For some reason I have been getting lots of interest lately in the Metabolic Balance weight loss programme. These spikes of interest are usually down to some type of celebrity endorsement. Sam Smith and Boy George have both helped to raise the profile of the programme in the past. I am not sure quite sure who is behind it this time around, but I will put money on it some high profile person has attributed their dramatic weight loss to the Metabolic Balance.
If you are unsure what I am talking about click here to read my explanation of the programme.
I love the Metabolic Balance programme and find that it can get amazing results for some people. I have had people in my clinic crying with frustration over the fact that they can’t lose weight because “NOTHING WORKS ANYMORE”. Yet after a few weeks on the programme they see significant weight loss. I know as soon as I write that your next question is ‘so how much weight did they lose?’ …..it depends (more below)
For anyone that contacts me who is interested in the plan I always suggest arranging a phone call to discuss it in further detail. It is important for you to find out a bit more about it from me and it is also important for me to find out a bit more about you. This helps me judge whether it is right for you and your lifestyle. I just don’t see the point in persuading someone to do it if it isn’t a good fit. I also suggest that we meet face to face to show you a copy of the plan so that you are 100% clear on how it works before you commit.
What are the important things to think about when considering whether the Metabolic Balance programme is right for you?
THE MAKE OR BREAK FEATURES OF THE PLAN:
Highly personalised: your plan is created based on your blood test results. This means that I honestly don’t know what sort of plan you will get.
The blood test looks at standard blood parameters, this includes liver function, thyroid, glucose, inflammation markers, cholesterol, red and white blood cells, etc. This can therefore provide a great tool to track progress. I often see inflammation markers reduce, glucose regulation improve, cholesterol levels lower. Note: It is not a blood test that looks at “food allergy”
Pros / cons: I think that the personalised nature is just a plus no cons.
Rigorously structured: you will be given super clear guidelines on what you can and cannot eat. Rules to stick to (3 meals no snacking, 5 hour gap between meals, no oil / fat for the first two weeks, etc etc). A detailed meal structure that will show exactly how many grams of food you should eat at each meal (yes that means using a scale to weigh your food).
Pros / cons: some people LOVE the clearly structured guidelines. There is no wiggle room. To get results you need to stick with the plan (and if you stick with the plan you will see results).
However, if your life is chaotic it can be really difficult to focus successfully on the plan. People who work extremely long hours; never do grocery shopping; hardly cook or prepare food at home; travel every week for business; spend most of their meals out socialising or at work events…..these situations make it really hard to do the plan well (although I have had clients in very demanding jobs who have made it work)
Wholefoods cooked from scratch: as a Nutritional Therapist one of the things that I love about the programme is that it is 100% focussed on ‘real’ food. Chicken, red meat, fish, beans and pulses, eggs, vegetables and a little fruit (depending on what comes up in your plan).
Pros / cons: there is nothing packaged, processed or ready prepared which means you are eating nutritious wholefoods, not manufactured ‘diet’ food or shakes.
However, if you are one of the increasing numbers of people who don’t cook at all, this makes it much harder to be successful on the plan. You need to be prepared to dedicate some time to buying groceries, food preparation and some basic cookery. Yes you can use ready cooked salmon and lentils or bags of ready prepared veg but I would worry about your ability to stick with the plan over the longer term in this case.
Food exclusions: What if there are loads of foods that you don’t like or can’t eat?
Pros / cons: We can exclude food groups (seafood or dairy) or specific types of food (tofu, Brussels sprouts) that you don’t like or can’t eat. However, if the list of things that you can’t or don’t eat is as long as your arm it is highly unlikely that I would encourage you to do the plan.
What about for Vegans?: sorry but the plan is not suitable if you are eating a vegan diet.
How much weight will I lose? : it really does depend on how much weight you have to lose in the first place and how well you stick with the programme. I have seen 3-4 kg lost in the first two phases (2 weeks and 2 days) through to a staggering 10kg. For most people the first two phases sees the most dramatic loss in weight after which point is does slow down a bit. One lady on the plan at the moment has lost 7kg and she is a couple of weeks into phase 3 (more relaxed phase where one weekly treat meal is allowed) and is half way to her total weight loss goal.