That photo there is me with Wheat Belly – this is what happens to me when I eat wheat… Nope I’m not pregnant and I’m not sticking it out either…

Anyway, so if you remember from my previous blog post I decided to go Paleo to reach my health goals – my main one being to get rid of my endometriosis. I was already eating a close to Paleo diet without all the wheat & grains and stuff but just hadn’t upped my fat intake. So the biggest changes I have made have been the increase in saturated fats by introducing coconut oil, macadamia oil, more olive oil, nut butter, more eggs and a slight increase in my meat intake. I don’t have a strict 100% paleo rule as I still like to enjoy the odd drink or 5, and a bacon & egg roll on the weekend doesn’t go astray either! So even with not being “Paleo Perfect” it has obviously been enough to make a difference as not only have I reached a massive milestone I have also noticed a bunch of other stuff with this way of eating too, like…

I feel fuller for longer
I don’t need to eat as much at mealtimes
I don’t get cravings during the day
I don’t need or want for processed and refined carbs or sugars
I only need to eat 3 – 3.5 times a day (breakfast seems to fill me up forever)
I never feel like snacking
I have more energy (didn’t think this was possible for me)
I have more mental focus/clarity
I’ve even dropped a dress size

So as you can imagine I’m pretty impressed with these results and I’m now on a mission to reach my next goal which is to get my cycle to 28 days.  At the moment I think it’s at about 20-23 days. So sucky!! I’m on such a mission to get rid of this endometriosis once and for all. I really want to have kids one day and having had miscarriages in the past I really don’t want to go through the heartache of all that ever again. I was told I lost the babies because my womb wasn’t strong & healthy enough to hold onto the pregnancies because of my “out of whack” hormones but who knows right?! It could’ve been anything. Either way I’m not taking any chances I just want my body to be super healthy. Babies or no babies.

So to get to my next goal I’m going to give the Whole30 Program a go. It’s going to be 100% Paleo for 30 days. No 80/20 rules this time *YIKES!!* Yep, 30 days of no processed or refined carbs or sugars at all. No grains. No dairy. No legumes. No alcohol. No white potatoes. Nothing processed whatsoever. Bring on that 28 day cycle and all the other changes I’m sure I’ll see along the way. The Whole30 starts for me in early Jan so will keep you posted on the results.

Ciao for now!
Dicko Xxx

Def: Rip Snorter…. One that is remarkable for strength, intensity, or excellence.

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Yep, RIP SNORTING HEALTH! That is what I want…

You see, I don’t care for things and stuff because at the end of the day it’s all just dead stuff! The older I get the happier I become, and the less stuff I have in my life…  I mean the only reason we want the things and the stuff is because of the way we think it will make us feel but we can actually have that feeling without all the meaningless stuff…. Another true story!

Anyway the last couple of years have been all about my business.

I’ve worked so friggin hard.

I’ve created something out of nothing.

I’ve made sacrifices in many areas of my life, I’ve gone days without eating or sleeping, I’ve taken chances, I’ve neglected my friends & family, I’ve made mistakes, I’ve failed, I’ve felt completely lost, alienated & alone, I’ve been completely stressed out, there have been times when I just wanted to run away, hide under rock and wished that all of my problems would go away. I’ve been on the verge of losing it all – financially & emotionally. But at the end of the day I’ve won. I’m still here and my business is alive and filled with people that I love. And I have become stronger because of it all. And I know that for as long as I’m in business that I’m going to continue to go through challenge after challenge because if I’m not it means that my business isn’t growing and if my business isn’t growing it is dying. And I never intend on giving up on my business. If I fail I fail. So be it. I am willing to lose it all! But I will never give up! A few years ago I set a goal to never work for someone else ever again and I intend on doing whatever I can to keep that goal.

NOW…

In saying all that you can see that the last couple of years haven’t really aligned with my “Life Goal”. I admit that I have totally neglected my self, health and sanity!! Quite the hypocrite right?!

Yep telling people to put themselves first when I’m not even doing it myself. So 2012 is going to be different. It is going to be all about me. I am making a promise to myself to put all that is ME before my business and my clients. Sorry gorgeous girls & guys!

