Not a review but an update on how I’m liking the Faster Way To Fat Loss program today. I’m starting to write this at 10:51 am post biceps, triceps and back workout but before breaking fast. I’m feeling blah. Do I need a cup of coffee? Should I eat something earlier than planned? I must admit my favorite thing about intermittent fasting is the laser focus I have before noon when I finally eat something.
Connor was up multiple times during the night and with Nick away, I nursed him so I could go back to sleep and Tommy wouldn’t wake up. Thinking this could be the reason.
As I mentioned, I am nursing Connor so I can’t do the program fully. There are low carb days and low macro days with modifications for women who are breastfeeding on the program. Low carb means I eat 100 net carbs instead of 50 and low macro becomes a regular day. My macros are based off the generic MyFitnessPal recommendations per an “active” lifestyle and wanting to lose .5 lbs a week.
I really can’t be sure if I’ve seen a dip in my milk supply, however Connor has begun eating solids so that will naturally encourage a reduction in milk production. Since I rarely pump, I really have no idea how much less I may or may not be producing. I’m going by fullness and hungry baby cues. After week 2, right after I wrote this blog post, I noticed Connor being a little more fussy and was nervous my milk might be to blame. As a result, I started eating similar to before I started the program with my New Years Resolution changes but within the 8 hours window as best I could.
I have found that tracking macros on my phone is really time consuming and something I am struggling to stick with. I’m with the kids most days and try to spend less time on my phone in front of them. People suggest planning meals the night before on the app but it’s hard when you’re on the go as much as we are or eating out.
Tommy goes to bed late. Sometimes we start bedtime at 7:30, others it’s 8. I like to eat dinner with Nick if I can and it feels impossible to get dinner ready for us to eat as a family before Nick get’s home. This leaves me like 20 minutes to scarf down dinner to achieve a 16:8 intermittent fast. Sure I could break fast later but 3 days a week I pick up Tommy at school at 1 and planning to have my first meal after that feels like a recipe for a hangry mom and tired toddler at pick up.
I find it easy to wait until noon to “break fast” but I find it hard to be finished by 8 pm especially when I just want to relax with a glass of wine on the couch to decompress. Is wine allowed? I didn’t see anything that said no but probably not.
On days I actually CAN count my macros, I find it hard to eat enough carbs the program recommends. My coach also suggests going gluten and dairy free. I’m 100% on the dairy free train but I’ve gone gluten free and find that I do not have a sensitivity to it and when I do eat it, I have less sugar cravings as long as it’s from a something like whole wheat sourdough.
PROGRESS
Ya’ll think I have made significant progress! THANK YOU! I feel good. I think largely this progress is due to an increased, structured schedule at the gym. I enjoy having a program and I am sticking to it religiously! At first the workouts felt easy and I added extra reps and sets. Now they feel challenging but they are getting longer. I used to do 4 workouts a week that were 30 minutes max. Now, I’m doing 5-6 that are 30-60 minutes long! Even the “active rest” days suggest “60 minutes of light activity like swimming, the elliptical… etc. or a treadmill walk/run routine” which isn’t really a rest day in my opinion but whatever. I usually do nothing at all on these days.
The program isn’t about the scale and I haven’t measured myself again since I did at the start. If I was following the program more closely with tracking macros, I definitely think I would have lost more weight but as I shared above, I started getting nervous about my milk supply.
Coming up next week, the program does a full day fast which I won’t be able to do either. I feel like I’m not able to fully do the program because I’m nursing but just experimenting with Intermittent Fasting and having a workout program dedicated more to strength training than 30 minute Peloton classes is where I’m seeing results.
I know you’re not supposed to but I’m definitely still getting sweet treats every now and then from Flour and a little FoMu ice cream after dinner. I do try to enter them into my macros but I don’t always.
So will I be a good example of what you can achieve following the FWTFL program? Probably not but I wanted to learn about carb cycling and IF. I’m glad I signed up and maybe I’ll do another round when I’m done BF’ing. If I do, I think I would probably join a group using one of the other coaches instead of Amanda the founder to see the difference as the groups are much smaller.
Stay tuned for my full review after I complete. I’m going to push through the last two weeks as close to the program goals as possible!
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are included above. I did pay for the program myself out of pocket.
Is it worth the investment?
It’s hard to say for me in a comment -- I’ll be writing a long blog post once I finish but in short yes. I spend about $200 a month on a Gym membership so that’s one reference point I can use. If you’re used to a $20 gym membership, $200 probably feels like a lot more in comparison. I think for someone looking to lose weight and has been unsuccessful with previous efforts and will follow the program, yes! I haven’t finished yet so I don’t know how I feel about the fast days but in short, yes.
Do you mean the workouts from the program or are you doing your own strength training?
I am doing the workouts from the program!
Long winded comment here. Sorry! I enjoyed reading your second update! I agree, I liked the workouts as well. It was challenging to get my sprint days in with kids but I feel they were very effective. I know last time I commented I said I probably would not do the program again. But on “those days” I feel bloated and blah, I consider doing it for a second round. But in the end, as a former EDNOS/disordered eating sufferer, I feel like it just gives me anxiety; like if I don’t do IF or carb cycle then my body won’t be a lean as it could be. I’ll admit that I loved that extra little bit of tightness I felt while doing the program even though my weight only changed by a pound or two. I remember reading how with your first baby you let go of the worry associated with food. Same thing happened to me and it was so freeing at the time! I am also in the fitness industry and like to experiment with different nutriton ideas; I just hate feeling guilty for not eating a certain way because it’s the “best” way. Hoping I can get over that someday and just be happy following a whole foods diet and mindful eating 🙂 Can’t wait to read more about your experience. I think your looking great by the way.