Tracy Moore's life, on repeat
By all accounts, Tracy Moore leads a very full life: She’s the popular host of the daily lifestyle talk show Cityline, she’s a mother of two and she just launched her own clothing line, Tracy Moore Designed by Freda’s. One thing she does not have buckets of is time — so she set out to create systems to make the most of every minute in the day. And even though they’ve become a key to her continued success, she recognizes she’s pushed the concept to the limit.
“People look at my routine and say, ‘Never, never would I do that,’ ” she says with a laugh. “And I get it. But I know it’s what I have to do, and for me the rewards are worth it.”
Take, for instance, her morning routine, which actually starts the night before: Each night, she makes both her and her kids’ lunches and puts them in the fridge; sets the coffee machine; puts her gym clothes downstairs, her daytime clothes in a garment bag by the door and the kids’ clothes on their dressers; and sets everyone’s bags beside the shoes they will be wearing the next day. Then she puts her son, Sidney, 8, and daughter, Eva, 5, to bed at 8 p.m. — and is asleep herself by 9. “I don’t watch any of the cool shows,” she says. “There’s no Game of Thrones. I’m so out of it.”
Then, the routine continues in the morning: At 4:45 a.m., she sneaks down to the basement bathroom and changes into her gym clothes. Back upstairs, she has a small bite to eat and either goes for a run or heads to the gym for a 6 a.m. class. Then it’s off to work for 7:30; she has breakfast there and is in the makeup chair by 8. The show has its own set of routines built into it, from makeup and wardrobe to interview prep, promos and post-show photos. She picks up the kids at 3:15 p.m., helps with homework, eats dinner — prepared every night by her husband, Lio — and washes the dishes. (No, they don’t have a nanny. And while they do have a dishwasher, they prefer not to use it.) Then the cycle starts all over again.
There is, of course, huge interest in the habits of successful people, but a tightly managed schedule like Moore’s isn’t exactly everyone’s dream — so what, exactly, are the rewards? “I have a pretty good perspective: I have the gig of a lifetime, my kids are healthy, both of my parents are alive, and my husband still likes me and I like him. And that perspective is fuelled by this routine. It allows me to accomplish what I want to accomplish out of life. So it’s worth it.”
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8 a.m. After her workout there’s time for just a quick breakfast before she has to be in the makeup chair at Cityline.
4 p.m. Back at home, after picking up the kids at school. Cooking supper is the domain of Moore’s husband, Lio.
Keep meals simple and healthy
7 p.m. Time to start thinking ahead to the next day. Packing the kids’ lunches the night before is a major time saver.
8 p.m. Bedtime for the kids, and Moore is not far behind. “I don’t watch any of the cool shows,” she says. “I’m so out of it.”
Within this structure are micro-routines, some of which Moore stays on top of; but some she lets slide, like her post-workday makeup routine. Lately, wary of wrinkles, she’s noticed the skin under her eyes needs some attention. “I’m supposed to be doing an eye cream,” she says, “and I’m not. The most I do is take off makeup as gently as I can. All of the things you’re supposed to be putting on your face every night, who’s got the time? I’m concerned about it, but I’m not being proactive about it.” She’d much rather stay on top of meal planning, even though she admits that she “hates food prep, both making lunch for my kids and for myself. I like having a plan, but I don’t like executing the plan.” She does it because it’s too easy to “fall off the wagon” (chocolate bars and challah bread are her kryptonite).
She doesn’t have the same love-hate relationship with fitness. “I like everything about it — planning for it, getting ready for it, executing it.” On Mondays and Wednesdays, she runs in the morning and sees her personal trainer in the afternoon. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings she does TRX classes at the gym. Fridays she takes off. Saturday is for yoga or boot camp . “Fitness is really important for my brain health,” says Moore. “I’ve been through postpartum depression; I don’t ever want to go back. Fitness dragged me out of that slump, so I feel very reliant on it.”
If all these routines are in order, Moore feels she is keeping promises to herself — “It’s a confidence booster,” she says. Just don’t ask her to cook dinner. “That would push me over the edge.”
The experts have spoken: Try these routines on for size
“Avoid screens for the first and last hour of each day and stay off email at least one full day a week. Creativity researchers say our best ideas come when our brains are relaxed — often in the 3 Bs (bed, bathtub, bus). Give your brain a rest.” — Neil Pasricha, author of The Happiness Equation and The Book of Awesome
“Become a creature of habit. No need to get fancy and eat new meals and foods each day. People who are short on time might do better by eating in a similar pattern. For example, if you find your morning smoothie quite easy to make and you are not bored of it, repeat.” — Dr. Joey Shulman, author of The Natural Makeover Diet
“In my opinion, regular medical facials or light peels tend to enhance the results of a skincare routine by naturally removing the accumulation of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface, therefore improving the penetration of the active ingredients in products.” — Dr. William McGillivray, Project Skin MD, Vancouver
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