I must admit though I’m kinda freaked out by this goal. I mean I’ve spent so long building my business I feel like I’m going to be neglecting it. But in reality  if I keep neglecting myself, my business will die in the arse anyway because it’s not something I can sustain long term. I WILL burn out. And deep down I know that if I put myself first I will be able to deal with all those challenges I mentioned above a whole lot better.

So my goal for 2012 is to get out of my head and into my heart and do all the things that will really connect me to my soul…. SO I’ve made a list. Don’t ya just love a list?! Check it out….

Feel the Love!

Meditate Daily
Find my inner silence
Express gratitude
Keep a journal
Get  dancing… lots! (Dancing makes me so friggin happy!)
Explore my surroundings more – smell the roses Dicko!
Go camping every 4-6 weeks (diarising NOW!)
Watch the sunrise & sunset more often
Be by the water more often than not (water is a big soul soother for me)
Beach Walks (earth me)
Bush Walks (earth me)
Give MORE – I already give back to the community but I want to give even more and I believe in giving without telling a soul… so you won’t hear any more about this one…
Travelling – this used to be a given before I worked for myself  but now it has fallen by the way side so need to get back into it.
Taking photos of things that make me happy (keeps me present)

So this is just some of the stuff that really makes me happy, present and connected to my soul. I’m not going to share EVERYTHING with you!

Now since setting this nice fluffy fu-fu goal I have since read a little book call “The Flinch” and I’ve realised I can’t truly reach LOVE without facing my FEARS! Arrrrrrgh so 2012 is also about facing my big fat fears so I’ve made another list. Fuck I love a list….

In Your Face Fear!

Public Speaking (hope I don’t pee my pants)
Sky Diving (hope I don’t poo my pants)
Bungee Jumping (“)
Run a marathon (hope I don’t fall flat on my face)
Do a big arse triathlon (“)
Learn to ocean swim (hope I don’t drown or get eaten by shark)
Holiday on my own
Shooting videos for my business (I friggin hate being the centre of attention)
Starting another business or 2 (ideas are brewing)
Climb a mountain (shite)
Write a book (WTF)

Now I’m sure I’ll continue to add to this list as time goes by and will update you when I do. I don’t know if I’ll get through all of them this year but I thought I’d just put it out there – the things that I love and the things that either scare the shit out of me or I’ve just never got around to doing.

So what would you really love to achieve in 2012? What would make you REALLY HAPPY? Forget about everyone else. Forget about work. Forget about pleasing everyone else. What do you want for you?

Put yourself first for once in your life… I am!

Love Dicko xxx

I must admit I get a bit confused about this whole Goal Setting business. On one hand I’ve been told that my goals must be  S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timed) and then on the other I’ve been told to dream big and think the impossible. WTF?! So which one is it – nice & conservative or big & hairy?? Who friggin knows…

Well I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s both… or neither.

When it comes down to it there’s really only one thing that matters when it comes to setting goals which is summed up quite nicely in this little quote I once heard…

“The difference between the goals that we achieve and the ones that we don’t is that they weren’t our true hearts desires in the first place”.

So I’ve decided to kick S.M.A.R.T’s arse and come up with a few goal setting rules of my own. These will not only help you to set “Real Goals” but will also help you achieve them. Something S.M.A.R.T. forgot to mention.

Set Goals From The Heart

Someone once said that real success is to spend your life in your own way. When you follow your heart and do the things that you want to do you get to live a life of purpose aligned with who you really are, being true to your own values and beliefs. So many of us set our goals driven from our egos!  Especially when it comes to health & fitness. Most people set weight loss goals right? BUT they’re not actually doing it for themselves.  I was following a particular weight loss group on FaceBook recently and noticed how many of these women whinge & moan because their friend, collegues, partner, whoever hadn’t commented on their progress. I mean I even hear people complaining that their friends didn’t comment on their new house, car, shoes blah blah blah!! Get a friggin life PLEASE! Do stuff because it’s important to you, not to seek approval from others. This will never make you happy. If you’re not really doing it for you, you will never make it and if you do you won’t stay there. Stop! Let go of your ego. Put your hand on your heart and ask yourself “Is this really what I want?” And when you achieve your goal will you be so happy on the inside you won’t even think about seeking approval from others. Look into yourself and know the difference between looking for support and looking for approval.

