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From:  "Lana Mountford" <l.s.mountford@a...>
Date:  Thu Jul 4, 2002  8:39 pm
Subject:  Weight loss and the voice . . .

Greetings!

Have any of you experienced significant weight loss (by "significant,"
I mean somewhere between 1/3 - 1/2 of one's body weight)? I'm
currently in my 9th week of a weight loss program (really more of a
lifestyle change that results in weight loss), and I've lost 19.4 lbs
so far. It looks like I'll be able to stick with this for the
duration, with the ultimate goal of losing 120 lbs. I'm curious to
know what I can expect from a voice standpoint. I'm currently a
50-yr-old dramatic soprano, a "late bloomer" who didn't start voice
lessons until age 42, and who has been heavy throughout my vocal
training/development. In other words, I learned to sing, learned what
technique I have, while overweight.

What's amazing is that I'm already detecting some real changes in my
voice, especially the "effort" it takes to sustain a vocal line,
maintain proper breathing, etc. It feels almost ... slippery! (OK,
that's not a very technical term, but that's what it feels like.)

Is this something that will continue? or is it just because, for the
first time in probably 10 years, I'm actually eating a really healthy
balanced diet? (I've also noticed an extreme jump in the amount of
energy I have, I'm sleeping better, and food tastes different.) Will
I need to totally relearn my technique, since I won't have the excess
weight to "balance" against?

If you've been through this, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks!!

Lana (who quit smoking in May, 1992 -- tackling one vice at a time!)


A A
/ \_---_/ \ Lana Mountford
{ } Kenmore, WA USA
( O O ) l.s.mountford@a...
~( v )~ * - * - * - * - * - *
~+~






  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date  
19568 Re: Weight loss and the voice . . .Reg Boyle   Fri  7/5/2002  

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