The Lean With Plants Blog
Straight answers about plant-based weight loss, the Lean With Plants program, and what actually works for women who have tried everything else.
Plant-Based Weight Loss · Women Over 40 · Nutrition · Strength & Movement · Habits & Mindset · Recipes · The Program · Program Comparisons · Coaching
Healthy Emmie's Slim (Slim on Starch) vs Lean With Plants: An Honest Comparison
Healthy Emmie's Slim program, formerly Slim on Starch, and Lean With Plants both put potatoes, rice and oats at the center of the plate. Here is what
Can You Lose Weight Eating Starch? How a Starch-Based Diet Works for Women
Yes, you can lose weight eating potatoes, rice and oats. How a starch-based diet works, the five reasons some women still get stuck, and a realistic s
The Potato Diet for Weight Loss: Does It Work, and Is There a Better Way?
Does the potato diet work? Potatoes are one of the most filling foods there is, but eating only potatoes is not a plan you can live on. Here is a bett
Lean With Plants Membership, Course and Coaching: What Changed and What It Is Now
Looking for the Lean With Plants membership or a monthly cost? The self-paced membership was an earlier version. Today Lean With Plants is a 12-week o
Chelsea Mae Cullen: The Full Story Behind Lean With Plants
Chelsea Mae Cullen is the New Zealand-born founder of Lean With Plants. Vegan for over a decade and still stuck, she lost 40 pounds starting in 2018 a
Is the Lean With Plants Call a Sales Call? What the Call Is Really Like
What the Lean With Plants call is really like: a 45-minute Zoom with someone from our team, all about you, your goals and whether coaching fits. Here
Finished the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart? Here Is What to Do Next
The 21-Day Vegan Kickstart is a free starter program from PCRM. After day 21, your next step depends on whether you need more information or more acco
Vegan Weight Loss Over 50: What Actually Works, From a Coach Who Does It Daily
Yes, you can lose weight vegan after 50. Chelsea Mae Cullen explains why it gets harder, the oil and nut trap, what to eat, protein and strength after
Calorie Density Weight Loss Program: What It Is and How Coaching Makes It Stick
A calorie density weight loss program lets you eat large plates and still lose fat, with nothing counted. Here is the science, the history, the day-to
Vegan Superhero Academy vs Lean With Plants: An Accurate Comparison
Vegan Superhero Academy and Lean With Plants both coach plant-based clients one-on-one. One is mixed-gender and macro-based, the other women-only with
WarriorBabe vs Lean With Plants: Macros vs Calorie Density for Women Over 40
WarriorBabe coaches women over 40 with daily macro tracking. Lean With Plants coaches them with calorie density and no counting. Here is how the two c
The Starch Solution (Dr. McDougall) vs Lean With Plants: What Is Different
The Starch Solution and Lean With Plants share a starch-centered, low-fat plant-based philosophy. One is a medical-center program open to everyone, th
Chef AJ vs Lean With Plants: Same Calorie Density, Different Support
Chef AJ's Ultimate Weight Loss and Lean With Plants share the same calorie density science and never count anything. The difference is SOS-free rules
Should I Join Lean With Plants? How to Decide (From the Team That Runs It)
Should you join Lean With Plants? It depends on whether you know what to do but cannot do it consistently, whether you will eat mostly plants, and whe
Lean With Plants on Reddit: The Questions People Ask, Answered by the Team
Researching Lean With Plants on Reddit? Here are the questions women ask in forums about cost, legitimacy, the call and results, answered directly by
Who Is Ami-James Deane (Broccoli Mum)? Lean With Plants Head of Coaching
Ami-James Deane, known online as Broccoli Mum, is Head of Coaching at Lean With Plants. She lost 66 lbs on a whole food plant-based diet and co-hosts
What Happens After Lean With Plants Ends? Keeping the Weight Off Without a Coach
What happens after Lean With Plants ends? Week thirteen looks like week twelve, except nobody is checking. How the habits hold, what to do when life h
How Much Does Lean With Plants Cost? The Honest Answer
Lean With Plants does not publish a price. Here is the honest reason why, what the investment covers, who invests in it, how payment plans work, and h
Does Lean With Plants Actually Work? An Honest Look at the Results
Lean With Plants clients lose around 18 pounds in 12 weeks on average. Here is why the method works, what results look like in practice, and who it do
What Is Lean With Plants? A Complete Guide to the Program
Lean With Plants is a 12-week one-on-one plant-based weight loss coaching program for women. Here is exactly how it works, what is included, and who i
Is Lean With Plants Legit or a Scam? What to Know Before You Apply
Is Lean With Plants legit? Here is who runs it, how the coaching actually works, what results are actually published, and a red flag checklist you can
Lean With Plants Reviews: What Clients Actually Say
What do Lean With Plants clients actually say? Here are the recurring themes in real client feedback, the results behind them, and the honest criticis
Why Lean With Plants? Seven Reasons Women Choose It Over Another Diet
Why Lean With Plants instead of another diet? Seven concrete reasons, each with the mechanism behind it, from calorie density to one-on-one coaching t
Who Is Chelsea Mae? The Story Behind Lean With Plants
Chelsea Mae Cullen is the founder of Lean With Plants. She lost 40 pounds in 2018 after years of eating healthy and not losing weight, and built a coa
Why Is Lean With Plants Expensive? A Straight Answer
Why is Lean With Plants expensive? An honest answer about why it is not cheap, what the investment covers, why it is not month to month, and how the p
Is Lean With Plants Worth It? How to Decide for Yourself
Is Lean With Plants worth it? Use this decision framework: what you are actually buying, five questions to ask yourself, how it compares to the altern
What Results Can You Expect From Lean With Plants?
