Well, i finally decided enough of the crap!!!! I have enlisted the help of a sports nutritionist and plan to use the next 3 months to work out what my body can handle in the way of food, and how i can get to a desired level of body fat and maintain it there without having to struggle. My next goal of competition is October and, although i didn't mind the pre comp diet too much, it was boring and thee should be more to life than chicken,tuna and veggies. I also want to come out the other side of competition with better emotions and eating habits, so i don't have to go through all this again.
For the first 2 weeks of my plan, i am on a sugar detox, purging my body of sugar, yeast, bacteria you name it, it is out of here. Really simple diet, i can eat it if it:
1) flies
2) swims
3) runs
4) is a green veggies
5) is an essential fat.
How hard can that be??? and one of the best parts of it, i am allowed to eat 1 tsp of nut butter, finally, i am allowed to eat peanut butter out of the jar and not feel bad about it!!!
I have followed this protocol for 5 days so far and have decreased by 2kg which is great, i will do measurements at the end of the 2 weeks to see how much body fat has melted away with the sugar and other bad things!
It has left me feeling cleaner, not only in body, but in mind aswell, i have more clarity and more energy and generally feel happier about myself which is great.
I am pretty much healed from surgery now, i have been working out the past couple of weeks, but not hard, just a couple of full body workouts. This week i have been able to get back into training hard which has been great, it feels so much better to be able to walk into a gym and work hard, i am just not very good at doing "light" workouts!
Mind you, the legs are really feeling the heat after yesturdays workout, and i am pretty sure the upper body will feel the same tomorrow! Yes, that feeling of being alive again, i think i have missed it!!!
Now i am back in the swing of things with training, i will endeavour to blog more and keep up to date with goals and progress, who knows, may even get around to adding some photos every once in a while!!!!
Wendy
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Haven't blogged for a while, I am sure there is much to chat up on.
Lets get the end of post comp out of the way first. We had a workshop a week ago, i planned to "shred" the two weeks before, yep, that lasted 4 days. How did i manage 12 weeks? It seems without the deadline of a competition date ahead, food is a problem, the switch in my head which stopped me from cheating on my plan was switched off and there was no way known that i could control what goes in my mouth. Not good for the mind, body or soul.
In my head, all my problems with food/weight etc would be solved once i got on stage, for some reason, i thought that once i made it up there, i would be transformed into this "athlete" who no longer had any issues relating to food, i dreamt i would remain in good shape and not put on any fat, i would be perfect (in my mind). Well hello and welcome to the real world!! I am still Me!!! i still eat when i am bored, sad, lonely, hungry, PMT etc all the same reason why I ate before. The weeks post comp, i watched myself slip back into old habits and have watched my old body catch up to me again. Then the mind beating starts, I eat bad and feel bad about myself, because i feel bad about myself i eat more comfort foods and so the spiral begins.
Interestingly, i can remember how great i felt pre competition with all the clean healthy food, how clear my mind was and how i enjoyed my body, but sadly even those thougts were not enough to pull me out of the spiral.
The ANB workshop was a good eye opener for me, i nearly didn't go as i was too embarrassed by my lack of control and self doubts, but i am pleased i went. I was given nothing but positive feedback which was very encouraging and I left knowing that all my thoughs, feelings, cravings, dilemas etc were all normal and in fact were shared by a few other competitors there. The weight gain i have had over the weeks is to be congratulated (only 5kg for me, whereas others have put on 9+)and certainly noting to be ashamed about.
I left feeling renewed!
This week i have had breast surgery so am home recovering and getting used to the new profile! My plan for my two weeks home is to get moving more, increase the walking again (not hard to increase from nothing!!) and to eat well. On my fridge is a reminder that clean eating = faster healing this has worked well for the past 2 days with no desire to cheat and eat comfort foods which i am pleased about, just a simple change of words makes it easier, focusing on the positive side of clean food (faster healing) rather than the painful side of clean food (weight loss.. yes to our minds it is a loss which is a negative!)
I have joined a new gym, which although is 15mins away, i think will be a very wise move for me, they have already offered my a sponsorship and training sessions to help me on the way to Octobers comp, so that is very positive. All i need to do is healed up quickly so i can get back into training!!
Hope you will all still join me along my way, i will be adding a couple of links to other peoples blogs, so once you see those, please drop in, say hi and encourage other in their journeys!
Wendy
Lets get the end of post comp out of the way first. We had a workshop a week ago, i planned to "shred" the two weeks before, yep, that lasted 4 days. How did i manage 12 weeks? It seems without the deadline of a competition date ahead, food is a problem, the switch in my head which stopped me from cheating on my plan was switched off and there was no way known that i could control what goes in my mouth. Not good for the mind, body or soul.
