WHAT IS THE METABOLIC RESET?
THE METABOLIC RESET IS A SERIES OF STEPS TO GET YOURSELF OUT OF A DISORDERED STATE OF EATING AND CREATE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD.
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IT IS NOT ANOTHER DIET!!!
THE SAYING GOES, "YOU CAN'T SHOOT AN ARROW WITHOUT FIRST PULLING BACK THE STRING". THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS RESET DOES. THE RESET FORCES YOU TO TAKE A STEP BACK OUT OF YOUR CHRONIC YO-YO DIETING MINDSET, STANDARDIZE YOUR EATING AND BRING YOU BACK TOWARDS A HEALTHY BODY COMPOSITION.
THE METABOLIC RESET IS A PROTEIN-FORWARD HOMAGE TO 3-SQUARES. IT IS WHOLESOME, STRUCTURED, AND HEALTHIER THAN THE STANDARD DISORGANIZED EATING STRUCTURE OF... SKIP, SNACK, SKIP, BINGE. THE CONTEMPORARY WAY OF EATING LEAVES US WITH VERY LITTLE SKELETAL MUSCLE, A FLAGGING METABOLISM, CHRONIC PAIN, AND OFTEN IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION.
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IN THIS RESET YOU WILL:
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EAT 3 PROTEIN PACKED MEALS A DAY WITH LIMITED TO NO SNACKING.
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NOT WEIGH IN, OR RE-ASSESS FOR AT LEAST A MONTH.
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BUILD AND ENFORCE AN 80%/20% MINDSET.
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NOT START ANY NEW EXERCISE PROGRAM.
WHAT IS THE CYCLE OF DEPRIVATION?
THE DECISION TO ENTER A STATE OF DEPRIVATION - AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES, WE MAKE THE DECISION TO KNOWINGLY ENTER A STATE OF DEPRIVATION. WE ENTER THE CYCLE, TYPICALLY, AT THE BEGINNING OF A WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM. NO MATTER WHAT TENETS THE PROGRAM PROMOTES, WE BEGIN WITH RESTRICTING SOME COMPONENT OF OUR NUTRIENT INTAKE.
STEP 1 - NUTRIENT RESTRICTION
IN THE FIRST STAGE, WE BEGIN A WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM. WE ACTIVELY RESTRICT NUTRIENTS VIA CUTTING CALORIES, CARBOHYDRATES, OR FATS.
STEP 2 - PHYSIOLOGICAL AWARENESS
IN STAGE TWO, OUR BODY BECOMES AWARE OF THE RESTRICTION AND SENDS SIGNALS TO OUR BRAINS ALERTING IT TO THE IMBALANCE.
STAGE 3 - PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE
OUR BODY THEN RESPONDS IBY ACTIVATING A VARIETY OF SURVIVAL MECHANISMS TO LIMIT OUR ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND ENSURE OUR SURVIVAL.
STAGE 4 - PSYCHOLOGICAL AWARENESS
STAGE FOUR INTRODUCES OUR CONSCIOUS AWARENESS TO THIS BARRAGE OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES.
STAGE 5 - PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE
YOU BECOME FIXATED ON FOOD AND YOUR SELF-CONCEPT DECLINES
STAGE 6 - OVERCOMPENSATION
AFTER THE OVERCOMPENSATION STAGE, WE'VE COME FULL CIRCLE AND BEGIN AGAIN WITH NUTRIENT RESTRICTION. EITHER WE'LL FIND FAULT IN THE DIET WE CHOSE AND TRY ANOTHER, OR WE'LL FIND FAULT WITHIN OURSELVES AND RESTART THE SAME DIET UNDER THE GUISE THAT WE WILL "DO BETTER". THE REAL QUESTION IS:
HOW DO YOU BREAK THE CYCLE AND MEET YOUR GOALS?
FINALLY, OUR FIXATION ON FOOD COUPLED WITH OUR PERSISTENT NEGATIVE SELF-CONCEPT LEADS US TO OVERCOMPENSATE. WE "FALL OFF THE WAGON" AND BINGE EAT OR GIVE UP ALTOGETHER, BUT THIS TIME WITH LESS MUSCLE MASS TO FUEL YOUR METABOLISM AND MORE BODY FAT.
