LOVE IT!
So where are you now in your journey?
You’re building some incredible momentum now after just seven days of Extreme Transformation! You might already be feeling better about yourself, noticing some weight loss and other positive changes in your body. You may feel lighter and cleaner. You may feel more empowered, clearheaded, and centered in yourself. You likely also feel more resolved in your new changes and commitments to yourself.
But as we cautioned you earlier in the book, the diet and exercise plan is the easy part. Just losing weight does not guarantee the deep, life-sustaining transformation we can help create for you.
So for Week Two, we share with you seven more lessons that are crucial to learning to love your journey of transformation. These mental and emotional tools will help you dig deep, be vulnerable, and banish the negative self-talk that can derail you. You will, once and for all, conquer your fears, unload the real weight you’ve been carrying around, and create a new identity that crystallizes your destiny!
DAY 8
Day 8: High-Carb Day 
Meal 1: Breakfast
Recipe: Sweet Potato Fritters
Meal 2: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Piña Colada Dream
Meal 3: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Chile Relleno, Braised Adobo Chicken, Black Bean and Quinoa Salad
Meal 4: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Hulk Shake
Meal 5: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Thai-Style Turkey Cabbage Salad
Day 8: Metabolic Mission: The Grinder (Stepladder) 
Set a running clock and, as fast as you can, do 21 reps of each exercise, then do 15 reps of each exercise, then do 9 reps of each exercise. Report your time in your Daily Tracker!
Mountain Climbers
Back Lunges
Day 8: Accelerator: 10 minutes (minimum) 
Select any activity of your choosing, and keep your heart rate above 120 beats per minute (bpm) the entire time. Prescribed optional interval for maximum results: Dirty Two-Thirties (2:30 low intensity / 2:30 high intensity)
LESSON 8
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.
—Henry Ford
Yes, the promises you make to yourself are concrete, convincing accomplishments. But often people feel terrified, doubtful, and just plain confused as they begin to make even the smallest of changes. In fact, beginning and sticking to this journey requires a certain “leap of faith,” which often feels like moving into unknown territory. This is where you need a little faith. Faith in this process, and faith in all the people who have succeeded before you. Because if they can do it, you can do it.
But sometimes believing in yourself isn’t easy, and that’s where we come in.
We know you are capable of this journey. We know that it’s not easy. But it is possible. As Bruce shared with us, “Chris and Heidi, I needed you. At first I didn’t know if I could do it, but you helped me believe in myself again. Your support and love helped me realize that I can do this. Once I started to believe in myself, I’d say, I’m not going to let the fat beat me today. And you know what, it didn’t. I just needed to believe!”
Our work with thousands of overweight people who have lost thousands of pounds has shown us one truth over and over again: One of the most powerful ingredients to changing your life is simply believing that you can. Seems overly simplistic, but actually getting you to believe in your abilities—to know in your heart of hearts that you can do this—can be a difficult task.
Belief is the magic ingredient that drives your choices and behaviors. When you believe, the light switch for transformation gets slammed into the “on” position and you excitedly put forth the effort to achieving your goals and dreams. The moment you question yourself or stop believing that you can, the switch slams off. And just as quickly, your behaviors can revert back to their old habits and patterns.
But what if you’ve tried and failed what seems like hundreds of times in the past?
What if you don’t think that you can attain your goal?
There are a couple of ways to develop belief when you don’t believe in yourself… yet.
This new commitment to transformation requires courage in the face of past experience and failures. How many diets have you tried? How many have worked for you? How many times have you gone through a dieting ordeal only to end up gaining the weight back and feeling like a failure, ashamed of your inability to succeed or stick with it?
Let us help put any doubts you have to rest. Seeing is believing. One of the most powerful sources of inspiration is seeing another person we can relate to accomplish extraordinary goals. That’s why every year we select 15 to 20 new and unique individuals to embark upon the journey of transformation. As we often tell our peeps, we love working with them because they have such a long and challenging journey ahead—the literal sizes of their journeys to weight loss are daunting for almost anyone to imagine. However, time and time again they do it. They finish their yearlong journey and they just keep going. We document their journey and share it across the world so that everyone can see what we as humans are capable of. We love working with our people, because they leave no doubt on the table that anyone and everyone can change for the better.
Why are we sharing this? Because if they can do it, so can you. They not only learned to trust the process and go all in, but they came to believe in themselves.
You can trust the thousands of people who have reached their successful weight loss goals using Extreme Transformation—its eating, exercise plan, and lessons. So now it is your time. Just take a look at the before-and-after photos below.
These amazing transformations are a testament to what you are also capable of.
Know this truth… we believe in you, we’re excited for you, and we know you are going to do extraordinary things.
DAY 9
Day 9: High-Carb Day
Meal 1: Breakfast
Recipe: Banana Yogurt Parfait and Pumpkin Seed Granola
Meal 2: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Egg Salad on Toast
Meal 3: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Green Chili Turkey and Cilantro Rice Bowl
Meal 4: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Peanut Butter Shake
Meal 5: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Salmon with Pesto “Zoodles”
Day 9: Metabolic Mission: Runnin’ Wild (RFT)
Set a running clock and do 7 rounds of the following circuit as fast as you can. Record your time in your Daily Tracker!
10 Burpees
15 Sit-Ups
25 High Knees
Day 9: Accelerator: 10 minutes (minimum)
Select any activity of your choosing, and keep your heart rate above 120 beats per minute (bpm) the entire time. Prescribed optional interval for maximum results: Thrilling Thirties (:30 low intensity / :30 high intensity)
LESSON 9
BE OPEN, HONEST, AND VULNERABLE
Vulnerability is the greatest marker of courage.