Not everybody gets a dream result. Here is the honest range of Lean With Plants results, the two real reasons it does not work for some women, and wha
Who Lean With Plants Is For (And Who It Is Not For)
Who is Lean With Plants for? An honest fit guide to the women this 12-week one-on-one plant-based coaching program is built for, and the women it is g
Lean With Plants Success Stories: Real Women, Real Results
Real Lean With Plants success stories from nine clients, including what they had tried before, what changed, and what their results say about who this
Calorie Density Explained
A complete, plain-English explanation of calorie density: what it means, a table of approximate calories per pound by food category, and how to use it
What Is the STACK Method?
The STACK Method is the habit system used inside Lean With Plants. It builds small behaviors that stack into an autopilot routine, so weight loss hold
How Chelsea Mae Lost 40 Pounds and Kept It Off
In 2018 Chelsea Mae Cullen was at her heaviest, eating whole food plant-based, and not losing weight. Here is what changed, how she lost 40 pounds, an
What Actually Happens on a Lean With Plants Strategy Call
A straight description of the Lean With Plants strategy call: who you speak to, what you get asked, how pricing is handled, and what happens if you de
How Long Is the Lean With Plants Program?
The Lean With Plants program runs 12 weeks. Here is why that specific length exists, what happens in each phase, and why a shorter or open-ended struc
Do You Have to Be Vegan to Join Lean With Plants?
You do not have to be vegan to join Lean With Plants. Here is the difference between plant-based eating for weight loss and veganism as an ethical pos
Lean With Plants Payment Options, Explained
Lean With Plants partners with Klarna and Affirm for payment plans. Here is how they work and how the investment conversation works on your call.
Inside the Lean With Plants App
The Lean With Plants app is where your meals, your habits and your daily coaching live. Here is what it is for, what it is not, and why an app plus a
Who Are the Lean With Plants Coaches?
Lean With Plants coaches include Abbie, Heidi and Jordan, with Ami as head coach. Here is how one-on-one coaching works, how you get matched, and what
Common Concerns About Lean With Plants, Answered Honestly
The real concerns women raise about Lean With Plants: cost, the 12-week commitment, whether it is just another program, being sold to, whether it work
Lean With Plants Results: What to Expect Week by Week
What Lean With Plants results typically look like week by week, from the first two weeks through to after the program ends, plus an honest look at the
Lean With Plants vs Doing It On Your Own
An honest comparison of Lean With Plants coaching against doing it yourself, including when DIY genuinely works, what coaching actually buys you, and
Chelsea Mae's Approach to Weight Loss, Explained
Chelsea Mae Cullen's approach to weight loss rests on four ideas: the approach failed you, eat more food not less, volume beats restriction, and habit
The Lean With Plants Podcast, Explained
The Lean With Plants podcast is hosted by founder Chelsea Mae Cullen. Here is what it covers, who it is actually for, and how it fits alongside the co
Why Some Vegans Gain Weight
Why plenty of vegans gain weight or stall: calorie density, oil, nuts and nut butters, vegan convenience food and portion creep, plus how to fix each
Is a Plant-Based Diet Good for Weight Loss?
