How To Prime Your Metabolism For Effortless Fat Loss (Part #2)
Last week, you took your first real step toward repairing the damage from years of dieting & overtraining 🙌🏼
And for the first time in a long time, you started working with your metabolism (instead of against it.)
But now as we’re getting into week #2 of metabolic priming, your brain might start thinking stuff like:
“Shouldn’t I be doing more?”
“Am I actually going to be eating MORE?”
“Is this really going to work?”
And full transparency, this is where most women start to panic.
They they have this urge to tighten this back up, restrict harder, add cardio back in—and undo everything they just set in motion.
But that’s not gonna be you…. GOT IT 👊🏼
Because today we’re going to go over why week 2 of metabolic priming is so important not just because of what it does for your metabolism—but because of what it teaches your mindset.
This week is about learning to trust the process, reset your internal signals, and stay consistent with your food intake… even if it feels weird at first.
This week is when you give your body a reason to stop fighting you.
So if you’re wondering, “Is this really going to working?”...
Keep reading.
The Mental Spiral That Can Happen
You have a plan. You followed the steps. You tracked your food, rested, and didn’t overthink every bite.
But now coming into Week 2, maybe some doubt is creeping in fast.
You’re still gonna be working out.
But you’re going to start eating slightly more food.
And you’re wondering if the scale is going to start creeping up a pound or 20….😳
And now your brain starts spinning:
“What if I’m just going to gain weight?”
“Maybe I should just go back to what I was doing before—at least I saw the scale move.”
Sound familiar?
These thoughts are what derail 90% of women who start this journey.
It’s not because they don’t want it bad enough.
But because they’ve been trained to think fat loss has to come from restriction and hunger.
And that if fat loss feels simple, flexible, and almost too easy — it must be wrong.
But that in there lies the problem…
The reason why you can’t lose weight isn’t because your not dieting hard enough or burning enough calories…
It’s your mentality around what “progress” is supposed to feel like.
You’ve been conditioned to measure your success by:
A number on the scale
How little you eat
How hard you work out
How exhausted you feel by the end of the day
But what if those markers were never the right ones?
What if feeling better, calmer, and more in control were the new signs you’re actually doing the right thing?
The real problem is that you expect change to feel like punishment.
But the priming your metabolism for effortless fat loss isn’t punishment—it’s about permission.
Permission to eat in a way that nourishes you.
Permission to stop overtraining.
Permission to listen to your body, not fight it.
It’s hard mentally at first.
Not because the plan is hard, but because “doing less” feels weird when you’re so used to pushing through everything.
That’s the lie the fitness space has conditioned you to believe that we’ll be unlearning.
This week, your brain might tell you that nothing’s happening.
But your body is doing a lot:
It’s stabilizing hormone output.
It’s recalibrating your hunger and satiety signals.
It’s preparing to handle more food without storing it as fat.
It’s rebuilding trust with you.
Don’t let your old mindset sabotage that.
But some women ultimately let that old mindset take over.
They feel the doubt creeping in and think,
“I just need to clean my diet up a little. Maybe cut a few hundred calories or throw in a cardio session or two.”
Just something to feel in control again.
And on paper, it seems innocent.
But here’s what really happens:
You cut calories again.
You add a few hours of cardio “just in case.”
You end the week feeling drained but convinced that at least now the scale will reward you.
Except it doesn’t.
You either:
Lose nothing… again.
Lose a pound, feel validated, and keep pushing harder—until you crash out.
Or Gain weight, feel defeated, and give up altogether.
This is what metabolic adaptation feeds off.
The second your body senses that it’s back in survival mode (low food, high stress, more output), it clamps down even harder on energy use.
This means:
Less thyroid hormone.
More cortisol.
Slower digestion.
Lower libido.
Poorer sleep.
Constant cravings.
Stalled fat loss.
You might feel like you’re being disciplined—but really, your body is just trying to protect itself from another storm.
Here’s the real kicker:
Every time you interrupt this priming process because of fear or second-guessing… you teach your body that it can’t trust you.
