The full FAQ
Every question, answered directly.
In Jeanina's own words — about the program, the lifestyle, fruits, sugar, metabolism, and everything in between.
What diet is this Lean on Carbs thing?
Lean on Carbs is a lifestyle based on a low-fat, fiber-rich, high-carb, whole-food, plant-based dietary pattern. And yes, it’s vegan.
At the same time, Lean on Carbs is an anti-diet approach that celebrates the powerful, natural survival mechanisms built into every animal in the animal kingdom to help regulate calorie intake: hunger and satiety.
So, Lean on Carbs is about eating ad libitum: eating whenever you’re hungry and stopping only when you’re comfortably full. No calorie deficits. No portion control. No calorie restriction.
And this is backed by science: when you eat your species-specific foods, you can eat them according to your hunger and satiety signals, allowing your body to regulate how much energy it takes in. That might mean 2,400 calories a day for one person or 3,500 calories a day for someone who is larger or more physically active. The point is that you don’t have to decide the number in advance — your body does.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and seaweed are the lowest-calorie-density foods on Earth, so you can eat large amounts without overconsuming calories. Their high-carb profile, naturally low-fat percentage, plus high water and fiber content make them exceptionally filling WITH the right amount of calories: not too little, never too much. Just enough.
Satiety for hours and cravings disappearing for the first time in your life.
That’s the magic of fiber + water + natural sugars + low fat.
The reason you were taught that you need to restrict portions and calories in the first place is that typical foods in our modern food environment are high in calorie density — hyper-concentrated in fats, refined sugars, and salt.
Lean on Carbs flips that approach on its head.
Instead of restricting how much you eat, change what you eat and you can eat more food than ever.
Let these fiber-rich low-fat foods, along with hunger and satiety, regulate your intake.
What exactly is included in the EAT program?
The complete EAT program includes: the book "When the Scale Won't Budge" in ePub format, the original twenty-track Lean on Carbs album Don't Tell Me Less is More, the subliminal track, the affirmations track, and lifetime access to the companion app where everything lives. You get instant access to all materials the moment your payment is confirmed.
Is this a subscription?
No. It's a single one-time payment for lifetime access. You will never be charged again. All future updates to the program materials and the companion app are included at no extra cost.
How is this different from other diet programs?
It is not a diet program. There is no meal plan, no calorie target, no thirty-day challenge. It is a holistic manual for healing the relationship between your body and food — addressing mindset, nutrition science, and emotional patterns simultaneously.
Can I read and listen on multiple devices?
Yes. The companion app installs on your phone, tablet, and desktop as a progressive web app. Read on one device, listen on another. Everything syncs seamlessly across all your devices.
How long should it take me to complete the book?
This book is designed to be read slowly and deliberately: a little each day, with no more than one chapter per week—or, if needed, as much time as you require to fully absorb and assimilate the information. With 28 chapters and roughly one week dedicated to each, you can complete the first reading and learning cycle in about six months; but this book is meant to be more than something you simply finish—it is a manual to return to again and again. Once you reach the end, begin reading it again, because the more deeply you immerse yourself in this fiber-rich, high-carbohydrate, low-fat, whole-food way of eating—and thinking—the stronger your understanding and adherence will become. Restoring metabolic health and allowing your body to reach a healthier weight through improved health rather than calorie restriction can take time, sometimes years, so maintaining motivation is essential; keep returning to these pages, and let the principles become increasingly familiar until they become part of the way you live.
Can I share my account?
The bundle is licensed per person. If a friend wants in, please send her this page — she’ll thank you for it.
Aren’t all those fruits going to make me fat?
No, quite the opposite is true. Populations that consume the highest amounts of fruits tend to be the healthiest and leanest. How many obese individuals do you know who gained weight solely by eating fruits and other high-carb, low-fat whole foods? How many bananas did you consume to become overweight? This notion is a myth larger than the one about unicorns. It’s even more challenging to find a single overweight, long-term plant-based eater who has large meals of fruits than it is to spot unicorns.
But fruits have sugar, and won’t they spike my glycemia? How can you claim fruits are healthy when they have a high Glycemic Index?
The issue with blood glucose levels isn’t the sugar itself but what impedes sugar from entering the cells, where it’s needed. What hinders sugar entry into cells? Can you explain why insulin fails, stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin?
Fats. Fats are the culprits. They obstruct insulin receptors on cells, preventing insulin from functioning optimally. The solution isn’t to increase insulin.
