A Few More Metabolic Balance Meal Ideas

Excuse the bite - I forgot to take a picture before I starting eating!  I'm not a huge roast beef fan but for something different, I made an open-faced roast beef sandwich.

Spread whole-grain mustard on the bread (I toasted mine first).  Add chopped onion or shallot, tomato and ground pepper.  Preheat broiler on high, and broil for 2-3 minutes.  I added lettuce to my sandwich after it was cooked from some fresh greens!  This meal was messy but quite yummy.

For dinner one night, we decided to barbeque some chicken.  For my small piece, I coated the chicken with turmeric and paprika and served it with cinnamon turnip cubes!  Also very delicious!  Turnip is one of those vegetables I do like but never buy so it's been fun learning how easy it is to cook the tuber in a variety of ways.

And for lunch today, I probably chose one of the messiest metabolic balance meals possible!  Rarely do I buy shrimp to cook at home, mainly because Bryan is allergic to it.  However, to switch my protein up, I thought I could do something fun with some shrimp this week.  This concoction is my own making.  Next time, though, I'll put the shrimp onto cook first because my vegetables were way overcooked.  :(  

I sauteed, in vegetable stock, carrot, asparagus and chopped bok choy.  I added the shrimp and some Jamaican curry powder and parsley flakes and let the shrimp cook through.  The flavor of the dish was very enjoyable!  

A Weekend of Surprises!

Today I hit Day 13 of Phase 2 in my metabolic balance program!  Yay for me!  Over the past few days, I've stopped obsessing over when I could eat and simply started to enjoy life again.  Sure, there are days when I'm hungry an hour and a half before I'm allowed to eat; however, now I can just move on from the thought and get stuff done. 

I'm enjoying the meals immensely and having fun coming up with my own, unique recipes.  Some are definite fails while others surprisingly work out wonderfully!  The food list has given me the chance and courage to try eating and cooking produce and seafood I would not normally choose.  I'm even finding that I don't necessarily need the bread for every meal the way I felt I did at the beginning of the program when I was ravenous.  That hunger was not fun - I do not want to go back to the time when I felt like I was starving myself.  Now, I feel like I'm getting enough food for most meals while also still enable to live my life.

I was vehemently told that exercise was not allowed during the first two phases of metabolic balance.  Admittedly, I struggled with the idea because I am such an avid gym-goer.  During my first week, I cut back drastically, sticking to walking and a few weights.  However, and this may be purely coincidental, one day last week I decided to try running 1 1/2 miles, half of my usual run distance.  I felt fantastic running again but I worried I would be even more hungry after that. 

Much to my surprise and delight, that was the first day I didn't want to eat everything in sight!  I almost missed lunch because my stomach wasn't painfully complaining about lack of food.  Ever since that first run, the days I get up and do a moderate to high intensity workout (albeit, still only either half the length or distance), I am easily able to survive between meals.

Saturday - Day 11 - I decided to take my picture.  The results over the previous 12 days were very positive, as you can see from the below photos.  In total, from July 11 to July 16, I have lost 9 pounds.  If I can go down 4-5 more, I'll be laughing!

Day 1 - Phase 1

Day 11 - Phase 1

Since I have been repeating recipes and meals lately, I won't go into too much detail on most.  However, Saturday for lunch, I was rather pointedly asked if I was planning to use up the poor, wilting kale in our fridge.  Instead of the planned meal, I decide to try making a Chickpea and Kale Curry soup from a recipe I found online.

The soup was alright - I should have cut up the kale into much smaller pieces - but I didn't find it spicy or flavorful enough. 

 Here is the recipe:

Chickpea Kale Soup

1 portion chickpeas

1 garlic clove

1 portion vegetables (1 tbsp chopped shallot, fresh kale)

1 pint vegetable stock

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cinnamon

Lemon juice

1.       Peel garlic and press; braise garlic and onions in a hot, non-stick skillet.  Add vegetable stock and chickpeas; season with paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and lemon juice.

2.       Rinse kale and add to soup and simmer over low heat until soft.

Sunday for lunch I remade the Stuffed Cabbage Rolls from a few days ago but used lettuce leaves instead.  The white bean mixture was still pretty dull, despite adding more marjoram and oregano.  Instead of simply pureeing the beans in the blender, I added the spices to the beans first plus a tablespoon or two of vegetable stock before blending.  The texture of the beans was creamier and worked better to mix with the vegetables.

