Beautiful Blogger Awards

The lovely Steph has nominated me to continue on this award. Btw, I am so glad you commented on my jacket that day in the gym, blogging has made such an impact on my life, in more ways than one. Thank you =)

Part 1 is to share 7 random facts about myself:

1. I have 5 piercings- ears, the middle part of ear attached to head, beauty spot and belly ring which are both now closed.
2. I DO NOT wear necklaces...they make me claustrophobic.
3. I am always 99.9% of the time running late...don't know why, i always have plenty of time but for some reason i always end up in a rush!
4. I am a serial texter whilst driving. Its a terrible and illegal habit but i still do it! ( I used to take phone orders whilst driving, but gave that one up! I do have blue tooth in my car so at least my phone isnt against my ear!)
5. I wear Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel.
6. I got to grade 7 in piano, but i found classical music too boring and opted to run round and round an athletic track instead.
7. I wear turquoise contact lenses when i go out. People always comment on my 'beautiful eyes'... I'm such a good actor!

So my turn to nominate 7 beautiful bloggers:
Lia
Katie
Liz
Krissa
Mel
Jeh
Ali... Maybe you'd better call yours the Handsome Blogger Awards!

I hope everyone has a wicked New Years, see you all in 2010!!!!!

Princess Weights Time!

Well they say the beauty of training for years is a little something called Muscle Memory. Now i have trained my entire life and dont ever remember being sedentary for more than a week. So this Muscle Memory thing is something i have never experienced before so mine better have a photographic memory! I'm really not sure what to expect, but i am hoping they just harden up really fast, and the increase in metabolism i'll get from from weight training will allow the last few kgs of body fat to melt off quick smart (in conjunction with my PN/alkaline nutrition plan)!...Not too much to ask for!

Today was the day that i got to awaken my little guns from a 55 day long induced coma lol. And fuck it felt good! I was so excited to be pumping some iron again...3kg Princess Dumbells and a 10kg Ezycurl Bar were my weapons of choice this morning and boy did i get a pump! That feeling you get as your muscles contract, and the blood is surging in, and the veins are glowing- yep the burn felt awesome! I was really careful not to go heavy cos tearing scar tissue is not an option for me. However i did a pretty big session- Shoulders, Bi's and Tri's supersetted into 4 tri-sets with 3 sets in each. 12-15 rep range. And 12 hours later, the doms are kicing in! ... Hopefully i wont be too stiff in the morning cos its leg day!

Feeling like my old self again...back in the game.

Reflections of the Year that was...

Well its that time of the year again when we all seem to reflect on the year that was.

This past week i decided to hit the streets strolling ( i'm definitely not into power walking!) as one more minute on an exercise bike, cycling absolutely nowhere would have driven me insane! The late afternoons in the cool breeze allowed me to zone out, de-clogg my cluttered mind and wonder about where life will take me in the new year.

I have had a bit of a tough time mentally of late, not being able to train has proven really difficult. ( I have not picked up a dumbell in 41 days arghhhhhhhh!!!) . I was getting frustrated and upset and as you know, bad habits were creeping back in =(. Many tears were shed as i opened up my heart to a friend, digging up old memories from the past. It was quite painful at the time, but it was a necessary step in helping me move forward in my journey. Enough said.

2009 has been a year of many highs and lows, but in the spirit of christmas i intend to keep the rest of this post full of positivity =). For any newbies to my blog, welcome... There are 2 jam packed months of entertainment for you to read!

I am not a religious person, but i'm definitely a spiritual one to some degree. I do believe in karma- what comes around goes around. I do my best to be the shining star on all those that cross my path, and in return i have been blessed with a lot of good fortune this year.

So here are the highlights:

- i competed in my 3rd Figure comp in september, in the best shape of my life
- i recieved a huge pay rise
- i completed my Cert 3 & 4 in Fitness
- i am now apart of an amazing sales team at work
- i bought myself a HOT pair of assets =) ..... my number 1 highlight of the year!!!!
- work just bought me a new set of wheels- a smokin hot red Hyundai i30 sport wagon

So all in all i just have to keep reminding myself to look at the big picture cos the Highs certainly outweigh the Lows. Sometimes i think that the forces of nature bring Hemorrhoids and hardships into our lives to remind us not to be so complacent or to get too cocky. They are there to challenge us, to strengthen our character and to make us wiser.

However, the most important thing that has happened to me over the year has been my emotional transformation. I can truly say that i am really starting to discover just who i am as a person and what i am capable of achieving. I am stronger both physically and mentally than i have ever been in my life, i'm more grounded and definitely a lot more emotionally stable. And through this blogging experience, i have started letting go of the past thus allowing positivity to filter into my life. THANK YOU all for following my journey, offering your support and just being there when i thought i was doing it all on my own. I am ending this year happier then ever, and starting to find some peace within my soul. I am excited for what 2010 will bring... i've got a really good feeling about it. 

I have been conjuring up and action plan to tackle the new year. There are quite a few goals that i want to achieve so all will be revealed in the weeks to come.

I wish you all a beautiful christmas, filled with all the love, laughter and happiness the world has to offer.

SMILE =)

P.S. I just found this pic from comp... one of the best butts' in the business if i do say so myself! lol

SHIRATAKI NOODLES...Where are you hiding!!!????

Hey bloggers!

Has anyone in brisbane bought Shirataki Noodles before?? These are the ones that Pauline Nordin has been raving about- made from konjac root which are high in fibre (from glucomannon), zero carbs, low in calories, helps to regulate blood sugar and keep you full. I have tried a couple asian supermarkets but am yet to find them yet!

BINGE-AHOLIC... Is this you?

When i first started blogging back in October, I never envisioned that it would lead to me mentoring so many girls with their nutrition. I am overwhelmed by how many people have connected with my story and yet for so many years i believed i was the only one with issues!

