A realistic approach to health and longevity that will have you thriving and feeling young for decades to come.
Program Welcome
Welcome to Your Total Health Reset
Watch the Introduction
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Bookmark this page now — you'll want to come back to it every week throughout the program. Ctrl+D on a computer, or tap Share → Add to Home Screen on your phone.
Medical Disclaimer
The information in this program is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new nutrition or exercise program, particularly if you have a pre-existing medical condition, are pregnant or nursing, or have been physically inactive for an extended period of time. Individual results will vary. Laura LeDuc Fitness, LLC DBA Vos Fitness assumes no liability for any injury, loss, or damage incurred as a result of the use or reliance on the information presented in this program.
Program Philosophy
At some point in our lives, we feel like we need a reset. What we used to do to stay healthy isn't working. We've somehow gained weight, and our lifestyle doesn't support our goals. We're tired, we're moody, and we don't feel ourselves! Why is this happening, and how do we get back to feeling our best selves?
A quick story — we set out to create a program that would be available to a wider audience than we're used to. Normally, we are working almost exclusively with clients in one-on-one training sessions. While that model is super effective for delivering an incredible level of service, it's limited in the number of people that we can help. This program takes our knowledge, experience, and the highest level of client care to deliver on the goal of helping as many people as possible.
With over 25 years of combined experience working with real people, one on one, we've built this program from the ground up — not from a textbook, but from decades of watching what actually works.
This is certainly a change for us. With that, there are some changes here from our regular approach. We take our name 'Vos' from the Latin word for 'you.' We chose that name because our approach is to focus on the 'you' as the client. You choose the goal(s), you choose what's important, and generally how you want to approach those goals, and we help you achieve them. We meet you where you are in life and are careful not to force our opinions on you.
And while your goals will always be personal to you, we're taking a bit more of an assertive role. This program is a recipe and not a menu. The more effort you put in, the more closely you follow every aspect of the program, the higher the chance of success you will have. We guarantee that if you follow this program exactly as it's mapped out, you WILL see a very meaningful impact on your health and on your life.
No shortcuts here
There will be no magic bullets. No secrets. No shortcuts. No hacks. This program is all about what you put into it. There will be a direct correlation of effort and adherence to results. If you follow it a little, you may get some results. If you follow it, the best you can, all the way, you WILL get the best results!
Program Goal
What We're Working Toward
Our goal is to have your body function at its best, in all aspects, and establish realistic consistency by doing as many good things as often as possible.
Weight Management
Appetite Regulation
Body Composition
Thought Clarity / Brain Fog
Sleep Quality
Mood Consistency
Stronger Immunity
Digestion
Energy Level
Program Outline
The Philosophy Behind Our Method
Throughout the program, we will be addressing the following items, and we want to provide a brief explanation of why we chose to focus on these goals.
8-Week Eating Reset
We've all been there, having a computer problem. If it's at work, you call the IT department. If it's your personal computer, you navigate the gauntlet of customer service and finally reach someone, and what do they tell you — shut it down and try starting it back up again. Frustrating? Yes. Does it work? More often than you'd think. That's what this is. A lot of times, the issues we're going through with our health are that our internal systems are just not functioning as they should. A diet reset is a zero-risk way to let your body try to find its way back to optimal function and equilibrium.
Sleep
You will clean up your sleep habits. What does that actually mean? In this program, it refers to your pre-bedtime routine and the sleep environment you create for yourself.
This will include trying to establish a sleep pattern. We all know we're supposed to get 7-9 hours of sleep. For some of us, that's not even possible. We may not even have that many available hours in our schedule. Or, you may say, I could only stay asleep that long with the assistance of an anesthesiologist!! And what does this do? You lay awake in bed, stressing about not being able to sleep and then THIS further prevents you from falling asleep. Your goal with sleep will be to control what you can. You can't control how long you stay asleep, but you can control when you actually go to bed. If you establish a regular routine, your body will adjust to that schedule and that gives you the best chance to achieve quality sleep. That will be the goal — quality over quantity.
