SHE'S GETTING LEGS (sung to the tune of the famous ZZ Top song "She's got legs")

What a great leg session last night. Oh the pain, the sweat dripping off me, the quads burning, the hammies screaming and me pulling the ugliest faces ever! Thank god for the comic relief! Picture this: First exercise is DB lunges. Just before starting my last set BS needs help to get set up on the toilet for a number 2 (He's 4 years old) so I set him up and get back to the lunges. Last set, last leg, I'm counting reps "5 and 6 and..." then a pained voice calls out "Mummy I need some heeeeeelp". Hmf down go the dumbells and off I race to BS's rescue. Problem solved and back to the lunges. So one minute you're totally focussed on what you need to do to be a figure competitor and then BANG you're reminded that you NEVER stop being a mum (especially when you train at home).

So session all wrapped up and I'm having my PWO shake and ask WH "So are my legs looking better?" "Yes dear" spoken with just enough enthusiasm to keep me happy. I swear had he said otherwise I would have smacked him :-) So then I'm having my PWO piece of fruit running around to every mirror in the house checking out how my legs are looking. And I swear there is less cellulite there now than there was 8 weeks ago, which I point out to WH (more than once).

Coming down to earth now the reality is that I've still got a long way to go before I have good legs, but as they slowly improve I'm kept motivated and determined to succeed. Bring on that next lot of sprints :-)

Magda

BREAKING THROUGH THAT 3 WEEK LIMIT

Firstly thanks to the lovely ladies who left comments of support and encouragement after my last post. I'm pleased to say that I'm managing week 4 quite well. As the weather warms up again, the urge for the pasta, garlic bread and wine abates and I'm feeling stronger and more focussed. My goal is to stay on track 95% until I have my mini holiday to Sydney in less than 2 weeks time. Whilst I'm away I know there will be times when I eat off plan and enjoy some wine as well. Its pretty much unavoidable when you are eating out for all of your meals. WH has committed to joining me on my cardio sessions as we are sharing an apartment with the ILs so have the luxury of built-in child care. Hmm lets see who's the better runner now :-)

I'm pretty peeved that once again I dont have a "training partner". You see my training partner is my MP3. It comes with me on all my early morning cardio sessions and also when I'm doing weights in the evening. Well its on the blink AGAIN and I'm not impressed. Last time it went on the blink I was without it for 6-7 weeks and then got told that it had a faulty switch and they gave me an upgraded model. Why couldnt they just give me a replacement straight away??!! I'm dreading this happening again, or worse still, them not replacing it. Its lonely running on your own with just your breathing and thoughts accompanying you.

Tonight is leg night and I'm always nervous approaching this training session. I remember how hard it was last week and true to his form, Josh has made it even harder this week. I know that some of my "problem" is my belief in myself...oh and lets not forget the fear of that inevitable pain. So to get through each painful rep and set I imagine myself standing on stage with legs I'm proud of. Legs that are lean and toned with no cellulite or wobbly bits. I've never had legs like that so it is a big dream indeed. Which reminds me of that perfect saying: "Dream, believe, strive and achieve."

Magda

MY PSYCHOLOGICAL 3 WEEK LIMIT

For as long as I can remember I've had a 3 week limit on sticking with a healthy eating and exercise plan. Here's the pattern:
Week 1: I'm really motivated and do all the right things. See a good drop on the scales and am very :-)
Week 2: Still going well but may have a slip up or 2. Still seeing a drop on the scales but not as big.
Week 3: Now if I've made it this far (many times I havent!) I'm starting to really pine for food I shouldnt be having. The cravings get stronger and stronger and I usually give in, have a huge binge and chuck it all in for anything from a week to a month.
Result: Back at square one weighing at least what I did when I started. Then I'm agonising over where I'll find the strength and motivation to pick up and try again.