Binge/emotional eating and Hemorrhoids seem to have a common place in many peoples' lives. And the hot question of the month for me has been how did I overcome binge eating? Well i cant admit yet that i have overcome it, but i do feel like i am on the home straight. I believe by this time next year i will be FREE. Emotional eating for me now is becoming less and less frequent......BUT:

I did have a mini incident ( yes i am accountable to ya all) on thursday that disrupted my 5-6 week winning streak. It'd been a big week, stinking hot, very tired, and i was frustrated by only being able to cycle on that damn exercise bike...fuckin boring it you ask me. (love-hate relationship here =)) I am dying to pick up some dumbells, you have no idea. And well, i had some quite a lot of icecream and some gluten free bickies. I was ready to throw in the towel and say fuck it what can a little more hurt BUT NO i didnt.. I decided to do somthing that i had never done before.... Be accountable to a couple friends, Steph and Sidey.

Steph told me that, " Most people who struggle with binges are in denial and justify their overeating to themselves so of course keep doing it. So this shows its very out of the ordinary behaviour for you now. The best thing you can do is to stay positive and never keep eating just cos you've started and 'ruined' your good run".

And Sidey reminded me that, "It is ok. We after all are only human and that it is ok to enjoy a treat once in a while and not to be too hard on yourself".

So i immediatiely realised that ok, its happened, but the past is the past so i just let go and moved on and had my tofu and green beans for dinner.

Anywho, i really wanted to summarise and share my thoughts on emotional eating/binging and strategies to help overcome it. Now my writing may not be quite clinically correct, but this is an accumulation of knowlege that i have pooled together from dicussions with my therapists (mainly my GA and chiro) over the years. The latter is predominantly a reflection on myself but i'm sure most of you'll be able to relate.

Bingeaholism is an issue/problem/disorder resulting from continuous consumption of food beyond the point of a satisfied tummy or beyond the recommended portion size. And from what i hear, it is becoming more and more common. It generally arises as a physical response to emotional issues such as stress and depression. Its a way to take the edge off what is actually going on. The food temporary numbs the pain and allows a release of serotonin, the feel good hormones from the brain. Its typically the high sugar/fatty foods that are eaten at this time, and they give us that warm fuzzy feeling and we just want more and more and cant stop. If only we would turn to brocolli and celery, i'm sure after a few cups you would definitely stop! Now i am by no means condoning 'junk' food. No one is 100% perfect, so a little bit here and then is a ok but when its eaten regulary and/or outside scheduled cheat meals it is not a good thing.

1. Not good for the waist line... though i do have a thai friend that binges on ridiculous amounts of food and is still underweight! but thats another story and she is an exception to the norm!
2. All the refined sugars and saturated fats are totally bad for your blood profile too.
3. For all of you out there with excess padding, i want you to realise that it is 99% likely due to your diet and not to your exercise program. You cant out train a poor diet!.. I have tried and sorry to say it does not work! So suck it up and get your nutrition on track!... TOUGH LOVE =)
The fact of the matter is that we are trying to supress emotions instead of deal with them. Emotional issues need to be dealt with at an emotional level and not a physcial one. At the end of the day, food is never gonna satisfy the physical pain and will not make you happy. Just ask yourself what would you like more:

1. a sexy beach body?
2. icecream and chocolate?

I believe that the first step in overcoming binge eating is to love and accept who you are as a person. Only then can we let go and move on. We then need to understand that we don't need ANYONE elses approval except our own. Trying to impress or be accepted by the Hemorrhoids in our lives will never make us happy. There are always gonna be negative people who will do their best to knock your confidence, and drain the positivity out of your soul. But you know what??  YOU are stronger than them. They are doing so to make themselves feel better. YOU can overcome any challenge that arises. They are never gonna change their ways, so you just need to LET GO. You need to stop getting emotional about these situations, because its our minds that will then play tricks on us. You then overthink stuff, and in turn you get so worked up that you take your frustrations out on food....Sound familiar?? But we are in control of our own mind. Its just a matter of thinking in the positive and telling yourself that NOW is the time to move forward, cos tomorrow will never come.

Only half an hour ago, Hemorrhoid had the nerve to tell me, " Geez your stomach is protruding!" What sort of fuckin random comment is that???? ....Protruding my arse, i think her brain is protruding outta her fuckin head! ....Anyway i nearly got angry, but i decided best not to say a word, and made myself get over it right away...without food =)

So with the emotional stuff in check you need to work on the physical. Eating 5-6 healthy meals a day with lean protiens and tonnes of vegies is also gonna help balance your blood sugar. When that is in check, you are less likely to overeat on junk. Skipping meals and convincing yourself that you are saving calories will backfire in the end. This will cause your metabolism to slow down allowing yourself to store more fat!  We are surrounded by food pusherers: Family, friends, work colleagues and partners will be there tempting you with all sorts of crap, but you just gotta learn to say NO. That's right. Don't feel guilty either. Its your health and not theirs. They just have to get over it.

Well i think i have rambled enough, but i do just wanna say that it is the most satifying feeling knowing that through my writing i am able to inspire people and change their lives for the better. Nutrition is my passion and i will be helping people for the rest of my life.

Until next time,

SMILE =)

And she's back in the game...

Well 3 weeks of being sendentary was starting to do my head in. I was finding that doing absolutely jack shit was mentally tougher than damn comp prep! I had a bit of a teary last saturday cos my poor legs were beginning to feel ultra soft and i hated it, it kinda knocked my confidence just a little. And yes i know that good old muscle memory will allow my body to bounce back fast as soon as i get back into training but in the mean time, it was just as hard watching months of hard work disappear before my own eyes. I'm still in fantastic shape but thats not the point! I am my own worst critic!

So what did i do???....Well after some lengthy tex messages to a friend and a long drive to the sunshine coast, i zoned out to the soothing tunes of tiesto, to take my mind on a journey. I dug deep into my soul and brought my positiveness back out...How???.....Well, I asked myself what is the one thing that always puts a smile on my face on my face? The gym. Now before you jump to any conclusion, the answer is NO. I promise you that i wont be lifting a weight till Monday 4th January, that's just under 8 weeks off, which is a little more than they recommend ( 6 weeks is the minimum). So YES, i am doing the right thing...And yes, i got myself all excited about training again.

