Yearly Archive for 2006

Christmas 2006

Published on December 24, 2006 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

Hello! Merry Christmas everyone! I’ve been flat out with organizing lunch and dinner for Christmas day at our house. Luckily we have had a couple of beautiful hampers given to us so that has made a great contribution – since my plans to make quite a few different dishes went by the wayside. It took me all day to do all my little jobs in town on Wednesday, and it was SO hot. There was a bazillion people in town, the traffic was barely moving and it was all very frustrating! I just didn’t have time to make anything in the end.

My Christmas celebrations started about Tuesday this week. Out for dinner, then Wednesday to the pub, Thursday was a business dinner, Friday out for dinner with friends, Saturday night to the pub, and tonight – well, our house is full of food now so we have just been snacking on various Christmas day food. We are going to church tonight, with Damien’s sister and BIL, and then home for an earlyish night and up early for a big Christmas day. Preparations will begin early! Cooking a big turkey, a roast beef, roast veggies, mum’s doing a pork with crackling, we have ham, chickens and prawns for dinner. Lots of nibbly things, including some awesome brie cheese, smoked salmon, avocado, nuts, dip, biscuits of varying descriptions, fruit cake, a cheesecake, a pudding, cherries, ice cream, chocolates. Phew. I am already feeling quite blah from the rich food. It’s quite amazing how it affects me – aching joints and muscles even! I trained up until Friday, and will now have a break until Wednesday when the gym opens again.

Hilary, Ali and Tracey – Merry Christmas!! Thank you Hils and Ali for the cards.

Mike – thank you! And you too have a wonderful Christmas! There is plenty of time to be dieting after the 25th :)

Selina – that’s because I trash all the yukky pics!!! Merry Christmas! Thanks to you too for the lovely e card :)

Kerry – thank you for the card!! You have a nice Christmas and i hope to see you soon. Still a few issues with the forum, but I think most people can get in.

Jodi – great to hear from you! Thanks so much for the kind words, much appreciated! I’m really looking forward to comp season next year. Maybe I will get to meet you somewhere along the way :)

Michelle – yes I think Rexy should be able to manage a little loss, he’s very active up and down these stairs (as I am, chasing him back down!)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas day!

My new site is finally up!

Published on December 19, 2006 in Uncategorized. 10 Comments



Yippee!!! But not without issues of course! Members of the Forum, please be patient, we are working on getting this up and running – that’s top of the list. But it’s so slow and time consuming going back and forth between Support. They tell me it’s fixed, I go in and immediately find a problem – go back and report it – couple hours later I may get an answer – only to find another problem. And so on! But, overall they have been pretty good, it’s just very frustrating and time consuming as I said. Fortunately it’s a quiet week with programs!

Next I have to learn to ‘drive’ my site.

Well, this week is a whirlwind of dinners, catch ups with friends, drinks, christmas shopping and whatnot. I never miss a training session in amongst all this of course :) Tonight I had ‘double cooked rabbit’ – was waaaaaaayyyyyyyyy too dry. But it was lean!

I spent most of today working on getting my site working properly, and therefore tomorrow I have a million things to do. Just cardio today. Tomorrow is cardio and legs.

I have breakfast on Thursday, dinner on Thursday, dinner on Friday, dinner on Sunday and then of course food ALL day Monday. It’s a rather impossible time of year!

Today’s pics are of big Rexy who now has weasled his way into other parts of the house. Here he is enjoying his upstairs ledge. You should see him burn up and down the stairs at 100 miles an hour – he knows he’s not allowed and he does it for attention. It’s very very funny :)

Other pic is one I found from 2002. This was 2 weeks out from Nationals. Nice abs here, wasn’t quite as lean this year.

Bed time!

Catch up

Published on December 16, 2006 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Josh – thanks for the congratulations on sponsorship – I think the current distributor is not the same one as when you were involved though.

Ali – hope the dieting is going well!

Pip – Thanks, and great to hear from you again, I hope all is well – are you going back to Phat Camp in 2007 for more of those nasty pop squats?

Mike – Yeah would have been ‘awesome’ had I actually made the lift!

Liz – Hi! Yes, quite intimidating when you look at it! I hope you too have a fab festive season!

Sam – What were you doing with your nose between my boobs – you already knew who my sponsor was…hmmm??? hehehe :) Thank you :) I doubt I look that good but I am happy not to put on any weight around this time of year!

