[Naomi]

joseegdavid wrote:

Will that be the case with phase 2 and phase 3 as well?

yes, that is correct.

[Naomi]

joseegdavid wrote:

Hello,
Just wondering how long the strength training part should take? I realize some muscle groups require more time but I’m wondering what is the typical amount of time these should take. Sometimes it takes me about an hour and a half to get through a workout. (Not including cardio)

Hey there- the strength-training workouts should take around an hour, give or take depending on rest time, how slow or fast you do your reps, sets etc. but they should typically last around an hour 🙂

[Naomi]

beckywrkm wrote:

Looking ahead to phase 2. I am curious do you drain the ground beef before adding the broccoli slaw, or do you leave it as is?

I will double check with Nicole, but I’m pretty sure you leave as-is since it typically says to drain it if it should be drained. It also says to add water as-needed, so the slaw will need to be moistened in some way whether it’s water or the left over juices from the meat.

[Naomi]

gbarth wrote:

Hi
On Phase 2 Gym training the video for DB Z Press does not come up. Thank You

Hey there- can you please email any technical issues with video, printing, links, etc. to our tech support at: [email protected] and they can get this resolved for you? Thank you! 🙂

[Naomi]

valeriepicco wrote:

Hi, can Protein Truffles be frozen? I’m starting my meal planning for the next phase.

Hey there- you should be able to but I personally haven’t tried so I am not 100% sure what they will be like thawed. I would recommend thawing them in the fridge for about a day, maybe? Let us know! 🙂

[Naomi]

britany.bsf wrote:

What can the hemp seeds be replaced with in the truffles?? Hopefully something, super allergic to them.

Hey there- the macros in hemp seeds are pretty unique and I don’t know what an equivalent would be as a replacement. I would just choose a different meal. I hoe this helps, good luck!

[Naomi]

laurapie713 wrote:

The nutrition plan is figured by weight and height. Is there any circumstance in which activity level should be considered?

I’m 5’3”, 133 lbs
Following meal plan 1
1783 calories

I’m really struggling with sticking to the 1783 calories . Not because of food options..I love the food. But from simply being too hungry. I complete all workouts as written and I’m very active with house projects, family activities, etc. On top of that , I have a full time job as a landscaper. I spend 40 hours of my week walking, digging , lifting , bending , squatting…(you get the point) all while being in the elements of the weather . Right now it’s 90 degrees and my shirt is pure sweat by the end of the day . It’s exhausting work!

Hey there- this can be so specific to each individual, as some people are pretty sedentary or have desk jobs and only exercise for their workouts. This is your call, so if you feel like you need to bump up to the next meal plan due to your high activity level, and you are seeing results and are comfortable sticking with that, then that is totally up to you 🙂

I hope this helps! Best of luck with the rest of the challenge 😀

As I look forward to the next two phases , I do not know how I’m gonna make it cutting my calories to 1500 then 1300! I’m very concerned. What are your thoughts? Do I need to adjust to such low calories to see the results I want ? I will do that if need be but I will be miserable

[Naomi]

Manon wrote:

Are there exercises that can be added to the training to help the girls? I have approximately 60-75lbs to lose and I want to help the girls not to teach my knees so to speak. 🙂

Hey there – we cannot recommend any additional exercises for the challenge workouts that Nicole has designed for this challenge. But if you are interested in one of the Nicole Wilkins Team trainers putting together a personalized program for you and your specific goals, you can email: [email protected] to inquire further 🙂

Best of luck! 😀

[Naomi]

gsdriscoll wrote:

Can you use Red Wine Vinegar I did not on the list? Can you drink LaCroix? sparling water?

Yes, those should both be fine. But please look at the nutrition label for both, as well as the serving size for the calories/macros —- they may just be negligible and not enough to make a difference, but double check and make sure 🙂

[Naomi]

Jaynelle Didway wrote:

So this might be a silly question but the left side of my upper body Isn’t quite as far ahead as my right. I’m seeing definite change to my right side which Isn’t a huge surprise since I’m right handed however is extremely frustrating as I’m not sure how to strengthen my left side so that it will catch up.

Can you give some guidance? Hope that makes sense.

Hi Jaynelle- I totally understand, everyone is dominant on one side more than the other, and everyone has somewhat muscular imbalances on one side than the other. This can be from carrying a book bag on one shoulder thought grade school, and lots of other reasons.

Without knowing what degree your muscular imbalances and strengths are from one side to the other, it is really hard for me to give you any advise, other than this is perfectly normal to some degree. You shouldn’t try to lift heavier or more on your weaker side because you may end up causing more muscular imbalances.

Can you be more specific about what muscle or muscles you are trying to strengthen on your left side? And what exercises you notice this the most?

[Naomi]

Jaynelle Didway wrote:

How many grams of blackberries is acceptable on this challenge ? Wasnt sure if it would be treated the same as a raspberry.

Hi Jaynelle- if you are going to eat any foods that aren’t on the meal plan or in the food exchange list, Nicole recommends that you food journal in a food journaling app such as My Fitness Pal in order to calculate how much of what food you want to eat. I believe blackberries would comparable to raspberries, but in order to figure out your portion size for your meal plan (I have no idea what meal plan you are following) then you’ll just look up “blackberries” in My Fitness Pal and see how many grams or ounces are equivalent to the amount of lean protein (calories/protein) you have for your totals in your meal plan.

