This newsletter I thought I would go over some tips on surviving the christmas season the BFL way. I received these tips from our International First runner up champ Clare O'Dwyer whose photos feature on this site. They certainly helped me get through the last silly season and thought them worthwhile to share. Thanks clare so much. Clare is based in Canberra, so please contact me if you would like to contact clare for some BFL advice.

Schedule Christmas day and New Years Day as your FREE day.
Take a large plate of authorised food to share at workplace office parties.
Dont position yourself near snack food or near the kitchen.. stand near the dance floor and make friends with the DJ.
Keep busy talking doing and helping, the more you talk and do the less you can eat.
If at a restaurant, dont feel rushed or pressured to order something fattening, steer clear of saturated fats, white bread, cream sauces and sugar. Order plenty of water and ask the waiter to explain a dish if you are unsure skip the entree and desert.

Enjoy a main meal with protein, carbohydrates and vergetables, or order a main with virtually NO carbohydrates so you can have some fresh fruit for desert.

Dont be shy to re-invent the menu... instead of fish and chips ask for grilled fish and salad and HOLD the mayo. Remember the real enjoyment comes from the people, NOT THE FOOD.

Give generously, give the Body for life Book and CD's as christmas gifts.
People respect self-discipline. Show off your self-discipline and people will be asking for YOUR help with their new years resolutions.
So with much love from ME to ALL of you.. i wish you all a very safe season, and a very happy christmas.. May the new year bring about a brand new you.

(well it is christmas after all)

1 container of Diet Danone raspberry yogurt
1 tablespoon of vanilla protein powder
1 cup of lite whipped cream
2 cups of fresh or frozen raspberries.

In a large bowl, stir the vanilla protein powder into the yoghurt until thoroughly combined. Fold the whipped cream into the yogurt mixture, add the raspberries and chill in the fridge at least one hour before serving.
Im not going to even mention carb fat or protein content. but its not too bad.. you could be eating worse things, but to make it even better, share your deserts with your loved ones. .. If anyone is wanting to donate a recipe for next months newsletter drop me a line to debbie@desirefitness.com.au

Watch out for another quick and easy recipe next month.

Watch out for issue number 16 Nov/Dec issue of Energy for women. I recently had the pleasure of conducting an interview with the editor of Muscle Media and Energy Magazine and it really is nice to see it now finally in print. But i have got to say something here, for my friends who know me very well, they all would know how much I shudder at the thought of hiking and camping out.. Im petrified of any creepy crawly, and will loudly scream my head off and jump up and down enough to wake the dead. So imagine my surprise when reading the article and I quote " Debbie includes embracing her new found sense of adventure by routinely camping and hiking with her husband and two daughters" HA.. I tell you not even our Canberra friends could get us to stay the night in a caravan park, and as for spiders.. well thats another story. So, let me just say that now it is IN print.. I guess I had better make it one of my personal goals and challenges to overcome in the next year. so WATCH THIS SPACE.

This month that has got to read "friends of the month" Last month I attended the Happy Ever After charity ball for childrens cancer research, held at the basin.. with the hope of raising money for cancer research. I donated a personal training package being the main prize with lots of extras added to offer the lucky auction bidder a complete transformation package. In total the Desire Fitness Package raised $2,475-00. Im so very happy to see this go to such a worthwhile cause, and my thanks go to the people who generously donated their services for the night and allowed Desire Fitness to really shine. So to all my friends, THANKYOU

Grand Slam International and our own world champion JANA PITMAN Michael and Tracey Bevan and the Australian Cricket team Luke of Northside Runners Manly, Michael at Ultra Fit Australia, Tanning systems Australia, Only fitness, Protan Dee Why, Chris Quinn and Exa gym Dee Why, Scott Watkins and Tasco, Dana carmont and Bonehead Sports, Marc Sier and Bigfoot bags, Champion Ian Collins and Evelyn Faye Nutrition Melbourne, Craig Ellen and Nestle Australia, Kris Dybal and Schwarzkopf, Jasmine of Cerise Floral Design Manly and Denise Booth of Acacia Embroidery Brookvale.