Or to reduce the intake of the natural occurring sugar. Sugar is the ideal fuel for our human body cells—do not forget that. Shifting your mindset from ‘sugars are bad’ to ‘sugars are the optimal fuel for our species’ brings benefits: weight loss, achieving your ideal weight, and maintaining it for life!
The key is to minimize the intake of fats such as oils, margarines, butter, nuts, chocolate, meat, dairy, and eggs. Animal fats, especially, are risky due to their high saturated fat content and accompanying dense proteins that can harm organs like the pancreas and kidneys. Additionally, animal-based products contain cholesterol, which herbivores like us can produce internally, causing health issues when consumed externally.
Bananas spike insulin not due to their sugar content but because of a high-fat diet. For those with less than 10% fats in their diets, bananas don’t trigger insulin or blood glucose spikes.
Studies measuring the Glycemic Index of foods have flaws, overlooking factors like fats. The true causes of diabetes are revealed in works by doctors Neal Barnard and Dean Ornish.
In a brief analogy, imagine insulin as the key to open the cell door for sugar entry.
You eat bananas; your pancreas produces insulin, attempting to insert sugars into cells, but the keyholes are blocked—by what? Fats! Therefore, the insulin ‘key’ doesn’t work. The pancreas releases more insulin, more ‘keys,’ attempting to open the cells. Insulin accumulates in the blood. So does sugar.
Is the excess sugar in the bloodstream the culprit? No. The issue is the closed door due to fat blockage in the keyhole.
Pancreatic debilitation, insulin resistance, and diabetes formation are results of high-fat diets, not carbohydrates and certainly not fruits, which are rich in fructose. Fructose doesn’t require insulin to enter cells; it does so independently. Fructose is a badass sugar!
How many diabetic individuals gained weight and developed diabetes from consuming grapes, mangoes, dates, and bananas? I challenge you to find any.
I don’t particularly enjoy fruits; I prefer veggies. Is this program flexible? Can I follow it without including all those fruits?
Imagine you have to choose between two bowls of food – one with broccoli and the other with cherries. Which would you rather eat?
If you find yourself favoring vegetables over sweet, juicy, flavorful fruits, it’s an unusual preference, to say the least. Humans are designed with the largest portion of their tongues covered in taste buds for the sweet taste. We all possess a pronounced sweet tooth, as nature intended, ensuring we consume enough sugars, our ideal source of fuel.
While you may lean towards veggies over fruits, you still have a love for sweets. Here are three words for you: start journaling, girl! This is where you uncover your limiting beliefs about fruits. Like many of us, you’ve likely been conditioned against fruits, carbs, sugars, and plants.
It’s crucial to question everything you know about food and nutrition. Often, the conclusion that fruits are unhealthy is drawn from studies where fructose syrup or table sugar was used, not whole foods like actual fruits. Fruits contain fructose, sucrose, glucose, some starches, and numerous other components – fibers, water, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, phytonutrients, essential fatty acids, amino acids, etc.
To address your query, I’ve witnessed people lose weight on a High Carb Low Fat plant-based vegan lifestyle without incorporating fruits. It’s achievable. However, many of these individuals resort to cheat meals, they crave cookies and indulge in junk food made out of refined grains, table sugar, and oils – sometimes not even vegan. Our bodies need the simple carbohydrates, the sugars found in fruits. In veggies, fructose and sucrose are present in smaller amounts, insufficient for our energy needs. When we don’t ingest enough of it, you can bet we are going to get it anyway but from the wrong place.
Biologically and physiologically, we resemble great apes like bonobos. Bonobos, frugivorous animals, predominantly eat fruits and some leaves. You are now saying something like: I will take the leaves; I actually prefer eating them over fruits. Saying you prefer leaves over fruits is akin to rejecting a crucial part of our natural diet. Bonobo won’t survive only with leaves. Neither do we.
In conclusion, your preference for veggies may stem from a fear of sugars. This mindset is not fixed, is malleable, you can change it when you understand that is a very unhealthy and dangerous belief that made you ill, overweight and kept you in this hamster wheel – the pharma and diet industry.
In my program, I advocate for fruit-heavy meals, like 800-1200 calorie meals. These highly nutritious meals aid in colon and body detoxification, combat inflammation, and address issues caused by inflammation. Moreover, they fuel your brain and all body cells with the simple sugars we all crave, reducing cravings for alcohol and sweets.
