Cool Tip: Fast Metabolism Diet Diary
- Jun 23, 2015
Time For a Change!
Don’t know about you guys, but we overdid it a little during the holidays (and probably for a few months before that). So we’ve decided to try to get all of this under control. Starting next Monday we’re going to begin the Fast Metabolism Diet, the brain child of nutritionist Haylie Pomroy.
The basic premise seems logical to us: use carefully selected and sequenced combinations of food to jump start your metabolism and thereby lose weight (and get other related benefits).
The good news about this diet is that you get to eat lots of potentially interesting food (3 meals and 2 snacks every day) and you don’t have to count a single calorie or point. The bad news is that, for at least the 4 weeks of the diet, you have to give up some things we love: alcohol (wine!), dairy (milk and cheese!) and caffeine. You also have to give up wheat (except sprouted wheat), corn, soy, refined sugar, dried fruit, fruit juices, artificial sweeteners (stevia and birch-based xylitol are allowed, because they aren’t artificial), and fat-free or “diet” processed foods. OK: as with any diet plan, this requires some sacrifices, lots of planning, and more than a little discipline.
The diet is a 4 weeks plan, with each week divided into 3 phases:
Phase 1 (2 days): we begin with this high glycemic, low fat, light protein phase. You can eat plenty of grains, such as oatmeal, quinoa, wild rice and brown rice - but not white rice - almost all kinds of fresh fruit (e.g. apples, pears, melons, berries, stone fruit, mangos, papayas, citrus and pineapple, but no bananas or grapes), and lean meat proteins like beef, pork tenderloin, and white meat poultry. On one day in each Phase 1 you should also do 20-60 minutes of cardio exercise.
Phase 2 (2 days): this is a low fat/low carbohydrate phase, where we consume lots of lean protein and unlimited amounts of vegetables. On one day in each Phase 2, do some strength training with heavy weights and low reps.
Phase 3 (3 days): we’re planning this phase for the weekend: it allows foods with high healthy fats (including olive, coconut, sesame and grapeseed oils), moderate carbohydrates (lots of vegetables and some grains), proteins, and some fruit. This phase feels like a picnic, with ‘treats’ like guacamole, olives, nuts, and hummus, along with protein, vegetables and low glycemic fruits. On at least one day in each Phase 3, do a stress-reducing activity such as yoga, deep breathing or (again, one of our favorites) massage!
In all phases, you're supposed to observe a few more rules:
The basic premise seems logical to us: use carefully selected and sequenced combinations of food to jump start your metabolism and thereby lose weight (and get other related benefits).
The good news about this diet is that you get to eat lots of potentially interesting food (3 meals and 2 snacks every day) and you don’t have to count a single calorie or point. The bad news is that, for at least the 4 weeks of the diet, you have to give up some things we love: alcohol (wine!), dairy (milk and cheese!) and caffeine. You also have to give up wheat (except sprouted wheat), corn, soy, refined sugar, dried fruit, fruit juices, artificial sweeteners (stevia and birch-based xylitol are allowed, because they aren’t artificial), and fat-free or “diet” processed foods. OK: as with any diet plan, this requires some sacrifices, lots of planning, and more than a little discipline.
The diet is a 4 weeks plan, with each week divided into 3 phases:
Phase 1 (2 days): we begin with this high glycemic, low fat, light protein phase. You can eat plenty of grains, such as oatmeal, quinoa, wild rice and brown rice - but not white rice - almost all kinds of fresh fruit (e.g. apples, pears, melons, berries, stone fruit, mangos, papayas, citrus and pineapple, but no bananas or grapes), and lean meat proteins like beef, pork tenderloin, and white meat poultry. On one day in each Phase 1 you should also do 20-60 minutes of cardio exercise.
Phase 2 (2 days): this is a low fat/low carbohydrate phase, where we consume lots of lean protein and unlimited amounts of vegetables. On one day in each Phase 2, do some strength training with heavy weights and low reps.
Phase 3 (3 days): we’re planning this phase for the weekend: it allows foods with high healthy fats (including olive, coconut, sesame and grapeseed oils), moderate carbohydrates (lots of vegetables and some grains), proteins, and some fruit. This phase feels like a picnic, with ‘treats’ like guacamole, olives, nuts, and hummus, along with protein, vegetables and low glycemic fruits. On at least one day in each Phase 3, do a stress-reducing activity such as yoga, deep breathing or (again, one of our favorites) massage!
In all phases, you're supposed to observe a few more rules:
- Every day, drink ½ your number of pounds in ounces of water (e.g. if you weigh 120 pounds, drink 60 ounces of water)
- Eat within 30 minutes of waking up
That’s about it. On Haylie’s website you can sign up for her club to get recipes and additional resources, and/or buy her books and videos.
We plan to start this diet this Monday, and we’ll talk about what we eat (and of course, what Cool Tools we use to prepare it) and how we’re doing with the diet. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest. Then we’ll report out once a week in the Newsletter. So follow us to see if we get good results.
We plan to start this diet this Monday, and we’ll talk about what we eat (and of course, what Cool Tools we use to prepare it) and how we’re doing with the diet. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest. Then we’ll report out once a week in the Newsletter. So follow us to see if we get good results.
Here are a few resources:
- Meal Map with Portions: This is the outline of what and how much you eat at each meal during the week.
Food List: This is the list of the foods you can eat in each phase of the diet according to Haylie Pomroy. It's very handy when you're creating your own dishes.
Your Own Meal Map: This is a pdf you can fill out online and print for your own use to help you plan your week of food if you want to try this diet.
See what we ate and how we fared...