Review: "Metabolic Renewal" Diet & Exercise Program for Women • Twin Cities Outdoors

Metabolic Renewal is a diet and exercise program intended to help women optimize their metabolism so we can get to a healthy weight, sleep more soundly, eat healthier and just plain feel better.

Does it work?

Let me say first that I’ve used very, very few “diet” programs in my life. In fact, I can’t think of one…especially one I paid for.

But I was getting desperate when I learned about Metabolic Renewal in the fall of 2020. I was an easy 30 pounds overweight and nothing I had tried had worked to lose some of it.

So I bit the bullet and bought it (bit the bullet, because I’m a natural skeptic when it comes to Facebook ads and good marketing!).

It was another 3 weeks before I started the 12-week program because my husband and I had a 16-day road trip to Colorado and Wyoming planned. That included a week at a fabulous guest ranch in central Colorado…which meant I needed to lose even more weight when we got home!

Here’s what I found out about Metabolic Renewal:

“Metabolic Renewal”: The Program

You have two choices when you order. You can order just the web-based digital version or you can order the “print” version that includes physical DVDs and printed booklets, as well as access to the online version. They both cost $37, but you pay an extra $9.95 for shipping if you order the physical product.

I went with the physical product because we’re old school and like DVDs, and I like to page through books and mark things up.

Here’s the way Metabolic Renewal works:

There are several separate booklets, including a thick how-to-do-it guide along with the whys and hows of women’s metabolism, a book of food suggestions and recipes, and a workbook to track various things like sleeping, body odors, appetite, etc. It gets very detailed.

Different components of the program are stressed depending on your age and where you are in your metabolic season of life (i.e., menstruating, pre-menopause, menopause).
This program heavily focuses on whole-person health, not just weight. There are four main components it stresses, the 4 Ms: mindset, movement, meals and metabolics (exercise).
Mindset includes ways to lower stress levels by resting, relaxing and recovering.
Movement isn’t exercise, but non-exercise movement like relaxed walking (they encourage 10,000 steps a day), gardening, vacuuming, even standing up and sitting down. Any regular daily movement.
Meals that are mostly veggies, then proteins and healthy fats, with very few carbs—although some whole grain, healthy carbs can be included each day. They discourage dairy, too, but I ignored that as I have no digestive issues with dairy products.
Metabolics (exercise) with four separate DVDs, three weeks of different workouts per DVD, to total 12 weeks. These are high-intensity exercises combined with lots of rest for just 15 minutes a day, 3 times a week. They can be done right in your living room, which is where I did mine. They’re designed to be completely adaptable to your own fitness level.

My Experience with “Metabolic Renewal”

Being me, I read through just about the entire book before starting Metabolic Renewal. I started out tracking everything laid out in the workbook…although, I admit, didn’t keep tracking that faithfully all 12 weeks. It was enlightening, though, to see the progress and change in many areas in just a short time.

Mindset

I’ve known for a long time that constant stress is terrible for us. Not just women, but anyone. It’s one of the main reasons why people in our culture as so anxious, depressed and fearful, I believe. Mental and emotional stress play havoc on our physical body, too.

I already have a pretty good handle on my time management and how much I say “yes” to in my life. So this area was a great reminder, but not a life-changer for me.

Movement

I’ve kept a pedometer in my pocket and tracked steps for five or six years now, so the fact that this program encourages 10,000 steps a day—my goal all along—was one of the reasons I trusted it. There’s nothing magic about it. Our bodies are designed to move, and move regularly.

So again, a great push to keep doing what I had already been doing, but not a life-changer for me.

Meals

This is where my life really changed. I’ve never been a veggie lover, but, as I said, I was getting pretty desperate, so I started buying and eating veggies upon veggies. I found that, prepared in certain ways, I actually like more of them than I thought I did!

I’ve always been a carb lover. My mom made homemade bread every week and I love just about every carb out there! Even though I’ve made a whole-hearted effort to stick to mostly whole grain carbs in the past many years, it was a BIG change for me to have only 1/4 cup of carbs a day, most days.

This includes fruit. I love most fruit so this was hard for me. But I was really strict about it the first 12 weeks. I’ve since moderated my diet to include more fruits—especially ones that are in season.

So the big change for me was pretty much switching out the carbs for veggies. And you know what? After just 2-3 months I found I was really looking forward to eating veggies! I actually miss them now if I didn’t have any for a day or two. That’s huge for me!

I also noticed a substantial difference in my appetite between meals. I don’t get as hungry anymore, most days. And when I don’t eat any carbs at lunch, I no longer feel sleepy in the early afternoon. Go figure.

Metabolics

This was my other favorite part of Metabolic Renewal. I used to run, and haven’t now since 2012 because I kept getting annoying little injuries.

