For breakfast I had fruit, yoghurt and a omelette.. Most people with think that's a healthy breakfast but I don't look at it as food I'm sitting there thinking there is a truckload of sugar on that plate which will spike my insulin levels which will then make me store fat ect.
It would be really nice to just switch off my mind and enjoy all the amazing food I'm eating without being a human calculator and breaking down every single thing I eat. Ignorance is truly bliss when it comes to this
Day 119 Training with the locals
Everyone that I met at the gym was so friendly they helped me put on my wraps, taught me new skills and made me feel part of their family :) Don't be intimidated by what some of the fighters look like the two guys in this photos are the two funniest gentle giants i have ever met and will go above and beyond to give you an awesome training session and experience.
Kickboxing is awesome for cardio as well as fitness. The high intensity training is really good for strength, conditioning, weight loss and co ordination. Put some gloves on and bring out your tough inner women :)
Day 120 My first night out in over a year
I can honestly say I go out once a year and will drink alcohol once a year. I know what alcohol does to your body and I'd much rather wake up early feeling fresh and ready to train then feeling hung over and feeling like rubbish. My stay in Thailand is coming to a end and I decided I was going to go to this amazing roof top bar where the view are incredible. It's a tapers menu and they serve cocktails all night.Feels weird doing normal things but you need to change things up and give your mind and body a rest.
Fingers crossed I don't have a hang over tomorrow
Day 123 Thailand wrap up!!
This trip has been a crazy roller coaster... At first I was hesitant to come because I didn't want to leave my comfort zone and wreck my prep. I made it over here and had to fight some mental battles with food and learning to be ok with eating foods I haven't had in weeks and accepting that this trip will set me back with my prep but it's ok and I need to enjoy the hard earned break.
Balance is so important and this trip has showed me I need to stop and re group because I was getting deep into my diet and training and getting blind to the things around me. I hope by you reading some of my challenges will help you not fall into the same trap that I nearly did. If you are battling mentally with yourself feel free to send me and email or leave me a comment :)
Day 125 Motivational clips on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOy0YgUDwDg
Day 126 Don't be so hard on yourself
I have been feeling a little bit overwhelmed, I have lots of friends that are body builders and sports models and I want to be on their level straight away and win my first competition so I can be just like them. The thing I have to remember is they have been doing it for years and started off exactly when I am and put in the hard work and made all the mistake and did their time just like i have to do. It can feel scary when you don't know what to do but instead of being overwhelmed turn that into your motivation to grow and better yourself and enjoy watching your mind and body mature :) Just know you aren't alone and all great people started from the begging.
Day 128 Meeting with my coach on Tuesday
I leave Bangkok Monday arrive on the Gold Coast Tuesday then fly out to Sydney for work on Wednesday. My life is back to crazy busy flying across Australia for work. I hate that I have to see my coach on Tuesday because I know this trip has set me back and my skin folds are going to be high :( Instead of beating myself up about it I'm going to sit down with my coach and make a plan on how I can get back on track and be where I need to be, I will just have to work harder.
You can always turn a negative situation around to be something positive. A positive mind will create a healthy life.
Day 129 Emotional outbursts
Day 131 Catch up with my coach 12.2% - 13.2% :(
Saw my coach this morning and I have gained a 1% body fat. I know some people will think that's not to bad but in the body building work 1% is pretty big especially when I'm not far off being on stage. We have changed up my diet and training in order to get back on track. I will try it out for 2 weeks and we will see how I go. Fingers crossed.
Day 135 Is over training making you skinny fat?
Skinny fat Definition = A “skinny fat” physique is one that doesn’t look overweight, but lacks muscle definition which means their body will have wobbly bits and generally shapeless. It’s the type of physique that, despite having relatively low levels of body fat, looks soft and shapeless.
Here is an examples of what it look s like on boys and girls:
How do you become skinny fat?
- Extreme dieting with rapid weigh loss
- Lacking muscle tone
- Over training and burning into your muscle instead of fat
Ways to over come it?
- Make sure you give your body enough calories to match your training
- Pick up some weights, it will really help tone and tighten your body
- Feed your body good nutritious foods
Sometimes less = more. I love my training so much and I have convinced myself I'm a little bit A'D'D :) What I didn't realise was I was over training and burning into my muscle and wasn't burning and fat which left me looking skinny but things wobbled everywhere and I lost my body shape. I have now pulled back my training to going for walks in the morning and one gym session in the afternoon instead of weights, beach sprints and a gym class all in one day. I will have seen better results and my body will love me more when I'm not over working it and putting it under a lot of high stress
Day 140 Someone please wrap me in bubble wrap!!
In the space of a week I have broken my toe, caused damage to my ankle from kicking pads repeatedly for a week without a break and I also fell down 12 stairs and nearly broke my arm. Oh my goodness!!
