T-12 weeks and the Christmas holidays

Merry Christmas everyone!

So i have been absence in the past few weeks but all is coming along nicely. The weight loss had stalled at 70kg but there was definately changes going on with my body. The waist has come in alot and there is less back fat LOL. Today I finally broke to 70 barrier (Santa came a day early). It was exactly what I needed to keep me on plan for tomorrow. I am spending Christmas eve with my Mum (Dad is away and so are my brothers so didnt want her to be alone). We are having steak and veg and going for a big walk to see the Christmas lights and get in the mood.
Christmas day will be started with a brisk walk at the beach. I will be working the lunch shift at the restaurant which I am seeing as a positive. 1 less meal to behave through. Mum will pick me up from work to take me to my uncles house. I am allowing myself a small treat with my Christmas dinner but that will be it for the evening. Boxing day will be spent doing retail therapy and dinner with the new man. Perfect relaxation.

Training has been going guns a blazing. Training with Danielle is working out great and we train alot harder. My obliques are still hurting from Sunday's session. Cardio is even going well. I am now walking for an hour in the morning and the bike for 45 min at night. Im enjoying it and it makes it that much easier if its not a chore.

Not sure what else to right exept have a great holiday and love the time with your family.
Merry Christmas and I hope all your wishes come true in the New Year.

I think it has been another week. We had a brilliant brunch on Sunday with the figure girls with a few new comers which is always nice. Jaime Lee, Vivenne, Danielle and Katie P were all first timers to the brunch. Aswell as the lovely Jo, Magda, Kate and Kerry. It was a big brunch with alot of chatter. And even though I took my camera I forgot to take pics to post. I actually had such a great time chatting that I didnt even realise everyone was eating around me while I ate my 'thin air biscuits'. I happily munched away on my tuna, brocolli and cauli after. After chatting with the girls about dieting I have come to the conclusion I need to up up up the greens. So on the suggestion of Viv I am going to try to eat a whole heap of lettuce with my afternoon tea. I had it today and it was surprisingly nice. I wrapped the chicken with a heap of lettuce and had little rolls.

After brunch I needed to hit the gym and Danielle was keen to train too (I knew one of the girls would be keen) and we trained HARD! My tri's have never hurt like this 2 days after a session before. We both pushed each other harder then we would have gone alone so we will try to train together as much as possible now. We trained again tonight Danielle on Chest and me on Back and still we did well. Would be easier if we were doing the same body part but it still worked. She is a great chick with crazy vains and poppy muscles. Because we are aiming for the same comp it will def keep us in line I think.

Weight dropped slightly on Sat again and the big man patted me and said 'good girl'. So if its going in the right direction im happy. Still cant quite crack the 70kg mark but when I do there will be alot of cheering! Didnt do weights yesterday and took advantage of the great weather and hit the beach for cardio. Went for an hour walk without even noticing. Beautiful sunset and really cheered me up out of my Mondayitis. I was in a much better mood today and very productive.

Challanges this week will be Fridays Christmas party. I will need some good hard will power for the day.. The weight in Sat morning might be enough to keep me in line.
Peace out X

And here is the big event I am working for... very excited!

I had a brilliant weekend just as I planned. Spent a great Sat with some friends on the back of their bikes. The adrenalin rush was mad and now thinking a bike might be on the cards for this young lady (although my Dad would likely disown me).

Trained with the boss man on Sat morning and halfway through he spoke the words I have been awaiting and dreading 'No more cheat meals' but only for 3 weeks he said. I am making a bet that after 3 weeks he will say - no more cheat meals full stop. This might be tricky with all the social lunches and dinners (with set menus - including dessert :() I wont cry too much as I still have some fruit in the diet. As long as there is some fruit it doesnt seem like im dieting. I am definately coping with it better this time around though. I guess I know what to expect (the worst) so any thing above that is a bonus. LOL. I am joking about the worst - but last years experience was horrible for me. I seemed to have no control over my mind or my tears.. This time around im laughing.

