http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21627769/

Monday was my Today Show Appearance. What a wild ride! We left for New York at 7 a.m. on Sunday morning. We arrived in NYC at 3:30 and were greeted by a cute limo driver holding a sign that said "Welcome Tory K". How FREAKING cool is that? I've been in a limo, but never MY limo for ME!

Of course knowing NY, about 20 minutes into the ride downtown I was thinking "The subway would have been faster..." oh well! LOL! I wasn't complaining, just anxious to get downtown.

The driver dropped me at the Club Quarters Hotel in downtown Manhattan on 51st just down from 5th. We could see the Rockefeller Center Skating Rink out our room window.

We dropped our bags off and went downtown. I love Times Square. It's so vibrant and alive! We wandered around for awhile and then settled for dinner at Applebees. I figure I'd rather know what I'm eating, and get done quickly than sit in some chi chi place and eat something that might not agree with me. I had the new herbed chicken breast with potatoes and broccoli. It was pretty good, although certainly something I could get at home. Didn't matter, it was "New York Food."

After dinner we made our way over to see the play Legally Blonde. It was SO much fun! Srsly! What a great show. We laughed and I tried not to sing (I have the soundtrack and I've seen it about 30 times from the MTV showing).

When the play was over we walked all over Times Square some more and had some Tasti-Delite. I big puffy pink heart Tasti-Delite. It's light and cold and yummiful.

Monday morning I got up really early (for me...3:00 our time) and went to the gym in the hotel. They had a nice little workout room with a few recumbent bikes, two treadmills, some weights, and everything with TVs in them (well, except the weights). I grabbed a treadmill and set it for 5k and ran. UGH! Someone had turned the heat up to 74 so it was HOT! I really wanted to run outside, but Roy's knee is really hurting and I didn't want to run alone. I wanted to run in Central Park, but it was about a mile away and running through morning people walking to work is a hassle.

After the workout, Roy and I walked over to Starbucks for breakfast. I needed coffee to calm my nerves. We walked back to the hotel and ate. I was all jitters at this point!

I called Jayme, the segment producer, at 8:15 as directed. She asked me to meet her at the NBC Store so Roy and I walked over (it was less than a block). I had my clothing ready and was getting really excited/nervous. We met Jayme and she walked us over into Studio 1a.

First we stopped in the greenroom. It was bustling and there were TVs everywhere showing the show. Since they have SO many segments each day, it is incredibly busy. Jayme talked us through what to expect, and then we chose the shirt I was going to wear. The costume coordinator steamed it and hung up the rest of my clothes, while one of the hairdressers blew out my hair. We talked off and on about diets and weight loss, while Roy sat in the greenroom next to the mayor of some small town in Oregon who, apparently, did not think it was a big deal to put pictures of herself in her undies on Myspace. Hmmm....critical thinking obviously not high on her list of priorities.

After they blew out my hair, I was taken to another building to do makeup. Hoda Coffey doesn't like to see the members before the reveal so I had to dodge her a few times. I passed Merideth and Al in the hall a few times, and David said hi. It was kind of funky seeing them in person. Everyone looks a little different, mostly they look smaller.

Joy was with me most of the time from here out. She ran through what was going to happen, asked me a few questions, and gave me a copy of her book "Food Cures". How cool! It's a great book. I've been reading it and I really enjoy it.

One of the assistants miked me and I was almost set.

After I had my makeup done they took me into the room where the segment would take place. It was REALLY small with three big cameras and a kitchen off to the right. Roy was miked and put into the kitchen. Food was EVERYWHERE. They had the food I used to eat on four pedestals and it was interesting that truly, none of it looked good. I used to really pig out on Saturdays, and now looking at what I would eat just stuns me. Joy had asked me to write out a typical bad day, so I did. I didn't hold anything back; Outback Steakhouse, popcorn at the movies, homemade chocolate chip cookies, Coke and more Coke (cola...obviously), mac and cheese, eggs, bacon, pancakes. OMG! When she told me it was over 11,000 calories, I nearly fell on the floor!

