The Hormone Reset Diet (4 page)

Perform additional measurements.
The more you objectively measure and track the progress of your blood pressure, body fat, blood sugar, and waist and hip circumferences, the more you will improve. If you initially chose to take just the first four of the ten measurements, add a few more from the tracker (page 26).

Solicit a friend to join you.
Find an accountability partner! I know that people who perform programs like this one together lose twice as much weight.

Purchase supplements:

Shake powder.
When you are shifting the way that you eat, you can make life simpler by substituting a shake for a meal. This practice is optional, but I find that shakes provide the essential ingredients you need to reset your hormones, detoxify, and fill nutrient gaps. If you want to eat only food and to drink only filtered water, no problem; plenty of women have succeeded on the Hormone Reset without shakes. If you want shakes as an option, purchase a nondairy, nonwhey protein powder. I recommend that you follow my program to the letter, which means you need to obtain enough shake powder for at least thirty-six servings. (See Resources for my favorite shake powders.) Here are several nutritional requirements that work well for people who have completed my program successfully (check the label of the shake, and make sure you have the following per serving):

• Protein: 15 grams (minimum), but 20 grams is preferred

• Maximum net carbs (total carbs less total fiber): 8 grams, but less is preferred

• Maximum sugar: 5 grams, but less is preferred

Fiber.
As you will find during the first reset, fiber helps you activate estrogen so it’s in the fat-burning zone. Order or pick up from your local health food store a fiber blend, at least thirty-six servings’ worth. You want to find the type of fiber that keeps you pooping and doesn’t cause constipation. The average woman in the United States consumes 12 to 14 grams of fiber per day. Plan to gradually increase your fiber intake by a maximum of 5 grams per day so that your body can adjust. For example, aim for 17 grams on Day 1, 22 grams on Day 2, 27 grams on Day 3, etc., until you are consuming 35 to 45 grams per day.

Consult a health professional before getting started.
If you have or suspect that you have any serious health conditions, including but not limited to diabetes or high blood pressure, and/or if you take any medications, talk to your doctor. Although this program is gradual and gentle, and it has been completed by thousands of women, it’s important to know that some people experience significant reductions in blood sugar and blood pressure.

Baseline laboratory tests.
Throughout your Hormone Reset, you will find my recommendations for tests that you can order yourself or request from your health professional. These are optional but may elucidate which of your hormones are misfiring.

Ready for your first assignment? Break out that pretty new journal, and we’ll begin. The first question to answer in your journal is an important one that will set your long-term vision for yourself: What will it feel like to be at home in your body?

We are each so unique, with our own history, perspective, and opinions. I asked women who had completed the Hormone Reset about being at home in their bodies, and here are a few of their answers:

Almost all of us know the basics about what to do to lose weight and feel healthy. When we follow a healthy eating plan, we feel great and vow to keep at it. But alas, human nature is complex. Even the best intentioned of us find it hard to sustain that plan.

I struggle with this problem myself. As
a scientist, I went to my default: research. This led me to study the burgeoning field of change management so I could apply the best practices to my own life and then teach them to the women who work with me online and in my medical practice. Change management is an approach that helps people or groups move from the current state to a desired future state. The latest research tells us that we need to apply the following when going through a change:

Set a big vision.
For instance, “I want to lose 25 pounds” or “I want to bring my fasting blood sugar from the prediabetes range of 110 mg/dL down to the normal range of 70 to 85” or “I’m committing to implementing seven resets in twenty-one days.”

Break the big vision into smaller goals that you can easily achieve.
Try saying to yourself, “Today, I am resetting my insulin resistance. I will stay on task with my insulin reset for three days and then move to the next module, which is to banish fructose and reset my leptin” or “I’m committing to writing my next day’s food every evening.”

Rise above the fray.
Don’t get caught up with the minutiae. Stick to the big vision and your smaller goals. Write your goals on Post-its and keep them handy so that they trigger your intention: place the Post-its on your bathroom mirror, in your wallet, on your refrigerator, on the steering wheel in your car. If you slip up, be gentle with yourself. I use my smartphone to take a picture of my big vision and smaller goals, and I use the image as the wallpaper on my smartphone, so every time I unlock my phone, I see it and connect to my intention.

Change can feel intimidating, and sometimes you may find yourself momentarily resisting your big vision and/or your smaller goals. Remind yourself that these moments will pass. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, focus on the first three-day reset. Be sweet to yourself and keep moving forward—even small steps that feel inconsequential add up to major transformation over time.

One of the most important aspects of your Hormone Reset is measuring your results. This will help you capture a snapshot of your current health as well as the progress you make during the course of this program. I find it helps to set small goals for specific outcomes beyond losing weight. What you measure improves and connects you to intention—that is, it’s harder to change something you’re unaware of, such as your body fat.

The following is a list of the top ten measurements I recommend you take before, during, and after your Hormone Reset, to track your progress. Measurements one through four are mandatory; they are easy and require very few supplies. Measurements five through ten are highly recommended but optional. (For additional information, see Resources.)

Frequency:
Before Day 1 and weekly

Supplies Needed:
A soft tape measure