So I am 40...NOW what?

I flew into my 40th birthday this past February with great abandon and excitement. I figured that since I had led a relatively normal adulthood that it was finally time for me to see what kind of mischief I could get into now that I had reached a "Mature" age. I figured people would excuse my behavior since I had been quiet for so long. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Last year, at about the same time, an old friend of mine shocked me into reality by announcing that I should go ahead and live it up because I was turning 40 in 9 months. I laughed and told him that I would not be 40 for another year and 9 months and he actually made me do the math. Imagine my shock when I realized that I had lost a whole year...wasting valuable time thinking I was 38 years old! Well 9 months was not enough time for me to prepare to be 40! So I did what every good American girl does when she realizes that the clock is ticking away the seconds of her youth. I cried, got drunk, then decided it was time to diet.

I researched everything I could about dieting for the (gulp) older body and chose to follow the Atkins plan, since a dear friend of mine had great success on it. Did I mention, he's a guy, 6'5" and used to be a champion swimmer? Naturally ANY diet he chose was going to work for him, but I digress...

I plunged headfirst into the world of the low-carbers. I read everything I could get my hands on, submerged myself into the "I can't have that because it's not good for my blood sugar so you shouldn't have it either" world, and basically for the first 6 months, drove everyone around me insane. It started to pay off and I ended up losing about 30 pounds before the big day! I was very happy with that.

More background...I am an entertainer. I have worked in theatre, on cruise ships, toured with a theatre group, and have my own cabaret group called DIVA! Productions. I live in a Southern town on the east coast and many years ago when I could have gone to the Big Apple to make it on Broadway, I chose to be a big fish in a little pond. So I perform here, have a full-time job that pays the bills, a wonderful husband, and the best son in the whole world. And since I am also lucky enough to have a major film studio right here in my back yard, I occasionally get the phone call from my agent that I have a movie, or television, or commercial audition. And occasionally, I have actually won the roles and have done some film and television work with some great people. So you see, my life has been really pretty good. A scary moment when my husband was diagnosed with cancer (he's cured and that's another story for another time), but other than that...everything was humming right along...

And then, I stopped losing weight. Now mind you, I didn't veer from the program. My body just decided that enough was enough. And I didn't lose another pound for 3 months!! Well you can just imagine how the top of my head blew off the 95th day I stepped on the scales and...nothing. I decided that since I am appearing in a lead role this July with my theatre company, that I needed help and I needed it quick!!! So I did what every American girl does when her diet fails her and she is desperate...I hired a personal trainer. I will go into detail about this adventure later this week as I am late for my Pilates class and if I don't get there in time, I end up with the smelly mat...which is not acceptable.

So, I do have a lot to say. And I hope that you will check back here often to hear me say it.
Until then, know that you are blessed...