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 ~
First I love the show, you and Chris. I’ve been having trouble with my back since I had my son by a c section it’s been 19 years. About 5 years ago I was told I have a herniated disk and the pain gets worse every day it’s got where I cant lay on my left side at all. They have told me losing the weight might it so I was wondering what exercise/ to eat that I could do to start to lose the weight with my bad back. And anything you can help with my son and husband to lose weight also.
Anyway, thank you for listening. I am open to any/all information that you can share with me. I’m ready to lose all this weight.
Sincerely,
Donna
Hi Donna: So sorry to hear about your back issues – that’s got to be so frustrating! As for a great nutrition program, you can get a link to the nutrition part of Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program in this blog post. As far as exercise goes, with your back issues, it’s best to discuss any exercise program with your healthcare team, and then follow their recommendations. They are the best ones to help you with this since they know your exact issues and can work with you on a one-on-one basis. The tools in this blog post can help your husband and son too! You can all support each other during your transformation journeys, and that can be a huge key to success!
Hi Team Powell,
Thank you so much for the very fast and helpful response, I found that graph so helpful! I really appreciate it:) Awesome support on this website and thank you for the encouragement:)
Hello Team Powell,
I’ve been thinking about doing Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program, can you please tell me what they suggest I should use to record my 1200 and 1500 intake? Or what they have the contestants on the show use to record their calories? I really appreciate the help:) Thank you so much:)
Hi Britney: In carb cycling, we count portions sizes (and you can count calories if you’d like to). It’s super easy! There’s an awesome graphic that shows you how to put all your meals together (as well as some other helpful info) in this post: https://heidipowell.net/4514. And if you do want to keep track of calories, you can use anything that will work best for you. You can do this!
Hi Mrs. Powell,
I don’t know where to put this, but I read about how you overcame an eating disorder and now you not only have a healthy body image but a healthy relationship with food and you look amazing.
Well, I really struggled with my weight especially in high school (was 183 at my highest) and I tried every diet and somewhere along the line I developed bulimia, and I dropped over 40 pounds. It has ruined my life, my health, and my relationships even to the point where I feel so depressed and suicidal. I feel so hopeless and helpless and I don’t know where to turn or who to tell. I am not happy with my body (I’m still flabby), I am weak, and I am just overall sad. But if you can overcome and get to where you are now, maybe there is hope that I can overcome this too. idk where I was going with that… but please pray for me or keep me in your thoughts. thanks <3
Hi Ruth: Thank you for your comment and for sharing a bit of your story. I’m so sorry for all you’ve had to deal with and are dealing with, and I can’t imagine how difficult this all is for you. Here are a couple of posts that might help you know where to turn to for help, as well as hopefully offer you some hope and support: https://heidipowell.net/5771/eating-disorders-the-ugly-truth-of-the-skinny-fixation/ and https://heidipowell.net/9818/overcoming-an-eating-disorder-a-journey-to-health-healing-and-happiness/. And remember, reaching out for help is a definite sign of strength! You can do this – we know you can! *Hugs*
Hi,
You guys are really great! I’ll get emotional writing this. Anyways, motivation. I need it.
Where do I get it? I HATE myself! Sad right! I know! I am 40, I kinda thought i’d have it altogether, but i don’t. I have a great 2 year old, i’m sooooo in love! She has changed my world, Why isn’t this enough to make me want to take care of myself? I gained my weight 8 years ago and am so slow to try and work out. I will dabble with it and lose a few pounds but, I am very impatient. I have a serious case of ADD. I get mad and frustrated. Hubby and I have some issues, we’ve been together for 17 years. Issues, saddness(which if you knew me you’d say no way.) I am, and have always been the happiest person. I am normally over the top happy. My light has been dimmed. I want to get it back and I really feel like food and exercise is the way but, I just can’t get it moving. Or continue moving. I am great at starting but not continuing. How do you start when you are just depressed. Which is a foreign feeling to me?
Love you all Aimee
Hi Aimee: Thank you for your comment! All the steps you need to begin and complete your transformation are in this post. Begin with that first small, simple promise, and you’ve already taken a step in the right direction. Then choose a cycle, and go! You can do this!
