RP Diet App vs RP Strength Diet Template

Are you thinking of starting on the RP Strength diet? But you find it hard to choose between the RP diet app and the template? Which one should you choose? Which one will give the best results? Which one is the easiest to follow? That way you can choose which one you’d like to commit to! 

Well, both Tobias and I have tried them both and we have compared the two. I’ve had great results with the RP Strength template and can really recommend it. I’ve also had great results with the RP Strength App. 

I’m now using the RP Strength App for diet loss. For me it was an easy decision, I like that it is with me all the time, calculates how much I can eat, and that I can easily access my macros wherever I am.

If you are wondering how it is to be on the RP Strength diet you should check out our post, one day of eating on the RP Strength Diet ?‍?

First off, we are in no way, neither as individuals nor through FuelChefs, affiliated nor associated with RP Strength (renaissanceperiodization.com). We are neither RP Strength employees nor health professionals. Nor is this an advertisement. We are consumers and customers of RP Strength who simply wish to share our personal experiences with those who are interested. All content on this site (Fuelchefs.com) is our personal experience and opinions. 

Now that’s out of the way, lets dig in ?

1. Cost

The app has a monthly or annual fee, whereas the template is a one time purchase. 

There are good things about both. A monthly fee will ensure you only pay for what you need, but in the long run it can become more expensive than a yearly fee. So, if you know you’ll use it for a while, an annual payment can be the best choice. 

And then there is the template. The template is a one time payment only, but it can also be a one time use only. Depending on how much weight you lose (or gain if you’re on the muscle gain template). If you lose more than 10kg RP Strength recommends that you should move to a new template. This makes sense, if you’re 10kg lighter than when you started the template your macros must be completely different to continue to see results. If this is the case, you have to purchase a new template. 

So, at this point, it boils down to how much weight you are planning to drop and how long you want to keep at it. 

2. Adjustable diet plan

When you purchase the diet plan you type in your weight and sex, this information will ensure that you’ll get the right diet template. However, the template is fixed. You can’t suddenly change to working out twice a day, and the template doesn’t take your activity level into consideration. 

This was a little frustrating for me using the template. We often go ski touring, on long hikes or singletrack riding, I won’t classify them as workouts, but it is a highly active day. So eating the same macros as a non-weight training day didn’t feel right to me.

The app, however, is more flexible. With the app, you can easily adjust how much you want to workout, when you workout, what kind of activity level you have each day. It is also easier to end a cut and start a new one.

So, if you’re looking for flexibility, the app is your jam.

3. Maintenance

When you’re done with the diet it’s important to get a smooth transition to “normal eating” with maintenance.

Maintenance will ensure you’ll get a soft and right transition back to “normality”.

This is a very important phase in order not to gain too much weight or feel uncomfortable. For example, many people have a tendency to start eating a lot when they’re done with a diet.

First off, this isn’t a good idea because if you eat too much/ more than your body needs you’ll obviously gain weight again! Secondly, it can be really really uncomfortable because you’re used to eating way less, plus you’ve probably been in ketose or at some sort of low-carb diet, eating tons of carbs will make you really unwell..  

The maintenance phase is part of the template when you purchase it. With the app however, this is a seperate diet plan, so it will be an extra cost for the maintenance period, unless you have annual payment of course ?

4. Convenience

When you’re on a diet, it can be a hassle to remember your macros when you’re eating with your friends and family, and how much you can eat of different foods.

If you’re not eating all your meals at home or food prep everything having the app with the macros with you at all times can be really helpful. 

Your macros are never far away with the app! 

Personally, I think it is really convenient to have the RP Strenght app with me and always be able to know how much I can eat different foods.
Even though I don’t always have a food scale with me.. I never do unless I am at my parent’s house ? Therefore I’ve have learned to eyeball foods quite well. If you want to learn more about how to do that, read our post on how to eyeball foods. 

This brings us right into the next point.

5. Food calculator

With the RP Strength app, you get in addition to a diet coach, a food calculator. The app calculates how much you can get off the different foods and balance out the combination. If you have the template, you have to do this yourself. 

It’s not only very convenient that it calculates for you, but it also makes cooking and making sure you get the right macros a breeze!! 

All you need to do is choose the different foods you’re having and then the app will calculate everything for you. 

With the template you’ll have to calculate this for yourself and make a system, we made an excel sheet that calculated how much we could eat of different foods. 

