Happy New Year

I wanted to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year for 2009, I hope we all achieve all our goals for the year.

My goals for the new year are to continue to focus on my new career as a Personal Trainer and to find time for my own training and preparation for my next competition end of May.  This in itself will be a challenge on it's own as I am getting very busy, I have picked up more clients and January is set to explode.  I'm stoked at having a good clientele base already but I get a little overwhelmed with trying to stay in control of time, it seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day.  I will work around this, i'm still settling in.

Next year is going to be a trying year for me for personal reasons, I will be going through some very rough patches early in the year, i'm hoping I can get through my comp prep at the same time, if not, I will have to leave it until October when everything in my life has settled, but at this stage I am willing to give it a go for May.

I guess this is the last post for 2008, so I will be starting a new blog for 2009 and will post the link in a day or so.

I really look forward to our continued support and friendship here in blog world, I know it's one of the best places to come for moral support, laughs, helpful information, advice and pretty much anything else.  And it just continues to grow from year to year which is wonderful to see :-)

All the best,

Deb xxx

On New Years Day

I need to detox - enough said!!!  :-)

Just a quick update

Sorry about the rush!

Just wanted to update you on my skin folds, my weight is the same 63kgs and I lost 1ml.  This is over a four week period.

As I mentioned in Lindy's forum i'm not phased by this as I know I have dropped more then that, it's visible and i'm happy i'm going in the right direction.  It is TTOTM also.

I will post again soon, just wanted to let you know what the results were.

Hugs,

Deb xxx

Silly me

I have been mentioning how busy I am lately and that I have cut back on my cardio to twice a week, well I called JD yesterday to re-schedule our time for Monday's appointment for my skin folds and whilst I had him on the phone I told him about the two day cardio situation.  From the sound of his voice I knew I had to ask him if that was a problem?  He said "it's just that your calories are structured with the cardio  prescribed".

Oh shoot, my heart sank for a minute, but then I thought i'm not going to worry until I see him as I am pretty sure I have dropped a little, I will weigh myself on Monday also.  I know he wanted me at 70mls by then and I hope it doesn't throw things out to much with his plans and the way he does this.

I can only blame myself, I should have contacted him 3 weeks ago and told him, he may have made some adjustments to my daily meal plan.  Silly me!  I won't make that mistake again especially coming closer to the 20 week out mark.  He is my trainer and I need to tell him this stuff, it's important, lesson learnt and better now then later :-).

Anyway, i'm just to busy to worry about it which is good.  I'm staying positive because I have been so good with nutrition and weight training (5 day split).  Plus I am moving around  more then what I used to now that I am at Goodlife so i'm sure that accounts for something ;-)  here's hoping and grasping at straws!

Gosh I love my Iphone!!!!  I have started using Ical (calendar) and it's so amazing, I feel so organized lol.  I don't know why I never used it before, I do like to take my time with things sometimes.

I've read blogs but not commented so I am up to date, will comment soon.

Deb x

Alcohol

When you drink alcohol, your liver breaks it down into certain compounds, one of these is acetaldehyde, which makes you feel rubbish. Other compounds known as congeners also contribute to your hangover. These compounds give alcohol its colour, flavour and smell, and are more abundant in dark-coloured alcohol such as red wine, brandy and rum.

Sleep deprivation is another hangover factor; not just the late night, but also because alcohol impairs your ability to get a good night's sleep. So you might pass out easily, but you are not getting the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep you need to feel rested.
Prevention is the best cure

If you want to avoid a hangover then don't get dehydrated in the first place – this means drinking plenty of water before you head out and drinking water or other non-alcoholic drinks throughout the night. You should also have more water before bed and again when you wake up.

However, drinking bucket loads of water will not inoculate you against a hangover if you go on a drinking binge as you 'poison' yourself when you consume too much alcohol, warns Allsop.

You can lessen your chances of a hangover, if you:

* Don't drink on an empty stomach
* Eat throughout the night
* Dilute your drinks or chose low alcohol alternatives
* Enjoy your alcoholic drinks – slowly
* Avoid dark coloured drinks – red wine, brandy etc...
* Limit the number of drinks you have

But once the damage is done there is no quick fix. All you can do is:

* Rehydrate yourself – drink water, juice, etc.. but steer clear of tea, coffee and other caffeinated drinks as they will dehydrate you more.
* Eat small amounts and go for something healthy and easy to digest rather than the big, fatty fry up – especially if you're already feeling nauseous.
* Rest – take it easy, you are not going to be at your best so you should avoid doing anything that requires intense concentration – driving, operating heavy machinery etc...

There is considerable debate on what is a safe amount of alcohol to drink but the National Health and Medical Research Council has guidelines on alcohol consumption, which are under review. Based on the existing guidelines, men should drink no more than four standard drinks a day on average and no more than six on any one day, while women should drink no more than two standard drinks a day on average and no more than four on any single day.

We all know the best cure for a hangover is not to drink too much in the first place, so take it easy when you head out and you won't feel like death the next day.

Professor Steve Allsop is the director of the National Drug and Research Institute at Curtin University of Technology, he spoke to Claudine Ryan.

4am is not right!

Three days straight of 4am wake up's, it's not right at all lol.  The days are so much more longer that's for sure.  I'm getting used to it though, I never was an early morning person in the past, in fact nobody could even talk to me until 10am, boy how things change!  The only times I saw 4am in the past was when i was going to bed after a great night out ;-) that was long ago now.

Works going well as I mentioned in my previous posts.  A couple of my clients think i'm a nutter due to my utter excitement when they went up in weights today and hit all targets I gave them.  I don't know what came over me but it is so exciting seeing them reach levels they have never been to before.  They are new to weight training so it's nothing major for the advanced but it's HUGE for them :-)  But they did appreciate my excitement as it got them all excited too lol.  Encouragement, support, motivation, care and supervision are all important traits to take on when becoming a personal trainer.

But other things need to be put in place too in regards to the business end of things.  Working smart and bringing a plan into place to avoid no shows or last minute cancellations.  I have seen this happen to many of the PT's at work and I figured I better put something together so I can avoid it or minimize it as much as possible.  So I think I have it under control, see how it goes, so far so good :-)

I'm really missing not being about to do cardio :-(, i'm so hoping that it's not going to be an issue.  My five day weight training split along with my nutrition should be enough to keep my body fat levels dropping slowly, fingers crossed.

