Maureen
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Looking ahead to Phase 2 Meal Plans:
For the shredded cheese; is it full fat, low fat, fat free, mozzarella, cheddar, etc.Hummus; plain &/or unflavored; prepackaged?
Cauliflower; can frozen be used?
TIA.
Hi there,
I would just grab the regular shredded cheese….normally it’s made with 2% get what you like. I don’t see a problem going frozen as long are your measurements are correct. I would just get a container of plain hummus.Hi! I can’t eat eggs anymore and I don’t like tofu, can you please give me more suggestions to replace those two please?
Hi there,
You can basically choose from ANY of the 12 meals listed….They are roughly within 5g up or down for the macros. Unfortunately, I cannot create a brand new meal for you, it’s not the way the challenge is set up.I understand building phase…. but typically I’ve always weighed meat raw and got all carbs through vegetables such as spinach green beans lettuce etc ( which allowed for high volume) I haven’t eaten potatoes (which I’m using like 3 to get 12oz cooked bc I do it for 2 meals) or rice in years. So what I don’t understand is I picked group 3 bc I was already at that calorie level… so why is my weight gone up three pounds when I’ve been eating this calorie/macro split for months? Getting discouraged
Hi there,
Try not to get frustrated. You are entering a cut in the plan. Which means, the macros will change. It’s not uncommon to gain a few pounds in a building phase. The great thing about it is that you are eating good foods….not a bunch of garbage. It could just be the change in foods for you. Don’t fret. Just trust this process and pay attention to how you feel and stay positive. Good luck.Clarification please. On “workout days” are we eating “5” meals or “4” meals?
4 meals on NON Strength Training days…..5 meals on strength training days (the extra meal is the Post workout meal).
Ok I get that… I was just asking if you could tell me how to add one more serving to recipe so I would have enough for 3 days equally… but I get it if that’s too hard to tell me how much of each ingredient is needed for 1 serving increase. Thx
Hey there,
Just a thought but can you freeze what you have left…and then add it to your next meal prep session when you need it?Hey Naomi,
Yes, in other words I would stick to the macros that have been calculated per the meal plan but tailor it to foods I prefer. I’m not talking about eating junk food, as I understand a challenge like this requires the foods to be on the cleaner side.Hi there,
It’s always your choice to do what you would like when it comes to any plan. However, I can confidently say that this plan is designed to have the participants picks the specific meals. It’s all laid out so that the margin for error is very small. Even when someone is skilled at tracking, it’s an advantage to have the meals laid out so that they can make the most of the rest of the plan and not worry about meeting those macros. I am sure I am not telling you anything that you don’t already know or figured out on your own. If you can find other options you like and repeat those…..that would be my recommendation.Is it ok that I hold on to something when doing this exercise?
Sure. I usually tell my clients to just lightly put their fingertips against the wall so they don’t have the temptation to lean completely. That way you can get more confident and eventually not hold on. This is an exercise that can’t be rushed. Take your time.
Hi there – since I work out on my lunch break at work, I need to make sure I’m back at my desk in a reasonable amount of time. If I don’t finish all the exercises in that 1 training session, is it okay to split the workout into 2 parts?
I would do the best you can to not have to do that. You are then giving yourself a big window of rest and then going back to finish…The design of the training plan from start to finish is meant to worked through in that way. If it happened….I wouldn’t stress about it. As you work through the plan, you might find you go a bit faster because now you are familiar.
Hello! I just reviewed all of my days so far. I’ve stuck with the plan 100% but I’m noticing my macros are off. For example, one day my carbs were way too high and on a few other days, my protein was low, according to the goals given at the bottom of the plan. There have been a couple of times I haven’t been able to eat everything, but not enough that it should cause such a huge difference. Anybody know why this is happening? And if it does, should I try to hit the macro goals even if it means adding a protein shake or something? I don’t have as much faith in my fitness pal as others do, but I’m finding some pretty significant discrepancies.
Hi there,
Sometimes the brands will throw the macros off a bit. Also, make sure the foods you are selecting MFP are “checked”…that means that they are what they say they are and the numbers should be right on. Allow yourself a 5g under or over on the macros. Just double check some of the labels and measurements on things and see if you missed something.Hi. We should not take in fat after a workout….what is estimated time not to take in fat before and after a workout?
If i take my postworkout meal directly after my wotkout…must i wait about an hour before meal 4? I usually ate it together
Usually you would want to get in that post workout meal within a 45 min window post workout. I would wait the 2-3 hours after that meal to eat again. I would just keep it to no fat for the POST workout meal specified in the meal plan 🙂
In case anyone else needs these, I created quickly in excel. Nothing fancy but helps me keep track.
Nice! I am sure other participants will love this. Thanks for adding this 🙂
I noticed that the stevia I purchased has dextrose as an ingredient. Does anyone have recommendations on a brand of stevia that is not cut with real sugar?
I have always used Sweet Leaf….both liquid and packets.
Hi- I was wondering which specific type of Boca burgers the meal plan was built off of. At the grocery store there are several different kinds of Boca burgers with varying nutritional profiles. The serving size on my meal plan (women’s meal plan 3) is 110 grams but depending on which type of Boca burger I choose I could be getting more or less protein. Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
Would using either one of those burgers put you within 5g plus or minus of your macros? If so, choose which one you like best.Hi,
Since it’s summer I’ve been doing a lot of swimming and hiking. Is it ok to do this in addition to the HIIT workouts?Hi there,
I wouldn’t add anything extra that’s not in the plan. The plan is designed to be followed to get you some good results. Don’t worry about adding extras that aren’t there. You got this!Good Morning All!
Happy Saturday!
I am performing the pyramid as instructed but on my last set I am able to get about 5 reps in then I have to rest for a few seconds to get the last 3 reps completed (my form is off). Should I drop back down to the lighter weight to finish the set or stop at failure?
Please advise
Hi there,
I would drop the weight down a bit so you can get them all in one sweep. You are almost doing a rest pause by resting and then finishing. But even before that, if your form is off, then you definitely need to drop the weight. Form over everything! Nice work, keep working hard and great questions.My hollow hold isn’t too hollow right now. What can I do to modify it and progress to better form strength and endurance ?
Hi there,
You might be able to go more into a boat pose with knees bent. Try that out and see how that feels for you.Does anyone have any good chicken recipes?
I made grilled chicken last week but it was so dry that I had a really hard time eating it which resulted in me being under my calories and macros a couple of the days last week.
I definitely want to follow this plan as closely as possible but I’m having a rough time with the food options. Chicken and sweet potatoes are my worst nightmare and I can’t imagine eating turkey for 4 weeks straight.
Thanks ladies!
Hi there,
Do any of the other meal options work for you? I would assume most people are going to be following the meal plans so that them macros are what they should be. If you can find another meal that works for you, I would recommend doing that instead of changing up the entire meal. I hope you can get it to work.BEEN TRYING TO WORK OUT ABS FOR THE LONGEST AND JUST CANT HAVE DEFINITION, ONE DAY NOTICED A SMALL SPACE JUST ABOVE BELLY BUTTON , WHICH I THINK I HAVE DIASTASIS RECTI, ANY EXERCISES FOR POSSIBLE DIGITALIS RECTI?
Hi there, I would ask your doctor about it just to make sure. If in fact it is a yes, Your doctor can probably point you in the right direction of someone that can help you with that. If your doctor doesn’t, there are alot of good articles out there with exercises and things to consider when dealing with it.
just wanted to confirm amount of rice in meal plan 2 option 1 , it says 150grans of brown rice is this correct , iam asking because its alot ,dont mind eating it lol
150g looks right. Eat up my friend 🙂
Thanks, yes cut out caffeine because I’m use to drinking it with creamer. Diet wasn’t overly sugary but for sure cookies ect were in it. Thanks
I believe it’s probably the coffee….the headaches from that can be brutal. It might be advisable to go half/caff to ease the symptoms. Just a thought. HOpe you feel better.
Hi Nicole,
What if that weakness is because of an injury/impingement of the shoulder? My left shoulder/triceps is a bit weaker by one or two reps usually. And, it often burns/causes numbing and feels like FST training response in early sets (so say finishing 2nd set it starts to feel that way.) It’s not a huge difference in strength, but I can see the differences in my shoulder cap, I just don’t have the same definition, even though its normally only about the last two reps of maybe last to sets that I cant complete on the Left.
When it’s not just a weaker side, but the shoulder complex itself, should I still do the extra sets? Or would that just worsen the situation? It is not an injury that recently happened. It’s just an old irritation in that shoulder I have had for decades. BTW, I do see my chiropractor at least 1x a week for it.I would consult your chiro and tell him you would like to try and balance it out….is this possible at the stage you are at with your shoulder or should you wait a little longer.
So after you do your last set with lower reps and heavy weight, next time you do the same exercise, do you do same again (pyramid) or do all sets with that heaviest weight at the 8 rep range you finished with last time!
Example
Week 1
Dumbbell row
4sets 8-12
Set one 55lbs 12 reps
Set two 60lbs 10 reps
Set three 65 lbs 8 reps
————-
Week 2 (same exercises )
Set one 65 lbs 8 reps
Set two 65 lbs 8 reps
Set three 65 lbs 8 repsNot you will prob end up performing it the same as week one. THe pyramiding allows you to warm up to the heavier weight and hit it really hard as you get lower in reps and higher in weight. You should find you can get a little stronger with each workout.
Taken from the info on the challenge:
Here is an example. If the rep range calls for 3 sets of 8-12 reps, you will start your first set using a weight you can do for 12 repetitions – struggling on the last two or three. On your second set, you’ll increase the weight and shoot for around 10 reps (again, struggling on the last 2-3); on your third, you’ll increase the weight again and shoot for 8.Throughout this Challenge, I want you to use the number of repetitions as a guideline. If the rep range calls for 8-12, you should be shooting for 8 reps – not 12 – on your final set.
I would rather you fall a rep or two short of 8 – with good form – than be able to perform 12 reps on your final set. If you can do 12 reps without struggling when you should be doing 8 (struggling on the last 2-3), then you aren’t lifting heavy enough and you need to increase the amount of weight you are using.
Two things:
1. I am really having a hard time eating all these meals. I find it to be a chore to eat this much. If i wanted to cut one down or out – would that be recommended?
2. I typically have events I need to be at on Fridays; could I change my off day (thursday) to Friday – or can I split friday training to some on thursday and some on Friday so its not so long?
HI there,
It would not be recommended to cut down on the meals. As the program progresses…the meals are going to get cut down anyways…(this is a cutting program). I would do the best you can.
You can move the training around to fit your schedule. Make it work for you.Hi Nicole and team, i think my body is going through food with drawls lol, I’m feeling awlful, just threw up and have headaches. Is this normal when you change up your diet completely?
ThanksI’m not sure. I have never had that reaction. I guess it depends on how bad your diet was…..Did you cut your caffeine intake? That could lead to headaches…or you could feel that if you are used to a higher sugar diet. That would be my thought if your diet has taken a completely different turn with this challenge. I hope you feel better soon.
