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.