My ProLon Experience
What is ProLon?
ProLon is a five-day fast mimicking diet (I like to call it a wellness cleanse) designed to help your body mimic the metabolic changes that occur when you fast for a short period of time. The kit includes 5 grab-and-go boxes (one for each day) — plant-based energy bars, soups, crackers and/or olives, drinks, and supplements (multivitamins and omega-3s).
ProLon Benefits:
1. Cellular Rejuvenation — Over time, your cells can become damaged and lose their ability to function properly. ProLon stimulates autophagy, a process where the body removes damaged cells and regenerates healthier ones, promoting longevity and thereby reducing your long-term risk of disease.
2. Weight Loss — The reduced calorie intake promotes fat loss, while preserving lean muscle madd.
3. Improved Metabolic health — ProLon can help improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood glucose levels, and improve cholesterol profiles.
4. Reduced Inflammation — By reducing calorie intake, the body experiences lower levels of chronic inflammation, which is linked to many diseases.
5. Better Cognitive Function — Fasting triggers the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports brain health, potentially improving mental clarity and focus.
6. Cardiovascular Health — Helps lower blood pressure and reduce factors for cardiovascular diseases.
7. Supports Healthy Aging — ProLon has been shown to trigger processes that slow again and improve overall health by mimicking the effects of periodic fasting.
Day 1
Heading into the first day, I felt really excited and motivated to start. Day 1 had the most calories of all the days (around 1,100 calories) — 2 oat bars, olives, kale crackers, 2 soups, a chocolate crisp, and teas, so it wasn’t too difficult to adapt and adjust on the first day. We started on a Sunday, which was honestly perfect because I loved having a full day to settle in before the week got busy with work. Plus, Sunday football was back, so it was easy to stay distracted with NFL games, the US Open finals, and Alex Morgan’s final game (I cried), We began the day with a cup of black coffee, and ended up not eating our first bite of food, one of the oat bars, until around 1PM. The soups were okay, mixing the powder directly into water felt a bit sus - but all was well. Overall, it was a great first day. We didn’t do much activity, just went for a 30-minute walk, and that was about it.
Initial takeaways and thoughts:
It’s wild how much of our day revolves around food - constantly planning meals, deciding where to eat, or thinking about the next snack. It’s such a normal part of our every day routines that often we don’t realize how much time and mental energy goes into these choices. As much as good is a source of nourishment; it’s also a source of comfort, social connection, and even entertainment. Being forced to shift your focus away from food is such a crazy feeling, almost like breaking a habit.
I often find myself exhausted by the constant thoughts about food — what I’m going to eat, what’s considered healthy, what to avoid. It can be so mentally exhausting to constantly analyze and overthink every single choice and every single piece of food we put into our bodies. One of my main goals of PoLon is to help reset not just my body but also my mindset around food. Shifting away from something that controls my thoughts and seeing food as a way to fuel my body and enhance my well-being.
Day 2
My day 2 of ProLon started with an early 4:45am wake-up call. I kicked off the day with a cup of black coffee mixed with my L-Drink. Surprisingly, my biggest challenge wasn’t hunger or lack of took but rather I felt a notice dip in energy. I felt mentally foggy, and my body felt slower. Your total calorie intake for Day 2 was around 80 calories, which is about 300 less than Day 1. I had my first snack, a nut bar, around 11 am. Later, we went for a 2.5 mile walk outside and then had some soup and olives.
The afternoon and evening were definitely more challenging than the morning— I felt super unmotivated throughout the afternoon haha. I finished the day with another soup, some olives, and a chocolate crisp before falling asleep soooo quickly around 9:45.
I went back and forth all day — there would be 30 minute stretches where I was super hungry and dreaming of all the foods in the world, followed by periods where I felt totally fine. Staying busy is key.
Day 3
Day 3 was definitely one of the most mentally challenging days. I woke up around 7:15, started my day with a cup of black coffee, and coached two back-to-back fitness classes at 8:30 and 9:45. The first class was probably the hardest I taught all week—I literally felt like I was speaking a different language lol. I stayed busy through the morning, not eating until about 12:30 when I had the bar. Wednesday’s eats consisted of 1 bar, 2 soups, and some kale crackers. At this point, I really started to feel the low-calorie hit, especially without the chocolate bar at night (JAIL). Mentally, waking up Wednesday was tough knowing I still had more days ahead than behind. I did wake up feeling tighter in my skin, with no bloating, and started to notice changes in my face looking thinner and in my lower belly.
Overall, was not feeling any mental clarity and was hungry the entire day.
Day 4
Day 4 was truly a journey, and your girl was down bad. I woke up hungry, with major brain fog, and zero motivation. By mid-afternoon, I hit the lowest point of the week—experiencing full-body chills, intense brain fog, and feeling weak overall. I coached my two fitness classes that afternoon at 4:30 and 5:40, which surprisingly helped distract me. The classes made the time pass much quicker than if I had just been sitting on the couch thinking about how hungry I was.
Things to Note
As the nights went on, it became more and more difficult to sleep. I went to bed hungry, restless, irritable, and grumpy haha. I can laugh about it now.
I was constantly SO COLD throughout the entire experience. When you fast, your body’s core temperature drops as it adapts to not eating and conserves energy. Additionally, when you cut down on calories, your body’s heat protection decreases, which can make you feel colder.
Day 5
Woke up feeling so grateful knowing it was the final day. To be honest, I didn’t experience the high brain power or energy levels that I had thought was supposed to happen. At this point, my main focus was just getting through it. I taught two afternoon classes at 4:30 and 5:40, and by the end of the day, I felt proud for making it to the finish line. I got in bed at literally 8 pm, counting down the seconds until 12:00 am hit.
FIRST FEW DAYS POST PROLON
One thing about me, I’m not gonna back down or bail out of a challenge. As physically and mentally challenging as the 5 days was, I was never going to not do it. In other words, ProLon is doable. It was hard and I definitely experienced moments of weakness where I wanted to give up, but I was never actually going to. I feel accomplished having completed it.
Overall, I ended up losing around eight pounds. While weight loss wasn’t my main goal, I really did feel amazing and confident in my skin (I could see my abs like I have never seen them before).
I eased back into what I ate that first day, but my stomach definitely did not agree with me (at all). It took around a day and a half for my stomach to not feel out of sorts after eating something. (It probably wasn’t my smartest idea to wake up the first day it ended and sprint to Dunkin for a fat iced coffee with almond milk and one pump of pumpkin syrup !)
FINAL THOUGHTS
Don’t ask me any time soon to do it again, BUT with that being said I’m really happy I did it. I feel proud of myself and happy with the results. I think it’s a great way to reset and restart your health and wellness lifestyle. I also think ProLon is a great option to do before a big event in order to feel good.
The experience gave me a fresh perspective on food, our eating habits, and portion sizes. It made me more aware of how often we eat simply out of boredom rather than hunger. I realized how much mindless snacking and overeating happens when we’re not paying attention. I generally eat and live a pretty healthy lifestyle already, but ProLon taught and reminded me to be mindful about what I consume and why.
Lastly, I was reminded for five days straight that food is fuel, not something to fear. We deserve food. Eating is what provides us the energy to get up, live our best lives, and achieve our goals. We should never be trying our worth by our weight. Your appearance is just part of you.