So now I'm with PE I've had one 3 week block from starting at the beginning of December up to Xmas. What a perfect excuse to pig out and have whatever I fancied. I got back on track after the 1st week in Januray and I'm right at the end of another 3 week block. Hence this desire to have pasta, garlic bread and red wine. I thought about it all day yesterday. I even thought about it whilst I was doing my sprints this morning. Those carbs are calling out to me constantly now. "If you really want to have this cheat meal then you should have it and enjoy it, after all your comp is 8 months away" vs "If you gave in every time you wanted a cheat meal you'd never be in good enough shape to compete. Get used to not being able to eat whatever you crave."

The battle continues!

Magda

I CRACKED THE 67 KG MARK AND ACHIEVED MY JAN MINI GOAL

Yes on Friday it was a happy day with the scales regsitering 67.1kgs which is good enough for me to celebrate reaching another mini goal, and ahead of time too!! Woo hoo, a new gym outfit for me as a reward.

Being that TOM on Friday I skipped my morning sprint and did a 1/2 powerwalk/jog. Still got a good workout without the stress on my lower back. Then I took BS to a friends place so that he could play with her kids while I helped her to pack for a house move. Took my own lunch even so as to not be tempted with the wrong foods. Managed to train shoulders and triceps a day ahead of time thanks to the holiday. A good session.

Saturday was a very busy day with grocery shopping, a hair appointment and then my folks coming over for a BBQ. Had a couple of things not on my nutrition plan but it was all under control so I'm ok with that. Comp is still 8 months away so I dont have to be strict like a saint, although I do try to be most of the time. Oh and lets not forget that I did my sprints on Saturday instead cause I couldnt stand missing out on them.

Today has been a very cool day and training has been my usual classes in the morning and then chest/bis in the afternoon. I'm improving on chest but bis are still struggling even though I can see them when I flex :-) Eats has been good (just a bit of left-over bbq mainly) but all day I've been dreaming of having a pasta meal with garlic bread and a nice glass of red. I'm sure the weather has a bit to do with it but I know there's more to it than that.

Well I have a mountain of ironing to tackle so will sign off there and continue my story about why I want the pasta, garlic bread and wine tomorrow.

Cheers all

Magda

MY FAMILY :-)

Here I am showing off my new sunnies at Christmas.

This pic was taken in the middle of September at Bretts Wharf. It was our last night in Brissie and also WH's birthday. Check out that sinful desert that WH is about to tuck into! Mine is just out of the photo. Is it any wonder I need help from Josh :-)

Magda

TOO POOPED TO POP

Is how I felt last night. I trained back and abs which is always a really heavy solid session that I particularly enjoy. After a 45 minute rest in which I refuel and re-energise, it was into the aerobics room for 3 classes. Now commonsense would dictate that I pace myself for the 2 1/2 hour slog so I can go the distance without trouble. But commonsense didnt prevail last night and I ended up giving a big 9/10 effort for the first class, even getting to the point where I couldnt talk anymore (not smart when you're in charge of the class). This meant my energy levels were way down for the next 1 3/4 hours and I was pacing myself big time just to get through. Oh and to make things even harder, my feet were really sore as was my upper back/shoulders. I was very happy when the last cooldown was finished and I dragged myself home to say goodnight to BS, eat, shower and attend to domestic duties.

Even with the huge difference in intensity of the 3 classes (the last 2 were only about a 5/10 effort - I just didnt have more in me) it must still have been a good calorie burner as I was hungry again 1 1/2 hours after eating my salmon and salad for dinner. Thank goodness for my pre-bedtime snack. It was really appreciated last night. Oh and the other trade off is no early morning cardio today so we had a bit of a lie in as I was awake for several hours last night. Just mulling over comp prep and stuff.

Feeling ok today but will hit my usual slump in the afternoon when the tiredness really sets in. I find I'm a real morning person (who else does 5am starts 4 days of the week without too much trouble) but fade quickly in the afternoon, no matter what I eat or how much I exercise. Although on my clean comp diet its not as bad as when I might be having lots of refined carbs and even alcohol. They are a recipe for disaster, in more ways than one!!

Not much planned for the long weekend but will catch up with a friend to help her pack boxes for a move or go house hunting with her. Oh and getting my hair cut and coloured which will actually be mainly coloured as I'm going to grow it for September. But it needs tidying up anyway. So thats it for me.