Get Busy Planning & Organising

I know you’ve heard it before but it’s true when they say it’s all in the planning and preparation. When you plan for success  it makes all of the other steps so much easier. So write out your goals, put together an action plan and get yourself organised. Yes this stuff takes time and yes there will be times when you just can’t be arsed doing things like cooking your meals the night before but if you don’t you’ll be caught out and stressed out!

Be Disciplined

I’m going to blunt here (ha! not like me at all right ) but if there is something you really want to achieve you need to toughen up and just do it!  As Napolean Hill put it – don’t give in to negative influences, without doubt, the most common weakness of all human beings is the habit of leaving their minds open to the negative influence of other people. So suck it up and don’t expect people to take on your goals just to make it easier for you. These are YOUR GOALS. No one elses. End of story!

Discipline really is one of the greatest strengths you could ever master.

Practice Persistence

Or as I like to say create momentum and keep on moving forward. Someone once told me that momentum is like trying to push a boulder up a hill. If you take small steps and never stop you begin to create momentum, yeah it’s really hard to begin with but once you get it up that hill it’s all downhill from there. But if you stop even for a second that big arse boulder is going to send you right back to the bottom of the hill where you have to start all over again. This metaphor just made so much sense to me so I hope it works for you too. Just remember small steps people!

Be Mindful

We all rush around with our busy lifestyles, stuck in our heads and doing most things on auto pilot these days. I mean when was the last time you stopped and really “felt” your way through a situation? Lets take eating for example – do you smell your food before you put it in your mouth, feel the texture on your tongue, actually chew your food properly and savour all the flavours from that one mouthful? Or are you so focused on just shoving that next spoonful into your mouth you completely missed the whole event? When you start living in the present moment you get to enjoy life a whole lot more and you may even find a few things that you actually don’t enjoy that you do on a regular basis purely because it’s now just a habit… This one is pretty powerful and may just help you get rid of your vices.

Surround Yourself with Love & Support

Unfortunately we don’t always get the love and support we need from the people closest to us. A lot of the time they are the ones who say we’ll never make it. Sad but true! So get out and find yourself an amazing support network. Find a bunch of people who will cheer you on and be there for you no matter what. This is so easy now with the internet – we can connect with people anywhere and everywhere. When I first started my business I had no one – even those closest to me beat me down and told me to go get a real job! So I surrounded myself with like minded people – I got myself a business coach, I had a life coach and I conntected with other personal trainers, mentors and fitness professionals and I found most of these people on FaceBook. I owe FaceBook big time because without these people I would never have made it.

Make 2012 the year that you make shit happen because you decided to live your life on your terms. Enjoy & good luck!

Lots of love
Dicko Xxx

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Hey guys!

I have put together a list of fun & challenging things for us to do next year so here is a quick look at what you have to look forward to for 2012. Please pencil these dates into your diary, invite your friends and family of choice – the more the merrier!! But please note these may change due to weather conditions or any other unforeseen circumstances. Full information for each event will be provided at least 3-4 weeks prior to the event.

For those of you who are keen to join me in the SMH Half Marathon in May I will be training for this pretty much every Sunday from end Jan/early Feb. I will provide you with full information of when & where I’ll be training so be sure to come and join me as we progressively increase our distance & intensity from week to week. I will also be looking at swimming training for the Triathlon in October so will let you know as soon as I’ve figured something out.

It is going to be a FUN year ahead and I look forward to sharing it with you all!!

Fun Stuff for 2012

Sun 22nd Jan – Lawn Bowls

Sat 4th Feb – Real Life Fitness “Resolution Party”

Sat 11th Feb – Warrior Dash, Glenworth Valley, Peats Ridge

Sun 4th Mar – Kayaking, Spit Bridge

Sat 31st Mar – Surprise Social Event

Sun 29th Apr – Blue Mountains Walk

Sun 20th May – SMH Half Marathon (21.1km)

Sat 7th Jul – Surprise Social Event

Sat 28th Jul – Indoor Rock Climbing

Sun 12th Aug – City To Surf

Sun 16th Sep – Sydney Running Festival

Oct – Team Pinkie Women’s Triathlon

Tues 6th Nov – Melbourne Cup Luncheon

24th Nov – Real Life Fitness “Christmas Party”

Anyway… since then I’ve been following a group on FaceBook called The Fat Files who have inspired me to give it a go with all their recipes and great information about the Paleo way of life. Basically the Paleo Diet or Caveman Diet is all about eating real, natural foods like meat, fish, vegetables, wild fruits, eggs and nuts and cutting out things like dairy, sugar, grains and legumes. Check out this article for the full run down The 15 Rules of The Paleo Diet.

