THE SECRETS TO MY DIET

I can't believe that June is here.  Half the year is already gone.  And the welcome of summer actually means the beginnings of Christmas for me.  You see, in June I start creating the upcoming holiday show.  June is one of the most important months of the year as this is when I do all the research and development and the creative work for the upcoming extravaganza.  I'll spend hours and hours reading and writing the show, selecting the songs and working on the actual song order.  I'll also outline costume concepts, design the collector bell and conceptualize the set.  We'll procure and contract all the musicians and crew members.  Then, in July I will write all the music and record and publish everything in a new book.  I'll spend the entire month in my recording studio, concentrating and listening intently to every note . . . all the while watching summer fly by (I have a beautiful view).  It's an amazing time of year for me.

When the tour comes around in November and I hit the stage, I'm a realist.  I know that hardly anyone in the audience will sit and reflect on the summer months I spent at the piano.  They probably won't even wonder what I'm going to play that night.  Not one person will be curious as to what the opening song will be.  Nope.

They just want to know what I'm going to wear.  Right?

After last month's blog, FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD, I had a lot of fans who were curious about my diet.  How in the world do I stay so thin loving food and loving to cook so much?  Before I share with you my "secrets," let me first say that I have a very unusual and extraordinary life.  I absolutely love it.  But it is not for the faint of heart.  Part of my "job" is not only to compose, arrange and perform well, but . . .  to look good. (I can't imagine being a news anchor!) I had no idea when I started out playing the piano professionally that there would be so much pressure to stay fit and be in tip-top shape . . . pretty much ALL THE TIME.  Honestly, if I didn't have this career, most likely I would be 10 pounds heavier.  But, like playing the piano, my diet is a lifestyle, something I do every day. I also want to express that I am not a nutritionist, or a dietician.  I am not an "expert" in the field of food.  What I am sharing with you are my own personal eating habits that work for me.  

So, if you have been challenged or lack motivation to shed a few pounds, I hope this blog will be inspirational to you.  

Here are the secrets to my diet.

1.  EAT REAL FOOD. This is the #1 secret to my diet.  I do not eat anything with chemicals in it, nothing processed or out of a package.  The basic rule is to not eat anything with a bar code on it.  I eat vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, cheese, nuts.  Everything is fresh and real.

2.  EAT THREE MEALS A DAY.  I eat breakfast at 8:30 a.m., lunch at noon, and dinner at 5:30 or 6:00 p.m.  I never snack in between meals.  If I am absolutely starving, I will grab a handful of almonds to get me through to the next meal.  Most of my friends who struggle with their weight eat one meal a day.  A late dinner.  They go all day without eating and I think this really interupts your metabolism.  Three solid meals is best for your body and maintaining weight.

3.  NEVER NIBBLE WHEN YOU COOK.  When I'm cooking, the first time I have a first bite is when I sit down with everyone else to eat at the table.  I find that if I nibble, I don't like the food as much, and you can eat an entire meal (before eating another entire meal) if you nibble in the kitchen when you cook. 

4. DRINK HOT WATER WITH LEMON ALL DAY. I have not had a soft drink, coke, pop (whatever you want to call it) in over 30 years.  I drink hot water with fresh lemon wedges all day.  It keeps me warm and full.  Satisfied.  

5.  MAKE ENOUGH FOR LEFTOVERS.  I make too much food for dinner.  On purpose.  I love leftovers for lunch, and typically that means I will get a nice piece of protein and a vegetable for lunch the next day. 

6.  ALWAYS HAVE A FULLY STOCKED REFRIGERATOR.  I always have a lot of options for food.  It is ALL healthy.  I can eat anything that catches my eye when I open that stainless door.

7.  BE ORGANIZED.  I think watching what you eat involves a lot of lists, grocery shopping and meal planning.  And energy!  I keep a cookbook in the car just in case I have a little extra time to stop at the grocery store and I want to make something new.  I'll need a list of ingredients.