I don’t advocate veggies over fruits, although I encourage eating veggies too. Veggies are healthy, nutritious, and, crucial for weight loss, low in caloric density. However, due to their low caloric content per bite, they can trick you into thinking you’ve eaten enough when you’ve only consumed around 200 calories. Therefore, veggies serve as a side dish, with the main dish comprising high-sugar or high-starch foods (fruits, potatoes, sweet potatoes, whole grains, legumes).
For example, I love kale and lettuce. But because they have not enough carbs, not enough calories, I pair that salad with bananas. Or, if it is dinner time, with basmati brown rice.
But I cannot eat 6 pounds of fruits; that is insane! Is this program still suitable for me?
Firstly, let’s question why it seems insane to consume 6 pounds of fruits. Reflect on where this belief originated. Who instilled this perspective? Are those individuals healthy, fit role models, or do they struggle with weight, chronic health issues, and long-term medication?
Biologically, our species aligns with a frugivorous diet. It’s akin to deeming it insane for a bonobo or a gorilla in the wild to consume pounds of fruits. Or suggesting to a gazelle that it’s unreasonable to eat vast amounts of grass. Or labeling a lion as crazy for consuming substantial pounds of flesh.
However, you don’t need to eat 6 pounds of fruits daily to achieve health and weight loss. At a minimum, consider incorporating fruits into your breakfast, around 2-3 pounds.
If you find it challenging to embrace the idea that, after all the omnivore programming, we are essentially herbivores and, more specifically, frugivores, and if you resist considering this perspective, then, no, this program may not be suitable for your current mindset.
I’d prefer to eat smaller portions, not tons of fruits and potatoes. Is this program still suitable for me?
The inclination to opt for smaller portions of high-caloric density foods is precisely why many people struggle with excess weight. I often hear statements like, ‘I couldn’t eat like you; I prefer small portions of rich foods!’ or ‘I prefer enjoying delicious foods in moderation!’ Interestingly, these individuals are often overweight.
I advocate for consuming DELICIOUS foods in ABUNDANCE, and I’ve successfully lost weight following this approach.
Statistical studies reveal that overweight individuals derive at least 30% of their daily calories from high-caloric density foods—those exceeding 600 calories per pound. Can you guess what falls into this category, and what doesn’t?
Foods under the threshold of 600 calories per pound include WHOLE food HIGH CARB plants, rich in water and fibers, low in fat:
• Fruits
• Veggies
• Whole Grains
• Legumes
Whole plants high in FAT, such as nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados, surpass this threshold, making them dense caloric foods that contribute to weight gain. They are very dense caloric foods having low content of water and high fat content. And even a small portion of nuts has more calories and more fats that you should have. People avoid eating bananas because they think those bananas have lots of calories, but they instead eat a handful of pistachios as a small snack.
Additionally, processed foods, refined grains, oils, and animal products typically fall into the over-600-calories-per-pound category.
Consider two key points:
• 1. Small portions of rich foods have more calories than large portions of low-caloric density food.
• 2. Small portions do not fill the stomach adequately, leading to post-meal cravings for sweets and fats, resulting in further overeating
•
This overconsumption of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods is the primary cause of obesity and the reason you may not have achieved your desired weight. By embracing a diet rich in low-caloric density foods, such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes, you can address these issues.
The truth is, obese individuals and I eat a similar amount of food daily, around 6-9 pounds. The crucial distinction lies in the source of those pounds: an obese person often consumes a diet high in fats, refined carbs, animal products, and processed foods, lacking fiber, natural sugars, and essential nutrients. In contrast, my diet emphasizes high natural carbs, natural sugars, rich in fiber foods, high water content, and low-fat.
We all are inclined to eat the same amount of food. Around 2-3 pounds of food every meal. It’s our stomach capacity, more or less.
When you stay away from those obesogenic foods, high in fats, in animal-based nutrition, and refined carbs, and low in natural simple sugars, low in fiber, low in water, AND eat the volumes, the abundance of the right nutrition for our species, your body will lean down. And you won’t ever crave and binge again.
The opposite is also true. When you avoid eating the daily 6-9 pounds of fruits, potatoes, veggies, whole grains, and legumes, you’ll end up having the rich foods, the ones that put you in the current situation. You stay away from those 2,400 calories/day packed with the best nutrition for your body and you end up eating over 3,000 calories/day. How’s that a smart move?
But I don’t like the food you say will make me healthy and slim. I don’t find it delicious, as you say. This diet is not for everybody…
Just because you may not currently appreciate the taste of whole plants doesn’t mean the food lacks flavor. Your taste buds, currently accustomed to intense flavors from refined carbs, refined fats, animal fats, and artificial additives, can undergo a transformation within a few weeks of this lifestyle (or sooner with some tools I provide). This change extends beyond your tongue to your brain, with dopamine release, and your gut, with beneficial changes in gut bacteria.