—Brené Brown
On Day 1 of our boot camp, we face our new group of participants and shock them to their very core. They are expecting hugs, high-fives, and for us to immediately start talking about all the weight they are going to lose. They are hoping, praying, and expecting that we give them the golden ticket of diet and exercise advice. They believe these are the true tools to changing their lives! But as you probably understand by now, true transformation actually has very little to do with diet and exercise, and everything to do with the deep, meaningful steps that truly alter your being.
So on that first day, we open the kimono. We explain that transformation has little to do with how you eat and move, and much more to do with how open, honest, and vulnerable you are willing to be. When we are vulnerable, we can grow. We can change.
Are you ready to let go and be truly vulnerable? Because that’s what it’s going to take. There’s some tough love ahead…
Our Need for Connection
It is human nature to seek acceptance from others—in fact, belonging is an inherent drive or need that all humans have. We all must feel loved and accepted in order to feel whole and complete. We are social animals and therefore we are “interdependent” and need help and cooperation from others for our very survival. In response to this drive, many of us—beginning when we are small children—begin to develop what we think is a “better” version of ourselves—a version that we feel is more lovable and acceptable than who we really are inside. This version of you strives to look its very best in front of others. This is the version that lied when you were younger so that people wouldn’t think less of you. It is the version that tells everyone how well you are doing, when deep down inside you know you are struggling. It is the version that hides the donuts from the break room in its desk drawer for later—because it doesn’t want to look weak in front of its co-workers. It is the version that swears it is doing everything right, when in reality it knows that it is breaking its promises left and right. It cannot handle embarrassment or the thought of being rejected. As we get older, that barrier becomes thicker and harder.
But this protective barrier comes at a huge cost. It is totally inauthentic, and deep down… you know it. The life you are living is a complete fraud. And even worse, because it is inauthentic, you feel like nobody could possibly love the “real you”—who you really are—and nobody knows how you really feel. You feel like you must carry on this facade, this front, forever. If you don’t, you fear you will be unlovable.
Well, you’re wrong. In fact, letting down this barrier is what opens your heart and mind for lifelong change—and will make you more lovable than ever!
Georgeanna, a self-described perfectionist, was unable to see herself as anything but the perfect person she thought she had to be in order to be loved. But the real Georgeanna had become over 100 pounds overweight, living two separate existences—the one in her head where she still thought she had to be a perfect mother, wife, daughter, and the one who walked around during the day, a ghost of her real self. Where was the real Georgeanna? Buried. Muted. Georgeanna’s biggest step was seeing herself naked and having the courage to say, “This is who I am right now.”
Georgeanna remembers the exact moment I had her disrobe and step on the scale in front of her family and friends. She never felt more vulnerable in her entire life. She had never, ever shared how much she weighed with her husband, Scott, or anyone else in her life—let alone her whole community. She put all of her energy into doing good work for others (her “perfect” self), as if to erase the reality that she had an enormous weight problem and food addiction.
So with all the courage she could muster, Georgeanna stepped on the scale. What happened next was the exact opposite of what she thought would happen. Instead of people snickering and laughing, they began to applaud. They shouted words of encouragement and love. This first step unleashed a torrent of tears… followed by a torrent of successes. Her ability to let herself be so vulnerable paved the way for her to confront her fears, give herself permission, and ultimately declare what she wanted: weight loss, health, and a chance to change the way she was living that was making her so unhappy with herself. She realized that she could be open and honest with everyone about her mistakes and slip-ups along the way, not having to report that she was doing everything perfectly all the time—and everyone loved her more because of it. As she told us, “I would lie down at night and feel proud of myself and the choices I made throughout the day—instead of feeling ashamed, afraid, and filled with dread and self-loathing.”
In that moment of vivid vulnerability, Georgeanna’s authentic self was revealed and she was able to summon the courage to move forward into her real journey. If she hadn’t allowed herself to become that open and vulnerable, she would not have succeeded.
To put our mind into a place where we are open to change, we must be truly “authentic.” We must be wholly open and honest with ourselves, and with others.
To be authentic, we need to understand our ego. Our ego is the protective barrier we were speaking of earlier. It was built to protect us, but most often hinders our ability for growth and change. Embracing your ego and the role that it plays enables you to put it aside and get on with your real life.
So what does it take to be vulnerable? Sometimes it is a physical step like disrobing and looking in a mirror or stepping on a scale. Sometimes it’s more the emotional step of being truly honest about your imperfections, and sharing openly with others about your fears, your mistakes, your dreams and aspirations. This is all part of being human that most of us hide, but being vulnerable is the only way to truly change and grow. Let yourself be truly honest about who you are. This creates the clearing for an open mind and growth. And you very well may be surprised… your vulnerability gives others around you permission to also open up for healing and growth!
Heidi Tip 
As a woman, stepping on the scale is naturally tough for me, especially having battled an eating disorder for most of my teenage years and early adulthood! But the more I do it, and the more I push myself to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, the easier it gets… and the more I love and accept myself for who I am. So don’t fear the scale. Let it simply be a tool to help you stay honest and accountable.
