It's not every day we get an article describing the exercise and eating
habits of our favorite Cicelians, but here's one from "American
Fitness."

Jason K.
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Magazine: American Fitness, September/October, 1993

NORTH STAR
----------

Cynthia Geary exposes her fit body.

A large part of "Northern Exposure's" success can be attributed to some
pretty outrageous flights of fancy set in lively--albeit
quirky--Cicely, Alaska. But it's Jackson, Mississippi native, Cynthia
Geary, who often steals the show with her innocent portrayal of Shelly
Tambo, the offbeat 19-year-old waitress and paramour of 62-year-old
Holling.

"Shelly just enjoys being alive," says Geary. "She's a determined young
lady--definitely not an airhead. It's refreshing to play somebody who
doesn't have any hidden agendas."

Like her TV persona, Geary projects strength, sincerity and
vulnerability. But she's no stranger to typical vanity concerns. In a
recent episode, Shelly goes crazy about her aging figure. "I really
related to that episode," admits the 5'7" natural blonde who's actually
28. 'I have the same concerns. I definitely wonder about getting
older, out of shape, cellulite--the same things other women worry
about. In general, Shelly is not concerned with outside appearances.
That's where her strength lies. I compare myself now to when I could
sit down and eat an entire bag of chips or a hot fudge sundae and see
no visible effects. Not anymore. But I'm pretty happy about my
particular weight."

The 120-pound actress now makes her home in Seattle, Washington some 90
miles west of where 'Northern Exposure" is filmed. With 14- to 16-hour
work days, Geary balances a TV career with remodeling her new home and
exercising. "Yes, I have to exercise," she says. "I don't have the
luxury of sporadic workouts. I have a private trainer now--something
I've never done before--and I really enjoy it. Exercise was never fun
for me, but now I look forward to it because of the ultimate benefits.
It's difficult to be regular about anything with our shooting schedule,
but the days I don't film, I work out for two hours."

Blessed with long, thin legs, Geary doesn't worry about her lower
body. "But I'm always doing sit-ups and abdominal exercises; that's my
Achilles heel," she adds. Geary, a former music major who loves to
dance, does a series of crunches in varying positions targeting the
entire abdominal region. "This is my first venture into really
exercising, and I'm noticing I've developed muscles I never knew
existed--like in my shoulders and back." For those areas, plus upper
arms and forearms, Geary works with free weights and Nautilus machines,
usually in sets of 15. "Seeing the end results makes me feel good.
That sounds a lot like Shelly, doesn't it?"

Also parroting Shelly, the young actress doesn't use much make-up and
when she does, it's all natural products. 'It's not very sunny in
Seattle, but I always wear sunscreen to block damaging rays," she says.

While Shelly slings burgers and fries, does Geary master her own
cooking skills in her new home? "Oh my gosh," squeals the culinary
novice. "I make everything in five minutes or less. My problem is
having everything ready at the same time--like the rice and vegetables.
I try and stick to steamed vegetables and fish, and I make a great
chicken flambe dish."

How does she maintain her trim figure during long working days? "They
serve nutritious meals on the set," says Geary. "But there's also the
junk food like pastries, candy and Mexican food with sour cream and
avocados served at 2 a.m. That's what I have to discipline myself
against, Instead of reaching for a pastry or croissant, I'll pick up a
bagel with fight cream cheese.

"Sometimes I'll eat junk foods because I'm tired and need a quick boost
of energy--not specifically due to hunger," she adds. "I really have to
learn the art of eating properly."

For now, Geary's role on the show looks secure, but should Shelly go
off into the sunset with new baby and Holling? "I guess I'd have to get
a real job--maybe as a stockbroker like my dad," she says. "When I was
little my favorite show was Wall Street Week."'

#####

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And here's a brief about Geary from "Maclean's" magazine:

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Magazine: Maclean's, April 26, 1993
Section: People Section: People

TRADING PLACES
--------------

On the CBS series Northern Exposure, Cynthia Geary portrays a
gum-snapping Saskatoon-born Lolita named Shelley Tambo. But this summer,
the Mississippi native will be trading in her fictitious Canadian
nationality and going to San Antonio, where she will play a
tough-talking Texas cowgirl in 8 Seconds, a new movie based on the true
story of rodeo husband-and-wife team Lane and Kelly Frost.

``Texas is along way from Saskatoon,'' said Geary, ``but I'm really up
for this role.'' Still, she added that she will be back--as a
Canadian--on the hit TV series next season. Said Geary: ``I still have a
lot of Shelley and Saskatoon in me.''