Kirsty – great to see you, I know you post on Kerry’s blog sometimes. I seriously hope it rains for you guys (and all of us!!) very soon – and lots of it.

Bec – guess what you are going to be doing next workout? :) Nah just kidding. We’ll build up to it :)

Hilds – thanks! Yes MRM have a wonderful range of products and I am really excited to be associated with them!

Josh – I don’t think you posted it!! ;)

So, it’s definitely the silly season – lots of dinners, catching up with friends for drinks and whatnot happening. Training is awesome, had a great chest and arm session today. Tonight we went out for dinner, Greek – the usual lamb and chicken kebabs with salad, dressing on the side. Couple of chardys. Wednesday night, another dinner, but this is a business dinner. Working on strategies for the next few years. Then Friday night, organising to catch up with friends for a Christmas get together dinner. Saturday and Sunday will be spent preparing for Christmas lunch and dinner at our house. Visitors staying Sunday and Monday nights so will probably go out Sunday night as well. Have to do some shopping and cooking starting about Friday I’d say. Went for a coffee out at the plaza today and it was mayhem just trying to find a park!

All my programs are done for this week so will spend some of tomorrow scanning and resizing photos to add to my client gallery.

Tomorrow I think I will step up the cardio and do a couple sessions. That’s about all that’s happening at the moment!

Published on December 13, 2006 in Uncategorized. 8 Comments



Finally my pics posted!!! Goodness knows over how many days I tried this. Here I am about to get crushed!

Funny gym story

Published on December 7, 2006 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments

Good evening everyone! So, can you guess who my new sponsor is??? Hint, have a closer look at the photos. God computers SUCK sometimes!!! The photos won’t post! So, the whole story just won’t be the same! I will try again later. But here’s the story anyway!

Today I trained legs and shoulders with Adam. I have not trained heavy and hardcore legs for about 6 weeks. So, we started with squats, and I managed 6 good reps at just over 150lb which wasn’t bad. I got Adam to take some pics, since I had my new sponsor gear on. He perched on top of the other leg press, to get this pic of me pressing what I thought was 500lb. I’d just done 10 reps at 400lb so figured this was a cinch. I pressed my first rep – and this photo is of me at the bottom of the rep, and – this is as far as I got!!!! My next word I managed to squeeze out was “F@#!” as my knees ended up around my ears and had to push the plate with both hands, to try and avoid getting crushed to smitherines by what turned out to be SIX HUNDRED pounds! Took Adam just a few seconds to realise I was stuck and not getting out!! He nearly fell off his perch in his hurry to get to the machine and proceed to push with all his might to try and get the weight off me!! In the end it was really pretty funny :) He wasn’t aware that 2 of the plates were 100 pounders rather than 50. They actually look the same size. So this pic is taken about 1 second before all that happened :)

I’m going to be sore, I can feel it already. Thinking I might have to have a spa tonight.

Gill – Thanks, you are too kind! Yes, I’d hate to think if I lived on junk food how I’d feel!

Michelle – Thanks Michelle, Rexy is banished to the tiled area – his furr is so bad it even blocked up our air conditioner filter causing it to break down! Not good in 40 degree heat!! Damn Rexy, he always has a plan to foil us…!

Di – hehe, such a lady, that is too funny :) You’re sounding like G!

Hi Ali! – Thanks, we had a lovely dinner – one of the courses we had was bison! It was served medium rare, and also some beef, cooked the same – the bison was yummy! Quite sweet tasting. We also had sourdough bread, smoked trout with calamari and pomegranate sauce(sp??), fried zucchini flowers filled with ricotta and served with grilled cherry tomatoes, quail ravioli, and creme caramel for dessert. And a beautiful chilled 2003 Carlei Chardonnay. Followed by a cappuccino! And, then I had some chocolate for 2nd dessert. Now, I must tell you they were not large servings!!!! But, of course I was stuffed after all that. Very nice indeed.

Chantal – hello! Beachhouse is quite good, apart from not having any barbells :( That is my major gripe. I don’t understand how a gym cannot have such basic pieces of equipment. Let me know if your Beachhouse has them – I am pretty sure though it’s a national barbell shortage as far as Beachhouse goes.

Tracey – hi stranger! Good to hear from you. Thank you, and yes, not real practical for children – or furry brown tabbies!

Sam in Sling but not for much longer – :) Awww, thanks :)

Other news, web site is getting closer, have actually started to upload a few gallery pics in the evenings. Slow process.