My name is Noura i’m from egypt
I saw your show on youtube i love it …
I wish i can have a chance to do like this
I really need ur help
My wieght is 150 kg 🙁
I’m 23 years old i’m engaged
My mother in low don’t accept me becouse of my wieght …
She told my fiencee that i’m not good for him and my wieght is a big problem
I’m trying to do diet … But it doesn’t work very well …
3 years ago i have an accident
I broke my leg and u do surgery they put something to help me to walk something to suppourt the bone and 4 nails in my right leg … In that time i get fat becouse i didn’t walk or do any thing for 6 months may be …
I ‘m trying every time i went from my wieght to 120 kg … And i stop
I need ur help and ur support plz plzzzzz plzzzzzzzzzzzzz help me
I want to be good and healthy person plz …
I know you are very busy but i really need u … And sorry for my bad english
,, Noura
Hi Noura: Thank you for your comment, and congratulations on your engagement! Heidi wishes she could personally help everyone, but it’s just not possible. That’s why she and Chris have made all their tools available for all of us to use, and you can find these tools in this post. Be sure and follow all the links in the post – they lead to additional awesome information. And please discuss this program with your healthcare team first, and then follow their recommendations. You can do this! 🙂
Hey Heidi and Chris,
Well I’m trying to get in contact with you guys! I have been a big fan of the show and of you guys! You guys are wonderful trainer and wonderful people, well it seems that way on TV, and 99.99% sure you are in real life too! Anyways, I’m 18 years old and very much would like to talk to you or Chris. I don’t know if you’ll ever read this, but hey what do I got to lose right? Well as I was saying, I’m 18, I live in Utah, and well overweight. (Wow! Shocker, right? Lol that’s why I’m trying to contact you guys, obviously.) I tried applying for the show, well you guys are just very busy and aren’t accepting anymore. I understand, but I NEED to talk to you! Really talk to you, for advice, for tips; for help with this healthy lifestyle journey. I LOVE softball! I use to play all the time! I love exercising, I love hanging out with my siblings and friends, and I love writing! I am a freshman in college going into pre-med; I want to become a doctor, an oncologist pediatrician to be exact!
When I was growing up; I was the kid that got bullied, the one that was cool one second, but the next not so much because someone much cooler came around, I wasn’t the special popular one! My mom had me when she was 15, she was a good mom, took care of me, got an apartment, had a job, until she got hung up on every guy that came along. My dad was always in and out of my life, so I just decided to keep him out. My mom got together with an older guy when I was like 6, he didn’t really like me very much. He wasn’t a fan of me at all! He put my room upstairs by the front door and they slept downstairs, but they would lock me out all the time so I wouldn’t go down. He abused me, blamed me for a lot of things, and his grandkids didn’t like me so much either; I was the one always left out. Well, until my grandma took me out of the situation, which I was was really thankful for.
My mom and him had 2 more kids, my beautiful sister and brother! Which I have been helping raise ever since they have been born! My sister is 11, and my brother is 7! I love them a lot, like their my own! Well after a couple years they broke up and she has just been jumping to guy to guy ever since and my brother and sister’s dad died in 2012, my sister found him dead when he it was his Summer vacation with them, he died from a brain tumor. My relationship has never been good with my mom, she is now married to a guy (let?s just say I’m not a fan) and they have 3 kids now, 3 boys to be exact, in the past I would say I wish I had a relationship with my mom, but it’s ok because I’ve been so close with my grandma, which is awesome because she is basically my mom!
I have always been the “bigger kid” I guess you can say, but I’ve always been active, I played basketball, soccer, and most of all softball! I played that for 8 years. In 2010, I was at practice and I was so excited, I was playing my favorite spot; first base! We were practicing throwing 3rd to 1st, I thought was the coolest because I didn?t miss one pass and on top of that I was getting my braces off in a week that I had on for two years. I was so done being braceface, train tracks! thought nothing could go wrong, that things were awesome! Until the sun set, I couldn?t see well, and my mit wasn?t in the right place? I got hit in the mouth with the softball, it pushed my gums and my teeth in the back of my mouth, broke my cheek and my jaw and I had memory loss for a month and a half. It wasn?t fun, but the dentist told me he could save them and that it was ok to go back to school. I was so excited, I haven?t been at school for a month, I was going to see all of my friends, and teachers! When I got there I was so excited! I saw all of my friends! I thought everything was ok, until lunch! We got done and went outside on the field. Well I got hit in the same spot with a football that day, I got rushed to the hospital and back to the dentist. He said there was nothing they could do anymore about saving my teeth; they were gone and I was devastated because it was my three front teeth! At the time I didn?t know what was going on, I couldn?t remember who anyone was or who I was really and on top of that, in the same week, my aunts wedding was going to happen! You can imagine how that was, well I can?t, I can?t remember it! I went through a deep depression because I didn?t know how a game that I loved so much could hurt me so bad. I got better over time and I wanted to try getting back into the game, but I kept having flashbacks and I was afraid of the ball; so I quit. I didn?t know what to do anymore, I was depressed, I was going to get my 3 front teeth ripped out after having my braces on for 2 years, I was afraid of my favorite thing in the world, my passion, the game that was there for me when I was stressed or down, I quit it because it was to painful, and most of all my mom wasn?t there for me through any of it. After that over the years, I have gotten a lot of kidney stones, more family situations, just everything hitting me at once.