In my head, all my problems with food/weight etc would be solved once i got on stage, for some reason, i thought that once i made it up there, i would be transformed into this "athlete" who no longer had any issues relating to food, i dreamt i would remain in good shape and not put on any fat, i would be perfect (in my mind). Well hello and welcome to the real world!! I am still Me!!! i still eat when i am bored, sad, lonely, hungry, PMT etc all the same reason why I ate before. The weeks post comp, i watched myself slip back into old habits and have watched my old body catch up to me again. Then the mind beating starts, I eat bad and feel bad about myself, because i feel bad about myself i eat more comfort foods and so the spiral begins.
Interestingly, i can remember how great i felt pre competition with all the clean healthy food, how clear my mind was and how i enjoyed my body, but sadly even those thougts were not enough to pull me out of the spiral.
The ANB workshop was a good eye opener for me, i nearly didn't go as i was too embarrassed by my lack of control and self doubts, but i am pleased i went. I was given nothing but positive feedback which was very encouraging and I left knowing that all my thoughs, feelings, cravings, dilemas etc were all normal and in fact were shared by a few other competitors there. The weight gain i have had over the weeks is to be congratulated (only 5kg for me, whereas others have put on 9+)and certainly noting to be ashamed about.
I left feeling renewed!
This week i have had breast surgery so am home recovering and getting used to the new profile! My plan for my two weeks home is to get moving more, increase the walking again (not hard to increase from nothing!!) and to eat well. On my fridge is a reminder that clean eating = faster healing this has worked well for the past 2 days with no desire to cheat and eat comfort foods which i am pleased about, just a simple change of words makes it easier, focusing on the positive side of clean food (faster healing) rather than the painful side of clean food (weight loss.. yes to our minds it is a loss which is a negative!)
I have joined a new gym, which although is 15mins away, i think will be a very wise move for me, they have already offered my a sponsorship and training sessions to help me on the way to Octobers comp, so that is very positive. All i need to do is healed up quickly so i can get back into training!!
Hope you will all still join me along my way, i will be adding a couple of links to other peoples blogs, so once you see those, please drop in, say hi and encourage other in their journeys!
Wendy
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
back in the zone
feels good!!!!!
This week i have felt like the old me! food is controlled and back on competition diet and exercise in on form!
The "new" gym is actually working out quite well, we have a great set up at home, with cable crossover, smith machine, bench with leg attachments, dumbbells and barbells. It has taken a bit of juggling around to work out the best weights to use and which DB are which (mike has "heavy 10's" and "light 10's"!!!!)but they have worked in well with my new programs. I am really lucky actually, most of my lower body work involves lunges and squats so easily done at home. the only thing i don't have is a treadmill, i HAVE to do 15mins walking after 2 workouts and 10mins half way through the other 2 workouts. I do have a bike though, so that gets used if i am home alone with the kids and can't go out walking.
Mike and I are contemplating opening a gym ourselves as there is a gap in the market here now, still very early stages at the moment, looking into costs etc , but who knows, could be a dream come true!!
I am not looking for a new gym at the moment, i am happy to train at home now i have a routine and i am also booked in for a breast lift on MAy 6th which will pretty much put me out of training until about june, so no point spending money on a membership at the moment!
I am currently on a 2 week shred,leading up to the first workshop post comp. There will probably be lots of newbies there, so i need to make sure that i still look the part in case i get to show off some posing!!!
Had some new pre workout supplements to try today, TORNADO containing beta alanine which helps reduce the lactic acid build up in the muscles and lets you train harder for longer! tastes great and the workout was good, so we will have to see if this will become my new favourite!!
Until next time!!
Dream hard and aim high
Wendy
This week i have felt like the old me! food is controlled and back on competition diet and exercise in on form!
The "new" gym is actually working out quite well, we have a great set up at home, with cable crossover, smith machine, bench with leg attachments, dumbbells and barbells. It has taken a bit of juggling around to work out the best weights to use and which DB are which (mike has "heavy 10's" and "light 10's"!!!!)but they have worked in well with my new programs. I am really lucky actually, most of my lower body work involves lunges and squats so easily done at home. the only thing i don't have is a treadmill, i HAVE to do 15mins walking after 2 workouts and 10mins half way through the other 2 workouts. I do have a bike though, so that gets used if i am home alone with the kids and can't go out walking.
Mike and I are contemplating opening a gym ourselves as there is a gap in the market here now, still very early stages at the moment, looking into costs etc , but who knows, could be a dream come true!!
I am not looking for a new gym at the moment, i am happy to train at home now i have a routine and i am also booked in for a breast lift on MAy 6th which will pretty much put me out of training until about june, so no point spending money on a membership at the moment!
I am currently on a 2 week shred,leading up to the first workshop post comp. There will probably be lots of newbies there, so i need to make sure that i still look the part in case i get to show off some posing!!!