Found some old pics from 2002 comp lead up that I hadn’t seen for ages. I was leaner back then, have not been able to get that lean since. My abs were great. Next time! Ok, over and out, time for some spa bubbles.

My Stuff

Published on December 3, 2006 in Uncategorized. 7 Comments


Here’s our new furniture, looking lovely and cream and clean – at this early stage! Here’s me hard at work :) Actually, it was just before going out for dinner. I was really happy with this new leopard print dress I bought at Jeans West! And, it’s nice not to have regrowth :)

Well, things have been well and truly hectic here! Is it ever any different? Firstly thanks to those who left me a message re the iron deficiency:

Hils, actually I had lamb rather than a steak – I looooooooove lamb, my favourite. We went Greek, so lamb/chicken combo kebabs with Tzatziki. Sensational.

Kerry – I hope so! And I hope that YOU are feeling much better and getting over your nasty virus.

Bec - I’m hoping it will make a difference, perhaps it has been holding me back somewhat! See you tomorrow, get ready to work! :)

Mike – We’ll see on Wednesday about that PB! I’m looking forward to it – I think!! Great to hear from you.

Speaking of PB’s, thanks for reminding me Mike! I had a chest/shoulders/biceps session with big bad Adam on Friday. I beat my previous PB’s on most things, but really blitzed my lateral raises. The form was not very strict let me tell you, but, I did 35lbs db’s for 6 reps, after a set of 8 with 30′s and 10 with 25′s. Let’s say my shoulders got rather sore.

What else is going on…

*I will be releasing my new website very soon! Complete with updated information, and many new features, including something we have all been missing – the Client Gallery. As soon as the new site is up, that will be my first big project.

*My online supplement store will be opening at the same time as the new site release – stay tuned for more info about the range of supplements on offer.

*Welcome to Dianna Broeren, who joins Michelle Poe and Lisa Baggett, as an IBO staff member. You may know Dianna better as Dianna Carr – a previous client who made an amazing body transformation, and very good friend of mine. I’m delighted to have her on board!

*Unfortunately Shar Twyman will be leaving us to take on a bigger role in her current employment. Shar will still have a hand in some ‘special projects’ with IBO, so we’ll still see her pop up from time to time! Thanks Shar, for everything, you’ve been wonderful to work with, our clients love you, and I look forward to watching your competition preparation unfold in 2007.

I had my complete iron levels tested late in the week, and will find out my results this week. Ferritin, bilirubin, B12, Folic Acid, haemoglobin and Red Blood Cell counts. This will give me my benchmark, will have them again in a month or 6 weeks and see how I’m faring. I must say I’ve been SO motivated with work and training these last few days. My mind is ticking away all the time – finding it hard to wind down at night. I spent most of this weekend working – I had a lot to do with the new web site, but I’m so excited about this because when this is up and running, I will be able to do my own updates. Yes, I will have CONTROL!!!

I took out an advertisement with Good Health and Medicine magazine, to test a ‘different’ market. So, spend last minute Friday night arranging that (last minute advertising space so was a bit of a rush).

When we were out at the pub the other night, I had a girl come up and ask if I was a gym instructor. She said “I had to ask, because you’ve got a GORGEOUS body, GORGEOUS body”. Before I had a chance to respond, my hubby being the comedian he is said, “Oh thanks, well…you know…I try my best!” It was quite amusing because it went on from there, he’s never one to miss an opportunity. Damien was rapt I had such a lovely compliment!

My trainer has dropped my cardio back, due to the fatigue that I was feeling. He believes when my iron levels improve I will be a different person. He’s also adjusted my food intake accordingly. I am still eating 7 meals a day! With the few days rest I had earlier, I was able to have a great cardio session this morning. I did my run, and stairs workout yesterday, and today went to Beachhouse and did stair machine, 10 mins of plyometrics, and then 10 mins of running hills/sprints. Was suitably puffed at the end. Had a guy on the next tready comment that I must sleep well at night. I wish :) ) Then completed my abdominals, and home for a day of work. I accomplished SO much today! I wrote an article for a US Fitness magazine, who recently contacted me about supplying their magazine with Success Stories. This is very exciting! So, I worked on that today, as well as updating my staff profile page, and have started to update our workout program templates – this will be ongoing (BIG JOB). So, I’ve been meaning to write in my blog for a few days now, and finally getting there!