DAY 10
Day 10: High-Carb Day
Meal 1: Breakfast
Recipe: Huevos Rancheros
Meal 2: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: PB & J Rice Cakes and Shake
Meal 3: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Grilled Ginger Lime Tuna and Steamed Vegetable Medley
Meal 4: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Triple Berry Treat
Meal 5: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Pepper Jack Chicken
Day 10: Metabolic Mission: Mt. Everest (Chipper)
Set a running clock and complete one round of this circuit as fast as you can. Record your time in your Daily Tracker!
20 Burpees
30 Push-Ups
40 Flutterkicks
50 Air Squats
60 Mountain Climbers
70 High Knees
Day 10: Accelerator: 10 minutes (minimum)
Select any activity of your choosing, and keep your heart rate above 120 beats per minute (bpm) the entire time. Prescribed optional interval for maximum results: Tenacious Twos (2:00 low intensity / 2:00 high intensity)
LESSON 10
UNLOAD THE REAL WEIGHT
The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.
Mahatma Gandhi
Hurt. Vengeance. Sadness. Regret. Rage. We all carry emotional weight on our shoulders… some more than others. Different events in our lives when we were betrayed, hurt, abandoned—or hurt and abandoned others—can haunt us and influence the way we feel about ourselves. These emotions deeply affect our decision making every day. All of these feelings can be categorized into the two major destructive emotions: anger and shame.
Frequently we hear that people who go through massive rehabilitation, like recovery from alcohol, drug, or other addictions, often have to confront a lot of emotional pain or trauma from their past in order to finally find peace. This kind of emotional healing is critical for recovery from addiction if one wants to truly and powerfully change one’s life.
However, dealing with this emotional weight is not exclusive to individuals struggling with heavy addictions. We all have emotional weight that we carry that is holding us back! Many times we have gone so long carrying the weight that we’ve almost forgotten that it is there… almost. It’s like living life with the flu and forgetting what it is like to feel energetic and healthy. If we want to release this parking brake that is holding us back, we need to unload the real weight!
When Bruce first embarked on his journey of transformation he was motivated by his desire to be a more powerful, active football coach for his young players. He knew that his weight was killing him. But what he did not realize until he was knee-deep into the process is that the shame, emotions, and feelings from his past were preventing him from moving on to the future he dreamed of. He realized that in order to move on, he needed to heal from his own pain suffered at the hands of his father. During our time with Bruce, he admitted that his father had sexually and emotionally abused him for years, since he’d been a little boy. His father was now in prison on multiple counts of sexually molesting other children. But Bruce had never spoken aloud that he, too, was one of his father’s victims. The shame of his silence was the real source of what was killing Bruce.
Fortunately, Bruce had an opportunity to unload the weight of his shame and anger when his father came up for parole. Afraid and shaken, Bruce summoned every bit of his courage and confronted his father in a courtroom, telling the parole hearing judge that he was also a victim and that for the safety of him and other children, his father should stay behind bars. Even in this difficult moment, Bruce told his father that he forgave him, and was ready to move on with his life—free from the control of his memories.
From that moment on, Bruce has been unstoppable. He lost weight faster than ever. He got fitter than ever. He worked himself out of debt and started dating. He unloaded the real weight—released the parking brake that had been stuck on for years—and is now living a limitless life, at half of his original body weight. Oh, and now we work side by side with him as one of our incredible transformation coaches!
Take a look at what some of our courageous people unloaded to transform:
- Cassandra chose to forgive herself for giving up her son for adoption and explained to him her wishes for his better life.
- Melissa chose to forgive her late husband for taking his life and abandoning her and her sons.
- Jeff chose to forgive himself for being an absent father and apologized to his family.
- Kenny chose to forgive himself for quitting the marines.
- David chose to forgive himself for not being there for his younger brother and sister when they needed him most.
These were all events and emotions that each of these individuals kept secret or buried for years. Whether it was hurt they endured, or the hurt they caused someone else, unable to deal with the emotions, they numbed themselves with food. It cost them, just like it may be costing you right now.
Sound familiar?
What happened? It is a powerful question we ask everyone going through transformation, because once we can identify it, we can help set you free. Here are some experiences that can create a legacy of destructive emotions that will hold you back:
- Death
- Affair
- Molestation
- Abandonment
- Bullying
- Disappointments or failures
- Sexuality
- Segregation
- Sexual assault
- Domestic violence
- Divorce
- Adoption
If you have experienced any of these, you are certainly not alone. In fact, we don’t know of anyone who hasn’t been through at least one of the traumatic events listed above. Whatever side you have been on, these major life events can cause devastating emotions of shame and anger that can, and will, prevent you from achieving your best life and body.
Keep in mind that clearing the past and unloading the weight doesn’t mean that you have to forget. It doesn’t mean that you are a doormat to get walked on and abused. Clearing the past is for you to heal and move on in your journey through life. That weight is not yours to carry anymore.
Stay attuned to yourself, your feelings, and your triggers. Whenever you begin to experience those shameful or angry feelings, find your superfriend or someone you can confide in openly. Fear of losing connection with others fuels these emotions, so it takes the interaction with another human—to see that you are still lovable—to heal the shame.
You will know when the time is right to confront traumatic issues of the past. Being ready is a process and it’s one you cannot do alone. So reach out to your team, a therapist, or a self-help group. If you’re not ready right now, that’s okay. Remember, this is your journey. When you are ready to move forward with no restraints, then you know what to do.
