How do you feel? Are you waking up in the morning full of aches and pains? Do you need that first hit of caffeine in the morning to stop feeling sluggish? What medication do you take to get through the day?

Before starting the Fat Loss Protocol, I put all of my symptoms down to ‘being over 40’ and morbidly obese. I was happy and content – I even thought I felt great! I assumed that the way I felt was normal for someone of my age – constant back pain, fatigue, heartburn, migraines, brain fog, bloating, abdominal pain… the list goes on.

The funny thing was that I didn’t realise how bad I felt until I felt AMAZING!

The Fat Loss Protocol is an elimination diet. When I first started the protocol I was overwhelmed by the limited choice of food – during Phase 2 the food you consume is really stripped back to basics, eliminating foods that are notorious for causing inflammation and uncomfortable symptoms. This is an opportunity for your body to heal and to begin the process of identifying foods that are just not right for you.

Limited food choice gives you simplicity – you don’t need to be scouring through recipe books or filling your shopping cart with foods you’ve never used before to be successful. It’s time to get back to basics and imagine a new starting point, a new beginning – it’s a complete health reset. All the foods that may have been causing you long term stress are removed, just like a spring clean of the body.

An Increase in Energy

After the initial detox symptoms during the protocol you will start feeling good – your energy levels tend to increase as your body begins to function better. Within days of my first round, abdominal pains that I had suffered for years disappeared. And after completing 4 rounds (with a loss of over 55kgs) every single one of my health problems has disappeared – I no longer suffer from body aches and pains, fatigue, heartburn, brain fog, redness to my skin, anxiety, migraines or bloating. I also no longer have symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome – I now have a regular menstrual cycle for the first time in 30 years and have no reason to suspect I still have fatty liver disease.

An elimination diet increases our self awareness. We begin to view our body in a different way and realise that our everyday food choices impact every aspect of our life. Discovering that the way we fuel our bodies ultimately decides how we feel is the greatest gift. You’ll start to link food choices with bloating, pains, mood, stress, depression, anxiety and how you generally cope on a daily basis.

During the fourth phase of the protocol we follow a structured plan and begin reintroducing food. This is when we learn to really listen to our bodies.

At times we may receive strong signals that we cannot tolerate a food and at others there may be a slight suggestion that something isn’t quite right – the key is learning to listen to your body and to follow its guidance. This is when the program really works as you begin to discover what foods are right for YOU.

Get to Know Your Body

You begin to feel empowered as you get to know your body. It is like receiving your own personal ‘how to’ manual – an individual guide on what you should be eating and what you should avoid. If you decide to eat a ‘sometimes food’, you can, knowing the response you’re going to get. With this comes confidence. Many people feel controlled by food. I’ve been there – an automatic response to eating whatever is on the table, no thought or care. Once you are confident with what you can eat you become more observant and careful with the choices you make, knowing you are eating for overall health.

Discovering what foods work for you is the key to long term health. Just because a food is considered ‘healthy’ does not necessarily mean that it is right for YOU. During my journey, I have learnt that pumpkin, cooked tomatoes, cauliflower, seafood, dairy, pork, watermelon and many other ‘healthy’ foods are just not right for ME. If I had not done an elimination protocol, that aching knee, abdominal pain and migraines would probably have crept back into my life with me being none-the-wiser.

This is why elimination programs work – once you discover what foods work for you and you identify and eliminate your trigger foods, the rest is easy. Long term health is achievable and weight loss will be a by-product. If you commit to feeding your body according to its own needs and rules, you will never have to ‘diet’ again. Your own little ‘how to’ manual will be ready and waiting to guide you to ultimate health and vitality.