Anyone following The Metabolism Plan?

[JodyLynC]

I am just checking to see if anyone is on this plan and how your experiences are so far.

Last fall I ditched all my "bad" food and started eating mostly "good" food. I was also hitting the gym almost every day. Not only was the weight not coming off, I was horribly sick. After a couple of weeks, I gave up and went to my old bad habits. My weight stayed the same and I felt better, but I was still not happy with my appearance or my energy level.

I kept hearing about "The Plan" or "The Metabolism Plan." I picked up the book from the library and skimmed through it. According to the book, many of the current "healthy" foods are quite reactive which causes your metabolism to stall out. I suspect that is what happened to me.

So, I started the plan yesterday. You start out by cutting almost everything and eating a diet of non-reactive foods. Each day you reintroduce a food to your diet and see how your body reacts to it. Every morning you take your temperature and your weight. If your temperature spikes and/or you gain weight, you eliminate that food. Otherwise you can include that food as your good food.

Today is my second day. I was hoping to find others who are either currently on the plan or have followed it in the past.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am just checking to see if anyone is on this plan and how your experiences are so far.

Last fall I ditched all my "bad" food and started eating mostly "good" food. I was also hitting the gym almost every day. Not only was the weight not coming off, I was horribly sick. After a couple of weeks, I gave up and went to my old bad habits. My weight stayed the same and I felt better, but I was still not happy with my appearance or my energy level.

I kept hearing about "The Plan" or "The Metabolism Plan." I picked up the book from the library and skimmed through it. According to the book, many of the current "healthy" foods are quite reactive which causes your metabolism to stall out. I suspect that is what happened to me.

So, I started the plan yesterday. You start out by cutting almost everything and eating a diet of non-reactive foods. Each day you reintroduce a food to your diet and see how your body reacts to it. Every morning you take your temperature and your weight. If your temperature spikes and/or you gain weight, you eliminate that food. Otherwise you can include that food as your good food.

Today is my second day. I was hoping to find others who are either currently on the plan or have followed it in the past.

I am dieting. It is calories in, calories out. I have to lose 25lbs in 6 months for medical reasons. I have lost weight in the past and usually keep it under control. I have medical issues now which require me to lose weight pretty damn quick.

"Hitting the gym" does not take off the weight. Now it does INCREASE your caloric needs which is why people start dieting and then hit the gym feel like crap. If you are going to exercise this is where you focus on metabolism/energy. You have to have a carb download before and after exercise.

While it is fine that you are following a plan, metabolism does not work that way. In fact this sounds more like an inflammation diet, than a metabolic one.

Calories in...Calories out is the key.

Now if you are PCOS or have insulin resistance, THAT will effect your weight loss. I recommend a FULL blood panel if you have not has one recently.

Good Luck, this sucks....lol.

 

[LilyWDW]

Eating "good" foods (what the heck is that anyway?) and hitting the gym do not by themselves make weight loss. Are you counting calories? Tracking how much you are eating? How are you measuring your portions? Are you weighing everything? How are you tracking your workouts?

Calories in... calories out is the only way to lose weight. No fad diets. No BS that people are trying to sell you. "The Metabolism Plan" has no real studies or science behind it and is simply a money making scheme for the author.

If you are doing all your tracking, weighing all your foods, staying in a known deficit that isn't too small/big and you STILL have trouble then you need to see your doctor.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

The best way I've lost weight is by eating clean. I didn't count calories but only ate whole, clean foods. Fruits, veggies, lean meats, whole grains. Nothing processed. I also worked out about 5 times a week. It takes a LOT for me to lose weight and this is the best way I've found. I also did the calorie counting years ago. It worked too but it was too much work for me.

 

[antmaril]

I agree with Mystery Machine. Calories in/calories out (CICO). I have lost 30 pounds and I weigh and measure everything. Obviously, when I am eating in a restaurant, I can't do that, but everything I prepare at home is measured. I highly recommend My Fitness Pal. The folks on that forum recommend eating back half of your exercise calories.

