If you?re anything like me, you want to have your cake (or Marshmallow Dream Bar! #MDB) AND eat it, too! We want the best of both worlds in ALL areas of our lives, and that includes nutrition and fitness. I hear from so many women who reach out to me and ask, ?HOW can I lose weight?aka BURN FAT ? and gain muscle at the same time?!? Well, you CAN have both the body you want and the aesthetic you?re striving for?and?the strong body composition you crave.?The key is understanding the process and committing to consistency!
Watch the video below and/or read on for even more helpful info!
Losing fat, building muscle, or a combo of the two are three very different journeys. However, in order to be successful on any of these journeys, you MUST do these five things. I?m calling these THE BIG FIVE:
1. Consume sufficient protein. You MUST be eating enough protein. Protein is the foundation of not only building almost everything in your body (including nice, lean muscles), but it repairs your body too!
2. Eat enough food. No starvation, super restrictive diets here! You must fuel your body with enough good, wholesome nutrition so it can function properly AND help you nail your goal.
3. Train Consistently. The ratio of cardio to resistance training can be different based on your goal, so keep reading!
4. Have patience, patience, patience. And more patience.
5. Trust the Process.
If you want to achieve your goal and have the results last forever, you MUST do these five things?especially #4 and #5?consistently. Consistently, like all the time, even when it?s difficult, and especially when life gets in the way. And no, I realize we?re not perfect, but it is so important to be as perfect as possible in this process if you’re wanting to see results.?So let?s dive just a little bit deeper into each of these transformation journeys.
Outfit Details:?Lululemon Leggings (budget friendly?here), Lululemon Lace Up Bra (similar?here?under $35),?Reebok Sneakers
Journey #1: Build Muscle
And no, I?m not talking about big, bulky muscles. I?m talking about the muscle that looks healthy and toned. To gain this type of muscle, you MUST eat at a calorie surplus. Yes, I know. That?s a tough one to stomach (pun intended 😉 ). But to build muscle, your body MUST have the extra calories it needs to grow that muscle! Here?s the deal: You can eat at a huge surplus and gain that muscle quickly, but this will also add a layer of fat. Good to know, right? Or…you can eat at a less aggressive, slighter surplus and build muscle at a slower rate with a smaller fat layer. Neither is ?bad,? it?s all about what you want.
So what?s a good calorie surplus to aim for? If, for example, your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is 1500 calories a day, and you?re burning 500 calories a day working out/moving/living life, then you?re burning 2000 calories a day. So a surplus is consuming anything above that 2000 calories a day. For me, when I?m in the muscle building stage, I eat between 2200 (low carb day) and 2700 calories a day (high carb day) through carb and calorie cycling. These calories are aggressive some days (high carb days build that muscle!) and not so aggressive on other days (low carb days). It?s a good mix that has really worked for me, but you do what works best for you and your goals! And no matter what you do, remember that the smaller the calorie surplus, the slower the gains, and the more patience required. (Yes, there?s that P word again).
As far as working out goes, when you?re trying to build muscle, the focus is on very consistent resistance training and maybe some cardio, maybe not?depending on your overall goal. So lift those weights! And then lift some more!
Journey #2: Lose Fat
With fat loss, you MUST eat at a calorie deficit. That?s a must. So, going back to our example above, if you know your body burns 2000 calories a day, and you only eat 1750 calories a day, that puts you at a 250 calories/day deficit. Since 1 lb of fat = 3500 calories, it will take 14 days (250 x 14 = 3500) to burn 1 lb of fat. Make sense? And I hear you, ?But Heidi, 1 lb every two weeks? It will take me FOR-EVER to lose this weight!? If you?d like to create a bigger deficit, then in this example, you could eat 1500 calories/day, which would create a 500 cal deficit and a 1 lb/week rate of fat loss. Just so you know, a healthy rate of fat loss is 1-2 lbs/week, so please don?t be tempted to create a huge calorie deficit just to get that fat loss quicker. We?and many experts?recommend that you never go below 1200 calories a day. Never! It can be dangerous, and it?s just not worth it! When your calories get too low, not only can your basic bodily functions be negatively affected, but you can actually sabotage your progress since your body is going to be hungry and unhappy! Plus, restrictive eating can negatively affect your metabolism and slow down your progress. Kind of not what we?re going for, right?