Cheers

Magda

CALLING FOR HELP

Yesterday I found out that the SA INBA comp was now scheduled for the 7th October (maybe) or 14th October (likely). I was counting on it being on the 30th of September as I had been told that it was "usually on the labour day long weekend". With this in mind I mentally planned out the timing of the comp and our holiday straight after which would also perfectly fall in the school holidays. Now this is looking impossible.

So after looking around to see what other comps were on at times that suited better I found WNBF on the 29th of September (perfect). I'm nervous though as I've only ever watched INBA comps and am not at all familiar with WNBF. So calling on those who know more about BB than me (which is just about everyone) can anyone tell me what WNBF is like and what can be expected at their comps?

I also considered doing the All Females in Melbourne in July but have reservations about the extra cost and just being in such an unfamiliar place without my family/friends. Its all a bit scary and I worry about being ready on time as I feel I still have such a long way to go. I will talk to Josh some more about that even though he thinks I can do it.

I trained legs last night with increased weights for squats. I swear after holding those dumbells I will be the only competitor with their knuckles dragging on the floor :-) Lunges went well. Leg extension weights went up but I was ok with them. All up it was a great session but I was very happy when the last calf raise was completed. I've already got some DOMS in hammies and glutes which I love.

I'm teaching 3 classes tonight so that'll be one massive gym session starting with back/abs then rest and eat then a 45 min step class, 45 min hi/lo class then 1 hour hi impact class (well as hi as I will be able to manage considering I would have been going for 1 1/2 hours already). I will enjoy not doing cardio on Thursday morning :-)

Eats are good so will be very curious about progress this week. Not expecting a huge result just hoping to reach my next mini-goal.

Cheers all

Magda

THE SMELL OF APPLES AND CINNAMON BAKING IN YEAST BUNS...

...accompanied me on the last leg of my run this morning. We have both a Woolies and a Brumbys bakery in our suburb and this morning's run route was modified to compensate for a late start. So turning off earlier than usual and copping the winds blowing from the direction of the bakeries meant I had this divine smell accompany me on the last leg home. I allowed myself to dream of a warm bun bursting with apple pieces and spicy cinnamon, covered in lashings of melting butter with me savouring every mouthful. Pure heaven on earth.

Then reality hit and I reminded myself that my thighs will stay fat, my bum will wobble, my triceps will jiggle and my belly will stay round if I do give in to this dream. So I ran on a little harder and faster imagining the centimetres disappearing as my body fat melted away and lean muscle took its place.

I had a night off training last night as I managed 2 weights sessions on the weekend. I spent the evening baking a big gooey choc fudge cake to bring to work for morning tea on Thursday. And what a win win that was. WH got to have a small taste without being able to overindulge and being chocolate I wasnt at all tempted. Perfect. You see I fall into that category of about .000001% of the population that doesnt like chocolate. Weird but true. When I do eat chocolate, its because of whats in it and not for the chocolate itself. Easy!!

Fingers crossed that broadband is working ok at home tonight and I get to post some pics which are now long overdue.

Magda

WHAT A ROLLER-COASTER OF A WEEKEND

So much to write today as I didnt blog over the weekend. We have internet at home but I'm using dial-up so will wait til broadband is back before I attempt to put pics up again.

Let me start with Friday which can only be described as a day of highs and lows. Lunch out was fantastic. Now I will confess that my meal wasnt exactly to plan but with limited choice I did my best having a salt and pepper squid salad. It was absolutely divine and I should only have eaten half of it but could not bring myself to stop til I'd eaten it all. Did exercise bike sprints on Saturday morning to burn some it off. But on Friday night WH was surly and unsupportive expecting that we'd go home, crack a bottle of wine and drink away the evening. I was not participating, hence the bad feelings. I'd stayed off the wine at lunch time and was planning to have a couple of glasses on Saturday night so Friday drinking was out of the question. So weekend is off to a bad start :-(