Cardio has also been increased to twice a day which is fine by me. Some nights I was already doing a double session so now it will be everyday. I dont mind cause it is not hard cardio like I did last year. Brisk walk or on the bike (I get to watch hundreds of movies).

I started ready my course textbook for my summer school at uni and already received an assignment (bit rough I think) but might as well keep cooking while the iron is got (I dont think that is the right saying).

I have a nice week planned and hope to get to the comedy show again Wed night for midweek giggles. I even hope to drag along a date for the night..

Another week down.

Well Friday again and looking back on the week I have no idea what I have done.
Tuesday night I flew out to Melbourne for a course which was brilliant and has really opened my eyes up to the possibilities with my work. I now have some idea to where I can lead into given time, hard work and just a smidge of luck.
I did manage to get in a great 2 hour walk around Melbourne at night. I love the city after dark.. So much going on and there is a buzz which is different to the quite charm of Adelaide. Had a great dinner before falling into my very comfy hotel bed. Cardio was done in the morning on an exercise bike overlooking Melbourne and I could feel Melbourne waking up around me.. Loved it!
Food was on track all day until I got to the airport and ate off plan. I guess it is progress that it didnt escalate into a full scale pig fest - just dinner.
As soon as I got home I feel in love with my life in adelaide again with my cozy apartment and felt like I had been unfaithful to it by my wonderful dreams of moving to Melbourne.
All is back on track with training and food. Had to stop my leg session 3 times last night to stop that 'ops here comes lunch' feeling. Results this week have been poor though. The scale is not budging (I might blame water) and I cant 'feel' any difference. I guess that means will need to train that bit harder next week.
Christmas is fast approaching and so are all the xmas parties. I am really trying to put a limit to it all. I have 2 work does that are essential to me. But i chose the menus so shouldnt do too much damage. Training and work are continuing all the way through xmas so shouldnt loose my momentum. Also im working Xmas lunch so only need to worry about Xmas dinner. I find its not the meals that are the problem over the festive season its the nibbling inbetween meals - so Im going to be very strict about eating between set meals.
I am really looking forward to this weekend. Nothing especially planned (besides work and training) but I hope to catch up with friends and spend plenty of time laughing.
Have a happy and safe weekend.
x

I cant beleive it has been a week again.
So just a quick post before I fly off to melbourne for a course..
I trained with hayzer on Sat for the first time in 3 weeks and he said that he can see some changes and that by butt is shrinking.. The relief can not be expressed. I feel good and can see changes myself and using it to keep me going. Weight is down to 71kg (which is still higher then I want but hey as long as it is moving and im not going mad im happy).
Training will be slightly off this week due to the course. I will fit mycardio in without an issue but I have rearranged weights to fit everything in. I trained 2 body parts yesterday (ow) and will do 2 on Thursday and then will have covered the lot by Sat.
My food is all preped to take with me on the course so no excuses there.
Only 4 months to go now (nearly time to think about Kini and music oh and the 15kg still to loose. :))

Im back to the land of the living - just. Last week I was getting sick and sure enough Friday came down with a full blown head cold. Right before my exam. This entire weekend feels like a blur and not entirely sure how my exam went. Cant really remember. That cant be good. I know I left early. All I really needed was a Pass so am pretty confident I did enough to get me through. I had plans to study all weekend which was not going to happen.
Had a BBQ dinner with my family and Nanna and Pa last night and a small scoop of icecream (that was my sunday treat). Had a great night with them inspite of the cold. Had a very touching conversation with my baby bro who is 14 and was confiding in me which im just chuffed about. He is just the sweetest boy and Im glad he felt he could come and speak to me. I just hope the advise I gave helped. My parents and brothers went away for Sat night to a birthday party and have all collectively decided they have found my next boyfriend. Its been awhile since they have played match maker so im intrigued to see what they have come up with.
Woke this morning to the miracle of a clear head. Must have been that big sleep and icecream that fixed me. I slept through my morning cardio but will make that up tonight.

Scale has finally dropped again (must have just been the snot LOL). Im feeling more positive with the whole comp process (well today I do. who knows what tomorrow will bring).
It is going to be a very busy week with work (thinking retirement would be the way to go), training (last week before I see H), studying (last exam on Friday), and Birthday celebrations (where I will show full self control - no cake this year).