All those fruits will make me go to the toilet too often, won’t they?
Let me ask you: why do you think it is bad to have 3 bowel movements per day or to take a pee every two hours? These are actually signs of good health.
You have to understand that you have been programmed to view something beneficial as actually bad. In our fiber deprived society, where taking laxatives is normal and pills for constipation are sold like candies, where going for no.2 every other day is the gold standard, the majority is ill and overweight. 3 in 4 people are overweight and one third is obese. So, why do you still use their standards to guide your life?
In our dehydrated society, plagued by symptoms like migraines, brain fog, and depression, people are quick to turn to drugs for relief. Yet, they often overlook the simple solution provided by fruits – a nutritious package that includes WATER.
Going 3-4 times/day for no.2 and having large bowel movements that come out smoothly, like a breeze, is amazing. You feel light and energized. And I know what I’m talking about. I had my share of chronic constipation too.
Consider this: why would you choose to retain all that waste in your system for days instead of eliminating it? In the warm environment of your colon, feces putrefy, and toxins are absorbed into the bloodstream, directly impacting your liver. By going to the bathroom more frequently, you give your liver a break. So, embrace the opportunity to discharge waste regularly by incorporating high-carb whole foods into your diet.
Many people resort to extreme detox cleanses to eliminate accumulated toxins. However, these methods come with serious downsides. Instead, opt for a gradual and slow detoxification by consuming fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes in sufficient quantities. This diet will GRADUALLY and SLOWLY detoxify your whole body.
Aren’t I going to get deficiencies on this vegan diet?
You know, this is hilarious. But also deadly ironic. You are ALREADY deficient in many nutrients and micronutrients. You already suffer from the illnesses caused by your poor nutrition diet. AND you are overweight, a major sign of deficiencies and chronic diseases associated with FOOD.
You currently have a diet that LACKS the nutrition your body desperately needs: simple natural sugars, fibers, water, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals.
Simultaneously, it’s excessively rich in the wrong kind of nutrition for your human body—too dense proteins, too much proteins, too much fats, saturated fats, cholesterol, heme iron, IGF1, animal exogenous hormones, artificial sugars, refined carbs, oils, etc.
You are malnourished. You put garbage in your stomach with the only purpose of feeling good. No nutrition on sight.
And now, when it comes to finally eating for the first time in your life what your frugivore body IS MEANT TO EAT, you worry you will miss some nutrients?!?
Consider this: no animal in the world can make minerals in their body. Do you know where minerals are coming from? Yes, the ground. The soil. The rocks. And PLANTS, with the help of bacteria, are the only organisms on Earth who can absorb and process those minerals and make them bioavailable. For them, in the first place, because they need minerals to function and grow. And for the animal kingdom. Herbivores eat the parts of the plants: roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds and get the minerals (and the vitamins those plants created, plus the fatty acids and the amino acids). And carnivores consume the flesh of the herbivores and, in this way, SECOND HAND, they get those minerals.
Therefore, no, the milk doesn’t contain calcium because mama caw makes calcium. And red meat doesn’t contain iron because that poor animal creates iron in his liver.
In fact, the minerals accumulated in high amounts in the flesh of an animal are at dangerous levels for our body.
Fats are healthy for our body, why avoid them?
Fats are present in small amounts in every food group recommended: fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes. All the parts of a plant contain fatty acids, from the root to the leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds.
For that reason, all these food groups are the perfect pack: they have sugars, fibers, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytosterols, AND a sufficient quantity of fatty acids and amino acids (the building blocks of the proteins).
In the Lean on Carbs program we avoid High Fat Density foods, such as oils, margarine, plant-based and animal-based butters, gee, lard, and all the other animal products, because: 1. We don’t need them for our health;
2. They are obesogenic foods – they are so rich in fats, and for that, they have High Caloric Density;
3. They are detrimental to our health, not only for the cardiovascular system, but for the pancreas (yes, high-fat diets make people diabetic, not fruits, potatoes, and whole grains).
By adhering to a Whole Food Plant Based High Carb High Fruit Low Fat Vegan Diet and consuming a sufficient amount of calories, you will end up with around 6-10% of the daily intake coming from fats. So rest assured you’ll get your essential fatty acids.
High Carb Low Fat means low fat. It doesn’t mean NO FAT.
Cholesterol is essential for our body. Where am I going to get it from?
