Figure/Physique Countdown 2010

OMYGOD!!!
It's been like forever since I was on here, SORRY!
I am stilll alive and kindov working out. Life has been getting in the way lately.
TOTALLY HATE my boss and thngs got quite intense a couple of weeks ago, she's just a crap manager and because she's always right, I became th scapegoat for quite a large cock up and she now acuses me of having an inability to take responsibility for my own mistakes and that I pass the buck at the first opportunity. Which really hurts as I am soOo not like that. I always own up and take responsibility, I totally worry and do my own head in about getting found out if I don't!
So that's been quite stressfull!
Started searching for another job, going well, but that kinda adds to stress, trying to book odd days off for interviews without them knowing.
And now is out of my hands anyhoo as they announced 4 redundancies, just relived to have my exit route to be honest! BUT cos I'm spoilt financially with Mark, s'not like I have to worry about paying a mortgage like others in the team, that must be REALLY stressfull.
BUT there's an internal job at the London office I've applied for, effective pay cut with train costs and a much longer commute, BUT MUCH better prospects, and I'd have a job in what I know to be a fairly stable co financially.......... well we are financial advisers! So I'll hear about that and redundancies Monday.
If I get it though may put competing on hold for a couple of years, time and money. BUT we''ll see.
 
Had planned to go to centrals at w/e but feels like I really shouldn't be frivolous with cash at mo.
 
The fintness has suffered, but I've tried to keep a minimum of 30 minute power walk each am and spinning to nights a week, trying to hide at back and keep spinning just to an intense steady state rather than the sprints. Haven't done any weights for nearly a month though!
Gonna try to make it back this w/e.
'people' seem to think I look like I've lost inches. Haven't weighed or measured for couple of months. I guess I will this w/e for shape up result but not decided that I'm gonna post/ enter as yet.
Gonna concentrate on 16 weeks and have a final push for another 4 weeks, try to look better for FAME at Brighton.
 

xx
 
 

Be The Change
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Hi!

Just popping in to check whether you will be entering after pics for the Shape-up?  Thought I'd give you a reminder the closing date for pics is midnight on Sunday.   Hope you're "in" !

 
 My Story 

Hi Fi,

Was debating, particularly as mother-in-law arrives today.
But as you've confirmed it's midnight sunday, thank you, I will after she's gone.
Not sure there's much improvement but theyll be a good starting point for my next 12/16 weeks and I read the shape up thread the p other day and realised quite a few other feel the same way!
xx

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Cool!

 
 My Story 

Ayers, ayers, ayers!
Just done 1st leg wo in prob a month, don't know if I enjoyed it but I knew it needed gotton outov the way.
xx

Be The Change
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Shape Up:
I've just done my stats and at the moment they're worse than when I started!! so I'm not faffing about tanning and prepping and taking more photos when there will be no change
Bit disapointed with myself, but we've had redundancies at work and I have been stress/ comfort eating the past 2 weeks and its the wrong time of the month and it shows.
But I have learnt a lot about myself in these 12 weeks tho, so it's not been wasted by anymeans, and like everyone else this is not the end for me, it's just another start
I had taken 1 month progress photos and was going to post those, but I can't get image shack to load, and again I'm not faffing about!
 
Fi
xx 

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Ok so my previous 2 posts were a bit pants!

Legs are sore which is most excellent and food's all prepped for week.
All lunches prepared and tupperwared, all tinned salmon for avo snacks put into tupperware so no fishy tin faffing thru week.
I'm even pre-making shakes with espresso shot in and freezing them in the plastic beakers. Then I don't even have that faffing to do, just pull two out each evening and bingo they're ready to go with a quick reviving shake!
Work smarter not harder.
Leg WO today consisted of:
squats x3-21's moving to wider stance each 7 - bar, 5, 10
Leg Press 15x3-70, 90, 110
SLDL 15x3-bar, 2.5, 5
smith machine lunges sperset with bosu ball lunges 16x3(8 each leg)-bar x3+no weight
pendulum hammie contractions 15x3
Power plate squat + SLDL 30secx3

Have had 2 lots of glutamine with 1000g vit c to try to help the soreness, power walk tomorrow am and spin pm.