Work calls to I will catch you all very soon! XX

Spent most of the weekend sleeping which I think was my body telling me it needed rest to fight something off. Finally feeling on the mend and am in a positive mind space. Does anyone else have a few days every 3 months where the just cant move?? Dont care to move, dont care for work, dont want to do anything? Well this lasted 4 days.. I just didnt want to play. Took Friday and Monday off work to recupperate and was still off yesterday but im back now.
Now I did all my training over the weekend including weights and cardio.
I even trained with Sean (a mate of mine) on Sunday and we trained chest. I put him incharge of the session which proved to be very interesting. He has a different way to train more of higher reps, drop sets and very little rest. Got a mad pump after which was promising to see. Mind you I went home and slept for another 3 hours after.
Diet was a little hit and miss especially when I am definately trying for near perfection. I slept through meals and I think I underate all weekend. Yesterday though morning tea time I just could not face the idea of my prepared food (not that tuna and blanched cauli and brocolli is all that appealing) but felt physically ill at the idea of eating it. Had a protein shake instead to get something in.. Lunch came and all I wanted was a sandwich (which I fully enjoyed) but not on plan. Oh well.. back on the horse today. But surprising no drop on the scale even though I can see improvements.
I know the scale should not be the be all and end all but it would make coach happy to see. He loves scales - I think he secretly wants to marry them ;). I have another week and a half before I see him again and I really want an obvious difference (for the better preferably).
My birthday is a week away and the folks cant get it out of their heads that we dont HAVE to go out to dinner to celebrate. I think we comprimised with a BBQ at home. That way I can stay clear of temptation. Speaking of temptation.. I need to bake a cake for work.. again whats with the 'must eat cake - must drink - its your birthday? I think making a cake sounds like alot of fun.. now if I could just work out how (I can imagine myself to be a very fancy cake maker).

And thinking about Magda's blog on 'The perfect day". I have realised I dont know what that would include.. this will take some thought..

Well - I have an exercise bike! I pick her up on Saturday and we will be good friends. Went to fitness concepts in Adelaide and they were the best price I could find with heaps to choose from. I tried them all - I was like goldie locks. (Can I count that as cardio??).
Had a great walk this morning - I have got alot faster (due to a very embarrassing moment when an old man over took me). Im not competitive at all..
Spent most of the day studying for my exam and feel pretty happy with it. Also got an assignment back today which I was worried about and I got a P1 - not brilliant but it was a relief to not fail (it was a pretty poor attempt).

Went shopping at lunch and walked about a thousand miles.. well maybe not. Im going to a baby shower on the weekend so it was a great excuse to buy baby clothes.. I got 2 of the cutest (in a tough guy kind of way) little outfits for the baby boy. Getting very clucky lately which is a concern but there are enough babies to keep me occupied (and out of trouble!). As my friend kindly pointed out 'Cheryl ya got ta have a fella to have a baby". Thanks Janelle for pointing that out.

Training last night went well. Bi's and Tri's are a real challange for me. Bi's are just non existant and they mock me while training. Need to really work on these before the comp early next year. Got in 30 min extra on the bike last night - Bonus.
That leaves Legs tonight - leave the best till last. Going to really push myself tonight followed by sushi for dinner (before grocery shopping).

The WNBF comp i am entering is actually is the 15th March - I think I wrote it was a different day. I meet a girl who will be competing for the first time in March - this girl is ripped already. Here is hoping for good weather on the day (its an outdoor event).

Back to study for me!

So Im going to pretend that it has not been 5 weeks since I last posted. And just carry on.
The past 5 weeks has seen a drop of 4kg which I am very happy about but I cant see the 4 so it is hard to accept. I have a challange from the coach that while he is away in New York (World championship) I need to drop 5 kg before seeing him. That gives me 3 weeks - and Im hoping it is a visible change. 5kg seems like a very large number but I am going to do my very best to make it happen. I am 3 days into it so far. Just trying to think 1 day at a time. Could be challanging with my birthday falling in the last week of the challange H gave me. There will be no drinking for my this year. Not a big loss really but my friends dont really get it so they tend to make it alittle harder. How many times can you say no thanks before you cave? Which wont happen (I have invited H to my birthday - that way there will be no way I will get caught with a drink in my hand).