You reinforce the cycle:
Restrict → Overdo → Crash → Binge → Quit → Restart
This is the treadmill most women get stuck on for years.
The ones who finally see sustainable results?
They do something radically different:
They follow through with the process.
They stick with it—even when their old habits scream otherwise.
They stop treating food as a threat and workouts as punishment.
They build trust, not just with their metabolism, but with themselves.
The mistake a lot of women make when it comes to fat loss isn’t just what they eat or don’t eat.
It’s thinking the “solution” is to do more when your body is finally starting to heal.
This week, doing more will cost you all that momentum you just gained from week 1.
Doing less—on purpose—is the only way to truly move forward.
Week 2 isn’t just a continuation of Week 1.
It’s the pivotal week where your body and brain either decide:
A) “She’s serious. I can relax.”
B) “Here we go again—back to stress mode.”
And that decision sets the tone for everything that comes next.
Here’s what most women miss:
Your metabolism isn’t just responding to calories.
It’s responding to consistency.
If you bump your food intake one day and restrict it the next...
If you let fear take over and overcorrect mid-week...
If you treat every small fluctuation like a crisis...
Your body sees that as instability.
And instability = threat.
This means your hormones stay out of balance.
Your cravings stay high.
Your energy stays low.
And your results stay stuck.
But when you hold steady this week (calm, confident, and consistent) your body finally starts to believe you.
It begins to:
Normalize your hunger cues
Reduce cortisol output
Increase leptin (which regulates appetite and fat burn)
Shift out of stress mode and into repair mode
Think of week 2 as the signal week.
You’re signaling to your body that:
More food is safe.
Rest is productive.
Fat loss is coming—but it doesn’t require destruction.
Most women never get here, because they never let themselves be still long enough to experience it.
They quit just before the shift happens.
Don’t be most women.
Stay the course.
Let your body receive the message.
This is your edge. Most women won’t stay long enough to see it through.
You will.
Because you’re not priming your metabolism with fear.
You’re rebuilding it with trust.
Your Week 2 Checklist
This week isn’t about doing everything — it’s about doing the right things consistently.
Let’s break it down step by step:
1️⃣ - Increase Your Calories by 5–10%
Remember that average number you calculated last week?
Now’s the time to slightly increase it.
Example:
If you averaged 1,800 calories last week → aim for 1,890 to 1,980 calories per day this week.
Pick a number in that range and hit it daily.
2️⃣ - Keep Protein High
Stick to 30–40% of your total intake as protein.
That’s roughly 1.6–1.8g per kg of bodyweight.
Example:
If you’re 160 lbs (72.5 kg), that’s about 116–130g of protein per day.
Don’t make this hard:
3 eggs = ~18g
4 oz chicken = ~35g
1 scoop protein powder = ~25g
1 cup Greek yogurt = ~20g
Aim for protein with every meal.
3️⃣ - Carbs & Fats: What to Do With the Rest
Once protein is locked in, you’ll split the remaining calories between carbs and fats:
Carbs: 25–40% of Total Intake
Stick closer to 25–30% if you’re more sedentary
Go up to 35–40% if you’re consistently hitting your step goal
Carb examples:
Sweet potatoes, oats, rice, fruit, beans, lentils
Smart strategy:
Put most of your carbs around your most active part of the day—like post-walk or lunch.
Fats: 25–30% of Total Intake
Keep healthy fats consistent to support hormones and satiety
Go for avocado, olive oil, chia seeds, nuts, and fatty fish
Watch out:
Too much fat + too many carbs = sneaky calorie surplus.
You’re not restricting—just building awareness.
4️⃣ - Follow the Same Workouts as Week 1
No need to change a thing.
Stick with the same strength-focused workouts you did last week.
Focus on:
2–3 short strength workouts per week
Full-body movements with controlled reps and proper form
Light weights or just bodyweight if needed
Daily movement goal: 7,000–10,000 steps per day
Walking helps regulate appetite, improves insulin sensitivity, and supports your metabolism—without triggering stress or fatigue.
This isn’t about pushing harder.
