Craig Harper, Myself and a Towel

I'm back, at last! To cut a long story short we have had nothing but trouble from Telstra. We’d been without a home phone and internet since early last week in Sale. Then the home phone and internet was delayed in Melbourne. My Mum taught me when I was growing up that “if you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all”. So now I’m sitting in the Quest Sanctuary Lakes Apartments as I’m officially homeless this evening. LOL!! But that’s okay because I have internet access. Unfortunately though, I don’t know when I’ll be back online in our new home but hopefully it should be sometime this week.


This is going to be long, you have been warned. LOL!! Sunday 22nd June 2008 I went to the “Renovate Your Life Workshop” conducted by Craig Harper. I’d been looking forward to this day for quite some time as I have been a big fan of his blog www.craigharper.com.au as well as having purchased and read his book Fattitude.

WOW what a day! I’m going to start by explaining the title of today’s post so that there’s no confusion. LOL!! Craig had asked the audience for a volunteer (of which I obliged) to run through a training session with him. Resistance Training is just that training with resistance. What he did was showed us all how you don’t need a gym membership or a personal trainer to effectively work out. All you needed was another person, a towel and resistance. So what he did was he ran through an entire body workout using just these tools and yes they were very effective. So much so I experienced doms the following day in my chest, arms, back and quads. It’s certainly given me some really great ideas for pumping up backstage at competitions as well as those times when you need to train but don’t have the usual resources.

Now getting down to the workshop as I’m sure you’re all interested to hear about it. We all received a “Renovate Your Life Workbook”, it’s a hardcopy overview of everything we covered that day. So whilst I was listening intently and reading the workbook I was also taking a whole bunch of personal notes. I’m a human sponge, I always have been and always will be. This was my window of opportunity and I was going to soak up as much information as I possibly could. I mean, who wouldn’t.

For me, this experience was a well needed reality check or to put it quite simply a good kick in the pants. Some of the things that hit home most were relatively simple messages. Things like “We don’t see things as they are; we see things as we are” – Anais Nin. I mean, how true is that! When we see things we interpret them as we see them not as they actually are. I guess we sometimes complicate things that really are simple. Why because we don’t know any better or we simply aren’t aware of what we’re doing. Ignorance is a bliss for some but not any longer. Be responsible, be accountable, don’t complicate, accept simple. Life’s too short for anything less than this.

Another thing we all talk about often on our blogs is motivation. Did you know that motivation is a temporary emotional state? That’s right, a temporary emotional state. It’s not going to last you a lifetime, that’s why they call it temporary. So if you expect to stay motivated in the gym or even to diet day in day out you are kidding yourself and setting yourself up for disappointment. Motivation comes and goes and it’s different from one person to another so stop worrying about things you can’t control and start focusing on things you can control. For example, are you motivated daily to brush your teeth? No.....then why do you do it? You know why because you have to do it for hygiene reasons. So irrespective of whether or not you’re motivated get up, get out of bed and go and exercise then eat a healthy well balanced diet. This is a non-negotiable behaviour and the sooner we accept this the better. Why because you have to do it for your longevities sake. Otherwise here are your future possibilities; diabetes, stroke, heart attack, colon cancer, bow cancer just to name a few. The choice is yours. I know which one I prefer. If I don’t eat a healthy balanced diet and exercise on a regular basis I know what my future holds for me, diabetes, obesity and renal failure due to my family history and pre-existing PCOS & FSGS. Being of good health is an absolute blessing these days so don’t abuse it by bad lifestyle choices.

Commit to change and finish what you start. Following through, irrespective of where you end up it doesn’t really matter as long as you finish what you start. Let’s all stop with the excuses and justifications, enough is enough. We all have our sad hard luck stories to tell, but that doesn’t give us permission not to follow through. Life is about choice. We obviously chose to not finish what we started and then shifted the blame to something or somebody else. Life’s challenging, that is a given so what are we going to do about it then? That’s easy, we’re going to chose to follow through with the things in life we start.

