3 Reasons The FASTer Way to Fat Loss Is Ideal For Busy Moms

A mom’s work is never done, but that doesn’t mean she can’t make time for a healthy lifestyle! The FASTer Way to Fat Loss is ideal for busy moms because it was created by a busy mom!

All moms know that being busy never really ends. You’re “on the clock” from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, and even then, you don’t always feel like you got it all done! That’s why the FASTer Way to Fat Loss is the perfect solution—it was created by a busy mom that wanted a healthy lifestyle (that didn’t take over her life). 

FASTer Way creator Amanda Tress knew that any fitness program NOT designed to fit into a busy life just wasn’t going to be a true lifestyle for her or anyone else. That’s why the FASTer Way is simple AND easy!

Moms have a lot to do every day. Between balancing work, kids, spouses, friends, and schedules, life can be intense. So, when it comes to taking care of your health, hitting your weight loss goals, and feeling confident, you need a fitness program that can make it easier for you!

We’ve helped tens of thousands of moms achieve a healthy, sustainable lifestyle through the FASTer Way. They’ve seen incredible results when it comes to their energy levels, their moods, losing fat—not just weight, but stubborn belly fat—and feeling more confident than ever.  

Can the FASTer Way fit into your life? YES!

3 Reasons The FASTer Way to Fat Loss is Ideal for Busy Moms

1. The FASTer Way Is Flexible

If there’s one thing that all moms need in life, it’s flexibility. Whether it’s someone getting sick, a blow-out diaper as you’re walking out the door, or your middle schooler telling you the night before that their science project is due, being a mom requires a lot of quick thinking and creative planning. 

Unlike restrictive diets that are uncompromising and unrealistic, The FASTer Way gives you freedom and flexibility as you are working toward your goals.

You can easily change a low carb day to a regular macro day. The FASTer Way nutrition plan is a cycle of low carb days and regular macro days that you can rearrange to fit your schedule. Birthday party? No problem, you can have your cake and eat it, too! 

You can move your eating window to match up with your plans. If you have a special dinner planned, you can move your window down. If you have a brunch planned with your girlfriends, move your window up. Do what works for your life—and enjoy that mimosa and quiche without feeling like you just crashed your diet!

The FASTer Way is so effective because it’s flexible enough that you can adjust the program to meet your needs AND still eat the foods you love! That’s what a real lifestyle is—having a strategy that accommodates real life.

2. The FASTer Way Has Efficient Workouts

In the world of motherhood, “me time” is a huge commodity. We know that as a mom, your time is already stretched thin and time for yourself isn’t always easy to carve out. 

Here’s the good news! You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to get an effective workout. 

There’s more good news! You don’t even have to leave your house. 

The FASTer Way offers daily workouts that include a Home, Gym, or Low-Impact option. No matter your fitness level or gym membership status, we have a workout for you! Our home workouts require very little equipment (just a few basics) AND our trainers offer plenty of variations depending on what you might have. No kettlebell? No problem! No bench? No biggie! We’ll meet you where you are.

The FASTer Way workouts are easy to follow AND they won’t take a lot of precious time out of your day. You get the most out of your workouts in about 30 minutes every day. So on those crazy busy days, meeting your workout goal isn’t just possible, it’s easy to do before the kids are even up!

3. The FASTer Way Has Simple and Delicious Meal Plans

The FASTer Way meal plans will be your new best friend because let’s be honest here, the hardest question we have to answer every day is, “What’s for dinner?” When you are focusing on better nutrition, knowing how to fuel your body correctly can make that question even harder to answer. 

So for those days when you have no time to plan, or when you just can’t think about ONE MORE THING, use the simple FASTer way meal plan! We provide them for ALL clients, whether they’re new OR in our VIP membership. They aren’t required for success, simply another tool we offer to make your life easier.

And the best part? Your daily meal plan is only one tap away in the FASTer Way app! Choose from our REGULAR meal plan or our VEGAN meal plan—all the recipes are literally at your fingertips.

Community of Moms  

If your goals is to get leaner, healthier, and regain your confidence, join our community of moms that are there to support you, cheer for you, and be a listening ear when you have “one of those days.”

The way the FASTer Way is designed for busy moms because it gives you everything you need and nothing you don’t. Whether you’re up at night with a baby or up at night worrying about a teenager—we’ve got you.  

If you’re ready to live a busy-but-healthy lifestyle, join us for the next round of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss. Tens of thousands of moms can’t be wrong!