A plant-based diet can be excellent for weight loss and it also commonly fails. The difference is calorie density, not willpower. Here is exactly what
Whole Food Plant-Based Weight Loss, Explained
A clear definition of whole food plant-based eating, how it differs from vegan, why it works for weight loss, and why some people do it perfectly and
How Much Weight Can You Lose on a Plant-Based Diet?
Realistic weight loss ranges on a plant-based diet, week by week and over 12 weeks, what speeds them up and slows them down, and one honest coached av
Lean With Plants vs Weight Watchers (WW)
A fair comparison of Lean With Plants and WeightWatchers: how each program actually works, what each asks of you, who each one genuinely suits, and ho
Lean With Plants vs Noom
An honest comparison of Lean With Plants and Noom, including where the two actually agree on the science, where they diverge on delivery, and which on
Lean With Plants vs Ozempic and GLP-1 Medications
A careful look at how Lean With Plants and GLP-1 medications like Ozempic differ, what each one actually addresses, why they are not mutually exclusiv
Lean With Plants vs Optavia
A fair comparison of Lean With Plants and Optavia, now rebranded as Trilivy: how each model works, what you actually eat, who each suits, and what hap
Lean With Plants vs Nutrisystem
An honest comparison of Lean With Plants and Nutrisystem: how each program works, what you actually eat, who each one genuinely suits, and what happen
Lean With Plants vs MyFitnessPal and Calorie Counting Apps
How Lean With Plants compares to MyFitnessPal, Lose It, Cronometer and other calorie counting apps: what tracking is genuinely good at, where it break
Lean With Plants vs Hiring a Personal Trainer
How Lean With Plants compares to hiring a personal trainer: what a trainer is genuinely best at, where the scope ends, and which problem you are actua
Lean With Plants vs Working With a Dietitian
An honest comparison of Lean With Plants and working with a registered dietitian, including when an RD is clearly the right call and when a coaching p
Lean With Plants vs Forks Over Knives
Forks Over Knives and Lean With Plants largely agree about what to eat. The difference is education versus one-on-one coaching, and that is usually wh
Lean With Plants vs FASTer Way to Fat Loss
A fair comparison of Lean With Plants and FASTer Way to Fat Loss: the fasting and carb cycling model versus one-on-one plant-based coaching, and who e
Lean With Plants vs BODi (formerly Beachbody)
BODi sells streaming workouts and nutrition products you self-manage. Lean With Plants is one-on-one plant-based coaching for women. Here is an honest
Lean With Plants vs a Medical Weight Loss Clinic
A medical weight loss clinic manages a clinical intervention under a licensed provider. Lean With Plants teaches eating and habit skills with a one-on
Lean With Plants vs Free Advice Online
Everything Lean With Plants teaches can be found free online. So why do women pay for coaching? Because information is abundant and implementation is
One-on-One Coaching vs Group Weight Loss Programs
Group weight loss programs cost less and community genuinely helps. One-on-one coaching personalizes and catches you when you slip. A fair comparison
The Best Vegan Weight Loss Programs
There is no single best vegan weight loss program. There is a best one for your situation and budget. Here is the framework for choosing, plus eight r
The Best Plant-Based Weight Loss Coaching Programs
"Coaching" covers everything from a dedicated one-on-one coach to an app that sends you messages. Here is how to evaluate plant-based coaching options
How to Find the Best Weight Loss Coach for Women
Anyone can call themselves a weight loss coach. This is a practical guide to the types of coach, the twelve questions to ask before you pay, and the r
The Best Weight Loss Approach for Menopause
Menopause care belongs with a clinician. Weight loss during it belongs with an approach built for satiety, muscle and sleep, not more restriction. Her
The Best Weight Loss Programs for Women Over 50
After 50, muscle, menopause and sustainability matter more than speed. Here is the framework for choosing a weight loss program, plus seven real optio
Is a Weight Loss Coach Worth It?
A weight loss coach is worth it if your gap is implementation rather than information. Here is an honest framework for deciding, including when the an
Online Weight Loss Coaching for Women: What to Look For
What to look for in online weight loss coaching for women: real one-on-one time, support between calls, a method that fits your body now, and a plan f
How to Choose a Plant-Based Weight Loss Coach
A practical guide to choosing a plant-based weight loss coach: the questions to ask, the answers that should concern you, and how to tell coaching fro
Plant-Based Weight Loss for Women Over 50
What changes for women over 50, why plant-based eating suits this stage well, and the specific adjustments that make it work when the old approaches s
Plant-Based Weight Loss After 60
Plant-based weight loss after 60: whether it is too late, what actually changes with age, and the approach that works when restriction no longer does.