I'm so close to being on stage and I keep hurting myself which is very dangerous because I can't afford to not train. Every since my coach has changed my diet I have been getting very forgetful and clumsy. It is best to not rush and take your time with things to try and avoid any more accidents. Fingers crossed I make it on stage without a plaster or bandage lol
When dieting you can sometimes feel spaced out and forgetful due to the restricted number of calories. Just hang in there and try not to hurt yourself or lock yourself out of your apartment which I have done 4 times now haha my poor room mates. 
Day 141 Really starting to feel the downside of competing
Having the Thailand break was really good and I have no regrets but it did set me back from my competition with gaining 1% body fat so now I have had to make some adjustments and i'm really starting to feel the effects. I don't get my big crazy cheat nights, I have to do more cardio and my coach has changed my diet to try and get me back on track from my 10 days of binge eatingI'm tired all the time and just have enough energy to get through the day with my daily tasks and because I have to walk everywhere it makes things harder. I'm getting forgetful and clumsy, my mind is feeling blank and slow..
This is normal to feel like this when your body is getting leaner and now its having to lose more fat on a already lean body frame. The last few weeks is where competing really tests you mentally and physically because you're so exhausted and don't have a lot of energy and you need to find a way to push through and still train to failure and get through work and everyday life tasks that are already challenging enough without dieting. I just need to hang in there and just keep reminding myself its all part of the process
Day 142 Train until you physically can't lift any more
I see people at the gym and they will pick a rep number which is usually 15 - 20 and will stop once they reach that number but they have so many more reps still left to give. You can't expect your body to change if you keep doing the same thing and not push yourself
145 Fasted morning cardio closer to comp day
What is fasted cardio? Why do people do it?
Some people believe that if you do 30 - 60 minutes of cardio before you eat breakfast your body will go straight to the fat stores for energy rather than getting energy from the food you have just digested.
If you're trying to lose weight then fasted cardio is ideal for that extra helping hand to shed the unwanted fat. By sticking to your diet and adding in fasted cardio you should most definitely see results
My coach has me doing 40mins every morning before I eat breakfast and I have noticed a big difference.
I just wish it wasn't winterDay150 Visualisation to help calm anxiety and nerves
Coming closer to being on stage I'm finding a can't get to sleep as easy I keep thinking about competing and it is making me anxious because I'm out of my comfort zone and it is all new to me. A friend of mine told me a way to calm my nerves and help me on the day is it visualise everything from start to finish over and over again in your head step by step from when you arrive to receiving the winning trophy.
When I lay in bed and can't sleep I visualise the drive to the competition, registration, having my tan and make up done, being back stage with my coach and best friend, pumping up, stepping on stage and seeing the crowd, having a smile on my face while doing my routine and loving it, to having my name called out as the winner and me thinking I did it.
Day 152 Progression picture
As your body keeps changing you need to keep adapting and changing your diet and exercise. Im only a few weeks out now so it's definitely crunch time!! It is now Monday and I see my coach again on Wednesday which I'm excited about :)
Will let you know my body fat
Day 158 Walking zombie
I have found it hard to update this blog because I have been mentally and physically excused and everything feels like such a mission and impossible.. I have been working non stop and haven't slept and haven't been able to settle in anywhere. I'm finding it hard to even think now. This is the hardest bit because I'm so close now to being on stage I just need to hang in there :(
Day 159 Self sabotage
I'm really struggling big time :( I have been working 2 weeks straight with no break and I'm exhausted. I have another 7 full days straight before I get a break for 3 days then straight back into it. I have completely ruined my diet today I have been eating lollies and chocolate all day and I'm upset. I went to train and a random physio stopped me and told me to stop training because he could see how much my back is out of whack and he said I would do damage if I kept going. I'm not prepared for being on stage I have nothing ready and haven't even started posing. My coach has now moved to Brisbane so I won't see him as often. I don't know if I'm good enough or ready to be on stage I feel so lonely and lost
Day 163 Late night legs
When I train I like to really take my time, shut my eyes while doing my reps and really focus on squeezing and working the muscle I'm trying to target. By doing that I feel my workout have been incredible and I have been really making the most of every rep and set instead of rushing and half assing my workout because you have someone starting there waiting to use the same machine. Try training at a different time and see how you go
Day 167 Getting to cook in hotel kitchens while I'm traveling for work
This makes me laugh, I just finished working at the Brisbane Ekka and bought some show bags for my friends kids and had them in the boot of my car. I arrived in Rockhampton and my hotel room didn't have a kitchen and I needed to cook all my meals on my diet plan. The manager was this really sweet over weight old guy so I turned on the charm haha I said I will make a deal with him if I can quickly use the hotel kitchen I will give him a show bag haha It was a long shot but it worked!!Sometimes you will need to cook your food and not have facilities or you need to eat something on your meal plan but don't have it, you need to always try and think of ways to make it happen and 9 times out of 10 you will find a way you just need to think hard enough
Day 169 Progression photo
With any diet and change you make you won't get it right the first time and you will have slips up here and there but if you work through it and stay on track you will really start to enjoy the reward for all your hard work..