Referring back to those BIG FIVE I talked about above, with fat loss, you don’t HAVE to exercise as long as your nutrition is totally on point. But there are some great benefits to consistent exercise, and regular, consistent cardio (or Accelerators as we like to call it) will help create that calorie deficit to lose that unwanted fat. If possible, throw in some resistance training a couple of days a week if you can, but move, move, move that body to burn that unwanted fat. Even 5 minutes a day can make a difference!
Journey #3: Lose Fat AND Build Muscle (AKA, Body Recompositioning)
If this is your goal, here?s one piece of advice I know is going to be very hard for you to follow: Get rid of that darn scale! If you just can?t do this, then use the scale to tell you what?s going on with your body, NOT to tell you how to eat. Remember, this is a different journey than the other two. As you gain muscle (which is denser than fat) and lose fat, your TRUE progress might not be reflected in that number on the scale. And this can be frustrating AND can potentially send you into an emotional, food-laden tailspin if you?re not careful.
So, how can you gauge your progress if this is your goal? These questions work for all three journeys, actually:
- How do your clothes fit?
- How do you feel?
- How do your progress pictures look? Can you tell a difference? For this one to work, you?re going to have to take weekly pictures.
- Are your measurements changing? (More about this below).
And once again, #4?Patience?is going to play a HUGE part in your progress. And Trusting the Process. #brokenrecord
As far as nutrition goes, unlike the other journeys, to lose fat and build muscle, I recommend you eat at maintenance calories to maintain your body weight. Your body needs adequate nutrients to build those muscles, and you CANNOT create more muscle if you don?t have enough fuel in your nutrition tank. It just won?t happen, and your body could potentially even cannibalize the muscle you do have if your calorie intake is too low. That?s kind of going in the wrong direction, right? If you?re following The TRANSFORM App, we?ve done the nutrition figuring for you?you just have to follow the recommendations! #easypeasy Choose the ?Maintain Weight? option within the app, and if, after a few weeks, you?re not seeing the progress you?d like (slow gains, losing too much weight), then bump to the ?Jacked/Gain Muscle Mass? option. If this option becomes too aggressive at any point in time, change back to ?Maintain Weight.? When you get to where you want to be, then change to the ?Lean & Shredded? option. When you see a stall in your progress, go back up to ?Maintain Weight.? It?s a beautiful process, and the app makes it super easy!
Another thing about The TRANSFORM App: If lose fat/build muscle is your goal, I would recommend the Women?s Physique program or the At-Home Body Sculpting program. These two programs were created just for you! They?ll help you break down those muscles so they can build back up and create those gains you?re wanting while also helping you lose any extra fat that?s hanging around.
Now for some general tips no matter what transformation journey you?re on.
1. Take your measurements. Regularly. I mentioned taking your measurements earlier, so how do you do this? At the minimum, take these two measurements every week:
- Waist: Measure at your belly button.
- Hips: Measure at the largest part of your butt or widest part of your hips?whichever is larger.
And if you really want to gauge your progress, also do these every week:
- Left and Right Arms: Measure the distance from your elbow to the largest part of your arm. (Keep this measurement for future use). Then measure the circumference at this spot.
- Left and Right Thighs: Measure the distance from just above your knee to the largest part of your thigh. (Keep this measurement for future use). Then measure the circumference at this spot.
- Left and Right Calves: Measure the distance from just below your kneecap to the largest part of your calf. (Keep this measurement for future use). Then measure the circumference at this spot.
It only takes a few minutes to take your measurements, but when you see those inches going down (especially when that number on the scale isn?t cooperating), you?ll be so glad you got that measuring tape out!
2. Choose a program that you can follow for life. Not short-term until you reach your goal, but for life. The key word here is Lifestyle, not Diet. Which, if you think about it, Diet is DIE + a T, so eventually, if you?re following a ?Diet,? you will go off of that Diet, and probably lose some, if not all, of your progress. Diet = short-term, Lifestyle = long-term. It?s as simple as that. You don?t want your eating plan to feel like a ?Diet,? so you want a program that allows the right mix of healthy eating and your fave indulgences (or Daily Hugs, as I like to call them). That?s a Lifestyle plan, not a Diet.
