We like to showcase the talents and expertise of our members within the West One chapter, and what better way than to share some success stories and testimonials.
Monica Kranner is a food and nutrition expert based in London and Vienna. She advises people who want to achieve qualitative improvement of their personal lifestyle through good nutrition. Here, one of her clients shares her experience of Monica’s services.
“BETTER THAN EVER” – How a weight loss coach, a personalized food list and my own body helped me get ready for the best decade of my life.
By Bettina Wayne, Journalist, New York
Today I am 14.475 days old. That’s a whole lot of days. But before you have to go and grab your calculator, let me put it this way: There are only four months left to my 40th birthday. Gulp.
Today is day 14.475 and the day I decide to make my imminent 40’s my best decade ever. EVER. I want to be strong, healthy, vital and full of life. I want to be sexy and desirable sans the undesirable rolls of fat that crept up on my back and midsection lately. I want to have more energy and passion and not succumb to phrases like “Now that I am getting older I simply cannot be in good shape anymore.” In short, I want to improve myself. Now my 14 1/2 thousand days old body just needs to get with the program.
Cue in Monica Kranner, my newly appointed Metabolic Balance coach.
“What would you like to achieve on this program?” Monica asks, when I first visit her two weeks after my momentous decision. We sit at her sunny clinic, a practice she shares with doctors and therapists, in the West, next to Regents Park. I am ready to invest some Pounds into my future and the six personal sessions with Monica that come with the program. I am excited, that I don’t have to do this on my own but have a partner who will hold me accountable to stick to my plan.
“I want to lose 12 kilos” or 2 stones, I state boldly. “No problem”, Monica answers after checking the results of my blood test that is mandatory to start the program. Many people turn towards Metabolic Balance (MB) because their health is compromised – skin rashes, type 2 diabetes, migraines, high blood pressure or high cholesterol to just name a few – and they need a quick and safe way to get healthy and lose weight. I, apparently, am in good (internal) shape. I just bogged down the whole system with years of eating the wrong foods.
Based on my blood test results MB founder Dr. Wolfgang Funfack and his team (and a proprietary computer program) chose the specific foods that are right for my body and for my body only. Monica puts a few sheets of paper in front of me containing in neat little boxes all the different fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, cheeses, dairy and seeds I can eat. All fresh, unprocessed foods found in every supermarket. I need to eat one source of protein with every meal, usually accompanied with vegetables or salad and a piece of fruit afterwards. It looks very doable.
These foods will help my body to regulate my insulin level, boost my metabolism and eventually also bring my hormone levels into balance. When my metabolism works on optimum speed, the stored fat depots will practically melt by themselves. “You’ll see, you lose the weight in just the right places”, says Monica encouragingly as she starts to explain the simple 5 out of 9 rules I have to obey from now on:
Rule 1: Eat three times a day. “Your body needs 3 meals daily. If you miss just one meal, your metabolism becomes temporarily inactive and cannot achieve the desired balance.”
Rule 2: The duration of a meal cannot exceed 60 minutes.
Rule 3: 5 hour intervals between meals without eating
“Your body needs sufficient time for the digestive process, especially for the digestion of protein. During the 5-hour breaks the body primarily burns fat, which is what you want. Additional food intake between meals disturbs the digestion and stops the fat burning process. This is also true if a meal is extended over 60 minutes, rule 2.”
Rule 4: The last meal should be finished by 9:00 PM.
Rule 5: Do not eat more or less than on your personal food plan. “And don’t skip breakfast!”, reminds Monica as I leave the office.
She got me there. Maybe improving myself in time for my 40s might be more challenging than I think. Hmmm….
Fast forward four weeks. Here is what I learned on my way to becoming a better person:
I like to cheat. There are myriads of ways I thought about sneaking foods that are not on my list. I mean, who can drink coffee without milk? Not me. After about five days of pitch black coffee, I rationalized with myself that even though milk is not on my list, I may have coffee cream in my coffee. Coffee cream is not on my list either, but at least Monica did not specifically and unequivocally say it’s off limit. Yes, sadly that’s my rational.
I need a partner in crime. To sooth my bad conscience I shoot Monica an email late on a Saturday evening to let her know that Sunday morning I’m having my coffee with cream. Weirdly enough, I am sort of asking for her permission. I suspect I won’t get it, but I figure she won’t get back to me until Monday, so I can sneak my Sunday and Monday morning coffee brown and velvety, yeah!
I am screwed. Within 20 minutes I get an email back. Monica is scolding me – at midnight, on a Saturday. While she is on vacation. With her new boyfriend. In Italy! When is this woman not working? I long for the days of BB – Before Blackberries. But I am also grateful that I decided to get a coach this time who keeps me on track. On my own I am just too pathetic.
I am a compulsive confessor. On day 8 of the 14 days long strict adjustment phase I slip. I have two glasses of wine. Smartly, I did not ask for permission this time. Stupidly, I tell Monica the next day in our session. She sends me back to square one. I need to start all over again.
I don’t even think about cheating anymore. Because, obviously, I cannot keep a secret.
I need discipline and structure. The rigid eating schedule and the precise food choices work well for me. I won’t pretend it’s easy, but eventually I get used to not eating for five hours between meals. I refrain from foods outside my list and ditch the coffee for green tea. I appreciate the structure, especially because I lack it in other areas of my life.
I praise the internet. After a few weeks, I return back to America. Monica continues to hold my hand via emails, skype and phone.
I lose it. I dropped almost 1 stone in two weeks and slowly continue on my path to a better me. My belly is as flat as I could ever imagine. My behind has shrunk. My digestion works like clock work, my skin is clear, my eyes shine and my mood is balanced. I don’t even feel my period coming on. Good bye, PMS. Welcome my new body. Honestly, with Monica’s help and Metabolic Balance, getting older is much better than I thought it would. Hello 40’s, here I come!
For more details on the services of Monica Kranner please visit: www.monicakranner.com