Feeling positive about next 4 months, that's end of november ready to maintain over x-mas season and look good/ better for parties!

xx

OOoo. Ps I got the job in London! Post more later in week xx

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So the London job...
I'm going to be a Trainee Para-Planner. The trainee part's good cos it mean they don't expect me to know anything, so when I do I'll look good!
A Para-Planner does all the reserach and planning for a clients financial portfolio, basically telling the financial advisor what policies to sell their client, so quite an important roll!
I've managed to negotiate to stay on the same salary which mean an effective £3k pay cut with the train fare to London, BUT the pospects are soOo much better. An experinced qualified Para-Planner in London can earn 3x's what I'm on now, so the 2 hours commuting a day should pay off.
I'll be 9-5.30, so I can do 30mins cardio at gym at 6am to be on 8am train and then shud be on 6pm train home, back in gym for weights by 7pm.
That's the plan anyhoo, we'll just have to see how knackering I find the commuting!?!
It was just aswell I had applied for position tho, as there were 3 redundancies in team last week, horrible.

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Legs are better but not great.
No way could I have made spinning last night! Had 2g glutamine with 1000g vit C and 2 brufen and a VERY hot bath and that helped a lot.
But morning cardio was more of a power stroll than a power walk, but I guess that's progress from yesterdays power 'amble', lol!!
Shoulders and arms tonight.

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Power walk resumed this morning, wot a relief! I shouldn't be as bad next week, flippin hope not.
Shoulders + arms were ok last night, tired quicker than I remember, weights were down quite a bit and with few pounds back on pump difficult to see
But I got there and did it.
Need to search internet for decent rear delt excercise. It must be my technique but I'm finding them difficult to target, will ask advice at next BNBF meet at Monster.
Spin 2nite.
xx

Be The Change
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Made spinning last night, was good.
Wet out this morning so popped over to gym and did 10 on stepper, 10 on rower and 10 on xtrainer.
Will go back tonight and do same plus a few cruches and stretching.
xx

Be The Change
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Good to see you back Hiffi.
Full sympathy for the job hassles and the stop start training. I am much the same at the moment. Its all very pants.... but great to see you back posting.

Cuch x

Cuchuliann
" whats the worst that can happen??"

Congrats on the new job, that's great.  When I saw the title 'Trainee Para-Planner', the first thing that popped into my mind was Tara Palmer Tomkinson!

My Unofficial Shape Up Journal
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/Stevies-Newbie-Journal-Pics-Page-1-m3390392.aspx

Hahah, that made me giggle, seeing as the hubby and I struggle to stay awake past 10pm, party girl I am am not, lol!!!
Now if the party was at 6am, it's be a different story??!!

Thanx Cuch.
 
Bit pissed off today. Had planned chest n back, but had headache attack out shopping this avo that left me incapacitated had to lie down with pain killers and hubby rubbing neck. Eased after an hour and then was absolutely fine, but left me a bit wiped, so no WO
Do legs Sunday after they've had a rest Sat, and then back to cardio all week, so may just have to sack the chest n back this week.
Diet not great today either.
Hope for a better day and mood and post tomorrow.
xx

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So week started badly with missing leg WO sunday. Our architect chap came round to show us the plans and when he left Mark and I had a really good heart to heart about things, all good, but I felt quite emotional and we wanted to be together, so didn't get to gym.

Monday, didn't do am walk nor spin. Mark was home early so did pm walk but didn't feel like nearly enough.
Tuesday, no am walk, was going to do something pm, but a potential house came onto market so did a drive by on that.
Wed, no am walk, had day off so made it to do arms + shoulders b4 spinning.
Thursday, nothing am, but did chest n back + 10mins stairmasterpm.
Fri did 35 mins cardio this morning.

So week's ending better, feeling more positive and on track.
Day off tomorrow then plan to do legs Sunday.
xx

Be The Change
My Journal

More importantly - how's eating been?

