RESPECT

So this post is for all you girls out there who still see the 'UGLY' in the mirror. For those of you who see a picturesque beauty in your reflection, maybe this post has represented some point in your past...

Us girls can be our own worst enemy when it comes to body image. The constant mind chatter and tunnel vision that bombards us from time to time is enough to send you off the rails. One minute you're feeling positive, beautiful, seeing definition that you've never seen before and next minute KABOOM your very world is falling to pieces. All you see is bloat, flab, cellulite, bumps and lumps that are like SO in the wrong places. Sound familiar?

Well its time to open your eyes and see the big picture.

Fat loss is a tedious task at the best of times. But the media, supplement companies and tv shows like the biggest loser make it look so easy to lose a SHIT LOAD of weight and fast. So what happens? We expect to do so too. Its these high expectation that we put on ourselves that can make the journey unbareable. You question yourself. "I've been dieting and training for months, so why is it coming off so slowly!?" Maybe i'm not meant to be lean?
What you have to remember is that your body doesnt look like its reflection overnight. That is the result of days, weeks, months and even years of emotional eating that you have to resolve. And change takes time...sometimes a fuckin long time!!!!  As hard as it sounds, we need to learn to love the body that we see now and start treating it with respect. You would never tell someone else that their body looks disgusting (....though someone i know beginning with H would do so. You know who im talking about!), so why would you say mean things to yourself? Starving yourself and over-training is not considered RESPECT, that is PUNISHMENT. So ask yourself, why would my body want to change if i was punishing it???

Now we all know that calorie in < calories out = weight loss right?  In the past i was always one to combine massive deficits in calories with massive hours in the gym. Of course that works initially and you lose quite a bit of weight fast (probably muscle too!), but what people dont realise is that with a massive calorie deficit- especially below your BMR, you trigger metabolic slow-down. Your body starts to think you are starving so it tries to hold onto fat as a surival technique. So what do you do? You see your results slowing down, so you cut more calories and increase your exercise! NOT GOOD! You are dis-respecting your body by punishing the fat off. In turn your body will become even more acidic, your adrenals begin to burn out, you become exhausted, you become miserable.... and the emotional eating wheel starts all over again!

So it all comes down to balance. Less is more. Tom Venuto recommends only a 20-25% deficit from maintainance calories for weight loss and John Berardi believes that 5 hours a week is the magic number for exercise. So yes we are talking about 0.5kg and 0.5% BF loss a week, not big numbers but realistic numbers. Slow and steady wins the race and slow and steady allows you to develop habits that will last you a life-time.

Another thing i have discovered which is just a fantastic tool is the Progress Chart. I had been in such scale denial for years that my progress charts would only ever last a few weeks. There would be moments of binge eating, so i would stop tracking results telling myself i would start over again later....i could justify anything, cos i wanted my progress charts to look perfect! But the journey is not meant to be perfect, thats why recording the good and the bad can allow us to note any triggering factors of WHY we went off the rails. Mistakes happen so we can learn from them.

So when the times get tough and you see the "UGLY" in the mirror, you can go back to that chart and remind yourself of just how far you have come. Its a reminder of the hard work and dedication you are putting into your body. Us girls all have fat days, like it or not- our water fluctuates and we go from sharp to smooth, but seeing those numbers decreasing on paper will bring you back to your senses. That everytime you shovel healthy food into your mouth and everytime you throw around a dumbell at the gym that YOU are a WINNER.

Results come from a consistant effort, so stay focused, write down your goals, visualise your success, love yourself, RESPECT your body and before you know it your dreams WILL become your REALITY.

A day in the life...

I was just reading Tara's blog and came up with the idea for another Tag that i think would be fun. "A day in the life"... I always find it interesting reading about what goes on in the day and lives of all you gym junkies out there in blogland. And plus, we're all kind of a serrogate family to each other too...well i think so anyway!

So this is what i get up to in a typical week day:

6am: Rise and shine, breakie, then coffee whilst checking my emails, FB and i will usually read an article from Tom Venuto's, Craig Ballantyne's or John Berardi's site.

730am: off to the GYM!!!!!

