All things FASTer Way to Fat Loss

I’ve spent the majority of my life feeling at war with my body. Like many women, I wanted to feel good in my skin, healthy and energetic. Over the years I had tried EVERYTHING. Each “diet program” always left me feeling not good enough, defeated, overwhelmed and hungry! After battling infertility and giving birth to my {miracle} son, I found myself deep in postpartum anxiety, exhausted in all the ways and pretty hopeless that I’d be able to make a change, because nothing had ever worked before. I just didn’t believe I had it in me to change my health.

I heard about the FASTer Way to Fat Loss through a friend on IG and something felt right. By week 3 of my first 6 week round, I knew this program was the real deal. No one was telling me to starve myself, cut out whole food groups, or live on shakes. The gym, which used to be that mean girl in my head’s favorite place to show up, became a place of pride. I remember looking in the mirror one day and my first thought being, “eff yeah!” instead of “eww” — that’s powerful. The program was DOABLE and fit my busy life without stressing me out. For the first time ever, I BELIEVED that I could actually improve my health for the long haul.

I’m gonna be totally honest, I don’t remember how many inches I lost, but I can tell you what I’ve gained through the FASTer Way: 

  • Confidence
  • Strength
  • Clarity
  • Energy

The mindset, confidence and energy I gained spilled over into every other area of my life- I finally felt like I was able to show up for my life as the woman I was made to be. More than anything else though, I learned how to take care of me BECAUSE I love myself, not SO THAT I can love myself. I set out to change my health; what I did was change my life. 

So you’re asking… is FWTFL for me?

You’re a strong, smart, capable woman who wants to show up for her life in a big way. 

You take care of everyone around you and contribute to your family and community.

You WANT to put yourself first because you know you can’t pour from an empty cup.

BUT…

You have low energy, feel like you can’t keep up with your never ending to do list and you are exhausted.

You’re feeling stuck, lost, and unsure of how to shed the extra weight you’re holding onto.

You’re busy, overwhelmed with where to start, and thinking you couldn’t possibly have the time.

You’ve heard and tried everything to lose weight. You’ve tried every diet and fitness routine only to see limited results that make you feel depleted, hungry, low on energy, and at your wits end.

What you really need is something that will put you back in control, give you confidence, and that is sustainable for life.  

SO IF YOU’RE READY TO:  

  • Stop dieting
  • Stop yo-yoing
  • Stop feeling frustrated
  • See real results
  • Look and feel your very best  

Then you’re ready for the FASTer Way To Fat Loss®! We’ll reach your goals in a simple, doable way and give you all the tools to make health a lifestyle.  

IN THE FASTER WAY TO FAT LOSS®, YOU WILL:

  • Learn how to fuel your body effectively to maintain optimal energy levels throughout the day.
  • Teach your body to burn fat naturally. 
  • Be given the tools you need to restructure and repair your metabolic system and increase your metabolism.
  • Improve your hormone levels so you feel satiated.
  • Learn how to workout in a smart, effective and efficient way.

You will leave the FASTer Way to Fat Loss® feeling leaner, stronger, healthier, and more energetic than you’ve ever felt before. You will leave the FASTer Way to Fat Loss with the tools you need to feel that way for life! 

You’ve got this!

WHAT DOES MY PROGRAM INVESTMENT OF $199 INCLUDE?

  • A convenient 6 week program that fits your busy schedule
  • A comprehensive program guide with resources to help you thrive including sample meal plans, a detailed program overview, and video interviews
  • Prep week with trainings to set you up for success
  • Weekly workout plans which can be completed at the gym or at home
  • Accountability and a supportive approach that keeps you on track to accomplish your goals
  • Affordable package option that is among the lowest cost option you’ll find (only $199 total)
  • Me: your certified FWTFL coach to encourage and hold you accountable along the way!

You’ve got questions, I’ve got answers…

WHAT IS CARB CYCLING?

A carb cycling program is an intentional variation of carbohydrate intake each week. Most carb cycling plans consist of high carb days and low carb days. The FASTer Way To Fat Loss pairs our carb cycle with the workouts we will be doing to maximize fat burn and energy levels.  

WHY CARB CYCLE?

Long term restriction of carbohydrates and calories can lower your metabolic rate and negatively affect your hormone levels. This is a big reason women find themselves at one of those weight loss plateaus. For a short period of time a significantly restrictive diet will bring you results, however, over time it will cause your metabolic rate to decrease. Once that happens, you will see your weight loss stop and will need to restrict calories even further to lose more weight, thus lowering your metabolic rate once again. Not only is this a terribly unhealthy way to live, it is also incredibly frustrating.  

