, and not just 'drinking' everything. Although i had been dreaming in the car ride home of making myself a nori wrap with some kind of heavenly pate, using the real pickled ginger and wasabi i have in the fridge.... It dawned on me i could have one tomorrow at work, instead of eating heavy right before bed, (reflux time). Very good of me to delay gratification! I think i'll make one with avo or nutpate tomorrow, but keep out the salt!!!

WORK: Wow, i have to work tomorrow....and this will be the first time i'll be on my new plan at work. Wish me luck!!! I plan to juice in the a.m. at home....and have smoothies/whips at work and a good treat lunch. I am thinking i would like to have 2 slices of raw living bread - we've been making it alot less salty, with the 'steak' which is a salt free burger, and i'll make my own salt free sauce to put on top, with lots of veggies. Since that actually might not be enough, i am a big eater, i'll make a nori wrap while i'm at it with lots of veggies, fresh ginger, some of the nutfree sauce i make, lemon, wasabi and dulse dip (i hope i remember to bring my wasabi to work!). I'll sit down and eat, which is always an issue. Constant customers. And people ask me why i'm not 80-10-10ing... But i honestly in my heart of hearts believe that for me some type of moderation is BETTER than a life of 'dieting' and then binging. I MUST BRIDGE THE GAP. First of all, i WANT to. And secondly, it is HEALTHIER than binge eating. So i am actually eating LESS by eating MORE. Isn't that a paradox????

I feel kind of guilty now for having eaten so much coconut. Coconut is fatty, i KNOW that, but i really wanted it. I feel guilty because chosing it did not conform to my new "ideal" plan which does not allow for fat at night.

Uy uy uy. Life is not always ideal. OKay, so, it was NOT an ideal, but i worked hard singing and i wanted it. You know what? Anything that's not a binge should be considered a HUMONGOUS success for me! I still had a really freakin' great day and i should be really pleased with myself!!!!

Singing-wise, I can tend to get a little hard on myself, but i MUST give myself lots of credit for getting out there, first off, and secondly, for working on and trying a new technique. Many of the things that used to be difficult for me, lines of songs, or notes, were now much easier working the new technique, so it's very encouraging. However, some things which used to be easy ceased to be easy, which was frustrating, but it's natural that things shift as i'm shifting in technique, so it's to be expected that things go haywire for a little while.

I have another lesson on Tuesday EARLY 10am!!!! No coconut the night before THAT!!! In fact, no eating after 6pm the night before THAT!!!

I know it will continue to get easier and easier the longer i work and study this new technique. I feel this is the right direction for me to go in!

Nevertheless, the audience loved the program, i connected with many of the sweet folks afterwards, i got paid (yay!) and i should be very proud of myself. PLUS, Alex said everytime he sees me i look thinner and my waist looks smaller! That really feels good!

xoxox michelle joy