Skin folds were up, not sure why, as my tape measurements were same or slightly less. Quite weird indeed. I did have a few days prior to skin folds where my eating wasn't the best so I think that may have affected the readings. Was also T.O.M. so that could have been an issue. Sent videos through to Richie who said I am looking a lot 'thicker (no he wasn't referring to my intellectual capabilities!) and more developed. That I had more muscle density and my legs were more full and had improved. So, as much as I feel a little uncomfortable with my body fat level I was quite happy with this feedback. He also said: One thing you will notice is that i am very blunt, i tend to tell people exactly what i think so if i do not like how you are looking i will tell you.

I get a new diet and new training program next week, on the 6th, so am really looking forward to that. Did legs yesterday and finally I was able to pump out 3 sets of 15 hack squats after knee extension drop and progressive overload sets and smith squats. Then followed with ham curls, and by this stage even my upper body and hands were shaking from the effort! I gave EVERYTHING to those hack squats. The first week we did them I was only able to manage 6 reps for 3 sets. Once again did not have the energy to do my calf exercises so went in this morning and did them, along with abs and cardio. Cardio was hard as my legs were fatigued from the day before.

Still have this neck issue happening today - my whole back is tight and sore, and my neck is just pulling and causing headaches. Hopefully I will wake up better tomorrow.

I have a new updated products page on my web site, and have also added some new client before and after pics to the gallery. I will be releasing my new look site early January! Looking forward to that!

Great to see the forum going well!

Shoulder & Back day

Felt a bit crappy all day today, think because I have tight traps and neck, bit of a headache with it. Felt better after training. Had a great shoulder workout, really concentrating on form now and even dropping my weights a bit to allow for this. Certainly felt the lateral raises tonight.

Damien missed out on council election - quite disappointing really, and I blame the bad press he had recently (and the people who read the crap and believe it). It was basically a whole lot of BS - you pretty much have no right for reply with this d*ck in the local media. I better stop there before I get in trouble. Anyway, means he will have a lot more spare time on his hands now instead of spending half his week in meetings and stuff - and he will get to earn some real money. He loved representing the local people though, and that is the disappointing thing.

Have not done cardio for a few days - my schedule has been a bit messed up and my diet has not been as good as it has been previously. Nip that in the bud and knuckling down again. Been out for dinner 2 nights in a row and pretty much had a free meal on Sat night. Didn't go overboard but did feel yukky the next day. My body and digestive system like routine!

Added some more pics to my Client Gallery.

Skin folds tomorrow and early cardio, followed by leg training at 11.30am. Getting it all done early in the day. Then, my treat, a massage!

Election Day

We will find out late this afternoon if Damien has been re-elected to council for another 3 year term...fingers crossed. Either way, we are going out tonight, celebrating or commiserating! Have booked in at a Greek restaurant (lamb kebabs mmmm...) and will be having dinner with a few friends from my old workplace. Had our first Christmas dinner party last night, Lutheran School Council (of which Damien is on the council and chairman of one of the committees). That was nice, but my meal didn't come out until after 9.30pm. Everyone else had entree, but I ordered only a main. That will teach me.

Trained this morning with Jodie - biceps, calves and abs. Relatively 'easy' morning. There is a great exercise Richie has me doing - Bicep Drag Curls - talk about feeling it! They really isolate the biceps and the tension is on the muscle for the entire duration of the set. I always get lightheaded toward the end of a set of 12.

Kat, think I answered your comments question in a personal email :)

Tried the Goliaths Caramel Fudge Bar Up a few days ago - it was great. Will try another in the next week or so.

The forum is going really well! Good to see the girls supporting each other.

We signed our bank documents for the house yesterday, woohoo!! Finally! However, it will STILL be another week or two before it is fully settled and they actually START on our house (again). BUT, how exciting, we actually bought a lounge suite for our family room yesterday! Have no house to put it in, but have the furniture :) I spotted it at a closing down sale, it's a spanish design, and had matching wooden coffee table, lamp table, sofa table, and wine rack/stand. We bought it all :) It is something I would never have chosen from a fabric sample. Our tiles will be cream, and we have a black siltstone kitchen bench and splashback. The lounge suite is brown, with red/brown/green colourings in the cushions. Add a few cream cushions and this will just look awesome in our new house I reckon!! The reds and greens will really 'lift' it. Not only that, it is colour friendly ie brown, won't get grubby as quickly and will be good for the puddy cat (he won't be allowed in the "good" section of the house :) $1000 off the price so pretty happy with our 'find' :)

I have so many projects on the go at the moment! I am revamping my home page and site soon - that is next on the list. Want to add a Client of the Month, with a giveaway for that. Also, together with Sharleen will we soon begin working on developing pre and post natal programs. And a million other things. Client Forum is up so that is a major project I can cross off this list!