Did you know that it is statistically proven that the average time that we watch television per week is 19.25 hours? That’s ridiculous to say the least. 4 x 30min is an absolute minimum per week you need for exercise to make a difference and the most common excuse being “I don’t have time”. Well then, if you have a spare 19.25hrs every week to sit on your big backside and stare at that idiot box then you definitely have time to exercise for two hours. That’s all it takes a week at an absolute minimum and people have the hide to say they don’t have the time. My response to them would be “then you obviously have the time for a heart attack”. That’s the truth of the matter and it doesn’t get any realer than that!

Craig mentioned a couple of articles worth revisiting from his website, they are: “Dealing With Energy Vampires” & “Losing Weight The National Geographic Way” . I’m going to re-read them and I suggest you do the same. If you welcome change into your life then you have everything to gain and nothing to lose by reading or re-reading these articles. Just click on the links provided.

At the end of the workshop I obviously got the opportunity to get a photo taken with him. Have camera will photograph, that’s me. LOL!! He’s also a hugging type of guy so there was no escaping, you had to hug before leaving. I had also arranged to speak with him. When I finally finish my studies I want to watch and learn from the best of the best in Melbourne. Craig (although recently retired from personal training) and his team at Harpers Personal Training are allowing me to come in and observe them working with clients. So once I’m unpacked and settled I’ll get in contact with and go from there. I’m pretty damn excited as you could imagine. This opportunity is incredible and to say I’m grateful is an understatement. Thanks Craig.


So what else has been happening? Lisa Stokes from Bodyworx contacted me to say that everything is ready to go. She’s been really thorough to ensure that everything’s in place to work harmoniously together. She’s even met and talked with the guys at excelgene so I know I’m receiving the best possible package. As soon as I receive all the information I’ll be sharing it with you along with monthly photos and measurements so you can follow my preparation from the very beginning. I’m excited about the future possibilities. In order to create different I have to do different and this is why I’ve chosen this path.

Mum now has her bedroom suite from her home here so she’s much more comfortable and settled. She also only has one more chemotherapy treatment to go. On the down side she’s lost a total of 10kgs. Unfortunately rapid weight loss is a side effect that comes hand in hand with chemotherapy treatment. Once it’s over and done with they’ll run all the applicable tests and scans to determine the effectiveness of it and map out the next course of action.

Well ladies, time for me to get going. I still have a whole house to unpack. Until tomorrow, keep smiling. :o)

UPDATE:
I've just logged onto Google Reader to catch up on the 115 posts that have been blogged since I went offline. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of time online tonight so I've skimmed over them so appologies for that. I don't know when I'll be back online this week, things aren't working out as I had expected. Keep everything crossed for me that it won't be for to long.

I've also received some very interesting and exciting emails tonight. Nothing I can reveal just yet but as soon as I can you'll be the first to know. I will say that good things do happen. ;o)

Poached Eggs & Bacon with Spicy Tomato Salsa

Eggs and bacon might sound like an unlikely inclusion in a healthy cookbook but cook in the right way and served with one or two vegetables provides a perfect balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients
4 Eggs
4 Lean Cut Bacon Rashers (all excess fat trimmed)
4 Multi-Grain English Muffin Halves
Handful Fresh Spinach Leaves

Spicy Tomato Salsa
12 Cherry Tomatoes (finely diced)
1/4 Red Onion (finely diced)
1 Red Chilli
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Pinch Splenda
1 Tbsp Chopped Coriander

Method
1. To make the spicy tomato salsa, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Bring a lard saucepan or deep frying pan of water to a simmer. Crack the eggs and gently slip them, one at a time, into the simmering water. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the egg whites are opaque and the yolk is still quite soft. carefully lift out the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain.

3. Preheat the grill to high and cook the bacon until crisp. Meanwhile, toast the muffin halves.

4. To serve, layer the muffins with a handful of spinach leaves, the bacon and top with a poached egg and a spoonfull of tomato salsa. Garnish with coriander.

Cook's Tips
To minimise the spreading of the egg whites when poaching the eggs, break the egg into a teacup, then gently slip the egg into the water. Some cooks also like to add a dash of vinegar or lemon juice to the water before they poach the eggs. This helps the egg white to set, but may also flavour the eggs slightly.