Day 170 Physio machine
This bad boy has helped me and my injuries so much!! it has 12 different settings from Massage, Acupuncture, Toning and so much more. How it works is you stick the two sticky pads on your pressure points and then pick a mode, what then happens is the device sends electrical pulses straight to that area and helps relax and repair your muscles and get the electrical pulses to flow through to that particular area.
I use mine on my Upper, middle and lower back and it really helps to release all the tension so I'm not in any pain from still muscles. They are a little pricey and range form $350 - $450. It is the same size and weight of an I pod and you can strap it to yourself and use it while driving, shopping, working behind a desk or at home.
Day 171 Waking up and loving my body
I can't wait until all my readers get to experience the same amazing feelings I am and we can all laugh about how much we used to hate a certain body part but now we are all positive and loving life
Day 173 Catch up with my coach 13.7% - 11.7% BF
I'm so excited I just came home from seeing my coach and I have dropped body fat Woo Hoo We are hoping to get me on stage at 9% so I really need to keep on point and keep focused and make sure I stick to my diet 100%. We have changed my diet and taken some things out so things are going to get tough but I'm ready for the challenge :)
Day 174 Getting my bikini ready
Eeeeeek I can't believe I'm picking out bikinis.. Its still so surreal I'm doing this and I'm going to be on stage competing with 40 + other incredible girls that have worked just as hard.
I'm scared, excited and nervous all wrapped in one. I have decided to go with the colour Blue, I think it will really suit my hair and personality..Plus its not to girly, I'm already wearing high heels so one step at a time lol
I'm getting my bikini custom made from a lady called Kristen lonie who is based in Tweed. Kristen does all the sports models and does an incredible job.
She is sending me some material samples to check out, I can't wait to see the final product.
What you need to be stage ready plus prices
- Clear stage high heels $70 - Kristen Lonie
- Custom made Comp Bikini $300 - kristen Lonie
- Hair and make up $200 - Tegan Woodford
- Nails and toes professionally done $80
- Tan $140 Bella Bronze 3 Bondi ave mermaid beach..
- Posing practise or classes $40 per session - Sam Jane Herron
- Jewellery $30 diva
Day 175 - The worst possible to be getting sick :(
It is so exciting and addictive when you see your body start to change shape, you want more and it be bigger and leaner. I used to avoid training shoulders because it thought it was to masculine but now I'm so addicted to getting bigger shoulders. When competing Shoulders and Glutes are what the judges are really looking for so it is so important you really work on both those body parts
I'm not going to lie the last few weeks are a big struggle with energy levels and you will find you will train then rest for 2 hours then do something else then need another rest. I have been resting on the beach trying to get some colour and energy from the sun and the cold water really helps with recovery. Make sure you have plenty of movies handy and things around you that will help you relax and not stress you out.
- Loud noises will annoy the sh*t out of you and drive you crazy haha
- Music will annoy you, you won't be able to listen to a full song you will get annoyed after 5 minutes and constantly flick songs until you just turn it off
- You will go to the bathroom about a million times a day and all through the night
- A lot more dreams will be about food and you will wake up thinking you had this huge food binge and freak out until you realise it was just a dream.
- You will stare at the lock for you next meal and the second you can eat it you will eat it so fast that you forget you ate it.
- Park your car close to where ever you're going because 9 time out of 10 you will forget where you parked your car.
- It will take you triple the time to compete any task and time will fly.
- You will cry at randomly and at random things, this morning I cried seeing a happy dog sky dive for the first time haha
I'm not going to lie the last few weeks are going to challenge you ever way possible and you will really have to dig deep to be able to get through the day :( It took me 3 hours to get out of bed my mind said get up you need to train but my body was shutting down big time and really didn't want to move at all. You will lay there and time will fly by and you will honestly feel blank and really spacey. The only thing that got me up was thinking I really need to eat so the quicker I can get up and do my cardio the quicker I can eat and that was the only thing that worked. In times like that I wish I had more support but unfortunately I have been doing everything by myself and I know this whole experience will make me a stronger person.
