Fitness

FASTer Way to Fat Loss FAQs

Hi everyone! I apologize for this post being a bit delayed. I had all intentions of writing it sooner, but life sometimes gets in the way. Prep week for the next round of the Faster Way to Fat Loss starts on Monday, so today I am answering some FAQs that I have received about the program. If you’re on the fence about joining, hopefully this will help you take the leap to sign up! You have until Monday morning to get registered for this next round (you can sign up here!)

FWTFL FAQs

What is FWTFL? Click here to read more about the program; Click here to read about my journey!

How much does it cost? The regular 6-week rounds are $199. VIP is usually $99 a month, but sometimes you can catch a discounted rate.

Are you a coach/Can I sign up for your round? I am NOT a coach, but I am an affiliate for the program. Because of the results and changes I have experienced, I am very passionate about the FWTFL lifestyle and therefore want to spread awareness to as many ladies as I can, and ultimately help you achieve your health and fitness goals! The rounds that I have participated in (and now VIP) are led by Amanda Tress, the founder of the FWTFL, and certified coaches that are under her. If you use my links to sign up, you will be placed in the rounds that are led by Amanda (she is a rockstar – she is ON FIRE and full of passion and will inspire you in all sorts of ways!).

Is it a requirement to share before & after pictures? No! Absolutely not! You will only submit them to the leaders/coaches and they will never share them unless you okay it!

Does the fasting start immediately? Yes, but it is recommended you ease into it. We practice a 16 hour fast/8 hour eating protocol. You could use prep week to start easing into it by breaking your fast at 12 hours in, then 14 hours in, and then eventually 16 hours. The fasting will get easier! Here is a recent blog post I wrote on tips for surviving intermittent fasting!

Is the macro counting essential to success? 100% yes. I fully believe that all three components of this program – macro tracking, carb cycling, and intermittent fasting – are why this program is so effective. In the past, I never knew what a macro was – I only focused on calories. I now know that I was not fueling my body correctly and giving it the amount of macronutrients it needs to effectively burn fat and build lean muscle.

I am intimidated by the macro tracking – will I get the hang of it? YES! Just like most things, it takes practice! You will be overwhelmed at first, but don’t give up – trust me, it’s normal! I was overwhelmed, too! If you sign up for the program, you will gain access to all sorts of resources, including videos, that walk you through how to log your meals and ultimately track your macros. The key to success is planning ahead and logging your food the day before to see how your macros look so you can make adjustments ahead of time. Just don’t give up – you’ll eventually get the hang of it.

Does the Macro tracking app cost extra? No! We use the free My Fitness Pal app to determine what our macro goals are, and we log our food into the app each day to track our daily macro intake to ensure we are hitting our goals. There is a premium version of MFP that has a monthly fee, but I don’t use it and it’s not totally necessary to be successful on the program.

Does the program tell you what to eat or give you meal plans? They will provide you with an approved foods list and some sample meals, but for the most part, you have freedom to eat whatever works for you and helps you meet your goals. We do focus on whole food nutrition, meaning all foods should either come from the ground or have a mother. Below are a couple of posts that I wrote that may help give you some ideas of what to eat. I also save meal ideas in my story highlights on Instagram – there are individual highlights for both Low Carb Days and Regular Macro Days, in addition to Grocery Hauls! You can find these highlights on my Instagram profile page.

How much meal prep is involved? One of the keys to success on this program is planning ahead, which means some degree of meal prep. Sometimes I prep on the weekend by cooking meats, chopping fruits and veggies, etc. to have on hand to put meals together throughout the week. Most of the time I plan and prepare my meals the night before based on the next day’s goals (because some days are low carb and some are regular macro tracking days).

What do you eat on Low Macro Days? Low Macros days are aligned with the days that we do not workout (active recovery days). We do NOT do low macro days in the VIP program – thank GOD because I always struggled with them. My biggest advice is to eat basically the same things you would eat on Regular Macro Days, just less of it. For example, on a Regular Macro Day, I eat multiple snacks in between lunch and dinner that are protein and carb heavy. I would cut out majority of those snacks on Low Macro Days, and just focus on lunch, dinner and maybe one snack. Also try to break your fast later in the day so your eating window is shorter and that may help, too.