9am: I'm on the road for work. I have Meal 2 in the car, its my post-work out Super Shake. The next 7 hours is filled with fun and chaos as i race around Brisbane visiting the health food shops and pharmacies. ( I rep for a natural medicine company here in Brisvegas).  I gossip ( my boss will be reading this lol!) talk business with the naturopaths/vitamin consultants/managers/owners to dicsuss promotions, cut deals, take orders, pick up credits, merchandise shelves, introduce new products and sort out any issues with them. My main role is to develop repore and trust with all my clients, and in turn watch our sales sky rocket!

Depending on my day, lunch is eaten in a variety of places. In the car (whilst en route), in a carpark, or some of my fav destinations when i am not rushed are Mt Cootha, Kangaroo Point, Wynnum Esplanade, Mt Gravatt Outlook and Forest Lakes's Lake for some fresh air.

4pm: Home time WOOT! Meal 4 is eaten, along with any faxes, emails or reports that need to be done. By now my brain is completely fried (so try not to call me between 4-5pm as you'll get a lot of one worded answers!), then i chill out with a coffee, tunes and stalk people on FB lol, read and write blogs.

5/530pm: Most arvos after work i love to hit the streets for a 45min walk. Its my zen time. I use this to de-clutter my mind, focus on my goals for the week and its usually here where i get inspiration for my writing.

630/7pm: Shower, food prep and dinner

730pm: And I'm on the laptop again...i'm a bit of a junkie lol. FB, Blogs, and i spend a LOT of time researching nutrition articles. As of Jan 1st this year, i made a pact to myself that the computer is OFF at 9pm. So then its time to zone out to the idiot box.

10/1030pm Lights out!

So that just about sums up my day! I'm one of those people who don't like venturing out on school nights either. I am more than likely to decline an invite unless i think it is really important! ( eg. coffee with my friend Steph last night =) ).Even when it comes to friday i'd much rather hang with myself. Although my job is not labour intensive, it can be quite mentally draining by the end of the week. I talk ALL DAY, so i'm constantly taking in everybody's energy- positive or negative. They love to un-load their life on me lol. Plus driving all day can be quite taxing too, especially in this damn heat! So it does take me a few hours on friday arvo to unwind before i can prepare myself for a fun-filled weekend.

So play the game if you wish, i tag:

Lauren
Lia
Steph
Lizzi
Liz

Results are in...Week 2 OSB!

So its been exactly 1 week since Operation Sexy Bitch kicked off, and the results are in:

11/1                                4/1
Weight: 66.6kg          ( 66.9kg )
Body Fat: 23.6%        (24.1%)
Body Fat: 15.7kg       (16.1kg )

So, as you can see as expected (thinking positively) we have a drop, yay! I actually did the maths for all the analytical followers out there like moi. On the scales there is a 300g deficit, HOWEVER, there is actually a 400g drop in body fat, meaning that i have regained 100g of old muscle. Good ol muscle memory, she's coming back!

My friend reminded me yesterday during our power-walk along brisvegas riverside to not let scale weight do my head in, as it is the measurements/body fat that really matter. Muscle weighs more than fat and takes up half the space. Thus losing half a percent of body fat/week is realistic meaning i am right on track =). This challenge for me is about following a 'clean lifestyle nutrition plan', and not a 'comp/restricted diet'. Its all about balance and not extremes or an all or nothing attitude. The habits towards nutrition that i am learning to incorporate into my life over the upcoming weeks will be something i can continue once my goals have been achieved. I am creating my ultimate body- my body for life. I am looking at the big picture and not just a short term goal. Of course it is important to have a time-frame but also to know that it is OK if it takes longer. Slow and steady wins the race. I know exactly how i want my physique to look and i tell you now it'll take more than 12 weeks to perfect it. The body is just a work in progress, so i am focusing on one day, one meal, one training session at a time.

So for the reasons above i am stoked with the results, i have trained really hard this week and my nutrition has been pretty much spot on. It wasnt without temptation though!