Later that night
Seeing my progression picture makes me realise everything is worth it :) All the hard training, dieting, tired days and nights are all worth it when you see results. You need to push through the hard times and stay on track with your diet and training, your mind will wonder and you will want to give up or just eat some more food but stay on track so you can be rewarded for your hard efforts. So close to the finish line every day counts and just think about being on stage looking incredible and all your friends and family getting to see how hard you worked :)
I can't wait for that moment
18 Days to go!!!
Omg the nerves are starting to kick in big time alone with excitement.. Eeeeeek
You spend 3 months preparing for something and when you're so close your mind goes on a little emotional spin and I feel excited, nervous, scared, anxious all in one. I don't know what to expect but I'm a little sad things are starting to come to a end. I have been in this dieting and training bubble for the last 20 weeks and now it's almost show time and i don't want it to end. I have never been involved in any competition at all and this is what people must go through before any competition. I have loved every part of my journey so far and i'm so proud of myself for making it this far. I just need to make the most of the next 18 days and make every day, training session and meal count!! I'm training legs tonight with my amazing couch / trainer and I used to cringe at training legs but now I know things are coming to a end im actually really loving my training and really taking everything in.
Posing is way harder then what it seems I have been you tube watching girls routins and they honestly make it look so easy!! I have had 2 posing sessions with my trainer now and its really hard holding poses and squeezing everything in tight. The aim of posing it to show off your best features and hide your weaker points. I also have to do a routine as well on a T shaped catwalk. After you do a individual routine then you have to all stand in a line and do compulsory quarter turns and you will be judged all together then they will call out the winner. Fingers crossed I can remember my routine and quarter turns..
11 days out and starting to regret how much I'm damaging my body
8 days out progression picture 67.7kgs 9.8% body fat
Man this sport is such a love hate thing. One day you feel like you have been pushed to your absolute maximum then you see a picture of yourself and hang in there for that little bit longer and you will do this constantly. I have wanted to throw in the towel so many times and have been pushed to my limits and beyond and somehow I'm still standing and hanging in there.
Even though my top half is really lean and in shape i have a big problem with my legs holding water and cortisol, which is caused by stress so they look really big and don't match my top half. for the next 8 days I need to relax and keep my stress levels down other wise I don't think I will be ready to be on stage, I don't want to look stupid on stage :( I have completely shut off from everyone and have my head down trying my best to keep my stress levels down before I see my coach on Thursday. Fingers crossed!!
Final week!!! Practise, Practise, Practise!!I have been watching you tube clips and these girls make it look so easy but posing is honestly really hard!! The best thing to do is find a full length mirror and just keep practicing until it comes as second nature for you. I'm still not comfortable yet with posing and doing a routine but I just need to keep at it and try my best and have fun :)
If you're like me I suggest you keep it simple and stick to the basics..
5 Days to go!!
Your final week is your depletion week and be ready to pretty much eat fish every meal and up your cardio in order to get rid of the last minute fat and water. You will need to have afternoon naps constantly because your body will be so tired but you will really start to notice your body change and take even more shape. Closer to the day you will get to eat carbs in order to refuel your body and it will bring out your definition which your coach will advise you of and how much to have, everyone is different.
I'm starting to get really impatient and just want it to be here and over already the last week is dragging on big time :( I'm really looking forward to having a normal life again and eating normal food
Team Alpha
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to the special people around me that have always been there to help and support me when ever i have been in need these tough couple of weeks..
I'm So blessed to be surrounded by nothing but positive people with huge hearts that are all on their own special mission and always willing to help..
Huge amounts of love and appreciation
Final days 4 days!!!
The final days leading up to the show is so important every single thing counts!! I had to stop training because if you training in your final days you will hold water and you want to look your leanest on stage. You also have to do a thing called a water drop where you drink 5l of water every day and a day or two out you stop drinking water and your body will flush it out of your system. You also have to lay down and keep your legs elevated so the water can be drained from your legs. There are so many things you have to do in your final days as well as getting of plenty of rest. This is where it is really handy having a coach. Everyone is different and every body type is different so you should be checking in with your coach everyday and making changes
SHOW DAY!!!!
The morning of the show
7.30am - Hair and Make up
10.00am - leave for the show
10.30am - 12.00pm practice posing and checking in with my coach to see what foods I needed to eat in order to drop water and fill out my muscles
2.00pm - Pre judging on stage with compulsory quarter turns
8.00pm - Solo routine
8.10pm Winners announced
OMG!!!!! after 30 - 40 girls that competed I placed Second!!!!!
I went on stage and spend the day with the mind set I'm going to have fun and I don't care what i come because I already have gained so much and had so much love and support from friends and family which was more then enough for me. Coming second was the biggest added extra and I'm so blessed and grateful.
I'm so exhausted after such a huge day and very dehydrated.. My first bit of food I had was lollies, salt and vinegar chips and chocolate haha I was so tired and felt sick so thats all I could fit in my belly
A week after comp!!
The magic formula to achieving your perfect body.... Never give up
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