After months of just not feeling like myself, I decided I NEEDED to make a change. I could blame it all on quarantine, but my struggles with feeling good in my skin started before that. My ‘struggles’ started the day I quit breastfeeding 3 years ago. I gained ten pounds practically overnight. And after lots of work, I had reached a ‘happy weight’ in the spring of 2019. But, I slowly fell into less than ideal habits that I just couldn’t seem to break.
At my worst, I was at close to 20 pounds above my happy weight. I cringe typing that out, because I always stuck to telling myself it was only ‘ten pounds’. The weight kept creeping up, and I felt SO uncomfortable in the skin I was in. I was self conscious of wearing basic shirts and tank tops I have had for years, because there were new rolls there. I felt perpetually bloated. Most days, I just felt bad.
My Decision To Try Faster Way To Fat Loss
So, in the middle of summer, at a time I wasn’t planning on it, I decided, what the heck, and tried a round of Faster Way to Fat Loss. And my honest experience with Faster Way to Fat Loss is that I have been amazed with my results. So amazed that I spilled the beans right off the bat! You may have heard of FWTFL, but like me, have no idea what it actually is. I am here to tell you, after a year of failing at every healthy change I attempted, Faster Way to Fat Loss works! Keep reading for all of the details, what the program entails, and how you can join the next round!
My Honest Experience with Faster Way to Fat Loss
Day One // Three Week Results // Six Week Results
What is Faster Way to Fat Loss?
FWTFL is a program that incorporates intermittent fasting, carb cycling, and tracking macros. I can tell you that prior to FWTFL, I had never tracked a single macro in my life. Calories? You bet. Reducing foods like bread and pasta? Sure thing. But the actual process of tracking macros (protein, fats, and carbs) was entirely new to me. If I had to pick the one thing I learned the most about through my six week round, it was that my diet was SO unbalanced. Even if my ‘calories’ were in check, I was almost never fueling my body with what it needed. In fact, I almost never get enough protein. My round taught me so much about what types of snacks to have on hand, what to reach for based on what I have eaten throughout the day, and how to plan for cheat days.
How Do I Pick a Coach
If you do a general sign up, you will be randomly assigned to a coach/group. Without question, a reason for my success was being in a small group with a great coach. My coach was Jocelyn James, and she intentionally keeps her groups small so she can provide the support needed to be successful. Choosing a good coach is SO important-do not overlook this step!
Intermittent Fasting
One of the factors that made me decide to bite the bullet and give Faster Way to Fat Loss a try was the use of intermittent fasting. This has actually been one of the methods that worked for me in the past (read this post for how I lost the weight the last time). To be clear-intermittent fasting doesn’t call for reducing calories, but rather shortens your eating window to put your body into digestive rest. Trust me on one thing-this program lets you eat! More often than not, I actually find myself forcing myself to eat at the end of the day because I didn’t eat enough.
Carb Cycling
Carb cycling involves having a few days a with fewer carbs and more fats. The program not only follows carb cycling, but provides so much insight into which workouts are best to do on which days to truly maximize fat loss and inches lost. I thought low carb days would be terrible if I’m being honest. But, once I figured out my go to items to keep me on track, they became so easy!
Do You Have to Go Dairy/Gluten Free
The short answer is-no! While it is recommended to eliminate dairy and gluten, I chose not to do so. I love me some cheese! And often, cheese is actually what helps me reach my protein goals! While I didn’t fully eliminate gluten, I did scale back, and feel notably better when I eat it less. I still indulge in hamburger buns, and our date night pizza is a non negotiable. I won’t say goodbye to pizza! BUT- I now try to watch my dairy/gluten surrounding when I know I am treating myself so I don’t overload my body. Which leads me to my next point, cheat days.
Cheat Days
YES. You still get to enjoy treats, weekend drinks, and a real life on Faster Way to Fat Loss. We track our food in My Fitness Pal, and whenever I knew we were going out to dinner or having a weekend at the lake, I planned around it. Some days were harder than others, most often when we were at the lake and I wasn’t doing all of the cooking. Most restaurants that are more mainstream have ALL of their options in the app, making it super easy to plan. But when dealing with homemade recipes that I wasn’t behind, it got a bit more tricky. However, my coach Jocelyn (who I LOVE!) was so great about reminding us on a regular basis, memories over macros. She was always willing to provide ideas for how to keep on track in tough situations, but she also NEVER put on pressure to deprive ourselves during special occasions. Summer can be a hard time to embark on a weight loss routine (so many barbeques and potlucks, right?!), but every day is a new day, and that was the mentality of this program.
I noticed the biggest difference in my midsection. and upper thigh! Shorts that were TIGHT on me at the beginning of the summer are now almost too big! And You can see that my mama pooch is shrinking, too! This program places an emphasis on NOT weighing ourself-the scale may not move, but the proof is in the photos. The fat loss is real!
Will I Continue with Faster Way to Fat Loss
YES! The absolute best thing about this program is that it isn’t a fad diet. There are no strict meal plans, it is a lifestyle. Every single thing that I learned can be carried with me whether or not I do another round. I have elected to do another 6 week round, just to follow through and get to a truly good spot. While I am SO happy with my results thus far-six weeks doesn’t eliminate 20 pounds (at least not in a healthy way for my body type).
I would say I am about halfway to where I want to be, and I am so excited to see my results after another six weeks. I also want to be fully transparent in sharing that, since my round fell over the holidays and 3 of the 6 weekends were spent at the lake, I did NOT follow the program 100%. And that’s okay, because life is REAL and I don’t want to spend holiday weekends nibbling on lettuce in the corner 😉 But I am also confident that had I been a bit more diligent, I would have had even greater results. And that is why I am electing to do another 6 weeks!
If you would like, you can actually join the round WITH me-click here to sign up! Jocelyn is a wonderful coach, has a wealth of knowledge, and was key in keeping me on track. I will be the first to admit that I NEEDED the accountability of a program like this. If you want a supportive group, tips and tricks, and accountability, don’t wait, JOIN ME! New rounds run every few weeks, and you can sign up here to get started. Enrolling will have you placed in a group, and you also receive app access. The app includes daily workouts, recipes, and so many great resources to help you every step of the way.