DAY 11
Day 11: High-Carb Day
Meal 1: Breakfast
Recipe: Hot Quinoa Cereal with Banana
Meal 2: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Egg Salad on Toast
Meal 3: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs
Meal 4: High-Carb Meal
Recipe: Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Bites
Meal 5: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Almond-Crusted Tilapia with Asparagus and Cauliflower Mash
Day 11: Metabolic Mission: Hustle Time (AMRAP)
Set a running clock and do as many rounds of the following circuit as possible in 6 minutes.
7 Mountain Climbers
9 Squats
Day 11: Accelerator: 10 minutes (minimum)
Select any activity of your choosing, and keep your heart rate above 120 beats per minute (bpm) the entire time. Prescribed optional interval for maximum results: Nasty Nineties (1:30 low intensity / 1:30 high intensity)
LESSON 11
BANISH THE NEGATIVE SELF-TALK
If we talked to our friends in the same way that we talk to ourselves, we wouldn’t have any friends.
—Anonymous
You know that annoying voice in our heads that relentlessly reminds us that we could have done better or should work harder? The voice that berates us, tells us that we are not smart enough or that we are too fat? We have all, at one time or another, heard this voice of negativity of all that we aren’t, all that is wrong with us, and all that is just not good enough.
Does any of this sound familiar?
“I knew I couldn’t do it—I am such a loser.”
“I am nothing compared with those people.”
“I’m such an idiot; I can’t believe I’m so stupid.”
“I’m no good.”
“I am bad.”
“I am a failure.”
“I am a terrible parent.”
“I am worthless.”
“Everyone else is better than me.”
“I could never do that.”
“I’ll never be any good at it.”
“It’s always my fault.”
“Nobody likes me.”
“I’m not popular.”
“I can’t cope.”
We’re going to shoot straight here: This kind of negative thinking brings absolutely nothing good to your life. In fact, it costs you joy, confidence, happiness, and ultimately the life (including the body) you want.
In this step, you are going to learn how to control that negative self-talk, to make it work for you—not against you. You are going to destroy that broken record, bury the conversation, and learn how to say affirming and empowering things to yourself. Why is this so important? Because the way we think, literally the content of our thoughts, affects how we feel and act. Behavioral researchers have shown that of the 50,000 or so thoughts we have each and every day, most are automatic, which means they pass through our minds without our realizing it. And if these thoughts are negative or self-critical, then they actually harm our confidence, our beliefs, our self-esteem, and our ability to make beneficial choices through the day.
We are asking you to make big changes to your behaviors. But before you can do that, it’s critical that you first stop the barrage of negative, self-denigrating thoughts that are making you think that you can’t change, that you can’t succeed, and that you can’t stick with it.
Letting Go of the Negative
Now is the time to deal with your mind. We are who we tell ourselves we are. Unfortunately, most of the time we are only telling ourselves how unlovable, unacceptable, inadequate, and imperfect we are. We have the hardest time seeing the good within ourselves, and tend to feel guilt when we do! Because so much of our thoughts and brain power is directed toward belittling ourselves, we do eventually become what we feel is an unlovable, unacceptable, inadequate, imperfect person. The good news is that, if we can talk ourselves into being inadequate, we can also talk ourselves into being wonderful, beautiful, powerful, and strong! We have the power to redirect our thoughts and use them to reinforce our goals. How? By replacing negative, self-sabotaging ways of thinking with positive, affirming, and dignity-inspired thoughts.
Identifying your negative thinking is the first step toward creating a positive mindset. The go-to experts in this field are cognitive behaviorists, and they have identified common types of negative thinking. There is overlap among them, but giving each type a name makes it easier to remember them. (If you do any more reading in cognitive therapy, you may come across the term distorted thinking. Some authors use that term instead of negative thinking, which we think sounds harsh. But we must say, distorted thinking feels so much more accurate because all of the negative things you are saying about yourself, simply aren’t true!)
The Big Five Types of Distorted Thinking
Just to prove to you that you are not alone, hundreds of books and thousands of articles have been written on negative thinking and how to turn it around. Why? Because as humans, we all do it! In fact, there are textbook categories for all of the thoughts that flow through your head on a daily basis. So to sum it up: Welcome to the club. Now, just like training a muscle, we can train our minds to turn that negative talk into something that doesn’t hurt us, but actually helps us! (Source: www.cognitivetherapyguide.org.)
- All-or-Nothing Thinking/Polarizing—“I have to do things perfectly, because anything less than perfect is a failure.” All-or-nothing thinking is the most common type of negative thinking, and leads to anxiety because you think that any mistake is a failure, which may expose you to criticism or judgment. Therefore you don’t give yourself permission to even attempt many things if you don’t feel you can do them perfectly. Or if you do attempt, you may tend to lie and hide any mistakes. You are terrified to be vulnerable and honest with yourself. You let your ego stand in the way of you and your authentic self.
- Disqualifying the Positives/Filtering—“Life feels like one disappointment after another.”
- Negative Self-Labeling—“I feel like a failure. I’m flawed. If people knew the real me, they wouldn’t like me.”
- Catastrophizing—“If something is going to happen, it’ll probably be the worst-case scenario.”
- Personalizing—“It’s always my fault.” When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.
Other Common Types of Distorted Thinking
- Mind Reading—“I can tell people don’t like me because of the way they act around me.”
- Should Statements—“People should be fair. If I’m nice to them, they should be nice back.”
- Excessive Need for Approval—“I can only be happy if people like me. If someone is upset, it’s probably my fault.”
- Disqualifying the Present—“I’ll relax later. But first I have to rush to finish this.”
