I Lost 10 Pounds in 5 Weeks: Here’s Exactly What I Did (with Kathleen Stewart)

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Mar 11, 2026

Kathleen Stewart, a coach and nutrition expert who runs Transform’s fat-loss and metabolic programs. She and Ashley break down a 5-week, 10-pound fat-loss phase. Short phases, building maintenance first, protecting muscle with protein and strength work, tracking steps and micros, and strategic cardio and refeed planning all come up.

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ADVICE

Use Short Strategic Fat Loss Phases

Do consider a shorter, strategic fat loss phase rather than slow perpetual dieting to avoid long-term restriction and diet fatigue.
Ashley lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks by using a planned, finite cut and focusing on maintenance between phases so the deficit was sustainable.

INSIGHT

Lean Mass Drops Often Reflect Nonmuscle Changes

Insight: Lean mass loss on a cut isn't the same as muscle loss; losses often reflect glycogen, water, fecal matter, and organ shifts.
Kathleen cites Minnesota Starvation and keto examples showing early lean mass drops can be non-muscle components.

ADVICE

Protect Muscle With Protein And Targeted Lifting

Do keep protein sufficient (about 1.6 g/kg) and continue strength training to protect muscle during a deficit.
Transform uses two intense lifting sessions per week plus a mid-cut high-carb maintenance to preserve muscle signaling.

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In this episode of Rooted in Resilience, Ash is joined again by Kathleen Stewart to break down my recent 5-week fat loss phase, where I lost about 10 pounds while maintaining muscle mass and lifts in the gym.

We walk through exactly what I did, why it worked, and how we approach fat loss differently inside Transform, so you can use these principles on your own or join us inside the program.

We cover why we don’t believe in jumping straight into a calorie deficit, the importance of building maintenance calories first, and why short, strategic fat loss phases tend to work better than staying stuck in long-term restriction.

We also dive into the fear around muscle loss during a cut, why strength training, steps, cardio, and adequate protein matter, and how micronutrients play a major role in energy production, satiety, and overall success during a fat loss phase.

In this episode, we cover:

• why I split my fat loss goals into phases

• how I lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks

• why maintenance calories matter before cutting

• the difference between lean mass loss and muscle loss • how to protect muscle during a calorie deficit

• why tracking steps is so important

• how Transform structures fat loss phases

• why micronutrients matter for metabolism and satiety

• the importance of getting in, getting it done, and getting back to maintenance

If you’ve been stuck in yo-yo dieting, under-eating during the week, and overdoing it on the weekends, this episode will help you understand a more sustainable and effective way to approach fat loss.

TIME STAMPS

01:03 — Intro: How I lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks (fat loss overview)

02:23 — Rapid fat loss vs slow dieting: will you lose muscle?08:03 — Strength training during a fat loss phase

11:33 — Why I split my fat loss goals into two phases

19:03 — Why you should build maintenance calories before dieting

28:33 — Why tracking food intake helps fat loss

31:33 — Volume eating: how to stay full in a calorie deficit

37:03 — How we structure fat loss phases in Transform

51:33 — Why micronutrients matter for metabolism and fat loss

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