My Figure Bodybuilding Journey

I must have come across really down in my last post. Im fine, I really am lol. I guess I just needed to let a few things out but I am soooo on top of things right now. It's all good.

It's really funny actually because today it just dawned on me.....I am now that thin chick I have always wanted to be, for as long as I can remember I wanted to be thin. Now not only am I thin but im fit!

Years of stupid starvation diets and going to extremes just to have a flat stomach have only gotten me fatter. Now I have the knowledge of how to eat and when to eat I hope that I never go back to my old habits. One of the biggest problems with my daily nutrition in the past was alcohol.

It's not just the added calories in each glass of wine or champagne but it was being careless and carefree with eating. You just don't make the right choices when you tipsy or you consume more then you should. I still say drink, but not to often. Everything in moderation, its really not that hard.

This post was me just letting all me awesome blogger buddies know that I am fine, happy, cool even. And thank you for your comments, emails and phone call (Lia).

This little smiley below is a reflection of my mood today lol

Deb's gone Nutz! LOL

Posted by Splice at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments

I was cleaning out my files on my laptop yesterday and came across the dreaded "before" picture. It was a good thing though, I can really see how far I have come in six months. The changes are very noticable.

I am now six weeks out form my very first competition and must say it has been an amazing journey so far. To have made those changes I have been commited to my goals and have not lost the drive to succeed. I have never missed a day at the gym, and when I did go in to train, I would give my 100% everytime, I have no regrets there.
I have been training on my own since moving to the Gold Coast late last year. I guess this has been the best thing for me. I have no distraction whilst training and take it at "my" pace which is obviously a good pace for me.

The last few weeks has been an eye opener to the competitive industry. It is not all roses, but it is a very competitive industry and is part of the game. However, I will not let anyone try to discourage me, in fact if anything it will push me even harder!

With six weeks remaining I think (not sure being new to all this) that im tracking ok. I am approx 166cm and my weight is a little under 54kgs now. I am now more then ever needing to get through the last few weeks with the greatest determination ever.
I am feeling very much alone in this right now and if that is the challenge that is meant for me, then so be it.

I can't expect to much from my wonderful hubby because this sport is alien to him which is fair enough as its my dream not his.
The gym is the LAST place I will find genuine support right now. And being fairly new up here I haven't made really close friends as yet.

I have to say though that I have found support here in blogland. Some of you have helped me in ways you would never imagine. Without you guys I would have noone left.

Sorry if today's post sounds a bit down. I am feeling a little down right now but I just need to get on with it.

To me I need to compete on October the 7th 2006. Firstly for me, its my dream, but I also want to do this for my Father, he is just so proud of me already, but their will be nothing like sending him pictures of me from the actual day. Unfortunately he wont be able to make it up here to watch me.

It's sometimes nice just to get thing off one's chest every once and a while, I am thankful I have a place I can come and do it.

Posted by Splice at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

"Though mushrooms are often grouped with vegetables and fruits, they are actually fungi--for that reason, they are in a class of their own, nutritionally speaking. Mushrooms do share some of the benefits of fruits and vegetables. They are low in calories, have no cholesterol and are virtually free of fat and sodium. And that’s not all. Mushrooms stand alone when it comes to some of the essential minerals and B-complex vitamins not easily found in produce. In addition, some contain substances that might prove to be useful in the treatment and prevention of serious diseases."

Posted by Splice at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by Splice at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments

TTOTM

But....................

The PMS is getting better.....and thank goodness for that!!! It has been a terrible couple of days. All I can say is poor Josh, but he'll get over it lol.

As for everything else, all is good.

I will try to update tomorrow.

Deb xxx

Debstar

Posted by Splice at 3:48 PM | Permalink | Comments

I can't believe im not just going to watch this event, im going to be in it lol. And im sooo excited about it now. Also knowing that Alicia, Liz, Maraina and Josh will be competing on the day is a bonus. Another big bonus for me Andj, she will be helping me out sooo much. Thank you Andj .

Josh was at the gym this morning and I have to say he is looking fantasic!! It will be so cool to see him compete. Keep training hard Boss!!

7 weeks and 1 day remaining. Where am I at? Ok, here is a quick run down.

Posing - needs practice, but I have improved alot in the past weeks. The pose I need to work on the most is ab and thigh. Im most confident with side chest pose at this stage. Everything else is in between.

Posing routine - I now have this completely memorised and learned. I feel really good about it and love the routine and music. I don't have any problems here at all. It's just what happens when Im on stage that worries me lol.

Training is going really well considering I am on a reduced calorie intake and I have increased my cardio. I was happy I did a PB on lunges today, I didn't even realize until I was typing my progress up to send to JD. My mind is all over the place these days.