Personally, we both really enjoy that the app calculates for us the amount of food we get to eat. It makes dieting way less hassle free! 

6. Eating on the go

Since the app is with you all the time it will make it easier to eat on the go. 

If you use the template you have to remember the macros and how much that is equivalent to in different food sources. However, the best thing to do if you’re on the template is to food prep. That way you make sure you get the right macros.When I used the template I food prepped for every single day. 

However, this approach is less flexible. With the app you have the possibility to be more flexible, in case you eat more than you should for one meal or eat something you shouldn’t ? In that case you can register in your app that you have less for your next meal.

However, it is of course not advisable to eat more than you should? and in order to get the best results you should, of course, follow RP Strength very meticulously. However, sometimes life interferes and you’ll have to adapt the best you can?‍♀️

7. Diet adjustment 

What I really like about the app is that you have a weekly check in. 

When you configure the app you decide on 2 or more weigh-in days. Based on this data (and possibly your meal compliance..), the RP Strength App will recommend if you should keep going with the macros you have. Or if you should adjust your macros in order to reach your weight goal. 

With the template, you have to decide for yourself if you should change the template or not. This can sometimes be challenging to know. 

Personally, I really like that the RP Strength App recommends to me what I should do, but that I make the decision based on how I feel on the diet.

For me, it is important to consider how I feel and how I think the diet is going rather than blindly follow the recommendations. 

For example, on previous diets I’ve felt really good at first, then I start feeling terrible, dizziness, headaches, mood swings, and my weight loss stagnates. Since the weight loss stagnates, the app recommends cutting macros. But the app doesn’t register all the other signs, which are signs that my body isn’t faring too well..so the right approach is maybe not to cut macros, but maybe be a bit more lenient with the macros. This is something I’ve learned over time getting to know my body, and I can’t expect the app to know this. Therefore, the recommendation combined with my knowledge is pivotal in my dieting process. 

8. Modern

There is no denying it, the app is a bit more 2020, a bit more modern. It is with you all the time and it calculates how much you should eat for you. 

9. Usability

The template can be really hard to understand at first, there’s quite a lot of information to read and it can be a bit overwhelming. Between us getting our first template and starting using it, it actually took some time. Just because we didn’t have the time or energy to sit down and read all the information. However, when you get the hang of it it’s not that hard at all ?

The RP Strength app however is super easy to understand from the get go! Really intuitive and easy to use?

10. Plan and log

I’ve discussed this before, for example in the MyFitnessPal vs RP Strength Diet post. Whether you plan for what you should eat and then eat or if you log after. Planning before you eat is what is important. If you log after you’ve already eaten it, you can’t make any changes. 

Both the app and the template have a planning perspective. However, the app works as a log too since it keeps the history of what you’ve eaten on that diet. 

If you like to look back and review your meals and meal combinations the app will be great for you. With the template, you’ll have to keep track of this on your own. 

This brings us into the next point. 

11. Re-use meals 

Re-using meals is very easy with the app! You can either go back and look at them, or you can save a meal combination to be re-used as many times as you’d like.

With the template, you’ll have to remember the combinations or have a system to write it down. 

I really like the feature that you can save your meals and re-use them. It makes the diet much easier and hassle-free. 

12. Sustainable dieting

The RP diet app forces you into responsible dieting or cutting if you will. 

Based on how much weight you want to lose the RP Strength app will suggest different end dates. It will not recommend an end date earlier than what is recommended. 

With the template you will choose the length of the cut yourself, and for how long you’re in each phase. However, RP Strength has recommendations as to what is the best for you. 

13. Diet coach

With both the template and the app you get a diet template, but with the RP Strength App you also get a diet coach! The app reminds you when you should eat, if you should make any adjustments to your diet and it limits the food sources you should eat in order to ensure the best possible results ?

Conclusion

I’ve had great results with the RP Strength template and can really recommend it. I’ve also had great results with the RP Strength App. 

I’m now using the RP Strength App for diet loss. For me it was an easy decision, I like that it is with me all the time and that I can easily access my macros wherever I am.

My favorite thing about the app is that it calculates for me how much I can eat of different foods for each meal. I also like that I register my weight and that it recommends whether I should continue as is or change my macros, but that in the end, it is my choice. 

The app is more interactive and I guess I really like that. It is more of a diet coach than just a plan.

So, for you, I guess it comes down to what you prefer and what you think will work best for you. Both the app and the template will help you lose weight and reach your goals!