It’s about building rhythm and stability.
You’re not working out to burn calories.
You’re working out to remind your body that it’s safe to get stronger.
5️⃣ - Focus on 3 Balanced Meals per Day
Structure matters more than perfection.
Meal Template:
Protein (chicken, beef, turkey, tofu, eggs, protein powder)
Healthy Fat (avocado, olive oil, nuts/seeds)
Slow-Digesting Carbs (sweet potatoes, oats, rice, fruit)
Veggies (fiber + micronutrients)
If you’re busy, build meals like this:
Example Day:
Breakfast:
3 eggs + spinach sautéed in olive oil + ½ cup oats with blueberries
= ~450–500 caloriesLunch:
Grilled chicken salad with avocado, olive oil vinaigrette, and a slice of sourdough
= ~550–600 caloriesDinner:
Ground turkey bowl with jasmine rice, zucchini, and tahini drizzle
= ~600–700 calories
Snack if needed: Greek yogurt + berries or a protein bar (~150–250 calories)
6️⃣ - Hydration & Salt
Water: 2–3 liters/day
Salt: < 3g/day (especially important if your previous diet was ultra low sodium)
Proper hydration supports digestion, metabolism, and helps your body manage the increased food volume.
7️⃣ - Track Everything (But Don’t Obsess)
Keep using MacrosFirst or another food tracker.
Log your meals. Watch your patterns. Stay curious, not controlling.
You’re not tracking to restrict—you’re tracking to understand.
8️⃣ - Sleep, Stress & Signals
Sleep at least 7–8 hours.
Limit screen time at night.
Create a calming wind-down routine (journal, read, light stretch).
Your body can’t repair under stress—so your job this week is to make recovery your superpower.
You’re Not Waiting for Results — You’re Creating the Conditions for Results
This week, you may not see much on the scale.
That’s okay.
This isn’t about fast weight loss—it’s about lasting metabolic health.
Trust that your body is working behind the scenes to fix what years of dieting broke.
There’s a strange moment that happens around the end of Week 2.
It’s subtle—but powerful.
You’re not starving.
You’re not bloated.
You’re not exhausted from chasing the scale.
You’re... steady.
And for a lot of women, that feeling is almost foreign.
Because for years, “fat loss” meant either:
Being “on” and going all in
Or being “off” and spiraling out of control
But now, you’re in this new space—a middle ground.
You’re eating consistently.
You’re moving with purpose.
You’re not obsessing over every macro or every missed workout.
And what you’ll start to realize is that:
You don’t need to feel depleted to know it’s working.
You don’t need to over-complicate your food choices.
You don’t need to punish yourself for finally feeling full.
This is what metabolic stability feels like.
And it often shows up way before the scale ever does.
What Some Women Have Told Me After Week 2:
“This is the first time I’ve eaten more without guilt—and I didn’t blow up like I feared.”
“I’ve had more energy this week than I did during months of HIIT and fasting.”
“It’s scary how normal this feels. I actually want to keep going.”
“I’m sleeping better, thinking clearer, and not obsessing over food 24/7.”
These aren't exceptions ether.
When you stop attacking your metabolism and start supporting it, your body responds in the best ways:
It becomes less reactive.
It starts to trust the routine.
It shifts out of survival mode and fat burning mode.
The real win isn’t just the physical shift.
It’s the mindset shift.
When you realize you can feel calm, energized, and satisfied—without being in a deficit—you stop chasing short-term fixes.
You start building something sustainable.
And once you’ve had a taste of that?
You’ll never want to go back.
3 Mistakes That Will Undo Everything
I do just want to clear up a few things before you accidentally sabotage your progress with good intentions.
Mistake 1️⃣: Thinking Hunger = Progress
You’ve been conditioned to believe that being hungry means your plan is “working.”
It doesn’t.
Hunger is not a sign that you’re burning not — it’s often a red flag that your hormones are out of balance, especially if you’re constantly thinking about food, snacking at night, or waking up starving.
What you want is stable hunger — consistent cues that align with your meals and activity.