They had decorated the room with some of my fat clothes and a HUGE picture of me holding my niece, and of course all the crap I used to eat. I think the meal was:
• Breakfast: Pancakes, eggs, and bacon with milk.
• Lunch: Mac and cheese, soda, cookies
• Snack: Large movie popcorn (half), coke, Hostess cupcakes, cookies, chocolate chips from when I made the cookies, candy bar
• Dinner: bloomin’ onion, baked potato with “the works”, prime rib, veggies w/butter, bread w/butter, salad w/croutons and cheese
• Dessert: big bowl of ice cream with chocolate sauce
• Total: Over 11,000 calories

When I saw it, it looked like a LOT of food. Now that I see it written out, it almost sounds “reasonable”. And yes, I was honest. I didn’t eat this way every day, but on Saturdays…yeah. Nasty.

As we were going over things, they were clearing out the previous segment that took place in the little kitchen. Everyone around me was eating! It was so funny. They were nibbling on the food left from the last segment, of course there were Kraft Services everywhere with an assortment of pastries, cheese, fruit, water, soda, breads, etc. I did not partake. I’d had breakfast and was too nervous to be hungry.

They led me back out into the hall and told me that as soon as the door opened, I would walk through. The camera would be on me, so I had to smile big even before I saw anyone. I stood in the hall fidgeting. Lots of people commented on my weight loss. We chatted a bit. I was still REALLY nervous.

Suddenly one of the assistants started counting down, he threw the door open and there were LIGHTS! I walked through, big grin on my face and nerves TOTALLY gone! It was really interesting. I felt calm and collected in a way that I had not expected. Obviously you can watch what else happened on the link!

After the segment was over I got LOTS of great feedback. Jayme took me aside and said, “I just want to tell you something. When the segment is good, no one says anything. When the segment is exceptional, everyone says something. Everyone is buzzing. That was AMAZING!”

Wow! I felt it went well, but what did I know? I was in my head the entire time. So what a neat thing to hear! I am used to getting positive feedback when people see my before pictures, so I just assumed it was normal. Although I have to share, I never hear enough of the word “tiny” because NO one called me tiny before. NO ONE! (I also overheard three people say I looked like a model. Obviously they need to make appointments with their optometrists, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy hearing it! My beautiful siblings were all models and I was the ugly one sitting on the cold metal chairs in the audience watching them model. So even if it isn’t true, it’s still nice to hear.)

We made our way back to the greenroom. I was told they are going to have me back in May. Joy told Roy that if he loses his last 20 pounds, he can join the club on that segment. The Joy Fit Club is for people who have lost 100 or more pounds using diet and exercise. (No surgery or pills allowed.) He’s lost 80, so he has 20 to go! He is very excited about this! The May show will be a reunion show for people in “the club.”

Joy and I had a picture taken together before we left and then we were off, floating through New York City again! Everyone was very warm and nice. It’s a busy busy place, but I never felt like I was ignored or unimportant. Not even for a moment. I felt like they treated all of us like the stars of the show. That’s something, considering how many guests they have on every day!

I didn’t get to see the segment until I got home from New York. When I was doing it, it felt like about a 2 minute segment. I was genuinely shocked to find out it was actually and 11 minute segment, total (on the show, 9 on the website). They promo-ed the spot throughout the hour prior, which was fun. I felt like I actually sounded somewhat intelligent, and I didn’t look too bad! I was truly expecting to tear apart every aspect of my physical appearance, but when I saw me I thought, “You look pretty darn good up there!” Of course that’s what professional hair and makeup will do for you!

I think the only thing I was slightly disappointed about was that they didn’t focus on the exercise component. I have lost my weight due to both diet and exercise. Yes, Hoda asked me about my marathon training, but totally missed it when I said this will be marathon number ten. I just wish the message would get out, “You can eat less, or you can exercise, but if you do both it’s an unbeatable powerhouse for weight loss.” Oh well…maybe another time!