131 Diet Review: Chalene Johnson’s Phase It Up Reviewed
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In 2018, we researched Chalene Johnson’s 131 Diet. Her approach to nutrition focuses on gut health and providing a system for lasting weight loss and better energy. In 2020, the 131 Method was updated and renamed Phase It Up. Below we’ll look at what Chalene actually eats on the plan and how Phase it Up differs from tthe 131 Diet. *Updated March 2024*
The 131 Diet website really doesn’t offer a ton of information about it. They mention it’s backed by science to help reset your metabolism; however, the specifics of how it works or what you’ll do isn’t outlined very well.
For that reason – I really dug into forums, Pinterest, and more to get a better idea about this un-diet, diet plan.
From my research, I found that:
Chalene’s 131 Diet combines counting macros through a ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting and elimination dieting all into one program.
I really am not a huge keto diet fan, but after looking into the program more – it’s not just ketogenic principles.
The first phase, Ignite, is just very keto-driven. She calls this becoming a “Fat Burner,” but this is just another way of saying your body is hitting ketosis.
Is Chalene Johnson’s Phase it Up the Same as her 131 Diet?
Phase it Up uses the principles and science from Chalene’s 131 Diet, but it now includes additional research, personalization, and accountability.
We love that Phase it Up is easier to understand and implement with a focus on habits. We also love that you can get daily support and texts to help you stay on track.
Oh, and there are now more than 3 options to “phase” through. Phase it Up includes phases for getting pregnant, breast feeding, perimenopause, menopause, past diet history, and more.
With that said — the plans are very similar!
Consider the 131 Diet as main event and Phase it Up as the extended version!
The Plan
On the 131 Diet, you’re encouraged to eat things like:
- high quality meats & eggs
- healthy fats: avocado, coconut oil, coconut butter, EVOO, MCT, Nuts, Seeds, etc
- Veggies like: Leafy greens, asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers, artichokes, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower
You also eliminate foods that cause inflammation.
These foods include things like:
- sugar (Real and fake)
- processed foods (and lunch meat)
- alcohol
- grains and gluten
- dairy
- known toxins
- carbonated beverages
- fried foods
- artificial colors
What does a day look like on the plan?
Since it’s intermittent fasting, you’d have a window of time to eat, and a window of time to fast. Ideally, she wants this to be 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours to eat.
The 131 Diet meals are going to be high protein, high fat, and your carbs coming from non-starchy veggies.
Breakfast: Veggie Omelette with veggies topped with avocado
Lunch: Leafy Greens with EVOO, chicken, walnuts & goat cheese
Dinner: Salmon with asparagus sautéed in coconut oil
What People are Saying About Phase it Up
One of our clients decided to try the 131 Method with us, and she’s lost 9lbs already in the first phase!
She told us:
“Out of all the eating programs I’ve ever done- Amazingly, this is personally the most doable and the quickest weight loss I’ve ever had and I’ve never been hungry! Love it!! “
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Starting the 131 Diet or Phase it Up
You can get the 131 Method book on Amazon, but Phase it Up is actually a membership service. You can view pricing here.
The 131 Method Book Includes:
- her unique approach to weight-loss
- a personalized plan to boost your metabolism
- science-based methods to improve your gut health, reduce cravings and balance hormones
- 100 healthy recipes
Grab Her 131 Diet Book on Amazon
The Phase it Up Membership Includes:
- 740+ recipes
- Video resource library
- Strength-based fitness tracks
- Accountability community
- Access to fitness and nutrition experts
Should you look at the book or course?
If you’re a self-starter and disciplined, I personally think the book is a great choice. It gives you the principles, and it’s a lot cheaper.
With that said, if you need support or really want to dig into the material – Phase it Up is really organized and offers more resources.
Does it Work?
I really fought trying this program and was little annoyed at first by the price tag to be honest. I thought it was just going to be a $100 program teaching you about keto.
But – it has a lot more than that in it, and if you plug into the course it gives you support, education, and accountability.
With that said, you’re likely to see results from an elimination diet like the Whole 30 as well. You may also see weight loss or better fitness results when you track your macros or add in intermittent fasting too!
So basically – you wouldn’t have to spend a penny to start seeing some results.
However, if it was that easy – we would all be at our healthiest weight, right?
This program does work for people (click here and scroll down to see testimonials). It just depends on if you’re willing and ready to commit to the program.
You could always start with her book and then Phase it Up if it seemed like a good fit. You can also totally jump right into the course and hit the ground running.
Grab Her 131 Diet Book on Amazon
So Who Shouldn’t Do This Plan?
Chalene would say anyone could follow the 131 Method because it’s so customizable.
I think there are some that it’s probably not ideal for though. If you are going through an eating disorder or have in the past, I’d skip this program. It has a lot of counting macros in it and fasting, and I just think it has too many possible triggers for someone that may label food as good or bad.
If you’re just looking for an easy way to lose weight, I would also skip this program. Yes – you can lose weight with it, but that’s not really the focus of it.
She’s teaching you more how to reduce inflammation and feel better – and that takes watching the videos, applying the lessons, and some meal prep. If your goal is quick and easy weight loss, I’d look at Nutrisystem or something instead.
My Final Word
The 131 Method combines 3 really popular diet trends (keto, fasting, & eliminating certain foods for X period of time). It is customizable to your lifestyle, and sometimes just investing in a plan can be helpful for motivation.
Chalene is also great, and nutrition is something she is truly passionate about. So I feel like she’ll keep the information up-to-date and really does have her heart in it.