Metabolic Balance - Day 9 - Things are Looking Positive!

My program started off strong, had a weak and difficult moment, and then seemed to turn itself around again on day 7.  I made it through to lunch without feeling hungry AND almost forgot to eat when it was time.  I also handled the 7 hours between lunch and dinner that day very well as I had to get out and teach my two boot camp classes.  I still didn't push myself through the classes as much as before this program but I did demonstrate moves and take part to help motivate my clients.

Yesterday was a good day, too.  I was quite hungry about 2 hours before dinner again, though, but I shifted my schedule to accommodate a long hair appointment last night.  Because of that shift, I had a 14 hour break between meals and this morning I was hungry!

Perhaps a bad move on my part but I decided to push myself at the gym this morning.  My workout consisted of running 10 laps (not quite 1 mile), performing 10 minutes of intervals, push ups, dips, battle rope moves, and stretching.  I wanted to see how I'd feel after all that.  By the time I got to work, yes, my stomach was quite active, begging me for food.  Luckily, breakfast was a yummy peach mandelade - I find this dish to be quite filling and have been eating it on days I teach boot camp.

Peach Mandelade - A mixture of almonds, sunflower seeds, peach and nutmeg.  Yum!

(Ironically, in the past, when I've run first thing in the morning, I rarely feel hungry for hours after.  With the metabolic balance diet, I know I am not getting as many calories as I used to eat, so my runs are shorter and my body truly does want food afterwards.  However, both Tuesday and today - days I ran at the gym - I have felt pretty good.)

How about mood and all that?  Well, there is always a lingering headache and my usual sleepiness kicks in around 2pm.  When this hits, I find it a bit harder to concentrate and focus on work, which is tough.  Otherwise, I feel happy.

Last night I ate eggs for dinner, my first eggs since the week before my program started.  Today I woke up with a nasty blemish on my cheek!  I know that the cheeks succumb to skin issues if one is experiencing allergies so I must question whether I have developed a slight intolerance to eggs.  Considering how many I normally ate (7-10 per week), I wouldn't be surprised to learn that I had caused an allergy.  So, no more eggs for a couple of weeks and then maybe I'll test them again.  Hopefully this is easy to fix - just avoid the eggs for awhile, rebalance my intestines, and allow my body to build up the enzymes it needs to break down food properly.

Scrambled eggs with asparagus, broccoli, green pepper and red pepper

For lunch today, I brought the tuna lettuce roll ups from the weekend - that sure is a delicious, filling meal!  I wasn't sure how this meal would work out today because I decided to use lettuce from my garden; the leaves are not nearly as large as those on heads bought from the store but the lettuce held up better in my lunch bag and it was so gardeny good!  Finally, the garden is starting to offer some fresh, homegrown produce for healthy, nutritious summer meals!

Lettuce Wraps - lettuce leaves from my garden, tune mixed with peppers, avocado and carrots!

Today has been one filled with hearty fillings rolled up in leafy greens!

For dinner, I decided to try a white bean cabbage roll recipe that I found online.  Alas, I cannot locate it tonight so I'll write it out here if you're interested (see below).  Honestly, Napa cabbage is not a vegetable I care for, unfortunately, because I do love cabbage rolls!  However, while I ate most of the meal with the cabbage, I did end up tossing out about one third of the leaves.  The filling was alright but I found it bland.  I'd suggest playing with spices of your choice if you want some extra flavour.

"Cabbage Rolls" with white beans and vegetables

I also didn't follow the recipe exactly because it is 29 degrees in our house and it seemed ridiculous to heat the oven up to 400!  So, I blanched the leaves and just rolled the filling into them one by one.

Tonight I forfeited the rye bread and just finished off my meal with my allotment of mango.  I'm feeling pretty darn good today and, despite starting to wish I could have some pasta or a glass of wine, my willpower is strong, my mood is positive, and I feel really quite good!  I like that I have lost 8 pounds since beginning this and I definitely feel the difference in my clothes and just in how I carry myself.  I'm hoping I can stick with the program so I'll have some fun results to share on after Day 14!

If you're following the program and reading this for inspiration - keep with it!  You're doing great!  It WILL get better.