On Saturday I do sprints on my exercise bike to compensate for the lunch out. I also manage an awesome shoulder/triceps workout and am feeling a lot better about my shoulder work. On Saturday we go shopping for new furniture and end up having a massive splurge. The mood is better. That evening we have dinner in a wonderful little asian place on The Parade and I really watch my portions. We share some salt and pepper squid (WH's choice), basil and chilli prawns and stir fried veges. Now its time to enjoy a little wine and I do. Over dinner we talk about holiday options this year. I'm nervous as I dont want to have a holiday in the middle of comp prep. WH keeps saying he desparately needs time of work. I can see another conflict brewing. I'm nervous and apprehensive again.

I neednt have been :-) After some discussion we agree to go to Brisbane to see the ILs. Then we will leave BS with them while we go off on our own for 3 nights in some indulgent location JUST THE 2 OF US!! Oh the luxury of it. But wait there's more....... WH AGREES TO DO ALL THIS IN OCTOBER AFTER MY COMP!!!!! :-) :-) Well I am just on cloud nine. That is too perfect for words and I'm about to burst with happiness. Now I know why he's WH (Wonderful Husband).

I have a busy Sunday with classes all morning, more furniture shopping that afternoon and I manage to train chest/biceps in the evening putting me a day ahead of my usual training schedule. I really give the session my all and I'm happy with the result. Eats are all nicely back on track but I'm bloated from fluid retention and constipation so I'm feeling really fat. But I know that'll correct itself after I'm back to my usual food/routine.

So in finishing I'll just say how lucky am I? I've finally had the courage to give the comp a go and when its all over I'll have a fantastic holiday to look forward to. And I'll be looking so hot in my new bikini. Watch me sizzle :-)

Magda

LESS THAN 1 KILO AWAY FROM MY NEXT MINI-GOAL

This morning's weigh and measure was another happy occassion. My weight (and some measurements) have dropped under my pre-Xmas weight and I'm within a kilo of my next mini-goal. I'm looking forward to rewarding myself with a new gym outfit as all my existing stuff is quite old and tired.

Thursday nights are rest nights with no weight training for me. What a luxury!! After dinner I did a bit of extra food prep (well the premium mince had defrosted so I may as well cook it up for future meals). I also did a bit more on my jigsaw puzzle and then bed-time rolled around very quickly. I'm going to bed earlier these days as I dont want to get too run down from the many early starts I have during the week.

This morning was sprint training again which has become my fave cardio session - bar the Wednesday step class!! The time goes so quickly and I can feel myself getting better at it as I no longer get killer DOMS or "lead legs" after. And yes I am giving it my best as I'm really pooped after and it takes me quite a while to cool down. Oh and it must be really good at firing up the old metabolism as 2 hours after my (good) breakfast I'm starving hungry again :-)

Today I'm going out to lunch with friends from work. Making a healthy choice will be my priority as I'm also going out with WH on the weekend and if I'm going to splurge, it'll be then. I so want to reach my next mini-goal by next Friday as that'll be 2 weeks ahead of my revised deadline.

Cheers all

Magda

I'M NOW RUNNING IN THE DARK

We are very lucky to have daylight saving in Adelaide and I will never complain about it but right now at 5.30am (my running time) its still dark and this will only get worse as we near the end of daylight saving at the end of March. So I head out in semi darkness and arrive home just as it has dawned and its light. The things we do!!

Last night I trained back and abs. Back would have to be my favourite session. Maybe because its the one area where I have consistently improved my weights every week. I feel quite strong in this area. I also taught my classes for a great cardio session. I'm so knackered when its all over. I race home to eat and scoff my dinner like I havent seen food for a month :-)

Since we havent had internet access at home for over a week now I've rekindled a previous interest. I'm doing a 700+ pieces jigsaw puzzle. I quite enjoy sitting down and slowly trying to piece it all together. Its teaching me patience, persistence and the value of taking things just one piece (step) at a time. All the things I need to master to successfully get to that BB stage.