3. No matter what your goal is, PLEASE remember that muscle gain and fat loss do NOT go up linearly. Oh no. There will be ups and downs, and more ups and downs. And that?s totally normal! So…once again…have Patience and Trust the Process.
4. Don?t forget about those oh-so-important NSVs (non-scale victories)! I mentioned this before, but I HAVE to mention it again. There are so many other ways to see your progress than that darn number on the scale.
5. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. You would not believe how important simply drinking enough water every day is to achieving any transformation goal! In fact, when one of our clients isn?t progressing, the first thing we ask them is how much water they?re drinking daily. Water has so many other benefits too!
6. Get enough sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours of shut-eye so your body can rest and get ready for an amazing tomorrow! And besides its help with transformation, sleep is so important for so many other reasons!
7. Eat 5 meals a day. This will keep your body primed, happy, and progressing towards your goals all day long, and it will help keep you from falling victim to those cravings that creep in when we get hungry.
One last thing: In the video, I promised to give you a calculator you can use to help you figure out the nutrition aspect of your journey. Click here for an amazing one that will help you figure your RMR + calories spent doing daily activities. It also gives you some calorie recommendations to match your goals!
Well…there you have it. Heidi?s tips on how to get the body you?ve always wanted, and more importantly, how to keep it forever!?Guys, I know it seems like a lot. But I PROMISE you, once you get into the habit, it honestly becomes second nature.?Plus, as you start fueling your body correctly, you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel overall, and that will make it that much easier to stay the course.
Got more questions? Leave ?em in a comment below. They might be the topic of future blog posts!
xo,
Heidi
Related reading:
Why Most Meal Plans Suck and How to Find the Right One for You
Meal Plan Makeover: A Step-By-Step Guide to Un-Suck A Sucky Meal Plan
Macro Tracking For the Win! All of Your Questions Answered (There?s an awesome macros calculator in this one!)
Macros vs Micros: The Macro Myth Busted!
Are we sick of Donuts + Macros yet? Nope, and here is why?
62 Responses
Hi, I’m new to the app. I’m a 49 woman who has always been moderate active but with some healthy issues so during the last 3 years I’ve gained 8 pounds I’d like to get rid off. My biggest issue is the lower body, especially my calves which tend to get bigger the more I excercise.
I’ve selected a “lean&shredded” body goal with a “fit” nutrition plan.
Do you think I made the right selection?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Paola: Yes, this is a good choice! And you can also change cycles at any time, but I’d give any cycle you choose several weeks before changing as it can take our bodies that long to adjust to a new plan. We hope you love the app!
I just joined the transform app. I am looking at all the options and chose at home for the exercise and I?m stuck between choosing for the eating plan between the classic or the extreme. I?m just trying to figure this all out before my plan begins! Any help would be appreciated!!
Hi Susan: Welcome to the app! I’d begin with the Extreme Cycle. 🙂
It sounds to me like anyone who needs to lose over 30 lbs should start with a weight loss plan, then when they?re closer to goal weight in terms of leaning out, they go to a body recomposition plan and eat at maintenance calories. Is that correct?
Hi Ryan: Yes, that is correct! 🙂
I need some guidance. I have been following the program since end of May following Turbo cycle and the body sculpt at home program phase 2 week 5. In addition to the training in the app and the accelerators, I take a strength training class 3 times a week and generally burn per my Polar watch ~375 – ~500 calories in those 75 minute sessions. I started the app at 197 and at around 2200 calories on average which was a huge jump from my 1400-1600 low carb diet I was on before. I have seen very little movement in the scale 193 and a few inches not entirely sure how many because for some weeks my inches did not record. My clothes don?t feel that different and my pics are not very telling either so last week the app offered an adjustment and I took it but am curious about the impact on my extra workout sessions that are not accounted for in the app since there is not a place to record other activities. I have seen improvements in my performance and have had some recent strength gains which has been enough to keep me following the app but I really need inches or pounds to start moving the right direction
Hi Noel: It can take your body a few weeks to adjust to a new program, especially if you’re eating more calories than your body is used to. And this can also be true if you’re introducing more carbs into your diet than before. I’d stick with your recommended nutrition program in the app for several weeks, and make sure you’re following it to a T, drinking all your water, getting enough sleep, and trying to manage your stress levels. All those can really affect your progress. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hello I am a newbie to this transformation! I been a week in and have lost 4 lbs! Excited about this but when I check my measurements it’s not in my stomach! Ugh! I have small legs, hips and arms and really just want to make them more muscular. My stomach is my problem area! I’m 49 and have had 2 big babies ( over 9 lbs each) I am a diabetic and I do not have any stomach muscles that I can find! I want to know how I can lose stomach fat and gain muscles in my arms and legs! Which diet/ exercise will work best for me? Please help me decide! I currently have stomach of 43 inches while my legs are only 19 inches at thigh area so clearly you can tell my body is out of whack!!
