Congratulations on choosing to begin your transformation journey! You have made a choice that will change your life?for the better?for many years to come. We want you to be successful, so Chris and I have made all of the tools we use with everyone we work with available for everyone to use in our books, Extreme Transformation and Choose More, Lose More for Life, and our TRANSFORM app. In both of our books, we?ve outlined everything you?ll need to do to reach your transformation goals, so let?s get started!
Step #1 Promises: The foundation of your transformation.
Making and keeping promises to yourself is the true secret to transformation, and it?s the most important step of your entire journey. Begin your journey today by making and keeping one small promise!
Step #2 Carb cycling: The nutrition plan that fires up your metabolism.
Carb cycling is a nutrition plan with alternating high and low-carb days that not only maximizes your metabolic burn, but it?s also extremely effective at speeding up weight loss while maintaining those fat-burning muscles. It adapts easily to your daily routine for weight loss success, and it helps you avoid that dreaded weight loss plateau. And in carb cycling, you get reward days or meals (depending on the cycle you?re following), so you can still eat your favorite foods from time to time! Awesome, right?!
Learn about the basics of carb cycling, then explore and choose one of the five different cycles: Easy, Classic, Turbo, Fit, and Extreme (the newest member of our carb cycling family). And don?t worry! You can change cycles at any time?it?s that flexible!
Step #3 Exercise: Move your body to accelerate weight loss.
In addition to a sound?and simple to follow?nutrition plan (like carb cycling), you?ll need an effective?and realistic?exercise program to help you reach your transformation goals. Chris and I have put together just the program for you! It combines strength training (for muscle development and maintenance) and cardio (for accelerating calorie burn), to turn your body into a maximum calorie-burning machine. And we?ve outlined everything you?ll need to do?step-by-step?every single day! So learn about the basics and benefits of exercise first, and then get moving today!
When you put all of this together, your journey becomes whole. Take a look at the stereogram image above. This captures the essence of transformation so beautifully. Before you shift your focus, all you see is a chaotic mess of dumbbells and food. Basically, it is the confusing mess of every single diet and exercise program out there for weight loss. But once you shift your focus, the 3-D path of true transformation?and lifelong weight loss?becomes clear.
678 Responses
Hello Chris and Heidi,
I watch Extreme Weight Loss all the time and it’s always an emotional story. I’m only a teenager but i’m more than obese. I dont know where to start ( losing the weight ). I’m more than struggling with my weight, when I look at myself I cannot hold back tears, but i have no idea how to begin. I feel like I disappoint my parents even more, but my mom never treated me like her child and i’m depressed more than even now and i feel like everything is downing down hill. I’m the only one in my family who is obese and my parents always lower my self confidence and self esteem when they think i’m never good enough for them and i’m the one in the family to always disappoint. I always had an issue with food and i’m developing an eating disorder and i don’t know when is enough and when it isn’t so…. I’m so tired of being bullied and teased about my weight by friends and especially my family so please help me. i just want to lose the weight and feel confidence again. I REALLY WANT TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT MYSELF AND BOOST MYSELF CONFIDENCE, I KNOW THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS LOSE THE WEIGHT AND I REALLY NEED HELP STARTING !!! PLEASE HEIDI AND CHRIS!!! HELP ME!!! It would mean a lot if you reply.
Hi Lily: Thank you so much for posting! I’m so sorry for all you’re dealing with, and I can’t imagine how difficult this is for you. Chris and Heidi would love to help you personally, but unfortunately, they’re not taking on clients right now. We know it is so difficult to be a teen these days! You are constantly bombarded with images and advice on how and what you should do and be and look like, and most are very unrealistic. Heidi has addressed the teens and body image issue in this amazing post on her blog: https://heidipowell.net/7201/teens-and-healthy-body-image-its-not-just-about-the-pounds/. In this post, she offers lots of helpful suggestions for both teens and those with teens in their lives, and I hope you can find some ideas that will help you develop healthy habits that will benefit you your entire life! And please discuss your health-related concerns with a parent or an adult close to you – a support system can be such an awesome resource as you’re working to achieve your health and fitness goals. And here’s another thing that might help you on your journey to get and stay healthy: One awesome tool Chris and Heidi use with every client is to make and keep a small, simple promise to yourself every day. This is truly a key to achieving any goal! Learn about the process here: https://heidipowell.net/8679/it-really-is-all-about-promises-2/. What will your first promise be today? Make and keep that one, then make and keep one tomorrow, and so on. It works! We truly wish you the best as you work to develop healthy habits – you can do this!
Hello Heidi,
You are such an inspiration to me. I am 24 and struggling to gain weight. I follow you on Instagram and seen the changes you’ve made. I’ve tried doing some weight training but I suffer from scoliosis and it limits me from certain workouts because of back pain. Some of the changes I’ve made though are walking (to get some exercise in) and added some mass protein into my diet and no luck in gaining. I am 103 and would like to gain more muscle mass. What are some things you would recommend for me such as food and exercise programs. I would really appreciate your advice. Thank you.
Hi Silvia: Thank you for posting! Many of the same principles apply to both adding muscle mass and losing weight. You can utilize some of Chris and Heidi’s weight loss tools found in their book, “Choose More, Lose More for Life,” to help you develop a healthier lifestyle (the basics of their plan are in this post). Here’s one helpful hint: When adding muscle mass, you’ll want to consume more healthy lean protein (which you’re already doing). Get a list of approved foods on their plan – lean proteins, smart carbs, veggies, and healthy fats – in their book, as well as lots of healthy and quick recipes. You might also find it helpful to find a certified personal trainer who can work with you on a one-on-one basis and better assist you in achieving your goals. And please discuss this, or any nutrition and exercise program, with your healthcare team first, and then follow any modifications they recommend. You can do this!
