My Figure Bodybuilding Journey

Posted by Splice at 1:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by Splice at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

I was having a terrific Easter weekend until Sunday morning. I was struck down with a bad fever, sore throat, back and neck pain. I finally got to the doctors yesterday and he tells me I have virus and to rest as there is nothing he can give me for it.
Most of you know I am on my last week of my program, so this has been ever so stressful for me. It is so hard to remain on track when you are sick like this. I haven't been to the gym until today (wasn't supposed to go in but I cant stand it anymore).

I feel bloated and fat and feel like a failure right now. I have worked so hard for the last 11 weeks only to come to this, please understand my frustration right now.
Even though JD said it's all still ok, god love him for his support through this, but I know it is not good right now. I feel so upset with everything right now.

I can't catch up in a week and it doesn't help that I will be away from tomorrow with no access to a gym. So I feel that it is all pretty much over for me. I sound negative and im sorry, I am still not feeling 100 percent.

I wont be online whilst Im away but will catch up with everyone's blogs soon.

See you when I get back.

Posted by Splice at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments

Check this beer out if you haven't already. It is low in carbs but is a full strength beer.

Pure Blonde: A beer released by Carlton & United Beverages, squarely aimed at the health conscious beer drinkers, offers a less fattening option. This is a low-carbohydrate beer with fair complexion and a surprisingly full bodied taste. While this beer may be low in carbs, it certainly is not low in alcohol content – yes a full strength beer to be sure (4.6%)! In fact, 20% less carbohydrates than standard, full strength beers. Pure Blonde contains only 0.9 grams of carbohydrates per 100mL (or 125kj / 100mL). Full strength, low carb beers are reasonably new to Australia, yet market leaders in the United States. Pure Blonde delivers 1.3 standard drinks per 355mL bottle.

We went out last night for a meal (after stuffing around the car yard picking up our new car that seems to take forever to get the paper work done), and I ordered my favorite warm beef salad but felt like a beer last night lol. Always worring about calories and carbs I thought there is no way Im having a beer. So I walked up to the bar to see what I could have and saw this Pure Blonde beer, I could only just see that it had low carbs written on it. So hubby got it for me. It was nice, and it hit the spot so to speak.

Alcohol % - 4.8%

Carbs per 100ml - 3.5g

Calories per 100ml - 41

Posted by Splice at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin to the human body. It is, in fact, probably one of the most important vitamins.

There are numerous benefits that can be attributed to Vitamin C, including strengthening of bones and connective tissue, aiding in the healing of wounds, and increasing the performance of the immune system. Perhaps one of Vitamin C's best attributes is its amazing anti-oxidant ability. It protects the fluids of the body such as blood from damage by free radicals. By strengthening arterial walls, it also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy blood pressure, as well as reducing tissue damage. Vitamin C protects the cells of the body and may prevent damage caused to them by aging and arthritis.

Everybody needs Vitamin C, especially those working their bodies hard like bodybuilders, weight-trainers, and athletes! Vitamin C will keep testosterone levels high by making the ratio of cortisol to testosterone decrease. This will help your body keep up that level of performance you demand. Deficiencies in Vitamin C have resulted in scurvy in as little as 90 days. Not getting enough is not good. Make sure your getting plenty to keep your health up, your free radicals down, and your muscles super-charged!

Posted by Splice at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

At the moment I feel that life is out to test me. I am going through some ups and downs at the moment that I won't get into right now.

But the good news is, I am completely on top of my diet and exercise, that's all under control.

Time will pass, and things get better, thats apart of life's cycle I guess. But I will tell you, you never know whats around the corner, good or bad.

Posted by Splice at 4:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

Watching the ladies compete on Saturday night was awesome. I have been to see comps before but it has been a while.

Liz, you looked fantastic! I know you said you were nervous but I couldn't tell. Everything came together for you nicely and congratulaions on taking home a third place trophey on your first ever comp. Hooray.

Liz is amazing because she did it all on her own. She lost 30kgs to be where she is today. What an inspiration you are.

It was so wonderful to meet many people on the night for the first time. I have never really meet people through forums and blogs before lol.

I can't believe Andrea recognized me from the pictures here on by blog. Thank you for approaching me Andrea as it was a pleasure to meet you. I must say you look good and should really consider what you want to do. You are in charge of what results you want, and you need you shoes back lol.

And I have to say it was nice meeting up with JD for the first time too. Thanks Josh for all your wonderful advice.

Posted by Splice at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

Today I had some spare time on my hands and wondered off to read more blogs and joined another great forum. Boy we all have a lot in common, we all strive to reach a healthy and better looking body.

When I think about this two words spring to mind, "focus" and "value". We need to focus on our goals and every decision we make throughout the day. We need focus to know what is happening in and around our lives and how we are to react to each situation.