My back is still bad, so my leg days have been light weight for a couple of months now, not how i'm used to training my legs but I have no choice.  I do go a little heavier on lunges as it doesn't hurt my back as much.  Front squats are not as heavy as before but good enough.  I have to say that I have noticed the definition in my quads coming through already and they don't look to bad, so a note to myself, don't stress about not being about to go heavy on legs.  I can't see my back getting better before my comp so it will be interesting to see how my legs look on stage this time.

Take care everyone :-)

Deb xxx

Iphone Apps

For those who have an Iphone I found a great application called "Around Me" (read about it below).  The great thing about it is it works perfectly here in Australia unlike many other US based apps, and it's free :-)

Around Me:

If you have ever found yourself looking for a cafe, ATM or bookstore nearby, you might consider this app a godsend. AroundMe 1.0, a new iPhone app by TweakerSoft, makes it easy to figure what’s nearby.  By leveraging the iPhone’s unique abilities, AroundMe quickly acquires the users location and allows them to choose the nearest bank, bar, gas station, hospital, hotel, movie theatre, restaurant, supermarket, theatre and taxi.

Choose a category, then browse the listings, which includes the distance from where you are. Select a listing, and this hand app displays a map and plots the route for you. You caneven save the information in your  contact list or even email it to a friend.

Another application worth using is Facebook, it makes it easier to use on your iphone.

Hi Guys!

Life has never been this busy and hectic before, I am trying desperately to keep on top of things and so far so good :-)

I'm really enjoying life as a personal trainer and I have been picking up some pretty special clients.  I'm really enjoying taking on the responsibility of helping them reach their goals (in due time) and getting to know them with each session we get together.

It's also a learning curve for me as most of my clients have never lifted weights before so I need to start from scratch with them and ease them into it slowly, but it's all going well.

I'm still managing to fit in my training 5 days per week, but i'm only doing cardio 2 days per week so i'm hoping it's not going to be an issue, I haven't spoken to JD about it yet as I was thinking of just plodding along until my next appointment at the end of the month and discussing it from there as I would have known from the skins that he will take if it's a bad thing or not.

The 5am starts are a killer on Tue, Wed, and Thursday's but i'm getting used to it a bit.  At least it's sunny here a 4.30am!

This year is coming to an end so I guess it's time to think of putting together a new blog for next year.

Deb xxx

Where Am I???

It's just so hard to keep up with myself these days, i'm just so busy.  Work is going great, I am already starting to build up a good clientele base which is great especially for this time of the year.

My training has been squeezed into available times and it has been intensive as I have taken on JD's program now.  I love it as it is very effective and since starting it last week I have had DOMS all week.  It's a 5 day split, that's how I like to train but maybe I should look at a 4 day split due to time management.

Cardio, what's that???  I have had no time for cardio, only training.  So instead of 5 cardio sessions, i'm only getting in two on the weekends.  I'm hoping this won't be a problem but time will tell.  I see JD on the 22nd Dec for skinfolds.

Nutrition, with preparation I have been on top of it 100%.  If I didn't prepare my food it would be a disaster.  So important to stay on top of this.

I had a lovely off plan meal Saturday night, garlic bread and pasta, I haven't had either in over a year I think.  It was completely guilt free, I felt awesome.  I washed it down with some red wine.  I was instructed to have my off plan meals once a week and I "had" to have it so i'm following orders to see what happens lol.

I've been reading blogs so I know what everyone is up to, just haven't had time to leave comments, I will be around soon.

Deb xxx

Induction

I am still on this earth ;-)  Just super busy right now.  I had my first day of induction today and have another full day of it tomorrow, my eyes are popping out of my head!

So i'm just touching base and letting you all know i'm well.

I'm so looking forward to Friday morning, I have my first PT session booked in!  I now have three lovely ladies as my clients :-)

It's 9pm and i'm so tired so i'm off to bed now.  I will visit blogs later in the week as I am missing you guys already!

Deb xxx

First Day On The Job

Today was my first day working at the gym.  I did the morning shift and met up with one of the trainers so he could go over the million and one things I need to know lol, talk about information overload!  I think it will take a little while to learn where everything is and how everything works.  It's a huge gym with so many things going on all the time e.g. fast tracking, 12 week challenges etc, so lots to learn :-)

The great thing is I picked up two clients today :-)  I start my PT sessions with them next week.

I saw JD last Friday for my skin folds and I have dropped a little more body fat and am on target.  We are ramping it up a little more this month to try and bring me down to a good mark before Xmas.  Just hope I can find time around my work to train, where there's a will, there's a way!

D xxx

A Massive Congratulations To Vicky Thomas

Vicky Thomas just arrived back from New York after winning the WNBF World Miss Fitbody Title. (Miss Fitbody in this federation is equal to Miss Figure in ANB etc).

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Vicky throughout this year and she is a sweet and down to earth person who is in complete disbelief of her amazingly successful first year of competition.

Vicky deserves her big win and I hope to travel with her to the World's next year if all goes well from my end!

The photo's above are not from the World's, they are from Qld Championships etc.  And the stunning bikini's she wears is from none other then Jo Rogers! I love the green one ;-)

I just so proud of vicky :-)

Why Are Changes Scary?

I haven't updated much as I have so many things going on with the preparation for my new career in two weeks time.  The paper work is freaking slow and so much had to be put in place before starting.

I have the contract and will be handing it in this week, just need to organize my insurance/cover and that's it.

As excited as I am to start, I am just as scared at the same time.  I have no idea how much my routine is going to change and what my life is going to be like.  I keep telling myself I just need to be organized to make everything else easier to deal with.  Be confident Deb, hang in there!

My training is good, don't know what I would do without it, I need to be able to structure my own sessions in around my clients, that's a must.

Nutrition is on track, still it could be better if I didn't drink alcohol but it is the silly season and that too has to come to an end, bring on January.

I'm not due to see JD for skin folds for another two weeks so I don't know how i'm trekking and I won't weigh in until then either.  But I have been wearing clothes that I couldn't wear prior to starting with JD so I think i'm still dropping BF slowly, very slowly and i'm happy.

I'm excited about Diva Consignments, what a fabulous idea, I just sent my bikini to Jo to add to the site in hope to put the money towards a new bikini for next year.

