When it comes to transformation, there is no truer statement than “Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym!” Seriously, no matter how many thousands of crunches you do, miles you run, or weights you lift, a bad diet will always outweigh (pun intended 😉 ) even the best exercise plan (which is why we keep adding new recipes and include a full nutrition plan in the TRANSFORM app).
With that being said, there are definitely some helpful tools to keep you on track toward reaching your goals, and these 4 things, specifically, have been absolutely essential in my own transformation, as well as the transformations of those we work with. Each is super simple, and likely something you already have lying around in your cupboards, so hopefully there’s very little $$$ required to deck out your kitchen! Check out the best gear on the block for changing your body…and your life!
- Slow Cooker: Okay I’ll admit, I wasn’t an adamant slow cooker user until recently. Is it just me, or does the phrase “crockpot cooking” automatically bring back flashbacks of overly salty mystery foods made by Grandma? I’m telling you, these bad boys are actually complete game changers!! If it wasn’t for my slow cooker, I would never have the time to make fresh meals at home. I love the convenience of dumping in chicken breasts and a couple of simple ingredients (like salsa or fresh veggies) in the morning, and having the most tender, delicious meal by dinner time. Perfect for mamas on the go!
- Blender Bottle: Water and protein intake are two of the most important aspects to full body transformation, so a proper vessel for both of these is SO vital to success. Keeping a blender or water bottle on hand at all times is the best way to ensure you’re getting enough protein…no matter where you are! I throw mine in my purse in the morning with a scoop of protein powder and have it ready for whenever I need it. Just add water and pair with a piece of fruit, and you’ve got a complete meal (or hearty snack, depending on your meal plan). Rinse it out and fill it back up with ice cold water to make sure you’re getting the hydration you need!
- Plastic Containers: This may sound a bit cliche, but it’s oh, so true!! “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” How do you avoid this? By having pre-made, pre-portioned meals!! This is the ticket to staying on track in even the most hectic of situations. Honestly, at least a few times a week (or day) I’m caught in between a kid’s sports practice and a conference call with little to no time to whip up a diet-friendly meal. By having meals portioned out in plastic containers in the fridge, I save myself the urge to drive thru and grab something fatty or splurge on something off-plan. So convenient, and crucial to weight loss (or intentional weight gain) success!
- Kitchen Food Scale: As much as I would like to tell you that it’s fine to “eyeball”?measure ingredients as you throw them in your pan?anyone who knows me (eh hem…EWL peeps!!) knows this is the HUGEST no-no in my book. If you’re trying to transform your body and dial in your nutrition, then you MUST know what you are actually putting into your body. You can’t possibly know by “eyeballing” your portions…you MUST measure. Having a food scale on hand to make sure you’re appropriating the right amount of chicken, cheese, or any ingredient is imperative to ensuring success. Although it may seem tedious at first, after a few weeks of religious use, it really does become a natural part of the cooking process, and you won’t even THINK about preparing a meal without it!
My Favorites Plus Some More:
Simple as they may be, these 4 kitchen essentials are the golden ticket to longstanding, full-body transformation! Remember, it’s not as much what you DO as it is what you EAT! Have more kitchen essentials? Post below!
Xoxo,
Heidi
Related reading:
Kitchen Hacks: My Top 8 Tips and Tricks!
Ask the Powells: How Do I Gain Healthy Weight?
Carb Cycling: The Extreme Cycle
The Extreme Cycle | Meal Planning Tips
Ask the Powells: How Can I Structure My Meals?
104 Responses
Hi Heidi I am a huge fan of the show. I am 320 pounds and 5’7. I have a 5 month old baby boy and am desperate to get into shape so I can not only be alive for him but be able to be a good mom. My insurance does not cover a dietician and and I can’t afford one. How do u recommend I figure out a meal plan because obviously my way is not working
Hi Hayley: Congratulations on your new little boy! Here’s a post that outlined Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program: https://heidipowell.net/9060. Their plan outlines everything you need to know and do to achieve your transformation goals, and be sure and follow all the links within the post too. You can do this!
hello,
I am try to lose weight in about 6 to 7 weeks and right now i am 16 years old , weigh 136.8 and my height is 5’4. my goal is to get done to 115-120 pounds. I was just wondering if you can help me to get to that goal of my because i am having a hard time coming up with a workout plan and a food plan for to lose that fat off of me and also get musle at the same time.
Hi Katelyn: It would be best to work with your healthcare team to put together a nutrition and exercise program since you are still a teenager. They are the best ones to help you since they can work with you on a one-on-one basis as you get older. We wish you the best!
Hi”my name is Katrina I”have read lots of comments that the adults struggling /accomplish there golds,Well how about I”have 17 year old Daughter weigh 370lbs please help me she’s a junior in high school I”will love for you to help her before her graduation that give her a year to accomplish this journey I’ve watch your show a lot !!!!! &,say this man can help me pleeeeeeese SOMBODY
Hi Katrina: Chris and Heidi truly wish they could personally help everyone, but they’re not taking on clients right now. And since your daughter is still in her teens, it would be best for her to work with her healthcare team to put together a nutrition and exercise program since they can work with her personally now and in the future. Here’s a post from Heidi’s blog that might give you some helpful tips too: https://heidipowell.net/7201/teens-and-healthy-body-image-its-not-just-about-the-pounds/. We wish you both the best!
Hello Chris ,Helen
i am 32 years old,5 ft 7 live in England. i love your shows , I can get motor active doing weights and sit ups push ups and running and skipping, for about 2 weeks then . i lose motor active. am not fat and am not thin am the right size which i like but i would love to get my 6 pack and build up my arms any ideas please i have read all your books and read everything on your website. also am a very fussy eater, i don’t eat the food i should like fruit and veg. so i hope you help. i do like a new challege.