- Dwelling on Pain—“If I dwell on why I’m unhappy and think about what went wrong, maybe I’ll feel better.” Alternatively, “If I worry enough about my problem, maybe I will feel better.”
- Pessimism—“Life is a struggle. I don’t think we are meant to be happy. I don’t trust people who are happy. If something good happens in my life, I usually have to pay for it with something bad.”
Flip the Switch: Turning the Negative into Positive
So after years of berating ourselves and beating ourselves up, how can we take this continuous conversation and change it? While we covered the power of forgiveness in the last lesson, reversing negative self-talk requires another powerful emotion: appreciation. We have seen most of our people silence these negative voices in their heads and replace them with positive, affirming, empowering voices—using appreciation. Remember, as bad as it seems life can get, there is always someone worse off. There are people in this world that are struggling through war, famine, drought, disease, severe poverty, and the list goes on. A large portion of the world’s population is just trying to make it through today alive.
When you think about it, you’ve got a lot going for you. If you’re reading this book, you’re literate. And you could actually afford to buy it! You are making strides toward a better you. Let’s tap into some “appreciation” and build this list even further:
- Identify Areas to Change—First, identify areas of your life that you typically think negatively about, whether it’s work, your daily commute, or a relationship. Start small by focusing on just one of those areas to approach in a more positive way. When you say something negative, challenge yourself to think of at least one positive to go with it. Practice appreciation for what you do have going for you.
- Check Yourself—Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you’re thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them. Once again, practice appreciation for yourself and what is working in your life.
- Be Open to Humor—Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.
- Surround Yourself with Positive People—Rely on your team. You created this positive, empowering network of people—surround yourself with them!
- Practice Positive Self-Talk—Start by following one simple rule: Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.
One of the most touching and impactful experiences we’ve ever had with banishing negative self-talk was with Jayce. When we first met Jayce, he was a broken man. He had always been overweight, unathletic, and considered himself a worthless failure. He had recently been through an awful divorce with a verbally abusive ex-wife who berated him daily, making him feel even more worthless. When we started the process of transformation with him, he was down, depressed, and had no confidence that he could actually do it. He couldn’t get out of his head the idea that he was a worthless failure—that he didn’t deserve this opportunity and that he was going to fail and disappoint everyone.
The bright spot in Jayce’s life was his 10-year-old son, whom he loved with all his heart. We sent Jayce home after just a few weeks of boot camp to straighten out some issues back home, and think about if he wanted to return. He chose to come back reluctantly, feeling that he had to. Jayce’s mother and his son came to the airport to see him off. In the airport as he was walking toward his plane back to boot camp, his son called out his name and said, “Hey, Dad!”
When Jayce turned around, his son said to him, “You deserve this.”
That moment changed everything. Jayce landed at boot camp a totally different man. His son completely flipped Jayce’s negative thinking—into a positive conversation that he had with himself every single day. Jayce is now a new man. Twelve months later and 200 pounds lost is proof!!
Here are some examples (source: Mayo Clinic) of negative self-talk and how you can apply a positive twist to them:
| Negative Self-Talk | Positive Thinking |
|---|---|
| I’ve never done it before. | I love learning new things. |
| It’s too complicated. | I’m creative. I’ll tackle it from a different angle. |
| I don’t have the resources. | I’m resourceful. I can find a way to make it happen. |
| I’m too lazy to get this done. | I’m committed. I wasn’t able to fit it into my schedule, but I can reexamine some priorities. |
| There’s no way it will work. | I can make it work. I’ll just stay flexible in my approach. |
| It’s too radical a change. | Let’s have some fun. Let’s take a chance. |
| No one bothers to communicate with me. | I’ll see if I can open the channels of communication. |
| I’m not going to get any better at this. | I persevere. I’ll keep trying until I get it done. Or at least I’ll get a helluva lot stronger in the process! |
DAY 12
Day 12: Low-Carb Day 
Meal 1: Breakfast
Recipe: Apple Cinnamon Muesli
Meal 2: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Deviled Eggs
Meal 3: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Chicken Basil Spaghetti
Meal 4: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Chocolate Chip Almond Coconut Bites and Shake
Meal 5: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Cajun Salmon with Cabbage Salad and Steamed Broccoli
Day 12: Metabolic Mission: Breakthrough (Tabata)
For each exercise, do as many reps as you can in 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds, then do as many reps as you can in 20 seconds again. Repeat for 8 total rounds (for a total of 4 minutes) per exercise. The lowest number of reps you get in any round is your score. You’ll get one score per exercise. Add up all three scores, and record it in your Daily Tracker!
Burpees
Back Lunges
Hollow Rocks
Day 12: Accelerator: 10 minutes (minimum)
Select any activity of your choosing, and keep your heart rate above 120 beats per minute (bpm) the entire time. Prescribed optional interval for maximum results: Mighty Minutes (1:00 low intensity / 1:00 high intensity)
LESSON 12
CREATE YOUR NEW IDENTITY
First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.
—Epictetus
Who are you?
It’s not a trick question, but the way you answer it will most likely have a lasting impact on your future.
Our identity says a lot about us. Our identity is defined as “the character, qualities, beliefs, etcetera, that make a particular person or group different from another.” Character, qualities, beliefs. These are the components of our transformation mind-set! These are what control your choices now and the choices you make in the future. Which is why the way you think about yourself right now is critical to your long-term success.
As you move through these steps of transformation, your body will begin to change significantly. As it does so, however, the way you view yourself must change, too—if this transformation is going to last.