Plant-Based Weight Loss Timeline: What Happens Month by Month
A month-by-month look at what typically happens on a plant-based diet, from the first week of digestion changes to the six-month mark, and where most
Do You Need to Exercise to Lose Weight on a Plant-Based Diet?
You can lose weight on a plant-based diet without exercise. Here is why food does most of the work, what movement actually gives you, and where to sta
What a Vegan Weight Loss Coach Actually Does
A vegan weight loss coach helps you lose weight while eating plant-based, usually by fixing calorie density and building habits. Here is what the role
A Vegan Weight Loss Plan for Beginners
A practical vegan weight loss plan for beginners: the plate formula, a starter shopping list, a sample week of meals, and the four mistakes that stall
How to Compare Vegan Weight Loss Programs
Most program comparisons list features. The differences that decide your result are structural: information or implementation, group or one-on-one, ap
Why Accountability Is the Missing Piece in Weight Loss
Accountability is what turns knowing into doing. Here is why the information gap is almost never the real problem, and what real weight loss accountab
Welcome to the Lean With Plants blog
A short intro to what we cover here, who it is for, and how to use the blog to actually lose weight on plants.
One Last Thing From Me: You Have Everything You Need Now
You don't need another diet. You've got the real stuff now. Eat plenty of whole plants, keep it simple, be patient, and be gentle with yourself when i
Everything I'd Tell My Younger Self About Losing Weight for Good
The whole thing in a nutshell. Eat more food, not less, just lighter. Watch the oil, not the fruit. Build habits, be consistent not perfect, and trust
Willpower Is a Myth. Here's What to Do Instead
If you've decided you just lack willpower, let me get you off the hook. Willpower is a finite tank that empties by evening. Set things up so you need
Overcomplicating Your Plant-Based Eating? Here's Your Permission to Strip It Back
Drowning in recipes and rules? Here's your permission to make it dull. A handful of easy meals on repeat is what actually works, not fancy and complic
Had a Wobble? Read This Before You Spiral
The harm isn't the meal. It's the spiral afterwards, the story that you've ruined it. Here's how to recover faster and carry on without writing off th
What People Who Keep the Weight Off Actually Do Differently
Most people lose weight and find it again. The ones who don't aren't special. They just do a few unglamorous things consistently. Here's what really k
The Few Vegan Nutrition Basics Genuinely Worth Getting Right
Plant-based eating is brilliant for your health, but a handful of small things are worth doing properly. The simple, practical bits that keep you well
How to Keep Going With Weight Loss When Your Mental Health Is Struggling
Going through a rough patch? You don't have to have it all together first. Gentle anchors that steady you and keep small progress going on the hard da
This Isn't About Shrinking Yourself: Health From Self-Respect, Not Punishment
This was never about becoming smaller to be worthy. You're worthy right now, today. Here's why care, not punishment, is the only thing that ever made
Please Stop Trying to Eat Less: Why Hunger Was Never the Goal
After years of dieting, we get it backwards and think hunger means it's working. It doesn't. Here's why being a proud volume eater is the whole point.
I Used AI to Plan My Plant-Based Meals (Here's Exactly How)
If "what do I even eat?" is your sticking point, this changes everything. Here's how I use AI to plan lighter plant-based meals and take the deciding
Newly Plant-Based and Bloated? Why Your Gut Is Just Catching Up
Upped your veg and beans and suddenly feel like a balloon? Don't panic and don't quit. Here's why it happens, how to ease in, and how to problem-solve
For When You NEED Something Sweet: Feeding Your Sweet Tooth Smarter
"Just don't eat dessert" is rubbish advice nobody follows. Here's how to keep pudding on the menu with creamy, sweet plant-based treats and zero guilt
Stop Trying to Lose Weight: Why Identity Is the Real Shortcut
The fastest shortcut I know isn't a meal plan, it's identity. Here's how shifting from "I'm trying" to "I'm someone who" makes the daily choices stop
What If You Hate the Process? On Doing Hard Things Without Quitting
Nobody warns you that some days you'll just hate it. Here's what actually changed for me, and why the answer was never to start loving every single da
Plant-Based Through Menopause: Why It's Not Too Late and You're Not Stuck
Menopause can shift your body in ways nothing you tried before seems to touch. Here's why a whole-food plant-based approach is so kind through midlife
On a GLP-1? How to Protect Your Strength on the Food Side
When appetite drops right off on a weight-loss medication, it's easy to barely eat. Here's the gentle food-and-strength side, with plenty of plant pro
Why the Scale Jumped Overnight (and Why It's Not Fat)
Woke up heavier after a perfect day? Day-to-day weight is mostly water and food moving through. Real fat loss is a slow trend, not daily noise.