I hope this helps 🙂

[Naomi]

krysten_brake wrote:

I’m wondering if I’m able to eat lobster and what category it falls under / what amount I’m able to eat if so.
Thanks !!!

Hi Krysten- if you are going to eat any foods that aren’t on the meal plan or in the food exchange list, Nicole recommends that you food journal in a food journaling app such as My Fitness Pal in order to calculate how much of what food you want to eat. I believe lobster would be considered a lean protein, but in order to figure out your portion size for your meal plan (I have no idea what meal plan you are following) then you’ll just look up “lobster” in My Fitness Pal and see how many grams or ounces are equivalent to the amount of lean protein (calories/protein) you have for your totals in your meal plan.

I hope this helps 🙂

[Naomi]

Gayle wrote:

Can I use milk in my morning coffee? I usually use lactose-free whole milk.

Hi Gayle- whole milk will add calories, fat and carbs to your daily totals so if you are going to add any extras, it’s best to food journal in an app such as My Fitness Pal, weigh/measure all of your foods/drinks/little extras and log everything to make sure you aren’t going over on your daily totals.

While it may seem trivial to add a little splash of milk in your coffee or a dab of this and that there, you would be surprised at how much these things can add up.

Good luck with the challenge! 🙂

[Naomi]

narby67 wrote:

I believe Nicole already answer this and is just 2 rounds

Thank you! 🙂

[Naomi]

Stephanie wrote:

Just looking ahead and saw that for the “Fit Happens” 20 min cardio workout, it says to perform 8 rounds but that ends up being 64 minutes… unless you’re trying to kill us? 😆😉

LOL, of course she is trying to kill you with cardio 😛

I will send this info to the team for correction, thank you!! 😀

[Naomi]

tburke2001 wrote:

Hey Nicole
I’m going by Women’s Meal Plan 1. Looking ahead to Phase 2 – the Daily Totals ‘macros’ show 1536cal, 145g protein, 140g carbs, 44g fat BUT in the Meal Totals part the numbers are the same as Phase 1 and equal 1784cal.
Only a difference of about 30cal per day but should be about 250cal.

I’m very confused about what part has an error.
Thank you

Hey there- let me send this out to the team, double check the numbers you are referring to and get back with you ASAP once I get confirmation.

Thanks so much!

~ Naomi

[Naomi]

Dessie Wilson wrote:

Hello,
the macro profile listed for meal plan 1 phase 2 appears to be wrong Daily total are 1536 Calories 145 Protein 140 Carbs 44 Fat. Under meal totals it says all other meals 381 Calories, 33P, 33C, 13F, if you take 381*4 for 4 meals that equals 1524 calories 33*4 for protein 132 g same with carbs and fat*4 would come out to 52G for the daily total. And then you still have to factor meal 5 into these equations which put you way over. I may be wrong but this does not appear right. If we took the 145P/5 that would eaqual 29g Protein 140C/5 would equal 28g carbs 44F/4 would be 11G per meal and calories should be 327 per meal. The Post workout/Meal 5 is correct but all other meals should read 327 Calories, 29g protein, 28g Carbs, 11g fats.

I’ve posted this same question earlier today

Hi Helen-

I am not seeing your earlier post, so sorry it hasn’t been responded to, did you post it underneath another post or in a different place?

I will double check all of this (your numbers, what is stated in the meal plan, etc) and get back with you shortly 🙂

~ Naomi

[Naomi]

am.deno wrote:

Help needed! I went to La Madeline for lunch and thought I chose wisely. I ate a fat free Caesar salad with 4oz of Salmon with a side of tomato soup. I came home, logged the food and now I’m over on fats (their darn good tomatoes soup was high in fat). How do I eat for dinner?
I have 84 carbs, -11 fat & 45 protein.
Do I eat on plan or just leave out the fats and have carb and protein?

Hey! I see your post now 🙂 I am not sure what time zone you’re in, but I am sorry your question didn’t get answered immediately.

In the future, if this happens again, if you know what restaurant you’re going to ahead of time and they have a menu on-line, try to pick out your food before you go to the restaurant and log it in before you go so that you know before hand what foods/meals on the menu will put you over on calories and/or macros. As a general rule, soups (even tomato based ones), dressings and many other items at restaurants can have lots of hidden fats, sugars, etc. so it’s best to just stick with meat, greens, veggies, a plain baked potato, etc. that you KNOW for sure is just that ingredient.

If you do end up eating off plan, don’t try to make it up the next day by eating less or doing more cardio or adjusting anything like that. Just learn from your experience so you know how to better prepare or manage next time, and stick to the challenge program the very next day as-is.

Let me know if you have any other events or activities throughout the rest of the challenge that you might need help preparing for with staying on track and I’d love to help give you some tips! 🙂

Have an awesome day, and I hope this helps!
~ Naomi

[Naomi]

Becky Martin wrote:

egg whites for -LP
Ground up oats for -SC
egg yolks for -F
Add a teaspoon of baking powder and mix well

How creative, Becky! That sounds delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂

[Naomi]

Donna Haug wrote:

Just want to clarify I’m doing this exchange correct. 8oz of russet potatoes = 2 slices of Ezekiel bread??

