PREP WEEK: DAY 4 · Thursday Training 

Eliminating Gluten and Dairy
& Mindset

Happy Thursday, friends! You all have learned so much this week and we are going to take today to tie up any loose ends. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions over the next few days!

I am sure you’ve heard that we aim to eliminate gluten and dairy as much as possible. I know that old habits do not die off too easily; therefore, like with everything else in the FASTer Way, we practice progress over perfection. In the meantime, here is a little information as to why we believe in eliminating gluten and dairy when possible.

Gluten and dairy have made a name for themselves and are two favorites in the Standard American Diet. Unfortunately, you may not know this, but they tend to cause an inflammatory reaction in the body. The surprising thing is the fact that most people have no idea that gluten and/or dairy may be the underlying cause of different health ailments! Even if you do not have a condition like Celiac, these foods can be inflammatory.

Many clients notice a huge difference after just a couple of weeks of removing these foods from their diet. Their digestion improves, their bloating is either reduced or eliminated altogether, their skin conditions improve, etc.. I encourage you to start paying attention to gluten and dairy this week. Try eliminating them and see if you feel better in a couple of weeks! Eliminating gluten and dairy both may take time. My advice is to eliminate when possible and continue to practice progress over perfection! 👏 Most of the time, I try to be gluten & dairy “lite”. Eat it when I really want it and try to cut it out by being conscious of it. During these 6 weeks, try first to cut back to elimination. Then, gradually try to add one type of dairy back in and see how your body responds. I noticed I was more sensitive to some dairy and gluten and not as sensitive to others with this slow, controlled method.

 

Be sure to read more information on why we remove gluten and dairy in the app. Click on the Resources Tab > Whole Food Nutrition > (scroll right) Eliminating Dairy and Gluten.

Or click here

 

THE POWER OF MINDSET

I am going to introduce you to three of our foundational beliefs in the FASTer Way program. Be sure to keep these in mind as you begin your journey!

We focus on progress, not perfection

  • Perfection says you have to be perfect or else you’re failing - whereas PROGRESS celebrates the small victories along the way and helps us stay encouraged. This leads to long-term success and less frustration along the way! 

We celebrate non-scale victories

  • We do NOT measure success by a number on the scale. Throw your scale away. I am not kidding. We celebrate and recognize non-scale victories! A non-scale victory could include your jeans fitting more comfortably or having more energy!

We believe community is key

  • Relying on the FASTer Way community is KEY to reaching your health and wellness goals! If you ever feel overwhelmed, let me know! You have an entire community behind you who wants to see you succeed

Moving on, I encourage you to take 7 minutes and watch this video concerning how processed foods are addictive and just why we crave them! The author, Griff Neilson, explains it so well and explains what happens in the brain when we consume processed foods. I ask all of my clients to watch it in the beginning just so you can see how powerful food can be. Food is ALWAYS killing you or healing you.  I want for you to learn how to HEAL your bodies. When we get our health in order, the rest naturally falls into place.

We have to be OKAY with food not being our only source of joy. It is OKAY to use food for fuel and not pleasure. It is OKAY if every meal isn't a "home-run". It is OKAY for our taste-buds to change throughout our health journeys. We crave junk for a reason...because we continue to consume it! We always crave what we feed. Always. We are going to change our taste-buds, our bodies and our mindsets along the way!

A few notes to take into account:

  • I don’t want you to have a goal to lose more than 1 lb. per week.  Set your goals to either 0.5 lb. per week or 1 lb. per week. If you have more than 70 lbs to lose, let’s talk individually. We may set your goals a little differently.

  • This is not a starvation diet. We are burning fat, not pounds, necessarily.  In order for our bodies to BURN FAT effectively, we only want to be in a slight calorie deficit.  Another thing pertaining to calories - do NOT manipulate your calories in the MFP app. When you set your macros (which are carbs, fats and protein), your calorie intake will automatically set itself.  Do not adjust your calories in any way.

  • Carbs should be set at 45%, protein at 25% and fat at 30%.

  • If you have any kind of tracking/steps device linked to your MFP app, please unsync that.  We do not want your steps and/or exercise factored into how much food you will be eating. 

  • Don’t compare your numbers to anyone else’s! We all have unique starting points and goals. Your goals may look completely different than someone else’s!

TODAY’S ACTION ITEMS:

  • Continue to practice intermittent fasting today. Keep working towards your 14-16 hour goal!