White Bean Cabbage Roll Recipe

• 1 portion white beans
• 1 portion vegetables (I used onion, bok choy, cabbage, red pepper)
• 1 clove garlic
• marjoram
• oregano

Blanch the cabbage leaves and set aside.

Heat nonstick pan to medium-high and cook garlic and onion (or shallot).  Add vegetables and braise with some water or vegetable stock. 

Puree beans and add to vegetables.  Heat through.  Add spices to taste and heat some more.

Roll filling into leaves of cabbage and cook for 5-8 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Pushing Through - I am on Day 7!

As I begin Day 7 - Phase 2 of Metabolic Balance, I reflect on my strength and willpower up until this point.  Over the weekend, my motivation to continue with this program was almost nonexistent as I was ravenously hungry throughout the days.  I had almost no energy to do anything, even to simply clean up the kitchen and wash dishes.  I'll be honest - I think I laid either on the couch or in bed from the moment I got home from work Friday until I woke up Monday.  For me, this 'laziness' and exhaustion is an awful feeling. 

My coaches have told me that this exhaustion (and headaches, oh, the headaches) is perfectly normal because my body is detoxing.  Okay, sure, but I went into this program quite healthy and very soon after a lengthy, albeit gentle, detox.  My take on this?  I'm not getting enough calories to sustain my body's ability to burn through them.  I also began this program as someone who worked out at high intensity levels for 6-7 days a week so I think part of my problem was/is that I am burning the calories quite quickly.  I'm not the typical metabolic balance client - I do exercise and I do eat healthy and my blood panel shows that I am certainly not anywhere close to having metabolic syndrome.

This being said, I do believe in the program for people who are in need of a kickstart to healthy eating and a healthier lifestyle.  Feeling out of control around food?  This program should benefit you.  The strict meal schedule is not that tough to follow (unless you are starving all the time like me) and I find it's kind of freeing that I have 5 hours between meals to get stuff done!  I now get home from work and have 1 1/2 hours to organize boot camp, clean up, read, or do laundry.  Not that I couldn't have done these things before when I ate immediately but I am that person who sits down in front of the TV and will never leave. 

Sunday was my worst day (Day 5) during which I almost gave up.  I woke up in time for breakfast and immediately went back to sleep for 2 hours.  This just seemed easier than struggling with hunger and counting the seconds until lunch.  It was not a fun day.  I was frustrated because I knew I needed to get some things done but I was so tired I could barely move. 

My coaches gave me some advice that works for me, I think.  Because I can't sit still (yes, I am still exercising at about a 40% level to what I was before the program), I was told I could increase some food portions a little.  I need to drink more water, which I was doing anyway.  Yesterday seemed to go better for me.  Between breakfast and lunch, I never felt ravenous.  However, 2 hours before dinner time, I admit to feeling starved.

I'm wondering if I'm going to give myself an ulcer...I seem to have developed acid reflux in the past couple of days, too.  So I am watching that (and, as a nutritionist, I know some natural ways to combat this).

I have enjoyed the meals I've been preparing.  I found a recipe for herbed lamp chops that both my fiance and I really enjoyed for dinner Saturday night.  Looking through my food list, I decided I should try making a healthier version of cabbage rolls using turkey.  Unfortunately, the filling didn't really look like it would roll up well, so the end result was a cabbage and turkey hash.

Another recent weekend meal I've started to make is salmon salad roll ups using lettuce, usually the butter lettuce that comes with my SPUD order (because, really, what else do you do with butter lettuce).  So, using cabbage leaves instead of lettuce (my lettuce from the store went bad and my garden lettuce leaves are way too small), I concocted this wonderful, extremely filling tuna roll up (with avocado)!

Through some experimentation, I've discovered a few breakfasts that keep me feeling full. Chicken (or, presumably, animal protein) works as does the mandelade made with sunflower seeds and almonds.  This morning I mixed in chopped apple and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  So yummy!

Today things are looking positive so I'm hopeful that the next 7 days goes by fairly quickly and easily.  I'm excited to take my 'after' photos next week because I can feel that I'm lighter and I've noticed a definite reduction in some leg and abdominal fat too!  Yay!  I figure, I may just go back to the first 2 phases a week or two before our wedding to Mexico just to be sure I look okay down there.  :)

Metabolic Balance: Phase 2 - The First Few Days

I can't tell you how happy I was to wake up yesterday (Wednesday?) knowing that Phase 1 was over!  By Tuesday night, I was quite sick of vegetable soup.

