In an effort to lose the baby weight from daughter number two, I decided to try something I had always been dead set against: counting calories. It was too much like dieting, something I don’t believe in. It also seemed tedious and restrictive. Wasn’t a lifestyle of eating healthful foods a better alternative? But an easy-to-use phone app made the process simple, and I committed to count calories for 30 days.
For two weeks I diligently recorded everything I ate, making sure to stay within my allotted caloric intake. And miraculously, the scale started to go down! In week three, I got a little lax in my calorie counting. But I was avoiding sugar and, in my mind, eating healthfully. That week, the scale went back up. “See!” I proclaimed. “This isn’t working.”
But before throwing in the towel, I faithfully counted everything I had consumed that week. One night I made (and ate) fresh berry, sugar-free cobbler. Healthful, right? But when I added up the calories for the butter, flour, and heavy whipping cream, the numbers were astonishing. No wonder the scale moved in the wrong direction!
I share this not to encourage counting calories, but to illustrate the importance of good information when it comes to our bodies. The more we know, the better we are able to make decisions that will help us achieve our goals. Knowledge really is power.
This issue is full of articles to arm you with powerful information as you make health-related decisions. Perhaps your doctor is recommending surgery. Read Kathleen Farrar Buccleugh’s article on p. 38. Maybe you’re thinking about Botox injections—to look younger or to resolve a health problem. Read what singers who have done it have to say on p. 46. Or perhaps you suspect your thyroid to be the culprit for unexplained fatigue or vocal issues. Read about hypo- and hyperthyroid symptoms on p. 42.
You can also read about Rolfing, a type of bodywork that is gaining in popularity and helping singers to release tension and find better body alignment (p. 24). And Ruth Hennessy explains the elusive “core” so often mentioned by voice teachers and exercise instructors alike (p. 20). Or, if none of these articles speaks to your specific health concerns, read the book review on p. 58 about a new singer’s health guide by columnist Dr. Anthony Jahn, which includes contributions from professional singers and experts in audiology, traditional Chinese medicine, facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, dermatology, cardiology, and more.
Finally, this month we kick off a brand new column, “Musings on Mechanics,” by voice teacher and certified personal trainer Claudia Friedlander. In her first installment (p. 16), Friedlander tells you how to keep a healthy perspective amid the societal and industry pressures to look a certain way.
Nearly eight calorie-counting months later, I have learned a lot more about both food and my own body. For instance, although it’s sugar free and whole grain, eating an entire loaf of homemade carrot bread slathered with butter might not help me get rid of that lingering baby weight. Knowing more about food and its makeup has made all the difference.
May this issue open the door to the knowledge you need, along with its accompanying power, to shape you, your music, and your life.
