In June, after completing my third round of ProLon® over the past two years, I felt absolutely INCREDIBLE and like I'd finally cracked the code on how and when to do the program so that 1) I feel my best while on it and 2) I stay committed to eating more clean once I'm done.
I shared about it on Instagram immediately after the last round and was BLOWN AWAY by the response when I polled my friends/followers on if they'd be interested in a blog post detailing my experience and the insights I've gleaned, so here we are! Let's dive in...
INCLUDED IN THIS POST:
> Helpful articles / additional info
> DISCOUNT LINK - Get 20% off when you buy through my link below...
NOTE FOR WHEN YOU BUY: I prefer the “New Flavors” package that includes these soup flavors: Butternut Squash, Black Bean, Butternut Squash Quinoa, Spinach & White Bean, and Tomato.
WHAT IS PROLON®
Okay, first things first: What is the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet® (FMD)?
ProLon FMD® is a 5-day dietary program – scientifically backed by over 20 years of extensive preclinical and clinical studies – that provides nourishment while supporting rejuvenating changes, including supporting metabolic health* for healthy aging.
KEY BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM:
Promotes cellular renewal by triggering autophagy – the body's natural way of cleaning up old and worn out cellular components and promoting rejuvenation
Supports metabolic health (as part of a healthy lifestyle)
Enhances clarity + performance
Kickstarts fat-focused weight loss* – especially belly fat – while protecting lean body mass *Benefits seen in a clinical study of the 5-day ProLon cycle once a month for three consecutive months.
WHY I DO IT
For an overall reset, especially from sugar cravings, alcohol + processed foods
To decrease inflammation + bloating (from all those things mentioned above)
MY HEALTH BACKGROUND: I have Celiac Disease (an autoimmune disorder and severe allergy to gluten) and struggle with chronic inflammation, which for me, visibly presents as “puffiness,” but also affects my joints (i.e. makes me achy). While I don’t consume gluten, I definitely over consume sweets, chips + wine from time to time, all of which exacerbate my inflammation and negatively affect my sleep, mood + energy (when consumed in excess). Every time I do ProLon, it’s like hitting the reset button on my eating habits and getting a refresh for my body, both inside and out (bye bye bloat...hello glowing skin!).
BENEFITS I'VE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED
BETTER, MORE RESTFUL SLEEP As someone who’s struggled with insomnia for over 15 years, this is huge for me and it always serves as a reminder (and motivation) to keep the healthy eating and bedtime habits going, long after I complete the program.
CLEARER, MORE VIBRANT SKIN It’s funny: as a kid/teenager, I never had acne, but now, as a nearly 39-year-old woman, I’m battling what feels like constant breakouts along my chin, jawline and cheek areas (thank you, hormones!). With ProLon, it's incredible how many people comment on my skin by day 4-5 and in the week or so after completing the program, saying things like “Wow, you’re glowing!” and “Your skin is beautiful, what do you use?” Again, further motivation to keep the clean eating going…
MORE ENERGY + MENTAL CLARITY Most mornings in my day-to-day – especially when I’ve fallen back into some bad eating + sleeping habits – I wake up feeling incredibly lethargic and require 1-2 cups of coffee just to get going. With ProLon, I sleep more soundly and wake up feeling energized and mentally “sharp,” most notably on Day 5 and beyond.
BETTER PORTION CONTROL + AWARENESS OF WHEN I'M CONTENT As a child of the 80s and the "eat everything on your plate" upbringing, I've had to unlearn that programming as an adult, which admittedly, isn't alway easy. ProLon helps to reset my portion control and awareness of when I'm content, versus eating to the point of feeling stuffed because I "don't want to be wasteful." Instead, I simply save what's left on my plate and eat it later if I feel hungry and want to eat it then.
A MORE MINDFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD As someone who sometimes mindlessly eats when I’m bored, sad, procrastinating, watching a show, etc. – habits that became even more prevalent (and somewhat acceptable) during the pandemic – I’ve found that every time I do ProLon, I’m so much more aware of why I’m eating and have more self-control when I realize it’s emotionally driven versus because I’m actually hungry and nourishing my body.
BETTER BOWEL MOVEMENTS Hey, everybody poops and without going into detail, let’s just say my body definitely “functions” better after completing ProLon, which always feels like a win, especially when you’ve struggled with stomach issues for the better part of 25 years.
TIPS + TRICKS I'VE LEARNED FROM THE 3 CYCLES I'VE DONE
IDENTIFY YOUR WHY Get clear on why you’re doing it and what your goals are for when it’s over. Having that established before you begin will help you stick to the program, especially when it feels hard (like on day 3 for me). And remember, it’s only 5 days…you can do anything for 5 days, my friend!!!
CAFFEINE Drinking 8 oz of black coffee a day was an absolute GAME-CHANGER for me. If you're used to drinking caffeine, don't torture yourself and go without. I made that mistake the first 2 times through the program and it was a little rough. Per ProLon guidelines, it is permissible to have to have 8-12 ounces of black coffee OR 16 ounces of green, white, or black tea each morning (no creamers or added sugar in either).