Want to know more? Learn about our strategies here:

• Intermittent Fasting: Fad or Fact?

• What is Carb Cycling?

• Why Restrictive Diets WON’T Help you Long Term

• Sleep Better to Burn Fat

Failing Doesn’t Make You a Failure

Failing does not make you a failure and it doesn’t define who you are, but no one enjoys the process of failing. Let’s focus on progress over perfection plus these five tips for dealing with failure!

Recently, Amanda Tress, founder and CEO of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, posted this image on Instagram… and the response was overwhelming! Hundreds of comments agreeing with, giving thanks for, and loving this message. Comments like,

• “Needed this today! Thank you!!”

• “Love this!! We all need to be less critical of ourselves and give ourselves grace.”

• “Needed this encouragement!!! Thank you!”

• “Thank you!!! It’s always refreshing to hear that I’m not alone. It happens to every one of us!”

• “And this is exactly why I love FWTFL! Thank you for being real! After having an off week, I needed to hear this!”

Women everywhere resonate with it because, whether we like it or not, we all feel the pressure to be perfect—and the guilt of never getting there.

The truth of the matter is, no one is perfect. We all “fail” from time to time, in ways both big and small. So, let’s have an honest conversation about “failure” and its role in our growth, because this might just be the gamechanger you need to absolutely crush your goals!

Perceived “Failures”

Far too often, we get down on ourselves for things that are simply perceived “failures.” We measure our actions and progress based on what we see others doing and what we believe others think we “should” be doing. However, these things are NOT real failures. Not getting out of your PJ’s all day or disagreeing with someone you care about are simple choices we’re all entitled to make. We only consider them failures because somewhere along the line, we allowed other people’s expectations to determine what we believed we should be doing and how we should be behaving. 

This isn’t to say you should lower your expectations or totally ignore the guidance of others in your life, BUT...these types of things are merely choices that are, for the most part, neutral. They have no real negative effects on our lives and only carry the weight of the word “failure” because of the pressure we put on ourselves. 

Real “Failures”

Real “failures” are actual attempts at things that don’t work or mistakes that do have a negative effect on our own lives or the lives around us.

Making a costly mistake at home or in business, launching something that no one buys, forgetting an important meeting, losing your temper irrationally at your children… these could all be things that we put into the real “failure” category. 

These things can feel huge because they are a direct blow to our confidence, and can easily lead us toward throwing in the towel. They can feel like a huge burden to carry and often can lead to massive amounts of anxiety, frustration or fuel to “make things right”. This is usually more about easing our own ego than actually doing what needs to be done for the good of both ourselves and others. 

The Truth About Failure

While both perceived and real failures seem huge at the time, they usually aren’t. In fact, making mistakes often means you’re in the game. It means you’re showing up. It means you care. 

Eating breakfast when you planned on fasting isn’t a failure—most people don’t care enough to even give fasting a try! You do, and you’re doing the best you can to make it happen. 

Launching something no one buys isn’t a failure—you created something and put it out into the world. You’re doing better than most people who just let their ideas collect dust in their minds, never taking the time to try to create anything new. 

Failing often means you have standards and expectations, and you care about showing up to make things happen. Failing at something doesn’t make you, as a person, a failure. It makes you’re human.

5 Tips for Dealing with Failure

No one enjoys failing, but when we can reframe our perception and look at it in a new light, failure isn’t nearly as painful or difficult. These five tips will help you deal with failure when it comes!

1. Failure is not final unless you allow it to be final. You can either let small failures stop you in your tracks, or you can let them serve as feedback and course correction. You can learn from your failures and get better, or you can succumb to the weight of them. Failure happens, but it doesn’t have to be the end unless YOU say it’s the end. 

2. Give yourself grace. When you fail, give yourself grace. Think about how to move forward, then MOVE FORWARD. Forgive yourself, if necessary, and know that you’re doing a great job.

3. Progress over perfection. This is our mantra in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss! We live by it daily and remind our clients ALL THE TIME that perfection is never our goal—we want progress! Even if you can get only 1% better every day or every week, that progress adds up to significant gains over time.

4. Learn from your failures. If you don’t evaluate the mistakes you make to determine if they’re merely perceived or actual issues, then you won’t be able to make improvements. And, if you don’t make improvements, then your failure is essentially wasted. 

5. Failure doesn’t make you a bad person. Who you are is not directly related to how perfectly you go through life. There is so much more to you than that! Don’t let setbacks determine your self-worth.

