What is Metabolic Balance?
The diet according to Metabolic Balance is a nutritional concept of the nutritionist Wolf Funfack. The distributors of Metabolic Balance advertise with intensive customer care and individually created plans, which are intended to guarantee weight loss and help graduates to lead a healthier lifestyle. The idea behind Metabolic Balance is that the metabolism supposedly reacts differently to food from person to person, which requires an individual approach.
On this basis, different blood values are tested and a plan is drawn up. The plans are distributed throughout Europe by numerous employees of the company. The concept of Metabolic Balance has been criticized due to a lack of scientific evidence.
Procedure of Metabolic Balance
Although the plans of the nutritional concept are based on the individual preferences and specifications of each person, the process is comparable for each participant. The Metabolic Balance diet comprises a total of four phases and lasts approximately four weeks, whereby the last phase can be carried out for any length of time as a maintenance phase and is intended to stabilize the achieved weight. The first phase of the diet is called the preparation phase, it is intended to prepare and cleanse the body for the upcoming change in diet.
The second phase is the “strict conversion phase”, here the calorie intake is extremely reduced and a significant weight loss is achieved. In the third phase, the “relaxed changeover phase”, various foods are added to the nutrition plan to test how the body reacts to them. The “maintenance phase” is designed to maintain the target weight without being too strict.
The first phase of the Metabolic Balance diet is also called the “preparation phase”. The aim is to prepare the body for the upcoming change. As with a fasting cure, the body should also be “cleansed” here.
This includes emptying the bowels with Glauber’s salts or other laxatives. It lasts two days in total. The body is supplied here extremely little food and much liquid, which can already cause a clear loss of weight.
This is mainly water, which is excreted by the body when the glycogen stores of the liver and muscles are emptied. The foods allowed at this stage include a light breakfast, vegetables in the form of soups or raw vegetables and salad. Except for a piece of fruit, one should avoid fruits that are naturally high in sugar.
It is also important to drink a lot in the first phase. At least two liters of water or tea, but not soda or other calorie-containing drinks are recommended. The results of the blood test are the basis for drawing up a personal diet plan and the permitted foods in the second phase.
The second phase is also called the “strict changeover phase”. Some rules are the same for all participants. These include a maximum of three meals a day, snacks between meals are prohibited.
There should be at least five hours between meals. This is to prevent ravenous appetite attacks. A meal may not last longer than one hour and must always be taken at the beginning of the intake of protein (in the form of meat, fish or similar).
Only one type of protein is allowed at a time, and each meal should include a different type. The intake of food after 9 p.m. should be avoided. Each participant should drink up to two and a half liters throughout the day.
However, coffee and tea are only allowed after meals. The last rule says that exactly one apple should be eaten per day. In general, the weight loss plans of Metabolic Balance are strongly oriented towards “low carb” diets, despite their apparent individuality.
Pasta, rice, potatoes or bread are largely excluded from the plan. Besides carbohydrates, fats are also avoided. Even for frying no oil should be used if possible.
With a high protein intake you will achieve a high weight loss with a low calorie intake, which protects the muscle mass to some extent and primarily breaks down fat. In the “loosened conversion phase” carbohydrate side dishes are now allowed again at one of three meals. Also new are the “cheating days”, during which the reins can be loosened further.
Here the participant should find out how he or she reacts to certain foods. If you are gaining weight, the rules should be followed more strictly again. In general, the aim of this phase is to maintain or further lose weight.
In the third phase, alcohol in the form of wine or beer is also allowed in moderation.For cooking or salads, a total of about three tablespoons of vegetable oil may be used. Sports and additional exercise should now also be incorporated into everyday life. Anyone who has successfully gone through the preceding phases should now know themselves and their body very well.
In the “maintenance phase” no more food is prohibited. Those who cannot maintain their weight should, however, switch back to a more strict diet at any time. Especially in this phase many participants notice a weight increase again.
Here, intensive support is offered by the consultants of Metabolic Balance. In general, you should find a way for yourself to keep your weight healthy and permanent. This includes a varied, nutritious diet, just like regular exercise and sport. Even small exceptions should become part of a normal diet in the long run.
