Changes, Bloggie Friends & Spastic Fingers

Liz & Me - 7th April, 2011

A comp pose Liz had me do. Notice the spastic fingers!

OMG I felt so stupid doing this pose...lol... I am clueless!

Liz was trying to be artistic I think.

Crikey! Me on 30th November 2010 Bloggie Friends

The week just gone, I caught up with some bloggie friends. Namely Vicki M and Liz (aka coach), and also the lovely Carolyn Gertz who is one of the original and famous Ideal Bodies Online success stories.

Carolyn was my inspiration to start my IBO program. It was her interview on Today Tonight that originally inspired me to pick up the phone and check Ideal Bodies Online out and start my health and fitness comeback. I haven't looked back.

And it was through Carolyn that I met Liz. Liz reminded me on Saturday that it was at one of the BB comps down at the Gold Coast that I met her, when she was coaching Carolyn for comp. And it was that comp that Carolyn put me onto Slim Secrets protein bars.

Carolyn was down from Darwin and I decided to join her for Liz's RPM class on Saturday morning, so that I could catch up with her, as I hadn't seen her since that comp, nearly 2 years ago. Carolyn is looking AWESOME, just quietly and she is happy and contented. Now, RPM was a killer and true to form, Liz flogged us. I burnt a whopping 497 calories! It was a tough one. I suspect that having both Carolyn and I there, along with the multitude of RPM enthusiasts, inspired her kick arse session.

So it was off for a quick coffee afterward, and we were joined by Vicki who was pumping some serious weights while we were pedalling madly away. Carolyn had to fly (literally, to catch a plane), so we parted ways and then I met up with Vicki again for lunch down at Southbank.

It was the first time to meet Vicki, and to be quite honest, I didn't know much about her until a couple of weeks ago (I decided to read up on her blog and check out her story...as you do). We've been FB friends for a little while, but you know how it is? Lots of FB and bloggie friends, but not all of them you get to meet face-to-face. So it was AWESOME meeting Vicki! Her energy and enthusiasm for all things fitness is truly inspiring. Not only does she train hard in the gym (and outside and around Kangaroo Point) and compete in figure comps, but she throws in boxing and ballet in amongst the mix!

I felt like I had known Vicki all my life - she is so easy-peasy friendly and go-with-the-flow kinda gal (which I love). Luckily, because I asked her heaps of questions about comps and training and different stuff to do with body building and her goals, etc. I have to admit that I have a fascination with the BB world and the people within it. And I most of all admire their dedication and how hard they train.

Writing this blog and thinking about all the people I've met since the start of my IBO journey, the words...'from little things, big things grow', comes to mind. It especially says alot about the friendships I've come to make, and how they've changed my life so significantly. Some of those friendships and acquaintances have grown into something bigger...some never really develop, and others, well, they just drop by the wayside. The funny thing is, they don't always develop at the same time. It's where chance takes you I suppose.

Changes & Spastic Fingers

When I met up with Liz last week to review my program, she happened to have her camera with her and so we had our photo taken together (aren't we looking trim and terrific...hee...hee)? Liz also took some shots of me and was trying to instruct me on some posing. I have to admit that I felt like a real goose. Especially the 'gun' (bicep) pose...lol... In the back shot (whatever they call it in the BB world), you can see my spastic fingers. I am physically incapable of straightening them, as I have hypermobile joints. So no...I don't have arthritis!

So the top pics were taken on the 7th April and the bottom pics I took for Liz in November 2010, when we brought nutrition into the program. Huge difference! I'd forgotten about these photos until Saturday, when Liz brought in a printout of those November pics. OMG...I nearly choked when I saw them!

I started my program on Monday 30th November, and weighed in at 63.73kgs. At the moment I'm sitting at my maintenance weight of 57kg's, so that's a 6.73kg's difference. It doesn't sound like alot, considering it took me around 3 months to lose. But the photos speak for themselves.

Needless to say, I'm pleased as punch! :)

Holy Crap!

