Renewed Vigour!

Amazing what a good night sleep and a little venting/reflection does to ones soul! I have woken up this morning happy, healthy, ready to do exercise. I also had a bit of a detox session yesterday without planning it. The raw veges I have been adding to my salad, along with all my supps, certainly hit the mark yesterday afternoon. Whoosh! I think you get the picture! hehehehe ..............tummy feels flatter even though it doesn't look like it.
I am getting hungrier of late, especially when eating times are due, like right now, even after eating my breakfast an hour later than normal. So I am going to hang out for another 1/2 hour, so as to even the timing out a bit. Food was fantastic yesterday, looking forward to another great day today. Mind you in saying that, food was fantastic according to me, may be scrutinised by others as somethings are wrong! by all means please do not hesitate to comment.

Did a 30min hill climb on the spinning bike this morning before an hour of weights - chest and tris. Actually went light in my weights due to the chest injury I have, but changed the counts down and back (slow down 4 slow up 4) with no hold at end of rep. This was a good burn, more burn than the normal feel of a heavy weight. Always good to mix the weight session up a bit.

Doing a bit of study on CLA and am liking what I read. CLA has been the subject of a variety of research in the past several years, and findings also suggest that some of the benefits of CLA include the following:

Increases metabolic rate
Decreases abdominal fat
Enhances muscle growth
Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides
Lowers insulin resistance
Reduces food-induced allergic reactions
Enhances immune system

As fish oil repeats on me so badly, I found that CLA does not.

On a reflection note:
Mistakes can happen. If you have made a mistake learn from it and try something different. Keep your goals in mind and adopt a flexible approach. It takes lots of efforts and hours to achieve an extraordinary result. Try more things and eventually you will get it right. It may look risky but that is one way to know whether something will work. Your fears will dissipate when you take action. Do the thing even when you are afraid and unsure of its consequence. (this line is for you Liz, reply to your comment on email) Your emotion will match your actions. Have faith in yourself and your dreams. Take more risks, act with courage and look forward with hope.
It takes one action and one step at a time to produce your desired result.
With each result, your learning, experience and confidence will grow. You will develop the strengths to overcome any challenge.

Well thats it for me at the moment, catchya lata!

Ciao!

Spelling ! What the!

I must apologise everyone, I just read my post and there are some very bad spelling mistakes! Whoops!

Self Help - The Antidote!

The dictionary defines self-help as the act of helping yourself without relying on anyone else and improving yourself economically, intellectually and/or emotionally.

While I forgone the evening show for the ANB because my parents were stopping over, only to get home and discover that they had been and gone. Apparently my sister is in dire straits once again doesn't seem to be able to get out of her rut. I have since discovered that my darling sister is on the brink of being instutionalised yet again for paranoa, had to get a helping hand with a lot of money (sum undisclosed from parents) and going through her second divorce with a whole lot of dramas. Then to top what started as a great weekend into the most crappiest, my husband and i had a huge fight! There were a lot words said!!!

So I discovered that I eat crap when I have a whole lot of shit dumped on me. I had a serve of hot chips for lunch. But only that! So I guess that is not so bad. I have to help myself, I can not rely on others to help me, expecially ones close to me.

Success is assured if you work hard and continue with it, because you are in control - of your own thoughts, your own decisions and your own actions! Other people may interrupt but you have the choice on your next steps or actions.

So deciding on what is really important to you is a step towards self help. When you know what is important, you are able to manage your time, gain self control and organise yourself around your priorities. Having goals, purpose and dreams will focus your attention and change the condition of your life. You are the only one who can determine what you want to accomplish and experience.

I you find that life and people are treating yo unfairly, don't complain. Remember it is your focus of attention that is causing your state of unhappiness. Avoid putting the blame on them. Involve yourself in activities that motivate you and set out your future path. Give yourself the chance to believe that you are more capable than what you have accomplished this far.

Ciao!

Comments that inadvertly can hurt?

I was thinking about the conversations yesterday from our table at the ANB, and there were a lot of comments about some of the competitors that sort of struck me as very hurtful - like 'tuckshop lady arms' and too soft and flabby! You know what, I think they are all heroes for getting up there in the first place. I know I think too much, but then I got to thinking, is that going to be the comments if and when I get up on stage. Due to size I am, I know I will have excess skin issues for a long while till they eventually disappear (if they do) - am I going to warrant comments like that too! Not to mention stretch marks! How am I going to hide those imperfections??? Certainly a de-motivator at the best of times.



People should never cast comments like that, nor any comments at all, because they don't know what is going on in the lives of the others. Remember it is their journey, not yours. What often distinguishes hurt from other emotions is the sense of vunerability, and that is what I am feeling right now. Why do I want to set myself up for comments like these when I jump on stage!!! You know, you work so hard at times in your journey, and then you get a knock for six with a totally unrelated issue such as this. Logically, I know that this should not affect me and I do have the support of friends, but when it is people you know who say these comments, you start to wonder what is actually said when you are not around??? hmmm! Human nature is repetitive, and inadvertedly we always do the same thing over and over, even without realising it. And I know that my friends will say they never say that about me, hey I am no perfect person either and have been known to say somethings, but I do think about it later and think to myself, well you know what, that is stupid and try not to go down that path again.

