Girl gets nothing done!

Agggh, today I am wondering why I named my blog "Girlgetsitdone" because it feels like over the past day or two I have done nothing at all.

On Friday I came down with a heavy cold and yesterday I suffered a cracker of a migraine. I've been relatively migraine free this year but this was a doozy. Today I have nursed a post migrainous sore head and continued to work through this cold.

DH decided to take us out for lunch at the local pub. I think I had the worst steak I've ever encountered in my life and when I asked for steamed vegetables on the side, the waitress told me that they'd never been asked for vegetables before and that they didn't have any. Oh well, small changes add up :)

So now I'm feeling headachey, fat, sinusey and altogether of unpleasant disposition. I'd sure be a hot date :)

On a much brighter note I am looking forward to hearing about how Di, Alicia, Deb and Tracey rock the INBA show in Brisbane today...you go girls!

Moving at the speed of light.

Now you see me....

Now you don't!

Just had the news we may be being packed up early as next Thursday.

Stay tuned :)

Okaaaaayyyyy ...here's one for Rae!

I read on an American health and fitness forum about the release of "Diet Coke Plus" which is fortified with vitamins and minerals.



According to the nutritional label, Diet Coke Plus includes 25% of the recommended daily allowance of niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 as well as 15% of the RDA for magnesium and zinc in each 12-ounce serving. It is sweetened with an aspartame/ACE-K blend that has become the industry norm for just about every diet drink nowadays.Attempting to get a leg up on their primary competition--Pepsi-Cola North America--as that company is set to release their own diet "energy" drink called Diet Pepsi MAX in June 2007, Coca-Cola North America is seeking to provide their loyal consumer base with a diet soda product that will serve as a supplement to their healthy diet, according to Coke's senior VP Katie Bayne.“Consumers, including Diet Coke drinkers, are increasingly looking for more beverage options, and we wanted to offer them the convenience of a calorie-free beverage that is a good source of several essential vitamins and minerals, and one that delivers on the great taste that they have come to expect from us,” she said.


All I can say folks, be very afraid, very afraid :)

Eeewwww.

Smacked it!

I did Cathe's Cardio Fusion this morning which is a delightful blend of Bodymax 2, Drill Max and Low Impact circuit. - my heart rate got as high as 166 this morning and I pushed it as hard as I could. I think this is one of Cathe's best compilations. I also managed a walk this morning.

I've spent the better part of today writing programs and doing assessments. I'm enjoying it very much. I really enjoy being able to give feedback and encouragement and I love watching people "transforming". I just wish that I had done it sooner.

I am really starting to get excited about moving back home. I fly to Brisbane on Monday to find some rental accommodation. I hope we find something quickly. That will mean I can sneak in a few RPM classes if I'm lucky!

Stop the press!

Kerryn ( www.keksbflthing.blogspot.com ) and I are in print this month, sharing our philosophy about stick thin models and the BMI. Check us out on page 56 of Women's Health and Fitness, which is out at all good newsagents now :)

What fun!

I hope everyone has a great Anzac Day. I think it is wonderful that we celebrate this day and remember all of those who fought for our wonderful country.

Flat out!

Arrrgh I always feel like I get super busy when I move - it's like a big truck starting to rumble slowly downhill. You get on the slope and it's like...whoa! Things are moving fast. I love this expression, even though I don't drink as such. I'm putting it in for Lesley, because it is so hilariously Aussie.

I am experiencing super DOMS again from Cathe's Chest and Tricep workout and this morning I tried the original Bodymax workout from the late 90s. I had heard that it is harder than Body max 2. It took awhile to get going but once it did, it was awesome. Despite being filmed some time ago, it's aged fairly gracefully. It is amazing how workout fashions change! It's also proof positive how you get better as you get older in the muscularity department. Don't get me wrong, Cathe looks great, but I think she looks even better these days! That's why I admire all the Master's women who compete - they are most definitely my favourite division. Not long to go until I'm in that category!

I also got in an hour's walk this morning, which was great to clear my mind. Usually I learn my Les Mills choreo when I go on these walks and because we are due for launches as soon as I get back, I'm going to keep walking! I'm hoping to squeeze in some back and shoulder work this afternoon.

Thanks for all the lovely comments about my little "diet" rant. The more I work with people, the more it's becoming obvious to me how destructive the whole scenario can be and I want to be a good role model for everyone I come into contact with.

"Love with Limits"

Caution: "Dieting" rant ahead!

Rae wrote a terrific post last week about her take on the Figure lifestyle and I am often asked what makes my preparation different and what my approach to eating is, what do I eat and how often do I eat?

For a start, I hate the word "diet" with a passion. "Diet" to me conjures up images of restriction, boredom, guilt and displeasure. Eating the same thing day in day out because that is what you've been told to eat by your "trainer" is a "diet". Living by rules such as no carbs after 3pm constitutes the "diet" mentality. Pretty stupid really if you train at night. No eating after 7pm - not really practical if you're a shift worker and you don't go to bed until midnight.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that "dieters" make up these rules that make no scientific sense and try to create an artificial set of parameters by which to live by. Sorry kids, but that sort of behaviour comes back to bite you on the butt. Why, because after awhile you can feel both emotionally and physically deprived.

It has been shown in many studies that people who diet tend to lose their innate ability to naturally regulate their food intake - this is called "counter regulation".

In order to be successful and stay lean in the long term it is important to recognize that

1) All foods are morally neutral. There is no such thing as "naughty food", except maybe for Rae's Meat Pie Pizza (only because it looks terrible). You can choose to eat it IF you want it, but do you really feel like it?

2) You will be more hungry on some days and less hungry on others and this fluctuates with your menstrual cycle (if you're a woman). Better to apply the 200 calorie, not 2000 calorie rule and have a little extra. Your body just may be trying to tell you something.

3) It is natural to overeat on occasion - the food looks good or it's a celebration or you're stressed out, tired etc. It's happened before and it will happen again ...guaranteed. Knowing this reduces the appeal of a "binge".

What does this mean for someone wanting to become lean for life? It doesn't mean running around stuffing yourself with abandon or scarfing down every junk food known to man. It means following a few nutritional basics and listening to your body - enjoying a nice restaurant meal every now and again without wondering what the macronutrient breakdown is and enjoying what you eat. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and lean sources of protein. I love spice and lots of flavour. I try new recipes all the time, even during comp prep and I keep my palate happy! Every now and again I have a nice dessert. The "secret" is all about balance.

For example I've tried two new recipes in the past three days. One was red curry chicken burgers with salad and baby potatoes. (red curry paste, onions, egg, breadcrumbs, chicken breast mince) and tonight I'm trying a beef stirfry with baby corn, snow peas, purple cabbage and red capsicum, plenty of ginger and garlic too. Nothing like a bit of colour to brighten your day.

My other thought of the day: Enjoy the journey - sure the end is the icing on the cake, but all the training in between is an awful lot of fun.

You know you are moving when...

You know you are moving when you are trying to get rid of everything in the fridge! I believe it's a common phenomenon to have lots of bottles of various bits and pieces in the fridge, a quarter full - not enough to throw away, but a quantity that might be "useful". DH asked me what was for dinner today. According to what is left in the fridge he is looking at artichokes and dill pickles on toast with tandoori paste, followed by an anchovy and mustard pickle chaser. It was little wonder then he mumbled some excuse about being late and not being around for dinner...

Exercise wise, I got up early and went for a walk and now I'm going to do my beloved RPM and Cathe's Gym Style Chest and Triceps.

It's going to be a huggggeee week!

Weekend duties

Not much to report in terms of training today. Time for a rest day - think I needed it. Tomorrow I'll hit it hard again. I worked this morning at the pharmacy and at home this afternoon. I'm tired, but happy! Now if only I had my own personal maid to sort out the laundry...lol

Best of luck girls!

To Deb, Alicia and Tracey,

Hope you really enjoy the Female Fusion Contest tomorrow! I'm cheering you on from Woop Woop!

Liz ;)

The best type of dinner

This is an example of what I call "the best type of dinner". Why? Because it takes 10 minutes to prepare and is full of veggies and lean protein. Who said you have to slave for hours to eat well (though if anyone's offering, I'm up for it!).

This was simply 100g cooked chicken breast, 1 tablespoon of honey soy marinade, 1/2 large packet stir fry vegetables, 40g glass noodles and a sprinkle of almonds on top. Absolutely delicious! It is really wonderful when you find such easy ways of preparing food that not only tastes good, but is good for you and you don't have to think too hard.

Today I've been really busy with new client's programs, questionnaires and so forth. I have been overwhelmed by the positive response to the site and want to thank everyone for their support.

If anyone missed it, the site is www.thefitnesssolution.com.au

Have a wonderful weekend.

Fun with the kids

First photo is of Miss S's "Crazy Hair Day". I am seriously dreadful at doing hair, which explains why I keep mine so short, but I was really proud of my efforts.

Second photo was taken by Miss S making me and Miss G "cry". I don't know how successful that was but the girls thought this photo was hilarious.

Miss S helped me work out with Cathe the other day. She was using the resistance band and suddenly she stopped and asked me very seriously, "is crying during this workout an option, Mum?". My resistance band nearly ended up over on the other side of the lounge room.

She is turning from my baby into a proper little girl. She was discussing her friend situation at school, how Friend A was no longer mates with Friend B... "They're not friends anymore, it's a break up, OK?"