PSYCHOLOGY
THE PERCEIVED BREAKDOWN:
WE DON'T HAVE THE WILLPOWER, DISCIPLINE, OR ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE HAVE A NEGATIVE SELF-CONCEPT
OUR BRAINS ARE NOT GOOD AT CONTROLLING THE BEHAVIOR OF OUR BODY.
THE ACTUAL BREAKDOWN:
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
FOOD IS USED AS A COPING MECHANISM
DIETS BECOME OVERWHELMING ON MANY LEVELS
PHYSIOLOGY
THE PERCEIVED BREAKDOWN:
WE'RE IN "STARVATION MODE" AND CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT
OUR BODY DOESN'T WORK LIKE OTHER PEOPLE'S **MEDICAL CONDITIONS ASIDE**
THE ACTUAL BREAKDOWN:
OUR DIETING AND/OR EXERCISE EFFORTS ARE TOO EXTREME
WE BECOME MALNOURISHED VIA FOODS THAT ARE LOW CALORIE AND SPARSE IN NUTRIENTS
SEE ABOVE UNDER 'PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE'
#1 ALL OR NOTHING
"EITHER YOU'RE ON THE WAGON, OR YOU'RE NOT."
THIS SIMPLY ISN'T TRUE! JUST BECAUSE YOU TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF, OR HAVE A SETBACK, DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD GIVE UP OR SCRAP THE WHOLE PROGRAM. THE TIMELINE FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS IS YOUR WHOLE LIFE; NOT THE INTENDED DURATION OF ONE PROGRAM.
#2 REWARD MINDSET
"THIS IS HARD, YOU SHOULD REWARD YOURSELF FOR DOING IT."
WRONG!!! THE REWARD IS IN THE JOURNEY. THE REWARD IS GETTING FIT AND HEALTHY, NOT EATING JUNK FOOD. YOU SHOULD NOT DO WELL FOR A SHORT TIME AND FEEL THAT YOU NEED A REWARD FOR DOING IT. IF YOU FALL INTO A REWARD MINDSET, IT MEANS THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR APPROACH.
#3 ONLY ONE DIET WORKS
"LOW CARB IS THE ONLY DIET THAT REALLY WORKS."
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THIS TYPE OF BLACK AND WHITE THINKING ONLY HARMS SOME PEOPLE. THERE IS NOT ONLY ONE DIET THAT IS THE "RIGHT" DIET FOR EVERYONE. WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS. AS INDIVIDUALS, WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT FITNESS PERSONALITIES AND UNIQUE NEEDS. ONE DIET MAY WORK FOR MOST, BUT NOT ALL.
IF A DIET PROGRAM DOESN'T WORK FOR YOU, IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!!
#4 HARDER IS BETTER
MANY PEOPLE STRUGGLE ON THIS DIET, SO IT MUST BE THE BEST.
THIS DIET IS REALLY SPECIFIC AND REALLY COMPLICATED, SO IT MUST WORK.
DIETS DO NOT HAVE TO BE COMPLEX, OR TORTUROUS TO BE EFFECTIVE. FOR EXAMPLE, SUBSTITUTING SODA FOR SELTZER WATER IS SIMPLE AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE. DO NOT BE FOOLED BY GIMMICKS, OR POP CULTURE, INTO THINKING THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEEPLY UNCOMFORTABLE OR MENTALLY TAXING TO LOSE WEIGHT SUCCESSFULLY.
#5 YOU CAN WHITE KNUCKLE IT
"IF I CAN JUST MAKE IT TO MY GOAL, I CAN GO BACK TO EATING THINGS I LIKE."
THE LIKELIHOOD OF BEING ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE THROUGH A DIET PROGRAM WITHOUT "FALLING OFF THE WAGON", OR QUITTING COMPLETELY, IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY IN THIS CASE. I OFTEN TELL MY CLIENTS, "THE HARDER YOU SWING; THE HARDER YOU'LL SWING BACK." LIKE A PENDULUM. IF YOU SUDDENLY CUT OUT ALL YOUR FAVORITE FOODS AND MODERATION GOES OUT THE WINDOW, YOU'RE GUARANTEED TO FAIL.
