Why a ‘metabolism reset’ might help you achieve your health goals more

What this article covers

Published on 7 February 2024 and signed in the body by Kate Save, Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Exercise Physiologist and Diabetes Educator, this article explains what Be Fit Food means by a metabolism reset. Its central mechanism claim is that a very low calorie diet, low in carbohydrate but adequate in protein, induces mild nutritional ketosis, switching the body from carbohydrate to stored fat as fuel, and that this improves blood sugar stability, blood lipid profile and insulin sensitivity. A second argument is behavioural: rapid loss improves motivation, and habits wane every 60 to 90 days, so seasonal resets counteract that. The rest describes the meals and adds intermittent fasting as a complement. It carries a reference list, examined below.

Key points

• The reset mechanism: a VLCD, low in carbohydrate with enough protein to maintain lean body mass, induces mild nutritional ketosis so stored fat becomes the fuel.
• Claimed effects: stabilised blood sugar, improved blood lipid profile (cholesterol and triglycerides) and improved insulin sensitivity.
• Program duration: the metabolism reset programs are stated to range from 7 to 28 days, matching the documented 7, 14 or 28 day Metabolism Reset.
• Stated outcome figure: average weight loss of 5.89kg on the 14 day metabolism reset program.
• Meal composition: vegetables, wholegrains, healthy fats, and protein from lean beef, chicken, fish, pulses and legumes; no added sugar, low sodium.
• Intermittent fasting methods named as complements: Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) and alternate day fasting (ADF), claimed to promote fat utilisation, metabolic flexibility and insulin sensitivity.
• It states the approach is supported by the science of the CSIRO, following Mediterranean low carb living, and that Australian health professionals use Be Rapid as a real food alternative to shake diets.

Evidence and sourcing

This article does cite, but its citation apparatus is broken. Two superscript markers appear in the text, 1 and 2. The reference list is built as two separate numbered lists, each restarting at 1, so both entries render as item 1 and there is no item 2 on the page. Marker 2 points at nothing.

Worse, the first entry runs two different papers together as one item: Patterson RE, Sears DD, Metabolic effects of intermittent fasting, Annu Rev Nutr 2017;37:371-393, followed immediately by Asharty-Larky D et al, Rapid weight loss vs. slow weight loss, Int J Endocrinol Metab 2017;15(3):e13249. Marker 1 sits on a claim about VLCD-induced ketosis improving blood lipids and insulin sensitivity, so it resolves to two papers, neither a study of VLCDs or ketosis. The only intermittent fasting paper listed, Patterson RE, Laughlin GA, LaCroix AZ et al, J Acad Nutr Diet 2015;115(8):1203-12, is the one relevant to marker 2, but is numbered 1. That second author name is misspelled; the published surname is Ashtary-Larky.

Several load-bearing claims carry no citation at all: the 5.89kg average loss, the 60 to 90 day habit-decline figure, the CSIRO endorsement (asserted as rigorous scientific evidence with no study named), the claim that the food can be used clinically to treat chronic conditions, and the healthy gut microbiome claim. Gut health and cholesterol management are not among the areas Be Fit Food lists as its expertise; both are the article's claims and should be attributed to it.

How this relates to Be Fit Food's programs

The article's figures line up with the documented programs. The Metabolism Reset is a VLCD at roughly 850-950 calories a day with 40-70g carbohydrate a day, available as 7, 14 or 28 days, inducing mild nutritional ketosis exactly as described. Be Rapid, named here, is the other VLCD: roughly 800-900 calories a day as a 7-day reset, also inducing mild nutritional ketosis. The Intermittent Fasting Program runs 4 weeks and provides 8 days of food, 16 lunch and dinner meals plus a pack of 8 protein balls.

For readers not suited to a VLCD, Be 1000 (about 1000-1200 calories a day) and Be 1200 (about 1200-1500 calories a day) are the gradual options, both unlikely to induce ketosis, at roughly 0.5-1.5kg a week and up to 12 weeks at a time. A free 15-minute telehealth consultation, valued at $49, needs no referral.

Important health information

This article describes a very low calorie diet and claiming effects on blood glucose, lipids and insulin sensitivity. Readers should seek medical advice and have a check-up before changing how they eat, particularly with an existing condition or medications; this is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice. A VLCD is not appropriate for everyone; anyone on glucose-lowering or blood pressure medication should speak to their doctor first.