Yesterday we had an afternoon tea for a girl on our floor who is taking leave to get married. You should have seen the spread. Looooordie!! Yeast bun both sweet and savoury, cinnamon donuts, a huge plate of tim tams, cracker biscuits galore, chips, dips, cheese, numerous choc cakes/slices and more!! I remember a time when I would have hoed in big time....and I wonder why I was always annoyingly overweight??!! But I had my diet yogurt and herbal tea and then got right away from it all before something jumped off the table into my mouth :-)

Well better stop there and tackle my daily "to do" list.

Cheers all

Magda

I LOVE WEDNESDAYS

Here's why I love Wednesdays:

1. Its the one day during the week that I get to sleep in til 6am, otherwise its a 5am start for me to get my cardio done before the family is up and about.
2. Its back training day at the gym. I do all my other weights at home and its nice to get on the gym equipment for a change.
3. I teach my favourite class, a med-high intensity step class with more advanced choreography. I feel like I own the world for that 45 minutes.
4. At the end of Wednesday all my weight training is done for the week. The next lot is due on the weekend. Thursdays and Fridays are nights off.

So thats a lot to be happy about. This morning I snuck in a little meeting with the scales and was delighted that another kilo had gone and I'm now less than 1/2 kilo away from me pre-Xmas weight. Will weigh and measure officially on Friday though.

I trained legs last night. Other than it being quite hot I felt good and was determined to improve on last week's session so last night was my "13 night". I upped my reps from 12 to 13 on most of the exercises. I was happy with the result and felt like I'd really given it my best. I must confess also that in short shorts (only at home I might add!!) I could see a small improvement in my legs and this motivated me to push harder. I guess like most women legs will be my biggest challenge as I have very heavy thighs but I trust Josh to help me get them in the best shape possible. Bring it on!!

Cheers to all

Magda

LOOK AT THIS WOMAN RUN

I have always been a very slow "Cliff Young shuffler" runner. I can manintain that pace for quite some time (close to 50 mins a few years ago) and I still feel like I'm working hard but I resigned myself to "just not being built for speed".

Well I think my sprint training is paying off. Today I set out on my usual jogging (shuffling) route but instead of shuffling it in, I ran it. Now I did shorten it by about 250 - 300m (to avoid a corner where I have repeatedly been swooped by a maggie) but I also took 5 mins off my time. I felt so good about this. It put me on another high. Even WH was impressed as he knows how hard it is for me to quicken my pace.

Last night I trained chest and bis. My strength is improving but not at the rate that Josh thinks/expects. There are still weights I cannot lift and have to drop lower to make the lifts. But at the end of the day I figure as long as I've given it my best then more cant be expected. I'm not sure that I'm totally 100% focussed on my weights sessions but I am training consistently and with higher intensity than before so that is a big achievement for me.

My midsection looks much flatter, my cellulite is diminishing (albeit slowly, but noticeably), I'm getting faster and stronger and I'm feeling good about myself again. What more could a girl want?

Magda

WHY DO I HAVE NO STRENGTH IN MY SHOULDERS?

The title of my post is my biggest frustration right now. After getting feedback from Josh that my shoulders needed more work (and I thought they werent too bad considering!!) I got a revised training schedule with different splits, increased weights, lower reps, new exercises...the works. So on Saturday I went to "blitz" my shoulders. HA!! On the bent over side lat raises I had to drop the weight down to half of what was programmed just to be able to get the lift even remotely close to horizontal. I was lifting a pissy little weight which was just laughable. Yet it was so hard and I was giving it my best. The real disappointment though was that I finished the session and I wasnt at all tired or sore. So, what gives here??!! Thankfully I did tris too and they went well. Increased weights blitzed in and I was (finally) on a bit of a high. I guess it just wasnt to be a good shoulder day.