For Day 1 of Phase 2 (Strict Conversion), I decided to weigh myself and found I was down 6 pounds from two mornings earlier. Losing that weight wasn't the biggest triumph, though; it was the feeling of being lighter and happier that I had all day on Tuesday.  Cleaning myself of stagnant foods, and likely some toxins and bad bacteria that have been plaguing me for quite some time, has clearly had a good effect.  I even told my fiance that he should at least give the Phase 1 meal plan a shot because I'm sure he could stand to rid himself of some major toxins too!  (He, ironically, appears to be on the verge of metabolic syndrome more so than I do but he is one of those people who refuses to change his habits...I am hoping he'll see some positive changes in me over the next few weeks and perhaps change his mind.)

For Phases 2 and 3, for sure, you can only eat 100% rye bread, which was tough to locate, even in Calgary.  I was given two retailers from Ontario to check out but these stores are not here yet.  I finally found a local bakery that had what I was looking for, though - Oldenburger 100% Rye from Sourdough Rustic Bakery.

And now I am able to eat protein again - yay! - so I think that is helping me feel satiated longer than pure vegetables.  However, I'm starting to think I do better with animal protein than vegetarian sources (i.e. tofu, legumes). 

As I progress through my metabolic balance program, I'll try to share some recipes that have worked for me.  Keep in mind that everyone's meal plan will differ slightly in the foods they are allowed to eat but hopefully some creativity can help you whip up some tasty meals.  

Day 1 ended up being quite tough.  By 10:00 am, I was starving, had a headache, and felt dizzy.  I struggled through the morning until lunch, after which (a chickpea and veggie salad, rye bread, apple) I was fine for about 2 hours.  By 6:15 pm, when I was allowed to eat again, I was so famished that I admit to just about caving.  All afternoon, I didn't have cravings for food - I simply wanted something hearty, like stew.  I had no energy and could have slept at any time.  

Dinner was quite satisfying though. I had a low quality steak (yeah, I will buy my meat from Co-op from now on), turnips, asparagus, mango and bread.  I actually did not go to bed hungry!  Because I didn't feel quite right all day, I decided to check out how many calories I'm getting.  1000, give or take...that's it.  No wonder I fell ill.  This is something I'm going to try to play around with to see if I can still follow my meal plan while consuming closer to 1400.  I'm doubtful though. 

Day 2 has been better so far (but I still had horrible insomnia last night).  My breakfast, the mandelade that metabolic balance recommends, was really good (see recipe below), and it was over 400 calories, which probably helped me make it to around 11:30 before feeling famished.  Lunch was surprisingly better than I thought it would be - I had made a 3 ingredient chili with pureed cherry tomotoes, broccoli and chicken breast pieces.  I still have 3 1/3 hours to go until dinner but I feel like I'll make it through today without giving up!  

Again, however, my caloric intake is around 1000 today.  For me, that is just not going to be enough.  My fatigue is worse, I thought I would faint this morning...I will push through the next 2 days before contacting my coach.  I came into this not as a sedentary person but as a very active person who probably had a pretty high metabolism.    

Breakfast Day 1 - Tofu Scramble, Rye Toast, Blackberries

Lunch Day 1 - Chickpea Salad, Rye Toast, Apple

Dinner Day 1 - 120 g Steak, Turnips, Asparagus, Rye Toast, Mango

Breakfast Day 3 - Chicken with Shallot and Avocado, Rye Bread, Blackberries

 

Metabolic Balance Breakfast:

Day 1 - Tofu Scramble with vegetables (shallots, broccoli, kale)

I found a recipe online that I tweaked to make it metabolic balance-friendly - it turned out very well!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp water
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 package firm tofu, very well drained
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

In a small bowl, mix together spices and water.  Set aside.
Heat non-stick frying pan to medium, add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. 
Crumble tofu into the pan, breaking it up with your fingers or a spoon.  Pour seasoning over tofu and mix well.  Cook for 2 minutes or until tofu is heated through.  
Toss in parsley and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
Once cooked, add in steamed or sauteed vegetables of your choice.       