Water
When someone asks us about making changes in their life for their health, the first thing we always start with is increasing their water intake. Why? It's something everyone can do and it's something that will make an immediate impact on your health. When you are adequately hydrated, this will help with digestion and hunger regulation. It will help you feel more energetic and clear-headed. It will help you recover better from workouts and everyday stress. It will help with how well your organs function, including your skin, assisting you to feel and look younger. In terms of bang for your buck, just drinking enough water is as good as it gets!
Workouts — Strength, Mobility, and Interval Conditioning
We believe your body is meant to move, and it's meant to move well. If we had to give a bumper sticker version of our workout philosophy, it would be:
Move heavy weight. Do some mobility work every day. Elevate your heart rate.
This program will offer you a workout plan to follow that adheres to these principles.
Nutrition Plan Prep
The plan:
Eliminating ultra-processed foods
Eating REAL food
Eliminating grains, dairy, sugar, and alcohol for portions of the program
How to Prepare for This Part of the Program
Focus on what you CAN eat instead of what you can't. There's a lot you can eat!
Make a list of foods that you like: all the fruits, vegetables, protein (beef, eggs, poultry, fish, pork or plant based), tubers (potatoes, yams, cassava, beets, carrots, parsnips), and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, salmon, sardines, etc). This list will be your grocery list and basis of your meals.
The nutrition plan reset phase of this program will be mainly based upon eating real food and cutting back on processed food. Eventually you will be eating a full diet of foods that do not include grains, dairy, processed sugars/flour or alcohol. The best way to prep for this is to focus on all the foods you WILL be eating.
Before you start this program, we ask that you make an actual list of these foods. Sit down and write out a list of all the fruits, vegetables, proteins (beef, eggs, poultry, fish, pork), tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, beets, carrots), others (avocados, plantains) that you like. This will be the basis for your shopping list. And rather than getting caught up on the foods you're not eating, this will allow us to focus on all the things you will eat!
Pro Tip: Refer to this list each week as you make your grocery list. Comprise as much of your shopping list from the 'like' list you create here.
If you don't have the following equipment it might be helpful to get them (especially the vest). These items are relatively affordable — order now so you have them when it's time to get started.
1
Weighted Vest — Don't worry about going too heavy. 10-12 lbs is good.
This plan is simple, but it is not easy. A lot of the advice and steps we include in this program will be things you already know or have heard, perhaps many times, before. In that way, it's some very basic or simple principles. That does not make it easy. Making any change in your life is hard. Making changes to your lifestyle is the hardest. You can do this. You can do hard things. If this is something you truly commit to, it WILL be worth it. This program WILL make remarkable changes to your body and your health and that WILL be worth it. You will be receiving tips and motivation every step of the way. It will be broken up into very doable steps, that on their own, are not daunting. However, when combined together, they will make up a monumental achievement with monumental results!!
1
The Gradual Reset
Weeks 1–4. One elimination group per week. Build the habits that make weeks 5–8 doable.
Click each week to expand
Week 01
Start with One
Take out 1 of the elimination groups for the week. You will eliminate one of the groups below for 7 days.
Grains
Anything made with wheat, rice, oats or any type of flour made from these grains.
Processed Sugars
Anything with added sugars. Includes juice, dried fruit, and applesauce — even without technically added sugar. Sugars from whole fruit or vegetables are fine. All other sugars we consider processed.
Dairy
Milk, cream, yogurt, sour cream, and cheese. When you add these foods back in, choose the full fat version.
Alcohol
All alcohol.
Water Intake
Make sure you are drinking .5 oz of water for every lb. of body weight per day. Continue this water intake for the rest of the program.
½ oz
per pound of body weight, per day. If your weight is 200 lbs, aim for 100 oz of water throughout the day.
Protein Intake
There's a good chance you've heard something about protein lately. Why? Because it's important. You need to have sufficient protein in your diet to properly satiate your appetite, to build muscle and to aid with muscle and cellular repair. And what's more, most people do not get enough. So, how much is enough? Here's a good rule of thumb:
For Men — consume 1 gram of protein for every pound of your goal or ideal weight. (Example: if your goal weight is 180 pounds, then consume at least 180 grams of protein)
For Women — consume .75 grams of protein for every pound of your goal or ideal weight. (Example: if your goal weight is 130 pounds, then consume at least 97.5 grams of protein)
Additional Tips: Try to consume at least 25% of your daily intake with breakfast or in your AM meals. Eat protein with every meal. This will help to regulate your appetite and prevent that feeling you may experience where you still feel hungry even though you just ate.