At the end of the day, you can either let “failure” taunt you, keeping you from your true purpose in life, or you can look at it for what it is: a learning opportunity on your journey toward fulfilling your role in life. 

If you want to accomplish big things at home, in business/work, or in your community, then you have to commit to reframing failure, embracing it as a tool for learning, and never allowing it to determine your worth. 

Do you live by the mantra Progress Over Perfection? Let us know in the comments!

Learn more about the FASTer Way lifestyle:

• Why Intermittent Fasting is necessary for optimal health

• Tips for living a healthier lifestyle

• What is Carb Cycling?

5 Health + Fitness Trends to Avoid in the New Year

There’s no “magic bullet” for weight loss, but that doesn't stop millions of people from trying the biggest trends on the Internet. Avoid these 5 popular wellness trends that might give you quick short-term results, but will set you back in the long run!

If you want to lose weight, get well, prevent disease, and fulfill your purpose with energy, there are solid, science-backed strategies that could move you toward your goal. There are also plenty of popular trends that will actually hold you back from the healthy lifestyle you’re trying to live!

Avoid these 5 wellness trends and focus on a lifestyle that will help you feel your best, look your best, and BE your best! The FASTer Way lifestyle is the perfect solution for healthy strategies balanced with real life.

5 Wellness Trends to Avoid

1.Cutting Carbs

If you’re familiar with the FASTer Way, then you know we’re passionate about healthy, sustainable strategies. 

There are a lot of reasons cutting carbs out of your diet is a bad idea, but in short, your body needs complex carbs for brain function, optimal thyroid output, and energy. Cutting them out completely is a sure-fire way to lose weight quickly (for a while), then gain it all back when your metabolic rate slows down and your willpower runs out. Women, in particular, need a healthy dose of carbs to keep their hormones in check and their fat loss on track. 

Unless you have a medical reason to cut carbs, this is NOT an optimal strategy for long-term weight loss and overall health. Instead, try a carb cycling approach that gives your body the carbs it needs, while also giving you the benefits of eating low carb, occasionally. 

Learn more about carb cycling:

• What is Carb Cycling

• Carb Cycling for Women

• Carb Cycling Made Simple

2. Weight Loss Pills, Shakes, Supplements, or Cleanses

There are some great supplements and cleanses out there (and a lot that you should definitely avoid!), but if you’re using them to lose weight without changing your lifestyle, it simply won’t work. No matter how many products you try, if you don’t get to the root of the problem, no amount of supplements will get you healthy OR help you burn fat.

Instead, try implementing some healthy strategies that you can practice long term. Focus on whole foods. Move your body. Rest your body. Start Intermittent Fasting. Do carb cycling. Change your mindset. For the best results, do all of these things (which we’ll teach you in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss)!

3. Working Out With No Real Plan

There are plenty of great tools out there (apps, mirrors, YouTube, and more!) to help you find a workout you love. However, if you are simply relying on random workouts that are not part of a larger holistic plan, then you won’t see the long-term results you want. They can be the best workouts on the planet, but if they aren’t part of a cohesive program and paired intentionally with your nutrition AND your other workouts… you’re not going to see results. 

Instead, look for an approach that intentionally pairs different types of workouts with a full nutrition plan so you aren’t over-taxing your adrenals, and you are getting the maximum fat-burning results that you want.

4. Joining Challenges With People Who Aren’t Trained Professionals 

In today’s online world, anyone can call themselves a health coach and start dishing out exercise and nutrition information. Unfortunately, this is a huge problem for consumers. 

Cookie-cutter programs (with no real professionals to coach clients through the strategies) are wreaking havoc on metabolisms, mindsets, and health. This cycle continues to perpetuate the yo-yo diet culture and does more harm than good. 

Be sure that you choose a trained, certified, and experienced coach who is promoting sustainable, science-backed strategies… not the new DVD series of the month. 

5. Slashing Calories and Exercising Too Much

This isn’t a new trend, but it seems to be one that never goes away. 

Real talk: if you undereat and overexercise for too long, you’ll actually depress your metabolism, making it impossible to keep the weight off without cuttinging calories further. Instead, you need to learn how to fuel your body with ENOUGH food to keep it running optimally, while also enjoying some of your favorite treats—guilt-free—because your quality of life matters.

Look for a lifestyle that’s going to teach you how to effectively manage your macro and micronutrient intake while utilizing effective exercise to reach your goals without doing long-term damage to your metabolism. 

What To Do Instead

Roller coasters are for amusement parks, not your health. Instead of riding the ups and downs of weight gain and loss, learn how to eat in a flexible way that still allows you to have your donuts and eat them, too!

