Naomi
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Hi Amanda- first of all, I want to say I am so sorry you are feeling defeated. I completely understand, as you had certain expectations going into the challenge. In reading both your posts in detail, my assessment of your particular situation and your body’s response to the nutrition portion of the challenge is this: your metabolism has likely been through alot over the years and it will take time of consistent caloric intake/macro levels to readjust back to normal a functioning level.
I don’t know how long you were in a caloric deficit prior to the challenge (or how long before the challenge) or how low your carbs were, but a long-term caloric deficit and/or years of yo-yo dieting can cause the metabolism to not function properly, to slow down to snail speed and to all but shut down. I have worked with several clients over the years who had such metabolic damage due to extreme dieting that some took between 6 months to a year to correct back to normal functioning levels that finally allowed them to see some weight loss and other body composition changes.
The change in birth control could also play a part in how your body is reacting, as your hormones directly affect your metabolism.
Going back to your diet previous to the challenge: since I am not sure what your calories and macros were, let’s just say you increased your calories by 200-300 per day and significantly increased your carb ratios relative to your proteins and fats, and your birth control changed, and you increased the amount of cardio you’re doing (energy expenditure). You throw all of that at a slow functioning metabolism due to long periods of a caloric deficit, all of which would explain why you are experiencing the results you’re experiencing.
Someone trying to overcome a long period of a caloric deficit should slowly, over time increase in calories, carbs, cardio, etc. in order for the body to properly adjust and to assess how the body is responding to it. This is referred to as “reverse dieting” and Nicole explains this in depth in this blog here.
My recommendation is to follow through the challenge to the end and assess your progress at the end of the challenge. Who knows, you may see some different changes over the next week and a half, as two weeks is not long enough for your particular body to adjust to the changes you have introduced to it. Since you said you are feeling stronger, you are likely getting fitter and healthier!! 😀 Then once you have been consistent with this for a longer period of time and your metabolism starts to “trust” you again, your metabolism will start to kick in and you’ll start seeing the results you want to see. It may just take longer than 30 days because of where you were before the challenge (from a nutritional/metabolic standpoint) and what your body is overcoming.
Hang in there Amanda! You are healing in many ways, you just have to see it through!! YOU CAN DO IT!!! 😀 xo ~ Naomi
Hi Candy- as with the previous two 31 Days, 31 Workouts here and here (not challenges, but just workouts), Nicole won’t leave everyone hanging lol 😉 There will be some type of closure post-challenge on what to do next and suggestions on how to stay on track by continuing a structure workout regime and nutrition plan. Good luck with the remaining week and a half of the challenge 😀
Tracy that is fantastic!! We are SO happy you are experiencing these little successes, that you are getting stronger and that you are loving the challenge! WAY TO GO!! KEEP IT UP!!! 😀
Girl, that is INCREDIBLE!!! Great job, you are doing AMAZING 😀
Hi Stefania- for this challenge, stay within the macros set forth in the meal plan you are following and try to stay under 35g of sugar. Remember that this is only a 30 day challenge and we are halfway through, so refraining from excess foods you are “addicted” to will be a good exercise in self-discipline. As long as you are not going over in your carbs and sugars, fruit is fine.
I am sorry, I will clarify. For this particular challenge, weigh and measure based on the directions indicated in the nutrition portion of the challenge so that you stay within the totals set forth in the Meal Plan 😉 Continue measuring veggies by the cup and the 4oz sweet potato by oz. Whatever the Meal Plan indicates measurement-wise, go by that measurement 😀 Sorry if I confused things!
I know this can all be a little overwhelming at first but you’ll get the hang of it. You’re doing GREAT!! The most accurate way of measuring all foods is by grams 😉
Challenge participants will have access to all the challenge information on the web site for one week after the last day of the challenge, then the info will no longer be available 😉
Leslie- that is a great question that I currently do not know the answer to! I will ask Nicole 😉
Hi Nikki- here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/623577507822501/
🙂
Hi Rebecca- Yes, I would advise to go ahead and use a rest day for any missed workouts (strength-training and/or cardio 😉
YAYYYY!!!! Awesome, Rebecca, keep it up!! Almost there 😀
Hi Carissa- to get the best possible results in the short 30 Day Challenge, I would recommend only sticking to the foods listed on the Meal Plan, in the Food Exchange List, and on the Grocery List. You can eat other foods not included in the 30 Day Challenge nutrition portion, however you may not see as effective results. Good luck! 🙂
Hi Marybeth,
The lower your total daily intake of sugar is, the better, however there are traces of natural sugars in many healthy foods such as sweet potatoes, even broccoli. Since this is only a 30 day program (and we’re halfway through already! WOW!) my suggestion to you is to try to not go any higher than 30-35 grams per day if you can. The per meal total isn’t as important as the total sugars racked up by the end of the day. There are foods on the list that are higher in sugars than other foods, such as bananas which are perfectly fine to eat. But I find, personally, that the lower my total daily sugars are the more quickly I lean out. I hope this helps! Good luck 🙂
Hi Melissa,
I am so sorry to hear about your shoulder injury 🙁 My advice to you is to not do any chest or shoulder movements that will aggravate that tear. Working out that area will only increase the severity of the tear. Make sure you ice that area frequently several times a day, and ask your doctor what physical therapy-type of exercises you can do to help the tear heal 😉 Good luck on your recovery! I hope it heals quickly!!