GI Low
Per Serve
Calories: 270
Protein: 23g
Carboydrates: 27g
Fibre: 5g
Fat: 8g

Note
The Low GI Diet Cookbook has the original recipe but I've made a couple of ingredient adjustmenets to suit my requirements. Enjoy ladies! :o)

Still Packing

Yep that's right I'm still packing. My house resembles something of a third world country at the moment, it's such a mess. *eeek* We got a fair bit done yesterday and hope to get a fair bit more done today. We have a massive week ahead of us next week. Not only are we unpacking into our new home in time to start work the following week but we also have to hire a van and do a day trip to pick up more furniture for Mum. Mum's house is up in Echuca, it's a two and a half hour drive from Melbourne. So ladies, they'll be no time for anything next week other than the essentials. Let's just say that the sooner this is over and done with the better.

Monday 30th June 2008 will be our first day back at work so we want to have everything unpacked by then. To much to ask, maybe but I'm on a mission so hell will have no fury if it's not done. *insert evil laugh here*

July's looking to be a very productive month:

4th July: My Birthday (it's against my religion to work this day)
10-14th July: Lindy & Dallas Visiting
11th & 12th July: The All Females Weekend
18 & 19th July: FitGenes Social Network & Seminar
30th July: Shoulder Surgery

So as you can see we'll be hitting the ground running once we move which is relatively normal for us. LOL!! Along with the many changes that come with moving I'll also have a new nutrition, supplementation and training program to kick off with so a lot of shopping and organising to do. One great thing about our new home is that we have a huuuge kitchen. Daniel's happy about that because he's the chef at home, after all he has the qualifications I don't. Here's a couple of photos of our kitchen. Unfortunately it doesn't show you the wall on the right hand side of the of the first photo which has the pantry and fridge space. But you get the idea of just how spacious it is.



I'm also heading straight back to Toni & Guy Chapel Street for a decent cut. I so missed my old stylist. I've already picked out the style I want and will be taking this picture with me for inspiration. And yes I'm still cutting out all my hair straightening and colour, slowly but surely I'm getting there. But boy it's testing my patience. LOL!!


Time for me to get back to packing. See you later alligators. :o)

You Know You're A Figure Competitor When

1. For a few days each year your toilet seat is brown and this time it isn’t your husbands fault.

2. You can honestly say you have spent more time in a bathing suit than your wedding dress.

3. Five inch clear stripper heels are your footwear of choice in your own home. (and not just in the bedroom)

4. Someone asks about the man in your life and you tell them that gym is fine!

5. You have two sections in your wardrobe. Competition & Off-season. And they aren’t mixed and matched.

6. Your top three priorities on any given day:
a. Workout
b. Eat Clean
c. Check other competitors blogs (not necessarily in that order..)

7. You can name any pro figure competitor by seeing her butt alone. When someone wants to take your picture, you immediately spread your lats, tighten every muscle in your body, point your fingers and SMILE!

8. You take more pills daily than your 80 year old grandmother.

9. Your idea of dressing up is taking your hair out of the ponytail its been in for a week.

10. If you have had someone close to you, hide food from you in your own house.
11. An easy day is lifting and only one cardio session.

12. Instead of carrying a Louis Vuitton pursue you accessorise with a Coleman Cooler.

13. Waking up so sore you can barely move puts a smile on your face.

14. You cant do any work because you are to busy counting down the seconds until your next meal!!!!!!!!!

15.The faint smell of Dream Tan gets your heart pumping faster than your man's cologne.

16. You leave a little trail of splenda packets, tupperware and empty water bottles everywhere you go.

17. Your hubby makes you pee in the guest bathroom because every meal includes asparagus.

18. You consider beano an essential part of your supplement regimen.

19. Your jaws are sore because you can't stop chewing sugar free gum!

20. You spend at least five minutes grilling your server at a restaurant, and another five minutes re-writing the menu until you've got a meal that meets your diet's specifications...and then you devour it in less than 60 seconds flat!!

21. You consider a day when you only have to make one trip to the gym a luxury!

22. You think about having "relaxed hands" and sticking your butt out while standing in line at the grocery store. (hey a girl's gotta practice her posing!!)

