guess what?

 

justourhappyplace.blogspot.com.au

A new place for personal stuff!

puppy luv

Still hobbling around. I thought I would not be hurting after a week. I have been taking it easy this week but I’m getting a little antsy to pump some iron or something. Luckily I had a little side project I could work on. My friend Laura got hitched this past summer and asked me to design a thank you card for her so I put on my Photoshop hat and went to work. It had been a while since I did anything with Photoshop and realized how much I missed it. I love designing things and putting my ideas into something visual. I can’t wait to one day design my own stationery! I’m going to have a hay day!

Last weekend I decided to cook for my little furball princess Lily. I found a simple recipe online for some dog biscuits and I had all the ingredients at home so I whipped up a bunch on a sunny Sunday afternoon. She goes nuts for them...cheese, whole wheat flour, olive oil and chicken stock! Even puppies can eat clean too!

 

hang ten

I know...I know....it’s been a while since I’ve written anything. The weather has been beautiful here and I spend as much time as I can outside in the sunshine. A couple of weekends ago, Ryan and I took a surfing lesson at the Gold Coast and it was so great! We ended up picking up a used surf board a couple of days later and I can’t wait to take it out and get some practice. It definitely gives you a good core workout, no doubt about that!

I’ve been doing some home workouts lately, trying out the BodyRock.tv routines that go up online every day. It’s 12 mins of intense moves plus they usually have a bonus abs or targeting exercise to do afterwards. I like them but they aren’t enough for me. I miss doing weights in the gym for sure and a little bit of a more lengthy training session. I think it was a good way to find out what I really prefer.

Clumsy me though, had a little accident during my last BodyRock workout. I was in the backyard doing single leg hops and jump squats and on one of the single leg hops I missed the tiles and rolled my ankle onto the grass. I heard a loud snap and was rolling around in pain for a few minutes. Right away my first thought was that I broke it. I’ve sprained my ankles plenty of times in my old soccer days but nothing even close to this has happened. I was able to hobble inside and put it up. The next day I woke up to a golf ball on my ankle bone, went to work and decided at lunch I better get it checked out. Off to the hospital I went, ready to pay the big bucks (health care is not free in Australia). I ended up having it x-rayed and all checked out ok but I badly sprained it of course. Golf balls don’t show up for nothing. That was last Thursday, it’s still swollen and bruised and hurting L Oh and I am fully covered for benefits here because of my work visa so I don’t have to pay a cent J So I’m feeling a little stuck since I can’t really do any exercise involving my feet, I will just suck it up and go to the gym for some upper body...which always make me think of this...

for a little glimpse :)

                                                 

 

     

loafin'

I finally got around to flipping through my Eat Clean cookbooks to try and find something yummy to whip up. I decided on a delicious looking banana loaf which I thought was perfect because it's been a loooooong time since I ate any bread. Here's what goes in:

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 egg whites, beaten until fluffy
1 cup mashed naners (aka nanas or bananas)
1/2 cup skim milk soured with 1 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla

Oven at 350F (I have to put F because ovens in Australia are in celsius). Coat a loaf pan with olive oil and dust with flour. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another. Add the dry to the wet and mix until blended. Pour into a loaf pan and into the ov' for 55 mins! I found this recipe in The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook with a few of my own modifications and omissions.

Can you smell it?!

simple words

You know when you see a great quote and it just makes complete sense and is so simple, I saw one the other day. The second I read it, it just clicked in my mind. Did it do that for you?

awesomeness.

When you get off the leg press machine and a guy gets on right after you and does the same weight. Extra awesomeness if he looks like he's struggling :)

back to life, back to re-al-ity

It's been a great week off from the gym but I'm ready to get back at it. Even though the next competition I plan on doing isn't for another 8 months, summer is just around the corner here in Australia. That means bathing suits and shorts since for me it'll be the hottest summer I'll ever have experienced thus far in my lifetime. Like I said in my previous post, I'm going to be incorporating plyometrics and HIIT (high intensity interval training) into my weekly plan. I slotted in two gym days for now since I still want to build a little muscle or at least maintain what I have now. My main goal is to burn that fat baby!