The purpose of this lesson is to help you identify the new you. The real you. Sometimes this new identity is tied to an aspiration, and sometimes it is linked to a younger self. Either way, it is a brand-new way of defining who you are from the inside out—from the way you act toward others, to the choices you make, to the clothes you wear. In fact, many of our peeps literally change their careers! This lesson is all about realizing who you can be, then becoming that person now!
Think about it.
Here’s some quick and hard-hitting common sense to put things into perspective for you: If you see yourself as a loser, a disappointment, or a failure, then when faced with everyday decisions in life, you will make the choices of a loser, a disappointment, or failure. We’re going out on a limb here, but chances are that those choices will not benefit your health, fitness, and long-term weight loss goals. In short, if you believe this identity is you, you will unintentionally choose actions that support that belief.
The same applies for the reciprocal: When you see yourself now as a winner, an inspiration, an achiever, a hard worker, and an athlete, that is exactly who you’ll become.
Two people sit down at a restaurant to order a meal. One is a fat slob, and the other is a world-class athlete. What do they order?
Your meal choices for each would likely differ, wouldn’t they? You may think that the fat slob would order something like a cheeseburger and fries, or maybe pizza, right? And the world-class athlete would order chicken and rice, or maybe fish and a baked potato, right?
Here’s the trick to the scenario—if that’s what you think they’ll eat, then that’s what they’ll eat. So which one are you?
However you see yourself, your actions will support and you will further anchor yourself into that identity! See yourself as a fat slob, and you will become more of a fat slob. See yourself as a world-class athlete and you will become more and more of a world-class athlete!
In this process, we are being with the end in mind. We declare who it is that we want to be, then we become that person now! Every successive day we live into that new inevitable future—of being a winner, an inspiration, an achiever, a hard worker, and an athlete!
When we immediately become who it is we want to be, negative talk disappears, and positive thinking begins… because the new you, the real you, would never talk to yourself that way! When faced with decisions, you make choices that positively affect your long-term future, because that is who you are and what you do!
Bruce explains his new identity this way: “My whole life is different now. It took me a while before I understood that I’m not a loser who failed at life. I’m a role model. I’m a coach. I’m an inspiration, and I’m the hardest worker in the room. That’s who I chose to be at the beginning of my journey, and that’s exactly who I became. I want to help others now. I want to pay it forward.”
For Melissa, her new identity emerged more subtly. As she told us, “I wasn’t used to being successful in my life.” Melissa’s new identity was more an internal shift as she became used to feeling differently in her body—more confident and more comfortable. For years, Jami believed she was a monster. When she realized that she is a talented, beautiful inspiration… everything changed.
DAY 13
Day 13: Low-Carb Day
Meal 1: Breakfast
Recipe: “Loaded” Breakfast Potato
Meal 2: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Edamame and Pistachio Hummus with Cucumbers and Chicken
Meal 3: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Grilled Wild Salmon with Quinoa and Edamame Salad
Meal 4: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake
Meal 5: Low-Carb Meal
Recipe: Cauli Mash and Meatballs
No Metabolic Mission: Day off!
Day 13: Accelerator: 10 minutes (minimum)
Select any activity of your choosing, and keep your heart rate above 120 beats per minute (bpm) the entire time. Prescribed optional interval for maximum results: Dirty Two-Thirties (2:30 low intensity / 2:30 high intensity)
LESSON 13
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
—Benjamin Franklin
WARNING: We’re going to be your superfriends and give you some tough love here. However, it is only because we care and want the best for you.
The number one red flag we look for when determining when someone is ready for transformation is acting and thinking like a victim. We know that people who blame others for their current condition, pain, suffering, and disappointment are people who have not yet accepted responsibility for their own choices. When we detect that kind of thinking, we do not choose those people for the journey of transformation… because we simply cannot help them. A victim mentality is not capable of change.
If someone cannot take responsibility for their actions, it is impossible for them to reach a goal.
You can decide whether you want to be a victim or not. But know this at the outset: Once someone chooses to take responsibility for their actions, then they can change! Taking responsibility is huge and scary and makes you extremely vulnerable. It takes a ton of courage, but courage is what it takes to change your life! It means you are responsible for your failures, your bad days, and all those times that you lost weight and gained it back again.
We’re not saying that you haven’t suffered in the past. We’re not saying that awful things didn’t happen to you. We’re not saying that you aren’t struggling, or that you don’t have a chaotic and unpredictable life right now. What we are saying is that the only way you can change your life forever is to take full responsibility for your actions.
Here is your wake-up call: You are in the driver’s seat! You always have been. You aren’t struggling with your weight because someone held a gun to your head and forced you to consume 5,000 calories a day. You CHOSE to eat what you ate… when you ate it! Don’t feel bad about it—heck, we’ve made a lot of poor choices, too, that cost us! However, take responsibility for it, and you can take your life wherever you wish. You can declare your dreams and make them a reality. You can write down your goals and achieve them. But first you need to take responsibility and stop blaming others for what has or has not happened for you.
This concept is pretty simple. Life is unexpected and unfair. Anything and everything can and will happen. You will break bones, you will throw out your back, you will have marital issues or career problems. You will be put on a different medication that causes unwanted side effects. But one thing is for sure: Life won’t shove 5,000 calories down your throat. Only you can choose to do that. If you don’t take responsibility and call yourself out for doing it, you’re only protecting your destructive behavior… and you will never, ever change. But once you own it and admit it, you take full control of your actions and destiny!