Get Outside
Get outside 3 times during the week. We don't care what you do while you're out there, just get outside for at least 20 minutes, 3 times during the week. Go for a walk, play with your kids/grandkids, throw a ball with the dog, or just let the sun shine on your face.
Weekly Tip
While you are outside, try working on your awareness. Close your eyes for a moment — breathe in deeply. Notice the smells. Notice the sounds. Feel the air and the sun. Feel the warmth or cool crispness. Just try to be in the moment and notice your senses and how they experience the environment around you.
Protein at a Glance
Grams of protein per 4 oz serving unless noted.
Chicken Breast35g
Ground Beef28g
Salmon25g
Eggs (2 large)12g
Tuna, canned27g
Shrimp24g
Turkey Breast34g
Pork Tenderloin26g
Sardines23g
Cod20g
Week 02
Add the Second Group + Sleep
Take out a different elimination group for the week. Choose the next elimination group from the list and you will remove the food from that group completely for the next 7 days. You can add the group from week 1 back in. Try to be mindful of how much, though. Don't go back to what you were eating before; try to eat those things sparingly.
Sleep Hygiene
The main objective of this item will be to set up a sleep routine that gives you the best opportunity to get quality sleep. Some people really struggle to sleep. If that is you, we can't guarantee this will fix your sleep problems, but it will give you a shot. It will help eliminate some of the things that may be currently sabotaging your efforts to sleep. If you know that sleep is an issue for you or you find yourself feeling constantly sluggish or in a state of tiredness, this will help.
Establish a set bedtime. Allow your brain and body to get on a regular schedule. You can't always control when you wake up and we hardly ever control when we finally nod off. We CAN control when we go to bed. Pick a time and make sure you are in bed before that time every day this week.
Temperature
Ideally, your room should be 63–65 degrees.
Absolute Darkness
If you cannot have blackout shades, try an eye shade. Dark enough? Hold your hand 3 inches from your face — you should not be able to see it.
Screen Time
Avoid being on your phone or tablet within an hour before bed. No TV in the bedroom. When you enter your bedroom, it's to go to sleep.
Caffeine
Avoid any caffeine after noon.
Wind-Down Routine
Try a warm shower and/or a short (5 min), very light stretching routine. Or do some focused breath work. Signal to your brain that it's time to start shutting down.
Breathe in through your nose for a 4 count. Hold for 4. Exhale gently through your mouth for 4. Hold for 4. Repeat 8 rounds.
Be patient and curious with this process. Find a routine that works for YOU. And your process may change over time. You may have to tweak it occasionally. Remember, it has to work for you, with your schedule, and it will never be perfect. But don't let perfection be the enemy of success. If something is mostly working, sometimes that's the best it will be. It's never going to be perfect, so do not set an expectation of perfection!
Continue with the sleep plan that works for YOU for the rest of the program.
Get Outside
For this week, we want you to schedule your (3) 30 min trips outside. Sit with your schedule at the beginning of the week and fill in the 3 set times.
Pro Tip
Consider these 3 time blocks like a work meeting you can't miss. Schedule them at a time that has a very small chance of being interrupted. If you normally fill meetings into a calendar with reminders, do the same thing here. We're laying the groundwork for establishing habits this week, and this is part of that.
Pro Tip: Sleep Math
Figure out how many hours of sleep you need (recommended 7-9 for most adults), then figure out what time you need to wake up. Based on that time, count backwards — that's when you should be in bed.
Example: I need to wake up at 6am and I need 8 hours of sleep. I need to be asleep by 10pm, so I choose to read in bed starting at 9:30 to unwind.
Note on Reintroduction
Try to keep the ultra-processed foods at a minimum. Be mindful of how your body feels when you add some of these foods back into your diet. When we say you can add the week 1 foods back in, try to keep them as unprocessed as possible.