It is essential, indeed. But only a small amount is needed for our health. A bit more and it can lead to issues in our arteries, heart, bile, liver, and various other organs.
Our human liver is designed to produce the right amount of cholesterol needed for our health. When we consume more fats, especially saturated fats, our liver increases cholesterol production. If we eat animal proteins, which are highly dense and differ significantly from plant proteins, the liver increases its production of cholesterol even more. Moreover, when consuming those animal proteins and animal saturated fats, we also ingest the cholesterol present in those animals, so we end up not only with our own production at very high levels but with the exogenic cholesterol. That is compounding the cholesterol levels in our bodies–not a healthy situation.
Remarkably, among the entire animal kingdom, only herbivores produce cholesterol in their bodies. No other animals, whether carnivores or omnivores, have an inherent production of cholesterol. ALL THE CHOLESTEROL IN THE WORLD IS PRODUCED BY HERBIVORES.
Carnivores and omnivores depend on their diet to supply them with cholesterol, typically obtained from the bodies of their herbivorous prey. They have biological mechanisms to detoxify and eliminate excess cholesterol resulting from consuming large amounts of flesh.
In contrast, herbivores not only produce their cholesterol but also possess mechanisms to retain and recycle it, without the ability to eliminate excess cholesterol.
This aligns with our human characteristics; we share this trait with herbivore animals. Us being herbivores doesn’t mean we should eat grass–we are not ruminants. But rather consume a more diverse plant material such as fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and herbs.
With all those carbs, you didn’t mention anything about proteins. Isn’t it unhealthy to eat only carbs?
While proteins are indeed crucial for our body’s functions, a small amount, less than 5% of our daily calories, is more than sufficient. Fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes offer comprehensive nutrition, containing not only carbohydrates and fibers but also the right amount and type of fats and proteins for our species.
Legumes boast the highest percentage of protein, followed by whole grains and veggies, whereas fruits have a lower content. Together, they provide approximately 7-10% of your daily protein intake, which is more than enough.
The challenge with proteins lies in our herbivore body’s lack of a detoxification mechanism. It holds onto and recycles proteins in a never ending cycle. Dense and larger amounts of proteins found in animal tissues can lead to complications in our kidneys and liver, being the main factor to kidney failure.
Our society’s general fondness for proteins, particularly animal proteins, reflects a lack of understanding of our human body’s specific nutritional needs. This society is deficient in essential nutrition for our bodies—simple sugars like fructose and sucrose, fibers, and antioxidants. Conversely, it is overloaded with the wrong nutrition—excessive fats, saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, proteins, particularly animal proteins.
Animal protein is not the premium protein for our species; it is essentially a second-hand protein. The premium proteins for our herbivore bodies are those derived from plants. These are first-class, first-hand, premium proteins.
And here’s the reason why: nitrogen-fixing bacteria, residing in the soil around the roots of plants, convert nitrogen gas from the air into nitrates. The plants, in turn, utilize these nitrates to synthesize amino acids, the fundamental building blocks of proteins. Animals, which cannot independently synthesize nitrogen or nitrates to create amino acids, depend on plants to supply them with these essential components. When carnivores consume herbivores, they essentially acquire second-hand proteins through this indirect chain.
Is a meal plan provided?
No, there is no provided meal plan, and it’s not necessary. Instead, the emphasis is on understanding the structure of meals and the underlying strategy of this eating approach. By grasping the fundamentals of our human body’s nutritional needs, you not only gain knowledge but also the freedom to create your meals according to your preferences.
There’s no strict and fixed meal plan, and you don’t have to prepare a different dinner every day. It’s quite common in this lifestyle to stick with one type of dinner for several days. This doesn’t imply an obligation but rather reflects the likelihood that you’ll discover certain meals so delightful that you’ll want to enjoy them repeatedly.
How many meals per day are in the Lean on Carbs program?
In the Lean on Carbs program, the number of meals per day is flexible—anywhere between 3 to 5, as many as you feel suits your appetite. The key is to listen to your hunger cues and eat whenever you feel hungry. Moreover, when you do eat, the goal is to consume enough to reach a point of satiety—feeling pleasantly full, not uncomfortably stuffed. It may take a bit of practice, but distinguishing between these sensations becomes easier over time.
Are snacks included?
Let’s define what a snack is. Is it a meal that adheres to the principle of eating to satiety? No. Snacks typically consist of small portions, and at Lean on Carbs, we advocate against small portions. So, what’s the alternative to snacks? A full meal. If you feel hungry enough for a snack, why not opt for a complete 700-1000 calories meal? Just because it is not lunch time yet? Who decided there’s a specific time for lunch anyway?