Training has been going great guns. Have increased the amount I am lifting for 2 weeks now. I had the pleasure of training with Vivienne (Ms WNBF Australian Champ) last week and loved every second of it. I forgot how much fun it is to train with someone. It was great being pushed and when such an amazing ladies tells you '3 more' you do 3 more!

Cardio has been pleasant. The great weather has been making my morning walks all the better. H thinks I might need to be using a bike soon just to burn that little bit more so I am frantically saving $$ for a birthday present for myself. I have also been adding in 30 min on the bike after weights at night. I wasnt told to but thought that I need the extra work.

Dieting is getting easier. I am not thinking about it (or fighting it) as much as I had been previously. Still trying to work on getting more salad and veg in but not doing too badly. And while I can still have a free meal on Sundays I am happy to 'miss out' on the cakes at work all week.

Days are going like this:
6am - Walk 1 hour
7.20 - 4 x eggwhites 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 banana and berries
10.30 - Tuna and blanched (love that word) brocolli and cauli
1 - 150g chicken (with Chilli flakes - yumm) 1 cup rice and green beens
4 - Chicken (minced) with cabbage, carrot and bean sprouts (like a spring roll without the roll)
7- Shake post workout
8 - Steak and veg
I have been having 4 egg whites with 2 strawberries on top before bed if I really need to.
In emergencies when I have no food or those nights when I just can not be stuffed cooking (this happens generally once a week) I have been having Salmon Shashimi and sushi.

So things are going well I am crazy busy with work, training and study (exams in 2 weeks) but I love busy.

Well done to everyone who has competed this year. It is a hard slog and I admire all that have made the decision to compete. Have a lovely time enjoying the balance of life now AC(After Comp).

X

Well just a quick post to say all things are looking great. I had a few very down weeks which I didnt care to write about.. I didnt want a written reminder of my down mood cause that is just not me. After hitting the bottom with a thud I was sent an invite to a seminar by my ol' training buddy T. I had no idea what it was about and am the first to admit I am not into too many deep and mysterious things, so the idea of a Think Slim seminar didnt really jump out at me but thought why not?

It ended up being just what I needed. Mark Stephens is a hynotherapist and deals with the reason why people cant loose weight when they know what foods to eat and that they need to be active.. the one thing stopping us is our mind. This could not have come at a better time. They say that when the student is ready the teacher will appear. He talked about Time Line Therapy and the power of positive self-talk. I had no idea why I have often thought that I am not good enough and through the day the first time I ever felt this way came back to me.. I now know why I feel like this and can let it go.. We did a few hypnosis sessions and I really enjoyed it.. and more to the point..

I have been Supper happy, Supper energetic, Trained Hard, 1 hour Cardio every morning and eaten 110% for the week.

I spoke to Hayzer on Monday saying I am ready to diet now. I think he was a little stunned. But im ready and that is alot better then being told you have to start dieting now. Bring on March 11th!

Also a big congrats to everyone who competed in the WNBF South Australian Titles on Sunday. It was a great day and the show was a huge success. I think the venue was great for both the competitors and the watchers. Great job Kerry on your 2nd.

I have been a little slack on the blogging front of late but I can assure you I have not been slacking off any where else. I have been a busy little bee with work, uni and training.
Spent the weekend in Mildura watching the WNBF Regional Country Classics. It was a great weekend. What made it all the better was that knowing so many of the competitors and what they have done to be on that stage was inpirational. Well done to Kerry who looked stunning on stage and to Kate who took out overall in her first comp. This girl has a 8 pack to die for. Just between us I think me teaching Kate how to make pretty fingers during her posing definately was the kincher.. LOL. I will ask permission on posting pics.
Also I wanted to mention another man, we will call F who entered over 50's. This man was in such great condition winning his division and not only did he look great on stage but is son in the audience had a face lit up like a Christmas tree. The pride in his sons face kept dragging my eyes to him watching his dad - it was a touching moment to witness.
Another highlight was watching the Coach get up and do his guest pose. He was jaw dropping amazing (and a bit of a show off LOL). Not a bad routine either considering he made it up 2 hours before the show.

