Metabolic Diet – Finding your Fat Burning Point

The basis of the diet is to intake alot of protein and fiber to satiate hunger and aid metabolism, while supplying just enough carbohydrates to steady blood sugar levels. Blood sugar being too low is just as bad as being too high, as your body will release a muscle burning hormone to raise blood sugar levels. Your body does what it has to in order be energetic. There are 3 things you need to monitor to make sure you are close to your optimal fat burning zone.

Hunger

The whole point of the Metabolic Diet is to reduce your hunger and cravings, which are both hormonal responses to not eating enough in your meals. So my first point will be to tell you if you feel like snacking between meals (which should be about 5 a day), you may need to raise your intake from the “lots of” category. Lots of fibre keeps your stomach full, stopping your endocrine system from releasing ghrelin, a hormone that makes you hungry.

Energy

If you feel like you need to snack because you feel low on energy, this is a sign that you may need to gradually increase carbs (in “less of” foods) for breakfast, lunch etc, until the energy dip subsides. You need to balance blood sugar by taking in carbs at key points, such as morning and before/after training. Aslong as you follow the diet, you can be sure that whatever signals your body is sending you is correct. You will usually always feel like carbs in the morning (this is due to low blood sugar), so having your granola or oatmeal etc helps raise and steady blood sugar. Be careful though, too much carbs will raise blood sugar too high which shuts down fat burning.

Cravings

Cravings are usually directly related to stress. So check your sleep (aim for 8 hours) and make sure you aren’t over training. If you are drinking too much caffeine or consuming artificial sweeteners, they’ve got to go. They too cause stress, which leads to cortisol, which leads to cravings. Try to find peace and relaxation wherever you can in your life.

Moderating and Fine tuning

Checking and moderating these key signs will help you find your optimal fat burning point. If all these elements are in check and you are not losing weight, you are eating too much. Check your inatke of the “less of” category. If you are tired, all these elements are off, and you are not losing weight, you need to eat more! Thats what this meal plan is all about. :)