's MOTD Wed Jan 9, 2008

[Guest guest]

's Daily Message WednesdayJanuary 09, 2008KEEPING IN SHAPE

Oh, how I do love coming to New York City! My first trip here was when I visited the city with my parents back in the late 50`s. We stayed at the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. It was so beautiful, I thought I had died and gone to heaven! We went shopping and I also got to see my first big Broadway show with my parents. I knew I would have to come back to this great city many times in my life. And...I have!

Like I said, I love it here. The only problem is that New York holds so many temptations for me. First of all, every morning when I get up, I take a look at my hotel`s room service menu. What a mistake!

At 6:00 in the morning, I`m reading about choices like Belgian Waffles with chocolate chips, Eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce and an assortment of homemade pastries! And all you have to do is dial one little number and there`s someone on the line to take your order. Gee, I don`t have these oh-so easy selections at home. Thank goodness!

When I look at that room service menu, I want the waffles, I want the Eggs Benedict and freshly baked pastries. But I say no, no...no and have my oatmeal and fresh fruit instead.

And as I`m driving from TV show to TV show, I must pass 14,000 pizza places, all of them "winking" at me. Gosh, there must be a pizza parlor on every corner in Manhattan! And to tell you the truth, I`m not really a big pizza-lover except, that is, for New York pizza! The crust on those NYC pizzas just about make me want to bark out loud!

And then, there are many people I work with who want to take me out for dinner while I`m in New York. Oh, the choices! Thai food, Chinese, French, Italian, just thinking about them all makes my thighs quiver! So I often have to say no to all of those invitations. I just have to. Instead, I go back to my room and look at the dinner selections on the old room service menu.

Caesar salad with garlic croutons. Stuffed Maine Lobster. New York Strip Steak with homemade shoestring fries. And so, what do I have? Grilled chicken, fresh broccoli and maybe half of a baked potato with a small salad. That`s it.

One other thing, the nice people at the hotel I stay at will often put candy or warm, fresh-baked cookies in my room. Very nice gesture, sure. But I leave them on a little tray outside my room so they aren`t there to tempt me.

I love to walk in New York. I like to move my arms and legs and wave to and greet people as I walk. But it`s very cold here this visit so I have to get my exercise done inside. I like to walk the steps of my hotel from the 20th floor down to the first. And I do that quite a few times. After I`m done, I return to my room to do my stretching, ab work and push-ups. Okay, I am human and sometimes, I`m tempted not to do them, especially after a particularly busy day. But I have to get that exercise in because, at the end of my workouts, I know I will feel just so-o-o great!

I miss being home. No room service menu there to tempt me, for one thing. I also miss teaching at Slimmons when I`m away from home but I`ll be back real soon!

In the meantime, say a little prayer for me, okay? Pray that I don`t give in to temptation. And you know I`ll say a little prayer for you, too. Just like I always do!

Love,