As I have been implementing my sustainable eating regime and sharing bits of it with you all, I have had several inquiries on what is it that I am doing. The program is called FASTer way to Fat Loss. It really focuses on introducing better choices with accountability, exercise, and a lot of encouragement from my coach, Debbie Stein. It involves counting macros (fats, proteins, and carbs) – done through the Myfitnesspal app – and intermittent fasting. This means that my eating window is eight hours long. I usually eat from 11 am until 7 pm. Then my fasting window is from 7 pm until 11 am the next morning. I still have my coffee and honestly, I was doing that anyway because I am not a big breakfast person, so there was nothing to adapt to in that area.
Mondays and Tuesdays are low carb days where I eat only 50 grams of carbs but load up on protein. I thought those days would be the most difficult, but I have found tricks to really help me be successful. Like I substitute slices of cucumber for crackers and load them with hummus and turkey pepperoni. Exercises for those two days involve HIIT workouts and the protein intake enables the body to address the fat that seems to have moved in overnight. I am not a gym person, so I do all of the workouts at home.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturdays are regular macro days. These are the days where carbs are welcomed backed into the fold. This doesn’t mean that I go crazy on bread, but rather focusing on good carbs like sweet potatoes. Wednesday and Thursdays are strength training days while Saturday is a leg focused workout.
Fridays and Sundays are low macro days which means I eat 25% less across the board. For example, on a normal macro day, my goal would be 89 grams of protein, 221 grams of carbs, and 59 grams of fat. But on low macro day, I take my numbers and multiple them by .75 in order to figure out what my goal is for those days. So, on those days, I eat 66.75 grams of protein, 44.25 grams of fat, and 165.75 grams of carbs. Those days are active rest days where you can take the day off of exercise (that is what I do) or you can pick a mild activity like yoga.
Now, that is a whole lot of information, and I was overwhelmed at first, but it has already become second nature. I am almost finished with week 2 (I started actively doing it during prep week, so I am a little ahead of the game as most don’t start until what is considered week 1). Let me just say, that I feel more energetic and I don’t feel bloated. I don’t feel deprived at all. Saturdays are a day that I can enjoy a treat, if I choose to. Plus, my pants are feeling loser. The program focuses on non-scale victories and accountability. Each night we post a screen shot of our macros and Debbie gives us encouragement along with providing suggestions or answering questions that we have throughout the process.
Instead of looking at this as a “diet”, I am choosing to embrace it as a lifestyle initiative. This is something that I am adopting to improve my relationship with my body. For me, it is all about taking the power back. I want to be fit, healthy, and most of all energetic. By fueling myself with powerful foods, I am honoring the vessel that was given to me. Bottom line, I feel like this is an excellent way of shifting my own perception of my body image and giving the finger to the middle-age slump that crept its way into my mentality.
Debbie encourages and nurtures this group of women which aids in the quest of being successful. I needed to find something that would fit in my lifestyle without making me feel like I can’t eat. The beauty of the whole program is it is realistic and that is what I need. As always, it is about progress and not perfection.
For more information, go to
https://www.fasterwaytofatlosscoach.com
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