On another note, I would like to congradulate one competitor in particular yesterday and that was the poor sports model entrant. Now she had no competition, but still went out there and did her stuff. She was not as young as the usual entrants you see at most comps, but she did her thing and that she should be so proud of. Well done.

Emotions are crappy things, especially when they get so mixed up ATM, but one foot in front of the other is always a good thing. I am alive, I am healthy albeit overweight, and I enjoy life, good food, good wine and good company! And I am strong!

Long Live Fitness

Ciao!

ANB Qld Titles

Well just got back from the pre-judging at the ANB, sadly could not stay for the night show, so I don't know the placings until I get a text.

First two pictures is Novice Masters Physique. Young Traci is the first to compete from my gym. She has an amazing amount of muscle. Will let you all know soon enuf how she placed when I get a text.

Second was Tara and unfortunately Harmony. I did not know they would be in same category and I felt guilty having to cheer both of them on, so I didn't yell out much. Bit hard when my table was yelling for Harmony and I wanted to yell for Tara. But both look amazing. I am so proud of Tara.

So I also met Liz in person, what a nice lady. Methinks I need to get to know her a whole lot more. Also met the lovely Deb who was at her sponsors stand. Of course lovely Lindy was there, didn't get to talk to her too much as she was always surrounded by people as per usual. Steph and Ali was there as well. Met the lovely Maryanne who might I add is looking very muscled up! As per normal I always get so fired up after a show. Can't wait for the results.

Talk to you soon.

Ciao!

Inspiration ladies who totally inspire me!

And the last one is Tara's legs. I think that she has done an amazing transformation. I look at her then her before photos and think..................no KNOW that I will get there one day.

Goodluck Tara! Goodluck Traci! Goodluck Harmony!

ANB comp is on tomorrow and I am going to come home with no voice. There are a few people I know competing, including one novice physique, who has so much natural muscle.



Now I am a known lurker to body building comps and really enjoy them. I want to compete in one myself oneday, hence the BEHAG journey. But on the days of the comp, I always feels so inadequate as there are so many fit bodies there and I look at mine and think, you should have put the hard yard in sooner you doh head! It is times like these when reflecting on your past journeys, that I feel like such a failure. I know I shouldn't and I know I am not, because I know how much hard work I put into it, it is just a visual aspect of it all. Take today for an example, I hummed and harred about actually going to the gym, then got there and stood around talking for a while, I guess sort of putting off actually doing something. Then I actually got into it, and pushed and pushed myself very hard, came out of it later, very very happy and I think very sore tomorrow. I did these deep squats on the standing calf/squat machine and normally I only go 20kg each side. Today I put on thirty each side and did 8 squats right down to the bottom, touched and the pushed up again...........what I did concentrate on was the pushup, making sure that the abs were completely switched on and that the push came from the butt. It felt good. I also felt the abs working very hard. and finished off the session after several other leg exercises with 15 stair runs. That felt good too. Was hard but felt good. I also was humming and harring about the powerwalk this afternoon, but got in and done it and now I feel very sore but feel fantastic at the same time. Albeit all these good exercises today means nothing if I don't eat right and I just didn't feel like eating today, nor take my sups today. So eats today have been quite limited and it is very naughty of me to do that. I had oats with teaspoon peanut butter and protein powder this morning then 1 carrot around 10.30am, about 1 &1/2 cups tossed salad with 80gms chicken for lunch and that is it so far. Not much hey, especially in light of the amount of veges I have been eating.



Well tme to go and put all the meat away, bake some chicken breasts, chop some veges and pack for ANB tomorrow. Will let you know how it all goes.

Ciao!

Bloating!!!!!

Well now, I don't know what it is, but of late (well to tell the truth, I have noticed this a long time but put it done to processed foods) I have noticed that my girth grows about 5cms by mid afternoon and I often feel bloated. Not windy and not crampy, just hyperextended???? I think I need to investigate a bit more now. I have been eating so cleanly for a while now, with very little processed foods, lots of cruciferous vegetables and fresh meat. Even the boys get fresh meat for sandwiches, I roast something every weekend instead of buying processed ham.

Food has been clean so far this week, EXCEPT! I had 2 marshmellows and 2 sour jellies after a stressful hour with the auditors. I really wish some of these young people would get some experience in business before they become auditors. One should understand that not all businesses can run completely to text book. Each individual entity has it's own way of doing management accounts, especially for managers and directors!!! Humph!

I have done some weights this week, back, bis and shoulders and my chest injury is niggling me, so I think I will give chest and tris a miss this week, just to give it an extra week to recover. We did some pushups in boxing and I think I have aggrevated it some more again. So all I have left to do is lovely legs - leaving that for last - Friday!

Cardio and Balance tonight is totally on order and tonite I will not be swayed from my directions. Legs and stairs tomorrow and a huge powerwalk on Saturday before I head off for the whole day at the ANB comp. I am getting a bit excited about that!

Well I guess I best be doing some work now.

Ciao!
X:D)

Cyber hugs and Kisses for Lia!

Inspiration to cheer me up!

Hello and Welcome

Hey Hey
My new blog!

More to come once I get all sorted.