I dove head first back into the program back in February after a really tough year.
Between our move and getting into an awful funk, I was at my wits end. Add a pandemic on top of that and my waistband was at its wits end too. School started back up in August and we were allowed to wear jeans every day... perfect.
I had one pair that fit and were remotely work appropriate.
After wearing that one pair of pants for an entire semester the dress code at work changed again and I needed to wear real teacher pants. Big bummer folks.
I had nothing, literally nothing that fit me and allowed me to still breathe while teaching.
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| May 2020 vs May 2021 |
But let me back track a bit...
I started Faster Way back in 2018 when I was trying to get pregnant with Elliot. I had been on Keto with the promise that it would increase fertility and I was still trucking along, not pregnant. I honestly needed a more balanced approach to nutrition and workouts. Somehow Amanda Tress came across my Instagram and I was hooked.
She showed results, a positive approach to health, and was pregnant while doing all of this (her third child at the time). She kept touting progress over perfection, and I have come to know she means this whole heartedly.
I started half for the need to get in better shape and give up the Keto, and half hoping I would get pregnant easily after balancing my macro intake and thus the old hormones.
At the time I couldn't afford to join the new client round, but was hoping to be pregnant soon anyway, so I joined her pregnancy program. Turns out I was already pregnant when I joined.
Pregnant & Faster Way
My long time blog friends might remember my pregnancy with Harrison. I gained 60lbs, was terribly sick, and had such at blood pressure at the end that I was induced out of fear of preeclampsia.
Fast forward to my pregnancy with Elliot - and having started FW out of the gate. I still dealt with heartburn, but I don't think I threw up once. I gained 25lbs, my blood pressure was amazing, and my recovery (compared to how horrible it was with Harrison) was incredible.
I craved fruit salad, versus the ice cream I was dying for with Harrison. I don't even recall the meat aversion I had with Harrison being terrible with Elliot. Granted those first weeks are awful, but I was so much healthier overall with Elliot's pregnancy.
Postpartum & Beyond
I continued FW throughout my postpartum period and was in great shape, my milk supply was higher than ever, and I felt better with a newborn than I had the first time.
Everything eventually fell by the wayside when we moved and the stress overtook me.
But! When I had hit rock bottom when we returned to work, post lockdown, I knew what I had to do. I started trying to Faster Way on my own with what I had from the pregnancy program... but so many updates had been made to the program overall.
Amanda and her team added video workouts, an amazing app, and weekly menus to the already community based vibe of the program.
So I bit the bullet and joined a New Client Round in Feb of this year (2021).
My 6 Week Journey
During the course of my 6 weeks I initially struggled with how sore I was. I didn't realize at all that the workouts I was doing before had failed my so much so that getting back into the FW was going to kick my butt.
I don't say this to deter you. I say this to show you that I started out with 2lb and 5lb weights and was dying! My muscles needed to get back to weightlifting. (heck in high school I could bench press near 90)
Being back in the program full speed, with the video workouts and meal plan, was incredible. Those two additions since 2018 made all the difference for me. The short/concise workouts with meal plans (that I pick and choose and add my own items from) helped me not only get in better shape and health, but it helped me when I was in a massive food rut and couldn't bother to come up with an idea for lunch.
Anyone still reading? I know... this is long today.
I ended the 6 week program with 11 inches lost overall, the majority from my midsection.
I haven't measured again this summer, but at the end of May I was up to 14 inches overall.
But Emily! What about weight?
If I told you I haven't had some massive weight drop... would you believe me?
I realize I'm not super overweight right now, I was holding fat instead of muscle and honestly it seems that the muscle built kind of replaced the fat weight on the scale.
I started at 143 and as of last week weighed 137.
Nothing big right?
But my measurements say something different. My clothing says something different. Heck I've even had people notice.
The scale is a liar. Ignore it.
I've still got some progress to make, in June of 2019 I was at 130. It's not much, and it won't happen tomorrow... but it'll happen eventually.
Especially with a program that encourages memories over macros. Progress over perfection. And non-scale victories.
I'm not moving at the speed of sound with some program I can't maintain in the long run, I'm not making meals the family refuses to eat. Heck, I even kept our Chicken Nugget & French Fry Wednesday night meal on board and work my macros around it. It's not about deprivation, I eat more on Faster Way (calorie wise) than I ever ate before FW. I also give myself more grace and don't feel guilty about having fun.
I'll wrap this up with an example - today is a low carb day. I'm not breaking my fast until lunch and I got in a HIIT workout first thing this morning. But we are headed with friends to Peach Park to eat lunch, play, and buy some fresh product... there might even be peach hand pies and ice cream involved. Instead of guilt and not eating like I would in the past - I'm going to enjoy lunch and then come home and cook my healthy dinner I planned before this adventure was on the books.
You can still enjoy life and get your health in check at the same time friends.
I'll drop a few more links for the curious -