Damien’s birthday this week, so I am taking him out for a special dinner, to Stefano’s Restaurant for a 6 course gourmet feast!

http://www.milduragrandhotel.com.au/dining_restaurants/stefanos.php

We love going here, not that we do it too often, it’s rather exy! We go for special occasions.

My weight/body fat is stable at around 115, and just under 15%. Trainer was happy with improvements.

Right well I think I’ve caught up on most things. Waiting for the inlaws to drop around, it’s almost 10pm so I hope they arrive soon! We are going down to Murrayville next Friday night, to pick up half a cow! Bring it home the next day and pop it into the freezer – beef for the next goodness knows how long. Not that I am allowed to eat it at the moment – iron supplement is enough trainer says.

It’s my lucky day!

Published on November 29, 2006 in Uncategorized. 4 Comments

I have an iron deficiency!!! Woohoo!! Why, you ask, am I so excited at this, seemingly, bad news? Well, you see, I’ve been fighting fatigue for a long time – I have bouts – and whilst it has been a lot better since being treated for adrenal exhaustion and hypothyroid, I still suffer. Maybe I’m grabbing at straws, but I’ll take anything at this stage. I found out, quite by accident, that my haemoglobin count is low. I’ve had two blood tests within the last say, 2 months, and they both read low. Well, my Doc told me it was ‘normal’ until I questioned him further as to the reference range. I was right on the borderline of low, and ‘normal’. Previous to this, my endocrinologist had my white and red blood cell counts done, I wasn’t sure why, as he’d never done them before. I noticed that the red blood cell count was “Low” on my results, yet, my doc never said one word about it. I wasn’t really looking for that, and didn’t know what it really meant, so didn’t even think any more about it – until I got results for my latest tests. So, I am HOPING, that with some treatment, this will help my energy levels!! I haven’t had red meat on my diet for awhile, and, all through my comp prep I did not have red meat. So, here’s hoping. If only it is this easy!! Did a quick search on the net and come up with this which summed me up (on many occasions):

Are you … Feeling tired? Lethargic? Having trouble thinking or concentrating? Feeling dizzy? Weak? Pale Skin? Always feeling cold? Having Heart Palpitations? These are all symptoms of Low Iron Levels…

To be continued….going out for dinner!

I love my air conditioner

Published on November 25, 2006 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

Well it’s been a week since I posted! Thanks to everyone for the lovely comments about my garden! It’s still alive so that’s a good sign ;)

This week I started to feel a little on the exhausted side, but, feeling much better today and yesterday, so only missed one cardio session overall. I went for a short session this morning, at 10am – it was so hot I had to come home. Only managed 25 minutes, but at least it was something. I then trained chest, biceps and abs this afternoon. I had an awesome shoulder session yesterday, I don’t know why but I increased my weights/reps significantly on everything. I am sore today! In fact, I had a massage last night and my MT nearly had me in tears! I’ve been very tight and sore in the neck and back, and she got stuck in to my left shoulder blade and it nearly killed me! That and my glutes/hip on that left side (the side I have the hamstring/groin problem). I’ve been using my roller too.

We’ve been very social this week – out for dinner 4 times. Thursday night was fun, caught up with a friend in the winery business (among other things) whom I haven’t seen for awhile. Had an awesome chardonnay – Kerry and Gill (fellow chardy lovers), remember this one – Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay, 2004 – from Margaret River. Had a lamb backstrap with couscous for dinner – very very nice. We sat outdoors as it was a beautiful night.

Last night we had another dinner, a Christmas break up. Then tomorrow, yet another Christmas do – we are meant to go on the barbeque boat on the river, down to Trentham winery. It’s going to be over 40 degrees tomorrow, so no way are we going on a boat with no air conditioning!! We’ll go straight to the winery. Trentham is lovely, so I am sure it will be another splendid feast! I am amongst all this, managing to keep my weight and body fat constant – at this stage anyway!

We put our Christmas tree up today, all 7ft of it! It’s huge! Now just have to get some deco’s and we’ll be set. We are having Christmas here this year, so I am looking forward to that.

We’re about to watch Inside Man on Austar Box Office. Have a ripper weekend everyone!

Garden transformation!

Published on November 18, 2006 in Uncategorized. 7 Comments





Our new house :) With greenery! It’s amazing what can be done in a few days! And it’s so nice to have seen the last of that red dirt! Landscapers (a friend of Damien’s) did this is 2.5 days. We also have a hedge along the side of the fence, and some more bush roses coming for in front of the house and fence. We have Pencil Pines and river stones out the back along the fence, and in the courtyard. It’s lovely!! All automated – that’s the best thing!

