Training
This is not an overnight fix. Here's a realistic look at the early phase of healing - and how to set yourself up to win the long game.
The speed in which you progress depends on a few specific factors:
How long you've been dealing with this
What your main root causes are
Some people notice immediate changes from low FODMAP, digestion support, and motility/constipation relief. Others need antimicrobials before they feel significantly better.
Either way, if we can get you feeling at LEAST 30% better by the end of phase one (month two) - that's a win.
While some clients experience drastic changes within a few weeks, expect this to take at least 4–6 months to fully heal. Most supplements take at LEAST 30 days to reach peak benefits - so don't give up on something just because you didn't notice a huge change overnight.
It's no different from weight loss. You wouldn't expect 50 lbs of weight loss after one week of eating healthy and working out. You shouldn't expect to eliminate symptoms you've had for 5+ years overnight either.
Instead of hyper-fixating on how your body feels every second of the day, direct your focus toward creating the habits that shift your gut health over time.
If you're trying to lose weight, stop focusing on the number on the scale. Focus on hitting your macros each meal, going for walks, getting your workouts in. Same principle here.
Two quotes to anchor you
"Don't think about what can happen in a month. Don't think about what can happen in a year. Just focus on the 24 hours in front of you, and do everything you can to get one step closer to where you want to be."
"You don't set out to build a wall. You say, 'I'm going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid.' You do that every single day. And soon you have a wall."
(Your Process Goals)
Think of your gut healing like a chair 🪑 - there are four legs that need to be supported consistently to create a stable foundation.
Activate digestion before, during, and after every meal.
Structured meals that feed beneficial bacteria.
Regulation, stress, and the environment around you.
Daily consistency over constant tinkering.
The Big Idea
If one leg is missing, or only done occasionally, your results will feel inconsistent. When all four are dialed in and repeated daily, that's when symptoms calm down and your gut actually starts to heal.
Take audit of your internal dialogue & beliefs around your symptoms. Do you find yourself saying things like:
“My body is broken”
“I hate my body”
“I'm unfixable”
“Nothing ever works for me, so why even bother?”
“I'm never going to get rid of my symptoms”
“How is this time going to be any different?”
Most importantly… Do you TRULY believe it's possible for you to get better?
Because if not, you need to start reprogramming your thought patterns, beliefs, and identity - otherwise you're doomed before you even start. The second you start believing it's impossible to heal, you've already sealed your fate.
Remove yourself from Facebook or Reddit "support groups" where everyone just complains about their symptoms
Seek out inspiring stories of people who were in your shoes and have now completely healed their gut issues
Look into the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza (YouTube, books, podcasts)
Journal daily, and write down exactly how your life will look once your gut issues are gone
Ask yourself, "what if I actually did get rid of my gut issues… how would life feel?" - then embody those emotions daily
"The secret to success is learning how to "fail faster.""
"Each time something doesn't work, I get closer and closer to finding the thing that will work."
"There is no such thing as failure, only lessons that make me wiser for the future."
"The most successful people aren't the ones who fail less. They're the ones who fail more - because they're willing to take more shots, learn faster, and keep going."
"It is literally IMPOSSIBLE for me to not heal if I just keep testing new things and learning. Success is inevitable so long as I don't quit."
3 factors to track
Frequency
How often per day/week
Severity
How intense the flare-ups
Duration
How long they last
Healing is gradual, like a slow turn of a dial. It's not a flip of a switch.
You might notice that instead of getting bloated every single day, you only get bloated 1–2x per week after a while.
You might notice that when you do get bloated, it doesn't feel as uncomfortable and it doesn't last as long as it previously did.
These are all key indicators of progress - even if you are still experiencing symptoms occasionally.
Focus on consistent patterns with symptoms vs. getting hung up on random one-time situations.
When you have symptoms, ask yourself
How has my diet been the last 2–3 days? (Symptoms can show up 48 hrs after eating something)
Have I introduced fiber or new foods too quickly or in amounts my gut isn't ready to tolerate?
Have I added or removed any supplements?
How are my bowel movements? Am I more backed up?
What stage of my cycle am I in?
Did I eat while stressed or distracted?
Did I eat to where I was uncomfortably stuffed?
Did I eat too late before bed or lie down immediately after eating?
What are my overall stress levels? Have I been pushing my body more than usual?
In most cases, there's usually just one or two small things that have shifted and caused your gut to react. As your gut heals, you'll find you're not as affected by these subtle changes - but in the early stages, you can be more sensitive to them.
Stop all supplements for 3–4 days to see if it's a reaction. If symptoms improve, reintroduce one at a time at the lowest possible dose to identify the trigger.
Go back to low FODMAP and reduce overall fiber, then go slower when reintroducing.
If constipated, introduce more support from the Constipation Relief Protocol to ensure you are moving your bowels. (This is HUGE for a lot of people.)
When you experience flare-ups, it can be easy to spiral or feel like everything is falling apart. This is why having a support system and coaches who can guide you through these situations is so helpful.
When you're not sure what's next
Message your coach or jump on one of the weekly Q&A calls ASAP
If you can't attend live, post your question in the forum and ask us to cover it on the next call so you can listen to the recording
Submit your weekly check-ins and give us as much context as possible for what's going on with your symptoms
Remember, we can't help you if we don't know what's going on.