My Figure Bodybuilding Journey

Having gone through a very long comp prep diet of almost 20 weeks I have learnt so much about listening to my body. Knowing when to eat and what to eat is so very important during that time in order to achieve my goals for my comptition at the time.

I also know that this theory still applies even on the off season. Being able to maintain a good balance is important now and with future comps on the horizon I still need to listen to my body. Sometimes though, the mind gets in the way of things and tries to interfer with my communication with my body. My mind tries to tell me that I have gained weight when I am bloated due to heat or the onset of a monthly. It tries to tell me I have gained weight because I didn't do cardio after a heavy weight session at the gym. It tries to tell my lots of things.

It has taken many years but now I am starting to trust more about what my body tells me, rather then my mind.

There are ways around it. On Sunday's I feel I deserve a day where I can increase my calories and eat what I desire (without going crazy). I eat perfectly for six days straight so I deserve this freedom on a Sunday. But Monday rolls in the next day and I wake up with guilt. It shouldn't be that way at all because that can be the start of a down hill slide mentally. It could mean a nutritional stuff up day. My mind might say "well you had too many calories yesterday so it's all over, what's the point in trying to be good today"? So you eat that extra helping of whatever it is you've eaten and it continues on from there. It really can snowball and throw you off your new lifestyle change of eating well.

I have learnt to ignore that part of my mind. I wake up Monday morning feeling a little bloated from the extra carbs I ate the day before, and I must admit, feeling a little guilty too. But, I don't let it get to me. I start my day completely back on track again. The funny thing is, it only takes until that afternoon for me to feel 100% again. You really can't give into guilt because it will control you and ruin everything.

Another thing I have learnt that if I come home in time for dinner and im starving, I must remember to eat slowly and not shovel my dinner down my throat. I eat my dinner, drink a large glass of water and wait at least 15 minutes before deciding if I need to go back for seconds. Generally I don't. But if I shovel it down, im still hungry and I end up eating twice as much.

The next issue I need to work on is not doing cardio after weight training. This is proving to be the most difficult for me. Yesterday was the first day I trained and then walked out of the gym without doing any cardio. But today I went in and only did cardio as it was a day off weight training. Tomorrow I know I will break the rules, I just know I will do both :-(

I understand the importance of needing to build muscle right now, but to think that I will gain too much BF scares me more then that. I will need to take this one step at a time.

Once I have gone over that hurdle, it will be great!

Hope everyone is well,

Deb

Posted by Splice at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by Splice at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

This picture was taking the day after the INBA National Comps.

The amazing photographer was Dallas Olsen and gorgeous assist Lindy Olsen.

Last week brought alot of pain due to some very hard training sessions. This week begins a new challenge of training even harder then the last and I welcome the challenge as that is the thing I love most about weight training.

I spoke to my hubby yesterday and have made a decision to compete again next year. How can I not? It's in my blood and I "need" to do it. Next year brings a different outlook into competing. I have been taking it way to seriously and have been focusing on negatives (it's tough being a perfectionist). Lia actually pointed this out last week when we spoke. So what I did was go back over the pictures and looked at it positively. I found myself looking at the shots through different eyes and saw many aspects of my physique that I was very happy with.

Next year is about competing and relaxing, going with the flow. This means no stress, no looking at negatives only. I need to view the entire picture. It's a new me for sure!!

I really need this in my life to keep me on track with my healthy new way of eating and living. I am a happier and better person now, and with another goal in the horizon, I am motivated to the max.

So I have from now until late December to train hard because we are off on a holiday to Malaysia for two weeks. I will rest over that time and then come back and hammer it yet again.

Posted by Splice at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by Splice at 4:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

The above pictures are from the symmetry round. I have many more and will post very soon, I promise.

Posted by Splice at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

That is exactly how I am feeling right now!! Like a fat cat!

It's not from excessive eating but from TTOTM. I haven't cycled since August so it's coming with a vengence.

I must have comsumed at least 4 or 5 litres of water yesterday and it feels like every drop of it is trapped in my body and made me blow out like a puffer fish.

It's times like these that can really mess with my head. I have to keep telling myself that I am not fat, it will pass in a day or so. I just need to hang in there.

So I continue to drink lots and lots of water to flush it out, hope it works.

On top of all that my quads are very sore, I haven't felt soreness like this in a long time, its due to the 3 week break and the new training program.

Today's session at the gym was mind blowing. I did shoulders and calves and got the most amazing pump.

Apart from the bloating I am feeling pretty darn good.

Posted by Splice at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

Yesterday my program was faxed to me from my Father. I must say I was feeling excited about recieving this program but a little nervous too as I know what it's like to train with Dad! But if you want results from a man who has been bodybuilding for as long as I can remember, then you have to expect something fierce to come out of that fax machine. lol

I promised myself I wouldn't look at it and then put it in the to-hard-basket and do something else after I got a chance to see it. So I got home and saw it there, picked it up, walked outside and sat under the patio and read it.

After going over it my first thought was "what the"! I called dad straight away to make sure there were no errors lol. No errors, that was what he wanted me to do. So we discussed it, went over a couple of things then I got off the phone and reminded myself that I would give this a shot no matter what.

I did my first session today and I can only tell how brilliant this program is. It is everything I need and more. It brings challenge and motivation. It will bring good gains and strength. I am so happy with this style of training that I can't wait to get back to the gym tomorrow. That's if I can walk tomorrow after an awsome leg session today lol.

My program is about high rep, low rep and strength training which im sure will bring in some all time PB's in a few weeks. It also brings rotation into the program. Change also will be brought about in subtle ways. I am in love with it.

After speaking with Josh today I am extremely happy to have him guide me in areas such as nutrition, cardio, supplements and everything to do with competing. So the three of us work as a team, I couldn't ask for more.

I feel really good knowing I am working towards 2007, it will be a great year!

P.s. Still no pictures.....Qld is very slow grrrrr. Maybe tomorrow :-)

Posted by Splice at 4:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

This picture was taken somewhere inbetween the pre-judging and the finals. I was exhusted already by this stage.

Posted by Splice at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Why am I good? Because I still haven't picked up weights! I have had a really good rest now so tomorrow is it, I can't wait any longer.

I will start my new program tomorrow and try to ease into it slowly so that I don't hammer my rested muscles to much at least not until next week hehe.

The last two days I decided to have a big calorie intake as I need to put on a few kilos, some how I haven't done that yet. So two days of eating and even drinking have left me feeling pretty full today. Now I am back on track with me regular clean eating I have no guilt at all. It's all good.

Im still waiting on my Qld titles DVD to show up and im waiting for professional photo's from that comp aswell, seems to be taking forever. I guess that's Qld for you ;-).

Deb xxx

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

I want to train!!!!!!! I can't wait to start picking up those weights again, im going nutz already.

Posted by Splice at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments

I finally have a moment to tell you that I meet Jane and her lovely boyfriend Pete last Thursday night.

Jane and Pete were up here on the Gold Coast for a holiday and also looking at property because they have plans of moving up here next year.

We meet at Caville and went to a nice little Greek restaurant for dinner. Jane is as lovely and bubbly as she comes across in her blog. She and I got along really well. My hubby and Pete had much to talk about as well. It was a great evening.

Jane I hope you enjoyed the rest of your time here on the Gold Coast and I can't wait till you move up here.

I have been very fortunate to meet so many of the bloggers in person and most of it happened last week. Everyone is so caring and friendly and I have never had so many people I can call "friends". This has been a wonderful year for me :-).

Posted by Splice at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments