7 Days of Donuts vs 7 Days of Whole Foods

A free donut sounds great to most people, but a free donut every day for nearly 300 days? Sounds like a recipe for poor health. What happens when you eat seven days of donuts versus seven days of whole foods? We’ve got lots of research to give us the answer!

When a popular donut chain recently announced a promotion to gift a free donut to COVID-vaccinated customers—every day for the rest of the year—we had to wonder, what would eating a daily donut do to gut health as well as overall health?

The answer wasn’t encouraging.

It’s no secret that sugar isn’t good for us, but it’s not just because of the potential for cavities or weight gain. Sugar is wrecking our gut health, compromising our immune systems, and creating a state of chronic inflammation in our bodies—a condition associated with many serious diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and more (¹,²).

When you consider the stats, it’s a pretty sobering situation.

655,000 Americans die each year from heart disease—1 in 4 deaths (³).

606,000 Americans died in 2020 of cancer (⁴)

69% of all US adults are overweight (32.5%) or obese (36.5%) (⁵,⁶).

34.2 million Americans—just over 1 in 10—have diabetes (⁷). 

88 million American adults—approximately 1 in 3—have prediabetes (⁷).

79,535 deaths occur each year due to diabetes (⁸).

300,000 deaths per year are due to the obesity epidemic (⁹).

How Does Sugar Compromise the Immune System?

The more we understand the role of added sugars in the body, the better equipped we are to change our habits! And because of its hugely negative impact on our health, there’s never been a better time.

"Too much sugar in your system allows the bacteria or viruses to propagate much more because your initial innate system doesn't work as well. That's why diabetics, for example, have more infections," Dr. Michael Roizen, MD and COO of the Cleveland Clinic (¹⁰). 

How Much Sugar Are We Actually Eating

According to the NH Dept Health and Human Services, “Two hundred years ago, the average American ate only 2 pounds of sugar a year. In 1970, we ate 123 pounds of sugar per year. Today, the average American consumes almost 152 pounds of sugar in one year. This is equal to 3 pounds (or 6 cups) of sugar consumed in one week.”

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, nutritionists suggest eating 10% of our calories from sugar. This equals 13.3 teaspoons of sugar per day. The current average is 42.5 teaspoons of sugar per day.

What Does Eating A Lot Of Donuts Do?

While most of us will never consume 5,000 calories of donuts per day for seven days, one YouTuber did (¹¹). What was most impressive about this experiment (other than his ability to actually do it!) was the fact that he was able to compare his bloodwork before and after this challenge. While his weight actually went down, everything else suffered considerably.

Reported Feelings Throughout the Week

1. Extremely poor sleep

2. Hungrier during the day

3. Low libido

4. Flatulence

Weight & Blood work Before → After

Weight: 170.1 lb → 168.2 LB

Cholesterol: LDL (“bad”) 86 → 126 | HDL (“good”) 66 → 56

Triglycerides: 52 → 69

Blood sugar: 93 → 111

Testosterone: 491 → 444

This example is obviously extreme because the average person will never eat this many donuts in a seven-day period. But (you knew that was coming!), how many of us WILL eat this many donuts in a month? Or even a year?

If you were to take advantage of the daily donut offer mentioned above, you’d equal this donut intake in about 6 months (based on two dozen donuts per day for seven days—the average from the challenge).

When we combine this rate of intake with a diet high in other inflammatory foods, it’s a recipe for terrible health, as cited in the statistics above.

What Happens When We Eat Whole Foods Instead?

Whole foods are full of micronutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals, fiber, and more. In other words, they’re filled with exactly what our bodies need in order to function properly.

Processed food, junk food, and treats, on the other hand, are filled with empty calories (calories without nutrition) and are typically low in protein. The carbs and fat they do provide are usually heavily processed and very low quality. It’s no surprise that one of the reported feelings of the above-mentioned 5,000 calorie/day donut challenge was INCREASED HUNGER during the day—he was eating a ton of food but taking in almost no nutrition!

Whole foods keep us fuller longer while providing a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. While that’s reason enough to eat whole foods most of the time, there are plenty of other reasons to focus on them!

• Better for the environment

• Help control blood sugar

• Better for your skin

• Provide lots of variety

• Cheaper in the long run (factor in the cost of managing chronic lifestyle diseases!)

• Good for your gut

• Promote dental health

• Support local farmers

The Bottom Line

While the FASTer Way lifestyle does NOT support deprivation (we teach our clients how to enjoy a 100% guilt-free treat every week, even donuts!), we want to raise awareness that a daily donut is NOT the best answer when it comes to preventing disease and illness—including COVID-19. 

Get Started for FREE!

If you’re ready to eat more whole foods, we’re here to help! Download our FREE 5-day meal guide and start enjoying delicious, nutrient meals the whole family will love!

To see Amanda Tress’s response to the daily donut offer, click here.

Why Restrictive Diets Won’t Help You Long-Term

Elimination diets are all the rage, and for (a somewhat) good reason! More people are better understanding how food can affect so much more than just their waistbands. These diets are great for eliminating common inflammatory foods to figure out what might trigger symptoms and can help people feel better than they have in years. But unfortunately, while paleo and Whole30® programs might pack lots of great short-term results, restrictive diets won’t help you long-term.

The Dreaded Plateau

Eliminating entire food groups and cutting out processed junk will often lead to an unintentional calorie deficit, which helps with weight loss… for a time. Drastically reducing calories will help shed weight until your metabolism slows down, and then you hit the dreaded plateau. You may try to eliminate more food or reduce your calorie intake, but that stubborn plateau won’t budge because your body may be trying to tell you that it actually needs more food than you’re giving it.

Restrictive Diets and Burnout

The biggest complaint about restrictive diets? Burnout. There’s a reason why these programs only last 21 or 30 days. People can only deprive themselves of their favorite foods for so long. In addition to burnout, practicing restrictive diets long term can lead to disordered eating.

Discovering True Food Freedom

So what’s the answer? Well, the ultimate goal is to discover true food freedom! Eliminating inflammatory foods while still enjoying your favorite treats and eating more than you have in years—all while burning fat and building lean, calorie-burning muscle. 

That’s the beauty of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss. We combine the science-backed strategies of Intermittent Fasting, carb cycling, and macro tracking with intentional workouts. We don’t believe in diets, we believe in whole-food nutrtion (and enough of it!), which is why we created this flexible lifestyle for every size, shape, and stage of life!

“I can’t say enough about this program! 10 days in and I’m already seeing great results inside and out. I am fairly active (cross-fit) and eat well (Paleo and Whole30) but I just wasn’t seeing results. I have learned so much and now have a better understanding of why things weren’t working. I’m a full-time working mom of three and I have still managed to find time to fit in all of the workouts, plus my regular cross-fit sessions. I underestimated the value of daily check-ins and the group support but it has made all the difference and I’ve really enjoyed my virtual cheerleading group! I highly recommend the program!” – Claire*

*Results may vary from person to person.

The FASTer Way for Busy Women

We hear it all the time from women just like you—there simply isn’t time (or energy!) to kickstart a healthy new routine with everything you have to do every day. Even that easy quick-fix diet you keep hearing about from your co-workers? Forget about it! 

Listen, we get it. Most days we’d all rather catch up on sleep or even scroll our InstaFeed, am I right?! It’s easy to make excuses because we’re constantly working, running from one sporting event to the other, helping with homework, deciding dinner plans, trying to balance a social life, etc. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, stay-at-home mom, nurse, or any other profession, we know that there are plenty of messy bun and leggings days—where the last thing we think about is exercising or making a healthy meal. Because really, who has time to prep 6 meals a day? Or do cardio every day? 

But what about that friend-of-a-friend who travels, runs marathons, has a clean house, and still makes time for friends? Well, I think we all know this isn’t everyday reality. But more than that, we also know is that when you prioritize your health, even for just 30 minutes a day, your mind, body, and soul will repay you.

What we often fail to realize is that if we were to put our health at the forefront, we would actually have the energy to plan that family 5K, engage in the HIIT workout, fold the clothes we’ve hit wrinkle release on twice, or prep those healthy meals on our Pinterest boards. Exercising boosts our energy levels, especially when we are consuming the right foods.  

And if you already have a goal but are unsure where to start, let’s chat. First and foremost, you’ll want to focus on nutrition. Contrary to what people have been told in the past, you can't out-train a bad diet—no matter how many hours you spend in the gym.

So start small.

Up your water intake and ease into better nutrition. Create a grocery list ahead of time and stick to mostly whole foods. It’s easiest to shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where you’ll notice they stock mostly fresh produce as well as meat. Not only will this make your wallet happy, but it will also shorten your time strolling the aisles of the store (and if you have young kids, this is life-saving advice!). 

