By: Julia Nowak – TEAM RAGE Contributing Author (and my wife!)
Mike and I had been considering doing the Ultimate Reset (UR) for a LONG time, but it’s never fit well into our schedules. It’s a three-week program with a pretty strict nutrition plan, and we wanted to do it when we knew we could fully commit to following the program without any family events or travel plans to derail us. We decided it was time to do the UR for a few reasons. While a lot of people decide to do the UR for weight loss (and it’s great for that!), it wasn’t our primary motive. Since Mike injured his back he’s been much less active and his body has been feeling it with a lot of inflammation. After recently completing 21-Day Fix Extreme I felt that my body was in the best shape it’s seen in a long time, but I also wanted to take some time to focus on my inner health. Also, it’s easier to be successful with the UR if you have a supportive partner, so it was important to us to do it at a time when we were both completely on board.
A few weeks ago it seemed like the stars aligned perfectly for us. We had a three-week stretch between Memorial Day and Father’s Day when we would both be home, we had no visitors, and no major events. Plus, the timing was symbolically important to us as well—we started on the 3-year anniversary of Mike’s sister’s passing and finished just before Father’s Day. We couldn’t think of a better way to recommit to a healthy lifestyle for our family. So, we stocked our fridge with fruits and vegetables and took the plunge! Read on to check out our amazing results…
About the Program
The UR is a 3-phase program designed not only to cleanse/detox, but also to maximize your energy and make your body more efficient at processing the foods you eat. It essentially tunes up your body and restores it to its “factory settings”. It is a great opportunity for those that are limited with their activity level from injury or otherwise. The program is divided into three phases:
In Phase 1 you “Reclaim” your body and prepare for the coming changes to your diet. You slowly remove animal proteins and dairy from your diet (though the program can be done completely vegetarian or vegan if you prefer).
In Phase 2 you begin to “Release” the toxic compounds your body’s been storing. The idea is to help your body fully absorb the nutrients from the healthy whole foods you’re eating. This phase is completely plant-based. It also includes daily “Detox” drinks that help to remove waste in the colon (don’t worry—you’re not running to the bathroom every 20 minutes).
In Phase 3, you “Restore” your metabolism to its most efficient state while putting nutrients, enzymes, and pre- and probiotics back into your system. This phase is consists of almost completely fruits, vegetables and healthy fats, with little or no grains. This phase also includes a supplement to help revitalize flora in the digestive tract.
In all three phases you work on hydration (most people don’t drink enough water!) with mineralized water, shifting your body’s pH to a more alkaline state through food choices and a daily Alkalinize supplement, and promoting digestive health with a blend of systemic enzymes. It’s also important to abstain from strenuous exercise during the 3 weeks—your body doesn’t need to be repairing muscle tissue while it’s working on its internal reset.
About the Food
The UR comes with a detailed nutrition guide that includes a menu with recipes for every day. While some people choose a few meals they like for each phase of the Reset and repeat throughout the week, Mike and I decided to do the program exactly as written—preparing and eating all of the meals as they’re listed in the guide. We wanted to try EVERYTHING! While I can’t say we loooved every meal we ate during the three weeks (I’m looking at you wakame seaweed), we enjoyed most of them and will definitely be making a few of the recipes again post-Reset (the sweet potato bisque was fantastic!).
The weekend before we started the UR we stocked up on the ingredients we’d need for week 1. This included a trip to our Asian supermarket to get a few things, though the plan has a fairly flexible substitution list if you can’t find an ingredient. Each week after this we had to make a trip to our regular grocery store to stock up on the ingredients we needed for the week (mostly produce). You’ll be eating a lot of greens, cucumber, pumpkin seeds, lemon, olive oil, avocado, red bell peppers, root vegetables (beets, carrots, sweet potatoes), squash, miso, berries, melon, etc.