Bracket Creep: Slowly moving into higher weight bracket as one's food intake rises to keep up with festive appetite.

Thanks to Tracey, who approached me to become her ' training buddy' to keep her accountable as she starts her new training and nutrition program. Unbeknownst to her, I am just as grateful that I too can be accountable.

Today I begin a new program to get back on track as part of Operation Sexy Bitch 2010. I did my photos this morning, my weight and measurements. If you look closely at my above photos you can see how softer I'm looking, and also the fat around my stomach, hips, and especially the thighs is quite noticable. It's amazing how quickly the fat starts to accumulate around the tummy and thighs. My boobs are feeling and looking fuller too and my measurements show a big increase in around my chest. Needless to say, I'm not liking how I'm feeling at present.



(click to enlarge)

Since mid-October when I returned from Kapooka, I've gradually put on about 5kgs. I was 57kg when I got back home. As of today I am 62.23kg! It's the largest gain I've had since I started my Ideal Bodies Online programs back in July 2008.

I'm pretty happy I'd managed to maintain my happy weight of around 58kg since January 2008. Kapooka (Army Reserve Basic Training) was the culmination of everything I'd worked towards and I was pretty exhausted. I needed a change and just wanted to rest when I got back. I also wanted a change from training hard constantly for over 12 months with small breaks in-between programs. To be honest, I was over it all. It took all of my physical and mental energy to get me that far and alot of discipline. But I'm glad I did it, and I know what I'm capable of.


So you could say that upon my return I crashed for about 3 weeks and did sweet F'All. I also ate everything in sight. I then reined in the food again for a little while. But the problem was, I hadn't defined any new major goals. I knew what I wanted, but it was floating around in my head for awhile. I've now set some goals for 2010, but as yet haven't really put any measureable goals in place, apart from a weight goal. With our beach holiday and Christmas looming I just wanted to relax, take it easy and enjoy the time away from my previous schedule. Having injuries to deal with upon my return, also made a little too easy to kick back. But there comes a time where enough is enough, and you start to get complacent with your training and your food. I've now over the complacency and need to get back into some serious training.


It's going to be a little different this time round, as physically, my training won't be as 'static'. It'll be a mixed bag, and until I've had about 6 months of Crossfit training (it will probably take this long to learn all the skills and relevant weights for lifting), the parameters of what's achievable for me as far as goals won't be able to be determined. Crossfit is like nothing I've done before, and it's not like your standard gym program where you basically plan to do the same exercises for a period of time, and then re-write the program after your results begin to plateau.


In Crossfit, you don't know what you're going to be doing from one session to the next, as the session exercises are planned by Matt (the owner of CF Brisbane). All you know is that you're going to be going as hard as you can until you feel like you're ready to puke - when you have that feeling, you know you've put everything you have into your session. Of course, I'll be recording my session results, so I will be able to make comparisons along the way of how I'm performing, depending on my results. If I've lifted heavier on deadlifts the next time I do them, then I've improved and/or increased my strength, etc, etc. If I can do a type of session, like 'Fran' and cut down my time the next time I do it, then I've improved. This is how you can tell if you're making progress. And of course, if things are becoming easier as far as my regular Army fitness assessments and PT sessions and cutting down my running times, then I know I'm getting fitter.


I also have the added challenge of not being able to go to a conventional gym. That means that on days that I'm not going to formal Crossfit sessions, then I have to be motivated enough to conduct my own training, i.e. circuits, running, martial arts, etc. It also means that on days like today (where it's pelting down rain), I have to become a little creative in order to get in a workout.

Thanks to Tracey, I will be posting my weekly results. I'll post measurements and updated photos every six weeks, as previously done with my IBO programs.

So there you have it...warts and all! I'll be reposting my goals for 'Operation Sexy Bitch 2010' on the 1st January. Have a great week everyone. :)

Looking Back...Moving Forward...Taking it to the Next Level...