We have had a big week of house stuff – our furniture was delivered same day as the landscapers started work. We now have a beautiful cream 2 x 2 seater lounge suite with 2 ottomans so we can stretch out :) A 6 seater cream and bronze dining setting with glass top and coffee table to match. And a brand new plasma tv (finally we spent our wedding vouchers – thanks everyone!!) :) To top it off we had Austar installed this week also. So, we are all set – apart from blinds! It’s like a big fishbowl at night, everyone can see in. Watching the Flintstones at the moment :)

I’ve spent a lot of this week researching options for my web site. I want to be able to maintain and update it myself so looking into having it converted to a Content Management System. This week I will be changing hosting companies, and also releasing my new online store!

Training is going great, had a few issues with fluid that I had to speak to my trainer about, and he was so great. He has adjusted my diet and supplementation, and we will review it in 2 weeks. My cardio fitness is awesome, if I don’t say so myself! I had a full day off today, which translates to 2 cardio sessions tomorrow. I had my hair done today so that took up 3 hours of my time.

I have 3 dinners out this weekend coming – 2 of them are Christmas dinners! It seems way too early for that.

Anyway, that’s my catch up – the weather has been fantastic, we sat out in the courtyard tonight after grocery shopping. Perfect barbie weather – that’s on the to do list – we have a voucher at Ray’s Tent City so perhaps will get one soon.

Wonder how the Olympia is going…

My garden

Published on November 11, 2006 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments

Just finished picking out plants and trees for our garden, can’t wait – we are getting instant lawn so we should have some greenery by middle of next week! Did a tour with the landscaper, to the nursery, and have come up with a plan. And, we have an appointment on Wednesday with the blind people (as in window furnishings!) so it is all coming together.

I trained chest and arms yesterday morning – I am getting this slow tempo training down pat – I was already feeling sore by night time. No cardio, because I had another funeral to go to. My mum’s husband’s mum passed away – that’s two funerals in the same week. She too lived to a ripe old age of 94. I’d never met her, but funerals are just so sad, you can’t help but get tears in your eyes because you just feel so much for the family and what they are going through.

I sent my feedback and measurements update through to my trainer yesterday, I don’t think he’ll change anything as it’s only been 11 days since I started this plan. I am loving my food plan, even though it’s quite a lot of food, most days I am completely satisfied but on a few occasions I get really hungry. I think that’s par for the course though. Just ride it out! Love my brekky – I have 3 egg whites, 1/4 cup oats and a box of sultanas that I soak in hot water so they are nice and juicy on my pancake. Topped with a little sugar free syrup. Another of my fave meals is the frozen raspberries mixed into a scoop of gooey chocolate protein powder.

Back to training – I actually trained in the ladies area the other day – because now I rarely need the big dumbbells :) I was quite amused by two ladies doing their ‘thing’. 100 rep sets on the machines, REALLY fast, and just little half reps. Then they went on to what I figure were meant to be db side raises. They were flapping their arms like birds flying south for the winter, hehe :) I really cringe at some of the things I see in the gym.

My cardio is still going great guns – today I must do 2 sessions, have already done one at the gym, along with my shorter abs workout. I did 15 mins on the step machine, 10 mins on the elliptical and 5 mins on the bike. Very proud of me because I really don’t like the bike. :) I worked in the range of 150-165bpm and according to my hr monitor I burned a paltry 140 calories. It seems like so little for such a huge effort! The machines of course told me I’d burned over 300 – which sounds a whole lot better but is not accurate at all for a lightweight like me. Unfortunately!! So my afternoon session will be a run/stairs session down at the Arts Centre. It’s really muggy outside so it won’t be that pleasant. Tomorrow is cardio only and I might do a Body Attack class.

I am so sick of spam mail :( I must get well over 100 a day. I can’t wait to get going with my new web hosts, and be able to make changes to my own site. I’m tired of the cr*p that has been going on with my soon to be previous host.

Ok, time to finish off a program, and then a small afternoon nap before my cardio :) We are going out to dinner tonight I think – perhaps Indian or Greek – Tandoori chicken or lamb kebabs will be my healthy choice.

Hi Deb, thanks for dropping by, it was lovely to meet you at the Nationals – you looked great and I loved your suit colour! Look forward to following your progress throughout 2007.

Sam – yeah, egg whites only please – this could be a great new business venture for you :)