The primary issue with just snacking is that it often leaves you unsatisfied, wanting more food and, inevitably, experiencing cravings. When you don’t meet all the caloric needs of your body with a meal, your brain signals cravings for calorically dense foods to fulfill those needs faster. This is why cravings typically lean toward chocolate, cupcakes, cheese, hamburgers, and french fries—high-caloric-density, obesogenic foods. Let me know if you’ve ever craved brown rice with steamed veggies.
However, if you anticipate a busy day and can’t carry large meals, keep DATES, BANANAS, and APPLES within easy reach. If a full meal isn’t feasible at that moment, a quick snack of dates and bananas is the next best option.
Are recipes included?
No recipes are included, not because there’s a shortage of High Carb Low Fat Whole Food Vegan recipes—I assure you there are thousands. The rationale is to discourage reliance on complex meals. Simpler meals are not only easier to prepare and quicker to assemble but also gentler on the digestive system.
While I won’t provide elaborate recipes, I will offer numerous meal ideas and straightforward recipes to keep your meals interesting. It’s essential to debunk the variety myth. By embracing a Whole Food High Carb High Fruit Vegan Diet, you’ll naturally enjoy more diversity than ever before, without the need to incorporate an extensive list of ingredients in each meal. In fact, simplicity often aids in better digestion and nutrient absorption.
I am a hard worker, never home. I don’t have time to cook/prepare all those Whole Foods Plant meals…
If you’re a hard worker constantly on the go, consider the unmatched convenience of fruits. They require no preparation—what’s faster than peeling a banana? Even take-away or ordered meals involve a form of ‘peeling.’ For someone as busy as you claim to be, fruits, high in natural sugars, are optimal for your brain and body, and can significantly enhance your productivity, clarity of thought, focus, and energy levels. Moreover, their quick digestion ensures you won’t feel sluggish after meals, making that energy readily available for your demanding tasks.
If time constraints limit your cooking options, focus on consuming ample bananas, dates, and apples (and other fruits you find convenient) for the majority of your day, especially during breakfast and lunch. Simply aim for 700-1000 calories per meal, a process taking less than 20 minutes. If you’re dedicated to hard work, prioritize eating for nutrition; your body and brain function optimally when well-nourished. Remember, food serves as fuel and nutrition, not for having fun.
Considering your 14-hour workdays, efficiency is key. Embrace the simplicity of bananas and dates for substantial improvements in both productivity and your waistline.
For a slightly more involved yet still swift option, try preparing overnight oatmeal in a casserole. It takes less than 5 minutes to assemble. The next day, simply remove the lid, add plant-based yogurt or milk, and you’re good to go. Ensure it’s a sufficiently large oatmeal, providing 700-1000 calories.
Do I have to track my calories?
Yes, tracking your calories is essential, but only for the initial month or so, and solely to ensure you consume enough calories. The goal is to count calories to add more, not to cut them down.
Fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes, being high in fibers and water, have larger volumes compared to standard foods, particularly those with increased amounts of fats. While this is advantageous in allowing you to eat substantial volumes with fewer calories, it can also be deceptive, leading to undereating—a common mistake made by lots of former vegans.
Claiming, ‘Look how much I eat, my portions are so huge!’ can be deceptive if the emphasis is on low-calorie density veggies rather than high-carb options like starchy vegetables. Opting for low-calorie density fruits such as watermelon, berries, and grapefruits, with minimal sweet fruits like one or two bananas, results in meals with only 400-500 calories. This path often leads to cravings, binges, and cheat meals—keeping individuals stuck in a cycle of being overweight, perpetually dieting, and struggling with eating disorders.
Weighing your food is a helpful practice to dispel the misconception of overeating. You’ll realize that large meals with sweet potatoes and veggies, for instance, don’t contain thousands of calories but are within the correct range of 800-1000 calories per adult meal. For those who are obese, larger portions, exceeding 1200 calories per meal, are appropriate. You don’t lose weight by starving your cells and making them release the fat they hold. They won’t!!! You lose weight by nurturing all your cells and boosting your metabolism so that your body will release the extra energy stored as fat, because that is an unnecessary thing to keep.
Weighing your food and using a calorie calculator not only prevents UNDEREATING, but also provides insights into the nutritional content of your meals. This practice instills confidence in the lifestyle, as you can visually confirm that your meals deliver the required vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids.