Hi Jennifer! TIme is flying, isn’t it?? Every person is different so there is no set time limit on how often the workouts and diet should change, as this will vary from person to person. My advice is that as long as you are still seeing changes/results, keep going. When you stop seeing changes or your body stops reacting (also known as a “plateau”) that’s a sign you might need to change things up 😉 Good luck! And have a great last two weeks 😀
WAY TO GO TRACY!!! Great job and great attitude! Keep it up 😀
Hi Marci- there are a number of participants who have wondered the same thing as you, so you are not alone! 😉 Remember that there are a lot of factors that contribute to weight, which is why we don’t use that as our only means of progress. Soreness, your cycle, sickness, lack of sleep, change in nutrition, etc. can all cause water retention. Do not let that deter you or allow negative thoughts to creep into your head. Your body is still adjusting!
If you are SEEING and FEELING changes, those are more significant indicators of progress than weight 😉
Thank you so much, Rebecca!! We are LOVING all the questions and interactions and posts and comments. Everyone has been so awesome!! Nicole, Maureen and I have dedicated our lives for just this very thing: to help you better understand your fitness journey and to help you be better equipped for success! We are all here for you, and hope that you learn a ton on this 30 day journey that you can apply to your life for the rest of you life! 😀 xo ~ Naomi
Hi Diane- I do understand the morning rush and need for convenience, but with this particular 30 Day Transformation Challenge, we really discourage any protein bars and do not recommend them because of additives and preservatives, the macronutrient ratio and ingredients are not conducive to getting the desired results. My recommendation for a quick and convenient breakfast on-the-go is a protein shake (pre-prepared the night before and in the fridge ready for you in the a.m.) and an apple. If you aren’t already doing so, maybe try to prepare as many of your meals for the week as you can on Sunday for the week ahead? Here are some tips Nicole recommends on how to be best prepared for the nutrition portion of the challenge- Transformation Challenge: Nutrition
I hope this helps! Good luck 🙂
I also stay at the same weight for 6-8 months, sometimes even more than a year depending on the body part. As long as you are feeling the workout in the muscle you are targeting, the amount of weight really isn’t the main point, unless building strength is one of your top priorities. I stayed at the 20lb barbell for barbell curls for it seemed like forever, then stayed at the 30lb barbell for 2 years. I have been able to curl w/ the 40lb barbell now for about 6 months, but still can only do that one for about the 1st or 2nd set then have to move to the 30lb barbell. BUT if I am doing barbell curls at the very end of my workout when my biceps are already shot,sometimes I can’t even use the 30lb and have barely just enough strength left to curl the 20lb barbell. So it also depends on how fatigued your muscles are when you get to a certain exercise in your workout.
My advice, if you are looking for strength gains, is that after the challenge is over you re-group your strength-training split to work the muscles you are trying to gain strength in by themselves, or grouped with as little other muscles as possible. For example, only work chest one day, then hamstrings/glutes/abs the next day, then maybe group back & shoulders together in one workout the following day, then quads/calves/abs, then biceps/triceps. That’s a 5 day split. Or you if you’re really looking to gain strength in your back and shoulders, then work chest/biceps/triceps together and work back by itself one day, then only shoulders another day. Limit your cardio to about 20-25 min 3-4 days per week and keep your rep ranges between 6-8, lifting as heavy as you can for 6-8 reps for 4-5 sets of each exercise.
There are other ways and methods of gaining strength, but this is just one way of doing it. If you haven’t read this already, check out this Tip Me Tuesday: Gaining vs Losing
I hope this helps! Good luck with the challenge and with your strength goals 🙂
One more thing I’d like to add is that being in a caloric deficit will affect your strength, which is why it is important to focus on one thing at a time 😀 If you are focusing on gaining muscle and losing body fat in a short amount of time (30 day body transformation challenge), because of the required caloric deficit you may not feel as strong as if you were focusing only on strength-gains, which could entail being in a caloric surplus 😉 Does that make sense?
Hi Nancy- Any seasonings are fine, a long as you look carefully at the ingredients! You’d be amazed at how many seasonings have SUGAR in the first 5 ingredients. Even if the label looks “harmless” and wouldn’t seem to have sugar in it, never assume and always read the ingredients, making sure to stay away from long lists of ingredients, strange ingredients that you don’t recognize and any/all added sugar 😉
Hi Lisa- It is best to listen to your body, as everyone has their own experiences with different foods and beverages. If you drink regular water often, and electrolyte water and alkaline water makes you bloated and low energy, that is all you need to know to tell you it is maybe not the best thing for YOUR body 😉 Keep drinking regular H2o! 😀
Hi Tracy- It takes a LONG time to build strength. Of course every person is different, but in my experience it seems like it takes longer to build strength than it does to lose fat or see other body composition changes. This particular challenge is a transformation challenge and the workouts are designed for body composition transformation results, not necessarily strength-building results, though some strength gains may come as a result for some challenge participants.
My recommendation is to lift as heavy as you can for the rep ranges given. And as you mentioned, the last 5 reps shouldn’t just be hard, but you should feel like you can barely get through the last 3-5 reps. It should be a struggle. I hope this helps! Good luck and keep pushing hardddddd 😉