During the 3-week program, you slowly eliminate foods like animal products (meat, eggs, and dairy), legumes, and grains from your diet. The good news is that in all three phases there is PLENTY of food. Seriously—some of the meals were too big to finish, and there are optional snacks if you feel hungry between lunch and dinner. We would have liked to see a snack between breakfast and lunch (it’s what we’re used to), but it wasn’t a deal breaker. In Phase 1 you’ll be eating a combination of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, yogurt, and lean proteins including eggs, chicken, fish, and tempeh.
In Phase 2 you eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, legumes, and grains, but all animal products (including dairy and eggs) have been removed. I particularly liked that Phase 2 was organized such that leftovers from dinner one night were served for lunch the next day—it made food prep easier and more convenient for us.
By Phase 3 you are eating primarily fruits, vegetables and healthy fats. Breakfast in Phase 3 is a LOT of fruit, every day, which was much more filling than we expected.
We didn’t find much of a change in our food bills during the Reset than our usual bills. While you are buying a lot of fresh (organic if possible) produce, you aren’t buying other items that you might otherwise—like meat and dairy products, alcohol, or caffeinated drinks.
OUR Results!
Firstly, and most importantly, we both feel great. We both look and feel leaner; we have more uncaffeinated energy, are getting better sleep, and have more consistent digestion. Mike lost 5.7% body fat, 4.5″ in his waist, and 7.5lbs (incl. 2 pounds lost on Day 22). Yeah, abs in 21 days without exercising. This program works. Mike maintained his results even weeks later and the inflammation in his back went down considerably accelerating the recovery process!
I ended up down a pound from my post-21DFX weight and my waist went from 26.5″ post-21DFX to 25″ post-UR; I also lost an inch in each thigh and one in my hips–I honestly didn’t think I could get much leaner.
Both of us experienced slow-and-steady changes to our body, so we feel confident that we can maintain our results if we continue to focus on our nutrition.
NOTE: We’re now 6 weeks post Reset and Julia had blood work done yesterday and got the results online this morning. For the first time EVER (and she has checked annually since she was 21) her cholesterol is below 200. It dropped 25 points from her last check:) We also had a team members that lost 83 cholesterol points in 21 days. AMAZING!
Spending 21 days Resetting together has been good for our family dialog about food too—we’ve been talking more about the types of foods we want to incorporate in our diet and what we might want to limit or cut out completely. For example, while I missed drinking a hot cup of coffee in the morning during the Reset, I didn’t miss the caffeine. When I actually thought about it, I realized I never missed caffeine when I was pregnant or breastfeeding either. So why am I drinking it? I feel the same way about alcohol. This isn’t to say I’ll never have a cup of coffee or glass of wine again, but they don’t need to be consumed on a daily/weekly basis.
Where do we go from here?
At the conclusion of the 21 days of the UR, it’s recommended that you reintroduce foods in the opposite order that you removed them from your diet. With each reintroduction (grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, animal proteins, caffeine, etc.) you are advised to pay close attention to how your body handles each addition. At the time that I write this, we are eating mostly fruits, vegetables, and grains. We will continue to reintroduce foods and listen to how our bodies handle each addition. We are also working our way back to exercise—it’s recommended to start at 50% effort for the first week back to workouts.
If you’re considering the Reset…
Mike and I are committed to good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. We take care of our bodies physically, whether exercising regularly or rest when needed. For us, the Ultimate Reset was a natural choice. BUT—there are plenty of people who decide to Reset for other reasons. It’s a great jumpstart if you need to make a change to your eating habits, or maybe break a habit you’ve been struggling with. Many people find that they have reduced “junk” cravings after completing the Ultimate Reset. It can also be a great weight loss tool. Mike and I didn’t have a lot of weight to lose, but we’ve witnessed members of our team lose as much as 36 pounds in 21 days!
I’m not going to say the Reset was easy—there are definitely times that try your will power! Choose a time when you can focus on the program, do it with a partner if you can, and get dialed in with the online network available for support.
It’s worth it, and 21 days later you’ll thank yourself for doing it!
