A Second Honeymoon

2011 is there!!

This year for my New Year resolution I promise to eat no sugar, drink no wine, to work out 3 hours/day and to do absolutely everything absolutely on time!

What’s wrong with this picture?

How about setting realistic goals and figuring out a way to make them work, instead of making overwhelming promises that will be forgotten by January 15th?

With a new program to reenergize our weight management, it’s the perfect time to set a livable successful routine that will bring us to our goals and beyond. How does that sound?

Lets start 2011 with a plan and with the right tools to make it happen!

Tool of the Week

Consistent tracking is the best way I know of to regain control of our eating. It teaches us what works, what doesn’t, and where we need to put an extra effort to make sure we are reaching our goals.

Not only you can track what you eat along with your activity, but you can also add little notes, put down an action plan for a coming challenge, and keep track of your weight and measurement.

It really is a good mirror in which you can look at your plan and see what needs to be done to achieve your Winning Outcome.

In the Kitchen

I’m not that much of a red meat eater, but every once in a while I get an attack. This recipe turned out fabulous, and easy!

It’s delicious with roasted asparagus and roasted fingerling potatoes!

Pepper and Garlic-Crusted Tenderloin Steaks with Port Sauce
4 servings, 5 P+/serving

Ingredients
2 tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp salt
3 garlic cloves minced
4 (4oz) tenderloin steaks, trimmed (1 inch thick)
Cooking Spray
¼ cup Port wine
¼ cup beef broth
1 TBSP chopped fresh thyme

Place peppercorn in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Crush them using a mallet (or anything hard enough!)*. Combine peppercorn, salt, and garlic in a bowl; rub evenly over steaks.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with spray, add steaks, reduce heat and cook 4 minutes on each side or to desired doneness. Remove steaks from pan, cover and keep warm.

Add Port and broth to pan and stir to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced to ¼ cup (about 3 minutes). Place 1 steak on each plate and drizzle with 1 TBSP of sauce. Sprinkle with ¾ tsp of thyme and serve.

• I cheat here and loosen up the gears on my pepper mill, it makes a huge ground, so it’s not quite as big as cracked pepper, but it’s much easier!

Source: Cooking Light 350 Calories recipes, hints tips, Oxmoor House, p. 30

Activity!

When I lived in Sonoma County, I used to go skating at the "Snoopy Arena" which is actually the Redwood Empire Ice Arena. I shamefully must admit I have not put on my skates since I moved back to San Francisco. That's almost 2 years ago!!!

So, I'm looking into it, and found this:

Yerba Buena Ice skating and Bowling center

This is downtown, they have a pretty extensive open skating schedule as well as adult only skating which can be nifty when you are not too solid on your skates. No kids to skate around.

There's also the Holiday Ice Rink at Union Square until January 17th! Now after the first of the year the crowds will be down, so it's a perfect time to go skating!

There is also an outside Holiday ice rink at the Embarcader center, but that one closes on January 2nd, so you've got to hurry up!

San Francisco not your hometown? There are ice rink all over Northern California!

Who would have thought that there would be so many Ice rinks out here? Outside ones even, in California! It's fun, it's good exercise (oooh! I used the "E" word!) and it's really not that difficult. Try it!

Have a good week!

This is my last newsletter of 2010, has it gone fast or what? I'm wishing you a fabulous New Year celebration. Enjoy the love, the friendship, the fun and the food!

May 2011 bring you everything that you need, and much of what you want. I'm wishing you health, love and strength!

I will see you in the meeting room, in the meantime, I'm only an email away.

Your leader

Melanie

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”

~ J. Pierpont Morgan

0 PointsPlus Fruits and Vegetables… Freedom!

Most vegetables were 0 Points on Momentum, so having them 0 PointsPlus on the PointsPlus program was not really a shock, but fruits? Really? Bananas, apples, cuties, pineapple, all 0 PointsPlus! No need to count, to weight or to measure them? Really?