I notices alot of the comp dates have come up already.  The ANB Asia-Pacific is on May 30th and the WNBF the day after, not sure how i'm going to do the shows back to back but I will talk to the big feller about that.

Who's competing early in 2009?

Oh I ran into Ursula at my gym this morning, this was the first time we met :-)  Kinda funny running into a blogger like that lol.

Take care,

Deb xx

Congratulations Harry!!

The INBA will induct its first Hall of Fame recipients at a sit-down Gala Dinner at the Marriot Hotel following the Natural Olympia in San Francisco on November 8. 
Australia has received notice that Harry Haureliuk will be the first Australian honoured in the INBA Hall of Fame. 2008 represents Harry’s 10th consecutive Natural Olympia event and he has won Gold four times, in Melbourne (2000), Phoenix (2002), Las Vegas (2004), and Greece (2007).
 Harry will be attempting to win his first back-to-back Gold medal this year in San Francisco. No other INBA athlete in the world has competed at this Pinnacle International event 10 times, let alone been able to do so in consecutive years. An amazing achievement. Notwithstanding competing at the highest level, Harry has been strong ambassador for the INBA every day of the year, encouraging and assisting all levels of competitors and helping to promote contests in his home city of Canberra. 
The honoured place in bodybuilding‘s Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute to the Canberra Legend, Harry Haureliuk.
Harry is a very good friend of my Father's, he has known me since I was about 5 years old.  I have seen Harry compete many times over the years and recently at the INBA Nationals up here on the Gold Coast.  I truly wish him well as he travels to the USA this week to compete in both the Universe and the Olympia.
Good Luck Harry :-)
Deb xxx

The results are in.....

I saw JD this morning and am so happy to say the results were great, much better then I expected.  

Since starting with him 6 weeks ago my scale weight has dropped 1.5kgs and my skin folds have dropped a staggering 28.5mls!!!

This has been such an easy drop, easy in the sense that I have not been hungry, I have not craved foods, I have not done excessive cardio etc.  I am even maintaining/preserving/building muscle.

It's very different to what i'm used too, all my life when I would want to lose weight I would go on a diet, this would mean starving my poor body, so I always associated hunger with weight loss.  If i'm feeling hungry I am losing weight - this is the message my brain was trained to think and for so many years, I couldn't just undo that over night!

So now I eat, and i'm satisfied, so I don't think that i'm losing weight.  Days and weeks go by and I don't notice the body fat melting away due to the lack of that hunger=weight loss feeling, so I go for my appointment and get shocked with the results but i am slowly catching on.

My previous skin folds showed a good drop around my abdominal area, today it was in my legs, funny how it works.  I think with my back injury my leg session has changed from heavy low reps, to light high reps, this may have had something to do with the drop in the quad area.

I still have a fair way to go and that's okay because i'm walking in the right direction, what more could I ask for??  Nothing :-)

I'm so slack for not blogging about passing my last practical exam even though I was bouncing of the walls with excitement when I got the letter.

I have now completed both Certificate III and IV, I am now qualified and still can't believe it.

I should receive my certificates today or tomorrow (hopefully) then all that's left is to register with Fitness Australia and organise my insurances.

I spoke briefly to the Fitness Director of Goodlife gym yesterday just to keep him up to date as to where i'm at and it looks like I will be ready to start working in 2 -3 weeks time, so exciting!

My lower body training has taken a backward step due to a lower back sprain, I will be taken it easy until I recover completely.  I did this doing deadlifts a few weeks ago but I re-injured it recently and now I have to take it easy.  I'm not in too much pain, only when I bend down.  It feels like it's getting better but I will take the rest of this year easy to make sure.

Other then that my training is great guns!  I have really been hammering my upper body I guess that's because there is no pain in my lower back when doing upper body exercises, so I have seen strength increase and some minor gains.

Nutrition is good, but i'm feeling hungry at 2.15pm each day lol, it's a 45 minute wait until my next meal at 3pm.  So I end up increasing my water intake even more during this time to keep on top of the hunger.  I can't believe that after the amount of food I eat that I get hungry, my metabolism is revving up which is great.

I'm not feeling any body fat loss at the moment due to the onset of TTOTM, so I am holding water and feeling fat (as we do).  I'm okay with it because I know I will be feeling great in a few more days, I know this pattern and I will not let it get to me, it's temporary :-)

I see JD next Thursday, I have to say i'm so curious to see how i'm going with the skin folds and also when I weight myself that morning before seeing him.   All my results get posted in Lindy's forum :-)

The WNBF has a team of 22 Aussie athletes going to New York for the Worlds in little over a weeks time.  This all seems so exciting and my dream is to be apart of this team next year, to stand on an International stage in New York, wow!

I have automatically qualified for the WNBF Nationals 2009 due to my placing 2nd last year at the Nationals but I really need stage experience so I will compete in May and Oct next year.  It will be a big prep year and with the new career starting soon I hope I can do this.

Also the WNBF is working on bringing comps to Perth so stay tuned for that.

Eat, Train and Laugh Alot!!

Deb

It's All In Your Head - Natural Process

Below is a post I blogged about in August 2006 when I was about 6-8 weeks out from my first comp. I just read it now because I decided to take a trip down memory lane and as I read it I thought about how much I still believe it. I actually wanted Steph to read it since she is moving into her first comp too :-)

August 23rd 2006
I have been learning so much through my journey to becoming a competitive figure bodybuilder. One of the most important things that comes to my mind when I think about the whole experience so far are "mind games".

But I think that there is a reason for this. I was just commenting in Liz's blog about how one day we are happy with weight training but then we stress big time about posing. The next thing you know you are unhappy with weight training and your stressing about not making it in time for the comp, but posing is great! This just goes on and on all the time. It stops and changes then reverses, then goes back to it again and ahhhhhh.
Today after coming out from that dreaded black cloud that us poor girls go through once a month, I think I realize why this happens. It's a natural process that actually helps us to stay on our toes. My thoughts are this, if we went through this entire comp without any doubts or worries, what would then make us push harder to overcome that fear? You would just keep moving along without any concerns, so the result of that would be, "it's all cool I don't need to push myself because I have no challenges".
or
You go through with doubt/fears/concerns (call it what you will) and this will encourage you to push through, motivate you to do that extra rep on the bench press because one of your concerns is your chest isn't big enough. Or you will do extra posing practise because you think you haven't got it right etc, etc.
So I just realized that my fears are actually my friend, those fears are what is pushing me to becoming the best I can ever be. Without them I would not push this hard, I wouldn't feel the need too.
Stress can be used as a positive but you have to stay on top of it. Dont' let it consume you, thats when it becomes a problem.
Have a great day everyone!