Understanding how a 2500-calorie intake comprising fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes covers the daily recommended dose of Omega-3 and essential amino acids, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and more is invaluable. This knowledge acts as a psychological boost, dispelling worries and doubts.
Why do I have to eat so many calories?
Consuming 2,500 calories for a moderately active adult is not excessive; it may only seem that way due to conditioning from current dietary norms, where calorie restriction is often promoted. Our bodies require fuel for optimal functioning, similar to a car needing a specific amount of fuel to travel from point A to B. You won’t try to make your car “eat” less, you take that fact as it is. Trying to make your body function properly with less fuel is kind of like that. Viewing calories as essential energy for the body rather than an adversary is crucial.
It’s important to recognize that not all calories are created equal, and different species have distinct nutritional requirements. Consuming 2,500 calories from whole plant foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes can be a transformative approach. These 2,500 whole food high-carb plant-based calories have the power to nourish your body, decrease inflammation, detoxify your organs, balance hormones, reverse various chronic diseases, eliminate the need for medication, and enhance both your immune system and metabolism. These 2,500 calories are not like any other 2,500 calories you had in the past.
However, if you find that eating these calories leads to weight gain, it might be a result of a slowed metabolism from past dieting.
Dieting in a calorie deficit prompts the body to adapt by slowing down metabolism to conserve energy. This adaptation is temporary and designed to help you survive during periods of food scarcity. When you consistently provide your body with sufficient calories, your metabolism will readjust to the new intake and increase its rate, signaling, ‘No shortage anymore; let’s boost the burn with this abundance of fuel!’ Initial weight gain in this scenario is temporary and part of the metabolic recalibration process.
So, how will I lose weight if not by eating in deficit?
that been a good strategy, you wouldn’t be here, searching for yet another way to drop weight. And all the western populations would have leaned down and now would have been slim and fit.
The reason you are still overweight after all those diets is not because you are greedy or you lack discipline, it’s because of the deficit itself. Craving and binging are just survival mechanisms, eating in deficit is not a way to eat and live. Craving and binging are the way your brain makes sure you eat enough calories after that starvation diet you went on. All the deficit, no matter how small, is starvation. And one of the brain’s jobs is to make sure you survive as long as possible.
Eating in deficit is a WAY TO BECOME OVERWEIGHT. Cutting the energy the body needs means making the body hold on to the fat stores and, at the same time, burn fewer calories for its functions. This is metabolism adaptation.
That is why cutting calories is NOT a weight loss strategy but a weight and fat GAIN strategy. Because when you lose some weight only to put it back, plus more, is not losing weight, is gaining weight. Temporary weight loss is a deception; it’s not what you wanted in the first place.
The only sustainable strategy for weight and fat loss is by becoming healthy. A slim, lean body is the result of homeostasis in the body.
When you…
• Decrease and reverse all the inflammation in the body
• Balance your hormonal functions (as a result of your increased nutrition and decreased bad nutrition you’ve put until now in your body, better sleep, stress management, etc.)
• Nurture your body with the right nutrients for its biology
• Heal your detoxifying organs so they can help you flush the toxins you accumulated in your body in all those years of putting garbage in your stomach
• Increase your metabolism by giving it enough calories (and movements, activity level, muscle mass, etc.)
… is when you will start to shed the fat you accumulated.
And the great news is one diet does all that for your body. Plants are ANTI-inflammatory, ANTIoxidant, regulate hormonal imbalances, and bring a lot of the right nutrition for your human body. But be sure you eat enough, at least 2,500 calories for women and +3,000 for men. If not, and you’re still after a caloric deficit, this will be yet another starvation program for you.
Eating in deficit is a very inefficient way to lose weight, as you can testify.
Are donuts, pizza, pancakes, cookies, french fries allowed as they are carbs?
These are not carbs, but foods that contain some form of carbs and many other nutrients and additives. They are not only high-carb foods, but HIGH-FAT ones. They have carbs, but they also have fats, oils, margarines, butter, lard, and other animal fats. French fries make people fat not because they are potatoes, but because they are soaked in oil and covered in cheese.
Besides, the carbs in those high-fat foods are REFINED carbohydrates. The ones that lack nutrition, lack fibers, are dry, so they lack water too. Those kinds of carbs are the ones that make you overeat because you don’t have the component that triggers satiety in our brains. Which are FIBER + WATER = BULK. So you cannot stop on time and before you know it, you have much more calories than you want or need.