HI. I’m not sure if I should post here or on the Facebook page, however I am wondering about carb cycling as a vegetarian. Any advice and is this even possible. I know for me beans and quinoa are where quite a bit of protein come from but there are also carbs. In fact most vegetarian proteins also contain carbs other than eggs for the most part. If anyone can lead me to the right place to find answers to this please let me know. (I have both book, neither of which touch on vegetarianism.) Thank you!
Hi Laurel: There are some vegetarian options in the foods lists (the list begins on page 192 in “Choose More, Lose More for Life”), and it is possible to carb cycle if you’re a vegetarian. There’s also some information on page 204 in “Choose More, Lose More for Life.” We wish you the best!
Hi again,
I was just looking at the website you sent me to look at and clearly I missed the cut off date, is it still too late to submit a video? I will in the future keep track of the dates.
Hi Felicia: Casting for “Extreme Weight Loss” is closed right now. Watch the site for future casting info. 🙂
Felicia- the book:: Chose more, Lose more for life by Chris Powell and Heidi Powell— my copy just came ???????? !!!! It!!!! Not your typical weight loss book. I pre-ordered their new one too. You got this!!! I am only on my first small promise…to bridge my beliefs….update later!-
Hi Heidi and Chris,
I have been watching the extreme weight loss show and I have been overly encourage about the transformation that people have been through! I would love to be a contestant on your necpxt sho, God knows I need the help. I’ve been walking and running but I feel that I need that extra help. Not only would it be an honor but a pleasure as well. So please help me
Hi Felicia: For all casting information, please visit http://www.extremeweightlosscasting.com. But you don’t need to wait for the show – begin your transformation now with the steps in this post! You can do this!
I am a wife, mother, friend, and hairdresser! I just received a copy of your book and am trying to figure out how to make the timing part work for me! Due to my daily change of schedule with being a hairdresser I can’t always eat every 3 hours, it might be closer to 4 hours on some days. Will this totally mess things up?
With some schedules it is more difficult to eat every 3 hours – just do your best and eat every 3 hours when you can, and you will be fine!
First I want to say thank you for what you both do for so many people! I watch your show every single week and have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. I am a proud mommy to two beautiful girls (3 1/2 and 12 months). I am looking for advice/pointers here. I am an ER Nurse and work 7p-3a, have no daycare for my girls so I’m struggling sticking to any workout regimen. I am currently 245 pounds (need to lose appox. 100 pounds!) I feel like no matter what I do (diet or exercise) I can’t shed any weight. Between my work hours, being a mom, keeping a household together, and my husbands crazy hours at work, we have NO time or energy to workout. My husband is a purple heart veteran who was in phenomenal shape while in the military and now struggles just as much with weight as me. We want to set a good, healthy, example for our girls and be at our best, but it isn’t happening at all. I have tried to count calories, tried the no carb diet, did the 21 day sugar detox, religiously did T25 workouts for 3 weeks, and have not dropped a pound. I’m definitely going to read more into the Carb Cycling: is there a certain program you would recommend over the others for the Carb Cycling. I’ve tried to run (and don’t mind it) but it is so hard to run while pushing an extra 80 or so pounds (my kiddos and stroller). Any advice!?!?!?! I am emotionally drained from the constant struggle and let down!
Hi Meagan: Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program outlines everything you’ll need to do as far as nutrition and exercise, so you simply choose a cycle and go! And you can change cycles at any time too. Their 9-Minute Missions (strength training) only takes 9 minutes in the morning Monday-Friday, and you can do your Shredders (cardio) at any time during the day. Any minutes of activity you can get in will help, so take advantage of those! Here are a couple of posts from Heidi’s blog that might also help: https://heidipowell.net/9295/exercise-its-a-family-affair/ and https://heidipowell.net/2608/no-time-for-exercise/. You can do this!
Hi,
I’ve been watching your show since it first started and it’s great !
I am 20 years old and 2 months ago I weighed 212 pounds. I started in a body sculpting class in which we do things like hiit, 3-2-1 workouts, and a lot of strength work outs. The class is an hour long, four times a week, and I have lost about 10 pounds in 2 months. However, I am a college student and I will be moving back to school in a month. Is there anything you recommend to keep this up and loose more weight? I come from a family of high blood pressure and would like to work on my weight in order to stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Brianda
Hi Brianda: Congrats on those 10 pounds and on the amazing things you’re doing! When you’re at school, make time to get in your workouts as you can around your busy school schedule, and make sure your nutrition program is as good as possible. Follow the links in this post – these are the tools Chris and Heidi use with everyone they work with. Make and keep those promises, follow the carb cycle that works best for you, and you can do this! And an extra benefit? You’ll be developing healthy habits that will help you throughout your life! You can do this. 🙂
Do you recommend carb cycling more than calorie cycling for overall weight loss? Thanks guys!! Jess
Hi Jess: Chris and Heidi have done a tremendous amount of research, and they’ve found carb cycling to be a very successful program. However, they do incorporate different daily calorie recommendations throughout the week on their program. They do recommend women never go below 1200 calories a day, and men never go below 1500 calories a day. There’s an awesome graphic in this post (as well as some other helpful info) that outlines how this works, as well as how their meals (both low and high carb) are put together: https://heidipowell.net/4514/carb-confusion/. Hope that answers your question!
Hi! I’m 210 pounds and would like to lose weight. I would like to start jogging but how do you jog every day at first and not hurt. Love you and Chris
Hi Trish: Try jogging 3 days a week on alternating days and do other activities on the other days. It’s best if your workout routine has different activities so the same muscles don’t get overworked and so you can exercise different muscle groups. And it’s much more enjoyable that way too! As for beginning to jog, here’s a video that can help: https://screen.yahoo.com/race-everyone-try-040000433.html. You can do this!