We’re not singling you out here. Heck, we all fall into the victim mind-set. In fact, we both struggle with this on a daily basis. It is hard to take responsibility for your actions. It sucks to feel like you messed up sometimes. But we’re all human, and we mess up. However, it requires a ton of courage to take responsibility. Everyone around you will likely recognize your bravery.
Jeff’s Terrible, Wonderful Tuesday
Jeff and his daughter Juliana had returned home after the 90-day boot camp feeling confident and resolute about their eating and exercise routines. Michelle, Jeff’s wife, was 100 percent on board and made changes to how she shopped, cooked, and prepared meals for the entire family. But when Jeff began reporting back his results to us, something was off. The numbers just didn’t add up. When we asked Jeff if he was following through on his promises to meet his goals, he assured us he was. So what was happening? We decided to take things into our own hands by running some light surveillance on Jeff. We wanted to believe that he was telling us the truth, but we also knew that when people are in their old, comfortable home environments, it can be difficult to resist their triggers and old habits.
After a few days of checking up on Jeff, we found that he was not doing what he said he was going to do. Jeff was eating well, in large part thanks to Michelle’s efforts. But he was barely exercising at all. He wouldn’t show at the gym, and when he did go, he would only stay a few minutes then leave. If he wanted to continue to lose weight, then he had to move every day.
We confronted him. Sitting in his living room, we gently asked him how it was going for him being at home. He said everything was great. When we pressed him about the discrepancies in his numbers, he angrily insisted that he was doing everything he said he was. Clearly, he was upset that we were questioning his integrity. When we kept probing and asking him if that was true, he hesitated and then broke down.
“I was so embarrassed and felt so ashamed. Here I was, sitting in front of Chris and Heidi, who had given me so much and trusted me so much. And I was lying to them. In my mind, I had been making all sorts of excuses for why I was cutting my exercise short—I had bad knees, bad back, and I had work to do. You name it, I had an excuse for it. These excuses were all about me playing the victim—they were ways for me to deflect responsibility for my choices and my actions. Did I not want to succeed? No! I wanted to reach my goals! But it took Chris and Heidi confronting me to really understand how to take responsibility once and for all.”
Who was hurt by Jeff skipping his exercise and lying about it? Jeff.
Our excuses are simply that: reflections of us not being ready to take responsibility. But in the end, this “terrible, wonderful Tuesday” was a wake-up call that worked. The confrontation with us enabled Jeff to confront not only his excuses, but the lies that lay beneath the excuses. He chose to use a “victim” excuse and say that he couldn’t exercise because of his knees—when in his heart he knew that he could have easily worked around his injuries and done exercises that didn’t bother his knees. Jeff saw how his not being truthful was getting in his own way. “Lying to myself was just a way of giving myself an out for not being successful. Talk about a vicious circle!”
Why was this moment such a turning point for Jeff? Because his backslide was triggered when he broke his promise one day at home, and didn’t follow through on his exercise. Instead of confessing, reassessing, and recommitting (the most powerful formula for getting back on track that we will discuss in the next section), it was easier for his ego to place the blame on something else, so he didn’t have to take responsibility. Once he started blaming everything and everyone else, it was hard to stop the backslide, until we stepped in and challenged him to be vulnerable and honest, and take full responsibility. That was Jeff’s turning point. He changed his mind-set, which has in turn changed his life. Now Jeff will tell you that his knees and back feel absolutely amazing since he’s lost the weight… and that he has never felt more proud of who he is as a father and contributor to his community. Jeff lost nearly 200 pounds in a year and is now coaching others through the journey of transformation!
Heidi Tip
Fighting through injuries is no easy battle. I’ve been there! Many of you most likely have been, too—whether the result of overtraining or a freak accident, injuries even as small as a strained muscle can make us feel threatened that our fitness levels will slip away. They tend to even become excuses why we can’t go to the gym, or even better yet, why we have to eat more junk food.
A Our health and happiness have become victim to this injury. I’m not pointing fingers. I’ve been there, too!!! But it doesn’t have to be this way—injuries are NOT excuses. There are alternative exercises around any injury.
For other people, taking responsibility is a more subtle process, but it requires the same kind of honesty and looking in the mirror. Taking responsibility isn’t easy—it’s the hard part. It takes vulnerability and courage, and is the true opportunity for growth and change. As we like to say, for every pointed finger, there are three pointing back! Ultimately, you didn’t “end up” where you are at—your path and choices have led you to the place you are at. Life may have been rough, but you chose what you put in your mouth.
Here is the harsh reality: There are things in life we can control, and things in life we can’t. We hear all the time, “I have to lose this weight or I will die.” Well, the truth is, you don’t have to do anything. No one is holding a gun to your head… except you. If you choose to lose the weight, it is never because you have to. Always remember that it is because you want to!
DAY 14
It’s Time to Weigh In
Weigh in first thing in the morning without eating or drinking. Remove as many articles of clothing as possible to get the cleanest weight.
Your current weight.
At this time, feel free to take any other measurements as well.
Day 14: Reset Day 
It’s Reset Day! Make meals easy by cooking up our Clean Cheat recipes, or simply add 1,000 extra calories of foods you love to a normal high-carb day.
Meal 1: Chocolate Glazed Crepes
Meal 2: BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza
Meal 3: Muddy Buddies
Meal 4: Mac and Cheese with Bacon
Meal 5: Homemade Oreos
Rest Day
Now relax! Take the day off and rest—no Metabolic Missions and no Accelerators!
LESSON 14:
CONQUER YOUR F.E.A.R.
