I received the 131 Method book from one of my favorite clients and I absolutely love it and would recommend it to any and everyone. Especially if you are like me and have struggled with your relationship with food. Really understanding nutrition is hard because there are so many ideas and opinions out there. Freedom of speech makes it hard to decipher between what is fact and what is false. The best way I have found is to listen to your body.
A quick breakdown of this book is this 1 Health objective, 3 Weeks of Diet Phasing, and 1 week to Fast and to Refuel.
Disclaimer: (This is a VERY brief summary and a lot of my understanding and thoughts and should not take the place of getting the book or signing up on line… don’t just trust me read it yourself.)
The first phase is Ignite- which basically is switching your body from a sugar burner to a fat burner. That’s right, the Keto diet. The science behind it makes when your body does not have enough carbohydrates it will switch the energy system to fats and you will start burning fat, stored and the fat that you are consuming. Also Intermittent fasting plays a big role in this way of eating to aid in ketosis.
The second phase is Nourish. Decreasing your consumption on animal protein and adding more vegetables into your diet.
The third phase is Renew. Macrophasing is changing your macronutrient ration of carbs, proteins, and fats every 2 -3 days. For 2 days you consume lean greens, the next 2 days higher carbohydrates, and then higher fats for 3 days. By this time your body should be able to go back and forth between energy systems and provides your body with metabolic flexibility. Sounds easy enough right???
Well this is my honest story. I started this journey with an open mind and a few trips to the grocery store to make sure I had everything to be successful. The problem was I do not like eating a diet high in fat. I did not feel good and I did not lose any weight. I felt tired and just yucky eating all those fats. The one good thing is once I was off sugar I did not crave it anymore. I missed eating different vegetables and was sick of counting my macronutrients so closely. I welcomed the second phase with open arms. The problem was I was so excited about adding those vegetables and not staying glued to my fitness pal. I not only never reached full ketosis I was eating more fruits and carbs. Once I started eating more carbs including bread. I found my body rejected those foods, causing cramping, bloating, and making me feel miserable. I had to finally admit my body does not like gluten. I know I only had to cut back on meat but I gave it almost completely up except for the occasion fish. I have not missed meat at all. In fact I am getting a lot more protein from plants than I could with animals by cutting out the middleman and going right to the source of all the protein in plants. I like eating this way. Now that I have found so many gluten free options and plant based proteins I feel so much healthier and happier.
The problem is I kinda skipped ahead to the renew stage and already know what my body likes and does not like. I am not looking forward to eating high fats even if it is for 3 days at a time. I see the importance of macrophasing. I am using this time as a self reflection period and shake all the opps and cheat bites that may have snuck into my mouth and just shake that off. Stop beating myself up for the past mistakes and just dig deep find the strength and the willpower to finish what I started. It may not be perfect but what is? I have learned so much about my body during this time. Most importantly just to listen to it and make the adjustments in your eating so you feel good. Remember food is fuel not fun.
I also noticed a few bad habits I have when it comes to food. It is hard for me to waste food, so even if it is not that good I will finish it so it does not go to waste that includes food on my kids plattes too. I have to tell myself is the taste worth the calories and it is ok to throw it away. Next I have to plan out my meals and my snacks and eat accordingly not allowing myself to get starved and if so I have quick healthy snacks I can have. Most importantly for me when I eat I need it to be more meaningful. Stop standing up to eat and stop eating while I am cooking all the taste, bites, and licks count and add up. Chewing gum will help and have a no eating zone at my counter. Getting rid of the negative self talk and adding more assurance will help. It’s not that I can’t have it, it’s that I don’t want it! What I do want is to be healthy, I want to be that example for you, I want to be your motivation, but first I have to be my motivation. I have 30 days to make some serious progress on the scale. I can not stop now. I will complete the program! I will keep you updated on my progress and hopefully my success when I am finished with this program. Please let me know your thoughts and or questions you have. Remember we are in this wellness journey together.