On Saturday we got a spontaneous invite out to dinner with friends and we .......TURNED IT DOWN. WH was determined to do his detox properly for 8 days and had managed to stay off most of the prohibited goodies til then so he preferred to not go. The social part of me (thats about 99%) really wanted to go but I also wanted to keep to my nutrition plan and I knew that a dinner out would spell disaster so that other 1% of me was happy to miss out. Let me rephrase that..."was ok about missing out". God I must finally be thinking like a figure competitior :-)

Today is the last official day of our detoxes and we've had the expected ups and downs. WH has lost over 3kgs and is very happy about that. He even seems determined to stay on the "healthy" track so I commend him but only time will tell how committed he is. (Past experience shows he'll only last a short time .... we are birds of a feather!!) Secretly I think I may be having an ever so slightly positive influence on him.

Still no internet access at home which I'm grrrrr about. Frustrating not being able to get on for all my training updates and info and still sneeking these in at work as best I can. Pictures still pending. I havent forgotten.

Cheers Magda

RIDING THE CREST OF A WAVE

Yes today I'm feeling really good. Not just good but really good. Why?

1. Weighed and measured this morning and was happy with the result. I still have some of my Xmas weight to lose but I'm more than 1/2 way there :-)
2. I did my sprints this morning and felt great afterwards. This is prgress as on Monday I felt so sick after sprints that I went back to bed ...hahaha.
3. Fingers crossed that our internet access is restored at home. Hate being without it.
4. Trained arms last night. Didnt make some of the weights which Josh had prescribed but gave it my best shot. I wasnt disappointed.
5. All weight training now done for the week. Next session due Sunday. I like that feeling.
6. We have a quiet weekend socially which makes it just a bit easier to stay on track with diet and training, which by the way are going well now.

So thats me in my happy place. Oh and lets not forget that its Friday and I dont have to stay late at work.

Have a good weekend all

Magda

BACK IN THE ZONE AND LOVIN IT

I feel good today. I've clocked up 3 days of clean eating and regular training. My tummy is flatter and my midriff doesnt bulge as much. I have varying degrees of muscle soreness and my legs are still tired and heavy after Monday's sprints and Tuesday's weights but I know thats a good thing as I pushed hard in both sessions. Its no longer a mental struggle to get back on track. I'm there, I'm doing it and I like how I feel and how I'm starting to look :-)

Yesterday I trained back/abs at the gym before teaching my classes. The back work was very hard and my arms were just about dead by the end. Then a bit of recovery time for a protein drink and some fruit and then 2 cardio classes. OMG my legs were sore and I struggled a bit but giving up is not an option when you have 20 sets of eyes on you so I soldiered on like a trooper :-)

We still have no internet access at home and expect the problem to be fixed on Friday morning (fingers crossed). So no pics on my blog til I can get on the computer at home. I must say I was a little lost last night with no blogs to read or the PE site to access. So I took it easy and read "Fattitude" by Craig Harper (recommended on Sue Heintze's web site). What an excellent book about weight loss/getting fitter. He hits the nail on the head so many times and in really funny ways. Its a great read.

Magda

FEELING FLAT AND LETHARGIC

Yesterday was a difficult day as I felt so flat and lethargic. I'm supporting WH by doing a detox with him. I'm not following the diet strictly as I want to keep my protein intake up but I have cut out alcohol (I know, I shouldnt be having it anyway), caffeine, red meat and anything processed or remotely junky. I'm also taking all the detox supplements and I'm sure that I now rattle. My sytem is feeling it. I dont have a headache this time (I've detoxed before with great success) but I'm so incredibly tired.

Here's the conversation I was having with myself on the way home from work yesterday: "I'm so tired. I'm too tired to train legs tonight. There's no way I can squat those heavy weights today. I feel like crying. I feel like going to bed when I get home and sleeping til its time to go to work tomorrow".....and it went on like that.

But a figure competitor does NOT give in to these negative influences and when the time came I did my leg training as prescribed and gave it my best. Failure is NOT an option.

We had no internet access last night so I was a bit lost in the evening and couldnt try to post those pics again. I will try again today but if I have no success I'll need to call on some help as I truly am technically challenged.

Eating has been good. Even with lunch out yesterday, I stuck to the warm chook salad and tried to limit the quantity to something reasonable instead of the gargantuan portion you get when eating out at a cafe. I've also set myself a goal of being in bed by 10pm as I really need the extra sleep lately and I have been sleeping like the dead.