As for my supplements, the only thing I'm going to be dropping is the fat burner. I really didn't see it make much of a difference. I think once I get closer to the next competition in May I will introduce them back in however I will try a different brand. I'm interested in the Fusion Bodybuilding line of products at the moment; I follow a few of the girls that are reps for the brand on Facebook. I'll stick with the BCAA supplement I was taking. I felt like I recovered fast after workouts and was able to maintain my strength throughout the entire gym sesh. My least favorite part of my contest prep was the acrylic nails I had done. The girl left them way too long for my liking (my fault I guess since I felt bad for asking her to go shorter for the 7th time) and they drove me nuts from the moment I walked out of the salon. I ended up cutting them down a few days ago and filing them back to my normal nail size. Won't be doing that again!

So aside from gym and good eating and all that jazz, a lot of people have been asking for house pics and I finally took 10 mins today and snapped some. The house is finally (and by finally I mean almost) organized. I'd like to get some paint on the walls now, so our next trip to Bunning's I'm grabbing some swatches and see where we go from there! As you can see below, the whole house is a pretty plain off-white.

 

 

 

what's next?

As I said in my previous post, participating in a fitness competition was probably the best motivation I’ve ever felt. Seeing results of the dedication people have put into their training was amazing. It just made me want to achieve bigger and better things in the future. If I improve only slightly better than my first competition, then to me I’ve been successful. I have my eye on a competition in May actually.

I’m taking the week off from any exercise just to get a little break, then straight back into it! In the next week I’m going to plan out new workout regime and introduce a few new things into the mix. I’m going to plan a 6 day schedule mixing days of cardio and weights. I’m going to TRY and get some early morning cardio in (I am the furthest thing from a morning person so this will be a difficult habit to form), three days of heavy weights probably with some supersets, and three days of interval and plyometric training. I’ll work out all the details in the next few days (pun intended). My focus is going to be on my legs, trying to get rid of the fat that is still there. It’s the last place for it to leave and needs the attention.

As for the blog, I’m going to keep it. Who knows if anyone actually reads it but sometimes I have so many thoughts in my head it’s a nice way to organize them and think them through. Plus I think my background is cute :P I’d like to work out a little plan for here too, have a day with a clean recipe to try, a new workout idea and maybe a day of some girly stuff, since the title is lean AND lovely! If anyone actually does read this and has any suggestions for me, I’m all ears!!

in a flash

Well it’s all over. And it went by in a flash! The competition was so much fun and I loved every minute of it. It was so great to have Jade there with me. She was in a different height class as me so I’d watch her back stage on a TV and we’d give each other celebratory hugs as we each came off stage.

I was so nervous in the morning. Pretty much worrying about everything I could possibly worry about. Katey was amazing backstage! Somewhere between an old guy getting oiled up and a topless physique lady, she got right to work on my makeup and did my mop of hair in record time! My bikini stayed in place and in one piece. My lips became glued to my teeth from smiling so much. And I need to be way way way darker for next time!

The girls that were competing with me looked amazing and to me it was the best motivation I could have gotten. I want to work harder and look so much better the next time I decide to step on stage. The training and diet was definitely worth it though.

So everyone has been asking if I pigged out and YES, of course I did. And of course I paid for it too :/. It all started with a Tim Tam backstage which escalated to a bag of chips in the car, continued at the BBQ with chips, dips, potatoes, sausages and ice cream cake, then I capped the night off with some pizza, garlic bread and a can of pop! It was a.maz.ing!

 

Here are a few pics from the day! I can't wait to do it again!

 

 

this is it

My bag is packed, I've run through my posing, it's time to get this done! I went for my last tan today and must say Katey has done an awesome job for both myself and Jade! We look abnormally dark which is perfect for being on stage! I'm sure the nerves will hit me in the morning but I'm feeling pretty relaxed right now. I had my nails done this morning which is something I don't do, but I like the look of a nice short french acrylic set. However this post will be fairly short since I can't feel the keyboard keys properly :(

I'll take lots of pics tomorrow and I think one of the boys will be taking a video too (scary). It's going to be a huge show; the biggest in QLD history with 360 odd competitors I think.

I hope I look good tomorrow. I hope I feel good tomorrow. I know I'll feel good once I get a slice of backstage pizza into me! We are celebrating at Jade's parents house afterwards and double because it's Jade's birthday soon. It's going to be glorious!