I had trouble trying not to laugh!

This morning I went for a 50min walk and did 3/4 of Hardcore Extreme: Hi - Low Intervals. It's amazing that even the low impact blasts get my heart rate into the 160s. My latest game is trying to touch the roof on all the jumps :)

Where I'm at training wise

A few people have asked me where I'm at training wise. At the moment, I'm simply having a lot of fun with my training. I've been spending a fair bit of time building my aerobic base cycling as I will be placing a lot of demand on it teaching RPM when I get back home. When I'm up there on stage I really try and give each class my all, so my participants can see what level they need to work towards and so I also have the energy to coach the class and focus on them, rather than worrying that I'm going to run out of gas.

As I have had no access to a gym, I've been keeping my muscles active with DVDs from Cathe and Amy Bento. I often add my own twists in, like a BOSU, balance disc or medicine ball to increase the intensity and to keep my muscles guessing. I've really been enjoying doing these workouts and both Cathe and Amy are very encouraging and motivating.

I have also been getting my heart rate up with some running and some step.

The "down time" I've had has been really restorative to me. I would like to add some more muscle but will wait until life smooths out for me after the move...and then who knows?

Question and Answers Part Deux

Hann writes: How much training do you need to do to lose weight?

My take on it:

That depends on a number of different variables. The aim of the game is to lose body fat and for most of us, but not all, there is usually a corresponding decrease in scale weight.

1. What your nutrition and caloric intake looks like. In the simplest of terms, if you eat crap, you look like crap! This does not mean you must forgo "sometimes" foods for the rest of your life but you do have to put it into perspective and realize that "sometimes" really means just that. I'm asked, how many calories do I need to consume to lose weight? That really depends also. I'd prefer to see someone being very active and consuming more rather than going the starvation route. If body fat loss is your goal, aim for no more than half a kilo (or a pound for my American friends) per week loss.

2. Your level of fitness to begin with. Fit bodies utilize fat better than unfit bodies (see post below)

3. How hard you train. You need to train hard enough so that your muscles really do need to recover. There is a high metabolic cost associated with recovery. In every day terms, when you train, you need to do it with intention, and at a level congruent with your current fitness levels etc. You should be looking for progression and improvement every few training sessions.

4. What type of training you do. Neglect strength training at your peril! Most women seem to do best with a 60: 40 cardio/strength training split. Strength training raises your metabolism if you add lean muscle to your frame and there is a high metabolic cost in recovering from hard sessions. Again, when you train, do it with intention! You "become" how you train, so don't faff around!

5. In terms of how long, this depends on your goals. Endurance athletes obviously need to train with longer distances in mind. If body fat loss is your goal, you are best off thinking about quality over quantity. A 30 minute focused workout is better than 60 minutes of wandering around the gym.

Let me know if that sheds any light.

"I train like a girl" Figure fashionistas unite!

I discovered these great tees on Mary Bell's ( a WNBF Figure Pro) site and decided that I am going to purchase one of these. Mary is actually donating the proceeds of the sale of these T Shirts to a charity in the US to prevent the abuse of children. The sizes run small, medium and large and I emailed Mary about the fit of these - she thinks they run pretty true to size. She's 5'8, 147 pounds and wears a medium. The cost is 20.00 US dollars + shipping. I just thought I would put it out there in case anyone else might be interested. That way we save on shipping to Australia. I think it would be a great addition to our "chicken or chocolate" TShirts. If you want a shirt, email me at liz@thefitnesssolution.com.au They also come in grey.

Clouds are Parting!

Clouds are parting, Miss G is feeling so much better, even though I had a "midnight visit" from her. I just did not have the energy to put her back into her own bed. She's usually pretty good about staying in her bed, but when she is sick then I have the pleasure of being kicked in the kidneys for a few days (ie she sleeps with DH and I). I am so relieved she is feeling better.

This meant I have got some workouts into today. Firstly it was Bodymax2 - the "Scrambled Eggs" premix. I absolutely love this premix - it is a step combination - cardio segment, followed by a cardio blast bringing the heart rate up towards anaerobic threshold , then a lower body blast with a variety of weights. My max HR for the workout was 166 and the average for the whole 80 minutes was 150. Who says you can't work hard with a Fitness DVD? Bodymax 2 also has a heavy upper body weights segment (as seen above) which I haven't used (I've just been pasting my lower body )

Then it was 40 minutes of the most intense back and shoulder training I could muster!

Rest of the day looks as if it is going to be busy, busy busy with paperwork and cleaning. Ugh!

Question and Answers

I received an email from a reader asking me about high intensity interval training (HIIT) and its effectiveness in fat loss.

