5 Tools to Combat Stress, Motivation & Cravings
Have you hit a roadblock, has a stressful situation occurred, or are you struggling to stay focused and motivated on the Fast Metabolism Diet? Life happens, and I get that we are busy and sometimes overworked, but don’t worry, I’m here to help you stick to a plan that helps you re-establish control of your metabolism and your health.
When my clients come into my office, they need a plan of action. But it’s not about drawing them into a protocol that I think they should be on. It’s about taking the information, the resources, and the tools I’ve made available, and customizing them into the situation you are in right now. I can’t change your environment, but I can change how I use these tools to best support your current situation. Using specific strategies for your plan, we’re going to get you back on track, nurture your stress hormones, and use the Fast Metabolism Diet to heal your metabolism once and for all.
1. Stressed or Fallen Off Track? Try a Phase 1 Intensive or 10-Day Cleanse!
In situations when my clients feel out of control or are especially having trouble getting back on track, I suggest that they either prescribe to one week of the Phase 1 Intensive or to our 10-Day Cleanse. When working to re-establish metabolism control, my clients swear the Phase 1 Intensive helps to immediately bring them back. The 10-Day Cleanse is also a great way to kick-start the metabolism and infuse the body, so you don’t have those strong cravings. These are the two most common programs I use when clients really need to get back on the wagon – but you can always find out which Cleanse program is right for you here.
2. Stressed or Craving Sugar? Focus on Stress Hormones!
If you’re craving sugar or feeling unmotivated due to a stressful event, this is a time to focus on supporting your stress hormones. I recommend my clients use our Metabolism Stress Blend, which provides immediate relief from craving quick, simple carbs and sugars. Our unique blend includes ingredients like Magnesium, GABA, and Suntheanine, which encourages the body’s natural synthesis of catecholamines, hormonal balance, and glucose metabolism to promote a calm, relaxed, and well-balanced emotional state.
3. Need a Plan to Get Back On Board? Get Back to Basics!
The other piece to think about is even if you don’t do a 10-Day Cleanse or an Intensive, be diligent to getting back to the basic protocols to help re-establish homeostasis.
Drink your water. Remember you must drink at least half of your body weight in ounces. (If you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces of water every day.)
Eat within 30 minutes of waking. If you aren’t super hungry within 30 minutes of waking, have your morning snack first, and then your breakfast a few hours later. Whether a small snack first and the larger meal later, you must eat within this 30-minute window. If time is an issue, our phase specific shakes are super easy to grab and go because all you need to do is mix them with water and ice.
Eat every 3-4 hours. No matter what the circumstance, you must eat every 3-4 hours to keep your blood sugars stable. Remember, to always keep a crash stash of snacks at work, in the car, or in your purse. Hard fruits like an apple or pear are easy to stash in Phase 1, Peppered Turkey Jerky is my go-to in Phase 2, and I love a mini-bag of raw almonds Phase 3. Also, if you’re a night owl who stays awake for more than 3-4 hours after dinner, you must have an evening snack.
4. Feeling Unmotivated? Having Trouble “Sticking to It”? Flip-Flop Your Days!
When I have individuals that are really stressed or have fallen completely off the wagon, one of the things I have them do is to flip-flop the days they start their plan. We tend to be more motivated, organized, and focused Monday through Wednesday. For this reason, I suggest starting with Phase 3 on Monday through Tuesday, followed by Phase 1 and Phase 2. Here’s what your flip-flop week looks like:
-
Monday and Tuesday: Phase 3. Phase 3 has the most diversity and tends to be the phase when most people fall off the wagon, which is why we’ll do this phase when you have the most motivation. The first two days of the week enjoy our delicious Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Skillet or a Curried Coconut Carrot Soup.
-
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: Phase 1. The middle of the week you’ll take an extra day in Phase 1 to support your stressed adrenals. Try this delicious Cincinnati Chili or Stuffed Pepper Soup.
-
Saturday and Sunday: Phase 2. Phase 2 can be really simple, and it will give you that mental break of preparing food. It may not be the most exciting, but basically, we’re talking about getting in tons of vegetables, lean proteins, and essentially no fat. Enjoy our delicious Chicken Salad with Asian Ginger Sauce or Sweet and Savory Lamb Curry.
5. Get Creative with Snacks (Especially In Phase 2)!
When we’re stressed, we tend to crave sugar and simple carbs. Some of my clients don’t like the Phase 2 snacks and have asked if they can replace it with fruit or just skip it. I’m sorry, but the answer is no, you cannot replace it with fruit, and we cannot skip it. In Phase 2 we’re especially focusing on alkalinizing the body so let’s find a different way to do snacks.
-
Have you tried the Phase 2 Shakes? I’ve strategically designed these to include spinach, kale, and spirulina to help you metabolize newly released fat and give an extra boost of energy. They taste delicious and are super easy to shake up with water and ice for a simple snack.
-
Vegetable soups. If you do not love the Turkey Bacon Wrapped Asparagus or Edamame Salad (vegan only), make a yummy vegetable soup to have for snacks instead. Puree a light blend of veggies from your Phase 2 list and add a protein like Turkey Meatballs or ground beef. Try something like our Shredded Beef Stew so that you feel like you’re getting something a little different but still following the protocol.
-
Remind yourself that it’s only 2 days a week. That’s right; it’s just 48 hours of finding some new snack ideas and sticking to it. I know you can do this!
The golden rule I want you to remind yourself is D.I.E.T, “Did I Eat Today?” I get that life happens, and stressful situations can be really tough. But like I’ve said, it’s about coming up with specific strategies to allow the Fast Metabolism Diet to work for you. Using these targeted tools and getting back to basics, we can heal your metabolism and get you back to the healthy body you love, desire, and deserve.