Until tomorrow...

let the girly stuff commence!

Today is tan day #1! Can’t wait to get my brown on! After work I’m heading to pick up Jade and then off to Katey’s for a spray. I’m excited to see what a little color will do for my definition. Last night was a great workout and I think I have a new found love for supersets. They get your heart rate up and you can knock out a good workout in record time!

Today my goal is to only have one green tea in the morning and then spread one bottle of water throughout the day, adding up to 1L. I don’t think it’ll be too difficult...tomorrow might be a different story...

and now for an ab update

The concert last night was fun! My sleepy time suffered but it was worth it :)

Tonight will be my last night at the gym. I’m going to do supersets of back/bi/tri exercises. I would have liked to get another leg workout in but I’ve read recommendations to try and avoid legs so that there’s no risk of being wobbly on stage. I think I’m high risk for wobbles.

Trying to drink a little less water today too. I’ve found it a little difficult to track my water intake because water in tea and foods count. I usually drink 2 teas a day (one green and one black, only green one counts) plus two or so of my bottles of water that I keep here, which is probably about 2 litres. So I think I’m drinking around 2-3 litres of water a day. And I know that should be waaaaaaaaaay more :S

So I guess I should do a little ab update! I have not incorporated any specific ab exercises into my routine. I mostly use cables and free weights at the gym so my core does get a good workout as well for stability. I think it’s lookin’ pretty tight!

night off

Tonight I'm taking a little break from the gym. Ryan and I are headed downtown to go see Yellowcard! It's nice to not have to think about going to the gym tonight.

I think my body is adjusting well to low/no carbs right now. I've replaced carbs with lots more veggies and tried to minmize the amount of fruit I've been eating too. So far so good. I still feel like I have a good amount of energy. A difficult adjustment for me here has been that it gets dark out at about 6pm...and my body just wants to go to bed. I still haven't gotten accustomed to this, but summer is just around the corner here wich should give another hour, hour and a half of light. I do miss light till 10pm in summer in Canada!

Anyway, just a shortie tonight. Gotta go get dolled up to head out for the night!

Tomorrow...my water intake gets slashed!

home stretch

Down to the final week! I can feel it’s going to be a tough one too. I didn’t feel great all weekend; I had a rotten headache for two days. I’m thinking it’s probably related to me not taking my supplements anymore. Tonight I hit the gym to do some upper body supersets. I’m keeping my water intake high today and carbs low.

I say that I wish I had a few more weeks to just get a little bit leaner and cut but I don’t know if I could do this for a few more weeks. I’m feeling very exhausted and now I’m just looking forward to it being over with and going back to my regular clean eating habits. In my mind, I’m as ready as I could be at this point in time. I still don’t feel comfortable in that damn bikini (if you can even call it that) and I’m hoping there’s just one girl that’s bigger than me on stage so I’ll feel a little better (is that terrible to say?). I am looking forward to the experience though, putting aside the competition part and how I look. There will be so much energy and great people to chat with and learn from, and also having Jade there with me, it’s going to be a great day. I really don’t have any huge expectations for Sunday. Not falling on my face would be on the list I guess and getting a little positive feedback would also be nice. Now I just have to decide what color sportsbra to wear...

'kini

Ok...here it is! And boy is it tiny! Still not really feeling comfortable wearing this thing but I'll just have to suck it up. Please ignore normal bikini tan lines:

twelve days.

I’m hoping that when I get home from work today there’s a little parcel waiting for me with my competition bikini inside! The last piece of the puzzle. I have my packing list all worked out and plan for next week. It’s going to be exciting and interesting I think. I’ve been feeling pretty good lately but definitely wish I had a few more weeks to tighten things up. Next week I will start carb depletion on Monday and continue that until Thursday when I will begin to carb load and reduce my water intake. Depleting carbohydrates will reduce the glycogen in my muscles and then when I introduce high carbs back into my diet, the muscles will absorb more and make them look fuller. Plus I hopefully won’t be retaining any water (by reducing my water intake) and that’s where I’ll get the cut look. Hopefully. Everybody cross your fingers for me please. Yesterday I had some white rice for lunch and at the gym last night I noticed that I wasn’t looking as lean and cut in my upper body as I usually do. Pretty amazing how little things can make such a noticeable impact on your body. And I also ate way too much of it because I was full for a looooong time. I should be hungry every 2-3 hours. Oops!!