Fear does not prevent death, it prevents living.
—Anonymous
Change is scary. We get it. Let’s get it all out of the way right now:
You’re scared of feeling deprived.
You’re scared of the inconvenience of taking on new habits and patterns.
You’re scared of feeling uncomfortable during the exercise.
You’re scared of calling attention to your weight and don’t want others to see or know that you’re trying to do something about it.
You’re scared of failing yet one more time at weight loss.
This is natural. This is normal. Fears are triggered when we explore out of our comfort zones. At the least sign of discomfort, we often automatically experience fear.
It’s Just a Mirage
But what is FEAR? It’s not tangible. It’s not in the present, but in the future. FEAR is something that hasn’t even happened. So what are you scared of?
To break it down, fear is not real. It’s a reflection of what is in our imagination. Here’s how we tear it apart.
Here’s the most popular acronym for FEAR, and without a doubt the most appropriate one:
F—False
E—Evidence
A—Appearing
R—Real
False Evidence Appearing Real. Basically it’s something untrue; it hasn’t even happened, pretending to be real. Yet, we experience a physical reaction to it as if it were real.
Sounds easy. Maybe. We all have fears. We fear heights. We fear facing traumatic moments in our life. We fear feeling uncomfortable during exercise. We fear for our children’s safety. We fear for our own health. We fear for each other’s health. Believe it or not, many fear success, and the responsibility that comes along with it.
There are many things we FEAR—some consciously, some subconsciously. These are some common fears we hear from our peeps:
“I’m scared I won’t be able to live happily without bingeing.”
“I’m scared that I’m going to fail on yet another diet.”
“I’m scared that if I mess this up, my family and friends are going to think I’m an even bigger disappointment.”
“I’m afraid that if I start to exercise I’m going to have a heart attack.”
“I’m scared of hurting my knee even more if I start exercising.”
“I’m scared that if I commit to this, I will never get to eat my ice cream again.”
“I’m scared of having to push myself physically.”
“I’m scared of losing my friends by doing this.”
Right now, think what it is about these fears that actually scares you. You’re scared of something that hasn’t happened… and here’s the punchline: Chances are, it might not!
Now, think of all the things that these FEARs have cost you. They have cost you your dreams and opportunities at your ideal weight. They have cost you joy. They have cost you integrity. They have cost you confidence, self-esteem, and dignity.
In this guide, we share with you all of the tips and tactics to prevent nearly every one of these scenarios. Thing is, most of what we are scared of isn’t life threatening or true, yet we let it completely paralyze us. We allow fear to hold us back from our true potential and greatness. Unfortunately, until we confront this “scary monster” of false evidence in front of us, we will never fulfill our dreams.
Mitzi had been chosen to be on the show, but we didn’t realize the extent of Mitzi’s misery and pain. She was over 100 pounds overweight—that’s what we saw. What we didn’t see was hidden inside of her home: She’d become a hoarder. Her home was in shambles. She had no refrigerator, no stove, no heat, nothing. It’s not that she didn’t have the money to fix it. She was so terrified of a repairman coming to the house and thinking poorly of her after seeing her living situation, she couldn’t bring herself to ever call for help.
She was so scared of what other people would think of her, it was costing her a better quality of life. She was living in shame and embarrassment.
Like Mitzi, when you confront your fears, something magical will happen. When we stop running away from them, and begin running toward them, they almost always disappear! Most often, what we are terrified of happening, never does. In fact, the outcome is usually more favorable than we ever expected!
For Mitzi, when she returned home from boot camp—with her Transformation Team by her side—she confronted her FEAR. She rallied her community to help clean out her house. They came out in force, acknowledging and complimenting her bravery for opening up and being vulnerable. Sure enough, that incredible day she even made new friends and some of the best supporters on her Transformation Team! Mitzi literally emptied her house and rid herself of the sad, scared person she had become. She confronted the FEAR that had kept her imprisoned for years, and now has completely liberated herself!
Mitzi’s greatest fear was admitting to herself—and the world—that she was a hoarder. Georgeanna’s biggest fear was that her husband and kids wouldn’t need her anymore if she put herself first. Bruce’s biggest fear was that he wasn’t worthy of love.
You are not alone. We all have FEARs and we will all continue to have fears throughout the rest of our lives. But now you have the opportunity to resee FEAR and see each fear you harbor inside as an opportunity for growth.
When you begin to “see” FEAR as life’s opportunities for growth and strength, it takes all power away from those feelings and situations that scare you, and puts you in the driver’s seat.
Try this exercise.
Heidi Tip
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone!
One of my most popular blog posts from about a year ago was called “Once I Try, I’ll Realize I CAN!” It was all about how hard it feels to get out of our comfort zone and try new things, which is a huge part of confronting our FEAR. Chris and I spend our lives challenging others to step outside their comfort zones to achieve a level of living that they’ve never before experienced. I think it’s time I take my own advice and do the same. People so often think that because we help others accomplish great things, Chris and I have no fear in doing these things ourselves. I am here to correct those individuals. We do get scared! We do need people to push us to jump outside our comfort zones! Who does this for us? None other than… our show participants. A 
When I wrote this post, I was spending time in New Zealand with one person in particular who reminds me how important it is to live my own life the way that I am teaching her to live. Melissa, because of you, I am spending this year being UNcomfortable. Like you have made it your mantra, I am making mine the same: I’m replacing “I can’t” with “I’ll try.” Once I try, I’ll realize I CAN!