So as of Monday I bounced back into CBJ, (literally haha). It was so good to be back into the pumping atmosphere of my supergym, with lots of smiling faces around.  I did however make 1 mistake. And that was using the treadmill.... I had our resident 80 year old whom is used to seeing me train like an animal, come up to me and ask why i was walking slower than an old woman!!! Cheeky shit... So i whispered in his ear about my procedure hoping that he wouldnt have a coronary at the same time lol.

After that little incident, i thought perhaps it would be wiser to use the bike instead. I have a love-hate relationship with the bike, i'm not really a fan BUT its the results that matter. I'm switching between the recumberant bike (where your legs are horizontal) and the normal stationary bike for about 40mins. I'm doing intervals, 1 min at a high resistance followed by 1 min at a low resistance. Speed is not really a priority at the moment. Its now friday, and my little quads are starting to harden up already =)

Give it a few more weeks and you got it, my sexy little beach body will welcoming in the New Year.

BRING IT!

Loving my girls...

Well what can i say...I LOVE my girls! The best decision i have ever made. My surgeon has done a beautiful job, they are in perfect proportion with my body, and feedback from everyone is that they are...big...but really natural. Mission accomplished!

Its been 13 days and i am recovering very fast. I have had minimal pain and didnt need any panadol after day 5. At my one week check up, the nurse was astounded by my speedy recovery, apparently she'd never seen anyone heal so fast. Must be cos i'm so healthy and taking the right supplements =) . Even my GA was happy with my recovery rate. Get this, my scar has just about healed over and is about 1mm thin, you can barely see it! I'm still a little stiff, so changing clothes and washing hair is a bit of a mission, but i'm becoming a little more mobile each day. I've got all my sensation back ( they were numb for the first week), but they still feel like aliens in my chest hee hee.

My nutrition has been paramount at the moment, cos for the next 4 weeks i dont have the luxury of just burning off excess calories. That's right, for the first time in my entire life, i am classified as sendentary! What a horrible word lol. I have also been following John Berardi's Precision Nutrition System. For those of you that havent come across it, it is a MUST READ. His approach to nutrition, training and supplementation is second to none. With his prinicpal of nutrient timing, my hunger is satisfied, my energy levels are great and my cravings are GONE! That's right..nada...no binges...nothing! And those super shakes are to die for, yummo. Lia, you've gotta try them asap!!! I've also been 95% gluten/dairy free (not a requisite for PN, but better for my digestive system) for the last 4 weeks and my skin is glowing like you wouldn't believe.

As of yesterday, i have started walking twice a day. The loop is about 3km and takes about 45min, thats about all i can handle at the moment. It should hopefully be enough to keep me in semi decent shape before i can hit the gym in january. My poor quads are starting to feel a bit on the soft side, being the sendentary soul that i am, but i refuse to let it get to me. I have been staying very positive, cos i know its only temporary. Its only another 4 weeks outta my life. I'm seeing this as just another little mental challenge in my journey. If i can get through 6 weeks of piss weak exercising i can get through ANYTHING.

One thing that has happened to me has made me do a lot of thinking:
I have not weight trained in nearly 3 weeks now, and for that reason i have lost a bit of muscle mass across my shoulders and off my arms. Still got my definition though =) But you know what? I'm actually loving this slighter frame. More of an athletic look for me.

Over the past couple years i have prided myself on big muscles, lifting heavy and that feeling of ultimate strength. My bench press PB is 130 pounds for 6 reps, not to shabby for an el naturale chicky i say! And in doing so i believed that building strength was a way of protecting myself from the Hemorrhoid in my life. Speaking of Hemorrhoid, she broke her silence after 13 days with the big question this morning...Are they heavy??? ...i said no..she said ...ok then... and that was it.. Too funny, i was giggling inside. Anywho, come 2010 i will be taking a different approach to my training. I do love my current training program, so i will chat with my PT about my new physique goals closer to january. I'm guessing we'll increase the reps a bit to work outside of hypertrophy for a little while. I'm not saying that i will go back to lifting princess weights, cos to me they're a waste of time! But right now, i have no desire to build my muscles any bigger than they are now. Sexy and athletic is what i'm gonna be, just like Alicia Marie, yeow!

Sexy cleavage...My want...not my need.

I was a huge fan of Xena: Warrior Princess when i was younger and thought that Lucy Lawless was just the sexiest girl alive. Strong, beautiful and yes her girls were just smokin! I had to get myself a pair of those girls one day hee hee. But it was something i didnt wanna rush into either. So i saved up my pennies, grew up and now am at a place in my life where i know exactly who i am and what i stand for. I don't NEED boobs, but i definitely WANTED them. So...I bought them.. to complete my figure. ( How funny does that sound lol)

I woke up early wednesday morning to get ready for my big day. I don't think Hemorrhoid actually thought i was serious until i gave her the details for the hospital and boy did she have a fit. I could not believe she was arguing with me just hours before i was going into surgery. Bitch. After telling her to stop stressing me out for the millionth time, i stormed outta the house, and centred myself on the driveway whilst i waited for my friend to pick me up. I was a mix of excitement and nerves.

At the day surgery, the nurse took my stats, which i'm happy to report:

Blood Pressure: 101/67

Heart Rate: 54 bpm.  ( I swore it should have been higher! my heart was pounding)

Weight: 62Kg....hmmm i think the scales might have been out by about 2-3kg, but whatever. Just as long as they gave me enough anaesthetic!

Then my doctor came in, took some before photos, drew on me and told me the op would be a breeze. From there, i got wheeled into the theatre room, the anaesthetist put a needle in my arm, and got me to breathe in pure oxygen and then....wallah...i woke up an hour later with my own set of hot girls! Woot!

