Taña R.
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Hi Nicole!! Can you do a FatCamp/group workout in San Francisco?? I know there are so many people in the Bay Area that would be interested. Thank you for all of the content you continually post. I appreciate you! xoxo
Awesome to hear! Keep me posted on the chromium. I would give it a solid 3-4 weeks to see if and how your body is responding. I remember at around 3 weeks the cravings subsided.
Thank you. Just remember it takes time to build muscle and consistency is key. I’m no where near where I want to be, but I have to trust the process, work hard and be patient 🙂 Good luck and keep us posted!
***CORRECTION*** I meant to say the revised below about fat increases:
ORIGINAL:
Your carbs and fat should increase 3-5% every week or 2-3 weeks depending on your weight gain, measurements and photos. To insure that you gain the least amount of fat when doing a reverse diet you should only pay attention to your measurements and weight weekly and then if your weight is staying the same then increase your carbs and fat 3-5%.REVISED:
Your carbs should increase 3-5% and fat by 1-3% every week or 2-3 weeks depending on your weight gain, measurements and photos. To insure that you gain the least amount of fat when doing a reverse diet you should only pay attention to your measurements and weight weekly and then if your weight is staying the same then increase your carbs 3-5% and fat 1-3%.Hi Lucylooh and Marie-Josee –
Have you two figured out your BMR – Basel Metabolic Rate? You should never, ever go below your BMR because that will destroy your metabolism for sure. I am a firm believer in hiring a professional coach that knows all about macro nutrition, metabolism health and overall fitness, like Nicole. A professional can help guide you and help to restore your metabolism with reverse dieting in a structured way and with accountability (weekly check-ins and feedback) to keep you on track and to monitor your progress.
If I were both of you, I would find out your BMR and then slowly increase your carbs, fat and protein. Protein should theoretically be 1 gram per pound of body weight and this doesn’t really change with reversing. Your carbs and fat should increase 3-5% every week or 2-3 weeks depending on your weight gain, measurements and photos. To insure that you gain the least amount of fat when doing a reverse diet you should only pay attention to your measurements and weight weekly and then if your weight is staying the same then increase your carbs and fat 3-5%. If you gain after the increase, keep the macros the same for another week or couple of weeks until you drop a little.
If you’ve been under your BMR then your metabolism will take time to heal itself. I really would hire a coach to help guide you. I have one and it really does help.
Also, you will need to utilize a tracking system to do a reverse diet properly – you have to track everything you consume – I like myfitnesspal 😉
Hey Jolie -I’ve been in the building muscle phase too and have been taught by coaches to have a protein source and carbs pre cardio, so your body doesn’t break down your muscle for energy. If you’re trying to build muscle, you need to protect it. I usually have a protein shake plus a banana , I might have a portion of the banana, depending on my total carb goal for the day. I will also have BCAAs before the cardio. Then after the cardio I’ll more BCAAs and have my normal breakfast.
Hi Alla. I’m right there with you! It has taken me forever to gain muscle in my legs and glutes, but they’re growing! Looking at your current macros, I would say you need to increase your carbs. Since your goal is to build muscle and not get shredded, I would eat more carbs, but slowly of course. Carbs are a good source for muscle growth. I think your protein/fat look good, but I would increase your carbs slowly each week (like 3-5%, depending on your weight changes and how you feel) – you don’t want to add too much too soon because you’ll gain fat. Add carbs slowly and document your progress by photos, weight check-ins and measurements, weekly.
Also, you said you don’t follow your macros to a T – well, the only way to see results is if you follow those macros precisely. YOU ARE RUNNING WAY TOO MUCH and doing way too much cardio overall to build any lasting muscle. Since you are trying to build, I would drop your cardio training down to 2-3 times per week of 20-30 minute high intensity interval training workouts – where on the fast interval you are going so fast that you can barely go at that speed for 30-60 seconds, depending on the intervals you choose -NW has some great HIIT workouts to use.
You should weight train at least 5 days per week, so you are able to hit your legs at least twice per week. NW just said in her latest Q&A that in order to build muscle you have to lift heavy and do lower reps, and I know it’s good to do some sets in the 12-15 rep range as well.
My legs have gone from scrawny to much more shapely and my butt has gone from super small to much rounder, but it’s taken about a year of dedication to tracking my macros, slowly increasing my carb intake and manipulating my fat intake, lifting heavy and doing 2-3 sessions of HIIT training for 20 minutes each. I still have a looooooong way to go in terms of my muscle development, but I know it’s possible to grow with the right nutrition, follow-through and lifting heavy. You also have to remember your goals. You have to decide if you want to build muscle or lean out. Currently I’m in the building phase, which has caused some extra weight gain, but my goal is to build muscle – I will do a cut soon to get my waist back down, but not until I build more fullness. I’ve attached a photo and you can see some muscle growth , even though my pose is much different.
Good luck to you!
Hi Diana. James is right, you should only need 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. You should try to consume 135 grams of protein per day – don’t forget almost every food that you consume will have some protein in it, so that adds to your daily intake. I consume roughly 130 grams per day and I do it by eating egg whites in the morning with oatmeal and nut butter then throughout the day I’ll have lean meat for a couple of meals (with carbs/fat), maybe an egg white sandwich with cheese before I workout and then dinner with some protein and depending on how many grams I have left over (I track my macros in myfitnesspal) I will have a protein shake. I realize that you don’t like the taste of protein shakes, so you should look online for a brand that makes unsweetened protein – I know they’re out there.