*Click to enlarge images

Above are my results for my 4th and final Ideal Bodies Online program. Not exactly how I wanted to end, weight-wise, but hey...no big deal. A couple more weeks of clean eating and increasing my training should see me back to my happy weight of 58kg. As you can see by the table, there was alot of fluctuation in this program. An indication of how my life has been the last 3 months, and all the changes (mainly in the last 8 weeks). But...shit happens, and you've just got to look back, figure out why, and try to make sure it doesn't happen again. Some things you can't alter the course of, so it's a matter of dealing with it, re-adjusting to get back to base, and continuing on with your goals where you last left off.

For my after photos, I thought I'd do something a little different, and a bit more fun. After looking at Kristin's posing pic, I thought I'd try it. I realised afterwards that I really suck at posing, and that it's harder than it looks (I also have spastic fingers...they're hyper-mobile and I can't straighten them when flexed). So to all you figure comp girls...I tip my hat to you, because you make it look easy!

As soon I did these and had a look at them, I started to critique myself (as you do). My real bug-bear is my tummy. I noticed a bit of loose skin in the side tricep shot. Nothing much I can do about this unless I have a tummy tuck. And with the extra weight I'm carrying...yep...you guessed it...straight to my butt, thighs and lower abs. This is something I've come to accept, and that I need to work extra hard it to keep the fat off these problem areas. The next year I'll be working more on my abs, thighs and butt in an effort to make them more defined.

I suppose that's what keeps us going...a goal..a pursuit, regardless of how elusive it seems - that's what makes it so much fun. It's the challenges and the ideal that we'll reach that goal to have a better set of something. Whatever it is, we all want to have better...legs, shoulders, thighs, abs. It's all in the striving and that's what personally keeps me motivated. Of course, the fitness side of things is always uppermost in my mind, but I am always striving to improve how my body looks.

I'm already thinking about summer, and what swimmers I'll be wearing. I'm very conscious about my tummy and the loose skin, so I've been looking for something that's going to show off my back and shoulders, but hide most of my tummy, especially the bottom bit. I've discovered Monokinis. That's what I'm going to be wearing this summer.

As far as moving forward and taking it to the next level - that's what's happening over the next two months before I go to Kapooka. I start at Crossfit at the end of August, and will probably start back at formal Wing Chun training the following week. So I've my work cut out for me in the planning of my training, as I still need to work in my new physio rehab exercises for my wrist and achilles tendon, as well as maintaining my current ones for my multifidus and RHS glutes. I also need to up the intensity in my training, and start preparing for Wing Chun, i.e. revise the syllabus so I don't feel like a total nincompoop when I start back there. And I still have to keep in mind the training preparation for my military training at the Army Recruit Training Centre in Kapooka, which is tentatively booked for start of October.

Well that's about it...had a great legs workout this morning (I just love doing BB squats), and my motivation is high! Have a great week all!

It's One Year Ago Today...

That I looked like this....

And this...


And this....

After shot....Front



After shot...Back

After shot...Side

* My after shots were taken in January, 2009. Still looking pretty much the same, even though heavier.

Start weight, 28/7/08 was 71.6kg, Finish Weight, 16/1/09, 54.75kg (post depletion)

Happy Weight - 58kg

Today...28th July, 2009 is exactly one year since I started my Fit-and-Fab-at-40 journey with Ideal Bodies Online. And what a ride it's been!

Looking back, and looking at my before photos, I don't even know who that person is. And I have vowed I will never return to that place again. So far, I've been able to maintain, and my aim is to stay lean, but just get stronger and fitter. Of course, I still have a goal to get more definition around the butt and thighs, and lose more fat off my abs and get a six pack...that's my ultimate goal.

However, I'm very happy with who I am right now and where things are heading. If I stay looking as I do now, then I would still be happy, because I know how hard I've worked to get here. But I know that I won't stay here...in the same place. My body will change more as I train more and my type of training changes. That will be inevitable, but I know the changes will all be good. As long as I'm training hard and my nutrition is balanced, I have nothing to fear.