The Humble Potato Is the Most Underrated Weight-Loss Food
For years we were told to fear the potato. Total nonsense. Filling, comforting, cheap, and brilliantly light when you skip the oil. Bring it back.
How to Eat Out as a Plant-Based Person and Still Feel Great After
Eating out plant-based can feel like a minefield. A little planning and a trade-off mindset let you enjoy it fully and carry on the next day.
When Food Is How You Cope
Sometimes eating isn't about hunger at all. If food is how you get through hard feelings, you're not weak or broken. Here's a gentler way forward.
Change Your Kitchen, Not Your Willpower
The least glamorous weight-loss tip there is: design your kitchen so the good choice is the easy one. Out of sight really does become out of mind.
Why the Habits You Build Now Matter Most on Weight-Loss Medication
On a weight-loss medication? The calmer-appetite window is the perfect time to build sustainable food habits that stay with you for the long run.
How to Eat Plant-Based When the Rest of Your Family Doesn't
Cooking for a family that isn't plant-based? Here's how to build one shared meal everyone loves, without short-order cooking or sad separate diet food
The Soup-First Trick I Swear By
Ami's favourite free trick: have something big and light before a meal, like veg soup or salad, so you arrive half full and naturally eat less of the
Motivation Always Runs Out. Then What?
Motivation is the most unreliable friend you'll have. The people who get there build quiet, slightly boring habits that run on autopilot. Here's how.
Grazing All Afternoon? Here's The Fix That Isn't Willpower
If you drift to the kitchen every hour, the answer probably isn't more willpower. Make your actual meals bigger and the constant grazing tends to quie
My Real Secret Weapon For Staying On Track: Leftovers
Ami's least glamorous, most powerful weight-loss trick is leftovers. Cook once, eat twice, and never get caught out hungry with no good option ready.
On A Weight-Loss Injection And Feeling Rough? Foods That Are Gentle On Your Gut
If a weight-loss medication is leaving you queasy, gentle whole plant foods can help. Supportive food ideas, with a clear reminder to talk to your own
Why Almost Every Diet Eventually Falls Apart
Most diets are built to fail because they run on willpower and tiny portions. Here's why a way of eating you can actually live with beats strict every
How A Lifelong Vegan Finally Got It Right
Being plant-based isn't automatically slimming. Ami shares how learning about calorie density let her eat bigger meals and finally feel in control for
Stuck At The Same Place For Weeks? Here's What's Really Going On
A weight-loss plateau is rarely a broken metabolism. Here's how to play detective, find the quiet leaks, and get things moving again on whole plants.
How to Break the Binge-Then-Restrict Loop
Good all week, then one slip becomes a blowout, then guilt and a crackdown that sets up the next one. The loop is biology, not weakness, and understan
Why It All Falls Apart at 9pm (and How to Fix It)
Brilliant all day, then 9pm hits and you are at the cupboard. Night-time grazing is almost never willpower. Usually the day was too light. Here is the
Is Fruit Making You Gain Weight? The Truth About Carbs
Somewhere along the way we all got scared of carbs. But whole fruit, potatoes and rice come wrapped in fibre and water. Here is what an oatmeal and ve
But Where Do You Get Your Protein? An Honest Answer
The protein question is far easier to answer than the internet makes it sound. Beans, lentils, tofu and more, plus a savoury plant-based breakfast tha
Do You Actually Have to Count Calories to Lose Weight?
If weighing food and logging every bite makes you want to quit before you start, there is another way. Lower the calorie density of your meals and the
The "Healthy" Vegan Food That Quietly Keeps You Stuck
I thought I was eating so cleanly, but oil was the thing keeping me stuck the longest. Here is why cooking without it lets your portions grow, with a
How to Eat Bigger Meals and Still Get Leaner
Most of us were taught to eat less and shrink the plate. Here is how I kept my plates full, changed what filled them, and finally felt satisfied inste
The Psychology of Fat Loss: Why It Was Never a Willpower Problem
For years I thought I was the problem. It turns out fat loss is psychology, not willpower. Here are the mindset shifts that finally made the food part