Wednesday, April 28, 2021

My Journey to Becoming a FASTer Way to Fat Loss Coach




Prior to doing the FASTer Way I was a little lost in terms of how to successfully lose weight and keep it off. I was working out on our elliptical multiple times a week, and was occasionally trying to incorporate some weights, but I really didn't know what to do with them. I had tried multiple diets, but I wasn't noticing any changes to my body composition. If anything, I'd gained weight. The last thing I tried before doing FASTer Way was a ketone drink. It tasted good, and I felt like I was seeing some results, though that could have been due to my calorie counting and exercise, but it was expensive and I realized that it wasn't going to be sustainable. I didn't want to be shelling out a couple hundred dollars every month for a drink, but what would happen if I stopped drinking it? I canceled my subscription and decided that I was just going to have to learn to love my new body.

A few months later I started seeing influencers on Instagram sharing their progress with FASTer Way to Fat Loss. I clicked on someone's link and began to read up on the program. My basic understanding was that it included a combination of Intermittent Fasting, Carb Cycling, Macro Counting and workouts. I was intrigued, but at the same time I was a little confused about what all of these buzz words meant and worried that it wouldn't be something I could sustain. Intermittent Fasting? I usually woke up hungry, so how in the world was I going to make it until noon without eating? What is carb cycling? What are macros? Will I be able to do this program? After a few weeks of debating with myself I decided that it was worth a shot, so I signed up for my first round. I was very nervous about what to expect, and if I'm being honest, still a little leery about whether or not it would be something I could commit to. I can remember telling my husband that I was going to spend $199 on this 6 week round and that it probably wouldn't work for me, but I was desperate and didn't know what else to try.

I was nervous when Prep Week started, but my coach did an amazing job of preparing us for success. I went into the second and third weeks with a much better understanding of the benefits of carb cycling, intermittent fasting, and macro counting. Once I started eating the right things, I didn't wake up hungry anymore and I was able to go the full 16 hours fasting. Meal planning was a bit of a struggle for me at first, but not because I was too limited in the foods I could eat. I wasn't. It was a struggle because I had a specific set of macro goals each day and I wanted to make sure I zeroed everything out. After a week or two I finally realized that if I'm +/-10 on any of my macros each day that's okay. Progress, not perfection.


In the beginning I did all of my workouts at home, and was sticking more to the low impact workouts, but as I moved through the program and began to gain some strength, I moved on to the home workouts. Eventually I started going to the gym on Saturdays for leg day. I was a bit intimidated to go by myself, so my husband joined me. Soon I was going to the gym for all three strength days and I was almost always by myself. I wasn’t intimidated anymore, I felt like I belonged.


I was amazed by the results I saw after my first round - I had lost weight and I was stronger - you could actually see some definition in my arms and legs! After that I enrolled in VIP, their monthly membership program. I was literally in the best shape of my life at 40 years old and didn’t ever want to go back. Then 2020 happened. I was still working out pretty often, but I stopped counting macros and was drinking more often. I realized then how important every aspect of FW is, especially the nutrition. I joined the 6 Week VIP Challenge at the beginning of this year and got back on track. The top photos are me at the beginning of the 6 week challenge on January 3, 2021, and the bottom photos are from the end of the challenge on February 14, 2021.




FASTer Way gave me the confidence to go to the gym by myself. FASTer Way taught me how to eat a balanced diet and that it’s okay to have a glass of wine, eat a piece of pizza or some ice cream every once in awhile, as long as it fits into my macros. And truth be told, sometimes I'll have it even if it doesn't fit into my macros. FASTer Way is a lifestyle for me, not a diet, and because of that I know that if I skip tracking for a day (or a week when I'm on vacation) I won't derail my progress. One of my favorite things I learned from FASTer Way is progress not perfection (a hard thing to learn for a girl who has always been somewhat of a perfectionist).


Since leaving teaching 6 years ago I’ve been searching for a purpose. I love being a wife and mom, but I feel like I need something else. As a teacher, I was impacting the lives of 20+ students a year, and I miss that. That's why taking the leap from FASTer Way client to FASTer Way client AND coach was so easy for me. By becoming a coach I still have the opportunity to impact the lives of others in a positive way. If you'd like more information and/or want to join my next round, register here: https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/#heidinesta

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Cleaning Calendar

I shared by cleaning calendar on Instagram yesterday and thought I'd go ahead and share it here as well. In 2017 I came up with a cleaning routine and it was definitely helpful, but last year after a friend shared her cleaning calendar on Instagram I decided to take it a step further and create a daily calendar/to do list. I even went so far as to frame it and put it in my laundry room! 



Each day is broken down by room or group of rooms and then I listed out the tasks to complete in the room(s). I also added laundry to the daily list, which really helped me get a handle on our laundry. I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm always buried in laundry. It's not the washing that I struggle with, it's folding and hanging/putting away. When I follow my "Cleaning Cards" and do a load of laundry a day, I'm able to stay caught up. Unfortunately I haven't been following it lately, so my laundry is piling up, but it's a new week so I decided to get back to the calendar. If you click on the link above it will allow you to make a copy of the Cleaning Cards and edit it. Hope this is helpful!

Most of the products that I use to clean are in my Amazon Subscribe & Save, so I never run out of the products I need!