23. You consider condiments and coke zero taboo!!!

24. Your neighbours start gossiping that you've had lipo because there is no way a girl could get that fit in twelve weeks!

Monday's Ramblings

Lucky I posted about colds & flu just recently because guess who had to refer back to it? Yep you guessed it, I did. LOL!! My husband, bless him decided to give me his cold that he caught from the students at work which then turned into the flu. At least I can say that my husband isn't a selfish man.

Well today we're finally starting to pack up our house. To say I can't wait to move is a slight understatement. Everything about this move is right. It's the right time, for the right reasons for all of us. This would have to be the shortest posting we've had in location of only six months. Melbourne's a 3 1/2 year posting so we'll have some stability which will be great. Even better I have set working hours which means life is going to be so much easier from now on. Here's what an average working day is going to look like for me:

0600: Meal 1 & Supplements
0630: Meal 2 (TP)
0700: Resistance Training (TP)
0800: Meal 2 (TP)
0830: Start Work
0900: Meal 3
1200: Meal 4
1500: Meal 5
1600: Meal 6 (TP), Finish Work & Aerobics
1800: Meal 7
2130: Supplements
2200: Sleep

Once I start work I'm going to ask if I can take my hour lunch break from 1500-1600 to do my aerobics. After all, it's a job requirement to maintain our fitness and I'd prefer to do it later in the afternoon.

Oh I forgot to tell you, the job and unit I'm going too is different to what was originally planned. Now I'm going back to where I was when we first arrived to Melbourne in 2005. So not only will that transition be easier but I'll have six months to conduct a handover/takeover with the person who replaced me. So it's all good. And the two best parts are the set working hours (figure competitor user friendly) and the fact that it's right next door to the base gym. It doesn't get any better then that ladies.

On the competition front of things as I've mentioned before I'm still moving ahead and getting everything organised for 2009. My music's been selected, cut and burnt onto cd so all that's left is the choreography. I've already started on that too and have a couple of different ideas I want to try out. As for my costume, it's ready for me to try on to make sure that the new cut fits me. Jo Rogers has been fine tuning the cuts of her posing costumes so I'll get to see the end result at the 2008 INBA All Females. Then all that's left to do is to decorate it. Jo have been given complete creative control to work her magic. I have no doubt whatever she comes up with with be nothing short of fabulous. By the end of this year I'll have it packed and ready for 2009.


On another note things are getting incredibly busy over at LindyOlsen.com's Forum. It's becoming quite the active community and growing and growing every day with more and more new members. That and we have some incredible professionals in there giving advice to our members. If you haven't registered yet I'd hurry up, very soon it'll be locked down and then you'll have to pay to become a member. Speaking of which I better get over there, posts to respond too.

Well ladies, have a fabulous week! I best go eat and do some packing, after all the clock is ticking. :o)

2008 ANB/FAME Champions

Photograph Courtesy
of

Womens Bodybuilding
Michelle Goodall: 1st Place (NEW WNSO FAME PRO)

Figure
Marketta Maletz: 2nd Place
Stephanie Williams: 3rd Place
Naomi Gibbins

Mens Bodybuilding
Ryan Laos: 1st Place (NEW WNSO FAME PRO)
Murray "Mad Dog" Graham: 3rd place

For more updates, photos and webcasts be sure to visit LindyOlsen.com

One Week To Go!

What: Renovate Your Life Workshop
When: Sunday 22nd June 2008
Where: Harpers Personal Training in Melbourne.

If you're serious about making the best possible life for yourself then this is your last chance folks. Give John a call during business hours on (03) 9553 8557 or email him @ john@craigharper.com.au Be sure to mention that you heard about it here on my blog and don't forget to leave me a comment if you register so I know who else is coming. See you on Sunday :o)

Quote of the Day

"It is not the load that breaks you down
- its the way you carry it."

-- Lou Holtz

My Very 1st Photo

Well here it is, my very first photo taken with my new camera and zoom lens. Odin & Coby playing ball together in the backyard. I love my camera to pieces! :o)

Photo of the Day

For more photos click on the image or title. :o)

My Body Beats

You wanna look like a pro, you gotta train like a pro.
And the best way to do that, is to train with one.