Wait a minute; I used to have to weigh my bananas to make sure they aren’t 2 Points, now they are 0P+? I can have an entire banana? Not only I can have it, but I don’t even have to count PointsPlus for it?

What happened to fruits? Did they change somehow? A lot of us are so used to being careful when eating fruits that we look at this fruit business with a bit of skepticism.

This week we will talk about why having 0 PointsPlus fruits and vegetables (most of them) not only works, but is a step toward better weight loss success.

It’s healthy, it’s delicious, it works! We’ll discuss the whys and hows in the meeting room. Bring your fruits and veggies preparation ideas!

What’s going on?

In the hustle and bustle of shopping and preparing along with the people visiting or us traveling is making our routine difficult to hold on to. It’s a fun time, but a challenging time also.

Make sure that you do a few things to be able to enjoy yourself without having to start all over again:

Plan ahead: Ok, this seems obvious, but prepare for what is coming, what might be coming, and for a few unplanned adventures. That way you are ready no matter what.

Pick your splurges: Yes it is the holidays, and there will be goodies that are just too good to pass up. There will also be goodies that are just ok. Pass those!

Move: Add a little bit to your daily activity. It’s good for your belly and for your brain!

Take care of yourself: We tend to make sure everybody has a good time. Don’t forget yourself! After the race to get here, it’s time to enjoy!!

Down time: In between the get-togethers and the parties make sure to have Power Foods on hand, and 0 P+ soup in the freezer so that you can keep your PointsPlus for the goodies!

Enjoy!

In the Kitchen

I like to roam the international sites, it’s fun to get ideas and inspiration from what other people are doing.

This I stole from the UK website and changed a little to make it lighter, and more to my taste.

Spiced Winter Fruit Salad
2 servings, 1 P+/serving*

6 medium Plums, halved and pitted
2 medium Orange
1 teaspoons Cinnamon, or 1 cinnamon stick
4 individual Cloves, Whole or Ground,
1 star anise (optional)
1 tablespoons Artificial Sweetener, powdered
1 medium Banana
1 teaspoons crystallized Ginger, minced very finely
6 tablespoons, Nonfat Greek yogurt

Put plums into a saucepan with 150ml (1/4 pint) water. Pare the zest from 1 orange with a potato peeler and add to the pan with the cinnamon (stick), cloves and star anise, if using. Cook gently for about 8 minutes, or until the plums are tender. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, use a sharp serrated knife to remove all the peel and pith from the oranges. Slice the flesh into segments, removing all the membrane. Add to the plums. Taste, adding powdered sweetener, if needed.

Slice the banana into the mixture, then ladle into two serving dishes.

Stir the ginger (if using) into the yogurt and spoon an equal amount on top of each fruit salad. Serve at once.

Note: The fruit salad is best when served barely warm.

Adapted from (and image from): www.weightwatchers.co.uk
*PointsPlus Value counted by hand, does not include fruits.

At Work Corner

Since we are not going to be meeting between Christmas and New Year, I want you to know that there will be meetings at the centers and travelers in your area (unless otherwise specified on weightwatchers.com).

If you are in a series, you have paid already, just bring your weigh in book along with your series number (should be at the beginning of your book, email me if you don’t have it).

If you are in between series, you will have to pay the 13 dollars meeting fee. Still I think it is worth it to stop by and “check in”. It’s all about accountability isn’t it?

Here’s my meeting schedule:

http://seamountains.net/mtg.html

Stop by if you are in the neighborhood! ;o)

Have a wonderful week!

The weight Watchers centers and travelers will be closed on Christmas and New Year day. Check www.weightwatchers.com for meeting schedules in your area.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday break (be it a short or a long one!). Take time for yourself as well as your loved ones and have a thought for those of us who are away from our families at this time of the year.

As always I'm only an email away! See you in the meeting rooms!

