Destruction....

I feel so helpless at the moment,with so much destruction around the state and with in my local community, it feels wrong for me to be going about my normal every day life. I found out today that a friend of mine lost their house in the fires on the weekend and i cannot describe the anger that i feel towards to person/people who decided to purposely light a fire on what was already know to be one of the most dangerous days weather wise this year. There will not be a punishment suitable for the magnitude of damage they have caused, the loss of life and property, the time and efforts of everyone involved with fighting the fires and dealing with the aftermath of it all.

Luckily, no one i know has be killed by the events, most people i know have managed to save their properties, or may have only lost a shed or two. There is only one person i know of personally to have lost their home.

There is nothing i can do to help except donate money or goods, but that just doesn't seem like enough, it seems so wrong for me to be doing my normal stuff when people around me have had their lives ripped apart.

well, my piece has been said, i will keep looking for ways i can help, but in the mean time i have to continue on with my own life and do the normal everyday things and be truly thankful that i still have my life and property.

My heart and thoughts go out to anyone who has been affected by this disaster.

Wendy

Extreme heat and Bush fires

As many of you are aware, We are having a huge heatwave here in Vic, last week we had 4 days over 40C, the average being about 43 degrees each day. On top of that a bushfire has ravage through some of the local towns (luckily not mine), we were given a short break of hot weather and it has returned today with Melbourne having hit 48degress so i am told! we are on about 42 at the moment and it is 7pm! Bush fires have flared up again and are quite local this time, one of them is very close to our old house in Jeeralang. From our back door we can see the flames as it travels across the valley. At 4pm this afternoon,(when the "red" photo was taken!) the place was very eery, it was orange and quiet. No one was about, and there was hardly a sound on the air. It is pitch dark, in fact you would think it was about 10pm. The wind is still quite strong and it has started to rain. We thought the rain was quite welcome and stood outside in it only to come in and find we were covered in soot. The house is black, the car is black, the dog is black (yep Ash the dog is covered in ash!) There is going to be alot of cleaning up to do tomorrow, but at least i am very thankful that all i will be doing is washing and not sifting through ash and rubble.

We are pretty much have fires on all sides of us at the moment, the highway to Melbourne is closed from Trafalgar due to the fire around that area having jumped containment lines, the fires at boolara and Churchill have blocked that side of us, there is another one just started at Walhalla (back of Tyers - another of our old houses!) which is impacting on Erica and Rawson, so the only way for us to travel (should we want to ) would be towards Sale! Thankfully we are pretty safe here in town here in Morwell, one of the times i am thank full that i do not live out of town!.

Anyway, i have a 7year old sleepover going on at the moment, so i guess i should go and check on the movie!!

Isn't it funny how i only seem to blog when life is bright and happy!! It seems that as soon as i post about how well things are going, life turns its tail on me!!

December was a very busy and stressful month for me (as it is for most of us!) i had to work full time (yep, i know, poor old me....I am not used to it, haven't worked full time for about 9years!!) so that compounded with PMT and christmas didn't exactly make me the brightest, hgappiest person around.

That being said, it led me to some great places! I discovered a local naturopath who has worked some wonders on the hormonal side of life, lets just say, my family can now live with me all month and they don't have to move out for 2 weeks!! I reintroduced some carbs back into my food to help with energy levels and i have been learning lots of new and useful info from the Lean Eating course i am doing (seriously, i have made some great little changes to my whole lifestyle, the course is great, it is not a "diet plan" but really looks at life as a whole, rest, relaxation, support, exersice, food etc you name it, they have probably got a lesson on it!)

We have moved the TV out of the lounge which has been a great move, the lounge is now a "chill out zone" I always have "lounge music" playing in the background, it is tidy and there are no kids things cluttering up the floor and it makes such a huge difference when you walk into the house as the lounge is one of the first rooms you see. Austar has been taken out aswell, much to the kids disgust, but they have adjusted!! they are finding new ways to entertain themselves and are not so reliant on the TV!!!

We headed off to NZ for christmas with Mike's Rellies and had a great time. Everyone was nice and relaxed and we came home really feeling refreshed and renewed!