All is well

Not sure what to blog about lol but had the urge to do so anyway :-)

I'm feeling pretty good about everything and i'm stoked at my on going progress with my aim to drop my body fat back down to 70mls.
Despite the fact I put away LOADS of alcohol between Friday night at the ball and especially Saturday at the 40th birthday party at the races, I feel like i'm still going really well. Although I drank heaps of champagne I still ate really well, didn't go off plan food wise.

The ball was fabulous and John and I danced the night away with many others. That was after Allan Jones (Guest speaker) speech, it went on forever lol. We were served delicious food from a top chef and there was free flowing french champagne. The music was a mix of the 80's through to the latest hits so everyone was hitting the dance floor.
We left after midnight.

So I wake up the next morning to have breakfast and get tarted up again for a day at the races! We had a private marquee right by the track, it was catered and there was free flowing champagne and wine. It was a ladies day out for my friend Melissa on her 40th birthday and we had a blast. I even put on some bets, it was fun.
I was lucky it was a buffet and I was able to eat most of the green salad (the dressing was on the side) and some seafood, to easy!!

So no more big piss up's until Melbourne Cup lol. Then NO MORE. The new year is around the corner and I will be right into prep before I know it, can't wait.

Looks like I found something to blog about after all ;-)
And before you ask, I will get the pictures up soon, i'm so slack at times, it means I have to plug my camera into the usb and transfer it into my computer, this takes work you know ;-)

Talk to you soon.

Debs

My Skin Folds

Since starting my new meal plan with Jon Davie 4 weeks ago I have been eating lots and lots of good food and haven't weighed in or taken my skin folds until today.
I have posted my results on Lindy's site so some of you already know:-)
I have lost 1 kilo off the scales and 17.5mls of body fat!! This is a fantastic result for me and I am stoked!! So the plan now is to increase my food intake a little more so that I can drop another 5-7mls within 3 weeks when I go see him again.

I'm happy because the biggest drop was around my abdominal area, and I have noticed my clothes are loose but I keep thinking they had stretched lol. My reasoning behind this is because my brain is to programmed in thinking less food in means weight loss, and more food in means fat gain.
So when i eat more then I ever have before with each meal the last thing on my mind is "i'm losing weight"! But lucky my body is on the ball with this and i'm getting results.
JD adjusted my meal plan by adding more to it as I am getting hungry again now that my body is used to the amount of food i'm eating.

My cardio has been structured and it is still a walk in the park or a treadmill lol. Just keeping a steady pace, nothing crazy, I have actually learnt to like this over the last couple of weeks, i'm adjusting to it all. But it just means I smash myself when it comes to the weights ;-)

So with these results you can tell i'm pretty bloody happy right now, how can I not be now that it had confirmed to me that I am on the right path to a healthy, lean body!

I have been doing a lot of research on cardio and weight loss lately and all I can say is that cardio is not the key to losing weight, resistance training and nutrition are. If you can get your calorie intake right in the off season (having a higher intake), this will give you so much more room to move for prepping and you would come in with more muscles!!

Debs xxx

Busy, Busy, Busy

Things are getting to the finalization process in regards to my studies and working as a PT. I have completed my Cert IV practical exam and module 5 and submitted them for marking, I have my fingers crossed that I passed.
Last Saturday I completed my senior first aid course and will get my certificate no later then next week.
Tomorrow I see a JP to sign my business registration forms so I can submit it then open up a business bank account.
I still have many other little things to do such as register with Fitness Australia and organize my insurances.

I picked up the Goodlife Gym contract last Friday and providing I get all of the above done I will be starting in November. I am really excited and nervous about this. Starting a new career is a little daunting but i believe that it will be okay :-)

This Friday night John and I are attending a ball, I am looking forward to it! Then the following day I am going to a 40th birthday party, it will be a day at the races with champagne and seafood and ladies only! Should fun lol.

My new food plan has been so good for me, for the first time ever I had a cycle (TTOTM) without any symptoms in the lead up to it. I think all this really good healthy, nutritional food is what my body needs. I now eat alot more raw foods in the form of veggies. I also eat a little natural yoghurt which I haven't had in years. Basically it's a really good balance of macronutrients and it's doing me wonders!

I'm not sure if I have dropped much body fat as I was unable to make my appointment with JD and we are still yet to reschedule. And I haven't weighed myself since I last saw him but I think i may have lost a tiny bit, I know i'm on the right track, that I definitely know :-)

I will be attending the INBA Nationals and I can't wait to catch up with everyone, I will be coming on my own so expect me to latch onto some of you lol.

Debs

ACA - The Water Detox Diet Story

Did anyone see A Current Affair last night? If you didn't there was a story on a lady in the UK, see was placed on a water detox diet - the long and short of it is she consumed what they consider a high amount of water and reduced her salt intake and within 1 week she ended up with brain damage.
She was drinking 3.5 liters per day, most of us drink more then that right?
She cut out salt, sound familiar fellow competitors?
So they are saying that with all the water consumption and the reduced salt her brain swelled up and caused a seizer.

I feel terribly sorry for her to be suffering brain injury just because she wanted to lose some weight, seems very unfortunate and sad. But I have to say I believe she really is an "extreme" case.
When this story started my initial reaction was to freak out because I know that prior to comp I was drinking up to 7-8 liters of water per day and I removed salt completely from my diet. But then I thought about the fact that I had done it 5 times for each comp and I know so many other competitors have aswell and I have never heard of anyone getting brain damage from it!

Now the sad part is is that everyone watching will cut back on their water intake not realizing that most of the average Australian's already live in a state of dehydration and don't even know it!

I think the story really shouldn't have come across as it can happen to anyone at anytime, like a scare tactic, they should research more into it to see how extreme her case might be.