A few nights ago at the gym, one of the owners was floating around chatting to people (which he does now and then). I had mentioned to him before that I was training for a competition and he sounded pretty interested in my training and diet. Well he offered to train me for free for the last two weeks to get me pumped up and ready! How exciting! I’ve never had a personal trainer since I’ve always been pretty comfortable in the gym and using all the weights and machines, but I’ve wanted to try one out, just to compare. Now I get the chance. I’m a little bit nervous though. What if he pushes me so hard and I realize that I’m not as strong as I think I am?

I will try and post more often leading up the competition. Hopefully I’ll be experiencing changes on a daily basis next week. Oh and stay tuned for bikini pics!!

nom nom-bers

Well, I survived the 10K race on Sunday. My finish time was 55:45 and I’m a happy camper even though I didn’t beat my time last year. I ran as part of a team for my company and the top three for both girls and guys get a prize...turns out I took the number 3 spot for the female employees! Totally unexpected but gratefully accepted! I felt pretty good for most of the race; my legs got a little heavy towards the end. Could it be because I worked out legs on Saturday morning? I didn’t even “carb up” the night before like I would for a half marathon.

I think I said in my previous post that this journey is a constant learning experience for me. Well, I’ve once again changed up my workout routine and I’m going to introduce carb cycling into my diet. Three weeks left so I gotta step up my game a little! Hopefully this will give me a bit more energy when I need it and keep my metabolism high. Here’s what the plan is:

Monday – chest, shoulders and cardio – low carb
Tuesday – legs and abs – high carb
Wednesday – back, traps and cardio – low carb
Thursday – biceps, triceps and cardio – moderate carb
Friday – legs and abs – high carb
Saturday – cardio – low carb
Sunday – rest – moderate carb

So to get technical for a little bit, I did a few little calcs to find a benchmark for moderate carbohydrate intake, this being 1.25g/lb of body weight which reflects a goal of losing fat. On low carb days I would consume 75% of the moderate intake and on high carb days 125% of the moderate intake. I calculated my BMR which is a function of weight, height, and age then used the Harris Benedict Equation to find out how many calories per day I would need to consume to maintain my weight at my current activity level. This number gets reduced by 20% to arrive at how many calories to consume per day to achieve fat loss. I used some general guidelines for protein, carbohydrate and fat consumption per pound of body weight (1.5g/lb protein, 1.25g/lb carbs and then the remaining as fat). And when I say protein, carbs and fat I really mean lean protein, complex carbs and healthy fats or else I’d already be at McDonalds getting my intake of fats for the day! I would probably get that from just looking at a Big Mac. I assumed 4 calories per gram of lean protein, 4 calories per gram of complex carbs and 9 calories per gram of healthy fat. So to make an already long story only a little bit longer, here’s what I came up with:

Total calorie consumption: 1841 calories/day
Total macronutrient consumption high carb days: 217g protein, 226g carbs, 12g fat
Total macro consumption moderate carb days: 217g protein, 181g carbs, 12g fat
Total macro consumption low carb days: 217g protein, 135g carbs, 12g fat

So now what am I going to do with this info? Not what you think. I don’t plan on counting calories that closely or writing down how many grams of what I eat. I don’t operate that way. Some people do. It’s a personal thing. But it does give me an idea of what I can add in to my high carb days and what to cut out on low carb days. When I first saw the amount of daily fat, I thought it was quite low, but it’s the carbs I’m watching.

Should I blame this long blog entry on the fact that today is a high carb day? :D

keep on keepin' on

Last night I hit my first wall. I was out for a run and at about the 5km mark I started to feel really weird. Nothing was hurting but I felt ready to collapse. My body was drained and it had nothing left to keep going. This kind of thing gets me really frustrated because in my mind I want to push on but my body just says no. I went home and right away had a piece of whole wheat toast with butter on it and a mouthful of orange juice. I immediately started to feel better. My body was missing something. Carbs, sugar maybe. I guess I should be a little bit more lenient with my eating habits in order to give my body what it needs to operate correctly. I’ve been really limiting carbs, especially in the evening, but maybe I need to change that up. I’ll have to do something because what I felt last night was not a good sign and I really need to listen. This is a dynamic learning experience and I have to find what works for me as I go.