WHAT DOES CARB CYCLING DO?

Carb cycling allows for planned high carb days that increase your thyroid output and help you control hunger. Because you are cycling your carbs, you will also have low carb days that offset your high carb days. With this type of cycle you will continue to see fat loss, increased energy levels and improvements to your overall body composition. Carb cycling improves insulin levels, helping your body store less fat. When paired with intermittent fasting and effective workouts, carb cycling can help you break through those dreaded plateaus so you can truly look and feel your very best.  

WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING?

Intermittent fasting is not a type of diet, but an eating schedule. Your body is always in one of two states: fed or fasted. In the fed state (any time your body is digesting food), your body’s insulin levels make burning fat a challenge. However, in the fasted state (8-12 hours after your body finishes digesting), your insulin levels are lower and better able to reach into your fat stores. People rarely go into a fasted state throughout the day. In fact, the traditional theory of several small meals per day keeps us from ever reaching the fasted state. In addition, that type of eating schedule regularly spikes our insulin levels, which also hinders fat loss. So, while eating several small meals per day can lead to weight loss (calorie deficits always do), you will likely be losing both muscle and fat. When you lose calorie burning muscle, you lower your metabolic rate and make it harder for your body to burn fat. You also might become frustrated because you never feel toned and fit even though you are working out and eating clean.

SO, YOU DON’T EAT?

Not exactly. In the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, we have eating windows combined with our high and low carb days. We eat all of the time! We simply confine our eating to a shorter window throughout the day, allowing our bodies to enter into the fasted state.  

WILL I BE FASTING DAILY?

Yes. This program is called the FASTer Way to Fat Loss because we focus on implementing cutting edge nutrition strategies like intermittent fasting. We will be fasting daily. 

IS IT OK TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FASTER WAY TO FAR LOSS IF I AM BREASTFEEDING?

Yes! Not only did I breastfeed through FASTer Way to Fat Loss, but so did the creator, Amanda Tress, with no negative impacts to supply.  If you are breastfeeding, we will modify your low carb days and be very diligent about your water intake. If you are focused on whole food nutrition and you’re well hydrated, and you’re EATING ENOUGH CALORIES, you won’t see a decrease in milk supply. We will be sure to check on your caloric intake because when you are living in too big of a calorie deficit and doing crazy, intense workouts, your milk supply can absolutely be affected. The FASTer Way to Fat Loss is designed to fuel your body in a way that is perfectly safe for nursing moms. 

DO I NEED TO PURCHASE ANY SHAKES OR SUPPLEMENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM?

No! Throughout the program we will talk about the importance of probiotics, protein and other supplements like BCAA’s. While I am happy to share the products I use and love, none of them are required to participate. I am a huge proponent of fueling your body with real food and this program is based on that premise. Nothing is required but hard work, commitment and positivity. 

HOW IS THIS PROGRAM DIFFERENT FROM OTHER FASTER WAY TO FAT LOSS PROGRAMS?

As a certified FASTer Way to Fat Loss coach, I have all the training and content needed to run the FASTer Way To Fat Loss effectively. In addition, I have gone through the program and experienced incredible results. I know how to stay motivated when these strategies seem overwhelming. I know how rewarding it feels to finally see some results. I’ve been in your shoes and know what you need. This program will deliver everything the FASTer Way offers and I will be there to cheer you on along the way! 

AM I A GOOD FIT FOR THIS PROGRAM?

This program is for women only (men can invest in the program but can’t be in any of the Facebook Groups). In addition, this program has been incredibly successful for women who have a foundation of working out and under 60 pounds to lose. This program is challenging and will require commitment. If you have more than 60 pounds to lose and have not worked out in a long time, then we can make the program work for you, but it will require some modifying. If that’s you, I will have you start with our nutritional cycle then ease you into our workouts. I truly want you to see results, but I also want you to be safe and remain injury free. So, if you have more than 60 pounds to lose, we will move a little more slowly, but will eventually be able to ease you into the full program and lifestyle over time. 

IF I AM ALREADY A MEMBER OF A GYM AND DOING REGULAR CLASSES, OR IF I AM MEETING WITH A PERSONAL TRAINER, CAN I JUST CONTINUE WITH MY CURRENT WORKOUTS AND USE YOUR FOOD CYCLE?

