Has anyone tried Metaboost by Meredith Svelte?

idabah_79

cmriverside

AnnPT77

There are a lot of sources boosting plans for women over 40 in particular. This seems to have more branches than that, but that's one. The classic themes are "boosting the metabolism" (mostly not a thing, at least not in the way we hope), "balancing hormones" (also IMO low-meaning buzzwords), superfoods (that's an eyeroll), blahblahblah. It's all about "supercharging" and "transforming". I'm seeing a lot of that same rhetoric in Metaboost.

What follows is my opinions, as a woman who actually got pretty fit and lost weight when 40+, menopausal, hypothyroid, etc. I started out as a class 1 obese couch lump, pretty much, and right after treatment for advanced breast cancer. I'm now 69, slim, active, fitter and stronger than the average woman; all my health markers are solidly normal, including some that used to be pretty bad.

Most of us have an idea of a healthy diet: Lean meat, fish, veggies, fruits, whole grains. Most of us have an idea of foods it's a sub-ideal to over-consume: Sugar soda/tea/coffee, highly processed foods with a lot of the good stuff refined out of them, routine deep-fried crispy whatever. Most of us know we'd be better off if more physically active.

No one needs an "expert" to do that. We just need a decision, and until we make that decision . . . nothing happens.

Maybe we keep buying the books, the programs, trying it out, then real life hits, we eat too much cake or wine or something one day, figure we'll start again on Monday, but Monday rarely comes. After a while, some frustration builds up with health risks, low energy, and (in our own eyes) an unattractive body . . . and we jump in for another ride on the merry-go-round, but with the latest and greatest book, program or whatever, since the previous one obviously lacked the essential magic. That's what we want: The magic.

We know what we ought to do, but it doesn't sound fun. We can get juiced up by the "experts'" rhetoric, and give it a shot. Most people don't make real progress this way. But the "experts" get rich. In fact, the "experts" get richer if we keep failing, and reaching for the next great solution when we do fail. It's to their benefit if most of us fail, then fail again.

You can get the benefits without the program, without the rhetoric, without the expense. All that's necessary is to really, truly decide to do it. Maybe there's a little learning to do, but most of us know the basics, as I mentioned above.

Many people who've succeeded here on MFP have done it with less fanfare, less revolutionary change, just chipping away at moving our routine habits in positive directions. We can't bond with our friends who are doing the latest and greatest, because what we do is boring to talk about. But we can lose weight, get fitter . . . one step, one habit at a time.

I'll give you the basics for free:

• Figure out how to eat fewer calories, whether you count them or not.
• Most people will feel more full more of the time eating mostly - not necessarily entirely and only - lean meat, fish/seafood, veggies, fruits, whole grains, dairy. Cooking those in ways that involve less oil/butter will tend to help with the calorie thing: Roast, broil, grill, steam, raw where applicable, etc. Make it a point to get good amounts of protein, fiber, healthy fats. Have the occasional treat in a rational portion size just for joy.
• Think about moving more in daily life, and work on that: The "park further from the door, take the stairs" kind of stuff.
• Add some enjoyable, manageable exercise. It doesn't need to be a miserably punitively intense thing, just anything fun, or at least practical and tolerable. Walk, cycle, dance, do a martial art, play pickleball, take an active class, play active VR/video games, whatever. Phase it in gradually so burnout and exhaustion don't happen.
• Ideally, especially for women who are aging, do some activity that challenges strength. Sure, weight training is extra good, but there are other options, including strength-challenging forms of yoga or pilates, body weight exercise, and more.

The exact right details are very individual, because we all have different preferences, strengths, challenges and lifestyles. But we can figure it out, if we commit to chipping away at it.

Need encouragement, "motivation", cheerleaders, etc.? Join one of the threads in the Motivation section or elsewhere here that's focused on that. Post questions, pay attention to the answers. Focus on changing day-in day-out routine habits that happen on repeat, because those are the power tools for improving health. Show up for yourself, because you're the only one who can.

There's no essential need to pay any "expert" for anything. Their magic isn't magical, just profitable. They're SOL if we figure out that in reality this is easy enough for us to figure out and do on our own . . . all it takes is that decision to do it, and mean it.

IME, the quality of life improvement is more than worth the effort, and IMO the effort is less than many people imagine . . . it just takes some patient persistence. Wishing you success, no matter what you decide!

ddsb1111

LOL… definitely not.

I’m really sorry you’re feeling so overwhelmed that this even crossed your mind. It’s awful how many people exploit our insecurities and health struggles to profit off us.

Please don’t give any money, or trust, to social media for health advice. Their goal is engagement and profit, not your well being.

Honestly, Anne nailed it. Just reread her post until it fully lands.