I find myself lacking motivation lately as well. I think if I ever do this again it’ll be a lot easier the second time and not just because I’ve already done it once. Right now the end result is unknown (although I know what I want it to be). I don’t know what feelings or sense of accomplishment I’ll get from walking out onto that stage. Will it be enough to make me do it all again? Who knows! But if I do end up training for another competition, I’ll know exactly what it’ll be worth which I think will make the process a lot easier. In saying that, even when the competition is over I will most likely stick with some of the things I’ve been doing. My body has definitely leaned out and looks strong and that’s something I want to maintain all year round. And bikini season is right around the corner!

itsy bitsy teeny weeny

Well, I finally ordered my bikini. The last major thing on my list to do, well, besides actually look like a fitness model in it :S I’m a little nervous to get it and try it on. Sure it looks good on the girl in the picture, it definitely won’t look like that on me, but I’ll wear it as best I can. I’m used to buying my bikini top and bottom sizes totally different, but when I went to add this one to my cart, I had the choice of XS or S....great.

26 days.

I’ve switched my focus a little bit this week in terms of my workouts since I have a 10km race this coming Sunday. I’m going to alternate between legs and running. My lower body really needs to catch up to my upper body and it’s super frustrating! I’m going to condense my upper body gym days into one or two sessions and focus the rest of the days on legs and cardio. Hopefully this will burn off more fat and allow me to lean out a bit....which I don’t really need anywhere else but my legs.

My goal this weekend is sub 54 mins. I ran the Bridge City Boogie 10km race in Saskatoon last year in 53:58, which I did a lot more training for, and was a fitness instructor at the time...so I could be completely off in space with my hopes for this year. Stay tuned.

Our things from Canada arrive tomorrow! I’m excited to have my clothes back! We’ve been making due with two suitcases worth of clothes for 2 ½ months so it’s gonna be like Christmas!

poser.

5 weeks. My body hurts. I dream about fast food and potato chips. I still allow myself a cheat meal or two throughout the week, but after this week I plan to cut those out too. I’ve been doing a lot of YouTubing lately to watch girls on stage and how they walk, pose, move etc. I decided to slip on my sweet heels and strut my stuff around in front of the mirror to try and find my best angles and how to pose and turn my body to flex the right muscles and show off my best side (hopefully I have one). I can tell I’m going to need to practice this regularly leading up to the comp. I’ve never been a real girly-girl, bouncy and bubbly and swinging my hips and hair around so I think it’s actually going to take a lot of work for me to make it look natural on stage. I probably looked pretty ridiculous trying to mimic the girls I watched on YouTube.

I decided it was a good time to take some progress photos. It’s easier to notice any transformation and decide what area(s) need more focus and attention at the gym to achieve symmetry on stage. I know I still have a lot of work to do but I think I’m getting a little more confident of how ready I will be in 5 weeks.

I strongly dislike wearing shorts and I feel uncomfortable in a bathing suit, but it needs to be done (please ignore terrible bed head bun).

panclocks

Yesterday was wonderful! It was a holiday here in Brisbane; the sun was shining down and the temperature was nice and toasty! It’s a new concept for me to have a holiday on a Wednesday but it broke up the week nicely. We took Lily to the beach again (and ended up taking some of the beach home with us as usual) for a nice swim and stick chase. I don’t know why but every time I’m near the water I want to eat fish and chips. So fish and chips is now on my post competition day menu :P

One thing I like to do on weekends is make pancakes for breakfast, so yesterday was a perfect opportunity to get in an extra batch! About four years ago when I started learning about clean eating, I came across an excellent protein pancake recipe that was quick and delicious. One catch is that you need a blender to make them. I’ve been blenderless for the past two years and now I’m happy to say I’m the proud owner of a new blender and it’s going to get a lot of use! Here’s the deets:

1 cup whole grain rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
6 egg whites (1 egg white = 2 tbsp if you have the liquid stuff)
¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon
4 tsp sugar (I sub this for about ½-1 tsp natural stevia sweetener)

Just put all ingredients into a blender and it comes out just like regular pancake batter! Instead of yummy maple syrup and butter I simmer about 2 cups of frozen mixed berries in a small pot on the stove to boil out the water and make a fruit syrup. This recipe makes about 6 pancakes so it’s perfect for two. There is about 30g of protein and 240 calories in three pancakes. And for those visual people like me, here are some pics (enjoy our temporary retro plates :P)!

stacked!