QLD - ANB Competition this weekend

This weekend the ANB Comp is on and I am looking forward to another day of being around awesome athlete's and watching them show off there incredible bods on stage.
This is my first time attending an ANB show so i'm really looking forward to it. I will be there in the morning and the evening show, you will find me at my sponsor's table "International Protein" so please make sure you come over and try it, everyone and anyone is welcome :-)

International Protein as just released it's new line - check it out!



Good luck to all the competitor's competing on the day and I can't wait to cheer you on.

Deb xxx

Water!

The More You Drink, The More You Shrink!!

I'm drowning in it!!!!!!!!

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iphone

Last Friday when I got home from work I saw an Apple iphone sitting on the dining table, my wonderful hubby went out and bought it for me!! I'm so lucky to have the iphone and to have a wonderful hubby (not in that order lol).

It's fantastic.

Who has one? Who is getting one???

It does everything, John bought it for me for when I start working as a PT. My hubby's initials are JD so I won't use that as it will be very confusing, I seem to be surrounded by JD's!!

I just love gadgets especially the MAC ones :-)

So I am learning more and more about it and loving all the new stuff I can do with it, sometimes I forget it's a phone!

The other good news is that JD sent me an email today with my nutrition attached, it is amazing how he has set it all out, I can't do anything wrong he has done all the work for me I just have to follow it :-) This is exactly what I needed as i'm hopeless otherwise.
He is so great that I after speaking to him today via the phone he is taking things at such a great pace, slow and steady so I take everything in one step at a time. I get my program in a week, he just wants me to get used to eating all the food he prescribed first and there is a lot of food then move onto his training program etc.

I'm pretty excited aren't I? lol

I need to be as I have been feeling down about my weight gain, I couldn't believe how much I had blown out on my skinfolds when i saw him, I knew I put on weight I could see it but that confirmed it. So I now have a target to move down to and I will reach it, I know I will and when I do I will let you know all the details :-)

So here's to a new beginning in a great direction!

Deb xxx

8 Months Out LOL

I had a consultation with Jon Davie this morning and am so happy to announce that he will be taking me on for next years competition and we start now!
What I mean by starting now is getting my skin fold down to a maintainable level first even if we have 8 months until the show he wants to start now, slowly.

This is exactly what I need right now, someone to write up my nutrition (I have been in struggle town with that), I just can't be left to do this myself and I have proven that time and time again so now I will be on track again and I won't need to keep guessing as to whether i'm eating to much or to little right through til comp day! Looks like I have to get use to eating more!

I believe I will learn so much from JD and hope that in time I will learn to follow my own daily food intake with confidence, this is my future plan.

So with a whopping 8 months until I compete I will have mini goals to achieve and that will be reaching benchmarks in reducing mls with my skin folds.

Speaking of skins, I bought my Skins on the weekend :-) I got the long black with blue pants. I trained in them yesterday and couldn't believe the difference, i'm in love!!! I think I need a skins top now hee hee.

Deb x

Followers Widget

Katie P got me onto "followers", it's so easy to add to your blog and here is the scoop:

Do you want to know who regularly reads your blog and develop a public fan base for your blog? Well now you can do that and more with the Blogger Following feature! In Blogger, users can publicly Follow any URL to tell the blog's author and the world they are a fan. With the Followers gadget, you can display your blog's Followers on your blog to show your blog's popularity and encourage more readers to stay updated with your posts.

Have A Great Day!!

Time sure does fly!

It just dawned on me why I am feeling so tired and emotional, next week is TTOTM again!! Already!! What the?? It all makes sense now, one week before my hormones are all over the place.

I thought it was all alcohol related (although that didn't help), I just didn't think I was due again already, time is really getting away from me, I must be to bloody busy :-)

I haven't had a drop of alcohol since Sunday night and have no desire to have any, and now i'm in a bit of a cutting phase of my training I feel focused again and looking forward to seeing some changes in my physique.
I've upped my reps big time and i'm doing some more cardio and loving that, god I missed the endorphine rush.

This weekend i'm going to buy "skins", I really could benefit from training in compression garments especially for
leg training.
One of the trainers at the gym has two pairs, she trains in the Body Science compression pants as they are thinker, and does cardio in the Skins compression pants. I think I will stick to the skins at this stage :-)

See you soon.

I passed!

I just got confirmation that I passed my Cert III Practical exam, i'm happy about this :-)
Currently I am about to finish an assignment in cert IV then I have another Practical assessment to do, then one last module and that's it! My first aid course is booked in for Oct 5th.

Today i'm just chipping away at the assignment most of it is done, it's case studies on older adults and children and I am up to the children, my head is not completely with it today so it is slowing me down, but i'm getting there, baby steps!

I can't believe i'm almost there.

Gosh i've been blogging alot this week lol

Chest & Back

Thanks for leaving me comments on last nights post, it really meant alot :-)

I'm not actually feeling very purky today, in fact i'm feeling the opposite, down and out. Maybe I just need another day to find my bubbly self again.

Today's session at the gym:

Flat Bench Press
1 x 12 reps @ 35kgs
1 x 8 reps @ 40kgs
1 x 8 reps @ 45kgs
1 x 6 reps @ 55kgs (spotter)

Incline Bench Press
1 x 12 reps @ 35kgs
1 x 8 reps @ 35kgs
1 x 8 reps @ 35kgs
1 x 6 reps @ 40kgs

Power Presses
1 x 8 reps @ 40kgs
1 x 8 reps @ 40kgs
1 x 8 reps @ 40kgs
1 x 8 reps @ 40kgs

Static Hold
1 x 60kgs @ 10 seconds
1 x 60kgs @ 12 seconds
1 x 60kgs @ 15 seconds
1 x 60kgs @ 15 seconds

Chins
1 x 8 reps
1 x 8 reps
1 x 8 reps

Bent Over Rows
1 x 8 reps @ 35kgs
1 x 8 reps @ 35kgs
1 x 8 reps @ 40kgs

Seated Cable Rows
1 x 8 reps@ 35kgs
1 x 8 reps@ 35kgs
1 x 8 reps@ 40kgs

Power Pulls
1 x 8 reps each arm @ 65kgs
1 x 8 reps each arm @ 70kgs
1 x 8 reps each arm @ 75kgs

This is followed by 30 minutes easy paced walk.