We have just about finished the summer school hols, only one more week until they are back at school and then all those after school activites will start again. We have all enjoyed the hols, Mike has had 2 days off per week, as have I and it has worked well, no one is stressing!! We just need to keep these feelings when everything gets back to normal! What is normal? Te past few weeks have been awesome, so is there any reason why the feelings cannot be carried over once the "old routine" starts again. Maye that should be my new years resolution..not stress so much, relax and let things just happen!

Hope the new year is being good to everyone out there in blog land and i promise to blog more often!!!

Have a good one

Wendy

weekend warriors

Am loving my life at the moment!

Since signing up for the PN course, i have tamed down my eating habits and have been focusing on clean food only, it is working. I am not being left feeling sluggish and low, it is the power of good food, just need to bottle this feeling to remind myself next time i want to "clog up my body" with rubbish!

I have started training again and was actually at the gym before work this morning, so that is 3 days in a row!! Go me... The lesson on decision making really was great, i have made the decision that i will lead my healthy life and will do what it takes to stay there. It really is much easier once you commit to something!

I really enjoy the PN forum as well at the moment, there is such a wide variety of women on there, all with different thoughts, goals, concerns, everyday problems. I enjoying helping where I can. I have been fortunate to have been given so much advice and information over the past few years and it is really good to be able to use this to help others with their journeys.

We rearranged our lounge room on the weekend and moved the TV out of it, we have created a really nice relaxing place. Austar has been turned off for the moment as it is not connected in the TV room, so we are seeing how this goes for a week before we make any final decisions on it. The nice thing is we have our meal times back to family times, with talking and no TV, We have always eaten at the table, but with the TV in the lounge and being in full view of the table, it has often dominated our meal times. So, the plus side... relaxing lounge, peaceful family meal times, less TV time, th girls are actually playing more adn i foresee more family fun with games etc!!

Lets see what happens! If anyone has read Lisa's blog recently, you may have noticed that she doesn't have a TV, microwave or clothes dryer.... nice going Lisa, but i really don't think i could cope without those 2 items yet LOL

Wendy

Indecision = Tension

PN lean eating course has started this week and am pleased to say with all the great eating i have done this week, my weight has increased by 1lb (bummer, those scales are supposed to be going down!!)

Anyway, it is all about deciding where you are, what you know, what you are doing and what you need to change.

The lessons so far have been okay, no big homework. Today's bonus lesson made me think!

We were asked: have you made the decision that you will do what it takes to re-shape your body and reach your goals? because indecision = tension (and we all know that tension causes stress hormone increase which suppresses fat loss!!) Whenever internal debate takes place, tension increases. How many times have we all fought with ourselves about whether to go and train or not?

Today i made that decision. The housework waited an extra hour as i went to the gym! (in fact alot of it is still waiting!!)There will be no more fighting with myself, i must train, end of story. Another realisation for me today was although i eat well, i have been eating the same as i did when i was training for comps, the only problem is, i am not training, so all that extra food and energy is just being stored, any wonder i am reshaping my body in the wrong direction!

My workout today was great, i have missed that feeling! I did about 40mins weights (chest/back) and then followed it with a session on the elliptical walker. it felt good! Watch out gym, i am back!!.

I have a wedding to go to next weekend, and have just bought a dress, the experience wasn't as fun as clothes shopping has been previously, too many wobbly bits and carb bloating, i remember a time in the not too distant past when i would actually enjoy shopping and could pick up just about anything and feel happy with it. Well, friends, that time is just around the corner again, been there, done that and i want to go back! Interestingly, we have to post on the lean forum how we see our bodies now and how we want to see them at the end of the course. I am aiming for the same look i had post comp, lean and toned, about 12%BF and maintaining that year round with healthy principles.

anyway, alot of hard work ahead of me, but i am up for this challenge!
That being said, washing needs to be done and tea needs to be cooked!!

W

Movember

If anyone doesn't know my wonderful husband, here he is doing his bit for MOVEMBER.
He and some work colleagues raised a fair amount of money last year for the cause, and he decided to do it again this year. Personnally i think it is just an excuse to grow facial hair and there is nothing i can do about it! Can't stand the stuff and am looking forward to the end of the month when it all comes off! Never mind though, atleast he is doing his bit for a good cause

Back to Normal!

well, the head is pretty much back to normal now, I think i must be neck related as the muscles in my neck and upper back are pretty stiff!