Off for a nana nap then back to writing some programs :)

Leg day DONE!

It feels good :) To get it out of the way that is!! Seriously close to useless after finishing. Had been training for an hour and ten mins, and still had to do calves, so decided I was suffiently buggered enough to postpone them until tomorrow morning when I do cardio.

Michelle has added some new recipes to my site, thanks Michelle - Michelle is the healthy recipe GURU!!!

Sent a few more videos off to Richie this morning - shoulder exercises. There was a lady training in the background on lat pull with very bad form - I asked Richie if he liked her form - he said that she could be my next client :) In addition to the feedback he gave re my exercise form, he told me is very happy with my current condition - which was good to hear. I do feel I am losing fat slowly. I can notice slight differences in my abdominals and my chest. My weight has dropped very slightly, was 118.6 yesterday but in the 119's again today.

I don't get my diet update for another 2 weeks as Richie wants me eating this exact amount of calories every day for that time, and then, with the increase he will give me, it will provide a shock to my body - that in combo with the new training plan will give my muscles a little boost :) Will have updated skin folds done this coming Monday.

I've stopped using Fitday and have started with Diet Club - an Aussie alternative. It's a lot quicker than the Fitday web version and of course being Aussie foods and measures, is much easier to use.

Goliaths Sports Nutrition is BACK!!! With some awesome new flavours in both powders and bars. I have a price list ready if anyone would like one. I will soon be getting the info up on the web. I can't wait to get these products on the go again, I know many of my previous clients can't wait to get their hands on the new flavours!! Apparently the new chocolate is even BETTER than the old one - I will report in when I receive my trial packs in the mail - oh, speaking of, trial packs - these are great and made especially for Ideal Bodies Online clients and visitors - 8 single flavours to try, and you can have the option of including a bar of each flavour as well. Great value for $36 for 8 single shots of protein and 4 bars - plus postage.

I am looking at getting a 'chat' function running on my Forum - then I can schedule some online chats with clients. That will be a great addition I feel. Ok, better get back to it!

Been a while...

between posts. Kat, I answered your comment in a personal email...as I said, I'm no different to anyone, we all share the same trials and tribulations, good days and bad. Those people who seem to do it with all smiles and no struggles, are probably just hiding behind a facade.

I've had a good week. I have accomplished quite a lot of things on my work 'to do' list - including getting staff/contracts ready (major thanks to Amanda!), getting my Forum online (big big job from my web master - he's been brilliant), and getting a Newsletter out. And have now finished writing programs, so can concentrate on writing my new articles for the WF&H mag.

Speaking of, did anyone see one of the latest Body Blitz winners? She looks great. It's getting very competitive these days...

I have a phone appointment with Richie tomorrow. We will be discussing my comp year - which comps to do and the plan of attack. I MAY not do Wagga, as it will be a small show. May use the extra time to keep building my legs. I am certainly noticing some differences. Had extremely sore lower quads from this week's leg workout which is great, as that is one place I need to target. I am extremely happy with how Richie is approaching my preparation. I am looking forward to the calorie 'shock' he will be delivering me very soon. It's interesting there are such differences between trainers and their beliefs. I better stop right there :)

Jodie and I trained chest and biceps last night. Very tough session and already feeling some soreness today. This morning we did tris/calves/abs.

Time for my little arvo nap.

Please, current clients, register for our Online Client Forum!

Hungry!!

Just finished training Shoulders and Back, had my Myoplex Lite, and now I am hungry again. Looking forward to my chook, sweet potato and asparagus very soon. Had a great workout, even though I trained alone tonight.

I had my skin folds taken this morning, every 2 weeks. Have dropped another 1.2% and a total of 9.15mm. Pretty happy with that. Sent Richie a video this morning and he said I'm exactly where I should be at. The good news is that while my body fat is dropping slowly, my weight is not dropping. If calcs are correct, I should have about an extra 2kg of muscle on me this time around. My weight is around 121/122 lbs.

This weekend I was a bit under the weather - had the whole tired thing happening again, but, not as bad as it has been. I slept a lot, but was still able to do a bit of work. Feel a lot better today.

I did my cardio session after I had my skin folds taken - tready, on incline, and once my stupid hr monitor got itself together, I stayed around 140-145 bpm, for 35 mins.

Look forward to getting my mega calorie plan from Richie this coming weekend :)

Above is a picture of the snake at the Nationals :) Kim Knott, the lady on the left is going to be my posing coach. She won the Overall in the Physique section, and is simply awesome - a class above everyone else.

