Episode 2 - The Hater Strikes Back!

Before I start on my packing, I decided to check my Reader before I got stuck into things (yeah, I procrastinate). Imagine my delight to see another post from my "hater" mate in my comments this morning. Again, whoever my new best mate is, I thought I'd copy and paste because there's a little more stuff in there that should be addressed and worthwhile reading if you're aspiring to the Figure stage.

Hi Liz ! Liberator again here!
Wow that reply to sparte was some major back peddling wasn't it!
I was over at the lowest common denominators site today & i see a least she's got some titles for all that showboat training, what do you have? Big fat ZERO! you must be so proud! How do you know about her training videos anyway? Maybe it's like the other ladies Facebook you just can"t help you self can you??
Maybe I should call the LCM the Guru next time as she has something to show for it! All you have is a big fat jealous chip on you shoulder that you can't shake off!!!! ps i see your moving, Overseas i hope :)

Hi Anonymous,

I'm really concerned about you. You're over at your LCD's site and you notice she's won some Figure Titles, awesome stuff. However by calling me a big fat ZERO because I haven't won any titles is disturbing, especially for any person that wants to give competing in Figure a go, because most would be competitors want to improve their self confidence , see how far they can push themselves and set themselves a goal. If you and anyone who is reading who is not familiar with the judging of Figure Comps, the judging criteria involve that of symmetry (balance in the body, between muscle groups, upper and lower body conditioning etc) and muscularity (also bringing low body fat into consideration here). There is a lot of debate that rages about what makes an excellent Figure Competitor - how much muscularity there should be etc etc and the requirements seem to vary between all the federations. The person you compare me with has outstanding symmetry which has a strongly genetic component to it. In fairness to her, I will also say that of course she has put a lot of hard work into it as well. This is her career. My career is as an exercise physiologist and a pharmacist. I don't have to have fantastic symmetry to dispense your next lot of medication or teach you about cycling efficiency - for that I need to be suitably qualified - and that is what I have in abundance.

To call me a big FAT zero for not being able to add that string to my bow tells me that your expectations are unreasonably high. I have gleaned from your comments that perhaps you have yet to compete and don't realize the level ofwork that you put into preparing for a show to be at your personal best. I have no qualms in saying I came dead last in my last comp outing, but felt that for me, I presented my best physique ever. You don't know what is going to happen until the day. If I based my self worth on what some bloke thought of my body on the day, it would be an extremely sad outcome. I really hope that you base your self worth on something other than looks or what somebody else thinks of you.

My blog is my story and my journey. If you're basing someone's fitness expertise on their looks, then go for it. It's a common mistake and easy to make.

In the end, Anonymous, I still think you need to get real. You may think I'm back pedalling (this is how you spell the word BTW), but many people find manaical self stroking of the ego (read THE BEHAVIOUR, not the PERSON) irritating...and after awhile, yes this does lead you to become very fatigued with it and hence start to begin to have a lower opinion of that person.

The same goes for me posting about Juice Plus and Helen Frost's website. This is nothing to do with personality or jealousy or what ever you wish to call it . It's an issue of credibility for me - no formal qualifications in the field and the heavy push towards pyramid marketing. It's a shame because there's a lot of good stuff written there - which I thought was great - she got on the right train but off at the wrong station. As for Juice Plus - I'd be wary of taking it if you're on any prescription medication, especially if you have high blood pressure or take anticoagulants. I did check out the site but the ingredients aren't listed and the 'studies' that have been done have been funded by the manufacturer which may implicate bias. I'd also be wary of it if has extremely high doses of Vitamin C which can interact with several medications as well.

I'm sure, Anonymous, you've read some of Craig Harper's work. Sometimes I don't agree with the way Craig says things, but he's a qualified exercise physiologist and life coach and for that he earns my respect.

I know you wish that I was moving overseas, I am sorry to have disappointed you.

Cheers
Liz N

PS - gotta go now, boxes to pack, cheerio!
PPS -" your" should actually be written "you're" as in "you are moving" - my next career is as a grammar Nazi...

So what's with all this "Greatest Love of All"?

with thanks to Lululemon Athletica for the great graphic.

Whitney Houston once sang "Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all."

So following on from yesterday's post, how do you learn to let it happen? It's the missing piece of the puzzle, the notion of honouring oneself, in order to be present for ourselves and those dearest to us. If we nourish ourselves we can step out of our comfort zone to inspire others. It's like the "place your own lifejacket on before your children" scenario played out in all pre flight procedures, how can we give, if we're drowning?

Find a quiet spot in your mind and ask yourself what you really want. Be patient, because the answer isn't always apparent. If at first you don't succeed, keep trying. I want............so that.......... is the usual script. What I really want is wrapped up in being the most authentic self I can be - that who I am is an accurate reflection of my values and beliefs.

For example my manifesto for being kind to myself involves nourishing my body with food that makes my body sing and my performance skyrocket. I honour myself by choosing food and choosing exercise that aligns my head, my heart and my love of music. Training without my mate or my Ipod just doesn't cut it. Being kind to myself sometimes means saying "no" to something rather than saying "yes".

Your wants need to be balanced with a sense of gratitude about the life you have been given. Today I am grateful for the opportunity I had to teach RPM - I felt better than I did last Saturday and I am grateful for the connection I get to make with my trainees every week. I get a lot of pleasure seeing everyone enjoy themselves. I am grateful for the connection I have with my girls.

Be still, walk lightly, dance on the outside as well as the inside- see the beauty and potential around you!

If you happen to see a crazy lady moonwalking down the aisle at Woollies, you just may have sighted me. Oh, and I'll also be the one carrying the asparagus, salmon and potatoes for a splendid dinner. Wahooo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KjpyHX7X-o

I believe the children are our are future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be
Everybody searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfill my needs
A lonely place to be
So I learned to depend on me

Chorus:
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all

I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

Chorus

And if by chance, that special place
That you've been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place
Find your strength in love