The day off work was nice, definitely needed it, but unfortunately all those who we had to turn away came back on Wednesday, so it was a pretty full on day yesterday! Today was back to normal though.

Have changed my herbs i have been taking this week, i am not taking the "stress & anxiety" blend at the moment but have noticed a big difference. My sleep patterns have changed again, i have woken up every night this week, and i don't have the sense of calm that i had whilst taking the blend, so i think it would be wise to go back on them again. This got me thinking!!!!!

I have read a few peoples blogs lately and everyone sounds tired, busy, struggling with weight loss and always juggling things around. I have news for you all, i am the same, and it is all stress on your body! Now, take my advice and head over to Lisa's blog (link from mine) and read up on her views of stress and what it does to your body!

Let me paraphrase for you. Stress is bad! end of story, and we are talking everyday life kind of stresses here. It tires your adrenal glands and produces too much cortisol which inhibits your fat loss. It affects your sleep. If you don't sleep well (and Lisa tells me we should all be sleeping 8 hours uninterrupted) your body does not get chance to rejuvenate and grow (think about it mums, how often did you tell your children that they do all their growing in their sleep!) How do you think you can function at your maximum if you are always tired.

Do me a favour, check out Lisa's blog, look into the effects of stress and get yourself some herbs to help deal with the issues, i am certainly going to get back on mine again.

There we are, i have ranted enough, need to go off and calm down now LOL.

Wendy

headaches

Don't usually get them (to the surprise of my chiro and masseur!!) but have been hit with one for the past 2 days now. Am actually off work with it today, the head and body just aren't connected.

What has brought this on???

Too much processed rubbish i think! We didn't eat well on the weekend and as usual, my body is letting me know about it. Sunday we were out all day, although i packed some supplies, it was not enough. I also didn't drink enough, so this combination has played havoc on my body. The simple carbs have bloated my up, hit my head and left me feeling lethargic and under the weather. Simple answer to this.....water and veggies!!!! My body responds so much better when i feed it correctly. So today is take it easy day, drink lots of water and eat plenty of veggies day! I can't afford to feel bad about myself, I am on a mission... healthy food, balanced mind and building muscles (can't believe how much they have wasted away because i have been too lazy to hit the weights!)

off to drink some more!!

Wendy

Update

Doesn't time fly when you are having fun!!

Body has spread very nicely since October, weight has increased to my upper limits of being relatively happy with it.

Training is kind of non existent at the moment, although having just received a new program, there is hope on the horizon that the weights and I may just click again! I have actually started jogging once or twice a week which has been nice. my next fun goal is to complete the "Run for the Kids" next April, 15km and i want to run the whole thing, so i am actually doing some training for it this time. I did it back in 2007 with no training (5km fun run and a 7km run)and completed it in 1hr 40mins, i jogged/walked the whole way around, this time....no walking!!!

At this stage, i don't think i will be competing on stage next year, whilst i enjoyed it this year, the desire for it just isn't there at the moment. I have spent the past 2 years training and dieting for comps and i am over it!! My next nutritional goal is to find my healthy balance, make food fun and family friendly again.

Having been working with Lisa since May, one thing that has consistently come up in my biosignature is my stress levels, so this is something i am working on. Now don't get me wrong, I am not "stressed" as such, certainly not in the "business man" kind of a way you would imagine, but my body has had enough of being constantly on the go. I am the same as every other working mum out there, we work, come home, look after kids, drive them around, cook, clean, exersice etc etc and the list usually goes on! This takes its toll on the body, so with the help of yoga, relaxation techniques and chinese herbs, i am becoming a less stressed out person. I have been taking my herbs for about 2 weeks now, and already feel the benefit, increased patience with my family is one of the major differences i have noticed. Not waking up at night either. Apparently waking 3-4 times for the loo is not acceptable and it is not a result of drinking too much, it is stress!! So far i have slept 7 full nights in a row!!!

so with stress levels under control, training orgainsed, the only thing left to conquer is nutrition.

