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INTERMEZZO
Frequently Asked Questions
How Intermezzo Works
Technical
Course Materials & Resources
Recipes FAQs
In 5 comprehensive weeks, Intermezzo provides the following:
Weekly guidelines that help ease you into a lifestyle that's at least 80% free from added sugars.
Daily concise readings that help you recognize and remember the ins and outs of pursuing a healthier lifestyle.
Easy-to make healthy dessert recipes designed to reduce your cravings.
Assignments that assess your behavior and patterns, and help apply your knowledge to real-life scenarios.
2 online one-on-one in depth consultations with a PN1-NC coach that can help tailor the program to your unique goals and experiences.
Precision Nutrition designed macronutrient guide personalized to your body composition & health goals.
Accountability and structure; checking in daily on our online platform and having a clear plan for each day are vital steps in developing consistency.
+ Bonus downloadable content to review after completing Intermezzo to help you transition back to your normal everyday routine now with greater control of how you treat yourself.
Not all sweet tooths are alike.
Every Intermezzo participant comes with their own palate and preferences.
For example:
One participant may enjoy very sweet coffee, but prefer their desserts to be a little lighter or more tart or bitter.
Another participant may enjoy unsweetened coffee, but prefer their desserts to be indulgent and very sweet.
Intermezzo can help both these participants find balance in their taste buds, and help break cycles and subdue bad habits that stall progress.
We do this through following guidelines and completing assignments; however, there's no single perfect way to follow a guideline or complete an assignment.
Intermezzo was developed with the understanding that everyone is different and that we will all have different responses and reactions.
There are two major processes that make Intermezzo personable.
JOURNALING: Journaling is an important process in Intermezzo. Journaling (even just mindful journaling) is when you essentially research yourself, and document your findings, and see how to work with them to make your life better.
CONSULTATIONS: The one-on-one coach consultations are a direct opportunity for a Precision Nutrition certified coach to learn about your unique relationship with sweet foods. In return, your coach will provide you with feedback and encouragement to keep you going. Intermezzo also includes self-consultations that can help you be your own coach by helping you analyze your past experiences and current progress with the program.
The expected outcomes of Intermezzo are similar to the benefits of reducing your daily added sugar intake and increasing your daily intake of essential nutrients.
These include:
Improved energy levels and mental focus
Improved sleep quality
Better weight management
Lower inflammation
Improved skin, hair, nails, and dental health
Enhanced overall longevity
*Lower risk of heart disease
*Better blood pressure control
*Improved Insulin Sensitivity
These benefits may begin to appear while participating in the program, and continue to develop long after with continued and consistent practice.
In addition, Intermezzo's program can also help you:
Transform your love for food into opportunities to learn from
Reduce "food noise" and mindless snacking
Address the emotional and psychological factors behind your sweet cravings
Achieve better and more balanced nutrition from whole foods sources
Use your imagination and creativity to make healthier choices
Intermezzo is designed to support healthier habits that can help you move closer to your health goals. Of course, individual results can vary, and depend on consistency, effort, and personal factors.
NOTE: This is NOT to suggest that your sweet tooth will be completely eliminated. Instead, you will have greater discernment about what you perceive as a sweet treat, and ultimately YOU get to decide what and when to eat (NOT your situations and/or your emotions.)
Intermezzo is a journey of discovery. You will learn the true strength of your sweet cravings as well as how to address the factors behind them in the most sustainable way; developing a pattern of habits, no matter how big or small, that eventually lead to a lifestyle change within these 5 weeks and beyond.
*Intermezzo is not a cure or substitution for medical advice or medication. Always consult your doctor if you have concerns about these conditions or any other medical conditions prior to registering for Intermezzo or any nutrition program.
That's a question only you can answer, but here's some advice on how to answer it:
Any holistic health program should aim to switch up your daily routine and incorporate healthy habits in a moderate way. You should be doing something different from the usual, and learning from it. Not all good habits may find a place in your new and improved lifestyle, but at least you tried them. (Even if it's just a small new habit like going to bed earlier, or going for a walk after a meal, or having a protein shake before eating dessert.)
So, ask yourself, what haven't you tried yet?
Or what have you tried before that required more accountability or structure?
In Intermezzo, you will try:
reading and journaling about your dessert habits, tracking your nutrition, making healthy desserts at home, challenging your taste buds with new flavors and textures, checking in daily, and consistently completing other simple tasks that build up to a healthier lifestyle.
Can these habits benefit you? Can even just one or two of them add to your lifestyle in any way?