If you’re on the fence, I’d suggest listening to her podcast to see if it’s a good fit for you.
Get More Information on the 131 Method Book on Amazon
Other Diets You May Like
- What is Clean Eating? Tips, Meal Plans and Recipes
- How to Use Portion Control Containers for Weight Loss
- 2B Mindset – Conquer Emotional Eating
- Turbo 13 | What I Ate on Nutrisystem & Turbo Takeoff Week + Results
Will you do the 131 Diet? If you have, how did you like it?
If you’re looking for a plan to incorporate healthy, balanced eating with workouts – you should also check out our 21 Day Challenge!
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. You should consult your doctor before making any changes to your workout or diet. The statements above are just my own experience and opinion.
This sounds really interesting! Intermittent fasting honestly scares me so I try to REALLY listen and focus on hunger cues to get through my day. Some days that means not eating breakfast until 10AM and other days it’s as soon as I get up. However, I’m glad she is passionate about nutrition because she probably really gets into why we do what we do and can suggest plan adjustments easily.
We are the same way! We usually do a 12-hour fast naturally, but we’ve done it forever…just our normal eating pattern after dinner. I know she’s done a ton of research on why, and the plan also allows for customization. So hopefully everyone can find what works for them — whether it be this program or something else.
Those 3 things are really only like the first 4 weeks of the method. Its about increasing your metabolic flexibility so you can enjoy all of the food groups, macros, etc. The 2nd and 3rd phase are completely different. I have lost 24 pounds and have improved all my labs within the 12 weeks. They have a board of RDs that stay up to date with all of the newest studies and research and there is a section of the program that posts new articles with cited studies every week. The work that has been put in and continues to be put in is truly amazing. However, if you are subject to the dieters mentality of set tracking, hard and fast rules and not testing and figuring out works best for you it wont work. You really have to change your mindset about everything and realize what works best for someone else might not work for you. But there are so many tools and Registered Dieticians that you can ask pretty much any and all questions about and the respond pretty quickly. So far I have been responded within a day whenever I have asked questions.
Did you feel deprived at any time? Were the meals simple not some crazy gourmet type of meal?
Hey Laura! I haven’t bought or followed the program; I only researched it. After researching it, it didn’t sound like a good fit for me because of the fasting and keto aspect (even though it’s short-term from what I gather). Sorry to not be a ton of help on that front. I do believe the meals are pretty simple versus gourmet though.
I am on the fence. I have Hashis and I can feel the inflammation in my body. I have just gotten so out of hand with eating and I feel confused. I don’t like to eliminate or diet but I feel like I need a starting point. I workout a lot since I enjoy it, but I never see results. I am wondering if the method can help me change my mindset and make some healthy changes. I am just so confused as to where to start and what to do. I cant seem to do it on my own anymore. Too much diet noise and eat this, not that. I dont know which way is up.
I think this could help you then :) I believe she has a money back guarantee as well. I think this or the Whole 30 would help you get some footing, and then you could go from there. I hope this helps and that you’re able to hit your goals and feel better!
Jody,
Start with an AIP (autoimmune protocol diet).
Look into two things: Dr. AMY MYERS and her books as well as Dr. Jason Fung and his book, obesity code.
It will change your life!!
Signed,
Another autoimmune sufferer who FINALLY found healing
I did 3 months of Autoimmune Paleo and it really helped to clear up some nagging symptoms of my cleats disease. Now that was 3 years ago and now I follow mostly paleo with some grains but rarely.
I found it to be very vague and with no set rules to follow. Waste of money.
Sounds interesting. I may check out the book because I am curious to read more. I’ve been doing IF since mid February and I really like it. I didn’t think I would so it came as a surprise especially since I used to ear breakfast as soon as I woke up. Now I stop eating at 7pm and I start eating whenever I get hungry after 11am. Thanks for the review!
I really like Chalene. Her turbo jam program was amazing. But what’s the benefit of buying this book when keto/intermittent fasting info is available completely for free on reddit/Facebook? Also, you can’t really tell whether or not a diet “worked” from reading testimonials and looking at (most likely) photoshopped pictures of someone who’s trying sell you something.
Hey Julie! As you will notice our review isn’t really for or against the program. I’m not sure if you’re referring to the picture of us or just the ones online – but if it’s the pictures above, we didn’t do her 131 Diet. It wasn’t something we’d personally do because we don’t really like keto. If anything our review wasn’t encouraging you to buy the book unless you just loved Chalene and wanted her personal take on all of it. We also wanted to share a little bit about what it was before someone bought it in order for them to be able to research keto and fasting before deciding to invest in it.
I want to lose weight but I’m worried about the number of calories I’ll need to go down to. The recommended intake for me is around 1300. What is considered a normal or common amount of calories to drop to lose weight? I’m 158cm tall and weigh 56kgs and currently on about 1100 calories which is 25% protien, 30% fat and 45% carbs and I exercise 60 mins moderate-intense exercise (combo of cardio and weights) 4-5 times a week and I am not losing weight. Will I need to lower them more and is it safe? I fast from 6pm-8am most days.
Hey Sarah!
If you’re looking specifically at the 131 Diet (which I think you’d love and would help break your plateau) – you won’t have to count calories on it. She focuses on your macros (protein, fat, and carbs) and gives you workout suggestions as well.
If you did count calories, I think your recommended intake sounds right. It may be that it’s not even enough with how active you are, but you’d want to talk to your doctor about that or any changes you make.
With that said – my mom and I really enjoy the 131 Diet especially when we need to break through a plateau!