Had some new pre workout supplements to try today, TORNADO containing beta alanine which helps reduce the lactic acid build up in the muscles and lets you train harder for longer! tastes great and the workout was good, so we will have to see if this will become my new favourite!!
Until next time!!
Dream hard and aim high
Wendy
Friday, April 18, 2008
Out of whack
Received my next training program on Monday and was very excited to get it, couldn't wait to hit the gym on Tuesday and try it out! Got to the gym on Tuesday morning to find the doors all locked and a sign on it saying it has been closed down effective immediately!!! How devastating, from a selfish point of view, my gym has been taken away from me, i loved that place, had a great atmosphere, i knew everyone there and felt really comfortable, i could use the creche out of hours, use the aerobics room in peace and enjoyed all my workouts there, from a staff point of view, so many have suddenly lost their jobs with no warning, everyone has bills to pay and houses to run, it is most unfair. Am unsure of the reasons behind the closures, we all received a letter saying it was being closed down due to ongoing issues with the building amenities, but who knows exactly what is happening.
I am lucky that we have a pretty good set up at home as Mike does all his training at home so i am able to keep training, also luckily alot of my leg work is squats and lunges this time around!!
My only problem is making time to workout whilst at home, i need to get myself into a routine of working out and keeping up with all the chores that need to be done (and don't need to be done) prioritising need to be practised! the floors can wait until later in the day if necessary, i need to focus on getting out to the gym first thing the same as i would if i was actually going to the gym, it is funny how many obstacles come up and distractions appear when your gym is in the garage (like now, i should be training!!)
Well, enough of this, i have an upper body workout to do, so i must go and do that now before i am distracted anymore!!
I am lucky that we have a pretty good set up at home as Mike does all his training at home so i am able to keep training, also luckily alot of my leg work is squats and lunges this time around!!
My only problem is making time to workout whilst at home, i need to get myself into a routine of working out and keeping up with all the chores that need to be done (and don't need to be done) prioritising need to be practised! the floors can wait until later in the day if necessary, i need to focus on getting out to the gym first thing the same as i would if i was actually going to the gym, it is funny how many obstacles come up and distractions appear when your gym is in the garage (like now, i should be training!!)
Well, enough of this, i have an upper body workout to do, so i must go and do that now before i am distracted anymore!!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
post comp
It has been 2 weeks since competition now, life is pretty much back to normal. We went away for a week the day after which was nice, although the freedom to eat as i pleases was a bit too much! i can home from hols feeling quite bloated and ready to eat "normally" again. It is quite funny seeing how different types of food affect my body from all angles, moods, bloat, gas etc.
Got back onto training again once we were home, time to start building some muscle and at least maintaining this level of body fat, if not reducing it slightly. It was nice to feel sore again after a weights session, even just a week off of exercising felt wrong!!
Food is back on track mostly for me now back to my precompetition diet, but a little more relaxed, if i want to eat some bread or a cake, at least now i can. It is hard though to remain focused when there is no deadline at the end of it. it is too easy to "cheat" daily and i need to work on staying on track at least 6 days a week and then allowing myself the luxury of a cheat meal. I am happy with my weight and current shape/size i just need to be careful not to slip back into old habits and gain back my old body!
Have just spoken to the head judge about the competition and the feedback was all positive and encouraging, he thinks i should do well in October and if i keep at it, i could be in good enough shape to be competitive at an Australian level next October.. how cool would that be!
So, in the mean time i will be training hard, eating well and enjoying the new body and lifestyle that i have created for myself!
Got back onto training again once we were home, time to start building some muscle and at least maintaining this level of body fat, if not reducing it slightly. It was nice to feel sore again after a weights session, even just a week off of exercising felt wrong!!
Food is back on track mostly for me now back to my precompetition diet, but a little more relaxed, if i want to eat some bread or a cake, at least now i can. It is hard though to remain focused when there is no deadline at the end of it. it is too easy to "cheat" daily and i need to work on staying on track at least 6 days a week and then allowing myself the luxury of a cheat meal. I am happy with my weight and current shape/size i just need to be careful not to slip back into old habits and gain back my old body!
Have just spoken to the head judge about the competition and the feedback was all positive and encouraging, he thinks i should do well in October and if i keep at it, i could be in good enough shape to be competitive at an Australian level next October.. how cool would that be!
So, in the mean time i will be training hard, eating well and enjoying the new body and lifestyle that i have created for myself!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
First photos!
All over and done with and i am exhausted both mentally and physically.
The day was awesome, started early getting my hair done and then driving to Melbourne, but we arrived with plenty of time to spare which was good. I was very nervous as was to be expected, but everyone backstage was really helpful and encouraging. I had issues with my bikini though, the one i had made ended up not fitting well and no one backstage was happy with the way the top sat, they all agreed it did nothing for my body. Luckily for me, one of the helpers happened to bring her costumes with her (don't ask me why) and she insisted that i try her green one. It looked way too small but i tried anyway and everyone seemed to thing it was a better fit on the top than my purple one. Although the bottoms were slightly too small it was the overall consensus that this one was better, so after all the dramas of having a bikini made, i ended up wearing someone elses!(so i am in the green bikini in the pics!)