Cheers for now

Magda

PICKING UP WHERE I LEFT OFF BEFORE XMAS

My guests have left, the junk food has been cleared from our house, the social calendar is back in drought mode and I have taken stock of where I'm at and where I want to go. The Xmas break was great but I did go way off track with my diet and this carried into another week or so. That second week saw some good eating days but it had its fair share of bad ones too. I've paid the price with extra weight on the scales and centimetres on the hips and thighs.

Whats important now though, is not to dwell on what cant be changed. Moving forward is what matters. So my priorities are:
1. Getting back into a routine. Regular meals, training at my designated times and building some consistency.
2. Cleaning up the diet, ditching the alcohol and clocking up some really good weeks where nutrition is right on track.
3. Staying positive!! This is no doubt the most important one as I go through the mental struggle of getting back and staying on track.

Yesterday morning I did sprints again and pushed myself hard. I reached a 9/10 on my PRE scale and I havent worked that hard for ages. I even felt quite sick at the end of it. Also trained chest and shoulders as I couldnt face a leg session after the sprints. Eating was good yesterday so things have started well.

This morning I did a 30 min jog with tired, heavy legs. But I refused to give in and plodded on til my route was done. I'll give legs a go later today. Hopefully they'll be ok.

Well at the beginning of the month I set a weight/cm goal which I think is unrealistic at this point in time. So I've kept the goal but extended the time frame til the 10th of Feb. Sometimes I question the benefits of goal setting as I find that if I dont reach my goals I become very negative and lose my focus and motivation and end up sabotaging all the good work I did do. There certainly was a bit of this happening right at xmas.

Oh and photos are on their way so wish me luck in getting some posted.

Cheers

Magda

Still no pics on my blog

Just tried to put a couple of pics in my blog but it didnt work :-(
Will write tomorrow.
Magda

A LITTLE SHAKE UP THIS MORNING

I've had several late nights in a row now so getting up just after 5 in the morning has been really hard. Today I felt as flat as a pancake and was dreading my 30 min jog but I was up and was determined to do cardio and not miss the session. So I changed my plan and did sprints instead. I jogged (well actually dragged myself) to the park at the end of our street. I measured out a distance of about 100 metres (or just under) and sprinted it 10 times with a short recovery between each sprint. Then I estimated a distance of about 200m and sprinted that once and then ran home (maybe about 400m). It still took 30 mins and I was buggered at the end of it but I did feel great both mentally and physically.

I had a massive training day yesterday: arms in the morning, back/abs in the afternoon followed by 2 classes (about 90 mins cardio). I did similar on Monday and Josh commented that I must be crazy :-) and I dont think he's far wrong. I'm just so glad that this week I've completed all my weights (albeit all out of sequence) and have 1 more cardio to do tomorrow morning.

I had huge (psychological) cravings for junk food yesterday afternoon. My colleague (who is also trying to lose weight) and I were pining for gourmet donuts and bantering back and forth about going out for one. In the end I talked us out of it but I knew she wasnt going to give in either. It was fun being naughty, like little kids planning a prank.

Tonight we're having quite a few people over for a BBQ and meet and greet the new fiancee (my sister-in-law's). I'm looking forward to it as I'm such a social creature. I will have a bubbly or 2 but will keep the eating under control as the thought of blowing out any more just makes me cringe. Then the day off tomorrow to do a shopping trip to the fantastic Adelaide Central Market, followed by a picnic in the coolest place we can think of (forecast is for 38 degrees :-) and then dinner out at Stellas Restaurant in Henley Square. For those who dont know Adelaide this is at the beach and its one of my absolute fave restaurants. Excellent food, perfect location with wonderful company...what more could one ask for?? It will be a great day!!

Cheers all
M

IS MY GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?