Mistake 2️⃣: Believing More Cardio With Prevent You From Gaining Weight With This Slight Calorie Increase
Nope.
More cardio doesn’t prevent you from gaining weight — it often makes it worse.
When your body is coming from a place of already being stressed out, stacking extra cardio can increase cortisol, stall recovery, and slow the metabolic recovery process.
Right now, walking and strength training are your metabolic sweet spot.
Stay in that lane.
Mistake 3️⃣: Assuming the Scale Should Drop Immediately
If you’ve ever added food back in after being on a strict diet, you’ve probably seen a tiny jump on the scale.
That’s not fat — it’s just water, food volume, and muscle glycogen restoring.
Totally normal.
Actually a good sign your body is responding.
So if the scale goes up a pound or two this week, don’t freak out.
It’s not fat gain—it’s feedback that your metabolism is starting to improve.
And One Misconception You Can Ditch Right Now is:
“If it feels too easy, it’s probably not working.”
This belief has kept women stuck for decades.
This week we’re change that.
Progress doesn’t have to feel punishing.
Change doesn’t have to be extreme.
If your meals are steady, your energy is climbing, and your brain feels quieter—you’re on the right track.
A Few Common Questions & Concerns I Get Throughout Week 2
💬 “What If I Still Feel Like I’m Not Doing Enough?”
You’re not alone in thinking this.
Most women in Week 2 feel this way at some point.
You’re doing less cardio.
You’re eating more.
You’re not chasing the scale.
So your brain screams:
“This can’t be enough.”
But here’s the truth:
You’re not just doing nothing.
You’re doing something very specific:
You’re eating in a way that stabilizes hormones.
You’re training in a way that supports recovery.
You’re walking to regulate stress and blood sugar.
You’re showing up consistently without extremes.
That’s more than enough.
💬 “What if I gain weight this week?”
Maybe you will. Maybe you won’t.
But if you do, it won’t be fat.
It’ll be food volume, water retention, and muscle glycogen replenishing.
Temporary.
And necessary.
This isn’t a week to measure success by pounds lost.
It’s a week to measure success by:
Energy levels
Hunger stability
Sleep quality
Mood consistency
If those are improving?
Your metabolism is getting faster.
💬 “Can I do yoga or light movement?”
Yes—as long as it doesn’t feel like a punishment.
Walks, stretching, light yoga, foam rolling—great choices.
Avoid anything that spikes your heart rate or leaves you drained (outside of your strength training sessions of course).
You’re still in a rebuilding phase.
Less stress = more progress.
💬 “What if I mess up?”
There’s no “messing up.”
If you undereat one day or miss a walk or feel off—cool.
Don’t try to overcorrect.
Just pick right back up at your next meal.
Your metabolism doesn’t need perfection.
It needs consistency.
Still unsure if this is going to work?
Look at how you feel at the end of the week — not just what you see.
Are you less reactive with food?
Are your cravings less frequent?
Do you feel more stable, more clear?
Those are all signs that this is exactly what your body needs.
Here’s What to Focus on This Week
You don’t need to do more.
You just need to stay consistent.
Your 3 Main Goals This Week:
Increase your calories by 5–10% - Staying consistent every day.
Hit your protein target (30–40% of your intake) - Make protein the center of every meal. Let carbs and fats support your energy, not define it.
Repeat your Week 1 workouts + daily walks (7,000–10,000 steps) - Stay in your movement rhythm. You’re building momentum—not burning yourself out.
Here’s What to Let Go Of:
Tracking your weight daily
Thinking hunger = success
Wondering if it’s “working” every hour
Instead, ask:
Am I feeling more in control?
Are my meals balanced and satisfying?
Is my energy starting to even out?
If yes—you’re on track.
Part #3 Preview:
In Part #3, we’ll continue rebuilding your metabolism — this time by adding a little more movement and calories with purpose.
It’s the bridge between “reset” and “reignite.”
But first — you need this week.
Hold steady. Trust your process. You’re doing this the right way.
Much love,
Coach Anthony