WHY I DECIDED TO GIVE IT A SHOT
A little background on how I ended up pulling the trigger on FWTFL. I am not a good eater. I usually say I’m picky, but I’m nowhere near as picky as I was before I began dating my husband and realized that sushi had, in fact, been around for quite sometime and it wasn’t new to everyone in 2007. I now eat a wider range of foods, but I don’t care for many whole, real, or green foods. I tried a few diets here and there in the past, but the only one that ever worked for me was pumping breast milk around the clock after each of my sons were born… and that clearly wasn’t happening forever. Or even more than twice. I finally had found a fitness routine that helped, but after moving to a different state and not having any sort of schedule in place, I was quickly getting to a place where I was having to buy bigger sizes in clothes and not feeling great in my own skin. I follow a few bloggers who had started mentioning the program but continuously mentioned that you can still eat the foods you like. It caught my attention. I did my research and figured it was now (then) or never. As of today, I’ve been following the program (sometimes more loosely than others) for just over a year, and I have no intentions of ever changing my eating schedule again.
WHAT IS FASTER WAY TO FAT LOSS
And does it cost money?
First things first. Yes, it is $199 to do a round of the program. After that, if you decide to continue with the given support it is $99/month (but they run specials now and then where you can lock in a lower price). What does that get you? You get an online certified coach and a closed Facebook accountability group. You LEARN a lot. There is also access to meal plans, recipes, grocery guides, all of the workouts (gym and at home), etc. It is all done online and through the app. You’re not purchasing any foods. In my opinion, after my first six weeks, the price was worth every penny.
The program focuses on/incorporates the following:
- Intermittent Fasting – You pick an eating window and make this your new schedule. I eat from 11:30AM – 7:30PM. Was it tough at first? Yes, but only because my body wasn’t used to it. It took about a week and a half before I got it completely under control and I wasn’t hungry or thinking about snacking outside of my window. Water helps! You can drink all of the water that you want during your fasting window.
- Counting/Tracking Macros – What is a macro? Macro is short for macronutrients, which are the group of nutrients found in food that give us energy and those consist of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. All three of these are essential in our diets. Each day of the week, you will have a set number of grams of each of these nutrients that you’ll want to consume. The program has you keep track of these by logging in the MyFitnessPal app on your phone. It’s not necessary to upgrade to the premium version of the app, but I highly recommend it. Your coach will teach you exactly what you need to tailor the app to help you reach your goals.
- Carb Cycling – When you start the program, you’ll be given a schedule to follow for each day of the week. Those days consist of Low Carb, Regular Macro, and Low Macro. In your Prep Week (beginning of the program) you’ll learn about what each of these entails. A large benefit of the carb cycling is that it’s helping transform your body from a sugar burner to a natural fat burner.
FWTFL doesn’t count or restrict calories. When you look at food labels, you’re only looking at the macros. If everything is logged correctly into your app, you won’t find yourself going over your calorie intake goal.
MY RESULTS
And feedback
You’ll see in the chart below my starting measurements when I did my first six weeks in March of 2019 and the last measurements were taken in February 2020, which is the timespan on my before and after picture. My absolute favorite part of all of this is that I was down 8 pounds and 7 inches in six weeks and I didn’t have to cut out foods and drinks that I love. I just had to figure out a place where they would fit best in my eating schedule. I learned a lot that I didn’t know before about the macros in different foods. Now that I’ve been doing the program for just over a year, I can pretty much map out in my head what I can eat on low-carb days and what I can eat on regular macro days. In the beginning, I used to say it was like playing Tetris with macros when I was logging my food in the app. About two weeks in, it all really starts making sense and you start to really get the hang of it – because, trust me, I know it is confusing at first! A big help, though, is PRE-LOGGING your food for the day. If you log the night before, you know what you’re supposed to be eating and when, and you don’t get stuck at the end of the day either cramming macros in or being hungry because you don’t have enough macros left to get in a good dinner. I tend to be a creature of habit, so once I found days where my macros would be just about perfect, I would just repeat those food schedules the next week. For instance, I still eat Chick-fil-a every Monday for dinner because it fits in perfectly with my low-carb days! Winning.
One major change that I made for myself when I started the program was my water intake. I log my water as I drink it throughout the day and I make sure to get in 90 – 100 ounces per day. I’ve really noticed that if there are days when my eating is just completely off track but I still accomplish my water intake, I don’t feel crummy the next morning. The water saves me!
Speaking of having days where my eating is off track… YES, IT HAPPENS! And it happens more than I’d actually like to admit. But the program focuses on this being a lifestyle change and not a “diet.” You fall off track, you get right back on. I’ve gone on several vacations over the past year where I’ve let myself just be in the moment and not focus on the food… and I will tell you that, yes, I don’t feel as great about myself at the end, but as soon as I get back into my routine, I’m back to exactly where I was beforehand in about two days of following my schedule. I will say though that even on vacations, I do stick to my intermittent fasting schedule as much as possible, and I think that helps a lot!
As far as the workouts went, I already had a gym schedule in place when I started last March, so I just continued doing what I had been doing. I workout 4 – 5 days a week so I’m still getting in my rest days. However, I have done quite a few of the at-home workouts that the program offers and they are just as great as actually going to the gym. Do you HAVE to workout with the program? No. Working out just increases your results!
I did two full six week rounds before I switched over to the FWTFL VIP program. The VIP program is for anyone who wishes to continue in the program long term after the initial six weeks and still get the tools and accountability along the way.
Before & After Pictures and Chart
| | Weight | Waist | Hips | Thigh | Butt | Bust | Total Inches | Body Fat % | Body Mass Index |
| 3/11/19 | 137lbs | 32” | 38” | 22” | 39.5” | 36.5” | 168 | 26% | 24 |
| 4/29/19 | 129lbs | 29.5” | 36” | 21” | 39” | 35.5” | 161 | 25.5% | 23.5 |
| 6/10/19 | 127lbs | 28.5” | 35” | 20” | 38” | 35” | 156.5 | 24.9% | 23.5 |
| 2/11/20 | 127lbs | 27” | | 18” | 35.5” | 35” | | 24.5% | 23.2 |
If you’re interested in trying the program, you can sign up here: my FWTFL affiliate link. I am not a certified coach, but this is the link to sign up under the coach that I worked with and she was extremely helpful, not to mention one of the top coaches in the program! Feel free to email me if you have any questions about my experience with the program or the process of getting started!
Disclaimer: This review is based on my personal experience with the program. I am not a doctor, nutritionist, medical or fitness professional. I also can not guarantee that my results will be anyone else’s results. Please consult your doctor regarding any questions or concerns when starting a new nutrition and/or fitness program.