Day 2 - Mandelade (slightly different from the program recipe)

30 g almonds
20 g sunflower seeds

Soak nuts and seeks overnight.  Drain water and puree or chop.  Mix in cinnamon (or other favorite spice) and add one chopped peach.  Yum!  And surprisingly filling too. 

Metabolic Balance: Phase 1

What is metabolic balance?

In a nutshell, this program is not your typical diet.  The program involves a blood test to determine what nutrients your body specifically needs and includes a 40+ page report on the foods you should be eating.  Your individualized meal plans are designed for YOU!  The program also includes food and health coaching from your metabolic balance consultant (that's me!) over the course of your progression.  

The program was developed by doctors in Germany who believe that it isn't a question of how much food we eat but rather one of what we eat.  Improper nutrition is what leads to health issues such as obesity and insulin resistance.  Once insulin resistance occurs, the body experiences food cravings and low blood sugar, additional fat build-up, elevated LDL (the bad ones) cholesterol, sleep disorders, and more health issues.  

The "Diet"

A metabolic balance participant can expect to run through 4 different phases of meal plans in their program.  Depending on how much weight you need to lose and your individual experience with each phase, you may stay at one phase longer than others.

Phase 1 is the cleansing and preparation phase, where you eliminate as much waste as possible to prepare for nutrient absorption.

Phase 2 is the Strict phase, during which your strict food plan must be followed, along with the 8 metabolic balance rules, in order to adjust your metabolism back to a more healthful state.  

Phase 3 is the Relaxed phase, in which more natural foods are allowed and you begin to try some minor treats to see how your body reacts.

Phase 4 is really the point where you are able to live life normally, but still able to stick to your new healthy eating habits.  

My Experience:

Because I am going to be your metabolic balance food coach, I must also go through the 4 phases of the plan in order to give you a really good idea of what you can expect.  My experience will likely be different than yours, as we are different people, but I can help you push through the plan as I'm sure you will have times when you're discouraged, hungry, uncomfortable and just plain unmotivated.  As your coach, that's what I'm here for, to keep you motivated and help you see the positive light at the end of the tunnel!

My Journey:

I have struggled with a few extra pounds for years so I thought I would photograph myself before I begin the program and then again as I progress through to - hopefully - have a record that this program is worthwhile! (This is a huge thing for me to post this here...)

 
So, as I work through the plan, I will be sharing my thoughts and feelings here.  My plan began yesterday and it was a tough one!  First of all, you must drink a 300 ml bottle of magnesium citrate first thing in the morning on Day 1 of Phase 1.  That stuff made me so nauseous for about 6 hours that I had a really uncomfortable morning.  Between that, pulling my back out at the gym before, and my horrible hunger pangs, I was one unhappy camper.  

(Speaking of the gym, for the metabolic balance program, you are told not to exercise for the first 16 days.  I'm trying, I really am, but I have formed a habit and I have a lot of energy for working out still.  My workouts are much less intense than normal because I worry that the hunger will be too awful if I were to burn too many calories each day.)

One of the rules of the program is that you must leave 5 hours between meals without eating; for me, this meant a huge break between my meals as I usually can only manage to go 3-4 hours, especially between breakfast and lunch.  I was miserable 2 1/2 hours away from lunch and really had to struggle through.  Again, 1 1/2 hours before dinner, I was famished and not enjoying life.  Lying in bed last night, I was so hungry that I couldn't fall asleep.  Day 1 was tough!

Today, it's a little over 2 hours from my appointed lunch time and I am doing much better than yesterday.  There is hope!  Phase 2 is pretty much only vegetable soup so I am looking forward to a wider variety of foods tomorrow.

I spent a few hours preparing food for the first 5 1/2 days over the weekend.  Your food portions must be measured exactly as suggested in your metabolic balance report, so I found it very interesting to see just how much food I should probably be eating.  In reality, the protein portions are probably what one should be sticking to but I was surprised to find out that I typically eat about 2-3 times as much vegetables in one meal as what is recommended.  I always thought that was a good thing!

Anyway, my meals are uninspiring for now but I think I'll find some creativity this coming weekend for recipes.  What ever works out, I'll share on my blog too.  

For now, my red vegetable soup is what sustaining me through and hopefully I have enough energy to push through teaching my boot camp classes tonight!