What to Expect on Your 12-Week Holistic Transformation Journey

In the Holistic Transformation Program we teach participants to optimize their health, fitness, and body composition through fine tuning their food intake, sleep, exercise program, and more.  But what is that LIKE!?  

In this post we’ll dig into each week of the program, what habits get changed and what you might experience as you progress through the twelve weeks. 

Week 1

The first week of the program is big. We want new participants to see rapid results to reinforce buy-in and motivation.  You can expect big changes in your food intake right off the bat. The program breaks down very simply what to eat and what to avoid as well as approximate portion sizes and timing of meals.  This kicks off an initial bout of weight loss as inflammation starts to flush out of the body. You’ll start feeling better in only a few days. 

Week 2

This week we teach the fine art of meal prep to support the new food guidelines.  Most participants experience significant weight loss in the first two weeks.  Losing 5-10lbs is quite common at this phase of the program and depends upon starting weight, previous eating habits, etc. While changing what you’re eating is a hard habit to adapt, the immediate improvements make it very much worth it. We also share our recommended blood lab work to be run by your PCP, or even on your own if you don’t have a PCP. 

Week 3

By week three the new approach to food is really taking hold.  For about half of participants weight loss starts to slow as inflammation reaches a low ebb, while it continues for others.  Almost everyone in week 3 reports a significant uptick in energy reducing their reliance on afternoon caffeine.   This is accompanied by a drop in brain fog as mental clarity steps up due to an improvement in hormonal health.  Sleep optimization is one of the major topics covered in week 3 which continues to support improvements in overall energy. 

Week 4

At the start of week 4 participants often mention  improvements in digestive health with bloating and acid reflux having totally disappeared. The rate of weight loss will have slowed (intentionally) for most participants, but continues at variable rates. At this point we’re building the foundation of rapid and predictable fat loss.  Improvement in sleep habits from the Week 3 curriculum have usually further increased all day energy levels, reduced wakefulness in the middle of the night, and left participants more rested as the alarm goes off. The lessons in week 4 cover powerful daily supplements and the workout portion of the program.

Week 5

The start of the fifth week teaches participants about macronutrients and kicks off the start of measuring and logging food. We do so at an isocaloric level of intake as a metabolic test.  This process is highly customized since everyone has slightly different needs. Logging food provides valuable insight into exactly whats in the food clients are eating, giving them a new level of control. 

By now the exercise program is just starting to take hold, but improvements in food quality have not only driven significant weight loss, but also eliminated a vast majority of digestive issues. Most participants will have their blood work results back and learn how to assess their own health from lab work they ran giving them even further knowledge of their own health and aging trajectory. 

Week 6

A week into logging food at this point, participants will have a much deeper knowledge of what’s in their food from a macronutrient and energy standpoint as well as how to manipulate those factors to achieve their goals. It’s worth mentioning that while losing weight the entire time, participants most commonly complain not about being hungry but about how MUCH food they have to eat to follow the program guidelines.  Week six maintains the isocaloric intake while teaching about electrolytes, hydration, and macronutrient timing.  

Week 7

Week seven is a big deal. It’s here we teach how to use a calorie deficit to safely and effectively lose body fat.  It’s from this point forward in the program that most participants start losing weight at a rapid and healthy rate.  Because of the foundations built in earlier weeks, weight loss tends to happen like clockwork.  If you’ve tried to lose weight before with other approaches and haven’t experienced any consistent results, this might be the most exciting part of the program. It works. For everyone. 

Week 8

In week eight participants are sleeping better than they have in years and seeing their strength continue to build as they execute the training program. This also tends to correlate with a drop in joint pain and overall achiness. In addition to feeling stronger, they’re watching the scale drop very consistently to the tune of 1% of body weight per week. For instance a 200lb client would see on average 2lbs a week fall off.  While most will wait until they reach their body composition or weight goal, we teach how to reintroduce foods and assess food sensitivities in week eight.  Modern antibody food sensitivity testing is far less accurate than the gold standard elimination diet we use to assess tolerance to potentially inflammatory foods. 

Week 9

One of the topics discussed in week 9 is Staying in the Groove.  At this point in the program clients’ energy is up, GI issues are gone, habits around food are becoming second nature, sleep is restful and restorative, strength is building week over week, and weight loss is rapid and predictable.  Participants really are in the groove, reinforcing their healthy habits, and fine tuning the process. This week we teach about organic vs. conventional foods and how to decide which is right for you. 

Week 10

During week 10, while participants are riding the wave of massive progress, we discuss the critical process of reverse dieting.  Often overlooked, the reverse diet is a method of making weight loss permanent while repairing any short term hormonal damage done by the calorie deficit.  While implementation of a reverse diet happens after you’ve achieved your ideal body composition, we find it empowering to know where you’re headed.  

Week 11

As the program starts to wrap up in week 11 participants schedule their last of three one on one coaching sessions to assess progress versus their initial goals and choose what level of ongoing coaching and support makes the most sense for them to achieve unqualified success.  Whether you want to lose 20 or 200lbs, we’ll support you every step of the way. Nobody gets left high and dry!

Week 12

At this point it’s celebration time. You’ve made it to the end of your Holistic Transformation Program.  In our experience about 60% of participants elect to continue with some form of longer term coaching. Everyone leaves the program with a massive new knowledge base around what works for them with regard to food, sleep, exercise, supplements, and more.  While it’s been a challenging twelve weeks, the lessons and habits you learned will continue to give you return on your investment for the rest of your life.