I think this weekend is just what I need to get me into gear again. Although I was away for the weekend I have got in all training and cardio sessions (well walking sessions). I am really enjoying my weights and walking early in the morning in peace and quite. Since getting back eating is going well. I have cleaned it up alot and increased my protein and veg. I am no longer going hungry. I have the date of the comp which i will be entering and I will give it my all.

So comp season has finally kicked off with the Mildura show. Next up is the 13 Sept NABBA show. I will be working the Max's stand if anyone is going - so you better come and say hi! Followed by WNBF on the 21st Sept.. another brilliant show not to be missed followed by INBA in Oct. This is like Christmas for me and I cant think of a better way to stage the comp prep surrounded by inspiration!

Keep up all the good work and stay positive

So I have had a rough week. I have been fighting myself in my head all week and Im exhausted. Had Monday and Tuesday off sick (not sick persay but very tired). Slept 12 hours both days.. still trained of course. Actually did an ass kicking legs session on Monday followed by a relaxing steam. When I thought I couldnt do another rep I squeezed out another 3. And im still sore today. Recovery is still taking alot longer then 'normal'. The only thing I can think of that is different is that I am not taking any sups except Protein Powder. Might need to work back in the Glutamine and Xtend. And you know what is worse - I have these sups at home, Ive just been to lazy to use them.

Had a few comments lately that have really thrown me for 6. Both came at work actually.
'Cheryl - are you using steriods again? your shoulders are looking huge'.
Now my first reaction was wow, thats great.. big shoulders=growth=good little Body Builder.
But the girl in me says HUGE?? is that a good thing.
The next week a girl says 'Cheryl is it a compliment if I tell you that you have the biggest thighs I have ever seen?'..
My first reaction was .. Yes thats I compliment.. followed by 'oh god.. thunder thighs??'

I am at odds with myself. I guess the Bodybuilder in me is happy about my muscular (and too high a fat percentage) size. But there is still the girl in me who doesnt want to be the biggest girl in the room. Does that make sense?

Food wise I think my diet has been so much better then when I was dieting with my food choices. I am eating more but Im chosing the better options. Food is no longer in my every thought and am happy with how that size is going.. Then insecure Cheryl pips in with "You really shouldnt eat all that - you need to loose weight".
These few months are proving to be a roller coaster of thoughts. I guess when you take away the goal of getting on stage I now have more 'thought' time to drive myself made. I feel that I dont actually have a goal.. Am I trying to put on my muscle or am I trying to drop weight??

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend full of smiles and laughter. I will cause I choose to.

Friday sweet Friday

So I have reach another Friday. This week went super fast and I feel like I haven't stopped all week. All in all this has not been the greatest for eating well. And it just comes down to slackness. My days I have eaten all my meals - all healthy and nutrishous.. but at night I have been unorganised. Too busy running around to prepare a healthy dinner. A protein shake and toast is not dinner. So my new focus this week will be to take time to cook dinner before I run off again.

The weekend plan... finally I have a night off work for a friends birthday tonight. So heading out straight from work. Having dinner and drinks out at a Restaurant/Bar in Adelaide. I group from work are going and they are a great funny bunch so looking forward to it. But 3 drink Maximum will be in effect tonight. Training with H tomorrow morning and it will not do to be under 100%.

You will be pleased to know that I have been doing walks this week. Even in the pouring rain Wednesday. Does anyone else do the Corporate Cup. Well - work has a team entered and we do a 4.5km course. Your team gets points for the biggest improvement. Well first day of the even we are expecting Thunderstorms and hail. Yep there is me with a monster golf umbrella walking around this track. I was covered in mud and my shoes and socks were soaked. I thought it was funny for about 5 minutes of the 45min walk. On the plus side at least I will improve my time next week - it is very hard to walk at a decent pace with an umbrella.