This program is the first exercise I’ve done since I stopped running that I feel gives me a great workout. And it’s not just cardio but also strength, which is just as important. When I do these 3 times a week as suggested, I feel like I’m in shape again.

metabolic renewal workout — *(screen shot of one of the workouts)*

There are several things I love about these exercises:

They’re short! Even on days I don’t feel like doing them, I just tell myself, “It’s only 15 minutes. I can do anything for 15 minutes!” And I always feel great once it’s over.
Because each workout is only 15 minutes and can be done at home, it was easy to fit them into my schedule. No driving time involved.
There’s a 5-minute Burn section at the end of every workout. I’ve not done any of them yet, but that’s available for those who want an extra push.
They’re easy to personalize. In fact, Dr. Jade, the instructor, keeps stressing to adapt any exercise any time we need to for our own fitness level. I did this a lot, especially for the pushups.
There’s a big emphasis on rest. Dr. Jade encourages us to stop and take a breather at any time during the workout without pushing “pause.” That’s right. Rest is actually part of the 15-minute workout. It’s strategic. We’re supposed to push hard enough that we have to stop and rest once in awhile. I love that!
The first time I went through the program I used the DVDs on my laptop. Then I had to upgrade to a new laptop that doesn’t have a DVD player in it. Now I watch the videos online, which is even easier. (Remember, when you buy the print books and DVDs, it includes the online membership.)

Why do I use an indoor workout program when I’m an outdoor lover?

Because Metabolic Renewal helps me stay in shape so I can keep doing all the outdoor activities I love!

What Results Did I Get?

This is the kicker, of course. Did I lose weight? Did my metabolism change?

Even though the program keeps stressing that losing weight is just one factor in being healthy, it was the main factor for me. So that’s how I measured results.

And I did lose weight. In fact, the first 16 pounds practically melted off.

I was very strict with myself while going through Metabolic Renewal the first time (I’ve gone through the 12 weeks three times now). I got my 10,000 steps in every day, I ate almost totally by the book (although had a treat once or twice a week), and did every single one of the workouts on schedule.

The next 2-4 pounds have been harder. They’ve come and gone depending on how much I’ve stuck with non-carb-and-sugar eating. Some days the scale is back up 2-3 pounds, sometimes it’s down. I still have about 10 pounds to go.

My biggest take-away though: I feel like I’m in control of my weight again. I don’t feel helpless anymore. I’m back to wearing some of my favorite clothes that haven’t fit in many years (yes, I saved them!). That’s an incredibly good feeling.

My second biggest take-away has been a true lifestyle change in my eating.

I didn’t continue with the video workouts all last summer (2021), just did lots of outdoor activity and tried to get 10,000 steps a day, most days of the week. I did the workouts on and off during the fall. At the time of this writing, I’m full on into the 12 weeks again because I ate goodies every day over the holidays and gained a few pounds!

But throughout the past few months I continue to eat lots of veggies—both raw and cooked. I continue to eat far less carbs, especially grains and processed carbs like pasta. I’ve been able to maintain my weight loss, within 2-3 pounds, without much trouble.

Was it worth my $37? Absolutely.

*Screen shots of some of the testimonies on the Metabolic Renewal webiste*

Is “Metabolic Renewal” for You?

After raving about Metabolic Renewal to some friends and family members, a couple of them have bought and tried the program. I don’t know that either has been through the whole thing successfully—as in, completed it in 12 weeks with no interruptions. Or even completed it at all.

So…here are some questions to ask yourself:

“Do I want a healthier lifestyle bad enough to dedicate 12 weeks to it?” I hope so! Because the things they promote here are so good for us!
“Will I stick with it once I start?” Because no program will work if you don’t do it.
“Is there someone I can talk into doing it with me?” Teamwork makes the dream work, after all! You don’t even have to do it together—just check in with your workout partner each day or week to keep each other accountable.

If you go through Metabolic Renewal, you will be healthier. You will feel better. And if you need to, you will lose some weight and inches.

About Ordering “Metabolic Renewal”

This requires a little explanation. The folks at Metabolic Living, the makers of Metabolic Renewal, are masters at testing and marketing their products. What they’ve found is their sales are better when they keep potential customers (you) on their site for a certain length of time.

They want you to get enough information that you’re convinced this product will change your life. So they don’t let you order until you’ve watched a series of videos explaining more of what I’ve told you above.

That can be very annoying if you just want to get in and out quickly. But, if you’re prepared ahead of time, it’s not so annoying. Give yourself about 30 minutes, grab a cup of coffee or sparkling water, and sit in a comfortable chair. It truly is worth this little bit of hassle.

A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE: I used to spend 30 minutes each day just driving back and forth from the gym. And most of us can eat up 30 minutes in no time flat getting lost in social media.

Intrigued? Get more details and order here…

(I didn’t get paid for this review nor will I receive a commission on any sales. I just think this is a great investment for your health!)

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Sharon Brodin

Founder & Publisher of Twin Cities Outdoors at Brodin Press LLC

Sharon loves to hike, paddle, camp, snowshoe and cross country ski...and she bikes sometimes, too! Besides maintaining Twin Cities Outdoors and her other blog, Heaven and Nature, Sharon works on client writing and design projects.