More pain

But different. Been to a wedding today and had a free meal as I am able to have one every couple of weeks. Seriously, my body can't handle ANY type of 'different' food - by different I mean anything I don't usually eat! I had a couple of wines, a few nibbles (3) as it was a while before dinner came out, a bread roll, mediterranean chicken salad (chicken, feta, sun dried tomatoes and salad), followed by lamb with cous cous. Then a bailey's on ice and 3 tiny chocolates. I had to come home as I was so tired, and had the biggest stomach ache. So here I am, it's 9.30pm, and I am ready for bed. I have not slept well for the last 2 days. This morning I was awake at 4am and up before 5am. Did a bit of work, then back to bed at 6.30am until 8am. Had a hair appointment at 9 which took until 12, and then came home and spent 2 hours in bed but could not sleep. I felt like a zombie going to this wedding. The wedding was lovely though, we caught a paddlesteamer to a hotel on the river, and had the ceremony by the river and the reception in a big marquee. Beautiful day for it.

Jodie and I trained chest and tris last night, and in the early afternoon I trained bis, calves and abs alone. Big day of training. Tomorrow I am playing catch up by doing 2 cardio sessions - it's been a big week of appointments and things so I have had to juggle my sessions a bit. Things should quieten down from here on in - I hope.

Oh the pain!!

Yes, it's leg day. Had a great session with Jode. Adam couldn't make it but that didn't seem to matter, we certainly pushed out a good workout! I could barely walk after the first exercise! Straight set, descending set, progressive overload set - on leg extension. Had a massage booked for 3/4 hour after training, so it was home, protein shake, shower and massage - ahh :)

Went out for dinner tonight, to a Greek restaurant. Had lamb skewers and tzatziki, plus a wine. We were celebrating our house loan finally coming through! Talk about banks taking so much time. So it's all go there again.

Ok, so I wrote the above yesterday. Today I really am in pain :) Soreness is starting to kick in. Just returned from the gym and a cardio session - normally I do cardio in the mornings but today was madness, just jobs on the go all day. So I did elliptical, step machine and tready (on incline) for 35 mins. Feeling quite sleepy now but will have a shower, and get stuck into some work. The evening working is happening again, as my days have been so full up with other stuff.

Richie sent me a message a couple of days ago telling me to 'be prepared to EAT' come the next couple of weeks. He's going to change my diet and increase my calories! Eek. Already eating quite a bit but not complaining! Will enjoy it while I can!

I am feeling so much better these days. I am taking a lot of supplements, which cost a fortune, but I guess if it's working then I should continue. At least for a few more months at any rate. My endocrinologist updated my T3 and adrenal medication recently too.

Been having a lot of clients finish their 12 weeks this week - and with some sensational results!!! Well done to all! I hope to be able to update my site soon with some new photos etc. Newsletter is long overdue too.

Time for an update!

Training is going well, into a groove with the new schedule now. Have had to add a 4th day of sorts, to fit in triceps - too much to add to chest and bicep day. So doing tris with calves and abs.

I am certain I have dropped some more body fat this week - bit less to grab in the ab region.

How hot is it? We had a wedding on Saturday night, hot but lovely day, in these magnificent gardens that I didn't even know existed in our area. Then last night it blew up into a storm, my poor puddy cat turned into a crab :) He stays very close to the ground when he hears anything resembling thunder, and has even started walking backwards :) Very amusing. He's over it now though.

Had a free meal at the wedding, just the meal that was going, couple of wines, no dessert. I have another wedding to attend next weekend and then that's all the November festivities over - onto Christmas parties. It will be December I imagine when Richie tightens up my diet.

I am going to try to take back my new mobile phone - I don't like it! It's not as user friendly as my old Nokia! One thing I used to use constantly was my Reminder feature. When out walking I would think of all these things I needed to do and would just press a few buttons and enter a reminder for when I got back to the house or whenever. That was SO handy. I've learnt that a flashy looking phone is not necessarily functional :)

I have 2 new girls starting up with me this week. Will be teaching them the ropes over the next 2 weeks. I had some majorly impressive applicants for the position and it was extremely difficult to make a choice. I will be introducing these lovely ladies, one with her own AMAZING success story, very soon.

Up at 5am today, not a lot of sleep. Going to order some more tests to see how my health is coming along. Feeling so much better, it's unbelievable to think just a few months ago I was really struggling. Been off the pill for a couple of months now and everything seems to have settled in there with no worries.

Forum will be up and running this week I hope! If you are a current client expect an email inviting you to join.