Example: instead of your vanilla-flavored yogurt, try adding your own honey to it to sweeten it.
Week 03
Third Group Out + Start Meal Prepping
Get outside 3 times during the week — continue as you did in Week 2 by scheduling these.
Take out the next elimination group for the week. Choose the next elimination group on your list, and you will remove the food from that group completely for the next 7 days. You can add the groups from weeks 1 and 2 back in. Try to be mindful of how much, though. Don't go back to exactly what and how you were eating before; try to eat those things sparingly.
Start Meal Prepping
Think about the meals and snacks you have throughout the day. One of the things that gets in the way of healthy eating is convenience. Oftentimes, our schedule is too busy and our days too hectic to pause and eat something nutritious. Prepare for that. Think about the snacks and meals you will need for the day and make it the night before or even make them a few days in advance. Bring that food with you for the day.
Why This Matters
Beyond the obvious benefits of bringing food that you prepared, the ancillary benefit is that you've begun to think about your food choices. You're not just mindlessly stuffing something into your mouth; you begin to think of why you're eating what you do and how the food we eat can support or sabotage our health goals.
Week 04
Last Group Out + Start Walking
Take out the last elimination group for the week. Choose the last elimination item on your list and you will remove the food from that group completely for the next 7 days. You can add the groups from weeks 1, 2, and 3 back in. Try to be mindful of how much, though. Don't go back to what you were eating before; try to eat those things sparingly.
Get outside 3 times during the week for a walk. Continue scheduling as you did in weeks 2 and 3 — at this point, your 30 mins will be a 30-minute walk. It's time to introduce a regular exercise activity, and we're starting with walking.
Dining Out Tip
If you find yourself dining out regularly (more than 1-2 times per month) have a plan for where and what. As best you can, try to choose options that are real food where you know most of the ingredients. Example — you're having dinner at a steakhouse. You can always order a steak, a baked potato and ask for a plain vegetable. Don't be afraid to order off-menu if it's something as easily doable as a plain vegetable. Ask if they can prepare your meal as close to how you would for yourself at home. (If it's a special dinner out or a social event, we would not recommend this same tip. More on this to come!)
2
The Full Reset
Weeks 5–8. All four groups out, all at once. This is where the real recalibration happens.
Week 05
Full Reset Begins
Watch Before You Begin Week 5
Continue with the 3 walks per week.
Take out all four elimination groups for the next 4 weeks. This is the real crux of this program.
Why We Do This
The next four weeks will hopefully reset your entire body. We'll be looking for resets in: how you digest food, how food tastes to you, your energy levels, how well your immune system works, how your body deals with daily aches and pains, how well you sleep, how sharp and focused your mind feels, and the consistency of your moods.
We challenge you to pay attention to how food makes you feel. Are there certain things you eat that make you feel sluggish or energetic? Are there certain things that just don't sit right in your belly? Are there certain things that make you feel full or don't make a dent in your hunger at all?
If you can do it, eliminate caffeine. For a lot of you, this, on top of the food elimination, will feel like too much. If you can do it, then do it. Maybe try a decaf or half-caf version of your regular coffee or tea so that you keep your morning routine without having the caffeine.
A Word of Caution
There will be a period of adjustment for your body chemistry and taste buds. You may experience what feels like withdrawal symptoms. The reason — you're probably going through withdrawals! We often consume so much sugar, added flavors and added sodium in our processed foods that your body has developed something of a chemical dependency on those additives. When you cut them out of your regular eating, there may be a potential physiological craving for them. The other adjustment — your taste buds WILL change. Real food will taste different and fortunately, real food will taste better. Hang in there. This goes away and you will come out better for it on the other side.
🎙
Listen: This Podcast Says It Better Than We Could
We invite you to check out this podcast that discusses this very thing. Please listen to the interview with the second guest, Dr. Michael Easter, that starts a little after the halfway mark. You can listen to the whole conversation, but please specifically check out the parts where they discuss eating real foods and how that affects our taste buds.
Make a plan to get 5-6 servings of fruit or vegetables each day.
