Hey friends! I’m thrilled by your excitement about the FASTer Way to Fat Loss (FWTFL) I shared about last week. As promised, I’m answering your questions today with a huuuuuge FASTer Way to Fat Loss Q&A!
Read all about the program and see my before & after pics in my first FASTer Way blog post. I answer some initial questions there too!
As a reminder, I am not any type of official representative for FASTer Way, and I’m definitely not an expert. FWTFL provides coaches to answer your questions once you’re in the program, and you can email [email protected] with questions prior to registering. I’m just someone who did the program once, just like any of you would, and used their referral program that anyone can use. 🙂
Q&A
There were a billion questions, so I grouped questions by category. Also, some of your questions were similar so I just answered those once. Here we go! Remember to read my first FASTer Way blog post for the fundamental questions.
THE WORKOUTS
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-What kind of workouts are there? Is there a way to see the workouts before you commit? How difficult are they?
There are 3 levels: Beginner, At-Home, Gym. You get access to all 3 when you sign up and can switch between them. I did ZERO workouts Week 1, did Beginner workouts for half the days of Week 2, then Beginner each day for the rest. Beginner workouts felt very doable! There’s a HUGE leap in difficulty from Beginner to At-Home. I tried an At-Home workout yesterday, only did 1/2 of it, and even THAT was harder than my full Beginner workout. ?
There are two HIIT/cardio type days, and the rest is strength or resting days. The workouts are paired with nutrition days to see optimal results.
-What were you doing exercise-wise prior to this program?
Not much. I was getting 10,000 steps per day, but no strength training. I tried BBG a few times prior to being pregnant and wanted to die. ? Benson was running 3 miles 3x/wk and did strength training here and there.
-Do you have to do the workouts? (I added this question because you need to know!)
If you are worried about workouts, know that nutrition is actually THE most important piece, hands down. Many people go through their first round only doing nutrition, zero workouts, and see even better results than I did. Let’s say that again: They DIDN’T WORK OUT and SAW BETTER RESULTS THAN MINE. ? Nutrition is THE most important thing you can do, always, even apart from the FASTer Way program. Prioritize nutrition. Ask a FWTFL coach if you’re unsure.
-Do I need to purchase any equipment? Could I do them in my house? Do I need a gym membership?
No gym membership required, and close to no equipment needed. Benson and I worked out at home all 6 weeks and only needed dumbbells for both Beginner and At-Home. (Not including sprint day—had to do that on our neighborhood street.)
-I’ve been reading a lot about running/sprint days. I’m SO NOT a runner – is that just an option on some of the HIIT days, or will that be something I need to wrap my head around?
Most people aren’t sprinters. Even if they are, no one likes the sprints. I was a varsity sprinter in high school and I still loathe FASTer Way’s sprint days. ? I skipped them the first 2 weeks and did them 80% the last few weeks, haha. BUT I think they are the most effective day and you can feel your fat melting off.
About subbing for another HIIT day, you’d have to ask a coach. Work up to them. Do half of them. Or do them at 80%. And remember that many people do ZERO workouts and still see results. But if you want to optimize your fat loss, I would try to wrap your head around sprints because they are seriously effective.
ADDITIONAL WORKOUTS
-Can you do additional workouts? I am training for a race so I run a few times a week, also have an Orange Theory membership so I do that once a week. Just trying to figure out if everything else needs to be put on hold to follow/trust this program.
SO many people asked this who did FASTer Way when I did. Again I’m NOT an official representation for FWTFL or anything like that. I did pay close attention though, and their response was along these lines:
It’s possible, and coaches can help you adjust your macros for something like a race. BUT with Orange Theory and barre and all that, if you’re looking to do FWTFL then that means what you’re currently doing is not giving you the results you want. They’d encourage you to follow the workout plan for the 6 weeks. You might feel like you’re working out less, and many people have said that, but actually saw results they wanted. FWTFL is set up to make you mindful of adrenal fatigue and overextending your thyroid, etc. I’d encourage you try the FASTer Way workouts for the 6 weeks and see what it’ll do. Or at least the first 3 weeks and see how your body is affected, then slowly add Orange Theory classes back the following week with the advice of coaches.