On monday night, my work had a corporate box at the tennis (Andy Roddick eat your heart out!) with unlimited alcohol, dinner and dessert. I refrained from the alcohol, dessert, cheeses..only vice was a few pieces of fruit. GO ME! And on saturday, i had a BBQ up at noosa to celebrate my friends wedding. And did i have any bread rolls, fatty steaks, sausages or alcohol?.... Nope, i stuck with the chicken, salads and fruit. I also made myself a yummy Protein bar from my PN manual which was a delicious 'treat' meal for the week. Notice the word treat instead of cheat? I've noticed that 'treat' has been mentioned a lot lately: cheat is extremely negative and can bring about connotations of guilt whilst eating. When you're not allowed something, of course you want more, and for me that can lead to binging. Therefore treat, being a positive word is something i will have once or twice a week if i deserve it. Simple.

What else... I just had my 9 week check up at with the boob doc Dr Topchian, and he is very happy with the results and my speedy recovery. I am forever grateful to him =). I'll be seeing him in 2 months to do the after photos!

Oh and i have decided to hire a PT at my gym too! Starting saturday week, James is gonna smash my core for 30mins once a week. I'm ultra lazy when it comes to ab training, so no chickening out now. My 6 pack will be revealed in a few months time...I wanna be one of those girls who trains in a crop top at the gym!...but that aint happening till i have a washboard stomach. So with these goals in sight bring on the next weigh in!

Peace out x

What starts with L and ends with E???????

LINGERIE!!!!!

Now before i get to that, i will fill you in on my week so far. It is day 4 of Operation Sexy Bitch and i am so in the ZONE. Nutrition is on track and i'm training like a woman possessed! I'm still cautious of the poundages i am lifting, so i'm making sure my technique is spot on but i have to say, the experts are RIGHT, muscle memory does exist =). My little guns have a brilliant memory, their strength is increasing by the day and they are starting to harden the F*@* up! WOOT!

One thing i do hate, is when people blame their physiques entirely on genetics. Of course they do play a role in height, bone structure etc, but definitely not on masses of fat! Blame that on laziness! (not just physicaly laziness but mental laziness too). You just have to read some of the amazing transformations from blogland to realise that anything can be achieved with a goal and the right nutrition and training program... Anywho, one thing i do believe is that genetics does play a role in body fat distribution. Thats why you see apple, pear- shaped people, endo, meso and ecto-morphs etc.

My back, chest, shoulders and arms seem to keep reasonably lean throughout the year, however my abs and thighs are another story. Yes i am lucky - no i'm not, i've been an athlete my entire life and have probably run thousands perhaps millions of kilometres over the past 20 years, so i am fortunate, that my legs keep good shape. Having said that, they have a tendancy to get very solid when i put on weight, (I dont get flabby fat or get cellulite) hence the reason i rarely wear jeans. I'm definitely a shorts girl. So one thing i have decided, is that when i reach my goal weight and maintain it for a month ( no point getting there and letting all the hard work disappear!), i will buy myself a hot pair of Sass & Bide or Tsubi jeans.

Another thing that got confirmed today is an intolerance to soy, dammit! I added tofu back to my diet about 5weeks ago, and i've been noticing a slight bloating in my gut. Not as bad as if i had eaten gluten, but enough to notice that something was not quite right. So i got my chiro/kinesiologist to muscle test it this arvo- and booyah, it threw me right outta whack =(. So off the menu it goes. He reckons my gut will be back to normal in a day or two. He also gave me some Ester C and Manganese for my adrenals. First week back at work has hit me for six!

So back to the title of this blog.... (sorry i am jumping from one topic to the next, heaps of random thoughts today!)

I got to do the exciting task of lingerie shopping this week, and boy was it exciting! When i went for my consult back in august last year, i told the doc i wanted a full D cup with sexy cleavage, and my wish was granted..... Now what i didnt know was that silicon beauties fit differently to the el naturale ones. The fitter at DJ's had a giggle when i grabbed a 10D, and told me not a chance!.... Try a 10E!!!!  WTF! To me, an E cup sounds massive, but they're not. 10E is my true size but bloody hard to find, so i bought a 10DD, they only just cover my nipples, but i feel secure enough lol

I threw out all my old lingerie a few weeks ago, except this pink number that i got for my 17th birthday. I'm pretty sure its a 10A/B ( i'm a tag- cutterer). So below are the comparisons!