I had an emotional moment in the gym just recently...

I was on the bike and a song played in the gym. It was 'The Fray's song called...To Save a Life. When I started at the gym 12 months ago, this song, along with the whole album, is all I played for about three months! Yeah...I'm a serial 'repeat song' offender - it drives my husband crazy. For some reason it struck a chord with me, and really got my deepest emotions stirring. So hearing the song again brought back a rush of feelings that I first experienced starting out on my journey.

I remember that time so clearly...I had bought these size 14 gym clothes at K-Mart...some 3/4 tights, a crop top, and a big t-shirt. I made sure the t-shirt was loose enough and big enough to cover my spare tyres and my fat butt, and that the sleeves were long enough to cover my tuckshop arms!

I also remember looking at the before and after photos on IBO's website, and thinking how I'd love to look like some of those girls, and wondering if I'd ever look like any of them. I remember specifically looking at Michaela Muller's before and after's, and saying to myself..."Damn, I'd love to be as lean and muscly as her!", never really believing that I could.

All I knew when I started 12 months ago, is that I no longer wanted to look and feel fat, and I wanted to be fit again and feel confident again. I also knew somehow, that it was my time! I knew from the momemt I signed that contract that there was no going back.
For those of you who are still on their own health and fitness journey, I would like to give you hope that anything is possible if you really, truly want something bad enough, and your heart aches for change, that YOU CAN DO IT!

It's just making the decision to burn all your bridges, and making the decision that nothing will get in your way UNTIL...you will not give in UNTIL...you will be focused and determined UNTIL!

Regardless of how you look on the outside, it's how you feel on the inside. That image you have of the person you want to be and look like...nourish it...feed it...give it what it needs to grow and flourish....UNTIL...the person you see on the outside resembles the person you know who you are on the inside!

Have a better week, and thank you to everyone who has entered my life in the last twelve months. You have made my journey so far, an exceptional one and without your friendship...your words of support and encouragment, I daresay, my journey would have been less than...significant and enjoyable!

* P.S. I weighed end last week at my heaviest at 59.8kg! Ouch! Didn't stop eating after getting back from my army weekend of hardly any food and sleep. Being all carbs, I'm not worried, and hope to get back to my ideal weight of 58kg within a couple of weeks. Nutrition back on track since Monday. I'm still looking lean, but know that Ihave to keep on track and more consistently, nutrition-wise to maintain over the long term. I intend to end off my last week of my 4th, and last IBO program well!

* P.S.S. I also want to say a HUGE THANK YOU TO SUE & KRISTIN from Ideal Bodies Online. Without IBO and Sue and Kristin's on-going support, encouragement, and faith in me, I don't know where I'd be today!

Results & Learnings - Program 3

No big surprises here, considering the tumultuous last 2 weeks I've had on the program. A gain of 2.25kg from my start weight of 57.55kg. My finish weight was 59.8kg, and that's mainly due to my erratic eating in the last two weeks of the program, and need I say it...carbs!

I have to be honest in saying that this program was the first one where I've had some real challenges. Apart from having to have a forced break of 3 days due to overtraining in program 2, the first 6 months I was a machine. I also lost weight consistently just about every week for 6 months. So you could say that I had a dream run.

With Program 3, mentally I struggled a little for the first time. Last week I was also out of action from a bad head cold for a few days, and it was the first time I've officially been sick in 9 months. It was also the first time I would see my weight yo-yo from week to week. And my training wasn't as consistent either, mainly in the last 4 weeks due to a muscular niggle which saw me having to cut back on intensity. So things sought of fizzled towards the end. Though my attitude has been fairly stable which I am happy about. I haven't been fretting about the weight increase, because I know why it happened, and I only have myself to blame.

But you know...it's no biggie.