A while back (while browsing Pinterest I’m pretty sure), I came across a picture that said ‘If you want something you’ve never had, then you must do something you’ve never done’. Light bulb! So that got me thinking, what have I not been doing before? What have others done that have already achieved the same goals I have? I came up with a couple of things. One I talked about already, keeping a food and workout journal. The other required a little bit more research before I ventured into it.

Supplements.

The world of fitness and bodybuilding is polluted with so many different brands, types, pills, powders, flavours etc. I have never been a stranger to protein powder but I decided to explore fat burners and BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids). I’ve always been a skeptic on these kinds of things but I decided be open minded and do my homework. I searched the internet high and low for information, recommendations and ratings of different products and I’m proud to say my stack has been established! It consists of:

- 1 women’s multi-vitamin in the morning
- 2 x Lipo 6 Black Hers tablets (one before breakfast and one mid afternoon)
- 1 scoop Scivation Xtend BCAA during workout
- 1 ¼ scoop of Evolve Whey Protein post workout

The Lipo 6 Black recommends a dosage of three pills in the morning and three mid afternoon but since this is new territory for my body, I decided to start with one tablet and work my way up. This is supposed to boost your metabolism and help suppress your appetite. The BCAAs will help preserve muscle tissue while burning the fat stores during and post workout. I’m still skeptical on the fat burner as I read both negative and positive things about this product, but I will make my own opinion of it.

In my entry yesterday I mentioned there are no pills or shakes that can replace eating clean. I stick by what I say. These supplements are exactly that. I am hoping they enhance the good choices I make, not replace them.

So at this point it’s still a work in progress, an experiment I guess you could say. It’s too early for me to know if I’m benefiting from these supplements. Time will tell. But you don’t know unless you try right!

it's simple.

Listen to your body. Closely. Feed it what it needs to operate. Not empty calories that your body has to work harder to process because it doesn't know what you just consumed. Your body will fail you if you do. There are no 8 week diets, no miracle shakes or pills that can replace eating clean. There are only lifestyle choices. My favorite words from Tosca Reno 'the outside of your body is a direct reflection of what you put into it'. No one is perfect. I am not perfect. I do not eat perfectly all the time. But when I do make an unhealthy choice, I know that I am in control of my lifestyle. I indulge now and then, but I do so with awareness. Be a conscious eater. Read labels, but limit labels. That body part you see on someone else that you wish you had, is probably what they want to change about themselves. Be a healthy version of you. You can't change what body you have, but you can shape it into something amazing. Set goals, be patient, trust in what you cannot see right away. Ice cream always tastes better when you can't remember the last time you had it :P

platform queen

It’s been a busy few days but we’re all moved into our new house and loving it so far! There is still a lot to do and buy but we can take our time now and just enjoy being a family again.

Yesterday while I had my head buried in a half unpacked box, there was a knock at the door. I rushed to find a parcel waiting for me....my competition shoes had arrived! Of course I had to put them on right away and see how much of a chance there was of me falling and breaking something. Turns out they are actually quite comfortable and have mad grips on the bottom...hopefully preventing any slipping on stage! I made supper last night in my heels, did some laundry too...I felt pretty hot.

Next up, finding my outfits...

girly stuff

I am so very lucky to have the lovely Katey Dodt of Katey Dee Spray Tanning looking after my tan, hair and makeup for the big day! Katey will be spraying me down with multiple layers of deep brown goodness in the days leading up to the event to give me some sick muscle definition! I’m sure this will prompt several questions from people at work the next day. Why do you look like a giant candy bar? Did you fall into a Jacqueline sized mud puddle? There will be some serious scrubbing going on Sunday night, I guar-an-tee!

Katey is going to be my backstage buddy at the show. I’m sure the boys will enjoy sitting in the audience drooling over all the hot slabs of girl meat walking around in bikinis anyway.