I hope eveyone has a great weekend - to the girls (and boys) going to Mildura - train hard and focus.. not long now
XXX

Howdy all,

Well the weekend is over and Im back sitting at my desk. The weekend was pretty un eventful. Got up very early Sat morning after working till late to help my parents out with their Garage sale. I hate garage sales. Really dont like strangers going through my parents belongings and bartering over 50 cents for a crystal vase. I decided alot of the better stuff we should try and sell on ebay rather then sell it for $1. Woops i think I volunteered myself for that job.

I got saved from the sale by training with H. We spoke earlier that morning and after I confessed my weight he surprised me with his response. Now this man does not mince his words (although he is working on his tact). He has left me stung many times with his critic on my 'progress' while training for comps. So I say "H I weight 75kg". He says "You wear it well - You carry it well. Not sure where your hiding the extra kg". I nearly dropped the phone. We have come along way from "Hot body but to fat to compete". I was so pleased with his response I was amped to get in and train hard. It has made me think.. yes I have along way to go. But do I look terrible and should I feel horrible - NO. I look strong, I am strong. Now lets get down to work.
Had a killer session and ended it with some nasty walking lunges (secretly love them - dont tell). I have problems with my lower back - generally due to tight hips and a weak back so normally have issues squating alot but I was vry pleased with my effort and no pain.. Until today but i think it might be due to sitting on a bar stall for 3 1/2 hours yesterday. But that is for latter.

Worked Sat night and had a great convo about training with a security gaurd I work with. very interesting listening to others opinions about competing.

Sunday went to the farmers market but I think I got there too late. All the Chicken was sold (the man said they just flew out this morning - I said that I wanted dead chooks anyway and not ones that can fly - we giggled). Did pick up some free range Steak and eggs though - yumm.
I spent the afternoon with a guy I was friends with 6 years ago. He looked me up on face book and I thought - why not. Well - 3 1/2 hours later I had said my good byes and peeling myself of the stool. Siding without a back to my chair for that long has left me in alot of pain today. Trying to organise a massage - always helps.

Food went well on the weekend. Got all my veg in (Good girl Cheryl). Got rid of the dairy again - I am lactose intolerant but just keep persisting in trying to eat cheese (not a very good idea). Still having natural yoghurt which i make myself I am less bloated for it. All in all - im ready for a good week.

Ok this is a blog written in panic. Just been to the Naturopath.. At lunch I really fancied a milkshake. I have not had one in about 3 years. So the whole dont have dairy thing blew me up like a balloon. So Naturopath puts me on the scales.. I am now officially my heaviest weight EVER! I feel very frustrated. She really doesnt understand the whole BB thing so is always telling me to eat less protein. And also says I have enough muscle. I think I dont. I know i am holding a very large amount of muscle but still disheartened by the number on the scale.
New game of attack.. I will now watch my portion sizes.
Breakfast - 3/4 cup oats with berries, flax and 1/2 banana, protein shake
Morning tea - Leafy salad (quantity?), 50g sweet potato, 50g chick peas and 90g tuna
Lunch - 3/4 cup rice, 120 g chicken, 1 cup veg
Afternoon tea - Protein Shake, 12 Almonds
PW shake
Dinner - 150g protein, 2 cup veg

Comments?? Anything Im missing or are my amounts off? I guess I want to drop some weight - not in a hurry and want to do it slowly.
I guess I am alittle unsure of how much I should be eating.. Is that strange - after years of measuring out amounts I have no idea what amount to eat.
Also there will be walks in 4 x 1 hour walks each week.

Thoughts?

Well past the halfway mark this week. Not that im wish away my life. But cant wait to have some down time. Ive had a very busy week with work Mondayand Nana's 71st Birthday Tues. My parents are knocking down their house to rebuild so are going through all the old 'stuff' you accumulate over the years. I was dragged into help last night which turned out to be alot of fun. We went throught all my old dancing costumes.. Really should not have tried to squeeze into my old tutu. Didnt look good when I was 12 - and sure as heck doesnt look good at 25 let me tell you! LOL.