I serving of carb on the exchange list is equal to:
4oz russet potato
2 sliced Ezekiel bread

So 8oz russet potato = 4 slices of Ezekiel bread.

I hope this helps! 🙂

[Naomi]

lisampeterson1978 wrote:

Can I switch from the protein based meal plan to a vegan one at any time? I find myself not really wanting the meat based protein and I’m thinking that switching is not a bad idea…. thoughts?

Yep, that is totally fine. Just make suer you fully switch to all vegan or stay on all “regular” meal plan. The total calories and macros for the day are the same, but the meal totals are not the same between vegan and regular meal plan. I hope that makes sense! 🙂 Best of luck!

[Naomi]

lisampeterson1978 wrote:

Can I switch from the protein based meal plan to a vegan one at any time? I find myself not really wanting the meat based protein and I’m thinking that switching is not a bad idea…. thoughts?

Yep, that is totally fine. Just make suer you fully switch to all vegan or stay on all “regular” meal plan. The total calories and macros for the day are the same, but the meal totals are not the same between vegan and regular meal plan. I hope that makes sense! 🙂 Best of luck!

[Naomi]

cindywynn1 wrote:

Hello Nicole & Team –
I am a new member and i’m thoroughly enjoying all of the great information on the site also loving all of the workouts & videos! Just wondering if you can give any advice to this (soon to be) 53 year old – entering (gasp) menopause! I used to have 10 pounds that I wanted to lose, but now i am up to wanting to lose 20+ pounds!!!
I have always been into fitness my whole life (my mom did a few bodybuilding competitions in her 40s and won her division!) Fitness is in my blood! 🙂 Back in the 90s, I did Step-Reebok workouts & The Firm videos! In the past 20 years, it’s been crossfit & kickboxing & miscellaneous classes at the gym (Les Mills). A few years ago, i started at my mom’s gym and really got into working out in the gym consistently with a 5 days a week program using machines & free weights and following strength training program. That was the best I’ve ever felt!!
Since Covid, I had been doing 30 minute at-home workouts from an app i downloaded. They were intense 30-minute HITT workouts with weights but I wasn’t getting the results that I wanted. The weight crept on!! Is it because i’m pre-menopausal? Or do I need to forget about my AGE and switch up my workouts and focus on STRENGTH workouts? I think I was the happiest when I went to the gym 5 days a week and was doing a typical 5-day strength training program and mixed in some intense cardio with my old crossfit / HIIT workouts! I felt strong and confident!
I guess I’m just curious about how much my AGE has to do with my weight gain (belly-fat/ mid-section weight gain). Team, thanks in advance for your help and guidance!!
PS… I’m attaching a picture of my mom and me. She’s amazing. 🙂

Hi Cindy-

I don’t think age has as much to do with it, but more the lifestyle choices we make as we age. Nutrition is the biggest component, so I would focus on weight-training workouts instead of cardio, and definitely making sure you are eating healthy, nourishing foods, minimally processed, no fried foods, minimal to no alcohol (alcohol can play a huge factor in aging and metabolic issues, particularly slowing metabolism), making sure you are eating enough calories, no yo-yo dieting or crash dieting, etc. You need to be consistent with healthy lifestyle choices over the long-haul in order to really see progress in your fitness.

So while I do believe issues can occur more easily as we age, it has more to do with the lifestyle choices you make as you age – such as nutrition and being consistent with your weight training workouts – than aging itself.

Best of luck on your fitness journey, I hope this helps! 🙂

I hope this helps!

[Naomi]

Bronwyn Stoddard wrote:

Hi! I’m using the food exchange list for most meals, following the “blocks” indicated–if it calls for 1 LP, 1 SC, 1 V, 1 1/2 F, I choose items from the food exchange list that fit the categories from the meal plan.

I noticed that when I track my intake through my FitBit app, it sometimes reports that I’m eating 150ish more calories than outlined in the meal plan. I know there might be variation in how the app calculates calories for different brands, etc, but since my weight and body composition haven’t shifted on the scale, I wanted to do my due diligence.

Should I follow the food exchange list or manipulate the portions so the calories tracked by my app fit the meal plan?

Hey there- unfortunately, food journaling apps aren’t an exact science. What is entered in Fitbit might come out different than what someone enters in My Fitness Pal. Even in My Fitness Pal, entries can vary from food brand to food brand.

I would follow the meal plan as it is written out and don’t change the portion sizes to reduce the calorie totals calculated in your app.

Also, we’re still in Phase 1, so as the challenge progresses in phases you should start to see more shifts and progress. I hope this helps, good luck! 🙂

[Naomi]

mcbride1967 wrote:

Can you suggest an alternative for the almonds in the salmon patties recipe please.

Hey there- Nicole created these recipes, so I don’t want to make any recommendations that would throw off the calories and macros. I would recommend choosing a different meal 🙂

[Author]

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