Foundations have been laid.

The time is now and my mojo has returned to me just in time. :)
Week 1 of a 20 week prep done and dusted... and this steam trains momentum is moving along quite nicely!
I am feeling in much better head space then i was say even 6 months ago just by not taking on board a lot of negativity and it's really helping.
Like i said in my last post i have a lot of work ahead of me due to the weight gain in the past 12 months but i am a determined person and will put in my all to get to the place i want to be.
My exercise - Weights and cardio are still the same as pre prep the only thing that has change so far is my calorie intake. Working with my coach in the offseason has help boost my metabolism ( still something in the future i am aiming to nail - offseason v's on season = balanced lifestyle) Just before starting prep my calorie intake was just over 2000 calories with out putting on any weight.
I am now sitting just below maintenance a lil over 1400 calories.  I work with Macronutrients (Proteins, Carbs & Fats) with the macro numbers my coach gives me i am able to put together a diet plan using a software program that i put my food into,  basically Monday to Friday i eat the same things due to easier planning and preparation. Weekends i tend to experiment with my numbers.
Something i get asked all the time is.. "What should i eat?" , "What is the best diet?", "What's your thoughts on this diet?".  At the end of the day you have to discover what works best for you. And what is likely to help you get the best results and keep you sticking to the plan... Most diets work (some are quite extreme) But as an individual its your responsibility to work out what "diet" plan works for you. Counting my macros works best for me :)
Educating yourself what is in your food (check out the nutritional panel) your eating has definitely helped me, would you feel fuller after a kilo of vegetables or a slice and half bread???
Anyhow the journey to the stage is underway more then just a journey to get my kini & heels on but i know this journey is a process of a lifestyle change for me.
i am hoping to blog on a more regular basis :)
Bring on Week 2....  BOOYA!!!

The come back!

We all make mistakes and from these mistakes its whether we choose to let go and move on or hold on and do our heads in.... For me, I'm going to be honest not letting go of some of my mistakes has not allowed me to move forward in the direction i am wanting to go. And for me being able to admit this is one of my first steps of letting go.... YAY ME!
The only thing that is getting in my road of where i want to go with my goals and dreams is me and i am really going to put the effort in to change things around. The past 12 months have been rather stressful and upsetting but i know the things i have been through and are getting through are obstacles to make me stronger, braver and will help me with more trials and errors life will throw my way.

It is almost 12 months since i stepped on the stage. I am a lil disappointed in the position i have put myself (as in weight gain) But i am not going to let that stop me from getting back up on that stage come 2013 i have already planned which shows i really want to do and am working my butt off currently to put myself in a better position. I am extremely happy to be working with my coach again and i have an amazing and supportive network of people that have been there to encourage me through all my ups and downs. I am currently 6.5 weeks from starting prep so the plan is now to really knuckle down and fine tune my lil hiccups.

Let the journey begin.... 2013 i am coming for you!!!!

Fighting for what i love!

What an interesting year so far i can't believe over half of it has gone already! 4 months since i last blogged too haha I'm a shocker.
I have no idea where this blog/rant may go but anyway here i go.......

I knew coming into this year it was going to be a year of finding balance and reevaluating things in my life. This year to date has been one interesting  roller coaster but finally i feel like I'm seeing that light at the end of the tunnel. Completion of studies i had put off for some time has lifted some stress, learning to say no to things and people in my life gives me that sense of control again, not being afraid to ask for help when needed is helping me with acceptance so there fore i do feel like things are starting to move in the direction i want. I am starting to finally believe in me again :)

People have blamed post comp blues for my headspace that i have been in the past few months, i know in myself it was more then that my headspace began before comp was over due to things in my life i was not happy with, since then slowly i have made those changes and tada my headspace is starting to turn around. (Still a few things i have to work on).

One thing i have learnt but still working on is.... Food is not the solution to ones problem lol. I'm back working with my coach again, i stopped working with him post comp due to my silly head which was probably the least smartest thing i ever did i was so worried i would fail in front of him. Hmm won't ever be doing that again. He has been amazing support and i am so grateful to be part of an inspiring, motivated and genuine team.

Currently i am 14 weeks from starting prep for my next show (34 Weeks out) Food has improved HEAPS, Training is great my biggest goals coming into this next show is fuller shoulders, arms and upper back to balance out my thicker framed legs, I'm also hoping to be leaner so i do have my work cut out for me :P The challenge is on! I'm finding having these goals to work for has lifted my intensity in my training, my passion to compete has been reunited with me and i am willing to put in the hard work to get what i want.

Mindset is everything, and i can't thank Mick enough for the encouragement and belief he has and shows for me :) You have taught me how to start to believe in me again!

I'm ready to work hard each and every day to be the person i really want to be!
My journey to the stage season 3 is underway.... this is where i will keep you updated with where and what i am up too : )

THE TIME IS NOW

Already counting down

Wow a month since my last blog I'm such a shocker!