Hi Tammy: You’re doing awesome! Unfortunately, you can’t spot reduce. Any extra fat will leave your body in a way unique to your body, so keep following your nutrition plan, do cardio and resistance training, and eventually, those areas where you’d like to lose fat will get better! It’s all about patience and trusting the process. If you’re interested, our app, The Transform App (http://thetransformapp.com) offers you customized nutrition and workout programs, which can make that process easier. You can totally do this!
Hello,
I’m 5’3 and fluctuated between 115-124 lbs. I’m like to some weight, but primarily body fat. So I started the transform app, and been doing the maintenance plan with fit nutrition and gym workouts, phase 2. for the last four weeks. I’ve been fluctuating still at the same weight and lost 1/2 inch from waist and hips. However, I wonder if I should change to the shredded plan?
Hi Suzanne: It can take several weeks, even up to 6 or more, for your body to adjust to a new program. If you’ve been following everything about the plan, and you still don’t see any progress (both on the scale and with your measurements) in the next couple of weeks, you might want to change to the Lean & Shredded program which will drop your calories a bit. It also comes down to how many pounds you want to lose. It can be difficult to lose pounds and maintain muscle at the same time. Hope that helps!
This is great info. I lost 12 lbs initially and now have fluctuated 3-5 lbs. I went to maintain weight and my calories went from 1250 to 1350. I’ve never eaten more than 1400. Everyone I know that has been doing transform eats far more. Is this the norm? I am short (and old…and post menopausal) and really not wanting to eat a lot more. When you speak of eating 2000+, I would cry if I had to do that! But I feel like I have stalled and moving backwards. Should my caloric intake be different than the app suggests?
Hi Karen: In the app, your nutrition program is customized to you, your biometrics, and your goals. Those who are eating 2000+ calories either have a lot of weight to lose OR are in the gain muscle stage of their transformation. Make sure you?re following your program in the app to a T, drinking all your water, getting enough sleep, and trying to manage your stress levels. All those can really affect your progress. Hope that helps! ?
Please help
Ive lost 17 pounds so far !!!! I?ve been doing turbo at 1700 cal and Lean and shredded program. I have not lost any weight in eight weeks
I have 10 pounds left to lose so after watching the video should I switch to maintain to lose weight and build which gives me the fit cycle at 2000 cal and see what happens?
Or should I do Maintain turbo cycle which gives me 1950 cals.
Hi Lidia! Congratulations on losing 17 lbs! That’s awesome! Have you taken any adjustments in the app if it has prompted you to do so after any of your weekly updates? Please reply and also tell me what your current and goal weights are, what exercise program you’re following, and how you’ve been doing on following the nutrition program and with drinking your water. 🙂
Hi there. My current weight is 141 pounds and my goal is 135/130.
I have taken maybe one adjustment but my weight has stayed the same so no adjustments that I?ve seen.
I?m doing lean and shredded iron gym women?s physique phase 2 on turbo.
I follow transformation meal plan and hit all my macros with check marks and I drink 100 +oz of water a day
Hi Lidia: I’d stick to the Lean & Shredded program, and if it’s been a few weeks since your last adjustment and you’re prompted to take another one (AND you’re following your macros, workout program, and water as recommended), then take another adjustment. We only recommend taking adjustments after several weeks since it can take our bodies a bit of time to adjust to a new macro level. Also, since you’re doing the Iron Gym program, you’re probably adding muscle “weight,” so also make sure you’re taking your measurements. You could be having progress that’s not being reflected on the scale. Hope that helps! 🙂
OK thank you so much for the information it definitely does help me out a lot.
One last question I wear a Fitbit versa religiously and it says I burn on an average 2700+ Calories my TDEE by the end of the day now if I?m following 1700 calories turbo wouldn’t that be too much of a deficit and could cause stall in weight loss?
Hi Lidia: While fitness accessories can be super helpful, often, the numbers they provide aren’t always accurate. A great rate of weight loss is 1-2 lbs a week (some weeks, more some less), so keep an eye on your weight loss to make sure you’re eating enough calories. And since your weight has stayed the same, I think you’re okay. Please feel free to post with any new questions! 🙂
Thanks for the great info!
Super helpful! Was wondering if someone has 50-60 lbs to lose.. but wants to gain muscle would you still recommend maintaince? I have not been eating enough for quite awhile and know I have lost muscle and gained fat and I REALLY do not want to lose anymore muscle! Just curious if there was a point that you needed to start with less calories when you havr significant amount of weight to lose?
Hi Janna: If you have 50-60 pounds to lose, I’d follow the “Lose Weight” program first. This will allow you to still build muscle but shed those pounds at a faster rate than on any of the other body goal programs in the app. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hello I loved this article I’ve been doing transform for a little over a year now. 5 years ago I started at 318. When I started teansform I was about 170 and plateaued so i switched to the app. I got down to 147 and wanted to start gaining muscle so a trainer at my gym advised me to do the jacked. Well I feel it got me into my bingeing again because I ate so much. I’m at 160 now. I want to gain muscle and lose weight. I’ve been doing the classic cycle at weight loss but always hungry so I end up over eating. Am I still to heavy to switch to maintain? Do I just keep trying on weight loss classic? Also been doing physique phase 6. Thank you?
Hi Lisa: Congrats on all the work you’ve put into your transformation! If Jacked isn’t working for you, instead of doing Lose Weight, I’d try the Lean & Shredded plan and see if those calorie recommendations will serve you better. And you can choose whichever cycle works best for you. If you’d like to change cycles, I’d try the Extreme Cycle and see if that works better. Hope that helps! 🙂
What would you recommend for someone not wanting to lose anymore weight, but rather just needs to strengthen and tighten up the last flab on the belly and thighs? I?m currently on the lean and shredded at home sculpting program because time is a big issue for me. Would this be the best program or should I switch to a different one? Thanks!!
Hi Lisa: I’d choose the “Maintain” goal option in the app, and the At-Home Body Sculpting is a great option for your workouts! 🙂
I want to lose wieght and build muscle. I am mostly a runner so I want to be as light as possible to run on my joints but also strong to prevent injury. Which program is best for me?
Hi Heather: You can build muscle on all the workout programs since resistance training is included in all our workout programs. As far as a goal to choose, depending on the amount of weight you want to lose, you can choose either “Lose Weight” or “Lean & Shredded.” Hope that helps! 🙂
Hello. I posted this in the FB group but didn?t get many responses so trying here. I did get this article as a suggestion so that was awesome! 🙂
I have like ten-fifteen pounds to lose (guessing based on clothing because I no longer own a scale) I was at healthy weight for years. Then, summer of 2017, something got it in my head telling me I was big and needed to lose weight. Two months after that, and feeling (and in retrospect looking) amazing, I hopped on the scale and saw I had lost nothing.
Everything after that has not been good. I ended up gaining ten pounds last year trying to lose what I didn?t need to lose in the first place. I realized my mistake late and now I am kind of stuck. I did a DEXA Scan and I am about 18-19 overall body fat. However, I?m 12% everywhere but thighs and buttocks where I am like 25% It does not make me feel or look good. My clothes don?t fit. I don?t want to waste another year trying to get back to fitting in my wardrobe. What?s the best program option (macro-wise) for me? I need to lose fat and am pretty muscular so want to keep that not built much more…
Hi Will: On the app, with your goals, I’d choose the Lean & Shredded program. And while it can be frustrating when some body parts are not where you’d like them to be fat %-wise, our bodies get rid of extra fat in their own unique way, so follow a sound nutrition program (like the one in the app), work out regularly (like in the app), and you will get there! And the closer you get to your goals, the slower the progress can be, so please be patient. Another thing to remember is that as you replace fat with muscle, the scale may not go down and may go up. Getting regular Dexa Scans is a great idea to see where you’re really at progress-wise. You got this!