Operation Sexy Bitch!...Week 1

Like all of you here in blogland, today is day 1 of Operation Sexy Bitch. I will be approaching this as a 12 week challenge. It may take 1.5 or 2 challenges, as i will not be training or dieting to the extreme but either way my goals are set!

Being accountable is something that i have never done before, and most probably the reason why i have always fallen off the wagon in the past. So for that reason, Steph and i have teamed up as mentor buddies to keep each other on track and progressing forward each week. This girl has developed such strength over the past couple year and i know she will blitz her challenge in no time!

Ok confrontation time:
4/1/10: 
Weight: 66.9kg  ( what a lovely number to wake up to monday morning...NOT =P)
Body Fat: 24.1%   
EEEKKK!... thats what 55days off gym, 1200mins+ of dvds (ALIAS) these holidays and too much of the good stuff has done to me!...No excuses though, i take full responsibility for my actions!
That equates to 16.1kg of Body Fat.

Just a reminder, back in october i was
Weight: 65.8kg
Body Fat: 19%
That equates to 12.5kg Body Fat

So as you can see the scales can be deceiving. Technically i weigh 66.1kg, so really thats only an increase in .5kg. BUT as you can my Body Fat has increased by 3.6kg and my muscle mass has dropped quite a bit. And do my clothes fit the same?....HELL NO! My tiny gym shorts will not be making an appearance for a good 4 weeks i would think!...

So there you have it, results are out in the open for all to see! No turning back now, SEXY BITCH here i come!

Goals...NOT Resolutions!

I'm not a fan of the word Resolution. To me, it is a 10 letter word that stands for a mindless thought. Goals are something that get you outta bed in the morning. They require an action plan and a time line, put that to paper and kaboom, you are in mission mode!

I have made the decision to hang up my stripper heels for this season of comps. Reason being, i need this year to foucs on quality training without the pressure that comp prep brings. Most importantly i need to achieve my goal weight and maintain it long term. In the past my comp prep has consisted of under-eating, over-training and dropping shit loads of weight in short periods of time. I practically suicided myself in order to strutt my stuff on stage. For that reason i hadn't developed the right mentallity about food and training and suffered the rebound effects post comp. Thus spending each new year having to lose a substantial amount of weight all over again....that is called Yo Yo dieting...Not good. So i have made a promise to myself that this will be the last time i will have to lose those same kilos all over again. I understand that a 1-2kg fluctuation in goal weight is acceptable and realistic, but 6kg again is ridiculous grrrrr! And yeah i know i had 2 months off training but no excuses...you can control anything with diet =)

I have spent hundreds of hours in 2009 researching articles on nutrition and training and am now well aware that my previous approaches to achieve my ulitmate body were not desirable. So now, nutrition to me is about getting that metabolism cranking, eating whole real foods and eating shit loads of vegies. My nutrition has improved 100% in the last few months, add the weights training back in, take away the binging and walah the beautiful body is revealed. Simple...not always easy.

One thing i will be doing for this new years challenge of mine is keeping a countdown calender as well as the WEIGHING IN! In the past i used to just rely on the mirror to notice changes, i was in Scale Denial. So for christmas i bought myself a digital scale that also measures body fat and hydration. Now its not one of those expensive Tanita scales, and i know they aren't entirely accurate either, but for the purpose of monitoring results and tracking progress it will give me consistant information. So every monday from now on will be dooms weigh-in day.

So back to goals. I want to hit a maintenance weight of 60kg...Technically i'll weigh 59.13kg as there seems to be 870g of silicon lodged into my chest lol. This is a number that has eluded me for a LONG time, yes i have hit it for a week or two but have never stayed there long term....bad habits.

Other things that i do want to achieve this year:
Professional Photos
Buy a unit
Body Balance once a week ( will start in about 4 weeks time).. My flexibility is at an all time low atm, for the first time in my life i cant even touch the floor!
Conquer binging!
And be in control of my mind and not the other way around!

I believe that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to... if you want it bad enough.

Luck is good preparation met with the right opportunity. Train hard, eat well, love lots and reap the rewards. 2010 will be an amazing year if thats what you want it to be.

SMILE =)

And here is the new Chelle...

NYE 2009: God & Goddess' Party. I went as Venus: Roman Goddess of Love