STRATEGIZE WHEN YOU EAT For me, drinking coffee and holding off on eating until late morning (11-11:30am), meant that I could condense my “eating window” and feel more satiated, versus spreading out the meal times throughout my very long days (I get up super early to teach fitness and then work nights at a winery/restaurant). I also made sure to eat my dinner soup right before any social engagements or evening shifts at the winery/restaurant, so that I wasn’t hangry or tempted to cheat while being around other people eating.
MAKE YOUR SOUPS AHEAD OF TIME This last go-around, I decided to make my soups ahead of time (in the morning on each day), putting them in insulated containers that would keep them warm, so that when it was time to eat lunch or dinner, I had them ready to go and could essentially eat them on the go, which helped so much, since I don't usually have time to make things mid-day.
HYDRATE Drink the provided herbal teas (they help!) + load up on water (I add a squeeze of lemon to *jazz* up mine)
SHARE + SOCIALIZE Tell people you’re doing it, so that you feel supported + don’t be afraid to make plans! On previous ProLon cycles, I avoided social events for fear that it’d be too hard to be around people who were eating and drinking while I sat there begrudgingly with my lemon water (sigh). Interestingly, the opposite was true! Sitting at home, just thinking about how hungry I was, felt waaaay more torturous, so this last time through the program I intentionally made plans and got together with friends and found it to be a welcomed distraction. Plus, I felt like a badass for having so much willpower + self-control (insert flexing emoji here)!
KEEP YOURSELF BUSY This go-around, I kept myself busy (when I wasn't at work) by tackling to-do's for my various home-improvement projects. It helped keep my mind off being hungry and honestly made the 5 days fly by!
EXERCISE Incorporate movement (i.e. yoga, stretching, walking). Per the ProLon guidelines, I didn’t do anything too intense (no hot yoga or HIIT workouts), but I did get in plenty of walking and stretching, 1 day of strength training, and I even taught my regular morning spin classes on days 3 and 4. All in all, I felt great and was glad I kept up with my exercise this time, which I didn't do the first 2 rounds (because I wasn't sure how I'd feel).* *NOTE: I live a VERY active lifestyle – normally I teach 2-3 spin classes a week and ride the entire 45 minutes each time; I do one hot yoga class and 2 strength training sessions per week; I work 25 hours a week on my feet at a busy winery/restaurant, averaging 15k - 20k steps per day; and I usually get in 1-2 challenging hikes per month – so while I did workout, I scaled back quite a bit on the intensity of what I did and for how long. In other words, do what works for you and your body / lifestyle!
PRIORITIZE REST + SLEEP Go to bed early! I’m a notorious post-dinner snacker, so making a point to go to bed earlier not only ensured that I got adequate rest, but also helped me not think about wanting more to eat when in reality, it’s not that I’m hungry after dinner, it’s just that continuing to snack has become a habit (that I’m trying to break, hence doing ProLon).
JOURNAL + CHECK-IN WITH YOURSELF I find it helpful to journal throughout the process, reminding myself of why I’m doing ProLon, what I hope to get out of it, and how I want to *feel* when it’s over. On day 6, I recommend checking back in on the above and on what your wellness goals are now that the program is over. Truth be told, I didn’t do this the first round and ended up immediately falling back into eating sugar and chips, which was the main reason for doing the reset.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING Life is busy and I’m not saying “wait for the perfect time” to do it – because 1) it doesn’t exist and 2) you’ll find all sorts of excuses for why you can’t start, so don’t go down that rabbit hole – but what I will say is this: if you’re a woman, pay attention to where you’re at in your cycle when you DO decide to complete the ProLon FMD program. The first time I did it, I made the mistake of doing it the week before my period, which for me is when I’m most irritable, emotional and exhausted, so you can imagine what a joy I was to be around when you add fasting to the mix…eek!!! It also meant that I immediately reached for the sugar and chips when it was over, which completely defeated the purpose of doing it. Everyone's cycle is different, though, so pay attention to your body and do what works for you!
PLAN AHEAD Planning ahead for DAY 6 (the official “transition day”) and beyond will help ensure you stay on track with your goals and healthy eating, well beyond completing the 5-day program
Plan your meals
Put together a shopping list
Pick up the ingredients
Prep / “make ahead” anything you can, so that when DAY 6 rolls around, you have your healthy transition meals at the ready
DISCOUNT LINK
As outlined above, I have personally experienced the benefits of ProLon multiple times and I believe in the scientifically backed power of this protocol to help others, which is why I'm thrilled to partner with them and be able to offer you a discount. Use the link below to get 20% off all purchases, anytime! The link doesn't expire, so you can use it multiple times and share it with friends, too!
NOTE FOR WHEN YOU BUY: I prefer the “New Flavors” package that includes these soup flavors: Butternut Squash, Black Bean, Butternut Squash Quinoa, Spinach & White Bean, and Tomato.
HELPFUL ARTICLES / ADDITIONAL INFO
QUESTIONS?
Alright, my friends...I know this was A LOT of information, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. You can comment on this post or direct message me here.
xx
Sadye
DISCLAIMERS
All opinions are my own and based on my personal experience with ProLon. I am not a medical professional or a dietary expert / nutritionist. If you have any medical conditions, please talk to your health care provider before doing ProLon. For more medically related information, safety precautions and more details regarding the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet®, please visit the ProLon FAQ section here.
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