#6 EXERCISE IS A NECESSITY TO LOSE WEIGHT
"I CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT IF I'M NOT WORKING OUT."
DEFINITELY NOT!! YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT IF YOU CAN'T SUSTAIN YOUR DIET PROGRAM, AND YOU CERTAINLY CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO OUTWORK A BAD DIET. I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE THE EXERCISE IS HEALTHY. HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE DOING IT FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH, INCREASE YOUR FITNESS, OR HAVE FUN; YOU'RE DOING IT FOR THE WRONG REASONS.
EXERCISE:
STIMULATES YOUR APPETITE
TEARS DOWN YOUR MUSCLES (REQUIRING MORE CALORIES FOR REPAIR AND GROWTH)
CAUSES MUSCLE SORENESS AND DISCOMFORT (LEADING TO EATING AS AN ANALGESIC)
EXERCISE INFLAMES AND STRESSES AN ALREADY INFLAMED AND STRESSED BODY
THEREFORE, IF YOU ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING TO ADHERE TO A DIET PROGRAM, EXERCISE MAY NOT BE THE SMARTEST ADDITION TO YOUR PROGRAM
WHY SHOULDN’T YOU START A NEW EXERCISE PROGRAM?
YOUR GOAL IS TO FIND STABILITY!
WE STRONGLY ADVOCATE THAT YOU CONTINUE EXPENDING EXACTLY AS MUCH ENERGY AS YOU HAVE BEEN, AND NOT MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES TO YOUR LIFESTYLE WHEN YOU BEGIN THE METABOLIC RESET.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING OUT REGULARLY, YOU SHOULD CONTINUE DOING SO.
IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING OUT REGULARLY, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO START. NOTE: THIS DOES NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO REDUCE YOUR ACTIVITY LEVELS EITHER.
THE BEST WAY TO STABILIZE YOUR DIET AND HUNGER LEVELS IS TO STABILIZE YOUR ENERGY OUTPUT.
HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE DEAD SET ON BEGINNING AN EXERCISE PROGRAM WHEN STARTING THIS RESET, WE ADVISE EASING INTO IT. DO NOT ENGAGE IN THE TYPICAL "GO HARD; BALLS TO THE WALL" MENTALITY.
INITIAL ASSESSMENTS
BEFORE YOU BEGIN...
YOU WON'T BE REGULARLY WEIGHING, BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE A STARTING POINT AND A FRAME A REFERENCE. YOU CAN GET AS GENERAL OR AS SPECIFIC AS YOU WANT WHEN FIRST STARTING. IN MY OPINION, MORE DATA IS ALWAYS BETTER.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT YOU WILL NOT BE REFERENCING (OR AGONIZING OVER) THIS DATA AGAIN FOR A MONTH.
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MACRO:
STARTING BODY WEIGHT
"BEFORE PICTURES" - NATURAL POSE FROM THE FRONT, SIDE, AND BACK.
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MICRO:
1. BODY FAT
SKINFOLD MEASUREMENTS
BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE (BEARING IN MIND THAT IT'S TYPICALLY LESS ACCURATE THAN CALIPERS)
2. CIRCUMFERENCE MEASURMENTS
THE WAIST MEASUREMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTMANT (MEASURE THE SMALLEST PORTION OF YOUR MIDSECTION)
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JOURNALING
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND KEEPING A JOURNAL THROUGHOUT YOUR NUTRITION FOUNDATION JOURNEY. JOURNALING CAN BE A GREAT RESOURCE FOR:
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FINDING FOOD TRIGGERS
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IDENTIFYING TRENDS IN YOUR EATING HABITS
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KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS (WORKOUTS, OFF-PLAN EATING, ETC.)
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HELP YOU FOCUS AND ARTICULATE YOUR EMOTIONS
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PLANNING YOUR GOALS
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OFFERING A PLACE FOR SELF-DIALOGUE TO WORK THROUGH PROBLEMS AND STRESSORS WITHOUT USING FOOD AS A COPING MECHANISM
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CLICK BELOW TO READ MY STORY
“ADDICTED TO DIETING"
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CREATING ROUTINE AND STRUCTURE IN YOUR DAY