As of Nov 24th i am doing the Presicion Nutrition Lean eating for Women coaching course. 6 Months of being coached in the art of lean eating. very excited about this as i know the program works, and its style of food suits my body and i function much better when i eat the PN way, the only problem is doing it by myself i am not accountable to anyone, so slacken off too often. For the next 6 months i will be held accountable for eveything that i do and eat. We have to post measurements, photos and homework assignments otherwise we are kicked off the course! I intend to use this time to find the balance i have been looking for. I can train for my run, keep up the weights to keep my body lean and mean, and set myself on course. At the end of the 6 months, i should be in a great place (physically and mentally) to consider competing again.

So watch this space, I will endeavour to blog more often and keep you up to speed on all my improvements.

in the mean time.... off to make some relaxation tea and switch off for the night!

Wendy

focus, balance and sanity

Well, 2 weeks post comp now and i think i have had enough of eating all the things i shouldn't. My body is not liking me at the moment and is reacting to all the processed carbs by swelling up. If i want to keep a flat stomach, i need to banish the bad carbs!

So, as of tomorrow, a new lifestyle starts! It is one of clean living, which will see my body work in harmony with my food. There will be no cravings, no bloating, clear thinking and a well balanced body! (ahhh, the dreams!!) of course there will be cravings, i am female after all, but i will learn how to manage them and to satisfy them with clean foods.

There are no more comps for me until i am satisfied i have increased my muscle mass enough and decreased my body fat enough, there is no point getting on stage looking the same as i have done this year. My goal is to compete at the All Females in July 2009 and then ANB Oct 2009. So this gives me 9 months to balance and grow!

Atleast it has only taken me 2 weeks to regain composure and control this time, unlike the 3 months after my first comp! I know the body i want to see in the mirror and i know what i have to do/eat to maintain it, all i have to do know is accept that this is the way i have to live/eat and do it!

Currently sitting at about 16% BF and about 65kg, this is going to decrease to about 12%BF and this will be my new "normal", am guessing the weight will come down to about 60kg, but who care what the scales say if you are happy with the way you look and feel!

so there we are new goals written down in black and white:

By 22nd December 2009 my bodyfat percentage will be 12%. I will have balanced out my body and established an eating plan that allow me to maintain this level of BF whilst keeping my sanity! I will have a flat stomach as a result of the foods i have been eating, i wil be working with my body and not against it.

ANB Vics Oct 2008

well, all over and done with!

Placed 6th in my division, which was no surprise, I was in the same class as a couple of girls who have a list of achievements to their names.

My goal was to make it on stage and hopefully look better than March, i made it up, in a well made bikini with great shoes, so that was a start. After all the training i have done, i am sure i had more muscle, not that it looked like it compared with the others!!

I am not surprised or dissappointed with my results as i really got out what i had put in. The whole way through i doubted myself and sabotaged myself, i trained hard, but didn't diet as hard as i should have and it showed on the day. I didn't come in as lean and hard as March for whatever reason, and i must admit, something went wrong with my legs!! Strange as my hips are smaller than they have ever been, and yet i looked very bottom heavy! Must change my routine to "fat bottomed girls" next time!

Anyway, i am glad i made it up on stage again, i did get a better feeling of what is needed to make it up there this time around, if i ever want to take home a trophey, i need to work at it and be consistent. I need clean food year round and no lapsing into former habits! saying that, finding it a challenge to stay lean and green with food at the moment, there is so much yummy stuff out there which i have not tasted for weeks!

My current goal is to be more creative with food, if we have to live like this, then i need more variety and freedom with my food, it can't all be plain meat and veggies/salad. Made some great lamb kebabs last night, simple, easy and very tasty.... why haven't i done that before.

So, whilst enjoying my new training program, designed to layer on the muscle, i am also going to enjoy the process of cooking and eating great tasting food and result to plain chicken/veggies only in an emergency. So if there are any good cooks out there with great recipes.........

shoes

Finally they have arrived!

Now for some practise, as pretty as they are, they are definately not the comfiest of shoes or easiest ones to walk in, especialy for someone who does not wear high heels!