I have found that there are no "bad" foods. Obviously, some things are better for you than others, but as long as you eat at a calorie deficit you should lose weight (usless there are other health issues going on). I have learned that it is not an all or nothing deal. Some days I go way over my calories and I just record that day and move on. I didn't "blow it"', I am living.

Good luck!

 

[Christine]

I also use My Fitness Pal and totally believe in Calories In/Calories Out. As stated above, there are fairly rare situations when that doesn't quite work as well for some people and PCOS is one of those situations.

Anyway, there is a wealth of information on those forums and they often talk about "special" ways of eating. I'm sure someone on those forums has reviewed this book. Bottom line is though, you would be amazed at how many people really overestimate their portions as well as overestimate what their calorie burn is for exercise. I was a victim of that myself. A few years ago I started regularly exercising, dropped all junk food but the scale didn't budge. I was just eating too much, even still. The food might have been better quality but I was eating too much. Once I started counting every morsel I put in my mouth and keeping it to a daily limit, the weight rolled off, with very little in the way of exercise (and I'm old to boot!!). But, yeah, it's tedious.

 

[nkereina]

I've lost 75 lbs within the last year following a ketogenic diet. Atkins is a version of this. It's high protein/low carb. This is the only way of eating that I have found to work for me that doesn't leave me feeling hungry or like I need to snack. It has also helped me break an addiction to carbs and sugar. There's tons of ways to eat to lose the weight, you just have to find the best one that works for you and your lifestyle.

 

[Magpie]

Yes, like others have said, it absolutely comes down to calories in/calories out.

But you also have to figure out a way to feed yourself that works for you. It's different for each person.

For me, my food can't be too much of a hassle to prepare. I like stuff I can toss together quickly, that doesn't require odd or hard-to-find ingredients. Plus, I can't eat too much red meat or fat, due to digestive issues. And I need to be careful about keeping my immune system strong (I've found that too little veg in my diet seems to lead to an increased risk of infections).

For my husband, it has to be something he considers tasty, and filling. Which means he wants a lot of food on his plate, and he wants to be able to snack in the evenings. He struggles with his weight.

Neither of us does at all well with the concept of "good food/bad food" or "clean food..." um, dirty food? We don't like being told we can't eat something.

We've tried various approaches (including South Beach, because a friend of my husband's loved it - it wasn't sustainable for us). But at the moment, the one that seems to be working best for us is Fit Girls. I ignore most of the rah-rah cutesy stuff, and just follow the daily menus. We love roasted vegetables, hummus, guacamole, cheese and eggs, all of which feature prominently. My husband is slowly losing weight (I think a big part of that is that he's committed to snacking on raw veg instead of crackers and chips).

So, while I can't speak to the Metabolism plan, I don't think there's any harm in experimenting. Try something new. If you like it, and you feel good, then keep it up. If you don't, then move on.

Last night, I went totally off the plan and had the most amazing burger (it had grilled pineapple, pickled beets, sriracha mayo, a fried egg... like a heart attack on a bun!) and I have no regrets. It didn't even do my stomach in, mainly I think because I had followed the plan for breakfast and lunch. No guilt!

 

[Klayfish]

I just don't understand all these fad diets as they come and go...Paleo, Atkins, whatever. It's silly, IMO. I'm very much into health, nutrition and fitness, so is DW. She's actually hoping to get on stage for competition soon. I'm probably 85% of the way to competition shape, but just have no interest in competing, so I'm not willing to do the extreme stuff needed for the final 15%.

Yes, in it's most basic form, it's calories in vs. calories out, but there's so much more to it. Going to the gym and working out absolutely is a huge factor in helping to lose weight. I don't mean being a "cardio bunny", I mean lifting weights. Doesn't mean you need to try to squat 300lbs, and no you won't "get big" unless you eat to do that. But muscle burns a heck of a lot more calories than fat. So when you build some muscle, your body will naturally burn more calories per day, even at rest.