My honest answer to this question is: If what you are currently doing was working extremely well, you wouldn’t be looking into this program. If you were seeing incredible results, and were truly passionate about your current lifestyle, you would not be searching for other solutions. This program is designed to work as a whole. We pair our nutritional cycle with our workouts, because that is what gets the very best results. It is absolutely critical that we are fueling our bodies for our workouts, and teaching them how to burn fat instead of glucose throughout the day. If you belong to a gym like Orangetheory, are doing Pilates, Yoga or Barre, then I highly recommend you do our workouts for the first few weeks. I definitely want you to keep doing workouts you love, so I’m all for you adding yours in. However, it is important that we discuss what you are doing so that we can make sure your food cycle is matched accordingly. If you are working with a personal trainer, I would obviously want you to continue with that, but again would have you look at your food cycle to ensure you are eating the right amount on the days you are working out!

DO I NEED A GYM MEMBERSHIP TO COMPLETE THE FASTER WAY TO FAT LOSS?

The FASTer Way offers both a gym and at-home workout versions.Both are equally effective and you are welcome to do either. 

DO I HAVE TO FOLLOW A STRICT MEAL PLAN?

We provide guidelines for each day of our food cycle. For example, on low carb day I will indicate that your goal is to consume less than 50g net carbs. I will explain how to calculate your macros (carbs, fats, protein) and also give you a sample meal plan and recipes. However, you will have the flexibility to consume the foods you truly enjoy. 

AM I REQUIRED TO BE ON FACEBOOK TO JOIN THE PROGRAM? 

I host the FASTer Way To Fat Loss community groups on Facebook. Most of my clients choose to join a Facebook community group for daily tips and accountability. While I do recommend you join a Facebook group, it is not required for participation in the program. 

Stay Brave! xo, Nicole

::4 Steps to a Cleaner Lifestyle::

beautycounter

“Nicole, I want to switch to non-toxic products, but I don’t know where to start. It’s so overwhelming.”

I feel ya sister!

Once you start to learn about all the environmental toxins we are exposed to in our daily life it can be almost paralyzing. The information is confusing, misleading and definitely overwhelming. When I first realized that the products I was putting on my skin were known to cause hormone issues and infertility, I almost burned the house down. But then we would have been homeless so…

So, I gave myself grace and started to switch products one by one. I spent countless hours researching safer products and learning…quite frankly I am still learning. I like to say I live by the 80/20 rule: live clean and healthy 80% of the time. I can’t control everything and I most definitely can’t be perfect. If you pressure yourself to be perfect you will get discouraged really fast and if you’re anything like me, give up.

Here are my top tips for starting the switch to a cleaner lifestyle:

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1. Start with products that go on or in your body. Think about it, you use lotion every day all over your body. You use cleaning spray once a week and you don’t really touch it. Food and personal care products go directly into your bloodstream, so I think they have the most potential to impact our health. Study after study indicate that even small changes can have a big impact on our health.

2. Change one product at a time. As tempting as it is to just switch everything all at once, most families don’t have the budget for that. If you do, amazing! I recommend starting with a Beautycounter regimen and Flawless in Five to get your beauty products under control. But if you’re like me, you don’t. So as you run out of a product, replace it with a safer product. Again, give yourself grace.

3. Know your resources. Switching to a clean lifestyle is hard because it’s confusing! Since it’s largely unregulated, companies can say whatever they want about their products even if it is untrue or misleading. We call is greenwashing and it’s rampant. The Environmental Working Group is a good place to start. They have an app that will scan products and give you a safety rating. I like to look at the individual ingredients and their respective rating because sometimes a product with a bad ingredient can get a decent score overall. And I carry the Beautycounter Never List in my wallet so I can always reference it. Now that I have my go-to brands I don’t need to research that much anymore. Beautycounter takes care of almost all my personal care products. One stop shopping! And here’s my Guide to Safer Cleaning .

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The Beautycounter Never List: a list of over 1,500 harmful or potentially harmful ingredients they will never use in their products

4.Start with things that are free! My friend Misty from Beautiful Clean Simple put together this list of five ways to clean up your home for free!

I hope these tips help make the process seem a little less daunting! If you want more tips, product recommendations and info on living a cleaner lifestyle, be sure to follow me on social media! I’m always happy to answer questions via e-mail too.

XO, Nicole