Moreover, if you are someone who already has a strong understanding of healthy habits, but you struggle to put them into practice, then having a beginner's mindset and being open to structure and guidance may help you develop consistency and identify what's working and what's not.
Intermezzo is a nutrition program for anyone who wants a challenge.
While the focus is on controlling intense sweet cravings, the ultimate goal is to provide an interval of healthy habits in a vibrant, educational setting.
The themes of this interval? Daily readings, daily desserts, fresh fruits, tea time, journaling, and spending quality time getting to know yourself and your favorite desserts a little better.
Anyone can benefit.
Intermezzo will help you identify the strength of your cravings, and whether it's only an occasional suggestion or a daily longing, Intermezzo can challenge those feelings, and help you rethink the way you treat yourself.
Intermezzo gives you a handful of weeks away from the store-bought ultra-processed foods that you encounter on a regular basis - and that alone can benefit.
Moreover, Intermezzo also covers many other aspects of a healthy lifestyle from general nutrition to movement to mindfulness and more.
Need more convincing that you can benefit from Intermezzo? Check this out.
If you follow the program to the best of your abilities, you may begin to develop greater control over your sweet cravings by around weeks 4 or 5.
Of course, individual experiences vary, and we can't really "measure" a sweet tooth.
Progress is measured by a consistent and lasting change in your perspective, taste buds, and daily habits.
Even the smallest changes can have visible effects.
Intermezzo is NOT suitable for individuals with diabetes.
Individuals with with prediabetes or other metabolic disorders must obtain prior clearance from a healthcare professional before participating.
Some Intermezzo guidelines may not be suitable for those with certain allergies or intolerances, but guidelines can be altered when necessary.
Intermezzo guidelines require participants to be able to consume certain amounts of both added sugars and natural sugars (from fruit and dried fruit) in a limited quantity, and without adverse side effects. Intermezzo guidelines also encourage an increased intake of whole foods and minimally-processed foods. Individuals with certain intolerances and allergies must proceed with caution and make the the appropriate substitutions when necessary while following Intermezzo recipes and guidelines.
Please consult your healthcare provider before signing up for this program if you have any relevant medical conditions, or if you are unsure about the quantity of added/natural sugars, fiber, dairy, and/or gluten you are able to safely consume per day.
Yes, Intermezzo is a great challenge for most individuals who are in the midst of their GLP-1 journey. In fact, it may even enhance the benefits.
If you are currently on a GLP-1 medication or thinking about taking one in the near future, you must know that while these medications are effective in controlling blood sugar and enhancing weight loss - they do not guarantee a change in lifestyle.
Reduced cravings, reduced appetite, and reduced "food noise" are all benefits of taking a GLP-1; however, there is no guarantee that the medication will influence your long-term preferences. Consequently, the moment you stop the medication or when your body eventually gets used to your dose, the cravings and food noise will likely return.
Moreover, while cravings for sweet foods might disappear on GLP-1 meds, users often struggle to consume nutritious foods. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, and gastric issues.
Intermezzo is a great way to remind your body that you still need to eat even on GLP-1 meds, and that you still need to be eating healthy. GLP-1 meds can make following Intermezzo easier, and Intermezzo can make your GLP-1 medication all the more effective.
*Intermezzo may NOT be suitable for those just beginning a GLP-1 medication. You need to know how your body will react to the medication before you can start introducing new nutritional guidelines like the ones given in Intermezzo. Give it some time, and when you have established a routine using your medication, then Intermezzo will be ready for you.
*Note that Intermezzo is NOT a substitution for GLP-1.
Intermezzo only encourages participants to practice the healthy habits that stimulate similar effects of a GLP-1 drug in the most natural ways possible.
*Those with diabetes or prediabetes or other medical conditions should always get the "go ahead" from their healthcare provider before starting Intermezzo (or any nutrition program).
Yes, to a certain extent.
Intermezzo recipes provide dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan substitutes when applicable.
While the program guidelines are highly customizable to most healthy lifestyles, certain diets can make participating in Intermezzo feel more challenging or complicated.
(For example, Intermezzo encourages you to eat a variety of fruit, and this could be problematic for people on a strict low-carb diet like keto. The solution would be to choose low-carb fruits, but this can feel restrictive.)
In summary:
If a certain diet is important to you, then it is up to you to choose the appropriate alternatives as you see fit, and allow for some flexibility and improvisation when you can.
However, if you must strictly follow a certain diet for medical reasons, then Intermezzo may NOT be right for you.