The FASTer Way to Fat Loss is unlike any program on the market. In just four years, we’ve helped more than 130,000 clients get into the absolute best shape of their lives… and stay that way. No more resolutions to lose weight. No more roller coasters. Just a simple, flexible lifestyle that makes health and fitness doable for the long run. Join the next round to experience it for yourself!

The FASTer Way 2019 Accomplishments

2019 was a banner year for the FASTer Way to Fat Loss! We grew as a company, as a community, and especially as individuals—all thanks to our incredible community of FASTer Way members. Here’s a look at what they helped us accomplish in 2019!

 While our clients were working hard this year, we were also working hard to bring more value to our members and to anyone looking for a great, new resource to improve their health and fitness. In 2019, our goal was to SIMPLIFY the FASTer Way lifestyle, and we made significant improvements to enhance our clients’ experience. 

In the last 12 months in our VIP Membership, we have:

• Created an on-demand digital studio with new modalities (yoga, barre, HIIT boxing, spin, dance aerobics, and more) that can be accessed any time, anywhere

• Added new instructors and head trainers to our roster 

• Introduced live community workouts 6 days per week

• Formed specialized sub-groups within our women’s VIP membership so clients could connect with others in their same stage of life (breastfeeding, menopause, etc.)

• Offered one-on-one consults with head trainers 

• Expanded options to work out with any device: phone, tablet, or TV via Chromecast

• Released weekly meal plans with a daily breakdown of meals and recipes

• Included a weekly vegan meal plan for our plant-based clients

• Released our all-new app for VIP clients as well as a separate app for new clients so workouts, meal plans, and all FASTer Way info is available at your fingertips

In the last 12 months, The FASTer Way has:

• Redesigned the program to introduce habits systematically for real lifestyle change

• Launched The FASTer Way Podcast to bring listeners weekly interviews with leading experts in the wellness industry

• Published the FASTer Way to Fat Loss Book, which quickly became an Amazon #1 Best Seller

• Held a conference for hundreds of our FASTer Way Certified Coaches and Affiliates

• Certified hundreds of new coaches, bringing the total to more than 1,700.

• Released new merchandise including tape measures, resistance bands,  apparel, and more

• Donated more than $200,000 to cancer charities

• Relocated to the new FASTer Way headquarters in Tampa, Florida

• Dedicated part of the Tampa studio to exercise oncology services (personal training for cancer patients offered for free)

• Was named Tampa’s fastest-growing company

• Appeared on many TV segments and podcasts to spread the word about Intermittent Fasting and the FASTer Way

• Created a scientific advisory board with top researchers to continue giving you the best, more current science-based information

• Helped more than 130,000 clients change their lives through healthy living

It’s been a whirlwind year, and we have our members to thank for giving us a reason to reach for the stars. We see daily proof that the FASTer Way offers hope to those who had given up and guidance to those who need a helping hand.

TO OUR MEMBERS:

Thank you for another incredible year of motivation, milestones, and moving stories of success and hope. We are grateful for each one of you and your tireless dedication to improving yourselves and the world around you. The vibrant VIP Membership community is unmatched in the fitness industry, and everything we have accomplished this year is because of you! 

We have BIG plans coming your way in 2020 and we can’t wait to share more! 

Our mission is to help you get well, prevent disease, and fulfill your purpose with energy. Let’s do this!!

 To learn more about the FASTer Way program and strategies, please read these articles:

• Can Vegans do the FASTer Way to Fat Loss?

• Thriving Through Pregnancy with the FASTer Way

• What is Carb Cycling?

• What is Intermittent Fasting?

• What is the FASTer Way to Fat Loss
  

Goal Setting is for Losers

Goal setting gets a place of honor when we talk about our New Year’s resolutions, but did you know that goals aren’t always everything they’re cracked up to be? You might even say that goal setting is for losers!

It seems like a bold statement, and you’d be right. Goals have been part of countless trainings for every possible aspect of life. From business to finances to health and fitness, goals have been an integral part of life for so many people.

But it’s true that goals, SMART or otherwise, are NOT the best way to achieve your dreams. There’s a better way that will get real results! 

Because goal setting is for losers.

It’s not that dreams and hard work aren’t important—they are actually critical to getting where you want to be—but there’s a much better process for the journey.

First, we have to identify the main problem with goal setting, and that’s the lack of proper mindset. Sure, we all want to get healthy or rich or succeed in business, but why? How will achieving this goal help fulfill your purpose in life? 