Weight training has been good all week and did some great increases in my tri strength yesterday. Tonight im hitting back with my new fancy straps.. Should be interesting - im a little unco when it comes to the little things and think straps will be one of them. AND im going to do 30 min walk after weights.. I have done no 'cardio' all week and think a few sessions of walking wont kill me nor prevent serious muscle growth.

Saving legs for Coach Cayli on Saturday morning. Im going to definately regret that! Haha.. nah love training legs. might be my fav muscle group. He said something rediculous about taking pictures this week. It is going to be my 'before' picture.. Not sure i like that. I dont like to think of myself in 'before' condition.

Thanks for all the info on Organic foods. I will be at the Adelaide Showgrounds Farmers Market on Sunday morning. A little concerned about the lovely homemade icecream I have heard about.. walk away from the icecream Cheryl!

Have another appointment with my Natropath today. i have been on a gluten free and lactose free diet for a few weeks now (with a few slips) to see what is causing all my bloating. I conducted an experiment yesterday (by accident) and had cheese on my gluten free wrap. My last night my stomach looked about 4 months pregnant. Enough for my Mum to say 'Please tell me your blowing your stomach out'. But woke up today with flatness back (well not flat.. but flatter :)) Im thinking it might be a dairy problem.

Well im off to meet my buddy Janelle and her beautiful baby girl - who im going to have words with for not letting her mother sleep!

And remember..

"You haven't been given life to test the waters. You're here to make waves"

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

Love the people who treat you right.

Forget about the ones who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy.

They just promised it would be worth it.

What a great weekend! Freezing but great. Yesterday was the Figure girls brunch. For those that dont know about it, every month a few of us get together and chat about how we are all going with Food, training, significant others and anything else that comes to mind. Not even sure how it started now but I can tell you these ladies (Tania, Kerry and Magda - are the regulars) are a god sent. They pick you up when your struggling and kick you up the butt when your being lazy LOL.
After brunch headed to our WNBF posing practice. Hayzer (the president - but who i call Coach Cayli) puts on practice each week which is so great for the sport because so many dont know how to pose. I think it is also great to meet up with the other girls who are competing - it builds some comradery(sp?) amoungst us. It was great to see you Jaimee-Lee and congrats again :). I got up and did a few rounds of posing but soon sat down. I guess I felt upset with myself because I am no longer competing. The sentimental part of my brain thinks I should have just kept going and i would be 4 weeks out from comp and the logical side knows that I made the right decision on sitting this year out.
I do love watching the girls go throught their poses. It is great to see the changes in them all each week even if they cant themselves see it. Cant wait to see the show even more so because I have seen the progression. I will be screaming my lunges out at both the WNBF Mildura show and the Adelaide show.
On a completely different topic I have decided that I would like to start introducing Organic food into my diet. Heading to the Central Market this week to pick up some fruit, veg and chooks. Yumm! And you will be all pleased to know that the only tiny blip in the food this weekend was the Birchem musli and Coconut and Apricot toast at brunch.. And I am A OK with that cause I loved every bite!
XX Cheryl

Oh blissful Saturday - how I love Saturday. Saturday is the day I am greatful that I have noone that takes up my much loved relaxation time.
Worked till midnight last night and thought I might actually cry I was so tired. In future maybe avoid doing legs the same day as I need to walk around for 6 hours. Anyway finished work and fell into bed. Had to get a good night sleep today for my session with the H man.
We trained back and abs. he was very impressed with my form which is good to know after having trained without a trainer for a while now. The session went greast until the last exercise he asked me to do was crunches.. Ok now confession time. .. I cant do crunches - never have. There is a sticking point that I cant get past. I can do the lower part or the upper part but cant get from the bottom to near the top.. Does that make sense. Anyway - it was very amusing that BodyBuilder Cheryl who is meant to be strong cant do crunches.