"The question I would like to ask is why you feel HIIT or interval training is more effective than steady training as you are probably burning more calories in say 50 mins of steady running opposed to 30 mins of the previous running?"

Here is my reply:
"To answer your question, it depends on what your goals are. If it is loss of body fat, you are best approaching it like this:

1) build an aerobic base to prepare your muscles for the demands of heavier training
2) As well as some base training, incorporate some high intensity interval training into your workouts. As well as using nearly the same amount of calories, it is what happens AFTER these workouts that is more important. There is a phenomenon called EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption) that occurs which keeps our metabolisms running higher for a few hours afterwards depending on the intensity. Also interval training raises anaerobic threshold, the point where the body stops relying on the aerobic energy system (which uses oxygen) and starts relying on the anaerobic energy system. Put simply, go too much past this point and you simply run out of gas.
Raising anaerobic threshold does two things - gives you a greater heart rate range in which you can work out hard (and thus use more calories) and b) causes changes in our muscles at a metabolic level which encourages our bodies to utilize fat (converted into carbohydrate) during rest and whilst exercising. An unfit individual simply doesn't do this.

I hope this doesn't sound too simplistic, but it is really what happens when we are recovering with both strength training and aerobic exercise that makes a difference.

Hope that sheds some light on the subject."

To sum up, especially in endurance sports (my correspondent is a keen runner), both forms of training have their place in the "big" picture.

Dance of Joy!

Ooh yeah baby, I am doing the dance of joy because the relocation process is starting to creak into motion. I am so happy to be going home! I have learnt a lot from being out here, what drives me, what makes me happy and how to be innovative!

Poor Miss G is still unwell. Despite this I managed to sneak off and do Cathe Gym Styles Chest and Triceps - the DOMS I complained about last week lasted until Saturday, so it feels like my triceps have only had a day of respite! I also got in 45 minutes of Spinervals Aero base builder on the bike.

Speaking of aerobic work, I am noticing from many proponents of losing fat fast that there is no place for long slow aerobic work, HIIT is the "way to go". I don't think these people are looking at the value of aerobic training to condition and prepare the musculoskeletal system for hard work. Would I recommend HIIT to a rank beginner who was desperate to lose body fat? Probably not, a) I don't want the client injured and b) I want the client to work up to what hard work should feel like. Everything is based on a continuum of progression, not what the "flavour of the day is". That said, the power of interval training can be profound and is maximized by beginning with a good aerobic base.

I could philosophize all day, but I promised the girls we would make muffins. Miss S loves "cooking" and she will happily chop up vegetables, fruit and all sorts of things as well as make the sweet stuff. I could see her being a chef one day!

Rolling with the punches

It's been one of those weekends where life just hasn't fallen into place the way that I would have liked. It started on Friday when I picked up my car from the mechanic's - I drove it home no problems, but when I pulled into the driveway it made this horrible grinding sound - then all of a sudden I couldn't get it into gear - apparently the part they replaced for me originally disintegrated - I have never heard of something like this happening before! DH told me that apparently they weren't "well regarded" in the town. I'm just the biggest sucker. Anyway, they towed the car away and promised to deliver it home on Saturday. This, of course, didn't happen. I didn't stress about it too much but Miss G has been unwell. I decided to check out her throat and met possibly the worst case of tonsillitis I have ever seen. We had no sleep last night.

Then I decided to call the local hospital to try and get some antibiotics for Miss G. I came down at the time they requested and I met a very frazzled lady in the car park. She was the locum doctor who had been flown in. I introduced myself as the locum pharmacist and she told me that she was majorly stressed out because she had to deliver a premature baby, that they'd had to get the Royal Flying Doctors in to airlift Mum and bub to Brisbane and that her background was not in Obstetrics, rather she is an oncology registrar. I felt so sorry for her and feel angry that resident doctors are sent out to these postings, having to handle these situations to the best of their experience which can be limited depending on where they are in their grad rotations. She was such a nice lady and I hope everyone got away safe and sound. Anyway I organized some penicillin for Miss G, rang the pharmacist owner at home and have started her on it. One of her tonsils is so large it is almost taking up her entire throat! It looks like a day of icecream for her.

Exercise wise for me it has been close to nada. I walked the long way to work yesterday (40 minutes) but have done nothing today. I couldn't think about getting up at 5.30am when I had finally got Miss G off at 4.30am. I love being organized and hate these little glitches - but that is all part of life. The main thing is that I no longer raid the fridge for solace.

Almost Up and Running!

Thanks to everyone for the support for my business venture. I cannot tell you how positive everyone has been and very encouraging. It's a big risk for me!

Anyway, the site is www.thefitnesssolution.com.au and I can process orders straightaway, for those who want to give Cathe et. al a go. I still have to iron out a few kinks, but I am getting there.