Now to give you an idea of my pain factor:
0 is no pain and 10 is excrutiating agony.
I woke up with a 4 and by the time i left the hosipital 2 hours later i was down to a 1. 0.5 to 1 is where i remain now, controlled only by panadol. Pretty happy about that!

So the last few days i've been stuck at home watching dvds and reading my new Precision Nutrition System manual ( that will be another blog) Omg there is SO much swelling. This was so not part of the deal. I feel like 10L of fluid got lost on its way to my bladder and set up camp alongside my ribs and stomach. So uncomforatble, ugh. I'm seeing my GA later this week, so she should be able to move most of it. However, I've been pretty self sufficient, the only thing i cant do is open up the microwave! Its funny the things you take for-granted lol

Now you wouldnt believe this...actually you probably would. Hemorrhoid hasnt even spoken to me! All she has done is yell at me for taking too many supplements! I havent even bothered retaliating which i am very proud of, needless to say i've been boiling inside. Apart from my antibiotics which i'm on for 5 days, i'm only taking Vit C, Traumeel (homeopathic arnica/echinacea) Orthoplex Collagen Pro and Glutamine. Yes they are all to help with inflammation and collagen formation and are giving me a speedy recovery =)

Its been really upseting and i'm trying to not get angry and stressed out. This is suppose to me a really exciting experience for me but yet it has just been hell. I fuckin hate her.

That aside, I also had a pretty amazing conversation with my chiro/kinesiologist on tuesday. I had never brought up my binge eating issue with him in the 2 years he's been treating me. In fact, come to think of it, i really havent spoken to ANYONE openly about it. I guess there's a huge embarassment factor there. Blogging is SO much easier. Anywho, i've wanted to tell him on numerous occasions, but i'd always chicken out. I had barely even spoken a word when the tears started running down my face, by the end of the session everything was so clear.

What i feel:

I need her approval (but really, i dont need ANYONE'S approval, but my own)

What i need to do:

To love and accept myself as i am ( cos she is not gonna change)

To let go of Hemorrhoid.. once and forever

Forgiveness is not part of the plan. Its not my fault.

So that is what i'm working on now. Yes it is hard at times, but it's these challenges that makes life so exciting. What i do know is that i am a beautiful soul with a lot of love to give. My past has made me strong, bloody strong. I have a bright future ahead of me and you bet ya, no one is gonna hold me (and my girls lol) back!

SMILE =)

UBER HOTTIE...Miss JNL

As far as I'm concerned, Jennifer Nicole Lee is the hottest fitness model on the planet, thats right, she's smokin!

Just like all of us here in blogland, her story is inspirational too. She lost over 90lbs to be crowned Ms Bikini Universe, not once but twice! She is not only a fitness model, but a high profile leader in the world of health and fitness. She is the founder and CEO of her multi-million dollar empire, JNL Inc. And is now a sponsored Team BSN Athlete.

You can check her story out at http://www.jennifernicolelee.com/

To me, JNL represents strength, beauty and brains. These qualities combined with her passion for health and fitness are the secret to her success.





Feminine, athletic and sexy... now this is the look i am going to achieve...and maintain.

12 weeks is the time-frame = 31 January 2010... and yes i will post up a photo to prove it =)

And no, i won't be suiciding myself with hours of training, heck i'm not even allowed to weight train for the next 4-6 weeks. And i also won't be D-I-E-ting as the word suggest. I do not do 'all or nothing approaches', anymore, they are not good for my body or my mind.

Fat loss is simple. FACT. I/We just over-complicate the matter.

So after a few weeks of intense soul searching, i think i have discovered what has been holding me back all these years....Its passion. No not in the lovey dovey sense of the word ( though that would be nice hee hee), but passion in regards to my dreams. I live and breath health and fitness, its what i love. What i have not done is allowed my passion to take control when "Hemorrhoid" dramas have knocked me down, therefore allowing the Binge Monster to take the drivers seat in my life.

So by acknowledging what has been going on in this crazy little head of mine I've started to in-grain some big goals into my subconscious. I know that there are going to be times when i will be tested, but i now know to focus on my bright future ahead, cos this time, my passion is gonna pull me through.

SMILE =)

A BULLSHIT BUBBLE...what a brilliant idea!

What a shit of a week this one has been...and guess what?... Its not even friday, ugh =(. Right now, i feel like a bomb that is just about to explode, and you bet ya...don't get in my way! Work has been crazy, I've been absolutely shattered and i feel like i'm angry at the entire world. And its nearly full moon too- damn water signs. So i've been putting on this half arsed smile to cover up my foul mood and pretending life is just red and rosey... but its not. After a long walk this arvo this is what i'd rationaled:

1. Hemorrhoid has been on the warpath. She's been nagging, yelling, and fighting with the entire household. If her and dad have one more argument, i swear i am gonna lose it! Seriously, whats the point of yelling at people? In the end, you're right back to where you started, it doesnt accomplish anything. And YES my bullshit blinkers are working, but i think i'd just be better off living in a BULLSHIT BUBBLE!

2. I had a really shit house workout today. I trained back and calves, but i couldnt for the life of me put the 'mind in the muscle', so i was getting very disheartened. I dont train well with weights on anger, i lose focus, which is not safe either. I train pretty heavy for an el naturale chicky, so poor technique could result in an injury. So if i'm still all bottled up tomorrow morning, i will be hitting the streets for a nice long walk for some more zen time instead.

3. I am exhuasted... both physically and mentally. Yes i admit it...finally. I'm one of those people who live life at a 1000 miles and hour and only rest when i start getting run down. By then, its too late and my 'time off' ends up being recovery time, and not relaxing time.

To give you an idea, this has been my year in a nutshell:

January to June: THE NIGHTMARE

-Lived, dealt and evicted an alcoholic room mate: Now that was one of the craziest experiences of my life. He got ambo'd outta my house with a blood alcohol reading of 0.46. You read it right, i had a 40yr old drunk vegetarian living in my house, half naked, wearing a purple sarong, cooking steaks on a gas stove at 2am ( N.b he is vegetarian), falling through the walls and windows...literally, urinating in the hallway and driving around the suburbs almost clinically dead. I have never spent so much time with the police until then.