I’m pretty pumped to get all done up by Katey. She does some amazing work and I can’t wait to be one of her subjects! Check her out on Facebook under Katey Dee Spray Tanning or www.kateydeespraytanning.com! Here are some lovely gel toes Katey did for me a few weeks ago (and they are still looking awesome).

and here it is..

Proof of the power of food...

The Power of Food

It’s amazing. If I look at myself this time last year, I was doing classes at the gym probably 5-6 times per week plus eating pretty healthy...and I say ‘pretty healthy’ because cheat days are allowed plus it was summer and who doesn’t enjoy a Dairy Queen hot fudge sundae now and then! I would say I was in good shape, had muscle definition throughout my upper body (typical female here who carries her junk in the trunk), cardiovascular fitness was top notch and I could throw out some toe push-ups and walking planks like nobody’s business (thanks Body Attack). But it never led me to the body I long sought after...wanting to have one of the the fit bods in Oxygen and Shape.

Cue huge life disruption of moving halfway around the world. I taught my last Les Mills class in mid-June before departing Canada, ran a half-marathon at the Gold Coast on July 1st and had a few sporadic runs tossed in the middle somewhere between real estate appointments and test driving cars. Yet somehow, I was seeing changes in my body.

The power of food.

I took a picture last week and you can easily see a 6 pack coming through. It’s been about, ohhhh, 2 months since I’ve done any weight training...and this is what I start to see. I can’t help but get excited when I think about what will happen when I add weight training back into the equation.

I guess this post wouldn’t be complete without explaining what my meals consist of. It’s actually pretty simple and one huge bonus is less time grocery shopping! There are a few guidelines I stick to. I keep them in my food journal (which goes everywhere with me). My staples:

Lean protein – chicken breast, fish, eggs and egg whites, turkey breast
Veggies – asparagus, zucchini, cucumber
Complex Carbs – veggies count as complex carbs, sweet potato, whole grain oats
Fruit – berries, apples, bananas
- no dairy except for a little skim milk in my tea
- small amount of olive oil for cooking, almonds for healthy fats
- 3-4L of water per day

Pretty boring huh? I use a little Herbamare or a small amount of organic salsa or tomato pasta sauce to spruce things up a little.

Step one...

Create a blog! Well, almost...step one is making the choice. In this case, my choice is to take my fitness and nutrition to the next level and get the 'fitness model' body I've always dreamed of achieving. Anyone who knows me knows that for the longest time I've always been one to eat healthy and spend a lot of time at the gym. But training for a fitness competition takes a lot more discipline with diet and exercise than just maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I’m making the jump!

Back in May I found out that my friend Jade wanted to do a fitness comp as well, so I was pretty excited that I’d have a buddy to share training ideas and meals with and of course, to help each other pick out the tiniest bikinis on the planet...that’s what friends are for! I’m sure she’ll let me know if my suit shows off enough butt crease. But before all the fun stuff of outfits, tanning, makeup and hair...everything that I consume needs to be mapped out and tracked.

When I started making small changes back in May, I didn’t realize that I had such a huge obstacle in front of me...moving from Canada to Australia. I thought it would be a quick transition but....oh how wrong I was. I took a quick three week business trip to Australia at the end of May which is when I started to clean up my diet and do some research on competition prep. I bought a 4 week membership to a gym beside my hotel and went almost every night. I was feeling positive. When I returned to Canada to pack up and move, I had zero time to even think about cooking a healthy meal or making it to the gym. I started to really get frustrated with myself for not even being able to maintain the healthy lifestyle I had BEFORE I began the transition into contest prep. Oh and can’t forget the topping of my frustration cake, having a half-marathon to run in a couple weeks.

So I guess to make a long story short, amidst living out of suitcases, buying a house, buying a car, buying furniture to put in the house...I learned to have healthy meals where I could, stay positive and focused on the goal, and to not get bent out of shape if I didn’t have time to run or work out. Once I got to this place in my mind, I felt a lot better.

So today....8 weeks until the fitness competition. Sept 23rd. Everything that gets eaten (and drank), gets written down. I’ve set up my workout routine, ready to be taken to the gym. We move into our house in one week and its full steam ahead.