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
Hi Heidi,
I have read the latest book and plus my son and daughter- n- law do carb-cycling. He suggested we needed to meeting our basic metabolic rate for at least 3 weeks to speed up our metabolism but it doesn’t say that in the book. He thinks it assumes you are already hitting that number which we weren’t. So that s one question. Should we be hitting that number first and if so for how long?
The other question is that it says in the book to drop your calories by 500…but I was looking at one of your eating charts last night and it had a recommendation of 1200 for women and 1500 for men (calories that is)
My hubby and I both raised our intake alot to hit our BMR for almost 3 weeks. I feel it is time to drop and do the actual carb-cycling now.. What say you, please?
Hi Dixie: You don’t need to do anything before beginning to carb cycle. Simply choose a cycle, and go! And women eat 1200 calories on low-carb days and 1500 calories on high-carb days, and men eat 1500 calories on low-carb days and 2000 on high-carb days. Hope that helps!
My name is Heather Hughes I’m 19 years old almost 20 in a few weeks and I an extremely over weight. I am from Houston Texas but have movies over seas, I am in desperate need of help to lose weight. There are extremely dangerous health issues in my family as well I have a few health issues already and I have tried hard to lose weight myself but I always end up failing! I can’t offered to go to the gym. I am easily out of breath.
I am in desperate need for help! I know this is a long shot I truly need your help Chris and Heidi before it’s to late. I need y’all help!!
Kind Regards
Heather Hughes
Hi Heather: While Chris and Heidi wish they could help everyone, they’re not able to take on clients right now. That’s why they’ve made all their transformation tools available for all of us to use to achieve our goals. All the steps in their program are included in this post, so chat with your healthcare team first (and follow any modifications they recommend), choose a cycle, and go! You can do this! 🙂
How can I find (or build) a support group here in the Boston area? I started to carb cycle, and did ***everything*** right away…. then I fell off the wagon. Not surprising, I suppose, you always say “Baby Steps”. I think that what I really need is a support group, some kind of contact with other people on the same journey. And I am willing to organize it — but I am not sure how to make contact with other Boston-area transformers. Help? Thanks!
Hi Sheila: I’m not sure how you could connect with other Boston carb cyclers, maybe you could post on Heidi’s wall and see if you can find some that way? And remember, you can be your own biggest supporter! It’s definitely all about those small simple promises you make and keep to yourself. Here’s a post about promises in case a refresher course would be helpful: https://heidipowell.net/8679. You can do this!
Hello from the Philippines! I just saw one of your episode in TLC channel and I am greatly inspired and felt that I want to get in touch with you.
I currently weigh 190lbs and my height is only 5’5″! In addition, my hubby has been diagnosed with mild hypertension and pre-diabetes. We have neglected our health and now facing the consequences.
I am now looking at your website to find ideas on how to be fit Powell-style.
I hope to write back here after a year and tell you a success story.
More power to both of you and thank you for the fitspiration. 🙂
Hi I’m 18 and I’m 5’8 and weigh 195 how much am I suppose to be eating as in calories and how much do I have to burn a day or how much calories do I burn everyday to see results in a month and lose weight?
Hi Alondra: Everything you need to know and do is included in the program. You’ll eat 1200 calories on low-carb days and 1500 calories on high-carb days. Follow the exercise program, drink your water, eat the food as outlined, and you can reach your goals!
Hi Heidi, I’m Veronica and I started my low carb diet 4 months ago and I haven’t gotten off of it, but for one month straight I’ve been craving a lot of sweets, things that have hi carbs and I’ve been cheating on my diet. I have still been working out, but thats no excuse for me to cheat.
I would like to know how long do I have to be in a low carb diet, before my body starts getting used to it…or how long do I have to be on the low carb before switching to low calorie?
I would love to have a response and I know ya’ll are busy, bur I would just like to know if I should be switched to low calorie already.
Thank you very much!
Hi Veronica: Every diet can be different, so it’s hard to say what will happen with the diet you’re on. With Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program, you alternate between low and high-carb days, and women eat 1200 calories on low-carb days and 1500 calories on high-carb days. Their program is outlined in this post – pay special attention to the part about promises. These are definitely Chris and Heidi’s #1 transformation tool. You can do this!
Dear Heidi,
Please help I don’t want to be on tv or even at this time can’t leave my family. I am at least 130lbs over weight and know I have to lose it so I can be here for my family. I tried to follow Chris’s book a couple of years ago and lost some weight but since then have gained 60+ lbs with being depressed over month after month trying to convince Our third child with no luck and then after about 15months trying my three year old son was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor which has been devastating to are family. ( he is undergoing chemo treatments and had to have his kidney removed with the tumor his is a true fighter and my inspiration to want to change my life.)Eating at the hospital and on the go plus depression has made matters worse. I don’t know if you could possible have any advice for me, but I know you guys are very family oriented and from one mother to another I just want to be a healthy mommy that is here for my kids! Thanks and God Bless!
Hi Tonia: Thank you for your comment! I’m so sorry to hear about all you’re going through, and I can’t imagine how difficult this all is for you and your family. All the steps you need to begin your transformation journey are in this post, so begin today by making and keeping that first small, simple promise to yourself (link to the promise process is in the post). These small, simple promises are definitely Chris and Heidi’s #1 transformation tool, so give it a try! Then choose a cycle and go. You can do this – we believe in you! We wish you all the best, and that your son has a speedy recovery.
I have IBS-D and need to do a low FODMAP diet. I also need to loose about 70 lbs. I have read both books and think carb cycling would be my best option as I have tried just about everything else. I am READY to make the change. However, can I merge a FODMAP and carb cycling? Is this possible?
Hi Kelly: It would be best to discuss this with your healthcare team and then follow any modifications they recommend. They are the best ones to help you since they know your exact issues and can work with you on a one-on-one basis. We want to keep you safe while you’re working to achieve your goals!
Hi Heidi & Chris ! I just started Classic carb cycling on Monday and I absolutely love it!! I was scared at first that it was going to be hard, and it’s surprisingly easy!!!! since starting Monday I’m already down 2 lbs (I know… weigh ins are Saturday’s, I couldn’t wait lol) Which brings my total of 22 lbs lost since April!!! You both are so awesome!!
Hello team Powell !
you are the best!
I am from Bulgaria, and i training fitness and pump trains two or three sometimes per day.
I eat clean.. well i try ! I eat eggs, fish, fruits , vegettable and sometimes i eat sweet because its so hard to stop it… sometimes i need that. And i still have a stomach… i will be sooooooooooo happy to seee a pack on my stomach… i dont know where I wrong.. but i will GLAD to help me !
Im so big fan of you and yours show ! i will glad also your books came in bulgaria with BG translate.