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.