Cardio was going really stronge until this week. I am finding it harder and harder to get started, but once i get going I completely hammer it. It's just getting on that piece of cardio equipment to start with that is causing me to have mental issues with myself lol. One part of me says "get on and burn some calories" and the other side says "im just too tired today". Grrrr. I didn't have this problem before this week, it must be catching up with me.

Food - whats that? Just kidding. I must say I have reprogrammed myself. Since 16 weeks out I have learnt alot about what to eat and when to eat it. I guess now I have it down to a fine art. Eat for fuel and only the amount your body needs. So I am really keeping in tune with what my body is telling me. If im really, really hungry and it's meal time, I eat a small portion and resist the usrge to eat anymore until this portion hits my stomach. Once it's there (I wait at least 30mins), I dont feel hungry anymore and I haven't eaten extra calories. Just need to be patiant.

Im sleeping and getting enough rest aswell which is vital to muscle repair and growth.

Ok, that about sums it up until next week. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.

Posted by Splice at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments

Thank you Lia for the Dvd"s of the INBA Vic Championships. It was great to see you on stage. You looked incredible and that bikini is to die for. How did you learn to move like that in regards to your individual posing routine? Your a natural! And gorgeous too I might add :-)

After watching the dvd I noticed that the novice girls were ten times better then the "open figure" girls. In fact, I couldn't belive that the novice figure girls were on stage for the first time ever. The line up was incredible as were the posing routines.

Im freaking out again lol. Not really, I will be ok, I hope.

Lucy Herman's physique is nothing short of awesome. And congratulations to her for making it to the Iron Man magazine for her recent win in the All Female Classic where she took out the overall Ms Figure prize. That girl is on fire.

I guess it all comes down to what condition you are on the day, how well you can present yourself, posing and the line up. Scarey stuff lol.

Posted by Splice at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

Helloo my wonderful blogging friends :-)

Yes im in a good mood, all is progressing well. Saturday was a big day for me, very busy indeed.

Saturday morning I drove to see the wonderful Jo Rogers to go over the last part of the routine. I was in for a bit of a shock because the first part we did two weeks ago was the slow part of the song so it wasn't so hard. But this time I found it a little bit harder. Lots of moves to remember due to the fast beat in the song.

As I mentioned before, the only dance stuff I have ever done was aerobics lol. I have no dance history at all! But for some reason im not too worried about it. Once I remember it and put it all together, it will be great. The only thing that will stuff it for me is stage fright on the night. I will have to pretend im at home and not on stage, easier said then done right? I will keep you posted on my progress with this.

I also weighed in on Saturday morning and was blown away at seeing I am now at 55kgs. The last two weeks have brought in some pretty big results.

With the scales, I am now at a point where im not trying to get them any lower. If I can sustain that weight (55kgs) and still reduce BF, that would be my main aim now.

I have been putting more thought into the actual compitition and keep coming back to just wanting to be there in great shape on the day. That has been my dream from day one and nothing more then that. If I can pull this thing off, I will be soooooo happy. I am 99% on stage already. I just feel that im coming in right on target. But I guess thats up to JD to decide as I am new to all this.

I had the best dinner with hubby and my handsome little guy Saturday night. I enjoyed two glasses of french champagne with a supurb seafood meal. I finished off with a tiny piece of cake and some cheese and crackers!! I dont have a guilty bone in my body lol. That was my first "off plan" meal in weeks.

I also had a little chat with my hubby and I have to tell you he has been nothing but 100% supportive of this whole thing. He prepares my meals at night and is just being fantastic. I now don't think he really meant anything by that remark about me looking to thin. It is a journey that we are all taking right now.

Boy im just going on and on today. I will go because I want to read everyone else's blogs :-)

Hugs.

Posted by Splice at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

I was just reading up on the final week prior to the comp and boy their is a lot to prepare for. I just can't believe what needs to be done from about 7 days out, right up to the day of the comp. I know one thing for sure, I can't do this on my own!!

Anyway, as I keep telling myself "one day at a time".

Right now my physique is still changing. My concern now is my hubby. This morning he said I was getting to thin. Too thin? I still have 8 weeks to go! I really need his support and hope he dosen't freak out thoughout the next few weeks.

Just for the record im not to thin, he just thinks I am lol. I weigh in tomorrow (I do this every two weeks) so I will see where im at on the scales. But the scales dont mean much to me as I can tell by my clothes. They are currently falling off me.

Which brings me to my next problem. We are going out for dinner tomorrow night to celebrate my hubbies birthday and I have nothing to wear because nothing fits. I have to go shopping.

Ok so the BF is coming off and now I see muscle definition in places I have never seen it before. I cant stop flexing in the mirror lol.

Today I have this belief that I can get to the final week out from the comp, from there I am frightened. At first I was worried about not being thin enough, now im worried about being to thin and im sure these thoughts will go back and forth for the next 8 weeks. Its weird because one day i feel like I have made no changes in days, and then all of a sudden I feel I have had a huge change almost overnight.