We focus on what we put into our mouths each day, we focus on our training and we focus on what other people are doing. I sat in a food court on the weekend, I chose to buy a chicken salad. But I looked around and saw what people were eating and what thier body type was. I have to tell you their are a lot of overweight people in a food court, but what they were eating definatley wasn't going to be helping them one bit.

We need to value our decisions, if we need a day off then we need to value what our body is telling us and rest. But we also need to value our training days. Use it to train hard and effectively.

Value your body, and it will value you with rewards.

Posted by Splice at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by Splice at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

Thanks Beki for your concern about me lol, I am still around :-). Yesterday was not the best day but ended on a good note.
I did start on a good note too with a smashing leg day. My weights have increased and I achieved every rep required. Diet wise, all is good and I am on track!

Lately I have realized how much of what you eat really effects your body and mind. I will confess that prior to me starting my twelve week program with Josh Dickinson I had not been much of a veg eater. In fact I always prefered to eat anything but that. I did take my multi vitamins regularly either.

Now that I have been eating all the right foods which are things like a wide variety of veges and salads and lean meats on a regular basis (many times a day), I feel the benefits.
I really feel the benefits from the inside of my body. I know that my liver is in a better state then before, I feel my metabolism has increased and my body is using the foods that I put into it as fuel.

So fixing the inside needs to come before you see benefits on the outside. My mind feels positive and more alert (at times) lol.

My whole manner of eating had to be re-programmed after 33 years of eating in a way that wasn't very healthy. Although I have always exercised my downfall was my diet. Diet meaning "lifestyle" and not starvation.

So giving the body the food that it was made to eat, makes it easier for your body to function properly and effectivly giving you the right nutrition to function every day. Yes we all knew this but, it is getting it into you body at the right time and keeping a "routine" going with it that was the part I needed help with. Now I can't wait to eat my vegs or salad. I really have been re-programmed.

My diet hasn't been easy, not in the beginning anyway. My body had alot of adjusting to do and it took weeks. I have been hungry, I have had bad cravings, I have been without energy, but I stuck it out. It's a good thing because I know now, even though I am still on the program, it is EASY.

I can say this now because my body and mind have been re-programmed. I don't even feel hungry anymore as my body has adjusted to taking in only what it needs. My cravings have stopped (TTOTM may change that for a day or so). But if I do get one the cravings are easy to handle now because I tell my self that I will have that licorice that I craved for later. But later never comes because I always have a meal to eat and never find room for that licorice, I guess I didn't really want it in the first place. And I have amazing amounts of energy because as I mentioned earlier, my body has learnt to use the food and fuel. Thank you JD as you taught me all this.

Sorry about raving on but as I said to the ever so wonderful Lia, I need this blog to look back on, in a week or a year or longer. I need my progress and thoughts accessable to me if I ever decide to get on that stage, this could help me through the tough times.

I really can't stress enough that the support here has been second to none. I have meet some amazing and inspirational people here and I hope this never ends.
Josh Dickinson, you have changed my life. I have increased confidence and I dont cringe when I look in the mirror anymore. JD comes highly recommended, he is a professional!

Im not sure if iv'e said this before, but the end of my 12 week program is just the beginning!!

Posted by Splice at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

Before moving to the Gold Coast we used to holiday up here quite a bit. We would generally stay at the Palazzo Vasace Hotel and enjoy our time there.

So when thinking of where we should go for our tenth wedding anniversay, it was easy!
Dinner was supurb, my hubby and I had such a wonderful evening.

We shared an icey cold bottle of Moet Ros'e and had a fabulous meal. We had our son with us which made it even more special having him there to celebrate with us. He was soooo handsome, and everyone was staring at him. So the three of us were still going on about it on Sunday.

I have pictures, will get them up soonish.

Today I feel great, my energy levels are still high. Last night I broke my diet a little, I had some beer nuts and wasabi peas with two glasses of red wine.

The funny thing is I feel ok about it, I have been soooo good for the last 9 weeks and I know that I will be good until the end of week 12 and beyond.

It was me just feeling so good about life. Dinner on Saturday night, beautiful sunny days, and the fact I bought a pair of jeans yesterday that were a size 8 lol. I have never been in a size 8 pair of jeans in my life.

My clothes are getting to big, my rings and watch are loose and I am feeling the weight lose only now.

I was at the shop and I saw the jeans and automatically grabbed the size 10's, then I thought to myself, just as an off chance that I would try the 8's on first. I did and they fit comfortably, I almost screamed lol. I took them off and checked the size again thinking I put the 10's on first lol.

I came out and handed them to hubby to pay for them quickly.

This was not one of my goals, it just happened.

It's funny because I am only now feeling the weight loss, it has been happening all these weeks but I really just sort of feel it now. I think the body has so many adjustments to make through the weeks of my diet that it starts to come together towards the end of the program. It is all apart of a big progress I reackon. I still need to lose more weight though, im not there yet and I hope I make it by the end of week 12.

Posted by Splice at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments