[Naomi]

Hey there- what I do with any recipe I am creating or modifying or cooking in bulk, this is what I always do to ensure consistent portions among each serving size:

– make your entire waffle batter in one bowl
– weigh the whole batch of batter on a food scale
– divide that total number by the indicated serving size, which is 12 in this case
– the number you get by dividing by 12 is the grams of 1 waffle per serving

For example, if the whole batch of batter weighs 400g you’ll divide 400 by 12 and get 33g, which means 33g = 1 waffle. Since your serving size is 1.5, you’ll have to add 1/2 a waffle portion to the 33g, which is about 16g. So 1.5 waffles would be 50g of batter in this case. As long as you measure out 50g of batter (or whatever number you come up with by weighing your entire batch and following the above steps), you’ll be eating 1.5 waffles 🙂

I hope this helps!

[Naomi]

No problem Sandra! With my clients I do focus on balance and stability, which is very important, but if I want them to really feel it in the muscle I will modify an exercise so they can just focus on the muscle. I think sometimes when you’re focused on maintaining your balance/stability, it can take away from the mind-muscle connection and working the muscle as hard as you can. Don’t ever feel like you aren’t working hard or doing the exercise properly if you have to hold on to something for balance 😉 Maybe sometimes you can work on your balance using a lighter weight, then use a heavier weight and hold on to something and just really focus on working the muscle.

Keep up the great work!!

[Naomi]

Hi Emily- with strength-training/lifting it is not a calorie burning focused activity, per se. Target calorie burning is really something that should be reserved for cardio workouts and will be a big focus in Phase 2 of this challenge, the leaning out phase.

With lifting and building muscle, it is so incredibly individual and the range is so across the board that there really isn’t a specific number I can give you. I can only speak from my personal experience and some of my workouts so far this challenge haven’t even cleared a 200 calorie burn (which I like for building muscle, the less calories I burn during a lifting session the better for strength and muscle gains), and for some of the leg workouts I’ve burned around 375 calories.

I wouldn’t worry about aiming for a specific calorie burn during your lifting sessions for Phase 1 at all 😉

[Naomi]

Hi Sandra- I have the same issue because of an injury from 2010 that has altered my stability in my right foot forever (plantar fasciitis affected the tissue on the inside of the bottom my foot).

So you can either do bilateral or you can do what I do when I do single leg and that is just hold on to the top of an incline bench, or go over to the Smith machine and hold on to one of the bars for stability.

There is quite a difference in doing this exercise unilaterally vs bilaterally in how you activate and engage your hamstring(s) so I would encourage you to try it by holding on to something solid/anchored for stability first. You don’t have to go crazy heavy (at least not at first while you’re getting the hang of it) as long as you are feeling that the hamstring you’re working is 1. activating 2. engaging 3. contracting 4. elongating.

If you still don’t feel comfortable then I would recommend going to bilateral 😉

I hope this helps! Good luck 😀

[Naomi]

No problem girl!! Great job, keep pushing! You’re doing great! 😀

[Naomi]

Hey Rebecca- it’s alternating lunges each round 😉

[Naomi]

Ok, gotcha – about 5-10 grams is recommended about 2-3xs per day. You can read more about the supplement portion of this challenge here.

[Naomi]

Hahaha, LOVE THIS!!! Donut socks to measure progress, that is FANTASTIC!!! 😀

[Naomi]

Hey there- nope, just 1-2 scoops of BCAAs pre- and/or Intra-workout. The muscle building should mainly come from your diet and heavy weight-lifting sessions 😉

[Naomi]

Hi there – it is one whole muffin 🙂

[Naomi]

I agree with what Dianne suggests: you could supplement with any other triceps movement for now. All you can do is the best you can with what you have to work with.

Good luck and keep pushing!

[Naomi]

Awesome! Way to get creative, thanks for sharing!! 🙂

[Naomi]

Awesome, thanks for sharing!! 🙂

[Naomi]

Hi Lauren-

If you google ‘healthy simple hummus recipe’ you will see a number of recipes pop up. Here is one example: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/15938/easy-and-smooth-hummus-recipe/

Any simple, basic hummus recipe should do fine.

[Naomi]

Hi there- I would recommend sticking to the meal plan as it is laid out as best you can. In general, some level of hunger is part of this process. If you are gaining muscle, that means that what you are doing is working 😉

[Naomi]

Hi Wendy- you can do about 5-10 on any cardio equipment, such as the treadmill or elliptical. And you can also do some arms circles and stretches before working chest, back & shoulders to loosen the shoulder joints 🙂

[Naomi]

Hey Jessica- yes, 170 is plenty high for HIIT. 190 is just the higher range but 170 is definitely intense enough to be in the HIIT category 😉

There is no particular preference for they type of cardio you do as long as you get your HR up.

Great job, keep it up!

[Naomi]

Hi Donna! Great question ☺ I would recommend the 45 degree angle, heavier weight, and struggling to meet the reps ?

Good luck, keep up the great work!! ??

[Naomi]

Hi Kristi- the strength-training workouts should take about an hour. Some may take 10-15 min less, and some may take 10-15 min longer.

I hope this helps! Maybe some other participants will give feedback based on their experience as well.

Good luck! ☺

[Naomi]

Awesome, Jessica, that is great to hear!! Keep it up! ??

[Naomi]

I agree with what Donna said 🙂

[Naomi]

Hey there-

I for the overhead shoulder press, you can do upright rows with dumbbells but be careful of your range of motion. If you bring your elbows up too high, you may get into your neck area so keep the range of motion a little lower than fully upright.

For the overhead triceps extensions, you can just do more sets of triceps presses (cable push down presses, not overhead) and use a different cable attachment (rope, metal triangle, bar, etc.)

I hope this helps. Good luck! 🙂

[Naomi]

Hey there- everyone’s body is different, so as you should be gaining a little muscle and losing a little body fat (in Phase 1) you may see a few pounds go up on the scale, or you may see a few pounds go down on the scale, or you may not see any actual weight on the scale change, but you are gaining muscle and losing fat.

For example, if you gain 3lbs of muscle, but lose 3lbs of fat then you won’t see any changes on the scale at all, but you will see a huge difference in the way your body looks. It is very unique to everyone depending on where your body is at when you start this challenge, there really is no should or shouldn’t except for that you should just be following all your workouts and nutrition on the plan laid out for your height/weight.

You should drink about 1 gallon or 4 liters of water per day.

I would highly recommend not worrying so much and trust the process. Just follow everything as it is laid out in the program and try to enjoy this program. Working out and eating healthy shouldn’t add stress to your life and worrying about if you should be getting leaner or gaining weight on the scale or being over on calories is just going to drive you crazy.

Take a few deep breaths, trust this program and do your best 😉

[Naomi]

Hi there- all natural almond butter and all natural peanut butter generally have the same amount of fat. I would try using 1% cottage cheese and just plain classic hummus and see if that helps. You want to try to stay within about 5g above or below the target goal 😉

[Naomi]

Awesome, that is great to hear!!! Ingredients make a big difference 😉

[Author]

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