At this stage my training program will change as of next week so this is my last week of strength training and after 8 weeks of it I am ready for a change :-)

I know I have never posted my training program up in detail before but so many of you have emailed me and have been asking more about my training so I will post this weeks progress up for you.

Not Always Rosey

Hi Guys!
Sometimes I wonder how I come across to the people that read my blog and have done for a while now. I am a very private person and I hope nobody takes me the wrong way.

I have huge self esteem and self confidence issues and have done all my life, I know this is nothing new and i'm not the only one in this situation. So I find it hard to write what I am really feeling, I usually only touch the surface because I never want to offend anyone in any way accidentally.

One thing I do is blog the truth about my progress or how i'm feeling, generally it's good and i'm progressing well and that is mainly what you read but that doesn't mean that I am doing it easy, i'm not super human, it means that I don't blog when i'm down or struggling anywhere near as much as when I do when i'm happy and flowing along.
So 'i'm sorry if I may have come across that way, it seems kind of pig headed of me to think I am so good and I have no issues! This is not the case.

I blog about training more then anything else and that's because I love it and I really don't have issue there, but I am having continuous issues with my nutrition. I can go weeks will no problems and then I start doubting myself, that's when it gets messy for me and I get completely lost and feel the need to get help.
Lucky for me I spoke up a little in Lindy's forum and I was heard and now I am trying to get back on track again one day at a time.

Drinking is getting to much for me, I clearly can't go on drinking as many nights a week as I have been as it is depressing me during the day so this is my first priority, I must cut it down to once a week and thats final. I am not addicted to it I can go without but I have not been trying and that's the problem.

After a few posts at Lindy's forum I have learnt alot about myself and it made me realize that this is what my blog is for, to blog about things and get it out in the open, then read it and see it from another point of view, It's like analyzing yourself.
I have learnt that through my lack of confidence I lose trust in myself when it come to feeding my body, I need to trust myself more as I know what to do, I just need to believe it and stop freaking out by cutting my portion sizes down every time I feel self doubt about the meal, it is like a safety net, not sure so eat less, how am I to build muscle this way?? I train so freakin hard, so hard that I walk out of the gym each session knowing I couldn't have done more so I shouldn't be eating like a sparrow when i'm training like a lion.

Tonight's a good start, I have had no wine, just tea, and this will be the case right through till the weekend, I hope I only have a glass or two on Saturday night, and not Friday or Sunday as well, but i'm pretty angry with myself right now so I think I will stay on track.

I know I will feel better tomorrow, so I will post again soon.

Finding That Inner Confidence

I don't know where to start, this may be a long one. I shall stat from the beginning I guess :-)

As I have been progressing through my studies I have been focused on obtaining Cert III & IV in order to start work as a PT in a gym, well that still is a focus and part of the plan. But I found another avenue that I really want to go into and it didn't even occur to me until I progressed through my studies to "Specialty Training for Older Adults and Children".

I started thinking more so about the older adults and so I started to look deeply into it to find that over 200,000 Australian's suffer from Dementia and this number is set to double in 20 years.
So I then take my research even further and have the urge to learn more about the disease as possible which I have been doing and I have found that I am so drawn to learning even more. Now my focus has also turned to the carers. These carers are locked in there homes caring for there loved ones who are slowly deteriorating and do not like to be left with anyone else. These carers have no outlet, they feel so alone. They have no time to take care of themselves as they are constantly caring for someone else. They become unhappy with how they look and then struggle to find any motivation to go out at all. It's very sad.

So with extensive search on the web I decided to go one step further and make some calls etc. Long story short I managed to get myself to sit in on a dementia class which is put together by the government for carers of dementia. This was the most incredible day and I am so thankful for being allowed to attend. It went for 5 hours but only felt like it went for an hour, I didn't want it to end.
I meet 15 carers that day, I heard there stories, I saw them cry, I fought back my own tears, these were real people talking about real situations that they were living.
The training class was to teach the carers about the disease and how it effects the brain and behavior's of there loved one's. To understand more about what the sufferer is going through and feeling and how they can make it easier on them. But it also focused on what they need to do for themselves, they need time out in order to not become overwhelmed with pressure and stress of caring for their loved ones 24/7. These people are truly incredible.
After the class the speaker told me I mended in really well with the carers.

I have been offered an opportunity to be a speaker next year when they hold another carers class. I wasn't expecting this, hoping for it but not expecting it, and now I find half of me saying "but your biggest fear is public speaking and you are not confident enough", and the other half says "you can't let this opportunity slip through your fingers, you know how you can help and you can do this"!

I feel as though I got my foot well and truly through the door and there are so many avenues I would like to take in relation to this. It's the tip of the ice burg and I will share it with you as it gets closer to it as I was advised not to say anything yet, but it's all very promising and will be very rewarding in so many ways.

To tell you the truth I still can't believe this path has opened up to me, and how fast it is all happening it's blown me away. You just never know what's ahead of you.

Some Changes For Moi

Today's session with Michael was nothing short of a killer, he smashed my shoulders big time, I love these sessions with him as he knows what i'm capable of better then what I do.

I'm in week 7 of strength training so that leaves me with next week and then after a discussion today we are going to make changes!
I have a formal function to attend on the 10th Oct so I asked Michael if it was okay to cut down a little for this function and to see how i'm looking, he agreed. It will only be a small cut back, nothing major but I dare say the change in training will be a killer to start with, I won't know for a couple of weeks he never tells me until we are ready to start.

I have recently bought a Trelise Cooper dress for the evening and I don't really want to look bulky in it so I am happy to cut down just a touch to look more defined or less bulky!

I'm currently in the middle of an assignment for cert IV and through my studies I have decided on an area I would like to move into when i become a qualified PT. I even managed to worm my way into a government organized training session tomorrow in relation to the direction I am looking at taking. I can't say to much right now as it is in it's infancy but as soon as I know if this is definitely the avenue I "can" take then I will spread the news :-) So i'm looking forward to tomorrow as it is the first step in a new direction.

Speaking of new directions, why does that scare me???? I get excited and afraid all at the same time. I really need to find my inner confidence and really embrace the things I want to do so that I don't let it slip through my fingers and have regrets later.
Just knowing that by the end of this year I am going to be in such a different place with the change of career and working at Goodlife as well as this new area I hadn't even considered before is very exciting and I hope this big step i'm taking is the right one :-)

Better get my head back in the books I guess but before I go I wanted to say how proud I am of my little guy, he plays in a strings band (violin) and was performing at the eisteddfod and they came first! He was so excited and I am so proud of him, I just love to watch him play he is so handsome.