OUR LITTLE SECRET: FASTer Way clients are provided with simple, weekly meal plans that include a shopping list! Win!

Eat the right foods at the right time.

Switching to less processed food with a focus on whole-food nutrition (and balanced macros) is huge, but in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss we also pay attention to when we eat by practicing Intermittent Fasting. This is an excellent strategy to jumpstart your metabolism and start burning fat!  Not only that, we teach our clients carb cycling so they can burn more fat without a restrictive low-carb lifestyle. 

We practice a 16/8 Intermittent Fasting protocol, meaning we fast for 16 hours (mostly when we sleep) and consume all of our food within an eight-hour window. Feel free to ease into it with a 12-hour eating window, then get down to 10, and eventually work toward that eight-hour window.

OUR LITTLE SECRET: Intermittent Fasting is a huge time saver because it’s one less meal to cook (and clean up), especially at the beginning of the day when you already have a million things to do. Less “on your plate” equals less morning stress and more time to do what really matters!

Spend less time in the gym.

Seriously! When implementing simple strategies, you can teach your body to be a pro fat burner even after you are done working out! Say what?! HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts take less than 30 minutes and when paired with a strategic eating schedule, you’ll not only have more energy, but you’ll be sweating as if you had worked out for two hours! This technique requires you to give your all through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods. This strategy is proven to burn more fat in a shortened time period because it keeps your heart rate up. 

OUR LITTLE SECRET: We provide our clients with HIIT workouts (that you can do in the comfort of your own home!) PLUS a full digital studio of other modalities including strength, barre, yoga, and even low-impact workouts! 

But don’t worry, we don’t want you spending seven days a week doing these workouts. In fact, we think even six is too many! Because we also think it’s important to… 

Prioritize rest!

Diet culture will tell you to spend countless hours at the gym and drastically cut your calories. But eating enough and getting rest is much more beneficial for long-term success! Consistently undereating will increase your body’s cortisol, which can actually make you gain weight. Additionally, adequate sleep has been linked to weight loss and improved brain function. Eat plenty of whole foods and prioritize sleep—your body will thank you!

Despite how impossible it may feel in the beginning, there's always time for a healthy lifestyle.

We live by these rules, and you’ll soon notice that what makes the FASTer Way a game changer is we aren’t guessing and hoping you’ll see results, our program is backed by science and we have thousands of client wins that back it up. 

“I was always looking for the next best ‘diet’ and consistently failed. The FASTer Way came to me by word of mouth, and I fully had the expectation that this was going to be another ‘diet’ that I was going to fail again. But, ‘you never know until you try,’ right? So I tried.

Was I perfect? Absolutely not!

Did I give up? No!!

The motto “Progress, NOT Perfection” and giving myself grace changed my mindset. The accountability, the coach, the fact that I can choose the right foods at the right times for the right reason made me feel in control. Getting to know the science behind why this works was powerful and the reason it was different this time, the reason this time I DIDN’T fail.”

-Julie*

*Results may vary from person to person.

When you stick to these simple (but effective!) time-saving tips, you’ll have no choice but to lose your excuses and really start to focus on your health. Who knows, maybe you’ll even write down a new goal, start planning that overdue getaway with your spouse, or strategize your next career move. You are gonna look and feel great with your new added confidence boost!

Joining the FASTer Way can help skyrocket those results as we’ll teach you a more in-depth look at mindset, time management, and nutrition strategies plus a solid workout plan that you can do anywhere. You can have it all.

Let’s set some goals that you can’t wait to reach!

5 Benefits of Combining Intermittent Fasting and Carb Cycling

Throughout time there have been some pretty incredible dynamic duos:

• Eggs and bacon

• The beach and a fruity drink

• Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani

• Pumpkin spice and, well—everything

Thousands of FASTer Way clients would all agree to add another to the list: intermittent fasting and carb cycling!

Intermittent Fasting 

Not only does this power-punched duo come with a significant impact on your health, but research has shown it can aid in weight loss, which will leave you feeling more radiant than Rachel and Monica!

But let’s get down to it: what exactly are these strategies and why do you need them in my life?

