By far one of the most frequently asked Transform app questions we receive is, “How will I lose any weight if I’m eating this much food? It’s so much more than I’m used to!” Guys, I am so excited to finally be addressing this common misconception because it is something I battled with for so many years myself.
I get it, I was raised in the calorie deprivation era! BUT, the myth that less food = more weight loss is officially debunked. The days of 1300, 1400, and 1500 calorie diets are over—you don’t have to starve yourself to see the results you want! You know exactly the kind of diets I’m talking about—the ones that have you on poverty calories, cutting out more things than you care to remember. The extreme diets that have you begging for more. The diets that leave you tired, “hangry,” and, well—just plain depressed.
These diets are not only excruciating, but they are so unrealistic to sustain long-term. The second you finish a super low calorie diet, you’re ready to dive back into old habits because your body is craving that food for fuel. This is what leads to the infamous yo-yo dieting, and yo-yo dieting is a direct result of unrealistic, impractical starvation diets. If you have a track record for being a yo-yo dieter, have you ever considered that your “failure” might not be so much your lack of self-discipline but that unrealistic diet in the first place? It’s true!
Ladies and gentleman, I am here to tell you that the days of poverty calorie diets are officially over. It’s time to stop that nasty cycle right in its tracks! The Transform app uses a very specific formula based on your weight, height, age, activity level, and goals to calculate a calorie range that puts you in a slight calorie deficit. This deficit is realistic AND sustainable, and it gives you the fuel you need to live your life AND simultaneously help you achieve your goals. A win-win! It sustains not only a healthy physical change, but it also fuels a healthy mentality as you continue on your journey to a lifetime of good habits.
Still worried it’s too much food? How about a quick visual to see for yourself? You’re eating what you need to fuel your body and reach your goals, but you actually aren’t eating as much as you might think, so let’s break it down. In the graphics below, you’ll see what a day full of eating looks like in the Transform app compared to a day of eating out, and I think you’ll be surprised how quickly those eating out calories add up! You might FEEL like you’re eating a lot of food with the Transform menu, but in reality, you’re not. You’re simply eating more nutrient-dense, colorful, filling foods. More bang for your calorie buck!
High Carb Day (1800 calories, 5 meals):
Breakfast: Cinnamon French Toast (350 calories; 24g protein; 37g carbs; 12g fat)
Snack: Protein Shake & Banana (350 calories; 41g protein; 52g carbs; 1g fat)
Lunch: BBQ Chicken Salad (350 calories; 37g protein; 43g carbs; 4g fat)
Snack: Greek Yogurt Parfait (350 calories; 38g protein; 47g carbs; 1g fat)
Dinner: Cheesy Chicken & Green Beans (400 calories; 41g protein; 12g carbs; 20g fat)
Eating Out (2400 calories, 3 meals):
Breakfast: 1 cup Nature Valley’s Granola Cereal, 1 cup 2% milk, 1 banana (650 calories; 30g protein; 107g carbs; 14g fat)
Lunch: Chick-Fil-A Chicken Salad Sandwich with Small Waffle Fry (800 calories; 31g protein; 90g carbs; 36g fat)
Dinner: Chili’s Santa Fe Chicken Crispers Salad (950 calories; 33g protein; 50g carbs; 69g fat)
This comparison is crazy, right?! And now are you convinced that you can eat more healthy food than you think AND still achieve your transformation goals? I hope so!
Happy healthy eating,
Heidi
Related reading:
Our Top 4 Transformation-Friendly Food Faves
Macro Tracking For the Win! All of Your Questions Answered
Can I Carb Cycle as a Vegetarian?
10 Tips to Crush those Cravings—For Good!
Transform App FAQ: HELP!!! I’ve been working my butt off, following my meal plan, and the scale’s not moving! What do I do?
Meal Prep Tips and Tricks You Need to Know
Junk Food Triggers: How to Wipe These Bad Boys Out for Good!
49 Responses
I recently became interested in Carb cycling . I decided I wanted to do 2 low carb days 1 high carb day and repeat. I have always been a low carb girl under 90 carbs a day keeping sugar under 40g. It totally freaks me out to go high carb. I have a understanding of how to eat high quality foods so that is not a prob. A little history to why I am choosing this journey. I have always been into fitness. ie. running, HIIT, Tababta, crossfit. However, I struggle with fatigue, IBS (constipation) and I have be dx with Hashimotos. I workout 5-6 days a week. 3 HIIT workouts, 2 weight training and I incorporate running here and there. I am at 21% BF and would like to get to 19% and put on a bit more muscle. I struggle figuring out my macros bc every app seems to be different. My plan is to do 1200 Cal- low carb days (under 30g carbs) and 1500 cal on high carb days (130g carbs) I dont like meat much so struggle getting the protein in but know its important for muscle growth. What are your thoughts?
Hi Dee: With any health issues, we recommend discussing any nutrition program with your healthcare team first and then follow their recommendations for any modifications. You can certainly set up your macros based on you and your goals and what works for you, and carbs (fruits, starchy/root vegetables, legumes, whole grains, etc.) really are our transformation friends. If you feel like you need to incorporate more carbs into your nutrition plan, then add them in slowly so your body has a chance to adapt. Here’s a post on carbs that might help too: https://heidipowell.net/4514 And here’s a post about macros that might help: https://heidipowell.net/10990 You also might be interested in our app, The Transform App (http://thetransformapp.com), which offers you a customized macros nutrition program as well as several different workout programs. In the app, the cycle you’re wanting to follow based on your comment is the Turbo Cycle. Hope this helps! 🙂
Are you able to combine the turbo cycle with the physique program. On the transform app, I’m set up with the physique and fit cycle, and I think that has too many high carb days seeing as I am carb intolerant and insulin resistant. Wouldn’t it be better for me to use the turbo cycle if I want to use the gym for my body sculpting workouts to lose 120lbs.
Thanks!
Hi Joy: In the physique program on the app, your carb cycle is assigned to you based on your current stats and your goals. If you’d like to be able to choose your cycle, that option is available in the weight loss program. And if you have any health issues, I’d discuss the app with your healthcare team and have them help you make any necessary modifications. Hope that helps! 🙂