-I have about 10lbs to lose, and also want to tone up. I eat like crap and drink too much wine (if we’re being honest here…) but I do Orange Theory about 4x a week. I’ve tried EVERY weight loss thing out there and I always give up. Curious what made you stick to this? I’m very interested, but I feel like I’m going to be overwhelmed and quit.
I stuck to this because:
1) It’s really strategic and therefore effective. And only 6 weeks long. I had doubts (which I talked about in my first post) but the strategies made sense and I saw hundreds of success stories that I tried to trust the process. Plus I figured “just stick to it for 6 weeks and then see.” 6 weeks felt attainable.
2) It’s manageable. The most overwhelming part was the first 1-2 weeks figuring out what to eat to fit macros. Push through that and you’ll gain knowledge that will serve you for life.
3)It offers flexibility and variety. They have a strategic cycle of daily nutrition, so some days I get to eat fatty foods like bacon and some days I eat all the fruit I want. Some days there’s room for a donut, wine, or pizza. Like I mentioned in my first post, I ate way ore “discretionary” foods than I should have, like Filipino food and street tacos, and I still saw results. But you have to spend the first 1-2 weeks getting a handle on the “right” way to do the nutrition so that you can know how much or how little you can fudge it if you choose to later.
You HAVE TO make a change in nutrition in order to see change in your body. It doesn’t matter if you do FASTer Way or any other program. EVERYONE says it—nutrition is the #1 most important thing. I like the flexibility and variety FASTer Way affords while still being very effective.
SUSTAINABILITY
-Do you feel that it’s a sustainable lifestyle or is it more of a jumpstart to get back into healthy habits?
Both. I can’t speak to sustainability for sure since I just finished the round a week ago, but I do know that I ate a bunch of discretionary food (Filipino and Mexican food) more often than recommended and still lost fat. I ate them intentionally, within macros as best as I could. It gave me hope that I could still eat those things and keep the fat off.
-Is the way you eat on the program, the way you would eat going forward? Have you adopted this eating style permanently?
Yes, adopting more of the “If It Fits Your Macros” (Google it) mentality to maintain health. How I ate during FWTFL is not far off from how we normally ate. But that will be different for everyone depending on what your nutrition was like prior. Our eating was just tweaked to have the right macro balance, more carbs, and eating on FASTer Way’s strategic nutrition cycle.
-Do you track everything you eat? Like every bit for always? Or do you think once you learn what works for you, you can wean yourself off tracking? Is this something that is sustainable for life? Is it even intended to be? I just don’t want to get all excited about something, see results, and then burn out because it was unsustainable.
I tracked most of what I ate while on the program because I paid money to see results and I wanted to do it right. But, I estimated portions. I also rounded or estimated grams of food sometimes if once I had a good handle on it, etc.
I think you can wean yourself off tracking if you spent the time to gain proper knowledge about nutrition. I still track what I eat but in loose measurements because recording it is not that hard and it helps to be intentional about what you’re eating.
Off the program and in maintenance mode, in my mind there will always be SOME element of “tracking” even if it’s just a mental log to be conscious and intentional about what you’re eating. If you eat completely mindlessly, you’ll put weight back on guaranteed. That’s true of any season where you are caring for your health, FASTer Way or not. You have to be intentional about nutrition.
FOOD: RECIPES, NUTRITION, TRACKING MACROS
-Do they tell you exactly what to eat?
No. Everyone’s macros are different. Plus everyone’s food tastes are different. And most importantly, you need to learn nutrition if you want to keep off the fat for life. They provide a few recipes, and there is a cookbook you can purchase HERE.
-Did you have to give up boba?
