Faster Way to Fat Loss Challenge Recap

So in the fall, I shared that I was rejoining Faster Way to Fat Loss (FWTFL) again and the plan was to hit it hard. Fast forward through Thanksgiving, a move, Christmas, and New Years, and I decided after such a rough month of December it was time to join the VIP Challenge for January. So this is an update on where I started, where I am now, and how the Faster Way to Fat Loss 6 Week VIP Challenge is going since we are already in week 4.

First, I want to say that I am not a workout guru or a workout fanatic. I actually kind of hate working out. I typically wake up ready to go, can’t get it in during that time because of kids or work, and then lose motivation the more the day goes on. However, what drew me to FWFTL in the first place was the 30 minute-ish workouts! Not only can I get these done on my lunch break, but if I miss that, I can still get them in before bed at some point, even if my kiddos are sitting right next to me and trying it themselves.

With that being said, I have no will power. I’m learning things about myself during this challenge that I might have known before but am coming to terms with this time around. Like the fact that if I don’t have things written out for me every day, I will not follow the game plan. I buy all the food for the pretty great meal plan that comes with the membership and then if I don’t have it scribbled down somewhere, I forget what to eat and end up grabbing the wrong sustenance. Or, that if I buy the bad things for other people in the house, I WILL eat them just to get it back OUT of the house. Not a good game plan. So I’m learning that I need to get more organized and ready for the days as well as that I CANNOT even buy treats for others.

I also find that I like to bite off more than I can chew but I know this about myself. It feels like I am afraid of getting bored. But since we moved, I feel like I have been just taking things in stride and a little bit of downtime can be a good thing. We don’t have to constantly be going going going. I like to make to-do lists that I know will not get done, set goals that I know I won’t follow through with, and so on… So just like normal, I set the goal to work out every day, even if the challenge only requires 3 days a week. And wouldn’t you know, I’ve only done 4 days a week once and the rest were 3! I should maybe lower my self-expectations a bit and I bet I’d surprise myself in the end.

Ok, so let’s recap my experience so far with FWTFL!

Things I absolutely love about FWTFL:

• The Food. I am loving the meal plans so far. Most of the time my family eats them too and there haven’t been too many complaints. The smoothie recipes are delish — I’ve only found one I don’t like so far.
• It helps me realize what’s good to eat when. By having low macro, low carb, and fasts even, I am more aware of what foods contain what. Which in turn, helps me make better choices.
• The Workouts. As stated above, I do love that the workouts are quick and (not) easy. Most only require a few weight options and some don’t even require any extra gym accessories. I have over the last couple of months acquired things like bands and weights, but those aren’t necessary if you don’t have them.
• Set a challenge. Not only does FWFTL help me set a challenge, I feel like I want to try more things or harder things with regards to this program. It helps me set challenges like committing to working out so many times a week, or using heavier weights. Sometimes it’s just small goes to try to not straying for a day or two from the meal plan! Whatever the challenge, it’s fun to set small goals and feel accomplished.
• Seeing & Feeling Results. From day one, you’ll feel a difference with this program even if you only follow the food recs or you only do the workouts. It’s kind of funny. I always sleep really well after like day 2 of starting over on the foods. And the push to drink all the water is super helpful in feeling better almost right away too!

Things I dislike about FWTFL:

• Not much.
• The only thing I can really think of is that a lot of the recipes do not feed multiple people. So I have to improvise to feed a family of 4–6 and a hungry husband. When I cook, I try to make enough for the family but sometimes the portions are pretty small. That’s not necessarily a bad thing unless your husband is hungry LOL. But that’s really it.

So… Now… for the updates. I don’t want to share a before and after because I’m not that girl, I just can’t do it.

But I can share weight and inches:

I’m actually pretty pleased with the results so far. I have not been the greatest at following the meal plan suggestions over the weekends and it feels like once a week we end up eating out. This usually happens because I am too lazy to cook again. One thing I now realize thanks to the pandemic is that I don’t think I was cut out for making 3 meals a day 7 days a week, even if it’s just warming up leftovers LOL.

But with that being said, you can see inches lost here and that’s pretty awesome! I’m very happy with the direction I’m going and can’t wait to see where I am in two more weeks! But I do enjoy this lifestyle change! Even if I don’t follow it 100% all the time, I am still feeling much better when I don’t eat like poo!

Originally published at http://hellomissmartha.com on January 28, 2021.