...it means you are gaining muscle mass. A better way to track you progress would be measuring yourself, tracking your strength level in your workouts, or taking pictures. If you get freaked out by the scale numbers, avoid it for now. Barre is awesome for building lean muscle..great choice. Make sure you are getting enough rest days...this is also really important for muscle recovery and growth. You are doing great...with a few tweaks you should see changes over time...be patient with yourself...and adjust gradually so you can see what is working and what may need tweaking. Good luck on your journey...feel free to reach out if you have any questions in the future.

Atanis Almanzar No problem. Some things to keep in mind...you need those calories to meet your current goal. You are trying change your body's composition to have more muscle and less fat, and muscle requires more energy to grow. If you under eat, you might be slowing down your progress. Weight loss and building muscle are two different approaches...your focus is eating more...specifically protein and healthy carbs. A good way to increase your calorie intake is to have high protein snacks before and after your workouts to help with muscle growth and recovery. Good for you for consuming healthy fats! But you do want to reduce these a little until you hit your goals...I LOVE avocados so I totally get it lol...but they are packed with fat calories so cutting back until you hit your goal and you are in maintenance phase would be helpful. Also, do not fear gaining weight...weight gain is actually a positive thing at this stage in your journey...

Hey Queen! You still managed your workout so I call that a win!! Check out this video for a little encouragement along with some nutrition guidance for days like this. ❤️

Yeeesss! ❤

Good morning Queen! Congratulations on your weight loss so far! You are doing the damn thing! I'm the nutrition coach for QW so I wanted to offer some insight. Since your goal is to tone and build muscle, Your meals should be high protein and high carb with protein being the bulk of your macros. Your carb intake should consist of complex carbs....so foods high in fiber...fruits...veggies...and whole grains( sweet potatoes are excellent for post workouts since they contain a good amount of healthy carbs). Stay away from processed carbs like sugary sweets. I'm not sure what your calorie intake is...but make sure you are not cutting too many calories if you want to maintain muscle. Depending on your size...your deficit should be between 100-500 calories max. The small deficit will help to target fat loss while maintaining muscle. Also, Im not sure if you are lifting weights...but if not, I would add them to your routine and replace one of your weekly cardio workouts. Weight will help to build lean muscle. Keep in mind that spot reducing fat is not possible...your body will burn fat throughout your whole body...genetics plays a part in what areas you will see fat loss first. Just work the muscle groups you want to build muscle in and as you lose fat over time you will see gains eventually 💪🏾. I hope this helps queen!👑

Always killing it! And thank you :)

You were correct!🧠👏👏

I love a good cry... its a great release. I hope you feel better!

Good Guess Renae! The answer was Serena🎾

Hey Queen! Thats great that you found a diet that works for you! Thats the most important thing when it comes to choosing a diet. With regard to the vegan diet..there are several Scientific research studies that show that a vegan diet is a healthy option to consider and has many health benefits in comparison to other diets. However it is true that vegans are more likely to be malnourished due to the nature of the diet...being fully nourished on a vegan diet requires education and discipline. Many vegans think they are eating enough nutrients and supplementing like they should but a large majority are not. I talked about this in the class and gave some great educational resources for those interested in learning more about veganism. To your point about cholesterol...you are correct...we absolutely do need healthy cholesterol. Thankfully our liver is capable of synthesizing all the cholesterol our bodies need to maintain hormone balance. Cholesterol from foods typically (not always) impact the LDL (bad) cholesterol which is why there are many vegans as well as non vegans that have high cholesterol..so ensuring that our diets have enough healthy fats, grains, fruits and vegetables is really important for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels...which a vegan or plant based diet is great for. Also while many ancestral groups ate meat...there were also many that didn't. For example, the African Heritage Diet is a diet that digs into the history of plant based diets (both vegan and minimal lean meat protein) and the benefits when compared to diets higher in meat. Ill end with this, as a Nutritionist with a degree in clinical nutrition my primary recommendation for anyone is to eat a balanced whole food diet...one with whole grains...fruits...veggies...lean proteins...beans and legumes. That is my recommendation because based on research...any diet that limits any of those major food groups increases the risk of nutrient deficiency...whether that be a plant based diet, a keto diet, or any other restrictive diet...unfortunately, the majority of people either lack the discipline, the socieoeconomic access, and/or accurate information to ensure they replace what they remove effectively. Also, transitioning from one restrictive diet to another may help with nutritional deficiencies and other issues that may be caused by the initial diet which is why the transition feels better...but the risk nutrient deficiency is still a possibility either way. ALL that said...there are proven benefits associated with a plant based diets, omnivore diets, and carnivore diets. All can be done in a healthy way, but NONE are going to work for everyone. Which is why I cover a variety of diets in my QW nutrition classes. Despite my bias towards a well rounded diet, I also know as a coach that personal choice is key to success with any diet. The freedom to choose is very important when talking about food, culture, and dietary preferences. It's not my position that as a Nutrition coach I should TELL anyone what to eat specifically...I'm here to provide information so that an informed decision can be made by considering the pros and cons and hopefully providing tips on how to successfully execute whatever chosen diet in the healthiest way possible. Anyway, thank you for your opinion and I wish you success in your health and fitness journey 🙏🏾🙏🏾. I hope to see you in one of my live sessions! I'm live every Thurs at 7pm ET. 💕👑