Later in the program, as you transition back to a regular eating plan, a goal will be to eat as much real food as possible. Food as it grows in nature, and not as it's made in a factory. Think of an apple, a potato or some broccoli. You eat each of those things just as they grow. Just as a 'whole' food.
You'll never overeat vegetables. No one has ever said, 'wow, I ate waaaaay too much spinach today.' You just can't do it. Choose the vegetables you truly enjoy and eat as much as you want!
Bonus
If you can, try and choose a variety of colors as they each have their own special nutritional powerhouse.
Pro Tip: Time Your Fruit
During the 4-week reset, a good portion of the carbohydrates you consume will be in the form of fruit. Try to time fruit consumption around exercise — both before and after activity. Or think of fruit like you would a cup of coffee — it'll give you a boost of energy, so if you need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, that might be your best choice!
Weeks 07 – 08
Keep Going + Add the Vest
A Pep Talk for the Home Stretch
Increase walks to 5-6 per week. Add the weighted vest for 3-4 of the walks.
If you're still with us at this point, you've already proven something most people never do — you followed through. Eight weeks in, and you've earned the next phase.
Weeks 9 through 12 are where the workouts come in — full strength, mobility, and interval programming, delivered through our app, plus everything else you need to finish strong. It's the most detailed part of the program, and it's reserved for the people who've stuck with it. Reach out and we'll get you set up.
Weeks 9–12. Foods come back one group at a time. Workouts begin.
Week 09
Reintroduce + Begin Workouts
Reintroduce one of the elimination groups. Still keep the other 3 out of your eating.
Notes on the Next Phase
When you choose to add alcohol back in, try this challenge — only drink while the sun is out. This means during the shorter days of winter, you will purposely cut down on your drinking.
Try mocktails. For a lot of people, there is comforting ritualism to making and having a drink. Go through the process of making your cocktail and just eliminate the alcohol. We think you might be surprised that the process of making the drink and sitting with your favorite glass is a good portion of the enjoyment.
Drink the first, sip the second, refuse the third. If you are in a social setting and you feel like abstaining is not an option, be mindful of your pace and volume. Have your first drink and enjoy unwinding with that first drink feeling. If you have a second, really nurse it as long as you can. And then refuse any more. Make a switch to a non-alcoholic choice.
The 80/20 Rule
We personally go with 90/10. For this program, let's shoot for 80/20. What does that mean? 80% of all the food you consume should be for utility. Make your best choices of protein, carbs, and fats to support your health. The last 20% will be for your enjoyment. We don't believe that eating 100% healthy, all the time, is doable. And we believe it's not even the best thing for your health. There are health benefits to eating something just because you like the taste. If you are gathering with friends or sharing a holiday meal with your loved ones, go for it. Eat the things you like. Enjoy the social aspect of it to the fullest. Food can be communal. It can evoke the best memories. There are a lot of health benefits to those things too. Obviously, don't let these things be the majority of what you eat on a day-to-day basis. Make sure to keep it to the smaller part of your ratio.
Begin Workouts
2 Strength Training sessions
1 Mobility session
2 Interval Conditioning sessions
Week 10
Reintroduce Another Group + Why Strength Training
Reintroduce another of the elimination groups. Still keep the other 2 out of your eating.
Why We Chose the Strength Training We Did
Our personal goals for strength training are to stay as strong as we can with as much lean muscle as we can hold onto while maintaining our current lifestyle and other training goals. To accomplish this, we try to move heavy weights as often as we can. There are benefits to using heavy weights. It pushes your biggest and strongest muscles to the high end of their max efforts. The result is the signals that spur your body into the process that builds muscle and burns fat. So, working towards our given goals of building/keeping overall strength and lean muscle requires pushing our muscles in a way that can only be accomplished using heavy weights. And for us, that often means "moving" and not just lifting.
We specifically use the word "move" and not lift. What's the difference and why? A heavy lift is usually a bench press, squat, deadlift or overhead press. All of these are effective for building general strength and evoking the muscle-building response from your body. The tradeoff is that, especially as we get older, the risk of injury. If you've kept heavy deadlifts in your routine, we would safely bet that at some point you've experienced an injury. (Probably a back??) A safer way to keep heavy weights in your routine can be accomplished through farmers' carries, sled pushes or sled drags. A safer alternative to a heavy deadlift could be a heavy weighted hip bridge. Instead of a back-loaded barbell squat, maybe we're doing a heavy goblet squat with a dumbbell or kettlebell. The exercises recommended in the workouts you'll receive will include movements that allow you to safely move heavy weights!