-Broke up with a boyfriend. He made me violently ill. Refer to "My liver is having a Fit"

-Moved house again. Back to Hemmorrhoids' fortress. Now the Cons do out weigh the Pro (n.b. there is no 's' on the end of Pro). But there is a reason for it, which i will get to later, but the Pro is that i do not pay rent.

July to Now: LIFE KEEPS GETTING BETTER...most of the time =)

-Big changes with my work. Our company changed names, and my entire territory changed. I used to look after Bris north to Bundy, now i look after Bri south. Which is a good thing, however it meant starting over again, which was exciting, but still stressful.

-Competed in the QLD INBA figure show.

- Completed my cert 3 + 4 in fitness/PT.

- And in 6 sleeps time, i will have new boobs, woot!

So you see why, i am a little tired!

But the year is not over and i do have to add to my to do list:

Tomorrow i will be contacting my broker to make an appt to re-do my preapproval and get myself a UNIT! Hopefully in the next 6 months, that would be ideal, as i think that is the maximum time that i could slug it out in this hell house that i call home.

On a positive note- i have not binged at all this week to deal with ANY of my emotions. WOOT! My M&P Craving Control Spray is working a treat too, i highly recommend it to anyone who suffers compulsives tendancies like moi.

ahhhh, i think i am un-angry now. What a good vent that was.

Peace is the calm we find within our souls, when the world around us in chaos...i think i just found it.

Smile =)

Physique Friendly Salad Dressings???

Does anyone out there in the 'Land of Blog' have any tastey, physique -friendly salad dressings?? Home made or bought, i dont mind. I'm just getting slightly BORED of my 97% fat free mayo lol

Thanks =)

Beautiful 24/7. My Inspiration...

I mentioned in my last post that i wanted to get away from my on season/off season mentality cos it was doing my head in. I've been questioning myself over and over again, "how is it possible to look great 24/7" in a so called 'maintenance' phase without obsessing over every morsal that goes in my mouth? I am sick of counting calories! I have a degree in nutrition science, so yes i do know exactly what to eat and when, and yes i do have the perfect maintainance plan in place. The real challenge is in figuring out (literally lol) how to stick to it. As you all know, compliance is 100% emotional. Cos if it wasn't, the whole world would be in rockin shape and excess body fat would not be an issue.

So what i am currently focusing on:

1. Satisfying my emotional hunger... not with food!
2. Applying my knowledge 24/7 and eating for fuel.

2. Visualising the benefits of clean eating: i.e heaps of energy, glowing skin, and a beautiful body.
3. FITNESS MODELING!!! ah the word is out... yes, this has been a dream of mine for quite a number of years now, but cos my weight has always yo-yo'd, i've never bothered pursuing it...until now. So come 2010 the cameras are gonna shine on me =)

Anywho, back to looking good 24/7. I'd like to introduce to you one very special person in my life. She first introduced me to weight training back in April of 2003 and got me hooked. Demi and i have been best friends ever since. She may live half way across the world in Greece now, but we are only ever a phone call or facebook message away from each other. Demi does not compete in figure, nor does she count calories or 'diet'. She is in photo shoot condition all year around.

Her secret to her amazing physique:

1. She eats clean.

2. She trains fuckin hard. - I've never seen anyone so focussed at the gym. She taught me how to put the 'mind in the muscle'.

3. She lives life to the full. - It's filled with family, friends, gym, music and love.

Demi is my inspiration, and is the most beautiful person i know, both inside and out.

So i'm keeping my eye on the prize, cos i know that with big goals comes big results. 2010 will be my best year yet.

SMILE =)

24 and Loving It!

It's my 24th Birthday today!



And like fine wine, i'm getting better with age =)


With age comes more knowlege, more muscle and more sense of one's self. It's just been in the the last 6 months that i think i've really discovered who i am as a person. And you know what? I'm really proud of me. I know i've come along way already, but my journey has only really begun so watch this space cos there are many exciting things to come...!



I celebrated my birthday at Clouldland, Zuri Bar and Bar Soma last weekend. I had such a wicked night with my friends, it was so nice to cut loose and dance the night away.



In true body builder style, i couldnt help but 'pose' for the camera. How'd you like that for an 'off season' back!?























Well off to dinner with the family!


Smile =)

A body builder is for LIFE, not just the season

I've spent the majority of the last 9 years being on some sort of diet in the quest for the 'perfect' body. But really, is there such a thing? Yeah my abs need work, but i wouldnt trade my legs or butt with anybodys'. My shoulders were narrow, but two years later they are now popping. My body represents my journey, and it is my 'art'work in progress, and without the need for improvement what challenge would there be?

I can sit back and laugh at some of the diets i tried back in the early days and think to myself, 'What the hell was i doing!?"

I've tried: the no junk food diet, starve yourself for half a day ( then eat whatever you want) diet, Atkins, Zone, Keto, the leek diet (now don't EVER try this one lol, i still can't look at a leek withouth dry reaching!) detox diets, Blood type diets, Allergy diets, Vegetarian diets, Gluten free/Dairy free diets ( i still follow this approach 90% of the time) and the list goes on.

Sometimes i wonder if i'd only knew what i knew now, would i have been a better athlete? Would i have ran the 400m at state titles if i actually had fuel in my body?? ( its a grueling race!) Would i have done better academically if i wasnt exhuasted and falling asleep in class all day??

Ah, so many questions. But what i do know now is that, i have been on the most amazing journey for nearly a decade now, and yeah bloody oath it has been a rollercoaster ride BUT the knowlege and experience i have gained in nutrition and training is priceless. You can't teach it all. We all learn by trial, and a lot of error. But that makes us who we are. There are so many 'gurus' in the industry who claim to know best, but you what? Sometimes what looks good on paper DOES NOT work in real life!

One of the most valuable sources of information i bought back in 06 was an ebook by Tom Venuto called Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle : http://www.burnthefat.com/. Its 350+ pages on goal setting, meal plans, carb cycling, training etc. Check it out.