Download exclusive workouts as intense as the pros will bring them to you.

Jenny Lynn Superset Abs
I just downloaded this for free and plan on purchasing more workouts. Why don't you check it out for yourself. :o)

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Time Savers For Bloggers

Good Morning.....how is everyone today? Ladies it's come to my attention that a lot of you are still doing what I used to do in the beginning of my blog existance. That is, saving your blog links to favourites or to your blog and going through each and every one of them to see who's updated and who hasn't.

So I'm here to save you a lot of time and energy. You have two options, the are:

Blog List improves on our existing Link List page element by using Blogs’ RSS & Atom Feeds to show update times, post titles and snippets.

Google Reader on the other hand is a free service that does exactly the same thing only privately.

Well there you have it ladies. That's it in a nut shell. Either option should save you a great deal of time whilst still being able to catch up on friends blogs. Happy Blogging!

Mediterranean Chicken Bake

Click on the title or photo for recipe :o)

Friday 13th

Friday 13th is one of my favourite dates. It must be the witch coming out in me because it's always such a lucky day for me. Speaking of luck we've just had a lovely sun shower come through and out of it appeared a big rainbow, not something you see everyday now is it. I just love rainbows, don't you. :o)

Well here it is, my new camera and it's accessories. My card and cleaning kit turned up today so once I'm finished here I'm going to sit down with the instruction manual and figure it out. Or at least try, one of the two. LOL!! Dallas Olsen is going to be my teacher so I know I'm in the very best of hands. I'll be taking photos at the all females and the photo shoot and posting them up here so be sure to check back for those updates.

What else have I been up to today? That's right, I finished filling out all my client paperwork for Bodyworx. Lisa Stokes I can't wait to see what she has planned for me in the next coming months. Between Prepared 2 Win, ExcelGene & Bodyworx I pretty much have the best of the best working at helping me go to the next level in my figure competition. I obviously have more time to prepare now and it's worked to my advantage.

Then tomorrow morning I'm heading out for breakfast with my wonderful husband. When we eat out we both have a preference for either a breakfast or a lunch. It works out better that way because ideally eating out for dinner means that whatever you eat isn't going anywhere, not what you want is it.

And the rest of the weekend we'll spend getting a start on our packing. We have next week to get everything sorted then the following week we're out of here. Melbourne here we come.

Well ladies, have yourselves a lovely weekend doing whatever it is you love doing. xx

Photo of the Day

Lindy Olsen's Top 7 Basic Rules!

Rule #1
ALWAYS eat a LEAN source of protein at EVERY meal!

You can get your Lean Protein from many different sources. Some of these include chicken breast, lean beef, turkey, fish, kangaroo and egg whites. Eating enough protein is VITAL for muscle growth and repair not to mention many other essential bodily functions!

Rule #2
Always eat 5-7 meals EVERY day about 3-4 hours apart

I always eat 5-6 small meals each day in order to keep my metabolism on fire. If you skip breakfast the chances of your metabolism becoming slow and sluggish is increased significantly. I want to make sure my metabolism stays revved up and in top gear throughout the day.

Rule #3
Eat your greens…

Try to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day as a means to help boost immune function and reduce risk for chronic disease. Remember restricting any one of the major food groups can lead to a macronutrient imbalance and corresponding vitamin and mineral deficiency.

Rule #4
Every 9 out of 10 meals you have, has to be in your plan

In other words if you are eating five times per day, you would eat 35 meals per week in total. Effectively 3.5 of them can be your choice, within reason of course! I call these my junk meals, so try to find out what combination works best for you. If I eat well all week I always indulge in a few small treats on the weekends as my reward. This does two things, keeps me sane and keeps my body guessing as to what I’m doing. This approach seems to work well for me as I really look forward to the weekends. Chocolate, cheesecake and Caramel Slice … YUM!

Rule #5
AVOID sugar and Limit your complex carbs with your last two meals

Hidden sugar is the number one enemy for most “saddle bag” sufferers and is a major reason why many people fall short of reaching their health and fitness goals. Read your food labels carefully and try to avoid rich sauces and fatty dressings that contain large amounts of sugar as they can be disastrous when trying to control your blood sugar levels and manage your weight. Excess consumption of complex carbohydrates in the later part of the day can also contribute to an energy surplus and if you are not careful can easily be stored by the body for later use. Portion control is paramount!