Your leader,

Melanie Bourgeois

seamountains.net/mtg.html

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!

~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Now we are Living it!

How did the week go?

Last week I presented you with this exciting new program. I did most of the talking and this week it’s your turn!!

I am absolutely dying to hear all about your week and help you with any questions that might have popped up during this first PointsPlus adventure. So bring in your questions, the lessons you’ve learned the new food you’ve tried, anything you think will help you and/or all of us to live this new plan better.

Questions, victories and discoveries are IT at Weight Watchers this week! We are learning together and this is YOUR meeting!

Tool of the week

Most of you have bought the member kit already. Good idea! This will be enormously useful while we are learning the new PointsPlus Values of the foods we eat every day.

Along with the Food Scale and the Calculator (which is included in the Deluxe kit!) the Member Kits is an essential tool for success with the new PointsPlus Program. Don’t go without it!

What’s going on?

****Change of plans!! The Cooking event has changed name and date!! I pushed it one week because I felt there was enough going on with the new plan and all. Next week we’ll be good and ready to have fun together!

Quick Cooking with PointsPlus
Quick cooking on the new plan! Tricks and ideas to have tasty & healthy food on the table in minutes. Tricks, tips and humor is on the menu!
With Melanie Bourgeois (me! me! me!)

When and where:
Wednesday December 15th at 7:30pm
Stonestown Center
557 Buckingham way (right by the Stonestown Galleria)

Make Etools work for you
How to use Etools to its fullest for more fun and success.
With Joe Lagana

When and where:
Monday December 13th 6:30 pm
San Bruno, Bayhill center

Saturday December 18th 1pm
Stonestown Center

Take full advantage of those events! Bring your friends too!!

In the Kitchen

This is a hot and tasty chili that we use to do all the time. I reorganized my cookbooks a little while ago and found the Turn Around cookbook (2004).

I made it not too long ago and it’s going back on the menu this week!

Champion All-Beef Chili
4 servings, 4 p+/serving
(2 servings is 7 p+)

Ingredients
1 pound boneless, lean top round steak, trimmed and cut in 1 inch cubes
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 jalapeños peppers, seeded and minced (don’t rub your eye after handling these!) or ¼ cup canned chopped chilies *
1-3 TBSP hot chili powder *
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 cup reduced sodium beef broth
2 scallions, sliced (optional)

*These are “to taste” putting in the full amount makes this fairly spicy.

1- Heat large nonstick saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef cubes for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions, the garlic, and jalapeños; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, the cumin, oregano, and cinnamon; stir until the spices coat the beef and vegetables.

2- Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beef is fork-tender, the broth is thickened, and the flavor are blended, 1- 1 ½ hours. Sprinkle the chili with the scallions (if using).

Source: Turn Around cookbook p. 81.

You can eat this after 45 minutes of cooking, but it’s better if it can go the whole time. I find it even better as leftovers!


At Work Corner

December is renewal time!! Make sure that all your friends know about our great group and how good we are doing. The more the merrier! We need new recruits!

City & County Monday meeting a 1 South Van Ness is starting the new series on December 20th

Farella Braun & Martel on 235 Montgomery is starting this Tuesday. We have enough YAY!! Please make sure to bring anybody who’s interested Tuesday, there’s always room for more!

City & County Wednesday at1145 Market street is starting this Wednesday! We were short a few last I heard. If you haven’t already, let Catherine Dodds know that you are rejoining and anybody who’s interested should contact her ASAP also. We need to keep this going, we are just doing too good to stop now!

Please feel free to give my email address to anybody who’s interested in joining but has questions. I will be more than happy to address any concerns about the Weight Watchers Corporate Solution.

Side note: I’ve got STUFF! If there’s anything you don’t find in your meeting room, let me know, I’ve got it! I’ll bring it for you. :o)

Have a good week!!

This is a very busy season for everybody. Remember that you do want to make some time to take care of yourself! That means eating well, exercising and coming to your meeting!