So this next phase of my life i AM getting away from this 'on season/off season' mentality cos 'A body builder is for LIFE, not just the season'. I dont wanna look and feel average for 10-11 months of the year and then feel tired for the month when i do look awesome. I also dont wanna be on a DIET to look great year round either.

So what am i doing now? I'm living a balanced lifestyle! simple. Geez, so simple it only took me 9 years to figure out lol. But as a society today we are bombarbed with so much media hype on 'fad diets and magic pills', that is so easy to get side tracked. So back to basics it is.

Week by week i'm slowly breaking free of my binging habit so right now, no more extremes for me. I'm eating for fuel 90% of the time and eating for pleasure 10% of the time. ( i still get a square or 2 of my delicious 85% Lindt every day =) ). I'm training hard for 5 x 1hr sessions a week, plus a bit of walking here and there. I'm sleeping 8 hours a night and spending lots of time with my friends. I'm focusing on the positives in life and laughing as much as possible.... Yesterday i even enjoyed a conversation with the Hemmorrhoid!

So 2010 is around the corner... you'd better watch this space!

Smile =)

My Liver is having a FIT!

So, i know i'm pretty in tune with my body. My massage therapist has been treating me for over 4 years now, detoxing and healing my body. (Back then i was in a pretty bad state internally for many reason that i may delve into later down the track) And i'm now proud to be at a point where i heal extremely fast.


To give you an idea of how far i've come, from the age of 7-20, i suffered from severe bronchitis every winter and every few years i'd also get slammed with pneumonia, not fun. I was on steroid sinus medication for the entiety of my childhood, but one year after treatment with my massage therapist ( she is my guardian angel, i'll nickname her GA), i have not been sick at all. touch wood =) ( i have been run down due to dieting/over training, but not 'sick' in the true sense of the word). I do not see a GP (except for the odd vaccination), as my GA treats me instead.

Now, this is freaky- if i kiss someone who is not healthy internally (i.e takes drugs, drinks excessive alcohol, poor diet), i will come down with a fever in within 24hours as my body repels the toxins! So boys...my body does not lie!... "Attention all healthy, fit, single boys, I am on the prowl! =)"

So its been 4 weeks since comp finished, and on the days that i have eaten excessive sugar, i have woken up at 3 in the morning in hot sweats. 1-3am is liver time. So if that wasnt enough to deter me from eating crap, what happened on friday was... i broke out in a rash on my tummy and quads..arghhhh. And according to my GA whom i saw on saturday, my liver is having a FIT!!! lol And the toxins were coming out through my skin! That'll teach me, Lesson learnt!

I've been eating pretty clean the past week, and really enjoying it too, and thank god my rash is clearing up and the 3am sweats are gone woot!

What else has been happening in the past week, well:

DOMS has attacked my entire body... thanks to my wicked new training program! Courtesy of my PT Bel. Now this is not a program for the faint hearted- its MENTAL!

4 day split program
1 x cardio day

Each sessions consists of 3-4 tri sets (3 exercises in a row, no rest) and 3-4 sets of each tri set = 27 to 36 sets all up... intense! But i LOVE it... i'm a sucker for pain =)

According to Bel, "This program has been designed to keep me in top conditioning while still lifting heavy enough for decent strength and muscle gains"... provided i get my nutrition right!

I have focused my last 2 years of training on lifting heavy to build up my back and shoulders as they were quite small in proportion to my legs. I've been told numerous times, i now have the 'perfect symmetry', but just need to focus on getting leaner.... Which is everything to do with nutrition, i know!

The volume and intense style of my new program will allow a high quantity of calories burnt and also keep my metabolism elevated for hours after training. And therefore wont need to do much cardio.

And then on saturdays i get to run the stairs at Kangaroo Point! I did them on sat for the first time in a LONG time... I nearly hurled and was seeing stars by the end of it, but hey all i could think of was what a 'TIGHT BUTT" i'll have, woot!

Well i better sign off and get ready for work!

SMILE =)

High, high, fuckin Low....Damn Hemorrhoid!

Ok i promise my next post is gonna be POSITIVE... =)

So i've just been away at the beautiful Sanctuary Cove for my national sales conference for the last 3 days and had blast! It was like a mini holiday even though the days were spent listening to guest speakers. I even ate really well, the resort provided really good food ( you'd hope so when 60+ natural medicine practitioners get together) + i packed a lot of healthy eats too. However there were quite a lot of tempting desserts and pastries too, but i was impressed with my discipline and only had one tiny choc slice on sunday night.

However last night was a different story, we all went on a cocktail cruise last and i got smashed hee hee. Now just to let ya know, i'm not a drinker at all, my last drink was 5 months or so ago and i am what you call an " economical drunk". So two champagnes and 2 kalua/coffee cocktail ( yummy!) and i was very silly and giggling all night. But i had a blast, drinking is something i rarely do and i was with great friends so there was no guilt at all- just the way it should be. I also mangaged to go for 2 massive walks around the lagoons which was very refreshing.

Now that's not the reason i HAD to start blogging.

It was the dramas that happened when i arrived back at home. Damn Hemorrhoid got to me again... i think i left my Bullshit Blinkers back at the cove. I had such a great time and wanted to tell her all about it, we even got groovy new laptops too! But Hemorrhoid couldnt give a shit and couldnt change the subject fast enough. In my head i already knew she wouldnt care about my trip so i really shouldnt have said anything in the first place but i still let her appauling attitude get to me. Its like i'm just yearning for her approval/acceptance/love but i know i will never get it, really got to me again today. Its a vicious fuckin cycle if you ask me and it still dose my head in. So yes i did a bit of comfort eating this arvo (Gen, if you're reading this, i'm sorry i wasnt strong at all and couldnt resist the urge =( ) and yes i did feel GUILTY...again.