When you have REFINED high carb foods, you miss that combo–FIBER + WATER = BULK–and you will feel like eating and eating to fill up the stomach. A full stomach of 2-3 pounds of refined carbohydrates like bread, for example, is over 3.000 calories. One meal.
Let’s add fats to the REFINED carbs, like in those foods with oils and animal products (donuts, pizza, cheesecakes, french fries, etc.), and you can count even over 5.000 calories. That is ONE MEAL.
When you eat WHOLE high carb LOW FAT, you eat THE BULK not only the nutrition, and you avoid the unnecessary dangerous calories coming from high-fat foods. A full stomach of mangoes and bananas is 1.000 calories.
You had all your life those “carbs” because your idea of eating was all about the instant gratification. Where did those get you?
Now is the moment to switch that unhealthy mindset with a more loving and healthier one. Let’s eat with nutrition in mind, for long-term health and sustainable weight loss.
I see this all the time. When people who eat Whole High Carb foods, eat enough, are vegan, don’t eat refined carbs, nor indulge in nuts or avocados, BUT THEY ARE STILL OVERWEIGHT is because of the alcohol.
There are no benefits alcohol can bring to your mind and body. Not only that, but it’s highly detrimental for your health, being very toxic for the cells of your brain, liver, and other organs. If you want to get healthy and lose weight, you want all your organs to be strong and healthy. Your body is the sum of all its tissues and organs, and ingesting poison from time to time is debilitating your organs.
Besides, alcohol has calories without nutrition, especially without fibers. Therefore, those calories are not giving you satiety. On top of that, alcohol can increase your appetite for food, and let me tell you that sweet potatoes with salad are NOT what you’ll crave. Alcohol makes people binge on high fat, high sodium, highly processed foods, foods that are unhealthy and obesogenic.
Why do I have to change my mindset about nutrition, diets, calories? Can’t I just eat those plants and not have to meditate and do the affirmations thing?
If you just try to form a new habit of eating over 2.500 calories a day, fruit meals, 7 bananas a meal, or large portions of brown rice and veggies for dinner, you will end up failing. Because you will self-sabotage. And you’ll say this diet is not for everybody.
Because your current belief system doesn’t support those practices.
You, as you think right now, with your likes and dislikes (‘I don’t think fruits are good in large amount; I believe sugar is bad for you no matter if it’s coming from whole foods or if refined; bananas make me fat; carbs are unhealthy; I don’t like fruits; I don’t like vegans; I don’t like eating bananas; I love cheese; I cannot live without bacon; I love hamburgers,’ etc) you will never succeed in this lifestyle. And I dare to say you will never be slim. Because your current identity puts you in this box where you cannot escape. YOU ARE THE HOSTAGE OF YOUR MINDSET!!!!
BUT, when you change the way you view calories, food, nutrition, when you change your likes and dislikes, when you think and speak differently about what you like and dislike, about what is true for you, you change who you are. You change your mindset and your identity.
You see, the current YOU cannot be vegan and eat all those fruits meals. But the new you, the one who switches beliefs and identity, that person can do whatever it takes to become healthy and slim FOR GOOD.
Forming healthy habits like eating enough calories, eating only fiber-rich meals, smashing in the fruits, won’t take any energy, willpower, or discipline. It’s just the result of the new belief system.
You are the cause of your life. If your life is not what you call a dream life, why do you want to keep this person around?
If people are results of mindsets, why not make your mindset amazing? And for doing that, you need some inner work, meditation, affirmations, etc.
Do you offer refunds?
No, I do not offer refunds. Please read all the information available on the website, including this FAQ section and the individual product descriptions, before purchasing. Make sure this lifestyle approach resonates with you and that you are open and willing to make the mindset changes necessary for success.
As with any major shift, changing the way you eat and live requires time, patience, and commitment. This book is designed as a practical manual to give you the knowledge, principles, and guidance you need—but the work is ultimately yours. No book can make the changes for you. You are the one who has to put the principles into practice, make the food choices, reflect on your habits, and work through the beliefs and behaviors that may be holding you back.
The book will give you the map, explain the path, and help you recognize the pitfalls and traps along the way—but you are the one who has to walk the path. Your results will ultimately depend on how you apply what you learn and how consistently you put it into practice.
The affirmations track, subliminal audio tracks, and the motivational music album included in the bundle complement the book and help you stay focused, reinforce the ideas you are learning, and maintain motivation as you make the lifestyle your own. These resources support your journey but are not a substitute for reading the book and applying its principles.
Want to be sure before you buy? Read a chapter for free at leanoncarbs.com/sample.