Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

How is everyone feeling about this upcoming eating holiday? It's the first of many that are just around the corner, so now is the time to prepare! (and not just the stuffing...)

Last week in the meeting room we talked about the importance of Learning From Experience. What has Thanksgiving been like for you in the past? How have you behaved? What did you eat? Not eat? How did you prepare, if at all? Think back this week and realize what you've done previously and take what you can from the experience. Like I said in the meeting, you need to see it as feedback and not failure.

Turkey and stuffing and gravy - oh my! Not to mention pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and whatever other goodies your host may prepare. What can you do to help prepare yourself for the food that you will encounter? Are you hosting the meal? If so there are lots of great recipes on the Weight Watchers site as well as in Clean Eating magazine. If you're not hosting, perhaps you can ask the host if you can bring something? Or find out what the menu is in advance.

If you're doing Flex you can budget for the meal(s). Make your weekly allowance last and make great choices throughout the week. If you're doing Core, a lot of Thanksgiving foods can be Core, and don't forget that you always have your weekly Points allowance of 35 to use for those non-Core favourites. Whatever plan you're doing, try to make some time for activity that day. Even if it's a 20 minute walk before or after dinner, those extra AP's will help! Make room for the foods that you're really looking forward to. Maybe it's stuffing or pumpkin pie. Skip on the potatoes, because you can have them year round! Load your plate up with veggies and be mindful of your Comfort Zone.

And just remember, that whatever happens at the table during your Thanksgiving meal, it is only one day. You can track it and move on. Make it an amazing week and be thankful that you are making an amazing change in your life by doing the Weight Watchers program! I know that I am thankful for being on plan this year and for all of my amazing members and friends who keep me inspired and positive. Lots of love to you all xo

bzzz bzzz

I have been a busy little bee as of late! I'm sorry I've not had the time to write.

It started with my show. I was rehearsing 4 days/week in August and then we opened the show on September third. I'm in the last week of the run and it's been amazing! We've had great houses of people really loving what we are doing. Luisa is a great role for me and I'm really having fun!

I did my monthly weigh in on Saturday and was happy to be at 128 again. I was up a wee bit last month, but still very much under my goal and I feel really good about that. I've been getting comments from my coworkers that I'm looking thinner these days, which I think might have something to do with another activity that has been keeping me busy and that is belly dancing! I started my new class two weeks ago and I absolutely adore it. Abby is an amazing teacher and I'm liking the challenge of the new level. In early October, I'll be taking a workshop with the founder of the studio and I am counting the days! I'm just obsessed with belly dance right now. Reading books, looking at websites and forums, searching for costumes (which I don't need...) It's an amazing hobby and I absolutely adore it.

At some point this week I'm going to post a blog about my topic for the week because I think it's an important one! It's all about getting rid of pesky ANTs! Stay tuned..

Yummy Food Updates

A few months ago I headed to the US with some girlfriends and picked up some amazing fun food finds! I love cooking and trying new recipes, and there's stuff in the States that we just can't get here!

First up are the Tofu Shirataki noodles. These have been sitting in my fridge just BEGGING to be used, but to be completely honest, they scared the daylights out of me. They seemed great conceptually, but there was something about their white-ish colour and they fact that they were swimming around in the bag that freaked me out!

My fiance was away this weekend, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to give them a shot. I tried them in the Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo from the Hungry Girl cookbook. I rinsed and rinsed them just like it said, paranoid that I would do it wrong. The recipe was super easy and I was ready to eat in less than 10 minutes.

The recipes was very yummy! The sauce was creamy and had a nice cheese flavor. The noodles themselves definitely did not taste like spaghetti, but definitely had a "noodle" quality to them. The whole portion is ONE POINT and it's a lot of food! I love volume for low points values, so it definitely satisfied me in that way. I'm really looking forward to using my other package of Tofu Shirataki noodles for something else! I'm also going to check out Whole Foods here in Toronto to see if they carry them. 2 thumbs up!

The second item I wanted to tell you about is the Fibre One muffin mix. I'm so peeved that I only picked up one box of these! It's like any other muffin mix, except that that each muffin is packed with 5 grams of fibre!

I made these tonight and they were really easy and absolutely delicious! Each muffin has a Points value of 3 and taste absolutely heavenly warm (or fresh out of the oven) They don't taste gritty or overly full of fibre which is really nice. I've left a few out for the beginning of the week and have put the rest in the freezer. Each box makes 12 generous muffins.

Feelin' hot hot HOT

Today I decided it would be a good idea to head to hot yoga. For those of you who have never done it, it's basically yoga in a sauna. It is HOT! Like we're talking sweat dripping off your body, while you go through a series of yoga poses.

It's been awhile since I've gone to a class, but I decided that I wanted to get back at it. I went to a 90 minutes class this morning at 10:00am and it was such a challenge! I have fainted before (never in a yoga class), so I'm incredibly cognizant of the signals my body sends me when it's not feeling so good. During yoga of any kind, but especially hot yoga, it's really important that you go at your own pace, and do only what feels good for you! Instructors are always good about giving variations, and it's important that you listen to them and do what is best for you.

I enjoyed the section of the poses that took place on the floor the most. The great part about hot yoga, is that the heat aids your body in stretching, and often allows you to go further than you would in a regular temperature. I think when I go back, I will take the 60 minute class, to let my body re-adjust to the temperature and ensure that I don't feel sick or faint.

For more information on hot yoga, check out Moksha Yoga

Going to my class today was also very exciting because I added my very first star to my activity chart courtesy of the WW Chick! I'm aiming for 750 activity minutes in September. I can do it!!

Go for the Goal(d)

Obstacles are thost frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal

~Henry Ford

This week I want to talk about the importance of setting goals - both ultimate and interim. One of the first goals that we recommend at WW is your 10% goal. Research has shown that there are incredible benefits to losing 10% of your body weight including:

• A healthier heart
• Lower risk of type 2 diabetes
• More energy

Sometimes the 10% goal isn't best for everyone, so it's great to set goals along the way. In the meeting room we celebrate milestones along the way with 5 and 10 lbs stars, as well as Bravo stickers.

Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another
~John Dewey

Once reaching a goal (10% or other) it's important to set another, whether that be another interim goal or an ultimate weight goal. If your meetings member who has achieved a goal, sit down and chat with your Leader who can help you set another goal.

This week I challenge you to think about what goal you are currently working towards - is it an interim goal like your 10% or your ultimate goal weight? If you're already at your goal weight, what is another goal that you've set for yourself?

Setting goals (both interim and ultimate) are integral to your success. Setting goals along the way can help strengthen your motivation because your next success is never far off!!

It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward
~Old Chinese Proverb