Lindy's Bodytune Workshop

Hi Guys!
Just wanted to let you all know how awesome Lindy's Workshops are!!
I arrived to Graceville on Saturday and was so stoked to have seen Lia, it had been almost two years since we last saw each other for the Nationals in Melbourne, big hugs were shared :-)

Lindy looks as stunning as ever and really provides an informative workshop, I took so much away with me from that day. We had JD as a guest speaker, it was an awesome surprise as he is the man to ask anything about nutrition and training - amazing guy!!

I saw Liz and shelly and met Steph for the first time it was fun and I wish we had more time afterwards to chat.

So this was the start of a very good weekend for me :-)

The Things You Find through Facebook LOL

I cannot believe I stumbled on this photo. It was my class at Primary School. I am the one standing next to that really funky, trendy, cool teacher LMAO!!
I think it was year 6.
It's funny because I haven't seen these pictures in so many years and now they are on the www, life is so different now to how it was back then.

One more sleep to go until Lindy's Workshop WooHoo!!!

My Progress Update

Yesterday was my weigh in day ( I weigh in once a month) and I have put on half a kilo.
Since I started strength training my weigh in's are as follows:

June 20th (day before I started strength training): 60kgs
July 20th:63kgs
August 17th: 63.5kgs

So the first month was a rapid increase in weight and last month things have settled and I am moving along at a much preferred rate, that is preferred by me :-).

I believe that all I need to do is stick with the plan and go from day to day. I am finding it mentally challenging being heavier and I continue to question my weight gains regularly as to whether it's mostly fat or mostly muscle. But at the end of the day I want to increase muscle mass and I have to stick to the plan and not jeopardize my hard earned muscles by reducing calories or hammering the cardio equipment which I am so tempted to do. But that day will come, prep will start early next year so I have to wait until then :-)

I am getting so strong, i never thought I would get that bloody strong but it happens if you persist :-), I am really enjoying the power presses and static holds on chest days, they have really helped with my strength on the bench press.
I have also been focusing on my weak body part, my shoulders, trying to get them to grow, I am having little success but still have a long way to go, some of you ladies are just so blessed to have big beautiful shoulders :-)

Finally did what I have been putting off doing for months and that is my practical exam for cert III (even though I am almost through cert IV), I arranged for the exam on Saturday, I am so glad that one is over and done with, I think I have to do one more for Cert IV though.
I also need to start looking into doing a first aid course, I can't believe how close I am getting now to being a PT!! So excited.

Hop everyone is well, I will pop in soon to say hi.

Debs xxx

Glutamine

I love using International Protein's Glutamine as it is 100% pure and is made from rice, no chemicals! I am truly thankful to be sponsored by such a great company :-)

International Protein Glutamine
100% Pure Natural Fermented L-Glutamine
May improve recovery after training / exercise
Decreases muscle protein breakdown
Increases muscle protein synthesis and cell volume
Supports immune system function
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in skeletal muscle tissue, making up about 60% of its total content, and is the predominant amino acid used during exercise. Although glutamine can be obtained from the diet, supplementation is often required to replace losses incurred during exercise / training.

Studies show that supplementing your diet and training with glutamine may improve recovery by decreasing muscle protein breakdown, increasing muscle protein synthesis and cell volume and by supporting immune system function.

International Protein's "Natural Fermented L-Glutamine" is manufactured using an exclusive natural fermentation process, followed by gentle extraction and purification to produce the purest form of L-Glutamine available.

No chemicals are used to make International Protein's Glutamine so it does not contain potentially harmful compounds like ammonia and methanol.

Because it's made naturally, International Protein's L-Glutamine has a lighter odour, cleaner flavour and a less metallic after-taste that synthetic L-Glutamine.

International Protein's Glutamine is made from rice, making it hypoallergenic (low allergy). It is also free from gluten and animal products.

Ingredients:
100% Pure Fermented L-Glutamine

Directions for Use:
Take 1.9g (1/2 tsp) immediately after training.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Serving Size: 1.9g
Servings per Container: 263

Qty Per 1.9g Serve:
Energy - 32 kj / 8 Cal
Protein - 1.9g
Fat (total) - 0g
Fat (saturated) - 0g
Carbohydrate (total) - 0g
Carbohydrate (sugars) - 0g
Sodium - 0mg
Potassium - 0mg

Lia & Rae

Thinking of my two beautiful friends who are going through such a sad and sorrowful time in there lives. You have both been so supportive to me over the years and I want you to know how much you mean to me and how sorry I am that you are going through this.
You are both in my thoughts daily!
Love,
Deb xxx

From Strength To Strength

I'm not sure how i'm doing it but I seem to be getting stronger each week and performing more PB's! Today I beat last week's PB on the bench press.
My DOMS feel different training this way too, it feels deeper in the muscle then where I would usually feel it when performing higher reps.
So the bottom line is I am enjoying the challenge of strength training but gosh it's really hard work, not just physically but mentally too. You really have to have your mind in the right place for a heavy lift.

I am really nervous about having to perform my practical exams this Saturday for my PT course. I think i'm nervous about not being able to get the words out right lol. I need to just rehearse it over and over again until it feels right. I have been putting this off for a while so it's time to bite the bullet and get it done.

My plans are to start working in the industry by the end of this year or maybe first thing next year, it will depend on how much longer it takes me to complete the rest of my studies and do a first aid course etc and I need to take in other considerations but hopefully sooner rather then later. I have already registered a business name and am awaiting my ABN number.

Did anyone watch the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony? It was incredible but unfortunately I fell asleep half way though :-(

Deb xxx

2008 WNBF Canberra Championships (For Jane B)

2008 WNBF Queensland Championships

A Sorrowful Day For a Dear Friend

RIP

I'm back online - Finally!

I'm back online which is great as I have so many things to catch up on.

My training has been going really well, it's been really hard work and I have been tired. My strength is increasing and I have been hitting Pb's.
I feel like I am still gaining weight, I feel heavy. I am never sure if the weight is good or not but I will continue through it regardless and not let it play head games with me.
I will take pictures, weigh in and do my girths around the 20th of each month to compare from month to month.