Now I don’t intend on being a full-on square bear and eating only Paleo 7 days a week. Where’s the fun in that right! So I’m allowing myself to eat and drink whatever the hell I like when I go out for dinner or have a night out. Besides it’s party season and I’m a big believer in the 80/20 rule! If I don’t see the results I’m looking for then I will tighten things up.

Speaking of results my number one reason for doing this is purely for my health. My big fat goal is to completely eradicate my Endometriosis as I know it’s still hanging around a bit and also get rid of my period pains. I used to have horrible pain for about 3 weeks of my cycle before I cut out wheat, dairy and most other grains but now I’ve got it down to about 24 hours. I’m not doing this to lose weight or change my body shape. I’m actually extremely comfortable in my own skin and feel very sexy with the way I look. In saying that though I know that my body fat percentage will drop considerably and I’ll really tone up so I’m going to take before and after shots so that you can see my progress. Now I’m not one for posting near naked shots of myself on the interwebs so I’m really stepping out side of my comfort zone with this one…. Eeeeeeekkk!!  I’m even posting my before shots before I get to the otherside…. aaaarrrrgh!!  Be brave Dicko – ok here goes…

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I don’t intend on taking measurements or weighing myself that’s just not who I am. And I don’t need big guns or six-pack abs. For me it’s all about how I feel, my energy levels and how healthy I am (as in lack of colds, flu, viruses, pain etc). There’s nothing quite like feeling strong, confident in my body and so freakin energised that half the time I can’t keep up with myself

Now in terms of my exercise I usually workout 3 times a week with a one hour PT Session with my trainer and then I do two 20-30 minute training sessions a week on my own. I try and get a 5km run in too. Although I don’t do a scheduled workout every day I am moving around heaps during the day with my clients. I don’t believe you need to “workout” every day, 3-4 times a week is more than enough. But you do need to be exercising every day which can be stuff like walking, dancing, swimming, getting out in the surf, gardening, SEX! You know just MOVING!! Just make sure you’re moving for at least an hour a day which is only like 4% of the day.

Anyway I’m off to a dance class now but stay tuned as I’ll be making a Video Blog (if I ever figure out how to use this damn iMovie) of my Workouts and Diet so you can see just how simple it is to incorporate healthy living into a busy lifestyle.

Over & Out!
Dicko x

It is time to make a change. A big change!

You know you need to do it. You know you need to step up. But you’re just so tired, run down, and overworked. You’re so busy looking after everyone else that you just can’t do it on your own anymore.

I totally get that! I used to be exactly the same. I was so busy pouring my heart and soul into my job that the only person I was making happy was my boss. And the only “thing” I was making healthy was the company I was working for. So not fair!!

But you know what? You can change all that. It is never too late to take that first step and all it takes is a decision. Decide that you want to fall back in love with your life again. I mean when was the last time you felt really good about yourself? Can you even remember that feeling of amazing?

And besides you don’t need to do this on your own any longer. I know how busy you are so we are going to do this together one step at a time. NO information overload, NO OTT diet strategies, NO bullshit! Just simple, easy to do steps that actually work and will have you feeling sexy, energised and full of life.

If you are looking for a quick fix then I suggest you walk away right now. This program is only for those who are committed to making life long changes. These are lifetime strategies that when followed 100% will get results. Yes you will lose weight on this program but more importantly you are going to rediscover what it feels like to be that confident sexy woman you truly already are.

If you are ready to Get Your Sexy On then CLICK HERE for full program details.

Our next program kicks off on Monday 7^th November and ends 23^rd December – just in time for Christmas.

Get Sexy In 7 Weeks!

Looking forward to seeing you on the sexy side!

Loves
Rache xoxo

That was it! I’d had enough. Enough of the drugs, enough of the Dr’s and so called specialists. I’d just had enough. I felt pathetic – I mean I could barely even hold myself up. So I gave up! I surrendered to the pain. I made a decision then and there that there would be no more drugs. There would be no more Dr’s. There would be no more surgeries.