HI Bethany! You’re not alone 🙂 I used to have the BIGGEST sweet tooth. This year I finally got it under control when I added chromium picolinate to my supplements: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-932-chromium.aspx?activeingredientid=932&activeingredientname=chromium
It helps to balance your blood sugar, which is a core reason for so many sweet tooth binges. I noticed that I wasn’t craving sugar after taking one pill daily for 3 weeks. I’ve kept it as a staple supplement because it literally saves me from eating sugar.
Also, like NW said, macro nutrition plans lend food flexibility, which helps change your relationship with food and cravings. If you want a cookie, like she said, you can have one, you just have to subtract it from your macro goals for that day. Also, you’re only human and you are learning to change, so be gentle with yourself and try not to beat yourself up.
Macro nutrition plans literally are the way to go. Also, if you find that you need accountability, maybe you should invest in a fitness coach, like 1 on 1 with Nicole or someone like her. Having a fitness coached really changed my life too because they hold you accountable weekly – it’s also important to find one that works with macro nutrition plans, so you can stick to it. They can help you to overcome obstacles like excess fat, etc.
Good luck!
Hi Susan. I think cardio depends on what your goals are. If your goals are to build muscle, I would say to keep cardio down to 1-3 days per week, depending on what feels good to you. If you’re trying to really lose fat or to get shredded, then that’s when the cardio should increase.
I’m building muscle and so I only do cardio 2 times a week for 20 minutes each session – HIIT training only. I train with weights 5 days a week, heavy.
When I was doing a short cut, to get some fat off, I did it with macro/calorie manipulation and didn’t increase my cardio that much, maybe one extra session, but that’s it.
Cardio is good for hearth health, but I think 2-3 times a week is enough. Weight training – heavy – gets your heart rate up too.
Hi Sharon. That’s so interesting and also annoying that so many people use drugs. Remind yourself of your ultimate goal with fitness. Shouldn’t it be to feel good, to be healthy? I think competing should be secondary to being at your optimum health. If I were you, I would start appreciating yourself and your body more. Don’t compare yourself to women that use drugs. Do your best, eat right, exercise and take care of yourself. If you choose to compete, do it for you. Jessica Arevalo just posted something about the uneven playing field of competitions on her youtube. She talked about competitor drug use to get shredded, she talked about judge biases, she talked about women sleeping with judges to place high – she’s competed in over 25 pro shows – in bikini – and has never won. She looks incredible, trains hard and is always her best when she hits the stage. She says that she’s doing it for her. No drugs, no politics, just for her. Maybe you can try that same approach and not let politics or what others do interfere with how you feel and how you treat yourself. If you compete, do it for you. You’re your only competition.
Keep the goal in mind of becoming your best self and let everything else fall to the side.
Good luck!
HI Kim. I’ve been in a similar place as you. I started my fitness journey in 2012 by purchasing one of those cookie cutter trainers from a well known athlete. That helped for a very short time, but didn’t last. I hired my first fitness coach back in 2013 and she helped structure my workouts and put me on a very restrictive eating plan, which helped me drop weight when I followed it, but it was very difficult to follow because of all of the restrictions.
Alas, I found NICOLE WILKINS! I hired her to coach me in 2014 and that changed my life. She taught me more about macro eating, how to stick to the macro goals, we worked on my personal fitness goals and she supported me, held me accountable (by weekly progress photos & weigh ins), she structured my workouts…and that really really helped. I never worked with her in person, but really you don’t need to have that in order to change your body – all you need is the proper guidance and support from someone that truly knows what they’re talking about and lives it day in and day out.I would suggest to hire Nicole, or someone like her. It sounds like you need someone to help guide you and get you started. I think it’s a very good investment. It truly changed the course of my life and my health when I did it.
I hope this helps.
HI Elizabeth. I’ve been a member on this site for a long time and have watched all of NW’s videos and I’ve received 1 on 1 coaching from her as well. Form is the number one priority. You can hear NW in several of her videos talk about ending the set or dropping the weight if her form starts to fail due to fatigue. Form is always the top priority, so you don’t injure yourself.
In terms of your second question, here are a few thoughts:
1 – make sure you’re eating a proper pre workout meal 30-60 minutes before you workout- it should have fat, carbs and protein (NW posted a video on what a good pre workout meal looks like last year) – I will have either a protein shake with a banana and 1 tablespoon of nut butter or a One Bun sandwich with egg whites and a slice of cheddar cheese – you want the fat because it helps your nutrients last through your workout.
2 – drink BCAAs pre and post workout (you can also drink them during your workout for added energy)
3 – eat a proper post workout meal – lean protein and quick digesting carbs (like white rice, potatoes, rice cakes, etc and no fat. The fat will slow down the absorption of the carbs/protein into your bloodstream, so you don’t want fat with this meal.
4 – with the shoulder presses – try using the smith machine with a seated bench that supports your back – NW has posted videos of her doing the shoulder press with the smith machine, so you can check out the proper form. This will allow you to add 2.5 pounds+ to each side and it will also not require a spotter. This is how I was able to get my shoulder presses up. The smith machine is awesome! 25 pound shoulder presses are no joke! You should be proud of yourself! If you can do that with dumbbells then I know you will be able to push more when you’re using the smith machine.
5 – to answer the last part of your question, some weight can only be pushed in a certain rep range until your strength increases. Sometimes I can only do 8 reps with a certain weight. You just have to be kind to yourself, have patience with your strength gains and keep trying – it’s okay to fail aka trying to push out another rep, but maybe getting a half-rep or not even a rep, but at least you tried.I hope this helps, some 🙂
TañaHi Nicole. I’ve seen people using the lat pull down machine facing the opposite way – so looking away from the weight stack…and pulling the bar behind the head. What does this accomplish vs the front lat pull down?
Also, how do members update profile photos? I can’t seem to find the link to change my pic.
Thank you!!