So what am i gonna do about it:

1. I've just cracked open a bottle of Eagle's Gluco Support ( a brand my company owns!), it contains chromium, gymnema,cinnamon + a few other bits and pieces and helps maintain blood glucose and reduce sugar cravings which i'll be taking with lunch, a/tea and dinner.

2. I'm taking all wheat and dairy outta my diet. For those of you that dont know i'm very intolerant/sensitive to both. Wheat makes me bloat ( even oats) and dairy makes me congested and my skin breaks out. I've known this for a long time, its just during non-dieting phases that they sneakily creep back into the food plan. So its accountability time! I know i will feel fantastic ommiting them anyway. So...THEY ARE OFF THE MENU!

Here's some food for thought:

The world would be healthier place if the above were not eaten. If you think about it, both foods contribute a huge percentage to digestive disorders, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and OBESITY! ( cakes, pastries, choc, ice cream, cheeses etc the list goes on!). Man was not suppose to eat wheat. It was a cheap plant grown for trade centuries ago and fed to convicts, it was never intended for human consumption, and now its one of the highest manufactured products in the world. It really has no nutritional value.

3. Which also mean no skinny chinos for a little while :(. But thats ok- more herbal teas will now glide down my throat, just think of all those antioxidants!

4. I'm seeing my chiro/kinesiologist on thursday for an adjustment too. He is brilliant. I'm gonna get him to test prunes, dried dates, PB, cashews and maybe my beloved 85% lindt on me, cos i'm nearly 99% sure that the first 4 blow me out. Will also discuss with him some strategies to get to the bottom of this binge eating.

Well what a load off, i'm feeling much better again. So one goal i will work on this week is thinking of Food as Fuel. I will savour each mouthful of (healthy) food and really focus on what all these nutrients will be doing for my body.

Will be back in the gym on thursday, should have my new program by then too! I've had a week off weights now, and my back is about 85% so training again should help my enthusiasm for healthy eating again.

Steph, i'm gonna tex you a positive thought first thing tomorrow morning!!!!

SMILE x

Bullshit Blinkers prevent Hemorrhoids

I have been very blessed to have some amazing friends in my life, without them who knows where i'd be right now. One in particular has introduced me to a few words that are now in my daily vocabulary :)

Bullshit Blinkers - you must wear these at ALL times to block out the 'bullshit'. For me, the gym is full of this, 90% of the people are just lovely and are in awe of my committment to the body building lifestyle. The rest are just jealous and therefore rude. However, since i started completely ignoring the rude ones, they've actually been really nice and somewhat supportive in the last couple weeks. Which is great, but its hard to believe what they are saying...to me they just seem fake and want my attention back, whatever.

Hemorrhoid - a pain in my arse! Well to be precise- people that are a pain in my arse lol- I love this word! There is one particular hemorrhoid that i live with (mum!), so i will refer to her as that from now on.

Anyways, the point of this blog (oh boy it nearly confrontation time AGAIN) is that this week (since wednesday) i've really let hemorrhoid get to me. I'm usually pretty good at just ignoring, but i think the combination of my jarred back and ultra fatigued body has resulted in emotions that are running a little on the high side.

SO i'm here to un-load:
Hemorrhoid just kept going on and on about how much protein i eat- about 120-150g/day, and how unhealthy that is and that i will have kidney failure yada yada yada and that i SHOULD be eating more rice and noodles (she's Malaysian) because then i would be eating a complete meal. So, stupidly i argued back that my body requires this as i'm an athlete and not a couch potato, i also mentioned that i do eat about 800g of fruit/veg a day and take spirulina to neutralise the acid forming proteins plus i drink 3L of alkaline water, but of course that doesnt matter...i wasted my breath yet again and got SOOOOOOO worked up! It makes me mad though, cos we'll have visitors over and she'll serve cake or bickies and i'll always refuse them and she'll tell me that lifes too short to miss out on yummy food. Total contradiction.

I've been studying and working in the nutrition field for the last 6 YEARS, but that means nothing to hemorrhoid. Hemorrhoid thinks that just because she's a fuckin nurse that she knows it all. Even though sports nutrition has fuck all to do with sick fuckin patients, she just has NO RESPECT! So before i get carried away... i will just but my bullshit blinkers on and get over it :)

So a little bit of emotional eating happened tonight grrrrr, wasnt anything too naughty but over did the quantity a bit- greek yoghurt ( full fat, the only one in the fridge) with protein powder and all nat PB, and a handful of dried prunes and dates. ( Note to self- no more PB in the house, its too dangerous!) I wasnt even hungry, just needed something to numb my mind i guess.... Then i started reading Jeh's blog- you go girl! Have read from the beginning till Nov 08 so far, which inspired me and prompted me to start typing....ah feelin SO much better now!

Well tomorrow is a new day so i will surround myself with positivity, sunshine and good company.

My word of advice to you all:

SUPERGLUE YOUR BULLSHIT BLINKERS ON TO PREVENT THE HEMORRHOIDS FROM BEING A PAIN IN YOUR ARSE!

Chelle x

Blogging is da 'BOMB'

Well its been 5 days since i took the plunge and joined blogland, and i have to admit, 'bloggin is da bomb'. My nutrition has been at 98% and i haven't had any cravings at all! There's been a few spoonfuls of all natural peanut butter here and there, but well within my calorie limit and at appropriate nutrient timing, so like 'WHATEVER!'. Which brings me to a point- you must ONLY eat all natural PB. The moment you touch the stuff with added sugar, maltodextrin, vegetable fat it changes the entire composition of the product and causes you to eat MORE- thats a fact!

So anyway, i now believe that blogging brings about a whole new level of accountability... basically to the entire world. For this reason, i know that if i eat it, i blog it. Enough said.

Training has been a little up and down this week. I went jetskiing with some friends on sunday, took a massive wave and jarred my back- ouchies. My massuese has worked her magic but i think it needs the rest of this week off to recover. That aside, my body is still pretty fatigued from comp ( i only took a couple days off training), so its perfect timing for a refresher.