I stopped listening to everyone else’s advice because at the end of the day someone’s advice is just his or her opinion. No matter who they are. It is their own truth based on their own experiences, their own history, their education and beliefs. So I started to listen to my truth as I was forced to deal with the pain instead of sedating it. I realised my body was screaming out for help and so it became my learning tool. I gave it what it needed and I began to evolve instead of just revolving. I had finally broken this vicious circle of mine. My body knew what it needed and food became my medicine, along with exercise, relaxation and truly nurturing my body with love and respect.

Pain used to be something I just lived with. It was a given. I now realise that pain is not normal. That pain along with sickness and disease is my body’s way of communicating that something is no right.

I have made a promise to myself to never shut out the pain again.

It’s time to get your fun boots on with our all new Fitness Fun Adventure Days! From Rock Climbing and Adventure Racing to Flying Trapeze Lessons and Mud Races we will be organising a monthly Adventure Day from now on with a few social outings thrown in for extra measure.

Now I know quite a few of you are ready to really challenge yourselves so it’s time to ramp things up and get our arses ready for next year’s runs, triathlons and whatever else comes our way. 2012 is going to be HUGE!

So for now I have listed the events for the last few months of the year and will also be organising an end of year/Christmas Party. Just finalising dates/location for this.

If you could please give me an idea of which ones you’d be interested in that would be great. Or if you would like any more info please feel free to give me a buzz. I will be sending out an official booking form in the next couple of days.

Sunday 16th October

Indoor Rock Climbing at Climb Fit in St Leonards
$22 per person for 2 hours of Climbing FUN!
Includes equipment
Need to book this one ASAP so please let me know if you’re keen!
www.climbfit.com.au

Tuesday 1st November

Melbourne Cup Lunch
Let’s get frocked up and hit the town!
Thinking 3 course luncheon at the Cargo Bar Darling Harbour.
Cost is $99 per person
(if you have any other suggestions for where to go please let me know)
www.cargobar.com.au

Saturday 3rd December

Mud Run! Horsley Park (Western Sydney)
A 6km run/walk/scramble/mud wrestle that looks an absolute scream!
They have starting waves every half hour from 12.30pm (all morning waves are already fully booked).  I’m thinking 12.30pm would be good.
Cost is $60 per person when paying before 4th November
www.mudrun.com.au

Click Here to View Full Details

Whoo Hoo – let’s end this year with a bang!!

Rache x

Ingredients
2L beef stock
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced or diced
1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp fish sauce
500g beef fillet, excess fat trimmed
300g bean sprouts
1 bunch bok choy, chopped
8 green onions, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
2-4 small fresh red chillies, thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup Thai basil leaves
1⁄4 cup Mint Leaves
1⁄4 cup fresh coriander

Instructions

1. Combine ginger, garlic and half of the chillies in a medium saucepan with a dash of sesame oil and lightly brown.

2. Add the beef stock and heat over high. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes or until aromatic. Stir in lime juice and fish sauce.

3. Slice beef into 5mm-thick slices. Heat a barbecue or chargrill pan on high. Lightly oil barbecue. Add 1/3 of the beef and cook for 1 minute each side for rare or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Cook remaining beef in 2 more batches.

4. Divide bean sprouts among serving bowls. Top with bok choy, green onion, chilli, fresh herbs, and beef. Pour over hot stock and serve with extra lime.

Chef Suggestions: Substitute beef for chicken or prawns

Serves:  1

Ingredients
3 sprigs fresh mint leaves
2 sprigs fresh coriander
20 mls lime juice, bottled
½ tsp palm sugar
20 grams snow pea sprouts
5 grams oyster sauce
130 grams barramundi fillets
1 spring onions (approx 15g each)
1 pump cooking oil spray
0.5 fresh red chillies (approx 45g each)

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the spring onions and chilli, then toss together in a bowl with the sprouts, mint leaves and coriander leaves.

2. Heat a medium sized non-stick pan over medium-high heat, spray lightly with cooking oil spray and cook the barramundi approximately 3 minutes each side or until cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, crush the palm sugar and place in jar with the lime juice and oyster sauce; place the lid on and shake to combine ingredients.

4. Transfer the cooked fish onto a serving plate, top with the salad and drizzle the dressing over the top.

~Serve with stir-fry veggies (zucchini, bok choy & red capsicum)