Well i have picked the next show i am wanting to do....

FitX IFBB Amateur show in Melbourne March 2013.

I went to the one this year a couple of weeks ago and it was total inspiration plus : ) 50.5 weeks haha i love my count downs!!! I got to meet some of the amazing people in this industry International Pro's such as Nicole Wilkins, Erin Stern, Larissa Reis, Alicia Harris. And some amazing Aussie athletes too :) All in all the weekend was incredible and i got to share it with some new great friends!!! Thank you Mick for getting me there : )

So what's the plan for the next 50.5 Weeks????

I'm all about bringing something new to the stage each time i step up on there hence why i have time off to work on my areas that i'd like to improve... the goal this time round is to bring up my back, shoulders and arms as i feel my legs are quite dominating lol. I'm constantly tweeking my diet to reboot my metabolism (something i do struggle with in the offseason). And week be week i am making an improvement YAY me! I am sitting a LOT higher on the scales than i would like to be I'm hoping the more i stick to the "plan" my body composition will change and i'll get back to a more happy place.... Progression... right??? Not Perfection!!!

Training has been GREAT I'm really enjoying it at the moment I tend to train a lot on my own recently i have done a few sessions with others which has pushed me which i really liked so i think i will incorporate that a little more often.

Now that comp season is underway i always wish it was me getting ready but i know that i much prefer to have that year off, go to the drawing board and make a plan of attack last thing i want is hoping back up on stage bringing the same thing! 30 weeks till prep starts... What i do now will determine what i look like on stage this time next year i'm looking forward to training my butt off (literally hehe) and making better choices with food selections in the offseason its a lifestyle not a DIET!

My goal is to come into this next show knowing i have given it my all! In saying that time to smash out my Wednesday HIIT session!

Stay tuned for my journey to the stage ROUND 3 : )

THE TIME IS NOW!

Ready or not....Life.... It happens!

You know those days you find yourself ready to explode screaming on the inside "Something has got to give"?! Well i have had quite a few as of late!

It seems that sometimes you just have to wake up and smell the roses, get off the roller coaster of life and realise nothing is going to change unless you make it happen so that is what i am in the process of currently doing... Making some changes, some good, some bad, some hard, some scary some exciting but at the end of the day what doesn't kill us makes you stronger, you never know unless you try right?!

I know a lot of people out there have liked to put "post comp blues" as my cause of not being happy but to be honest maybe just a little in the sense that i'm not sitting where i'd like to be but also looking back comp masked a lot of my unhappiness as it was the one thing i gave my full focus and energy too and i actually shut off to any other feeling cos i feel complete and happy when i am in comp prep.

My last blog spoke about finding balance in my life and i definitely feel that I'm on the right track there. I have a wonderful support network out there from family, friends and collegues that have been able to help me head in the right direction. (You all know who you are). I'm a person who gets easily overwhelmed before taking a breather and realising all will be ok (Thank you Mick for always being there to remind me everything will be ok).

This year will be the beginning of a journey i hope to achieve close to this time next year, i know i'm still in for ups and downs, making sacrifices but most of all SELF BELIEF. Like the saying goes.. You only have one life!!! I'm ready to live this life the way i want, with who i want and how i want.

Here's to a year of making CHANGES!

With or without my mojo..... THE TIME IS NOW!!!

Whoops... Time to perfect BALANCE!!!

Well it's been over a month since my last blog, hmmm whats happened... Christmas... New Years, time flys!!!

WHOOPS!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Years Eve!!! Oh and Happy Australia day for the other day :)

It's has been over 4 months now since my last comp and have i got my shit together NOPE!!! Every week i start my plan fresh and positive and every week i let myself down, some people say it shouldn't be that hard you can diet and be strict leading up to your comp what changes after??? Well i know with me it's my headspace, everyone handles things different no ones comp experience is the same as anyone else the way they diet, exercise, respond, self motivate, everyone deals and handles things there own way so post comp some people are fine and are able to keep things together i know myself it's a huge battle. I put a lot of pressure on myself this time round thinking that because i had experienced post comp blow out after my first comp (remember this is still only my second season) i would be fine and know better... hmmm not the case at all, that emotional inner eating machine surfaced and has created some major headgames with me over the past few months :(

What is done is done and all i can do is move on and improve right?! Each week as of late has become better and better i am recognising triggers and i have an amazing support network out there from you guys (you know who you are :) )

I have already started to look at which show i am doing but it won't be until next year! This year is all about finding balance and being happy with myself something i really need to work on. As i have said in the past i really want there to be very little difference with on season and off season i want it to be my lifestyle to be fit and healthy year round, i don't want to come into each comp in the future slogging myself because post comp i become too relaxed and care free.

2012 will be the year i focus on the above.... So here is my journey....

With or without my mojo..... THE TIME IS NOW!!!