I'm just about to finish a wave. It has worked really well for me. I wasn't a particularly unhealthy eater before I started, but wanted to lose belly fat, get fitter , and get my cholesterol down. It has worked on all three counts and it has changed the way I think about food and eating. I've signed up for another wave focused on strength after xmas.
It changes your relationship to food. No more three heavy meals per day that leave you bloated in a food coma, and your body storing most of it as fat because it thinks no more food is coming for hours. You have six light meals with a lot of variation - you can have meal replacement shakes too, which are cheaper than real food, but I preferred real food most days. I felt less groggy in the mornings than before, was happy to stick to two caffeine drinks per day max, and transform my relationship to food. I used to be tempted by a lot of junk snacks, and sugary, processed carbs when I was feeling a bit tired - I barely see those things as food now. My skin looks clearer and I look a lot healthier - even from the eyes of my often blunt parents! Christmas might change my ways, but my partner, family and friends have been supportive and really impressed with the results.
On the point of it being about cutting your calories down, and doing more exercise = obvious 'weigh loss' - it's a different way of thinking about food that makes a difference. I think I have been eating more food than before I started but have replaced high GI carbs like rice, white potatoes, pasta, with low GI, less starchy sweet potatoes, squash, and veg like broccoli, peas etc. You can still eat limited amounts of bread, starchy grains like bulgur wheat, freekeh. You can also eat quinoa. I don't drink a lot of alcohol so I didn't mind cutting it out - although I had a weekend where I threw all the rules out the window half way. There's no red meat allowed, and only cottage cheese in some recipes, but there are loads of good recipes with fish, chicken, and veggie options. You can also make your own meals provided you stick to the principles they set out. I often just had a filet of spiced fish with a portion of roasted sweet potatoes / squash and it was great.
The main appeal of the programme for me was that it had a group dynamic - okay, just on Facebook - but there are always trainers replying to questions and concerns, and there are regular zoom calls which were really helpful to keep going.
The exercises are less important than the diet plan. I got sick and let go half way through, barely doing the dailies, abs, and challenges. But the diet is 90% of it. They stress to never miss a meal - this is more important as the principle is that you keep feeding yourself small meals (x6) per day, which teaches your body that more food is coming, not to worry , and that way it is more relaxed knowing food is coming, so it taps into your fat stores.
There's also no weighing - because if you do the exercises, you can increase your bone density, muscle tone, whilst also losing fat, which means you might not notice a lot of weight loss unless you have a lot of fat to lose. Everyone is different, but everyone who does the programme feels better, has more energy, and loses fat. It's up to you afterwards if you decide to reach for sugary snacks, crisps, and other foods that make you feel like crap afterwards, instead of having some cottage cheese and avocado on rice cakes / Ryvita, or a delicious smoothie made with banana, soya milk, cinammon, full fat greek yoghurt, and chia or flax seeds. The shakes were delicious and it's a new habit for me when I'm at home to make a batch of healthy meals and snacks.
Yes, it has been hard work, and I haven't been eating out as much - but I have eaten out and just asked for replacements - kitchens are usually really flexible these days.
I'm looking forward to the strength programme, esp as I can do it all from home with kettlebell weights.
It's not very expensive - about £150 for a wave. And if, like me, you have a lot of clothes you can't fit into any more, you will get some of that money back by being able to wear those clothes again, and not having to buy loads of new ones.
Give it a go, what do you have to lose?