8.  GET 8 HOURS OF SLEEP.  I am up early every day, about 6:00 a.m., and I go to bed around 9:00 p.m. every night.  (This is the hardest thing about touring . . . turning my schedule around.) But, I think sleep is hugely important to maintaining your weight.  If you stay up late you are going to watch TV and eat another meal.  Go to bed.  

9.  EVERY BITE COUNTS.  It's portion control that keeps your weight down, not working out.  Working out will just make you look good, toned. When I'm serious about losing weight, I eat HALF what I normally would eat.  When I go out to dinner, before I start eating I tell the wait person to bring me a "to go" box.  I divide the meal and put half of it away for the next day.  It takes about five days for your body to know that you are on this "new" program, but then it gets it and I promise, you will lose weight.  By the way, dieting is more in your mind than your stomach.

10.  PASS ON THE APPETIZERS AND THE DESSERT.  Substitute your dessert craving for one beautiful chocolate truffle.  That's all you need.  You'll be amazed.

11.  EAT EVERYTHING.  I don't understand when someone says, "I don't eat blue cheese."  Or, "I don't eat dates."  How in the world can you pass on such lovely things?  If it is prepared properly, I will eat it.  Don't be picky.  Learn to love everything.  Your body needs it and you will be more satisfied eating everything.

12. BUT WATCH THE CARBS.  I eat mostly protein, very few carbohydrates.  Many people think because I'm thin, I'm a vegetarian.  Are you kidding me?  I love filet, pulled pork, hamburgers.  I love meat.  I think eating protein is a huge part of the success of a diet.  (Of course fish and chicken are the best.) Always take off the bun and eat with a fork and knife. 

13.  NO SMOOTHIES OR ORANGE JUICE IN THE MORNING.  Eat the fruit and pass on all the other ingredients. You don't need them. 

14.  NO CHEMICAL SUBSTITUTES.  I don't eat any sugar substitutes.  I eat real sugar.  Real butter when I splurge.  No margarine. 

15.  PASS ON THE BREAD BASKET AND THE BUTTER.  Don't even let a wait person bring it to the table.  Unless it is soda or French bread and it is worth the calories.  (Tim always tests the bread for me.  Most of the time he says, "oh, honey, it's not worth it.")  I'll eat butter if it is an excellent French butter with Fleur de Sel on the top.  Then, it's worth it!  Bring it on.

16.  PARTNER UP.  If I have to watch what I eat, Tim does it with me.  Have your partner (or a friend) join the club.  It's easier.

17.  NO FAST FOOD.  This is an obvious one.

18.  WEIGH YOURSELF EVERY DAY, IN THE MORNING, FIRST THING.  I weight myself every morning at 7:00 a.m.  The scale is the only thing that will keep you honest.  The scale dictates your "food mood" and what you will eat for the day.  So many young women tell me they go by "how their clothes fit."  Really?  I can wear the same clothes and be 12 pounds heavier. 

19.  THE FIVE-POUND LEEWAY.  I'm 5'7" and my optimal weight is 112 pounds.  I know that sounds crazy, but I have small bones, and the older I get, the thinner I have to be to really show that I even have these old muscles.  Ha!  (Arms are the hardest after age 50.)  But I know this is my best possible weight.  So, if I see 117 on the scale, I have to hit it.  Once you reach your optimal weight, you get a five-pound leeway.  Then it's time to cut back.  It's so much easier to have a structured program.  It never gets out of control. By the way, your optimal weight changes with age.  Mine used to be 114.  Ugh.   

20.  MAKE IT A LIFESTYLE.  Watching what I eat is the one thing I do love (and hate) about being on stage and in the public eye.  It forces me to be disciplined.  Neither Tim nor I take any vitamins or food supplements.  And unlike many people in their mid-fifties, neither of us have to take any medication to maintain our cholesterol levels.  We don't need it.  I seriously think it's because of our diet.  If I had a more traditional life, I guess I would suggest planning a lot of special events, things to look forward to, so you are inspired to be disciplined to eat healthy each and every day of your life.

And, now . . . there's exercise.  

Seriously, I'd rather starve.

CLICK HERE TO READ PAST BLOGS