All i need now is a bikini.... still waiting on that one, I am pretty sure she was going to post it today at the latest, so fingers crossed for tomorrow. Hope it hurries up as i don't want to start tanning up if the bikini isn't going to get here in time!!

Yesterday was a good day for me, both food wise and training wise, today i have hit a wall! so tired, but that is probably half due to staying up late playing with my new phone and half due to the bad sleep i had dreaming about competitions! In for an early night and a good sleep tonight i hope!

My coach, Lisa is over in Palm Springs at the moment for the worlds Powerlifting comp. She lifts tomorrow, so best wishes to her and i hope she lifts many PB's and brings home some medals to show for it! GOOD LUCK LISA!!!!

one week today!

This time next week i should be pumped and just about to grace the stage!

wow, it has come around quick now, although just a few weeks ago, it seemed like a life time away and far beyond my reach.

Looking at my pictures, i look about the same as i did when i as on stage in March, i still have a week to go, with carb depletion/loading to come, so i know i will look okay on stage. I am about 2-3kg heavier this time around, yet body fat is about the same if not lower, so i have managed to put on some muscle in the past 6 months, hopefully with the tan and prep next week, these will come up well!

My bikini should be made and decorated by now and i will get that either Monday or Tuesday, so i am very excited to see what a difference a correct fitting bikini can make. Shoes should also arrive next week as well, nothing like leaving it all until the last minute!!

Posing and routine need more work, so will have to make sure i practise everyday this week, it is hard doing a routine with no mirrors around, so will have to just hope for the best!

Tanning starts on wed/thurs, hair is booked for thursday, waxing is done, so all those little things are coming together as well, fun, fun, fun!!

Head is okay at the moment, i actually believe i can do this again, i don't feel like i will be making a fool of myself on stage! I don't expect i will be coming home with Any trophy's, but i have made the journey to the stage and have done my best to look my best, and that is what counts. I am in better shape than i was in March which is what i set out to achieve. My other aim is to come out the other side of competition stable! I don't plan on eating everything in sight and will be aiming to stay at roughly this level of BF and not put on too much post comp weight. Will then have to start thinking about what to do next!!

Until next time!

4 weeks today!

Time to get serious and really pull up my socks now! Diet has to be 100% clean from here on, it is only 4 weeks and i can do this! The plan is to eat lean protein and green veggies from here on (with the exception of post workout foods) cardio has to be daily and weights pretty much daily as well. Bit of a challenge this week as Mike is away for 3 days, so will have to get creative with the workouts there! I also need to be very careful with food whilst he is away, as that is the time i tend to "let go"

Photos from today were encouraging and i think i can make it! (correction, i KNOW i can!!) I had thought about doing a double comp, and competing on the Saturday as well as the Sunday, but have decided against that as logistically it is going to be too difficult and stressful with the travel, kids, shows etc. So to make life easier for all concerned, i am just going to compete with ANB on Sunday.

Posing is coming along and i am sore today from a really good session yesterday at the workshop. Really enjoyed the workshop, the most wonderful Lindy Olsen was there who is most inspiring, she really hit a chord with me with her story, brought tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat, especially as she was close to tears herself. It is not very often you come across such a warm and generous person who is so passionate about what she does and how she got there. I had the biggest hug from her when i left and on the drive home i really believed that i could do anything.

I was complemented on my posing by Janet Kane, who is a multiple title holder within the figure circles and i found that great; at one of the first workshops i went to she commented that i really had to do something about my legs (they just didn't look right no matter where i put them) so to receive a complement from her really made me feel like i have made huge progress!

so motivation is on the up, i finally have the belief in myself again that i can look "stage worthy" in the next 4 weeks, i may not be a winner yet, but as long as i can hold my own and have improved since the last comp then i will have won in my mind!

6 weeks out

Caught up with my posing coach on the weekend and realised how rusty i am! need to practise, practise,practise!! Also made it to see the "bikini lady" and have chosen the material and design of my bikini, all i need now is a body to put into it!