My Journal (updated link)
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/JOURNEY-TOWATCH-THIS-SPACE-m1459794.aspx

Bollox! I knew someone would ask, should've know it wud b u!
Not great; not to plan.
But not horrendous, a whole avacado as fats for dinner instead of planned half, unplanned yogurts as pud, which I'm also paying for on the loo! By body does not like too much diary, esp not with 2 shakes day also.
I'm managing to maintain weight, tho, which is good for me whilst not sticking to my plan.
As you've said b4 flick I know what to do, it's just a case of me doing it.


Had a MUCH better day today, stuck to plan and feel a lot more positive than I have in weeks, like a could have got myself back on track. Also have hung a goal dress up to remind me each morning and evening.
Hit legs hard this morning and had chat with PT. Figured out my deadlift technique SL Romanian or otherwise is pants! Not helped by my lodosis prob. Have agreed that I shouldn't bother for mo, gonna stick to seated ham curl and do lots of hip felxor stretching to try to correct posture.
Had a great appointment with a podiatirist Wed who's diagnosed a dropped arch in my left foot. Gonna get prosthtics to help this, had been having quite a bit of pain in foot. Could even be adding to back probs.
Had a bit of an epiphany moment walking to gym! Realised that I did have foot pain 5 years ago b4 I started running, which I've always blamed for back probs, could be gait related after all!?
Feel like Im on the right track with all of this to stay the healthiest I can so that at least injuries won't be hindering my quest to get on stage.
Meals all prep'd for week, done ironing, did housework yesterday b4 viewings, done manicure! Lovely bath in order now with a face pack I reckon!
xx

Be The Change
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Fifi
 
 
Just wishing you a great start to the week!
 
Looks like you're ready to ROCK it!
 
 

My competition journal: http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/Diamante-Warrior-AmazoniaChoosing-Your-Battles-Wisely-m2398177-p149.aspx

Well I thought I was doing a pretty good job of rocking it untill my PT decided to get into cahoots with ChrissieG on facebook, so now I have no escape/ place to hide, which is MOST excellent!
God how old do I sound phrasing it like it I did, lol!!?!!
 
40min cardio Mon am inc. 15 on stairmaster, up from 10 last week, last 5with 4kg DB's.
40min Spin Mon pm.
40 min cardio this am inc. 15 on stairmaster skived the DB's and got found out, well I'm too honest, but I'm not cheating anyone but myself, but are they really nessesary??!!
Just having shake n oat cakes b4 heading back for arms n shoulders.
Diet spot on only half an avacado last night and no yogurts.
Yay me.
xx

Be The Change
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WoW!!! Had a fantastic week. 
 
Have done  40mins cardio each morning; 15mins stairmaster, 15mins rower, 5 xtrainer and 5 summit climber. Have ditched the DB’s on the stairmaster, , as I don’t feel  I need them. The WO is tough enuf. And it’s raising heartrate and inducing sweat which are indicative that I’m working sufficiently hard to be elevating my metabolic rate. The DB’s are just serving to tire my legs so that I find the weeks WO’s extremely tough to do, and it feels counter-productive.
 
Then: Mon pm 40mins spin, Tues pm arms+shoulders, Wed pm 40mins spin, Thurs pm back+chest.
 
Stuck to diet all week.
 
BNBF meet at monster yesterday was GREAT! Definitely worth the 2hr round trip. Very motivating to meet up and keep connected to people with the same goals and mind-set.
 
GREAT day today, FANTASTIC leg WO!
Last week I mentioned about my lodosis being a problem for my deadlift technique.
So this week I switched to the seated pushdown hamstring curl... WooHoo!!! My hammies are feeling it now!
Chap in the conversation with self and PT last week suggested that performing exercises single leg-ed would be the optimum, as that’s how we function as human beings, mostly off of one leg at a time. So did this with the hammies and leg press, OOOooHHHhhh YES! LOVING IT!
 
Diet good this WE too and have prepped all meals for week, done ironing, bought a new dress, shoes and earings, bring on another great week of training and dieting!
 
Last week at work before week off and then starting new job on 7^th, EEEEEEEeeeeeeeee!!!!! Excited and nervous.
xx

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