When we haven’t set the right foundation for our goals, it’s hard to accomplish them.

FASTer Way to Fat Loss founder and CEO Amanda Tress shared an alternative to setting goals that has worked for her and will work for you—if you stick to the process! You can watch the replay here.

This works for career, health and wellness, fitness, family, finances, relationships, and anything else that you can dream of improving!

4 Steps to Getting Stuff DONE:

Step 1: Cast a vision.

What do you want to accomplish in the next year or the next decade? Cast a vision for how it will look and where you’ll be.

Step 2: Determine Your Purpose/Pinpoint your why. 

Without a why you won’t see it through. When challenges come, you need to have a bigger reason to keep going—something that truly matters to you on a deep level. Ask yourself WHY you want to accomplish your certain something seven times. This will help you get to the real heart of why you’re doing it. You must learn why there’s so much as stake if you do or do not accomplish this goal.

Step 3: Reverse engineer the HOW. 

When you know where you want to be, it’s imperative to work backward to set those milestones for yourself. It gives a clear picture of exactly when you need to be at certain points along your journey in order to hit your timeline.

Step 4: DON’T wait. 

Start now! You don’t have to wait for a new year, a new month, or even for Monday to come. You can start right now. There’s nothing holding you back! You can start the process right now and achieve your goals. 

The Biggest “Take Away”

Sometimes you have to dig deep and see what needs to be eliminated from your life. Is there a person, toxic situation, or vice that needs some distance from you?

A big one that doesn’t always get enough attention: Whom do I need to forgive? If it’s helpful, make a list! Either have that tough conversation OR just bless and release. You can’t make everything right with everyone (no matter where the fault lies) and the best thing to do in that case is just let it go and forgive.

No matter what time of year it is, do what you need to do to end this season with excellence and integrity and look to the future with excitement! You can get there by casting a vision, finding your why, reverse engineering the how, and starting now.

You’ve got this!

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How to Live the FASTer Way on Vacation

Vacation season is upon us! As much as we look forward to trips and time away, travel and all the planning (and let’s be honest, the MONEY) associated with it can be stressful. One thing that shouldn’t stress you is the fear of blowing your diet. We have good news: the FASTer Way isn’t a diet! Acknowledging that the FASTer Way is a lifestyle designed to work with your busy life wherever you are is the first step to a stress-free trip.

Whether you’re heading on a relaxing trip to the beach or hitting the amusement park with your family, we want to give you with the information you need to fully enjoy your vacation without feeling the emotional and physical consequences of jumping off the bandwagon. 

Have a Game Plan

Having a general idea of where and when you’ll be eating will help you put a plan in place. Will you be cooking and eating in? Make a meal plan and grocery list prior to travel and avoid feeling frazzled in a foreign grocery store. That’s when we’re often tempted to splurge on processed junk food instead of whole foods. Pro tip: research grocery delivery options and save yourself a trip to the store! 

Will you be eating out for most meals? Spend a few minutes researching restaurants that offer nutritious, macro-friendly meals. Need more tips? Check out this post on eating out on the FASTer Way!

Stick to Your Feeding Window

Vacation looks different for everyone, but many of us choose to use the time to unplug, rest, and relax. Don’t forget that your digestive system needs rest, too! When you travel, try to stick to your 8-hour feeding window to keep your body in fat-burning mode. Practicing Intermittent Fasting while traveling will also help you avoid unnecessary calories and keep your body primed for your return home. 

Our clients often ask if they should try to keep up with carb cycling while they’re on vacation. The good news is, it’s up to you! If you love carb cycling and want to keep it up, then go for it. If it seems too difficult because you aren’t sure what your options will be, then don’t stress about it! Just plan to dive back in when you get home.

Move Your Body

The all-new FASTer Way Digital Studio workouts allow you to work up a sweat wherever you are. Many hotels provide fitness centers, and local gyms in tourist towns generally provide day or week passes. But we get it-- not everyone enjoys spending vacation time working out. If hitting the hotel fitness center isn’t your cup of tea, focus on moving your body. A long jog or bike ride is the perfect way to take in the sights of a new city! 

Give Yourself Grace

Repeat after me: progress over perfection. If you end up enjoying a few too many ice cream cones or frothy drinks on the beach, there’s absolutely no reason to feel guilty. FASTer Way clients are equipped to hop right back on the bandwagon, and we will support you every step along the way!

Download our Free 5-Day Meal Plan