  • Try tracking all of your food today. How close are you to reaching your protein goal? All macros are equally important, but you can not build and preserve lean muscle without sufficient protein. We all need to preserve lean muscle as we age.

  • Try participating in your FASTer Way workout! 💪 Remember that you may have to modify or even press "pause" throughout the workout. Progress over perfection! 

  • Weekly Affirmation -  “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.”

 

BONUS ACTION ITEMS:

As promised, here are more meal ideas for you to utilize as you navigate the next several weeks. For the first couple of weeks, I will be giving you some easy meal ideas, some resourceful websites, etc.. Again, don't forget about grabbing easy ideas from the (insert program name) meal guide. My advice to all of my clients is to search through the meal guide that's given to you in your app and choose what you know you'll eat. Do not purchase a bunch of grocery items that you know will go to waste.  Choose what you like from the meal plan and work the rest of your meals around that. 

There will be meals in the meal guide that you don't love and that’s okay. One of my goals is to give you different ideas because we all live different lifestyles. I found a good website for you to look through for some different macro friendly meal ideas! Remember, you need a sufficient amount of proteins, carbs and healthy fats in order to function at your best.

https://www.cottercrunch.com/anti-inflammatory-meal-plan-dairy-free-gluten-free/

 

Here is another tip while you’re learning: Keep it simple. It's okay to feel like you're eating the same things right now. That will improve as you learn more about macros and our different strategies. Keeping it simple right now may be the ticket to your success. As you're learning how to track this week, I want you to pay attention to what you're eating. Every time you log something in your app, pay attention to how much protein it has, how much fat it has and how many carbs it has. Doing this now is going to help you in the very near future, as we dive deeper into the (insert program name) strategies!


OVERNIGHT OATS -
GREAT FOR REGULAR MACRO DAYS! 

Okay, friends! If you’ve never had overnight oats, I am about to change your life. Overnight oats are simple, versatile and healthy! Most clients instantly fall in love with them as soon as they give them a try. I think you will, too! 🙌

 

As we move forward and depending on your goals, your portion sizes may be different from mine! That is perfectly fine. For reference, however, I use ½ cup gluten free oats, ½ cup unsweetened almond milk and 2 TBSP of collagen powder in my base. Mix all of these in a bowl and place them in the refrigerator for at least several hours before eating. Overnight oats are eaten cold and they’re incredible! Just you wait! Once you get ready to eat them, you can vary your toppings depending on whatever you have a taste for that day.

 

All of your ingredients can be found at all major grocery stores. If you would like to add collagen (for hair, skin, nail and joint health), we have a wonderful collagen supplement in our shop. Click on this link if you would like to purchase a clean and trusted collagen supplement: https://fasterwayshop.com/pages/supplements

 

As for your toppings, get creative! Here are some toppings ideas:

  • coconut chips

  • nut butter

  • honey

  • fresh fruit

  • cinnamon

  • nuts

  • dried fruit with no added sugar

 

Who will try these? Comment below and let me know! If you decide to make them, post a picture on social media and tag me so that I can see your bowl of deliciousness! ❤️

 

XOXO!



Breaking Fast

Breaking the fast is best done with a well-rounded meal with whole food proteins, fats and carbohydrates to promote better blood sugar balance and satiety. Carbohydrates trigger an insulin response and the response is exaggerated when:

  • Carbohydrates are consumed alone without protein and fat to buffer the digestion and absorption

  • Refined carbohydrates are consumed instead of whole food carbohydrates

  • A large amount of carbohydrates is consumed

Alternatively, a meal made of whole food ingredients, a mix of macronutrients and moderate carbohydrate load promotes gentle rise and fall of blood glucose and insulin response. It’s not uncommon to break a fast with a meal that contributes 25-30% of a client’s total macronutrient targets. Should a client be extremely hungry upon breaking fast, most days of the week, and tend to break their fast with 50% or more of their macronutrients, please see “Guidelines for Adjusting Macros” to determine if a change needs to be made. 

Here are some examples of break-fast meals that would be appropriate choices

  • Smoothie with frozen whole fruit + greens + avocado, 1-2 hard boiled eggs on the side

  • Turkey jerky + dried fruit + mixed nuts

  • Salad with assorted vegetables + chicken breast + beans + olive oil based dressing

  • Chia seed pudding + nuts + fruit

  • Egg omelet + diced ham + assorted vegetables

  • Pancakes with vegan protein powder + banana + oats

  • Smoothie bowl with fruit + soft tofu + nuts

  • Ground turkey stir fry + assorted vegetables + rice + cooking oil