On stage was nerve racking but actually great fun, i shook like a leaf, but apparently this wasn't obvious, i tried to smile and look confident and enjoy myself and that worked. I felt good! My routine went down really well, the daggy bits that i found hard to do the crowd loved which was awesome, i again relaxed and had fun!
Overall i placed 6th out of my division and apparently 4,5 & 6th were very close and could have gone anyway, with a better fitting bikini, maybe i would have placed higher. I did take home most inspirational female though which made the journey all worth while.
Speaking to one of the judges after i said that i really didn't care where in the line up i came as long as i didn't look out of place and he said i definitely didn't look out of place!!!
We stopped at pancake parlour on the way home which was when i got my first look at the photos Mike had taken, i cried!!!!! I could not believe that was how i looked! Like i said, it has been a very emotional day and seeing my photos just brought home to me how far i have come.
I was quite blown away with the support that i had, I had a table full of supporters which was great as bodybuilding can be quite a lonely sport. It was great to have so many friends come and watch and cheer me one, I have even inspired a couple of them to think about competing as well. It would be so great to enter the next comp with some fellow competitors that i know! If each one of us could inspire someone else to pick up heavy weights and train hard, we could rid the gym of girly weights,long cardio sessions and high rep/low weight routines!!
I can rest easily on holiday next week and then will be coming back full force ready to build muscle, investigate bikinis and get ready to kick some butt in October. Watch stage... I am coming back!!
I will post some of the professional photos next week once i receive them, so please remember to pop back in and check them out. T
Thank you to everyone who has been following this journey, it has been wonderful and is the start of a great sporting career (well, i can dream!!!)
Dream Hard and Aim High
Wendy
Friday, March 28, 2008
1 more sleep
the final day of preparation is here!!!
Picked up the bikini last night and am really happy with it, i just need to make sure that i am well and truly tucked into the top so there is nothing poking out when i lift my arms up!!!
The house is oddly quiet today as i dropped the dog off to his holiday home last night as well. Today is organising comp day and packing for holidays, it seemed like a good idea at the time to go on holiday the day after, but i don't know if i really need the extra running around and packing today!!
The tan has come up quite well, i don't recognise myself in the mirror, way too brown/orange. it looks like i have pasted my head on someone else's body!!! i am sure by the time i have the hair done and blended the make up a little better it will all look good!
Am actually quite excited now, there is nothing else that i can do exercise wise to make a difference to tomorrow,so i am just relaxing knowing that i have done the best i can this time around. I do need to do a full body workout and some posing practise this afternoon, but that is about it.
I cheated on the distilled water, i found a brand of mineral water that has no sodium or any other added stuff, so have used that instead, i just couldn't bring myself to drink something that i would put in a car battery!
Today is the dehydration day which so far i have coped with okay( it is 1130am!!) i think it is all in the mind that i would find today really hard, at least there are not so many trips to the bathroom!!
One more coat of tan tonight if we can scrape enough out of the bottle and then that is it!
This time tomorrow i will just be about ready to get on stage and then it is all over red rover. Until the next one!!
I plan to post tomorrow when i come home to share in the delights of my first comp!!
Until tomorrow
W
Picked up the bikini last night and am really happy with it, i just need to make sure that i am well and truly tucked into the top so there is nothing poking out when i lift my arms up!!!
The house is oddly quiet today as i dropped the dog off to his holiday home last night as well. Today is organising comp day and packing for holidays, it seemed like a good idea at the time to go on holiday the day after, but i don't know if i really need the extra running around and packing today!!
The tan has come up quite well, i don't recognise myself in the mirror, way too brown/orange. it looks like i have pasted my head on someone else's body!!! i am sure by the time i have the hair done and blended the make up a little better it will all look good!
Am actually quite excited now, there is nothing else that i can do exercise wise to make a difference to tomorrow,so i am just relaxing knowing that i have done the best i can this time around. I do need to do a full body workout and some posing practise this afternoon, but that is about it.
I cheated on the distilled water, i found a brand of mineral water that has no sodium or any other added stuff, so have used that instead, i just couldn't bring myself to drink something that i would put in a car battery!
Today is the dehydration day which so far i have coped with okay( it is 1130am!!) i think it is all in the mind that i would find today really hard, at least there are not so many trips to the bathroom!!
One more coat of tan tonight if we can scrape enough out of the bottle and then that is it!
This time tomorrow i will just be about ready to get on stage and then it is all over red rover. Until the next one!!
I plan to post tomorrow when i come home to share in the delights of my first comp!!
Until tomorrow
W
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