Intermittent Fasting and carb cycling are two of the best ways to achieve your goals in terms of fat loss. Period. In fact, we’ve shared testimony after testimony of women who have lost inches in their mid-section, gotten stronger, and improved their health through the FASTer Way to Fat Loss—which is based on these two nutritional strategies that make up this dynamic and effective duo.

Intermittent Fasting isn’t a diet or quick fix; it’s a lifestyle that incorporates periods of eating with periods of withholding food. Although this strategy is all the buzz in the industry, it’s actually been practiced for thousands of years! 

The best part? It’s free and convenient for even the busiest of people. There are several ways to practice Intermittent Fasting, but in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss we suggest the 16/8 protocol. This means each day you will fast for 16 hours (most of which while you’re sleeping) and consume all your food for the day in an 8-hour window. 

We do not cut calories; instead, we simply eat them in a shorter window during the day, thus simplifying our lives in the process. Although this window can be flexible, most people like to start their eating window around noon and end around 8pm just before catching their favorite rerun of Friends. 

Carb Cycling

Remember when everyone decided to ditch carbs hoping for a quick fix? Oh wait, it’s actually happening now! But not without its downfalls. Not only do our bodies need carbs, but it may cause internal damage from removing them from our diets. Science shows that restricting carbs intensely over time can add up to a struggling metabolism. 

Carb cycling is a safer strategy that can help many frustrated clients break through plateaus. This strategy allows an intentional variation of carbohydrate intake each week with some days being higher in grams than others. In the FASTer Way, we base our macro cycle on the workouts we will be doing to maximize fat burn and energy levels. 

Fun fact: Jennifer Aniston tried to remove carbs from her diet when filming Friends, and soon after reported that she switched back over to a healthy balance of fats, proteins, and—you guessed it—CARBS! 

So does that mean we suggest enjoying donuts along with strategic planning? YES! Can we guarantee that you’ll look like Jennifer Aniston? No! 

But what we CAN say is that carb cycling can help with fat loss, higher energy levels, and improvement to overall body composition. So you’ll optimize fat loss by increasing thyroid output and controlling hunger. This will leave you jumping for joy with more excitement than Phoebe!

5 Benefits of Combining Intermittent FASTing and Carb Cycling

1. Increased Energy

Countless clients have reported an incredible increase in energy after just a couple of weeks living the FASTer Way. This is by far the most consistent side effect reported, and the one that we get the most excited about. The truth is, the world around you deserves your best self, and energy is definitely a requirement for being the best version of you!

2. Better Sleep

Perhaps one of the reasons our clients are seeing such an increase in energy is because they are sleeping better. This lifestyle positively affects hormone levels—so you sleep like a baby!

3. A Happy Gut

Good-bye bloating and discomfort, hello happy gut! FASTer Way clients tell us that after just a few days in the program they are feeling less bloating and discomfort almost across the board. Who doesn’t love a happy gut?!

4. More Time

Having all of that time in the morning, without having to worry about what to eat OR clean up means you can be more productive each day. This is a side effect that we love because as busy people, we all know the value of a few extra minutes!

5. A Better Mood

So many of our clients report far better moods after just a couple of weeks living the FASTer Way. This, again, is due to the effect of Intermittent Fasting and carb cycling on hormones. Not only that, our focus on whole-food nutrition has a big effect on feeling better—good food tends to do that! In addition, the workouts paired with these nutritional strategies can also have a positive effect on mood and anxiety levels.

“I don’t have a ton of before/after in the same clothing because, quite honestly, I was anxious to get rid of everything that was TOO big. I thought it would be too tempting to revert back if I had “safety clothes” that I held onto. But, you can ask Clay, any time I purge my clothing, I have a really tough time getting rid of anything Carolina related. I have an irrational fear someone else won’t take care of them like I do (I said it was irrational) 😂 It’s yucky outside, I’m feeling a little under the weather, and my plans today involved ONLY school work. So getting ready was not in the cards today. I just threw on this pullover and some leggings. And then I remembered my sister snapped the picture on the left a couple of years ago. And I love it because I love my sweet little niece, but man, what a difference. Not just a difference in what I look like, but a difference in how I feel, how I see myself, how I fuel my body, and how I treat myself. It’s amazing what a little guidance, a little tracking app, some macros, and some knowledge can do for you.” 

–Stephanie, FASTer Way Community Member*

*Results may vary from person to person.

When it comes to winning the weight loss battle and improving body composition, Intermittent Fasting and carb cycling are the way to go! Reward yourself with that treat after your effective workout and you are living your best life. Are you ready? 