New training program is good, it is a 6 day program now, so a bit more intense. Went to the gym yesterday, but was a half hearted attempt, i was so tired i felt i should be in bed instead but fought on figuring that something was better then nothing. Didn't enjoy it! The gym was busy, people were using the benches and weights i wanted and i was almost ready to give up and go home, it wasn't the "stress relieving" session it usually is. Anyway was home and in bed by 8.30 and had about 10 hours sleep!!

Today am feeling better about the whole comp process, am feeling leaner today so that makes life seem a bit rosier! maybe there is hope out there. will just keep plodding!! Am going to slap on some dream tan this week and take some "tanned" pictures, see if i can see all those muscles popping under some colour!

7 weeks out

Met with Lisa for a training session this weekend, I managed 3 chin ups with minimal help, which was a vast improvement from the last time we trained together. I also had my skin folds taken, Lisa made my BF% 13.5!!!! I was amazed, my measurements put it at around 17% which is still a decrease for me and i have been putting on some lean muscle mass. So with those results in hand, I decided to finally commit 100% to competing in October.

It is kind of a relief having made the decision, it means i can really knuckle down and concentrate on getting into the best form that i can be, there is no room for treats and errors on my diet now, and no more excuses.

I had been debating Octobers comp for a long time, i am quite enjoying the process of putting on muscle and learning how my body reacts to different foods, how much exercise i need to maintain where i am, and just being generally happy with the way i look.

When i competed in March, there was a huge goal, it was a weight loss journey for me, and i really wanted to look like i belonged on stage, not have people pity me being up there. It was way out of my comfort zone and made me work hard towards that goal.

This time around, the urgency and "biggness" of it all isn't there. I know i can do it, i know i can get up on stage, but have i changed enough to make a difference, there is no point getting up there in October and looking the same as i did in march.

I have put on more muscle this time around, and if i concentrate now, i will be able to get up on stage and be big and lean! who knows, i may even be able to bring home a trophy, now how cool would that be, first comp - most inspirational, second comp - a place! now that would be progress!

Am up for a 6 day program for the next 4 weeks, with food being cycled on a 5day low: 1 day high arrangement. Supplements are all stocked up and food is organised for the next 4 days, so am starting the week off strong.

Watch this space!!

Inspiration

If anyone wants to see some serious action, check out Lisa's blog (under my link of blogs to check out) and watch her videos from the Queensland power lifting champs a couple of weekends ago! This girls knows how to lift some serious weights. From memory, her PB squat is 120kg (she weighs just short of 60kg) and bench press is 75kg, and i was worried about her spotting me doing chin ups!!!!

Lisa is my nutrition/training coach and so far has made a huge impact on my body shape and hormonal balance (she is still working on the mind LOL) If anyone needs help with weight loss/weight gain, hormonal balance, cravings issues, training etc etc I would highly recommend Lisa and the team at bodyworx. They are great and i look forward to seeing the body we have created up on stage in the near future!

That being said, I have made an extra effort with cardio today and done a walk and a bike session, as well as weights so i am quite pleased with my efforts, now, just need to keep that up for another 8 weeks!!!

8 weeks to go

wow, only 8 weeks until comp, time flies when you are not prepared!!!

I took photos today in my posing suit that was made but not used last comp. This was under the instructions of my coach, not through my choosing! so i apologise for the poorly fitting bikini!!

I was kind of pleasantly surprised when i compared them to the ones i took the day after comp, i am bigger and i think that is a good thing. Whilst i know i still have a long way to go with regards to body fat issues, i think i have managed to put on some good muscle on the upper body, i seem to be thicker than last time which is a good thing. Just need to work on getting rid of the fat so i can show off the muscles!

can i do it in 8 weeks? well Lisa and Krista (coaches from Bodyworx) seem to think i can, and they are the experts, so watch this space and lets see what happens.

I am going to look around and start organising my bikini this week, obviously a new one needs to be made, and i hope i can get a better fitting one this time around!

I found my posing music last night and had a little practise, i thought i would have forgotten all the moves, but as soon as the music started i knew what to do (just didn't do it too well!) posing and routine now needs to become a focus. During last comp prep, i used to head to the aerobics room of my old gym, shut the door and practise where no one could see me, the problem is that gym closed! My other gyms don't have a private room and all will be able to see me practise (NO!!!!!) oh well, such is life.