Rule #6
Drink at least 500ml of water with every 10 kg of body weight

Water is my number one weight loss secret! It has no calories, sugar or fats and is a great way to quench your thirst without adding to your waistline. Many people often mistake thirst for hunger, so if you drink plenty of water throughout the day, you may need less food to keep you feeling satisfied. Not to mention, water is the only thing that will eliminate waste from your body. If you don’t keep well hydrated, your body simply cannot rid itself of those nasty toxins which inevitably end up on your thighs and hips.

Rule #7
Move more!

Try to get yourself moving each day for a minimum of 30-45 minutes before your day begins. Whether you get outdoors for a walk or hit the gym just remember to schedule it in before the day ends. I find it best to get it over and done with first thing in the morning. That way if I am tired from a hard days work, it doesn’t give me an excuse not to do it. Remember consistency is the key! This will kick start your metabolism for the rest of the day and help you get revved up and off to a good start! Any type of regular physical activity, no matter how moderate, can help you to lose body fat. You can always increase the level of intensity to speed up your results.

Quote of the Day

"Ability is what you're capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it."

-- Lou Holtz

Yoga & Pilates Help

Good Afternoon.....I'm hoping you can help me with something. I want to take up yoga and was wondering if anyone can reccommend anywhere they've had classes at.

UPDATE: I've just got back from my physiotherapy appointment and it was suggested to me that I should also try pilates. So now I need to find somewhere for yoga and pilate classes. Melbourne ladies, any suggestions? :o)

Photo of the Day

My Genetic Profile Results

Body Fat Metabolism: Lipid Metabolism & Insulin Sensitivity is Average

Because I have a variation in the ADRB-2 Gene, my body is genetically slower at oxidising body fat.
Resistance training will assist in raising my metabolism for longer periods than cardiovascular training.A balanced diet combined with cardiovascular and resistance training will reduce body fat.
However, more time might be required to achieve results so some patience and persistence will be required.

Lean Body Mass Development: Cardiovascular Health, Muscle Health & Bone Density is Average

The combination of lower blood flow to the muscle combined with poor lactic acid transportation may result in faster muscle fatigue.
I need to improve anaerobic performance.

Recovery: Inflammation & Antioxidation is Poor

Caution should be applied with high-intensity exercise.Proper recovery strategies should be maintained to avoid the onset of tissue injury and proper levels of antioxidants should be consumed to help compensate for free radical build up caused by intense exercise.
I need to monitor myself closely after exercise because I can promote over-stimulation and an inflammatory response.
Rotating my program to limit overuse injuries or mechanical inflammation of joints may assist.
I can continue to train but will need to effectively rest areas that have been worked in my previous session.
Deep water training is an excellent way of maintaining fitness level year minimising mechanical stress on troublesome joints.

Nutrition: Detoxification is Poor

My CYP1A1 gene causes a 50% increase in free radical production.
I'm prone to higher accumulation of toxic substances in my body resulting in health problems.

Photo of the Day

It's here! It's here!

Saturday I posted about my most recent online purchases and guess what turned up today via courier? My camera, tripod and camera bag. *woo hoo*

Although silly me I assumed that my memory card from my old camera would work in the new camera, uh ahhh.....I don't think so. So I got back online and bought myself a Compact Flash 4GB Card, UV Filter to protect the lenses and a cleaning kit which is an essential. After all, I have to look after my investment.

So here I am, at home with this new toy I can't play with. Oh well, that will learn me. LOL!!

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They say that when it rains it pours........

and I would have to agree with them. My poor baby brother, you didn't know but he was rushed to hospital a week ago with appendicitis. But now he's back in hospital because it's become ulcerated and he has to have surgery again tomorrow. This experience hasn't been very pleasant to say the least for him. On top of that he also has a fractured rib, he didn't have it when he was admitted but he does now. You do the math. Here's hoping they get it right this time without any further injury or infection.