Carb Cycling Made Simple

Countless women have come to the FASTer Way after being (wrongly) convinced that carbohydrates were the enemy. They drastically restricted calories, spent too much time on cardio, and eliminated carbs.

Some of these women might have seen results at first. But most of them eventually hit a major weight loss plateau and felt defeated. That’s because long-term restriction of carbohydrates and calories can lower metabolic rate and negatively affect hormone levels. 

For a short period of time, a significantly restrictive diet will bring results. However, over time it will cause the metabolic rate to decrease which leads to a sudden halt in weight loss. Women then need to restrict even further to lose more, thus lowering the metabolic rate once again. Not only is this a terribly unhealthy way to live, but it is also incredibly frustrating.

Why Carb Cycling is the Better Answer

Cutting carbs can bring results… at first. Carb cycling, on the other hand, is a safer strategy that can help frustrated clients break through plateaus. 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. In the FASTer Way, we base our cycle on the workouts we will be doing to maximize fat burn and energy levels. 

Carb cycling allows for planned high carb days that increase thyroid output and help control hunger. We cycle our carbs by practicing low carb days to offset the high carb days. With this type of cycle, many of our clients continue to see fat loss, increased energy levels, and improvements to their overall body composition. 

Carb Cycling Made Simple

Carb cycling improves insulin levels, helping your body to 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!

Here’s the thing: carb cycling isn’t expensive or difficult. It’s an amazing strategy that is actually simpler than it sounds! In the FASTer Way, we practice simple carb cycling by tracking our macros on both low and high carb days. Once we deplete our glycogen stores on low carb days and put our bodies in optimal fat-burning mode, we replenish with healthy carbs.

Our certified community coaches are on-hand to provide daily support as our clients navigate carb cycling for the first time. That’s just one of the many perks of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss! We practice the cutting-edge strategies of carb cycling, Intermittent Fasting, and macro tracking (with a focus on whole foods) to dial in our nutrition. Combined with daily workouts and easy-to-follow meal plans, the program has exactly what you need to break free from the plateau, enjoy carbs, and look and feel better than ever!

If you’re ready to wake up energized and ready to fulfill YOUR purpose, then join us today for our next round!

Download our Free 5-Day Sample Meal Plan

Can Vegans do the FASTer Way to Fat Loss?

You love your vegan lifestyle, but you’d really like to try the FASTer Way lifestyle. Good news, you don’t have to choose—you can do both! A plant-based lifestyle fits seamlessly with the FASTer Way because we’re all about real health and true wellness (and all the whole foods you can eat!).

Each aspect of the program is totally compatible with plant-based whole foods. But if you’re still not sure what that looks like, let’s break it down!

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting is the cornerstone of our program and a vegan diet isn’t impacted by this in any way. This type of eating schedule simply tells you WHEN to eat, not WHAT to eat each day. What you choose to eat is totally up to you!

Carb Cycling

Carb Cycling is 100% possible when you eat a vegan diet, you simply have to be intentional about your low carb days because, if you’re like most vegans, a good deal of your protein typically comes from sources that also contain moderate to high carbs. Based on our many vegan clients and coaches living the FASTer Way, we know it can be simple and effective to carb cycle.

Whole Foods / Macros

This one is easy—you’re probably already eating a whole-food diet if you’re plant-based! We firmly believe that real health is achieved when we consume a healthy diet full of vibrant, flavorful, mostly unprocessed foods, and we’re pretty sure you believe that too. Eating balanced macros is still important because the body still wants those ideal ratios no matter where you’re getting the carbs, fat, and protein.

Workouts

Strength training and HIIT workouts won’t be affected by a vegan diet. Again, as long as you’re fueling properly with balanced macros, you’ll see the same gains and progress!

Best of All!

Due to popular demand, we now offer VEGAN MEAL PLANS to our VIP membership clients! This has been a really fantastic addition to our traditional meal plans and we’re thrilled with the great response. This meal plan makes it easier than ever to prepare balanced, nutritious, simple meals the whole family will love.

Not only that, we’ve created a small group in our VIP Membership specifically for vegans and vegetarians. This gives you a super supportive community of other women traveling the same nutritional road as you.

If you’re ready to jump into the FASTer Way (now that you know it won’t get in the way of eating vegan!), then be sure to join us for our next round. We can’t wait to see you there!