There's no rocket science either to eating "clean". Certainly consult a doctor for any unique medical issues, but beyond that it's just common sense. It's the right mix of proteins, carbs and fats. Yes, your body needs those last two, they're essential. But only in the right amounts. Find the right sources for those nutritions, get the right portions and off you go. It's really not all that hard. I have Crohns' disease, which makes plenty of nutrition and other challenges. Also have a ton of joint problems. So if I wanted, I could make excuses, but the reality is just working hard and being smart keeps me in outstanding physical condition.

 

[wenrob]

Oh my goodness. I'll just echo everyone else, calories in/calories out. Eat less, move more. Last week I ordered a medium thin crust pizza and ate on it for three days. Also had Port of Subs. My DH made brats and we ate them with chips. Had some ice cream. Another words, I ate like total crap last week. Guess what? Still down half a pound for the week. Because CI<CO. I may have been on a crap food tear but I still watched my portions and got my steps in.

If you want to feel good and improve your health, eat more whole foods. Want to lose weight, eat less. You don't need a special diet/combination/gimmick/program to do either.

 

[Hikergirl]

I lost the most weight by cutting carbs. I don't count calories, I just watch my carb intake and exercise. That is what works best for me. Like a pp said there are things out there that work, you just need to find the one that works best for you.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Another calories in/calories out. Lost 20% of my weight. You can keep the fads that come and go.

I also eat gluten free. But I have celiac and have been diagnosed for 10 years.

 

[Klayfish]

I ate like total crap last week. Guess what? Still down half a pound for the week. Because CI<CO. I may have been on a crap food tear but I still watched my portions and got my steps in.

There can definitely be some truth to that. Certainly not a habit you want to get into (eat junk food all the time but just burn a ton of calories), but in a short term it can happen.

I don't count calories anymore because I did it so long and my foods are mostly the same, so I know basically what I'm eating. I eat roughly 2700 calories per day, give or take a little. When we travel to WDW, I'm on vacation, so I relax my nutrition a bit. Still eat a healthy base of foods, but will add in ice cream, chips, whatever I feel like. I'd bet I eat 3000-3500 calories per day. But inevitably, over the course of a two week trip, I'll lose about 2 or 3lbs. Some of it could be water loss, but I drink a lot of it, so maybe not. Either way, even eating kinda crappy I don't gain weight.

 

[wenrob]

There can definitely be some truth to that. Certainly not a habit you want to get into (eat junk food all the time but just burn a ton of calories), but in a short term it can happen.

I don't count calories anymore because I did it so long and my foods are mostly the same, so I know basically what I'm eating. I eat roughly 2700 calories per day, give or take a little. When we travel to WDW, I'm on vacation, so I relax my nutrition a bit. Still eat a healthy base of foods, but will add in ice cream, chips, whatever I feel like. I'd bet I eat 3000-3500 calories per day. But inevitably, over the course of a two week trip, I'll lose about 2 or 3lbs. Some of it could be water loss, but I drink a lot of it, so maybe not. Either way, even eating kinda crappy I don't gain weight.

What do you mean "some truth?" I could eat crap all the time, not exercise and as long as I stay in a deficit I'll lose. I'd feel like crap, have no energy, be missing some vitamins etc. but I could still lose weight as long as my calories in are less than my calories out. Not like I'd want to live like that. I love me some fresh, whole foods and exercise. They make me feel good but from a scientific standpoint neither are needed to lose weight. Good health, yes.

I only make the distinction because I've watched so many friends go out every January, blow their entire paycheck on organic food and way over do it in the gym. They lose at first, stall and can't understand why they're not losing anymore. I get the hand block when I say they need to eat less because they think eating healthy and exercise is all it takes. Then they quit because they "can't" lose weight. It's like flipping clock work. Meanwhile they're convinced I only eat plain chicken breast and steamed veggies, work out like a mad woman and never touch desert. There's no convincing them I eat what I want just smaller portions of it because craziness of the diet industry tells them it just can't be that easy. I eat "healthy" and exercise 80% of the time but I don't depend on either to keep me in check because I can't always do both. Moderation and balance is what works for me. I typically lose about 4lbs on vacation and when in Disney have a Mickey Bar everyday. A lot of that is due to all the walking but a big part is that I don't eat the whole plate that is set in front of me.