Yes I'm going through a rough patch with negative thoughts and feelings rolling around in my head. I'm totally out of routine with training, but trying to cover all my sessions when I can. Eating, well yesterday I had my first "dry" (alcohol free) day since Friday before Xmas. It was hard as 4 of us dined together and everyone else was drinking. I wanted to, but resisted. Eating at odd times too (dinner much later than normal) means I was starving and had salted nuts and a couple of breadsticks. Dinner itself was not perfect but not too bad under the circumstances. I guess all up the day panned out ok.

I know I have some issues to sort out. Work is problematic and I can only envisage mild relief in the future. I know its up to me to find the best solution possible and I will be giving this the thought it needs over the next few weeks.

On Saturday or Sunday my routine should go back to normal as my sister-in-law and her fiancee return to Sydney after a lovely time here with us and his family. Cardio in the mornings, weights on Saturday/Sunday (depending on commitments), Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and classes on Wednesday and Sunday. I need to get control back over my dinner times and I'll be much happier. I guess I'm a creature of habit and I like routine. When I'm out of whack, I feel out of sorts and right now thats messing with my mind.

But! having said all that I can be positive about the following things:

• I'm making my training a priority once again. Sessions might be at odd times but I'm doing my best to not miss any.
• I still have control over my food and have it, in the main, under control. As hard as it gets sometimes when temptation lures its ugly head, I've decided to resist and that makes me feel good.
• I know this eating and training plan works for me. I proved it leading up to Xmas. Now I just need to totally apply myself to it and I will get the results I'm after.
• I've had the courage to finally give the figure comp a go. I've stepped right out of my comfort zone and set myself a challenge. Sometimes its really scary and the road to be travelled wont always be smooth. But I'm proud of myself for giving it a go.

Now that I've had that little pep talk with myself, I can see the glass is definitely half full :-)

Magda

REFLECTING ON 2006 AND WELCOMING 2007

Hi all,

I thought I'd start my post today with a reflection back on 2006 and what the year held for me.

I started the year living in Brissie and working as a self-employed Personal Trainer. I finished the year living back in Adelaide and working as a Project Manager in SA Government. What a difference and what a transition.

I've been reading other blogs and many figure ladies are taking on the study to become qualified PTs to follow their dreams of having a career within an industry they are passionate about. I did the same 2 years ago and then realised that this new direction was wrong for me. The reasons are many and varied and I have no regrets about giving it a go but I'm absolutely positive that I did the right thing in getting out when I did and returning to my government position. I teach a few classes and absolutely love group fitness and realise this is where my fitness industry passions lie. Each to their own I guess.

During 2006 I made the decision to compete in figure bb and even started training for it. However the decision to move back to Adelaide and the timing of the move meant that I chucked it in and subsequently continued to yo yo with my weight and my emotions. Now that I'm settled again, I've put in motion what I need to do to achieve this goal. I'm excited about what 2007 will hold.

My main goal for the year is to compete in figure bb, with the SA INBA show being on Sep 30th (I think). To achieve this goal, I've signed with Josh Dickinson from Physique Essentials so that I get all the right direction and support to get me there. Keeping this blog is my other main support and motivation mechanism.

So I start the year already having a roller-coaster of mixed emotions. Over the last few days I've felt:

• withdrawn as I regret eating so badly over Xmas and my week away
• disappointed that I gained back more than 1/2 the weight I worked so hard to lose
• motivation levels down around 0
• determination levels hovering around 5 (/10)

But yesterday I forced myself to do cardio in the morning and eat a clean and healthy breakfast. Then I forced myself again to hit my weights room and take advantage of my last day of being on holidays by doing a double weights session (legs + chest/shoulders). After that I was totally exhausted and had a sleep before going out to dinner at my parents place and having a not-so- clean-meal.

I finished the day with a self-hypnosis session to put me well and truly back on a postive track. I'm getting back to thinking of myself as "Magda: future figure competitor" and not "Magda: sin now, pray later". My "Countdown to Comp" chart tells me there are 38 weeks to my comp and I cant afford to waste any more of them taking backward steps. I must focus on moving forward 1 step at a time. I know the rewards will be worth it.

Cheers to all

M