Yesterday i caught up with my PT Bel ( Miss IFBB Aust), to put together a kick arse training program for the spring/summer.

Areas we're gonna priorities:

To make my shoulders 'pop'
To shred up my quads
To whittle my middle

I also now, as of today have a MASSIVE hole in my bank account- but boobies in 4 weeks and 6 days (who's counting!?) is more like an investment :)

Just wanna say thankyou to everyone for their lovely comments, its refreshing to be in contact with so many likeminded fitness finatics and to know that i'm not on this journey alone.

Chelle x

Confrontation Day: The start of a new journey

Hi, my name is Chelle

And today is confrontation day. It's day 1 of my new journey. I'm here to finally confront some demons once and for all, in doing so I will create my ultimate body (which i WILL MAINTAIN for life) and find peace in my mind, body and soul. I hope my story inspires you along the way.

So before i get started i will give you a quick brief about my past so you can understand why this new journey is so important to me. I'm nearly 24, and for many of you that do/don't know me, i may come across as having close to the 'perfect' life:

Ok brag time: I've experienced many successes in my life so far- Captained the Australian Junior Indoor Soccer (Fustal) Team at 14, Vice School Captain, OP5, Bachelor of Nutrition Science ( i'm a certified Nutritionist), Personal Trainer ( just graduated last week woot!) and have competed in 3 body building (figure) shows over the last two years. I've got an awesome job repping for a natural medicine distributor here in brisvegas, i have an amazing bunch of friends and an athletic body which i think is pretty hot right now hee hee ( I've worked bloody hard for it so I will say what i like!). I'm one of those girls who is full off positive energy, confidence and can light up a room with my smile....Well that's me on the outside.

What most people dont know is that over the past 9 years i've dealt with depression, body image issues and binge eating. (Wow, thats a huge weight off my chest!). This all came about because of a certain someone in my life...my mum. Till this date, she still thinks that i'm overweight and wasting my life away... life's not so rosey hey! So as you can see, i've had many highs and lows. I've done a LOT of soul searching over the past few years and can now happily say that since about May this year, i'm doing pretty good emotionally :) I have finally accepted the fact that my mum will never change, probably will never be proud of my accomplishments so i dont bother trying to impress her anymore- its not worth my while. So now I live my life to please ME and ME ONLY!

Now there is one more thing i need to overcome so i can finally break free! And that is a little issue called- Binge Eating! This nightmare habit has held me back from achieving and MAINTAINING my ultimate body, and is also the reason why i haven't been shredded comp day...secrets out :) Now so you know its not a daily occurrence ( was quite frequent at times in the past), but these days its usually a couple times a week. I'm totally aware that binge eating has nothing to do with actual hunger but its a craving response to emotions- you're eating to fill a void but food will never satisfy the cause of the emotion. In the past if i was upset, i would usually eat a bar of Cadbury Dream or Double Coated Tim Tams to make me feel better. Emotions need to be dealt with at an emotional level, not at a physical one. I'm still trying to figure out what i am searching for... maybe its love, not sure yet.

Being a nutritionist, my knowlege of food is pretty damn good, so my 5 meals a day are planned meticulously and extremely well balanced. It's just this over- snacking /grazing thing thats happens from 4-8pm a couple times a week that needs to be eliminated. I'm not always eating junk either: prunes, dried dates, nuts and peanut butter are usually the culprit, so as of today they will be OFF the menu for a while. Other vices are dark chocolate, 85% Lindt yum and icecream. Hazelnut swirl from Baskins and Robbins usually hits the spot. I'm not really into savouries- chips, pastries, fast food, pizza, cheeses, pasta i could go years without!

For me, what sets of a binge is usually one of two things:

1. Lack of sleep- sleep is SO important, not enough shut eye and your body just falls way out of balance. My body reacts by just being continuously hungry for that entire day. So instead of heading to the kitchen for a pick me up, i WILL now head to bed to rest. Did you know that sugar/carbs late at night disrupts sleep cycles!?

2. Eating naughty foods. This is the tough one. That initial taste of chocolate/icecream or something sweet sends my taste buds outta control and they just want more and more. Sadly the last taste is never as great as the first one, and i end up feeling bloated and grose, so my goal is to work on portion control and to create the habit to just say NO, enough is enough!

I am also gonna start using Martin & Pleasance Craving Control. Its a homeopathic remedy that is suppose to reduce cravings, will let ya know how if it works!

A bit about my body:

My weight has yo-yo'd a bit between 60-68.5kg over the years since i hit 17. So i bit the bullet on tuesday and got my weight and skins measured at my gym. I've always hated confrontation in the past, but i needed to do this to move forward. So right now i weigh 65.8kg @ 19% body fat over 7 sites. Now i know better then to let numbers dictate my life but my ultimate goal is to feel comfortable training in a crop top at the gym. So i believe somewhere around 63kg @ 16/17% body fat should do the trick. But seriously girls, who cares what the numbers read if your body is smoking hot! To add to that, i'm not planning on suiciding myself with training to get there either. I've been training long enough to know that "YOU CANNOT OUT TRAIN A POOR DIET!" So enough said, eliminating this nightmare habit will allow me to achieve my goal by christmas. I'm pretty confident in the way my body looks right now ( though i only competed 2 weeks ago), however i've got a little tummy ( my sugar belly :) ) which i HATE! My masseuse keeps reminding me, "the fat will go when you find peace in your heart", (stress+ cortisol= belly fat!). So with my new found committment to the world today, abs will be my christmas present to myself. I'd better make a mental note to take a photo christmas day!

Before photo's eeekkkk! Ok these are at my heaviest- 68.5kg. I've hit that mark at few times over the years, but these pics were taken in January 2009. I hit an all time low point a couple months after my first comp last year.

These were taken a couple weeks ago at the INBA Qld Titles. I have to admit, i have the best butt in the business, I have nicknamed her Kylie :)

Ok i think i've been rambling for long enough today, but i have to say this exercise has been very therapeutic (thanks Steph), time to LET GO and MOVE ON!