I feel like I have been sitting back watching life go by, that I am second choice all the time, that people don?t take me serious. I am tired of it all! I want to find myself, I want to be the person I know I can be and that?s a caring, funny, kind, awesome person, but I feel like I can?t because my weight is holding me back. I want to show my siblings and other kids and people that you can break a bad cycle and be whoever you want to be and I know I am doing that, but I also want to show them to be happy! I want to travel, go out and not worry if my weight is going to bring me down everytime like I want to go zip lining, skydiving, shopping, even the career I?m going into I know I need to be healthy for if I want to succeed at being a doctor. Everything that I want to do it involves how much I weigh. Please! I need your help! I can?t sit here anymore watching my life pass me by anymore! I need to do it and I want to do it! I swear if you help me then I will make sure I won?t fail you guys! I?m ready to finally care for myself and take care of myself, but I need your help! I want to do it with you guys! Please if you would contact me or choose me or help me I will love you guys more than I already do now! Please! Help me find me! To find Liv!
Sincerely,
Alivia
Hi Alivia: Thank you for your comment and for sharing your story with us. Chris and Heidi would love to help everyone who needs their help, but unfortunately, they’re not taking on clients right now. That’s why they’ve made all the tools they use available for all of us to use to reach our goals. You can find all the basics of their carb cycling program in this post, so take that first step today – make and keep that first small, simple promise to yourself. Then choose a cycle, and go! You can do this!
Greetings into this beautiful evening! I posted on Sept 4th explaining me to you, telling of my beginning at the gym, going away in Oct/Nov for 5 wks to Panama City to do my own program and wanting to do this carb cycling you two speak of . Got the 2nd book, continued at the local gym, graduated to the elliptical for 30 min stretches at a high calorie burn ( I’m smiling) along w/ simple wt exercises xother day. I lost 13 lbs in 4 wks!! That was NOT killing myself either. I’m stoked!! here’s my questions……What about drinks? if i drink tomato juice…..is this a vegie so basically free? And what about calorie count on meals? Do I just break up my count anyway I want….like maybe more calories in protein than fats…..or more calories in carbs my 3rd meal versus my 1st. yeah…I need some help on that. I’ve lost just trying it shabbily but that’s because I’m moving and eating less…..but now I want to buckle down! AND may I just say……those 9 min morning workouts are HARD for big tummies. Got quite the laugh….did the best i could and beginning tom morn w/ the “push n press”…enduro. I need to step up my cardio. That gym…sequence fitness….i didn’t sign with cuz frankly it intimidated me. Your book says i really don’t need so say a pray for me to be motivated!! i started yoga tonite for beginners. Can’t do much but I LOVE YOGA!! TIPS, TIPS, TIPS PLEASE! XOXO
Hi Chris and Heidi,
I’m from the UK and watch extreme makeover, albeit very out of date I expect!
I would love for you to help me. I realise that you must receive thousands of emails daily and don’t expect for one minute that you will read it respond to me.
I’m so disgusted with myself (I know you must hear this all the time) I teach children with profound,multiple and complex learning disabilities and love my job. I worry that one day I am going to be so fat that I won’t be able to do it anymore. I have an amazing opportunity to visit India soon to represent the school to develop international links. My confidence is so low I don’t want to go I’m so worried about the plane journey, how people will perceive / receive me. I feel like a prisoner I don’t want to see friends and I don’t go out very much. I don’t have a partner and just feel crap about myself most of the time.
If you read this I really need some help, you guys are so motivational and inspirational, you do an amazing job and I respect you immensely.
I episodes appreciate your help before I can’t come back from this disaster that’s my life
Hi Becky: Chris and Heidi truly wish they could help everyone! But since that’s not possible, they’ve put all their tools they use on EWL in this post. Begin today by making and keeping that first promise to yourself, then choose a carb cycle, and go! You can totally do this!
Hi. Just started the carb cycling and had 2 questions 1) when i workout do i need to eat those calories back? i workout at orangetheory and i burn approx 600 calories. If i dont eat those calories back then i only take in 900 calories (on a high carb day) i dont want my body to go into starvation mode. 2) are all of what i am eating 200-300 calorie meals or 3 meals and 2 snacks? Thanks!
Hi Chrissy: 1) You won’t want to eat back the calories you burn, they go towards your calorie deficit, which leads to lost pounds. Here’s how it works: Calories consumed – calories burned = calorie surplus (weight gain) or calorie deficit (weigh loss). 2) For the 5 meals/snacks a day, you can work it however works best for you as long as your getting in all the portion sizes per meal: low-carb – protein, fat, and veggies, and high-carb – protein, carb, and veggies. Hope that helps!