Do you go Dairy-Free and Grain-Free while doing the FWTFL? No, I never did! I really did not want to cut out either, so I left them in when I first started, and figured that if I did not see results, I would try to eliminate them. I ended up seeing great results, and I do not really have any issues that result from dairy/grain/gluten, so I have been fine keeping them in. If you are intolerant to either or notice issues with inflammation, bloating, etc., then I recommend doing as the program suggests and eliminating them from your diet!

Do you eat out? I do, but not a ton. When I do eat out, I just try to keep it basic and make healthy choices. If I have to eat fast food, I usually always choose Jersey Mike’s and get a sub in a tub or a wrap, or Panera where I will get a salad – all of those foods are in the My Fitness Pal database so that helps with knowing how they’ll fit into your macro chart. If eating out at a restaurant, I try to plan ahead and log my food in advance so I know what I need to eat for the rest of the day to keep everything balanced. I usually eat basic things at restaurants like a protein (chicken, steak, fish) with sweet potato and veggies/salad on the side.

Can you drink alcohol on the program? Yes, but just make sure it fits in your macros. I would personally recommend limiting alcohol intake altogether to just the weekends. I also don’t recommend drinking alcohol on low carb days.

Do you put anything in your coffee? I actually don’t drink coffee, but I shared about what I’ve heard others do to make their coffee work during the fast in this post!

Can you do the program while breastfeeding? Yes! I do not have personal experience with this, but have had several ladies in my previous groups that were breastfeeding and did the program without it impacting their supply. In fact, the founder of the FWTFL, Amanda Tress, had a baby during my first round and consistently talked about how great her supply was! Just let your coaches know so that they can give you direction on how to adjust your macros to ensure you are consuming enough food.

Do you have to have Facebook to do the program? Technically no. The coaches can keep track of you through e-mail, but I do think being a part of the entire Facebook accountability group is helpful and motivating.

What are the workouts like? There are workouts to fit everyone’s needs. There are beginner workouts for people who are not used to working out regularly or may have had injuries in the past. There are at-home workouts for those that can’t get to a gym – I do the at-home workouts every once in a while and they are just as effective as being at the gym! And then there are gym workouts which is what I do majority of the time. When you join the program, you are granted access to a “portal” that houses all of your workouts, along with videos of the moves. It is very helpful!

How much time do I need to commit a day to working out? We typically workout five days a week and the workouts should take no more than an hour. When I first started, my workouts were done in under 45 minutes and I never broke a sweat. I seriously questioned whether or not the workouts were effective, but I trusted the process and did them as prescribed…and now I am a believer…it works! Most of us over-exercise and under-eat…this program will change alllllll that!

Will the program work for me if I can’t do the workouts? Honestly, the nutrition component of the program is THE most important thing. I have heard of several ladies that do their first round while only focusing on nutrition and they still see great results. I think the nutrition helps burn the fat, and the workouts help you lean out! But again, you can definitely start out with just focusing on the nutrition and then add the workouts in at a later time.

Do you workout on rest days? No. But sometimes I work out on days where the rest of the group may be having a rest day, and that’s because I often have to switch my days around to make up for missing workouts during the week. This is another great thing about the program – it is very flexible! You can easily switch days around to make it work best for your schedule!

What happens after the first six weeks? As of now, you have an option to do an additional follow-up round for the $199, OR you can choose to join VIP. This is new – in the past, you had to do two regular rounds before being eligible for VIP, so this is a positive change!

What is the difference between the Regular FWTFL rounds and the VIP membership? VIP is very similar to the regular rounds except its a monthly membership vs 6 weeks. You pay month by month, and you can cancel at any time – no strings. You still get coaches and the Facebook accountability group, but each month there is a specific focus (anywhere from mental well-being to working on flexibility to hormone health) and specialists are brought in to help educate and provide training/advice on those subjects. The nutrition plans and workout formats are the same, with the exception of NO low macro days (yay!).

Are you in maintenance mode or still losing fat/weight? I consider myself in maintenance mode at this point. I am not aiming to lose anymore weight. My focus now is on getting stronger/leaner, mainly in my upper body!

How do I get started? You can sign up for the next round right here! When the round starts, the first week is “prep” week which is just a week to allow you to get introduced to your coaches and accountability group, and start reading up on all of the materials, practicing fasting, practicing logging your food, etc. The six week ticker will start the following Monday after prep week! If you’ve already done a regular round and want to sign up for VIP, you can do that here!

I hope that this post helped answer some of your questions about the Faster Way to Fat Loss! If you have a question that was not addressed here, leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to answer! Thanks for stopping by!