I will see you guys soon.

Deb

Limited Internet Access

Sorry if i'm quiet at the moment as I have limited time on the internet due to some changes.
I should be back to normal soon, I have enough time to check on Lia (first preference), and my emails etc.
Soon as it's fixed I will visit!
Deb

Overwhelmed!

Thank you to everyone who left comments for me :-) It is so touching to have such a wonderful support group that I consider my friends and who I can count on.
It's all good as I have come out of this on top and happy with my direction and progress. This really isn't just about my weigh in on Sunday, it's about my self-esteem and my perception of myself that stems back most of my life which i know many of us understand.

Looking in the mirror now I think I am finally seeing the real image and not the exaggerated, imagined fat areas that continuously haunt me. I have also been getting better at not comparing myself to comp condition too. Comp condition is exactly that "Comp Condition"!

I have no excuse anymore for seeing myself as "fat" as it dawned on me after seeing my progress pictures (real eye-opener) that I eat good, healthy, nutritious, muscle growing food 24/7. I just don't eat junk, I don't care for it anymore and haven't for quite some time now since becoming a competitor. I do indulge a little on the weekends and have wine and nuts but this is earned by a great week of eating and training!
So how can I be fat if I live on veges, lean meats, fish, grains, nuts etc? I am know longer limiting my body of the nutrition it needs to gain lean muscle, and no longer doing loads of cardio to try and stay lean. I am now force feeding my muscles good food to help them grow and not doing any cardio and boy am I getting a response! The first month was rapid and should now taper down a little.






I am in my second week of strength training and it is fantastic. I love being trained and pushed to my limits. Michael's new program is very challenging but it is exactly what I need. He really knows how to mentally prepare me for the big lifts, getting my head around being able to lift the weight and not be afraid of it.
We are also working on my weak areas, i really want to bring up my shoulders, I want big shoulder boulders lol. I always thought my shoulders would never improve but they have a little so it gives me hope that if I continue to slam them then they will grow.
Not doing cardio is getting easier as I am completely smashed after a training session now. All I do now is finish my training, throw down a protein shake with add carbs then walk on the tready (slow pace) for around 15 minutes, just to walk it out a bit, and that's it!! Hard to believe.
What motivates me now is that I feel i'm prepping for the comp next year, only in a different phase of the prep. I don't lose focus of what I want to look like when I stand on stage again, it's exciting. The best thing I could have done was to have this year off, it just feels so right for me now!

Thanks again sooooooo much for the comments, it really put me on a high reading everyone of them :-)

Deb xxx

A momentary lapse of reason

Yesterday was a huge learning curve for me. I completely let my emotions take over and I over re-acted to something that I thought I had control of - the scales!

As you must know by now I was always one not to weigh myself unless i was prepping as i found i could handle it due to the reduction in weight from weigh in to weigh in.

I stood on the scales yesterday in order to see where i'm at in relation to my nutrition intake which has been improved and because I have started some freaky strength training and my goal is to get big.
So when i saw that I had gained 3kgs in 4 weeks I freaked out, even knowing that that is my goal!

What went through my mind was "this is fast", the weight gain is really fast in just four weeks. Then I thought about the last time I weighed that much and it was two years ago just before my first comp prep (my before photos) and I thought I looked like that because the scales told me so.

Anyway, after speaking with Michael and Lisa they both set me straight. I have been eating a low caloric diet for a long time and doing loads of cardio so a month ago when I corrected all this my body was very much in need of all this extra nutrition and was taking it all in. It should actually slow right down now as I continue on the same path.

I have decided to turn this into a positive, it is a positive as I want to grow. So I started today at the gym by telling everyone I had gained the 3kgs in 4 weeks and that I was proud of it lol. If I feel good about it, it will work in my favor.

Lia hit the nail on the head by saying i let my emotions take over my brain! To true and I now need to take charge of that!

The good news is my measurements (I took them later that day) were good and showed an improvement.

I have added comparison pictures, they are two years apart and it is of me at the same weight, the difference blew me away and it is proof again that the scales measure more then fat!!!

A Couple Of Pictures Of Me

These pictures were taken this morning, my Mac was the photographer! Better then nothing as I always promise pictures and never deliver, until today anyway :-)

I took them this week because it is the beginning of my strength training with Michael and I hope to have comparisons in a few weeks time to see how much I grow.

I have had two sessions with him, yesterday and today and I am very sore but happy and loving the challenge even though it's early days.

Also spare a thought for my poor Hubby, last night when he was cooking he cut his little finger as severed his tendons - Ouch! He has to have surgery this Friday.
This has thrown our world out of sync now and we just have to work around this somehow. Life goes on regardless :-(

Deb xxx

Well Done Ladies - All females

Congrats to everyone that competed on the weekend, you all did so well with your improvements and I can't wait to see more pictures.

Tomorrow I officially start strength training with my coach, i'm looking forward to this, having him train me at the gym and push me to my limits will be exciting.

I have been on Lisa's nutrition guidance now for 3 weeks and am happy with the way everything is going. I am so relaxed about eating now and it is a stress free environment in that regard. I don't question everything I put into my mouth anymore. I know exactly what I am doing and have an understanding of how to eat, when, what and how much.

Lisa has also put me onto a tonic that has been priceless for me, I call it "happy juice" lol, it makes me energetic and very happy!! hee hee.

I have decided I would weigh myself once a month just as a guide to see what is happening with the added food intake and the strength training. I will also take measurements for the same reasons. So this Sunday will be the day for that, I will keep you posted.

I feel bigger, I know I have put on some weight but i'm not phased by it at all. It's mostly fluid at the moment (TTOTM), but the carbs have filled out my muscles more and that makes me feel heavier too.

I also know my metabolism as cranked up and it feels amazing as I thought it wasn't possible for that to happen to me, but it has and I am going to bed with a noisy gut and that's after eating dinner a few hours earlier and a protein shake - what the? How can it be growling lol.

So Lisa has helped me in many ways but the most important way she helped me was mentally! I was stressed and lost and not coping at all, I was pretty much trying to live off a comp diet and regime. Silly! I am trying to get big here and thanks to Lisa and Michael, I will grow! :-)