For optimum results, it is important to follow Intermezzo guidelines as closely as possible, and as safely as possible.
Intermezzo is not a weight loss program.
Intermezzo's main goal is to reduce added sugar intake, not body fat percentage.
(Although fat loss may likely be a welcomed side effect with continued practice.)
It is not uncommon for participants to experience some fat loss while following the program's guidelines especially if there is a major shift from previous habits.
True fat loss depends on a variety of factors and is different for each person.
You can definitely follow Intermezzo during your personal fat loss journey.
However, it will be up to you to maintain a calorie deficit while consuming Intermezzo desserts, and track other parts of your nutrition if necessary.
(P.S watch out for NovelBody's dedicated fat loss program Fat Loss Philosophies, coming in late 2026)
Intermezzo emphasises the importance of physical fitness and incorporates some forms of exercise in the weekly guidelines, and provides a brief guide on how to do them.
Intermezzo is NOT a physical fitness program, and does not include any fitness classes or structured routines.
Restriction, in terms of nutrition, refers to intentionally limiting or avoiding certain foods, calories, or nutrient groups to achieve a goal. Restriction, especially when overly strict or ill-equipped, often leads to nutrient deficiencies and disordered eating.
In Intermezzo, the goal is to reduce our daily added sugar intake and help control our sweet cravings.
Intermezzo doesn't believe in cutting out all sweets or all sugar completely. Moreover, Intermezzo doesn't believe in restricting to any one particular way of eating for a long period of time.
That being said, like all nutrition programs, Intermezzo consists of guidelines that need to be followed as closely as possible for a handful of weeks.
Some of these guidelines contain rules that can be seen as restrictive. Afterall, the goal of reducing your daily added sugar intake cannot be achieved without following some rules.
Intermezzo aspires to help you follow these rules as safely and healthily as possible, at your own pace and with the reminder that even if you break a rule, you still haven't failed in any way.
We address all aspects of your lifestyle and your mindset to make sure you're ready for a guideline before you implement it into your way of eating.
Furthermore, if you ever struggle with a guideline, a PN1-NC Coach will help explore your difficulties via the online consultations.
In conclusion, Intermezzo strives to take you out of the mindframe of dieting and restricting certain foods, but this also requires careful and thoughtful temporary elimination that you will be well prepared to handle.
Fruits are sweet foods that occur in nature, and our ancestors thrived on them.
While some fruits have a high natural sugar content, they contain beneficial amounts of fiber and vitamins, and keep you full for longer. In terms of sweet treats, fruits are your best bet.
But we all have our preferences.
It is perfectly understandable that you may not like certain types of fruit, be it bananas or durian.
But guess what? There are hundreds of different types of fruit in nature, and we encourage you to push past the boundaries that stop you from liking them. With our carefully crafted readings and recipes, we hope to get you to like fruit as nature intended.
If most fruits are not available to you, we encourage you to make the most of whatever fruit that is. Frozen fruit is absolutely fine as well.
Intermezzo was designed to be done as many times as necessary OR to be done ONCE and for all.
It depends on your unique experience with the program.
To clarify:
Participants may often wish to do multiple rounds of Intermezzo, so they can further challenge themselves, be better prepared, or overcome setbacks from previous rounds. This can be done either freely in your own time (Intermezzo encourages journaling, so that if a certain piece of advice or if a certain guideline has helped, you can freely go back to it, even years later) OR by *renewing your NovelBody subscription and doing the program with us again at full force. There may be something new to be learned with every round.
OR
Participants may get it right the first time, and may feel satisfied and accomplished enough to move on. Eventually, the ultimate goal is to not need any plan or program to tell you how or what to eat; to just live and eat intuitively, and practice what you know naturally and willingly.
In summary, Intermezzo is meant to do once, maybe twice or thrice, and that's it. It's up to you.
It’s important to note that Intermezzo is NOT an app or program that should be dormant and taking space on your device for years. When you sign up for Intermezzo, your two month subscription should encourage you to complete the program, and move forward.
Regarding your subscription & billing cycle:
To participate in Intermezzo, you need to purchase a NovelBody subscription which is billed at $120 every 2 months.
Intermezzo can be fully completed during the 2 month subscription period, so it is up to you to cancel your subscription if you do not need access to program materials for another round.
*If you wish to repeat Intermezzo again from the beginning with an active NovelBody subscription, you will have to contact us to reset your progress.
You owe it to yourself to understand any nutrition program you participate in.
Browse through the following Q&A to see how Intermezzo can work for you.

Have another question?
(Things can be complicated)
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