PREP WEEK: DAY 1 · Monday Training

DAY ONE: Intermittent Fasting 

Weekly Affirmation to repeat - “I will allow myself to be a beginner. I am willing to learn and grow, even after stumbling. I am worthy of investing in my health.”

Welcome to the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, friends! 🚀 This week, I am going to teach and guide you through the foundational components of our program! It is super important for you to pay attention to each morning post, as you will learn something new every day this week. 

Please check for my morning post every single day and ask questions in the comments in our Slack group. I ask that you do this because if you have a question, someone else likely has the same question! This week will set your foundation so it is important that you stay with me and ask every question along the way. 💥

Today we are going to focus on the first aspect of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, program and the one that sets it apart from all other programs: Intermittent Fasting.

INTERMITTENT FASTING:

  • Intermittent Fasting is not a diet as some people believe, but rather an eating schedule. As a general practice, we follow a 16:8 protocol. This means you will fast (go without food) for 16 hours and consume all of your food within an 8 hour window. For example, you may want to skip breakfast and begin eating at noon. Your feeding window may be from noon until 8:00PM. If that is the case, you will be done eating at 8:00PM, which is when your fasting window begins again. It’s important to note that your 16-hr fasting window can be whenever you choose! It doesn’t necessarily have to be from 8:00PM-12:00PM. If you finish your last meal of the day by 6:00PM, you’ll be ready to eat by 10:00AM the next morning. Your fast begins the minute you take your last bite. The FASTer Way App has a convenient Fasting Timer if that’s helpful for you.

  • Don’t forget that you can have up to 50 liquid calories during your fast if needed. ☕️ See more specifics below on fast-approved liquids.

  • It’s also important to note that your fasting window can change from day to day. If you work late and have to eat dinner at 10:00PM, that’s OK! Try and break your fast as close to 2:00PM as you can!

  • It is also super important for you to realize that you may have to build up to 16 hours. I will cover this more in our training today. You may need to start fasting for 10-12 hours and slowly increase your fasting time. It’s normal to feel hungry at first, but trust me, I am going to teach you how to fuel your body so well that intermittent fasting just becomes a natural part of your life. You will also learn how to listen to your body (your hunger cues) in order to determine which fasting protocol is best for your body.

  • If you need some tips on getting started, check out some of our tips in the blog below!

https://www.fasterwaytofatloss.com/blog/2019/12/17/top-5-tips-how-to-survive-intermittent-fasting)


TODAY’S ACTION ITEMS:

  • Introduce yourself in our Slack group. Please share a little about yourself and your main reason for signing up for this program. Let's hear from everyone today! 🗣

  • Try skipping breakfast and try for a 10-12 hour fasting window at minimum. We will eventually build up to a longer fast as time progresses and your body adapts to this new lifestyle!

  • Get your app downloaded if you haven’t done so already! Refer back to Sunday morning’s post for instructions. We will learn how to use the app soon.

  • Be on the lookout for at least two posts per day (maybe more) this week. I want to teach you everything I can this week. My advice is to check this group when you wake up and before you go to bed. This week will bring along a ton of wonderful education so get excited to learn! 

BONUS ACTION ITEMS:

  • Try the HIIT workout today in the App! Our workouts are quick and effective, but also challenging. You aren’t a failure if you need to follow the modifier. Move your body and be proud of what you accomplish! 

  • In the FASTer Way App, open the “Today” tab and your workout will be there.

  • Listen to the podcast below to learn all you need to know about the (FASTer Way to Fat Loss)! https://www.fasterwaytofatloss.com/blog/2019/12/23/what-is-the-faster-way-to-fat-loss

  • Confused about what to eat? Try some of the recipes from our meal guide this week. Meal guides are found in the App. Again, do not attempt to be perfect. We are focusing on progress this week and learning! 👌

FAST-APPROVED LIQUIDS

  • Water, including electrolyte water

  • Water + the juice of whole fruits, vegetables, herb-based flavorings like lime, lemon, orange slices; cucumber, mint, ginger

  • Water + BCAAs

  • Black coffee

  • Carbonated water or seltzer water without sugar or artificial sweeteners

  • Herbal tea, black tea, green tea without sugar or artificial sweeteners

  • Bone Broth

  • MCT oil, coconut oil limited to <50 calories per serving

  • Unsweetened dairy alternatives (like almond, coconut, cashew) limited to <50 calories per serving as an add to beverages

  • Powdered collagen peptides limited to <50 calories per serving as an add to beverages

  • Greens powder without sugar or artificial sweeteners limited to <50 calories per serving

  • Multivitamins, non-nutritive supplements, medications as recommended by a healthcare team

Will it break my fast?

I receive a lot of questions throughout Week One regarding intermittent fasting.  Most of my questions revolve around coffee. BELIEVE ME when I say that I could not live the FASTer Way without my morning coffee! So YES, you can have coffee during your fast! Here are a few guidelines regarding what will or will not break your fast:

  • Black coffee, unsweetened tea, hot tea and/or water will not break your fast!  Enjoy any and all of these during your fasting window.   

  • You can have up to 50 calories of (preferably) non-dairy creamer, etc. (any liquid) every day in your coffee if you need it.  Please be sure not to exceed 50 calories total; otherwise, you might accidentally break your fast earlier than you want to.  I use either unsweetened almond milk, and a half pack of stevia in mind, every day. You can find unsweetened almond milk and other options anywhere. No sugar or fiber in whatever you’re using! 

  • You can also add collagen peptides into your morning tea or coffee if you consume collagen. If you’re using Vital Proteins (that is what I use) the serving size is 2 scoops. BUT, 2 scoops will break you fast. So, during your fasting window, just use 1 scoop! It’s a great way to get some added protein in. Just don't add collagen peptides along with creamers because you will most likely break your fast! Always remember the 50-calorie rule.

  • I get a lot of questions about diet drinks during the fasting period.  So as a whole, diet drinks are not supported by the FASTer Way.  With that, we know that breaking up is hard to do. 😉 Some people can drink diet drinks and it doesn't affect their sugar.  The unlucky ones do experience a sugar spike and that unfortunately will break your fast (if your sugar spikes). The only way to know for sure is if you actually test your blood sugar after drinking a diet soda.  My suggestion is to stay away from diet drinks, altogether. Don’t drink them during a fast. Limit (if not omit) during the eating window.

  • Watch out for vitamins in the mornings!  I am all for vitamins and take them daily; however, I take mine in the evenings because some of my vitamins actually have hidden calories!  Be sure to check yours!  Vitamins can also upset your stomach during your fasting period so be careful of that!

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding what might break your fast!