We use "mobility" and not "flexibility" when discussing moving, bending, twisting, reaching, and all ranges of motion. When we hear the word "flexibility," we think of someone folding over to touch their toes. You may be able to stretch down far enough or manipulate your body enough to reach the position, but that does not mean you are moving properly, the way your body is made to move. This can lead to missing the full benefits of the movement or even worse, injury. Because of this, for a daily routine, we believe in moving mobility over static stretching. (There is a time for static stretching, like pre-bedtime or during a cool-down routine.) For this program, our mobility training will focus on the specific areas YOU need. We'll use mobility to address areas of injury concern, chronic pain, general tightness, and/or improvement of full, strong ranges of movement.
Consistency is the most important thing. In an unlimited world, we'd have infinite time every day to be constantly working on our mobility. We'd never have a single area that feels tight and move throughout our day with no nagging aches and pains. That's ridiculous. We don't have that time, nor would that be a good use of it anyway. We're constantly recommending to people they find a mobility movement or 2 and do those for 2-3 minutes every day. Which ones? It depends. Do you have a chronic area that is always tight? An area that hurts a little (or a lot) all the time? Are you an athlete who could benefit from better movement in a few areas? You'll pick movements that address these things, and simply doing those every day, day after day, if even for only a couple of minutes, will make a difference. If we had to choose between a 1-hour-long mobility session per week or 3 minutes every day, we'd go with consistency every time. Consistently training consistently!
Week 12
Add 1 Additional Strength Training Workout
Thoughts on Interval Training
For most people, conditioning or most likely what you call "cardio" consists of hopping on a machine at the gym and casually going about your business for 20-30 minutes. Maybe you're reading, checking your emails, or catching up on your favorite television shows. This will NOT be that. These workouts will be focused, they will have purpose and will be done at a certain intensity. Why?
Break up your stale routine and try something new
Be super efficient with your time
Maximum benefits for your work — improve cardiovascular fitness, promote muscle growth, burn more fat, increase VO2 max and mitochondrial density
Interval Progression
Week
Total Time
Warm-Up
Work
Recovery
Rounds
Week 9
20 min
5 min
:30
1:00
10
Week 10
21 min
5 min
1:00
1:00
8
Week 11
24 min
5 min
1:30
1:00
8
Week 12
28 min
5 min
2:00
1:00
8
Week 12+
29 min
5 min
2:00
:30
10
Week 12+
33 min
5 min
4:00
2:00
5
Week 12+
34 min
5 min
4:00
1:00
6
The interval workouts are a chance to keep your conditioning workouts short and fun while ratcheting up the intensity and increasing the effectiveness. You can choose any form of cardio exercise. Perform a very easy 5-minute warm-up and then start the prescribed workout.
How hard is hard enough? You should push yourself to the point where you couldn't hold a conversation. But not so hard that it's a full, 100% effort. Think around a 90% effort. On the recovery — go as easy as you want. Don't stop completely, but go easy enough that your heart rate starts to come down and you catch your breath.
Not sure how to structure your workouts? Watch this for a walkthrough. Watch on YouTube →
Your Reference Guide
Real Food, All of It
Before you start this program, make an actual list of the foods from the categories below that you like. Sit down and write out the fruits, vegetables, proteins, tubers, and fats you enjoy. This will be the basis for your shopping list. Rather than getting caught up on the foods you're not eating, this allows you to focus on all the things you will eat. Refer to this list each week as you make your grocery list.
No hour-long prep sessions. No complicated techniques. These are real examples of what a day of eating looks like on this program. Use them as templates, not scripts. Find recipes at Foolproof Living and Whole30.
Breakfast
Scrambled Eggs with Sautéed Greens
3 eggs, olive oil, spinach or kale, half an avocado. Done in 10 minutes.