I am on a chin up challenge at the moment, Lisa wants me to be able to do 4 next time i see her (2 weeks) so i am the one at the gym who looks like a fool trying to do chin ups! so far i have managed 2!! so out of 3 sets of 10, i can do 2 and then i have to jump up for each chin up individually. must be an odd sight, but one day i will be able to jump up and crank out 10, how cool would that be!!

well, food to be eaten before i waste away to nothing!

Until next time

Wendy

Countdown time again

Well, it must be about 11 or 12 weeks until comp (must find out for sure!!)

last Saturday I headed to Melbourne to watch the INBA all female classic which was awesome and very motivating. It was nice to be there to watch a couple of friends compete.

I met up with Lisa, my coach for some face to face chatting and a killer workout session, it took me about 4 days to recover from it, but it was a great experience, very nice to actually train with someone for a change, be pushed that little bit further and to have someone there to spot when things get too heavy.

The day itself was a great chance to meet up with some fellow bloggers and members of Lindy Olsen's forum, if anyone hasn't visited her forum, you should drop into www.lindyolsen.com it is one of the best places!! Lindy and all her crew and just wonderful. I was able to meet about 8 or so people off of the forum, we watched the prejudging show and then all went out for lunch, shopping, coffee, talking, coffee more show. I have never met some many wonderful "strangers" and felt so completely at ease!

AS for diet and training, Lisa has called in the big guns to help with my training Krista Schaus is a member of Bodyworx and she and Lisa have developed "an evil plan" to quote Lisa! Am into calorie cycling now and some heavy duty training. My new self talk is "I am HUGE" and I have to work on keeping that in my head whilst i am trying to push out the last reps of squats and try and do chin ups. My goal for the next 4 weeks is to be able to squat my bodyweight (will have to lose some weight to make it easier LOL) and to do 3 chinups minimum. so far i am about 10kg off on the squats and can just about manage 1.5chins. So watch this space.

Diet went well last week, but has fallen over the weekend due to a couple of bad decisions and lack of planning, hormones have probably had a negative effect aswell!!luckily for me Lisa is on the other end of cyberspace with encouraging words. I sent in my photos from this week, and apparently i have leaned out some since the last week (it always takes an outsider to see the changes!) so that helped.
will start posting photos here again so you can follow the progress. Please note: this is the start of the comp prep and great things are going to follow!!

until next week, eat well, live well, sleep well, love well and train hard

Wendy

13 weeks to go

Well, the count down starts again!

We have just come back from a nice relaxing holiday in Tasmania, 1 week of sleep ins and no work! I mananaged to keep my food pretty clean whilst away, always had almonds and veggie sticks on hand in case of a food emergency and stayed away from bread and sugar as much as possible. Obviously old habits die hard and i did enjoy a couple of evenings playing games and snacking on chocolate, crackers and dip! we also enjoyed a brewery tour with tasting (don't really like beer, so didn't go over board on that one) but we did find a gormet hambuger place which was awesome!

So, the end of the holiday has arrived, back at work, back to the gym and back to fresh clean eating. Unfortuantely my indulgences have left me a bit bloated around the belly, but nothing a week of veggies and meat can't sort out.

I thought the 12 week countdown would start when i came home, so i was delighted to find out last night that it is actually 13 weeks! Gives me a week to recover before i hit hard again!.

I am off to watch the All females BB comp on the weekend and will also be coming face to face with the wonderful Lisa who has taken control of my food! Actually she has given me control and helped me learn some interesting things about my body and what it can and cannot deal with! It is a good motivational tool this week as i need to be 100% on top of food so i can look my best on the weekend! We will also be training together which will be a novel experience for me as i always train alone! I will also be meeting Liz, who will be taking me through my paces the last 3 weeks of preperation whilst Lisa is overseas competing in the worlds Powerlifting comp (good luck Lisa!)

so, that was a quick update of where i stand at the moment. I will be blogging more often as this is progress time again, and i will make sure there are plenty of photos aswell.

Will let you know all about the weekend and my plans for future direction after it happens!!