I learnt alot this time round. More than the first two programs. I learnt about what my body best responds to in relation to both nutrition and exercise, and how to 'tweak' my nutrition if my training changes. I needed to learn this so I know how to maintain my best results. And now I know. I don't freak when I see my weight anymore. It's just a number...an indication of where I am at, and a reminder of what I need to do and what adjustments I need to make to help me maintain my 'ideal body' for me. So overall, I'm quite happy.

I'll be spending the next week maintaining my current exercise program and enjoying some changes, like doing some Les Mills classes, and also getting back to a clean diet. All of this is preparation to start program 4 and I also want to 'feel lean', refreshed and relaxed going into my medical examination/interview on Tuesday. Then it will be full steam ahead, and I'm eager to start program 4 with the same focus and intensity I started my first program!

As you can see in the front and back shots which are before and afters for this program, there's not a great deal of change. Measurement-wise, there's some slight increases on my hips and waist, but no surprise there either. I expect my BF% will be up again too, and I have a different person doing my measurements this time, so I'm not too sure what to expect. My overall goal for the year is to be between 10-12% bodyfat. I've never reached 10% anyway, and don't expect that would ever happen unless I decided to do comp (which I have no intention of doing).

The first pic is a full body shot at week 8. I just like this pic (apart from the 'just woke up' hair) as it shows how my definition is coming along, mainly in my quads and the 'look' is getting closer to what I aspire towards.

Program 3 & 4 were never going to be about weight loss, but I know as long as I continue to train in the same manner and follow my nutrition plan consistently, I don't see why I can't maintain a 'lean' look all year round. Of course, it's important to plan recovery periods in-between. Even on these programs I have still managed to increase my muscle mass, and getting bigger isn't a goal for me anyway. I figure that will happen gradually as long as I keep challenging myself and continue along a similar path to the one I've followed in the last 9 months.

And of course, I still have in mind to lose that bodyfat on my hips, bum and tummy. I may never completely get rid of it. I've figured that genetically it just may not be possible, but hey...that doesn't mean I should stop trying! Another two years of training and who knows how my body will change over that period. Anyway...it's the journey that's the fun part, and I'm so excited about the future and excited about what training variations I'll be experiencing. There's just so much to choose from isn't there?

So it's ciao for now and hope everyone has a great week! :)

Feelin' Great!

Nothing feels better, than being in shape feels!

More Professional Pics

Now that my before and afters have been posted on IBO, I've decided to post some more professional pics. These still aren't the rest of them, but I think I'll reveal them as time goes on. I really love the top pic, because the photographer has really captured me 'a-la-naturale' ( in the sense of expression). I'm hoping one day to be sporting a 'six-pack', which is my ultimate dream. Once I get into the army reserves (fingers crossed), and this year has seen me achieve my goals, then I can concentrate on this goal maybe. Actually...I'd really love to have a six-pack by summer, come the end of the year...that would be nice!

Sneak Peek...Professional Photos

Ever since seeing a sneak preview of my shots from Friday, I've had my head in the clouds! This particular picture is my favourite (and it was the photographers' too). I'm actually holding a pair of Sai (Japanese pronged weapons), but you can't see them in the B&W photo.

At present, on the outside I appear cool, calm and collected, but on the inside I'm jumping for joy and all churned up inside. I thought they (the photos) may be good, going on Ainslie's photo gallery on her site, and I was rather excited at the possibilities - but I didn't imagine them to turn out this good! I've been absolutely flawed by how brilliant Ainslie's photos are!! If you live in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, I would definitely recommend her as a photographer. She made me feel so at ease and relaxed, and knew exactly what I was looking for!

I've already posted them on the IBO forum, and as I have been saying...I'm absolutely gobsmacked! So here's the other sneak peek photos. Will get the rest to look at and choose from in about a week's time. Just click on this link to Ainslie's site/blog to view the rest of the sneak peeks...

http://wildspiritblog.com/?p=239

And you know...the funny thing is...doing Depletion, now seems a million miles away, as does all the work I've put in, in the last 6 months. Isn't it amazing how quickly you forget doing the tough stuff? Just doing one positive, uplifting thing can wipe out all those 'tough stuff' memories and have a lingering, mesmeric effect that will no doubt last me until...I don't know when.

