The first I heard of this was through a friend at the age of 54 who had lost weight, looked fab and didn't have to worry as much as before about weight gain.
With so many different styles and strategies for weight loss, it can be tough to pick one and to stick with it. The metabolic diet is helping many people to meet their weight loss goals. It resets your metabolism and increases the ability to burn fat.
Although I have a healthy diet and exercise often, I still enjoy my treats, the pleasures at this time of life including regular glasses of wine and fish and chips on a Friday to name just a few I had often considered giving it a go...!
I would have to say circumstances in my case pushed me to give it a go, firstly the 2nd lockdown, excessive overindulging at Christmas and then major surgery which left me for a while not being allowed my usual tipple anyhow. So it seemed like the perfect time to give it a go, everywhere was closed anyhow and sitting around in recovery would have meant the inevitable weight gain.
How Does it Work?
The reset focuses on altering your metabolism, or the rate at which your body breaks down the food you eat and turns it into energy. Faster metabolisms, naturally, burn more calories than slower ones. If you’ve been told you have a slow metabolism, speeding things up might seem like an easy way to burn more calories.
Sadly cutting out alcohol is also a big part of this process I'm afraid to say...!
The reset plan works to give you more energy from food. This gets done when the body burns up fat stores instead of carbs to create energy. This then allows the body to burn more fat, resulting in weight loss.
It works similar to the process of ketosis, where the body produces ketones, and fat is burned for energy instead of sugars. Many on this diet also feel more satisfied, with fewer cravings. The diet is great for targeting hard to reach areas where fat gets stored. This makes it ideal for those who want to lose belly fat and shed pounds.
It's common for the metabolic reset plan to follow a three-phase process. This is to allow for a more safe and effective transition into the reset.
Phase one focuses on helping your body reprogramme its necessity to store fat. It also works to lower stress hormones and prepare the thyroid. This phase involves consuming carbs while avoiding fat to prepare the body. You'll fill up on fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. Foods containing B and C vitamins are also important during the first phase.
The second phase targets fat stores and gets the body ready to start building muscle. It also works to lower acidity levels in your blood with an alkalizing process. You will focus on vegetables and lean proteins, while still avoiding foods high in fat.
The third phase is where the metabolism speeds up to burn more fat. Here you focus on consuming healthy fats and avoid saturated fats. Foods in this stage include avocados, nuts, olive oil, seeds, and eggs.
An Inside Look at the Metabolic Diet Plan
The reset plan will likely consist of 5 smaller meals that get broken up throughout your day. This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with two snacks. When on the reset, you shouldn't go more than 4 hours during the day without eating. This is to avoid blood sugar spikes and cravings. This doesn't promote fasting during any times of the day. It is recommended to eat breakfast half an hour after you wake up in the morning.
The main idea of the reset is to avoid refined and processed carbs. This includes flour, white bread, and sugar.
This is because carbs get broken down into glucose meaning your body is getting extra calories from sugar. This extra sugar can then contribute to weight gain.
Filling up on the Right Foods
The reset focuses on whole foods, fiber, and protein. You'll also get to enjoy foods that offer essential vitamins and minerals. Smart choices include non-starchy vegetables, high-protein meats, and fruits. You'll want to cut out foods that contain lots of calories without any nutritional value. It's best to avoid soy products, wheat, dairy, and any refined sugars. Alcohol and caffeine should also get limited during the reset. To avoid extra calories you can choose healthier methods of cooking food. Try grilling meats and steaming vegetables instead of sauteing. It also helps to substitute unsweetened almond milk in place of dairy, and if almond is too sweet why not try Oat milk! Go for organic and non-GMO foods when you can. This is to avoid additives, preservatives, and nitrates that can be harmful to your health. Some versions of the diet do allow some healthy carbs in moderation. This includes oats, whole grains, and brown rice.
Effective Ways to Enhance the Metabolic Diet
The metabolic weight loss plan is all about making healthy lifestyle choices. For best results, you'll want to combine a proper exercise routine with your reset plan. This is to help lose weight and keep you from gaining it back. Aim to exercise at least 3 times each week. This can be a combination of cardio and strength training. Mindful exercises like yoga are also a great way to switch up your routine. Adding new exercises into your routine will help you avoid hitting a weight loss plateau. Hydration is also important for the metabolic diet. This works to suppress the appetite and spur the metabolism. Some versions of the reset recommend drinking half your weight in water each day. Do this by calculating half your weight then drinking this amount in ounces.
You'll also want to get enough sleep each night, 7 hours on average, difficult in the menopause but helped by Feminapause. This is ideal for both your mental and physical wellbeing. It will also help you to be more conscious of making healthy food choices.
Thinking Long-term
The metabolic reset offers an effective way to reach your long-term weight loss goals. Following this diet plan can help you to kickstart your metabolism to burn more calories. Along with boosting your metabolism, you'll learn how to make healthier food choices.
And please note, if you don't see immediate results within the first week process of the reset, know this is completely normal. This metabolic reset is a gradual progression into a healthier diet and lifestyle. This supports a healthy gradual loss in weight in a safe and effective way.
This worked for me and pleased I finally gave it a go, I definitely feel I have lost weight around the menopause problem areas. I guess the no alcohol is also part of my skin feeling and looking much more radiant even if I may say so myself...!