If I knew I had someone there helping me out on the day I would have more confidence. I dont even know how to put the bikini on lol. I haven't got that yet anyway.

Where is my head at? It is completely positive and I have been so happy the last few weeks. I feel really good. I have come down with a cold of some kind and I still feel fantastic. It all too weird lol.

My training is awesome even with this bug I have been hitting some great targets with my weights and reps. I am already becoming vascular. I must say its a little freaky at first to see veins popping out when you training, but im getting used to it.

Cardio is going perfectly. I am getting really fit in the process. I just love the high I get from it and that feeling is what gets me back on there everytime.

So thats my latest update :-) All is going well and I feel like im right on schedule.

Also my nutrition is very good. But I would like to mention that noone is perfect when it comes to eating. The main thing is to get right back on track and then it all works out just fine.

Tomorrow I will have a glass or two of champagne to celebrate my hubby's birthday and I am looking forward to it. Extra cardio on Sunday for that lol.

I hope everyone has a great weeekend.

Posted by Splice at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

I am amazed at how fast the days are going by. Reality is really hitting now. Yesterday I sent in my registration forms and so did Alicia. The way it works is "first in best dressed", the quicker you get you forms in, the better position on stage you get. I dare say Alicia and I will be in the centre lol. We don't waste time!

Josh squeezed my diet a little more as of yesterday. Im actually good with that, im trekking really well and am happy to take on the challenge. So a little squeeze with the nutrition, some extra cardio, and some major weight training sessions, I can only hope for more positive results :-)

Posing, well I should be doing more practise on this but feel alot more confident lately with it all. The individual pose routine has taken preference. I have only about half a routine. I want to master it first before moving on, but moving on will need to take place by the weekend. I have no dance background but feel like it is coming together really well. All in all, I feel that I well do really well as long as I dont get stage fright! I have never been on stage before and have never had so many people watching me for any reason. This I will need to handle on the day, no choice in the matter lol.

My head is in such a good place right now. I feel content, and really excited about everything. A lot of it has to do with the amazing changes in my body, the great nutrition and exercise and just the new lifestyle in general.

My weight training is incredible, I continue to lift heavy and I think I did a PB on my lunges last Saturday. And that was after squats *shock*. My legs are completely new to me when I look at them now. I can't believe the changes in my muscles and physique.

I can't stop raving about how important it is to eat properly, to eat healthy clean foods, this is what has helped nourish my muscles and to help them grow to their full potential. Prior to this I trained hard (aways) but never got the results because I didn't eat at the right time or I simply didnt eat much at all and when I did, it was not the right food.

So simple, but so very true.

Posted by Splice at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments

It has been a while since my last blog....I have been so very busy.
But I am still going stronge and with almost 9 weeks to go I am happy with the way things are progressing thus far.

I have my bikini picked out, Jo will get started on that soon.

I have a song, woohoo, yes I finally have one picked out. It is a little different but its good, I love it. I have even started on the individual routine to this music.

My posing is at long last coming together. I am starting to feel more confident and that is bringing in good posing for me. Also the understanding of each pose and what I am suppose to be showing and how im supposed to be showing it is an important factor here too.

My training is simply blowing me away. I seem to be hitting some pretty good PB's most days now. My strength is increasing, it must be all this good healthy food I eat now. Nutrition wise is still spot on. I don't think that will change because I have made it my lifestyle now. It is something I am used to and I like it. Im never hungry and when I do eat, I enjoy what I eat and then feel totally satisfied and content.

Lia has mentioned how sensitive your taste buds become, and boy she is right. I love the taste of everything on my daily menu and its amazing how much more you appreciate good foods.

Confidence about being on that stage in October is finally hitting me. My abs are out, the top two. I cant believe it, its the first appearance ever. I knew they were about to show but this morning they screamed out at me when I lifted up my top. I was so excited I started jumping up and down with joy. Then I had to run downstairs to show my hubby and son lol.

Two down, six to go!!! Oh gosh, thats a scarey thought.

My physique is coming together really well. I dont have to worry about my muscles as they are there already, my main concern will be my lower abdomal area, the BF there needs to go before I get on stage. But it is going....slowly. I think that area is the last place it leaves.

Have I mentioned how wonderful Lia is? Yes im sure i have lol. But she is just so amazing and cant stop raving about her. Thanks Lia for the conversation last Sunday, you are always there with the anwsers when i need them. Thank you for being such a supportive friend.
Also I have to make mention, you are going to "rock" at your comp this year.

I have worked out a way to reduce my bloating. I stopped drinking to much water after 7pm. I still drink it all day, at least 4 litres but cut back at night. It has helped.

I think I have covered most of it.

Deb xxx

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