We want to be the ones who walk in proudly in the meeting room in January knowing that we enjoyed ourselves without forgetting about our goals. For that, you need your meeting and your meeting needs you. We’re in this together!!

See you in the meeting room.

Melanie

See my schedule

seamountains.net/mtg.html

Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be.

~Marsha Petrie Sue

Finally!

We’ve talked about it enough without really saying anything, this week this is IT! We are introducing the new Weight Watchers program. Are you ready? Excited? A little worried? We’ve been dying to tell you all about it for months now.

This week we are bringing you a new complete, livable program that has been thoroughly tested for 3 years before we even heard about it! We know it works, we know it is a great program, and we’ve been living it for almost 3 months now.

Finally we can share it with you. You don’t want to miss your meeting, you want to get all the details and find answers to your questions. A Holiday gift for all of us! YAY!

Tool of the Week

New program means new tools, and we have them! First thing first, our new Calculator! It’s calculates your... P+ (ish! I don’t wanna say too much!), tracks your day, give you your daily target, everything!!


Not only that, but the first one you by is at a greatly reduced price!

Note: You get a FREE calculator when you buy a Deluxe Member kit. Something to think about.

What’s going on?

We have a few events coming in which will make your transition to the new plan smoother and easier:

Tasty and Healthy in no time
Quick cooking on the new plan! Tricks and ideas to have tasty & healthy food on the table at record speed.
With Melanie Bourgeois

When and where:
Wednesday December 8th at 7:30pm
Stonestown Center

Make Etools work for you
How to use Etools to its fullest for more fun and success.
With Joe Lagana

When and where:
Monday December 13th 6:30 pm
San Bruno, Bayhill center

Saturday December 18th 1pm
Stonestown Center

Take full advantage of those events! Bring your friends too!!

In the Kitchen

This is a soup that I found on fatfreevegan.com years ago and to this day I don’t think I ever followed the original recipe. It’s an awesome base for a very filling and healthy soup that you can modify endlessly. I have added sausage or chicken to it (even beef once), I changed the spices, I changed the grains, you get the picture.

With the cold this last week, I thought it was a perfect recipe to share! It reheats very well; you might have to add some brothe though, as the grains tend to soak up the liquids.


4 Grains Tomato soup
2 meals (5p+) or 4 starters (3p+)

2 tablespoons each: barley brown rice, millet, and bulgur wheat
2 cups canned, diced tomatoes w/ juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon onion powder and dill
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, basil, and salt
1 carrots, chopped (1 to 2)
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cups vegetable broth

In a medium saucepan, sauté the vegetables in oil over medium heat until soft - 5 to 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to minimum, cover, and simmer for about an hour until grains are tender [pot barley takes the longest to cook]. You may need to add some extra water toward the end of the cooking time.

I have even made this with curry powder and added cumin. YUM!!

A week of change

This is it my friends! We are finally going to go over what's new and exciting for the 2011 version of Weight Watchers. I know not everybody is as excited by change as I am and that's ok. We will review this together, and I will be there to answer questions in the meeting room and by email.

Some of you might want to take a week to read the new plan and understand it before you switch to it and that's ok. The Momentum plan as not magically become a bad or unhealthy plan. We just have a better one now more in tune with what science has learned in the last 10 years.

Note that Etools will be changing to the new plan Monday (tomorrow) so most of you will have a preview of the new plan before you even come in the meeting room.

Take a deep breath, take time to read, note your questions and we will get this figured out together.

I am so excited!!!!!!

Have a good week!

As always I'm there for you. I will be bringing a lot of stuff in the meeting rooms, your favorites are back, new stuff is out, even a new cookbook!!

Email me if you need anything!

Mel
seamountains.net/mtg.html

P.S. I have re-faced my blog, added adjacent pages etc. Constructive criticism is absolutely welcomed!

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become."
~Unknown

I’m ready, I’m ready!

I have my food all planned out, I have put together strategies to deal with the stressful things (and people) who might have thrown me off course, I am ready!

Before we dive right in the Thanksgiving last minute preparations, maybe we can take a step back and remember previous celebrations we enjoyed since joining Weight Watchers. What worked? What didn’t work so well? More importantly, what have we learned?

Learning from experience is the best way there is to build up on that new lifestyle of ours, so we can find each “our” way to make this a true lifestyle change that will endure through celebrations and changes.

Tool of the week:

What better tool can there be in a food centered celebration than our Easy Measure spoon set?

Not only they are pre-measured serving spoon, but they actually look very nice! Nobody will know you are actually controlling your portions. You can be sneaky about being healthy! What’s not to love?

I have quite a few of those sets left, I'll be bringing them around. Let me know if you want one!

What’s going on?

Change is coming, can you feel it? You want to keep your eyes open and be part of the excitement!

We have great events coming in San Francisco that might just give you the help you need, not to mention that they are going to be fun! Not only you are invited, but any friends who wants to come and check us out is welcome to stop by too!

Cook healthy in minutes
With Melanie Bourgeois
Tips and tricks to have healthy food on the tables quickly and without fuss.
(It's my first time putting an event together, I'm having so much fun with this! I'm planning on keeping it simple and fun. Any quick food ideas are appreciated!)

December 8th:
Stonestown Center,


Make Etools Work for You
With Joe Lagana
Everything you need to know about using Etools.

December 13th:
San Bruno, Bayhill center

December 18th:
Stonestown Center

In the Kitchen

This recipe call for raw turkey meat, but I have done it most of the time with leftover cooked turkey (or chicken), just add it about 1 minute before the end to cook through.

It’s delicious, and it breaks from the “Thanksgiving taste” when you’ve been eating leftovers for a few days! ;o)

The second recipe is the Banana bread I've been talking about. I had it in last week's email which never went out. :o/

Turkey Mulligatawny
4 servings

Ingredients
2 teaspoon Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup Bulgur
2 teaspoon Madras curry powder (2 to 3)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small apple, unpealed and diced
1 pound bonless, skinless turkey breast cubed (3/4 inches)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until golden. 7-10 miuntes. Add the bulgur, curry powder, turmeric and cloves. Cook stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the broth, bell pepper, and apple; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until thebulgur is tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the turkey and salt; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered. until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with the pepper, then sprinkle with the tomatoes and cilantro just before serving.


Adapted from: Weight watchers "In one pot" cookbook, p. 21


Banana Bread
8 servings, 4 pts/serving*

Ingredients
¼ cup Splenda
¼ cup bron sugar
2 TBSP butter
3 TBSP Apple Sauce unsweetened
½ cup egg beater
1 1/2 cup, white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 6oz carton fat free vanilla yogurt
¾ cup ripe banana (about 1 ½ banana)
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Cooking spray
(You can add nuts, almonds or raisins, whatever but adjusts the pts value!)

1- Preheat over at 350F
2- Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until well mixed, add apple sauce and beat a little more. Add eggs beater slowly while mixing well.
3- Sift flour and baking soda and spices together and add to the wet mixture alternating with the yogurt. You want to start and finish with the flour. Do not over-mix! The more you mix, the denser it will be.
4- Fold in the banana and vanilla extract (and whatever else you decided to add) and pour the whole thing in a 8X4 inch pan that you pre-sprayed with cooking spray.
5- Bake for about 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

*The original recipe was 10 serving which would be 3 pts here. To me those slices are too thin. I want a REAL slice!

Adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2007 p. 407 (November 2007)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Weight Watchers will be closed on Thanksgiving day, but we are open all day Wednesday and Friday (with very few exceptions*). If you feel the need to stop by a center or a traveler, please do so!

*The century Club is closed Friday morning and the LGBT will be closed Saturday in observance of the Thanksgiving celebration.

I will be on vacation from Wednesday evening (after my meeting at Stonestown) to Monday morning. I will read and answer emails then. :o)

I hope you have a great time this weekend! Enjoy yourself and your loved ones.

Your leader,

Melanie

willow@seamountains.net
seamountains.net/mtg.html

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become."
~Unknown

17 Sleeps to Thanksgiving!!! Can you believe that?

This meeting is a tradition at Weight Watchers, the “Thanksgiving meeting”.

Come to see how to make Thanksgiving a successful AND an enjoyable day.

We’ll talk about what to eat, how much to eat, how to keep the focus without losing the fun! How does that sound?

If you have recipes or ideas that you want to share please bring them in!! The more the better!

Tool of the Week

Do you have any of the Weight Watchers Cookbooks? Those are great resources for healthy delicious recipes both for your family and for company!!

I will bring around any cookbook I have left; they are 50% off right now too!!

What’s going on?

Are you excited yet? The week after Thanksgiving is IT! I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

In the meantime we are gearing up and preparing for party season.

No matter if you are partying with 150 people or just by yourself, remember that the focus should not be so much on shopping, cooking and stressing out. It’s party time!

In the middle of spoiling and pampering your loved ones, remember to put yourself on the top of that list. You deserve it!

In the kitchen

This recipe is in the Healthy & Happy Celebration cookbook. This book is fabulous, full of great recipes for entertaining.

I made this for an event I had this weekend, and it was a hit too! So it’s not just me. Even my husband loved it and it’s not “his kind of stuff” as he says himself. I know it’s a lot of celery, but it absolutely works! Delicious!

Apple Celery and Herb Salad

12 servings 1 pt/serving

Ingredients

1 bunch celery, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced (I cored and ¼-ed the apples before slicing)

3 Tablespoons orange juice

1/4 cup lightly packed flat leaf parsley leaves

2 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives (diagonally is prettier)

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves

zest and juice of 1 lemon

4 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I used whole grain, it's prettier I’m fuffy that way)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1- Combine celery, apples, orange juice, parsley, chives, and tarragon in a large bowl.

2- Whisk together lemon zest and juice, olive oil, mustard, and salt in a small bowl. Pour dressing over celery and apples mixture and toss.

For 3/4 cup: Cal 56, fat 2g, sod 160mg, Carb 10g, Fib 3g, Prot 1g, Calc 46mg

(from Healthy & happy Celebration p 145)

At Work Corner

As always, let me know if you need anything and I will do my best to find it for you. I’ve found a few pocket guide/Journal covers. I’m bringing them around.

I also have cookbooks left. Those will go from meeting to meeting until I run out. If there is any you are interested in, grab them. They are going soon.

Otherwise I’ve very low on products. I am trying to find some more, I have a big order coming for end of November. It’s only a few weeks!!

As always, if you can’t attend your weekly meeting, you are welcome to attend any traditional meeting. You can find my schedule at:

http://seamountains.net/mtg.html

You have paid for attendance already, it’s included in your series.

Have a good week!

Email me if you need anything, I’m there for you!!

A little planning ahead can make this Thanksgiving a successful and enjoyable one!

Your leader

Melanie


“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”
~ Oprah Winfrey

Master your Metabolism

Have you ever heard yourself say one or more of these? I know I have!

“I can’t lose weight because I have a slow metabolism.”

“As you get older, losing weight becomes near impossible.”

“I’m not losing weight because I’m not eating enough. My body goes in starvation mode.”

We’ve heard those statements (or similar ones) so many times that we ended up believing them! There are so many myths about metabolism, and sadly they have made their way into the mainstream knowledge. We use them as excuses; marketers use them as bait to sell magical weight loss potions.

What is metabolism really? This week we will demystify the concept of metabolism and see how it can help us, not hinder us, in our weight management efforts. It’s not a magical pill for weight loss, but it can help.