I cut way back but did not give it up completely if I’m being honest! It’s not recommended though. Before FASTer Way I had boba about 3-4 times per week. To clarify, I’m only talking about the drink itself (tea + pumps of sugary syrup). I cut the actual tapioca balls out of my diet years ago.
I knew all the sugar in the drink itself wasn’t good for me either, so I am glad to have reduced my intake. I still had it almost once a week on FASTer Way, aiming for places that used real fruit juice instead of syrup, sometimes only getting green tea, or only drinking half and saving the other half for the next day. I fit it into my macros and only drank it on an appropriate nutrition day. But mostly I switched to 1/2 a Starbucks refresher, the instant kind you can make at home.
-Will this program teach how to count macros? I’ve been eating low carb and working out on my own, but have not been counting carbs /macros.
They will teach you how to get set up with your macro count and teach you how to track them on MyFitnessPal. If you input all your food in MyFitnessPal, it’ll track your macros for you.
-I’m kind of a picky eater. Will this be a problem?
You get to choose what you eat. As long as you have sources of protein, carbs, and healthy fats that you like to eat, you will be okay. Preferably “from the ground” or “has a mother” types of whole foods, not processed foods.
-Do you think the nutrition component would be possible as a vegetarian?
Yes, it’s so flexible. But, see above question.
MISC QUESTIONS
-One thing I don’t understand is the concept of “rounds”. If I do one round do I still have access to all the resources, including workouts, after the 6 weeks are over? Can I just do that first round more than once, or do I have to keep buying more rounds to continue the program for longer than 6 weeks?
I thought you got lifetime access, but I heard it’s changing to no longer having access once the quarter ends. You can print the workouts though. The workouts vary a little each round to change things up for returners. The biggest impetus to go through it more than once (which los of people do) is a coach to answer further questions in your Facebook group, adjusting your macros once you’ve trimmed down and build muscle through your first round, and the accountability you feel when you’ve got skin in the game.
-Is this something you have to keep paying for to keep it off and stay fit or do you gain knowledge about how to sustain it once you finish the program?
You don’t have to continue paying to keep off the weight. I think maintenance is less about needing more knowledge and more about discipline, namely being intentional with nutrition. If you need accountability, there’s a VIP membership that you can graduate to after at least 2 rounds of FASTer Way. If you are self-motivated enough to keep up good nutrition, then I think you should be good.
-What would we need to do to get hooked up with you in the same FB group?
Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m just a regular person who went through FASTer Way, so I have no influence in the Facebook groups. But I heard they try to put referrals together. However, space is limited in each group and they get full. Email [email protected] to ask!
-If we do the beginner program, would we be in your group?
The program is all the same in terms of signups. The Beginner, At-Home, and Gym distinctions are just different sets of workouts. See previous question.
-I’m 5 weeks Postpartum. I know you said that this was okay nursing, but I’m curious if I should wait until the next round just to make sure my supply is established?
I’m not sure about this. Email [email protected] for more clarity. And congrats, BTW!
-Is there one for men?
Yes! It’s right HERE. BUT, if you sign up with your spouse, he gets in for $99 instead of $199. Men have a modified nutrition schedule and workouts for even more upper body work.
-Do you feel like you have more energy now that you’ve completed the 6 weeks?
Absolutely!
Okay! I hope you don’t have anymore questions cuz I don’t have anymore answers. ? Once you’re in the program, the FWTFL coaches in your Facebook group can help you figure out the program specifics. If you’re not on Facebook, you can email their support team directly.
JOIN THE NEXT ROUND!
Well sheesh, that was a lot of questions. Hope it helped! There are just a few days left before the September 17th round starts. I’m registered and ready to go for my second round. Join me HERE!
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE NEXT ROUND OF FWTFL!
This post is not sponsored in any way by FWTFL, nor did I get to try the program for free. I registered for the last round and the Sept 17th round myself. However, I can earn a referral commission if you sign up through one of the links provided here. If this post has inspired you or helped answer some of your questions in any way, I would be so appreciative if you signed up through one of my links! Thank you!