Have you hit a roadblock, has a stressful situation occurred, or are you struggling to stay focused and motivated on the Fast Metabolism Diet? Life happens, and I get that we are busy and sometimes overworked, but don’t worry, I’m here to help you stick to a plan that helps you re-establish control of your metabolism and your health.
When my clients come into my office, they need a plan of action. But it’s not about drawing them into a protocol that I think they should be on. It’s about taking the information, the resources, and the tools I’ve made available, and customizing them into the situation you are in right now. I can’t change your environment, but I can change how I use these tools to best support your current situation. Using specific strategies for your plan, we’re going to get you back on track, nurture your stress hormones, and use the Fast Metabolism Diet to heal your metabolism once and for all.
1. Stressed or Fallen Off Track? Try a Phase 1 Intensive or 10-Day Cleanse!
In situations when my clients feel out of control or are especially having trouble getting back on track, I suggest that they either prescribe to one week of the Phase 1 Intensive or to our 10-Day Cleanse. When working to re-establish metabolism control, my clients swear the Phase 1 Intensive helps to immediately bring them back. The 10-Day Cleanse is also a great way to kick-start the metabolism and infuse the body, so you don’t have those strong cravings. These are the two most common programs I use when clients really need to get back on the wagon – but you can always find out which Cleanse program is right for you here.
2. Stressed or Craving Sugar? Focus on Stress Hormones!
If you’re craving sugar or feeling unmotivated due to a stressful event, this is a time to focus on supporting your stress hormones. I recommend my clients use our Metabolism Stress Blend, which provides immediate relief from craving quick, simple carbs and sugars. Our unique blend includes ingredients like Magnesium, GABA, and Suntheanine, which encourages the body’s natural synthesis of catecholamines, hormonal balance, and glucose metabolism to promote a calm, relaxed, and well-balanced emotional state.
3. Need a Plan to Get Back On Board? Get Back to Basics!
The other piece to think about is even if you don’t do a 10-Day Cleanse or an Intensive, be diligent to getting back to the basic protocols to help re-establish homeostasis.
Drink your water. Remember you must drink at least half of your body weight in ounces. (If you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces of water every day.)
Eat within 30 minutes of waking. If you aren’t super hungry within 30 minutes of waking, have your morning snack first, and then your breakfast a few hours later. Whether a small snack first and the larger meal later, you must eat within this 30-minute window. If time is an issue, our phase specific shakes are super easy to grab and go because all you need to do is mix them with water and ice.
Eat every 3-4 hours. No matter what the circumstance, you must eat every 3-4 hours to keep your blood sugars stable. Remember, to always keep a crash stash of snacks at work, in the car, or in your purse. Hard fruits like an apple or pear are easy to stash in Phase 1, Peppered Turkey Jerky is my go-to in Phase 2, and I love a mini-bag of raw almonds Phase 3. Also, if you’re a night owl who stays awake for more than 3-4 hours after dinner, you must have an evening snack.
4. Feeling Unmotivated? Having Trouble “Sticking to It”? Flip-Flop Your Days!
When I have individuals that are really stressed or have fallen completely off the wagon, one of the things I have them do is to flip-flop the days they start their plan. We tend to be more motivated, organized, and focused Monday through Wednesday. For this reason, I suggest starting with Phase 3 on Monday through Tuesday, followed by Phase 1 and Phase 2. Here’s what your flip-flop week looks like:
- Monday and Tuesday: Phase 3. Phase 3 has the most diversity and tends to be the phase when most people fall off the wagon, which is why we’ll do this phase when you have the most motivation. The first two days of the week enjoy our delicious Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Skillet or a Curried Coconut Carrot Soup.
- Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: Phase 1. The middle of the week you’ll take an extra day in Phase 1 to support your stressed adrenals. Try this delicious Cincinnati Chili or Stuffed Pepper Soup.
- Saturday and Sunday: Phase 2. Phase 2 can be really simple, and it will give you that mental break of preparing food. It may not be the most exciting, but basically, we’re talking about getting in tons of vegetables, lean proteins, and essentially no fat. Enjoy our delicious Chicken Salad with Asian Ginger Sauce or Sweet and Savory Lamb Curry.
5. Get Creative with Snacks (Especially In Phase 2)!
When we’re stressed, we tend to crave sugar and simple carbs. Some of my clients don’t like the Phase 2 snacks and have asked if they can replace it with fruit or just skip it. I’m sorry, but the answer is no, you cannot replace it with fruit, and we cannot skip it. In Phase 2 we’re especially focusing on alkalinizing the body so let’s find a different way to do snacks.
- Have you tried the Phase 2 Shakes? I’ve strategically designed these to include spinach, kale, and spirulina to help you metabolize newly released fat and give an extra boost of energy. They taste delicious and are super easy to shake up with water and ice for a simple snack.
- Vegetable soups. If you do not love the Turkey Bacon Wrapped Asparagus or Edamame Salad (vegan only), make a yummy vegetable soup to have for snacks instead. Puree a light blend of veggies from your Phase 2 list and add a protein like Turkey Meatballs or ground beef. Try something like our Shredded Beef Stew so that you feel like you’re getting something a little different but still following the protocol.
- Remind yourself that it’s only 2 days a week. That’s right; it’s just 48 hours of finding some new snack ideas and sticking to it. I know you can do this!
The golden rule I want you to remind yourself is D.I.E.T, “Did I Eat Today?” I get that life happens, and stressful situations can be really tough. But like I’ve said, it’s about coming up with specific strategies to allow the Fast Metabolism Diet to work for you. Using these targeted tools and getting back to basics, we can heal your metabolism and get you back to the healthy body you love, desire, and deserve.
