The Fast Metabolism Diet: What Foods are Allowed and Not Allowed?

​The Fast Metabolism Diet is based on one thing and one thing alone: Nutrition. Sure, exercise is in there also, but nutrition is what really gets the metabolic ball rolling and your body heading into the transformation to come.

​Here, we are going to go over it in a little more depth. We are also going to go over some of the vitamins and minerals you can take that have also been shown to have a positive reaction over one’s metabolism, either directly or through a systematic process, when combined with other vitamins and minerals, nutrients, or the body’s own natural functioning.

First, a quick review of the foods known to increase the metabolic rate (Note: Even though these are all foods known to increase metabolism, some are on the Not Allowed List of Foods for the Fast Metabolism Diet for a variety of reasons specific to how the foods react in the body):

​Now, a list of vitamins and minerals known to speed up the metabolism:

​Now, let’s take a look at the foods you will be eating as well as the foods you will need to steer clear of for each phase:

​The Fast Metabolism Diet is a total of a 28-day process – so what happens after the diet? How can you be sure to keep the weight off and your metabolism speedy?

This is the time most people fear – after the diet has ended, people fear they will fall back into old habits, old eating routines, skip out on physical fitness, and as with many diets out there, people are afraid they will only end up gaining the weight back and then some.

What can you do to ensure these things won’t happen? The answer is Lifetime Maintenance!

​There are several things you can do to maintain all you have gained (and lost!) throughout the course of the Fast Metabolism Diet. Below are the Fast Metabolism Diet’s Lifetime Maintenance Guidelines to use as a reminder to never fall back into old, negative habits – the positives gained and the weight lost during the diet will last a lifetime if you let it, and if you remain consistent with your new-found lifestyle.

After the initial 28-day cycle, if you still have additional weight to lose, you will begin another 28-day cycle. Continue with however many back-to-back 28-day cycles needed until you reach your desired weight loss goals.

However, if you are satisfied with your weight loss after the very first 28-day cycle, go ahead and begin the lifetime maintenance process. The Lifetime Maintenance Guidelines are as follows.:

1.  Continue steering clear of anything but whole foods. If you don’t know what is in the food, then you won’t know what you are subjecting your body to or how that food may negatively alter your now super-fast metabolism – so put that food down!

Continue to avoid all of the metabolism killers such as enriched breads, enriched pastas, refined sugars, and bad fats.

​2.  Continue to avoid the Not-Allowed Food List – Alcohol, Caffeine, Corn, Gluten, Processed Foods, Soy, and Sugar – Remember, there is a reason these foods were not allowed during the 28-day cycle and even though the cycle is over now, these foods will only negatively impact all of the wonderful progress you’ve made.

​Now, don’t get me wrong! We all need to splurge sometimes, such as during the holidays and other special occasions or when we want something fast and easy, when we’re running late, or when we occasionally find ourselves craving chocolate, coffee, soda, etc.

Because of this, know that splurging is not the end of the world – in fact, it is actually recommended. When you allow yourself small amounts of a particular food, you are keeping the possibility of cravings or bouts of binge eating at a lower risk. So, remember, it’s okay to splurge every once in a while, but moderation is key!

3.  Try to maintain organic eating as much as possible or at the very least, follow the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists annually to know which types of produce each year need to be purchased as organic.

​4.  Continue to follow your daily feeding schedule, even after the 28-day cycle ends. You have gotten your body accustomed to a perfect type of eating pattern and if you stick with it, you will continue to burn fat at a super speedy rate!

Remember:

• Continue eating 3 meals plus 2 snacks per day.
• Eat within 30 minutes of waking, eat every 2-3 hours, and, eat your last meal before 7-8 P.M.
  

5.  Make things simple for yourself. The easier the diet, the longer you will stick with it. There are many things you can do to keep things easy and convenient.

For instance:

• Plan your meals/snacks a week, two weeks, or even a month  ahead of schedule.
• When preparing them, keep the meals simple – such as minimal ingredients, 30 minutes or less, etc.
  
• Prepare your grocery lists around the scheduled meal plans to ensure you always have what you need on hand.
  
• If you have time, make a double-batch of whatever you are making for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and freeze the remaining leftovers for a quick meal, anytime.
  
• Make healthy, pantry- or freezer-storable treats and snacks so you always have them on hand.
  

6.  Stick with the same recommended amount of daily water consumption – half of your body weight in fluid ounces every day.

7.  Special Occasions: We can’t avoid them, nor do we want to! So, how do we get through these occasions while maintaining our maintenance guidelines?

Here are a few samples:

• ​For a big celebratory dinner: to keep yourself from overeating at dinnertime, prepare yourself for the dinner by eating 10-15 grams of protein every 2 hours throughout the day.
• ​Sugar-Loaded Holiday Parties, Birthdays, and Celebrations: To be able to resist all of those tempting sugar and fat-filled treats, prepare yourself! The day of the event, eat natural sugars the entire day - eat fruit with each meal, eat only protein-based snacks, have a dinner full of healthy fats – then during the celebration, you will be having fun with your friends and family, not spending the entire night sitting in the corner, desperately eyeing the platter of cupcakes on the buffet table. Because of the before-event preparation, you can easily resist the hordes of refined sugar and do what you came to do, - celebrate!
  
• ​Events with Alcohol: So, let’s face it, - many of the social gatherings, events, and special occasions we attend serve alcohol and even though we could easily Just Say NO every time we attend an event, there are times we don’t want to say no! Sometimes we want to enjoy a cocktail at a gala or a beer at a ball game. You can still occasionally enjoy alcoholic beverages without risking all our weight loss. Here’s how. Limit your consumption of alcohol to 1 drink per week. If you have 2 events scheduled, choose only one to have a drink at.​
  

8.  Some tips on the types of alcohol that will cause the least impact to your diet progress:

• ​Wines that are sulfite-free and organic will have the least interruption on our metabolic rate.
• If you want cocktails, opt for only top-shelf liquors – they may cost a bit more, but the cost is worth the protecting the progress you’ve made.
  
• For every alcoholic drink you consume, counter it with 8 fl. oz. of water in addition to your required daily consumption of water.
  
• If any of the events are scheduled in the morning time, skip the alcohol! Consuming alcohol in the morning will slow your metabolic rate for the remainder of the day. Therefore, when you choose to drink at events, drink only at those events scheduled in the evening. Be sure to consume your last drink before midnight.
  

9.  ​Stick to the exercise plan you performed during the 28-day cycle. Exercise is important for much more than just weight loss. It is required regularly for optimum health, – so stick with it and enjoy yourself! Mix things up and try out fun, new, creative, and challenging ways to work out!

​Congratulations for choosing to begin the Fast Metabolism Diet. This diet will transform your body in a way that will result in a healthier and better mind and body.

Even after just a day or two, you will begin to experience some of the positive results – you will feel better, you will have more energy, you will feel happy, and you will feel motivated by how great you feel!

The Fast Metabolism Diet is more than just another weight loss program – it is a lifestyle. It is a means to optimum health and way of living. Not only does this diet destroy obesity, but there are also a variety of health benefits as well.

For instance, studies have linked the Fast Metabolism Diet with a reduced risk of diseases/disorders, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, hormone disorders and conditions, thyroid disorders, arthritis, and many more.

Remember, it is always best to consult with your primary physician prior to beginning this or any other weight loss program.

The Fast Metabolism Diet is a very safe and healthy way to lose weight, even in the most stubborn of areas. It is so simple, so fun, and so worth every moment! To your success…