Hi Nathan: Here’s a post that talks about Chris and Heidi’s #1 transformation tool, and I think it could help you: http//heidipowell.net/8679. And all the tools you’ll need are on this website and in Chris and Heidi’s books, and they can work no matter what your transformation goals are. Choose a cycle and go! You can do this!
Hi… My name is Josh. I recently bought the transformation book for the extreme carb cycling.. Only on page 46, but was wondering if they tell you how to make the meals and what the breakdown is for each of the protein, carb, fat, and calories? Or is there a separate recipe book i need to get..Also what’s a goodmultivitamin you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Joshua: All of the recipes (with complete nutritional information) are in the back of the book. And you can choose any multivitamin you want!
How do you stay motivated or even get started when everyone else in the house is demanding of your time and they all eat like crap (seriously… my husband thinks that he can eat whatever he wants as long as he works out, which he hasn’t been doing). I was eating healthy and working out almost every day until I got pregnant, then it all stopped. I’m struggling to even begin again. I want so badly for my life to improve and want to get healthy, but I’m struggling even starting. I’m also stressed out because we cant even afford a gym membership, and cant even afford quality healthy foods. I have 70+ lbs to lose, and I’m struggling getting started. What can I do to keep up the motivation and remind myself to not eat those cupcakes that someone brought to work and to workout even though I’m exhausted and the 14-month old has just fallen asleep at 9 p.m. My husband is a cop on night shift so I’m basically a single parent right now.
Hi Elizabeth: Thank you for sharing your story with us. Here’s Chris and Heidi’s #1 transformation tool, and it can really be a “light bulb” moment for many people, and it’s the first step on any transformation journey: https://heidipowell.net/8679. And Chris and Heidi’s exercise program requires no equipment or gym membership, and their nutrition program is very doable too. Learn about their complete carb cycling program here: https://heidipowell.net/9060. Just take those baby steps one after the other, and you can do this!
Hi team Powell! I am a huge fan of the show and are a local AZ resident. I am also looking to start with a recognized weight loss MD in Scottsdale. But i have to say your show inspires me as i gson the courage to to take this leap to change my life for my physical amd emotional health. I am going to incorporate your tools and tips in my home. Thank you for all you do. My question today is do you amd or Chris ever hold local events of any kind? Thank you for all you have done.
Hi Stacey: Congratulations on beginning your transformation journey! Keep an eye on Chris and Heidi’s social media channels for any announcements of events in AZ. ?
Hi,
My husband and I are beginning the program and we are both excited. We have already lost together about 40 since February by cutting out lots of junk food and exercising. Now we want something more structured and healthier so that we can change our lifetime habits. My question is because I am somewhat of a picky eater, I will probably have to come up with some of my own recipes and I wanted to know what should I watch for in the way of sodium content. I have issues with edema in my legs which has continued even after losing some weight and eating better. I did read in your book that it could be cause by to many carbs which your plan will help with, but I was wondering about sodium. What should I be looking for when buying items and how much sodium is healthy?
Hi Tammie: You’ll want to aim for less than 2000mg of sodium a day, so hopefully that will help. And congratulations on losing 40 pounds together – that’s awesome!
Hi. My name Josh. I’m about 5’8 175. I’m around 13% body fat. I’m looking to get a lot leaner and was wondering what carb cycling program you recommend? I’m extremly active snd workout 6 to 7 times a week. I’ve gotten down to 7% body before but felt extremely tired and hungry doing so! So I’m hoping doing it this way would make me not feel that way! I think getting right around 165 would really get me to how I want to look. Any advice would help thanks!
Hi Josh: You can use any of the cycles, but I’d start with either the Extreme Cycle (https://heidipowell.net/10503) or the Fit Cycle (https://heidipowell.net/2719). And you can change cycles at any time!
Watching your program on TV for the first time tonight #extremeweightloss wondering if you would help me lose weight the last time I was able to find a scale that could weigh me I was 450 + .since then I have gained even more weight with dieting , I probably weigh 500lbs . I never feel full. Please help me. Please
Hi Josephine: Thank you for your comment! Chris and Heidi truly wish they could personally help everyone, but since they can’t, they’ve made all their transformation tools available for all of us to use to achieve our goals. You can learn about their carb cycling program (the same program they use on the show) in this post: https://heidipowell.net/9060. You can do this!
I have to say I love my pressure cooker, which can also be used as a slow cooker. I’m pretty busy so being able to cook a good meal fast is super helpful! I’m on my second week of the program. Last week I did the program in Chris’s first book but this week switched to the Extreme Transformation program. I was SHOCKED when I lost 13 lbs last week! 32 more to go and I’ll be at my goal. I have found the program pretty easy as I didn’t have to change what I was eating as I was already eating what is recommended. I don’t eat processed foods or garbage and rarely eat out at restaurants. What really helped me, being vegetarian, is having protein at every meal and rearranging when and what I eat (used to eat a lot of starchy veggies, especially for dinner, which I now know is a no no) and eating smaller portions more often. It’s made a huge difference. I used to eat lunch then get home from work but not eat dinner until late because I would go and ride my horse, which I can’t do on a full stomach. Then I would come home and eat dinner at 8 or 9 in the evening and be so hungry that I would overeat and eat the wrong food for that time of day. Or even worse, snack while I made my dinner and then ate too much! Now with smaller meals, more often, better balanced, I don’t face that challenge any more. I had been so frustrated for some time by not being able to loose weight when I am very active, go to the gym, competitive dressage riding, and eating the right kinds of food. I knew I had to be missing something. Thank you for the great program that I can keep for a lifetime and finally being able to understand why I wasn’t successful in the past and being able to know I can and will do this and believe in myself. So happy – thank you!!!!
Congratulations! This is awesome!