Ciao for now...Kerry :)

Perfect Ending to a Perfect Day - Depletion - Day 8

(Click on images to enlarge)

Photos 1, 2 & 3: Front, back & side - Start Program 1 - Finish Program 1 - Finish Program 2

Image 4: Stats - Program 2 - weight & BF%

For me...the perfect ending was...a mouth-watering, tender, juicy steak served with a fresh garden salad lavished in balsemic vinegar and flax oil dressing....and finished off with a refreshing glass of wine!

One good thing about depletion is that the taste of everything (except chicken) after the fact, is heightened to such a degree, it's almost orgasmic!

I was so emotional this morning driving to my photo shoot (as I have said a couple of times now in other posts) thinking about where I started six months ago and how I felt back then...frumpy, unfit, lacking confidence...a ghost of the person I was 8 years ago, and wanting back so badly, the person I was. Even I can't believe the transformation, not just on the outside, but on the inside and how that transformation has touched so many other areas of my life and given me renewed vigour, hope and excitement in my life. And I'm so pumped about what this year holds for me, and also my family!

This morning I was riding on adrenalin, and was so pumped, I'm still on a high! The photo shoot was an absolute blast and I had a ball! It helps when you have a great photographer who knows what you want and is relaxed and professional. I hope the photos are as good as I think they are...I can't wait for result!

I have to admit, after little food (except cardboar...er...chicken) and very little water, the poses were hard to maintain and very taxing. But since I was on such a high, it didn't matter and it all came together wonderfully.

Lunch was great...some quality time just with Anthony...just the two of us. I didn't go overboard, and savoured every mouthful! It was like I'd never tasted food. Then it was off home to relax in front of the cricket on our recliners, and wait for Philomena to arrive (in-between stints on the PC of course).

So for any of you comtemplating depletion and professional photos, I would recommend both. Just the experience and to say that you did it is worth it, for all the hard work you put in (hopefully I won't have to eat my words if I'm disappointed in my pics). After all...it may just be your last opportunity.

Ciao for now...Kerry :)

Program II, Week 6 Results

Photo 1: Start of Prog. 1 & Now - Week 6, Prog. 2


It's the halfway mark, and I am very pleased with my results. I'm even more excited about the next 6 weeks, and decided this time round to do depletion. With my results, which have been a bit of a surprise, I am hoping that my photos at end of week 12 will be worth all the hard work. My photo shoot is already booked, so I'm now counting down, and hope that last bit of fat from my abs, thighs and hips will go.

As far as my goals go, I'm only 900g off my goal weight of 58kg, and I've passed my body fat % goal of 15%. I'm now curious as to how low I can go, as I am still losing weight, and am pretty confident I am retaining muscle.

Even though I've dropped the number of cardio sessions and lowered the intensity slightly, it hasn't affected the rate at which I am losing weight. In fact, I think it has assisted the weight loss as well as aided my recovery. I don't think the extra carbs during recovery and my holiday hurt either (quietly).

I am due for a program update, though I think another couple of weeks on the existing program would be preferable, due to the interruptions.

Anyway...I'm so motivated now (though apprehensive about depletion week...eek!) and am now just curious as to how my body will change, especially around the lower abs, which is my sticking, stubborn area that won't budge (along with thighs and hips).

Ciao for now...Kerry :)

Before & After Pics - First 12 Weeks

My First 12 Week Before & After Photos

Damn it...Rachael and Fifi have definitely upped the anti...I think I will have to post my photos. Oh how I hate my befores! You are told to look as bad as you can. Well...I had just got out of bed, so no shower, bed hair and horrible underwear! And you're only gonna see my 'front' okay? Arghhhhh...

I'm aiming for BUFF for my next 12 weeks along with doing 'Depletion Week' and getting professional photos done.

Ciao for now...Kerry :)