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!