So now training is done and I have no plans till 6 tonight when I have to work again.. Dont even need to clean cause it all done. I feel a sex in the city marathon coming on. I hope everyone has a great weekend with the perfect balance of rest, hard work, sleep and laughes.
XX

Big thanks to everyone who has left comments. This is very exciting for me.

Just posting to let mark day 1 of eating clean and healthy for serious muscle gain. No more junk - i dont really like it and the idea of what it is doing to my body kind of grosses me out. So went for a lovely 1 hour and 5min walk with Miss TC and had a great chat along the way. Fridays tend to be slack on the training front because I work my day job till 5 then go straight to my second job and work until 12. This is when I tend to drive past a take away shop or that darn Villis cafe which is open 24 hours.. I might put my photo in there and tell staff not to serve me :)
So today I stopped making excuses and went to the gym in my lunch break. Got my leg session done which means I am back upto date with training. Ok so Ive put together a new program and I had to have some serious talks with myself to get through it. Possible too many sets for a few of the exercises. I have started doing 4sets of everything. Here is what I managed..

• Deadlift @ 30(I think I need to have someone watch me do this.. Not sure if im using my back too much or maybe my lower back is just weaker then my legs so i feel it more??)


• BB Squat @ 35 (had to drop the weight on the last set)


• DB Single leg lunge @ 7.5 (only made 3 sets)


• Leg ext @ 30


• Stiff leg Deadlift @ 27.5 (Pretty bad effort but I was stuffed and forgot my straps)


• Lying leg curl @ 20 (Did I mention I was stuffed)


• Back Ext (3 sets)


• Abductors and Annducters (I always made fun of girls that do this exercise until I saw Viv, a women I greatly admire do them) - felt a little silly.

Any comments of my session are more then welcomed.

Now im back at work and just want to curl up and sleep and I have a very long night ahead of me.

So as per Blogging rules - honesty is required.. so... Last night I was invited to the Australian Hotel Awards night and I misbehaved. Im not one to drink - I easily dont drink through 6 months of comp prep without a second thought. Not only for health reasons but also after years of working in bars, I am slightly sicked by drunk behaviour. That being said I thought this would be the perfect night to have a few champagnes. Note now my tolerance for the odd drink is very low and the drinks knocked me for six. I would like to take this time to say thankyou to my wonderful roomie for picking me up, making me a sandwich and stopping me from drowning in my cup of tea. But I loved getting all dressed up (I looked great even if I didnt by the end of the night). Will post pictures this weekend.

Waking up today (late) I realised how much of an effect wine has on a body. I feel terrible and hungry. And the will power to stick to clean eating flew out the window. Safe to say I will be giving the gym a miss tonight. The idea of training legs and being under a heavy bar doing squats just does not seem like a safe idea. So tonight I will restock my house full of nutritional food, do some much needed cleaning (maybe) and prepare for a better day tomorrow. Starting with a nice hour brisk walk with T. T is my old (not in age) training parter.

Also training with H on Saturday so should hurt me good. This weeks training though is taking me ages to recover from. My chest and bis still ache from Monday nights session. Not sure what thats about but possible need to do more (some) stretching.

Stepping out from Lurking

Hi all.. so finally decided (thanks for the friendly push) to start blogging for the reason to be accountable and give me time to reflect on it all..

So background.. im 25 and live in my lovely apartment with my roomie. I work full-time in Finance, part-time in a hotel and study part-time to finish my degree in Finance. I have a dancing background but was always chubby which ballooned out of control when I lived overseas for 3 years. I became miserable both physically and emotionally. In Canada I started training with a PT and fell in love with the way I felt and my new muscles. On returning to Adelaide I set my eye on competing in Novice Figure show INBA last year.

I loved the experience of competing and being on stage (natural show pony) and got straight into comp prep for this year.. which is where I fell down. I have had to not compete this year due to bad binging due to having a overly restrictive diet. The decision was made that if I want to compete I need to do it in a sustainable, healthy and balanced way.

So my aim this year is to develope a healthy relationship with food and learn more on effective training. Build some arms to match my legs and slowly wittle down my weight so I am in a better place to hit the stage next year as a natural bodybuilder.