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!