Want to know the coolest part? You can totally do something about it!

Tool of the week:

Have you taken a look at our fitness kits? We have 2: Punch and Belly Butt and Thighs.

Punch has weighed gloves (3/4 lb each) and Belly Butt & Thighs has an exercise ball. Those come with work outs (on DVD) and are a great way to get your moving on at home!

I have the Punch one and use the glove sometimes just as I do my daily routine. ¾ lb might not seem like much, but after an hour… and I lift weights regularly!

Ask me about them, I’ll bring them in for you! Perfect for those who don’t feel at home at the gym.

What’s going on?

Halloween marks the beginning of party season really. Next thing you know we are getting ready for Thanksgiving and then it’s madness until mid January.

This can be a scary time for us members if we don’t take a little time to put together a master plan. In this down time before the party starts take time to think how you want to sail through the holiday season. Here are a few things to remember:

Attending your meeting every week will give you an anchor, and bring accountability in a time when distractions are the rule. It’s also the perfect place to learn all those tricks and ideas which can really make navigating the season a breeze.

A little planning ahead goes a long way. Being prepared takes out the stress and let you truly enjoy the time you have with friends and family.

You have the tools, use them! Etools is a great resource for Point Values certainly, but also for inspiration, ideas, information, everything! You have plenty of other very useful tools: Your food scale, your journal, the companions, the Point calculator, the Point clicker… Find the right tool for the situation you’re facing and use it!

This is also a great season to give back. Look around your community and see where and how you can do your own little part to help those in need. Every little bit helps!

In the Kitchen

This is a fall favorite of ours. I like to make big batches for parties in the crock pot, or individual ones in the microwave (using ground spices). Honestly, the microwave version doesn’t taste nearly as rich.

There’s the “right way” to do this, and there’s the “oh c’mon, I don’t have the rest of my life to do this” way. Pick your own ;o)

Hot spiced cider*

16 servings 2pts/serving

1 gallon (4 quart) apple juice

3 + sticks cinnamon

1 TBSP whole Allspice

1 tsp (or less) whole clove

1 whole orange cleaned and sliced (peel and all).

Nutmeg to taste (I love nutmeg!)

If you wish put the spices in a little teabag or make a little pouch with cheese cloth and put them in. I don’t bother because I like to see whole spices floating around. If young kids will drink this, I would make the teabags, just to be safe.

Put the juice in the crock pot and put on high for 30 minutes or so to warm up. I sometimes cheat and warm up the juice in the microwave.

Add the spices and the orange slices and let sit on low (or even warm if your crock pot has that setting) for 1+ hour.

If you have it on warm, you can leave it on all through the party. If it’s on low, I would turn it off after 90 minutes or so.

Let people serve themselves (it’s part of the fun!) and put whole nutmeg with a grater close by for people to add it at will.

I get this going before I start cooking, that way the whole place smells wonderful and it really gets us in a Holiday mood. :o)

*Some people who shall remain nameless have been known to add rum to this. I’m not saying that I encourage drinking, but it’s the holidays… safely and in moderation… Dark rum would work better for this I believe. Obviously you’d add the Points for the rum. ;o)

At Work Corner

As always, let me know if you need anything and I will do my best to find it for you. I’ve found a few pocket guide/Journal covers. I’m bringing them around.

I also have cookbooks left. Those will go from meeting to meeting until I run out. If there is any you are interested in, grab them. They are going soon.

As always, if you can’t attend your weekly meeting, you are welcome to attend any traditional meeting. You can find my schedule at:

http://seamountains.net/mtg.html

You have paid for attendance already, it’s included in your series.

Have an awesome week!

Email me if you need anything, I’m there for you!!

Remember that a little bit of thinking ahead can make all the difference between “I did it!” and “Shoot, I got to fix this now”. ;o)

Your leader

Melanie

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

~ Oprah Winfrey