Congratulations! You bit the bullet and you signed up for FWTL! Are you nervous? Don’t be – it’s a change but a good change. In fact, my body got on board with the changes well before my brain did, but that’s a story for another day. Today, I’m going to share all of my tips and tricks for surviving those first few days and weeks of the plan.
If you’re popping over to this post to assess just how scary this whole thing might be, keep reading, I think you’ll be surprised! If you’re ready to sign up, click here to ensure you snag a spot with my coach, Kristen.
My DM’s are usually flooded with questions about what to eat, what to snag at the grocery store, how to meal plan and how to eat out from friends who have just clicked that “register” button. I promise that I eat at Chick-Fil-A regularly (sometimes daily), find amazing pantry staples at both Trader Joe’s and my regular grocery store and eat the same things that I fix for my husband (but not my children, because they only eat Lunchables). If you take things one step at a time, especially in the first two weeks, you’ll be just fine, promise.
1. Hang Tight
I am all about some instant gratification, so the second I registered, I was ready to dive in head first. But listen up, fellow Type A’ers, that’s not the plan around here. You will receive all of the info you need but that info will be slowly handed to you over the course of prep week (Week 1). On the day you sign up, you may not receive anything more than a confirmation email. It’s ok, I promise. Typically all of the welcome info is emailed to you the weekend before Week 1 begins. And even, still, there will be much more info to come. I promise there’s a method to the madness, so sit tight with it and trust that you’ll be given the tools you need in a way that is manageable, without overwhelming you.
2. Check In
After you register for a round of FWTFL, you’ll be invited by your coach to join a private Facebook group specifically for that round. You’ll be surrounded by beginners, no question is off limits and this group will be an invaluable resource. Stay active in the group. My Coach, Kristen, posts daily training videos, recipe ideas, motivation, tips – all kinds of stuff to keep you on track. The groups I’ve participated in have all been incredibly encouraging of each other, which has been amazing to witness.
3. Prep Week
To be honest, I didn’t understand the value of Prep Week when I started my first round of FWTFL. I thought we would just be told what to do and dive in, on our own, trying to figure things out as we go. Instead, the point of Prep Week is to take an entire week to break down the plan slowly, over the course of 5 days, so that you learn each key principle (like carb cycling, how to eat low carb, the work outs, etc) in a manner that makes it all much more approachable. I can only speak to my coach Kristen, but she shares daily training videos in the Facebook group that are live and open for questions as she’s teaching the plan. This is why all of the info isn’t just emailed out to you when you sign up – your coach is your ultimate resource (and what you’re paying for!).
4. Calendar
Ok let’s talk tangible action steps that you can do to make your days easier as your start this whole gig. I set permanent calendar reminders for each day of the week, marking them as low carb, regular macro etc. That way, when I wake up each morning, I know what the plan for the day is. Seems simple, but it really does make a difference when there’s no guess work.
5. Follow the Inspo
As your getting started, it helps to find social media accounts that share meal plans, workouts and general inspiration. I love @megsmacros, @kristenbmills and @thehabyt on Instagram and SkinnyTaste for amazing low carb meals. Also, don’t forget that Pinterest is an endless resource for you – search “macro breakdown” or “low carb high protein snacks” and such and you’ll find millions of ideas at your finger tips.
6. Grocery Run
Take some time to plan a grocery run specific to stocking the items you’ll want to have on hand for the first week. As you learn the ropes, you’ll be able to adapt to any dining out situation, but in the beginning, you’ll want your house to be locked and loaded with options. Some suggestions: cauliflower rice, cauliflower gnocchi and pizza crust from Trader Joe’s, dried fruits for high carb snacks, deli meat, real butter, Collagen Protein Powder to hit those protein goals, frozen fruits to whip into smoothies and wine! Always, wine.
7. Grace
I want to be the first to admit that I had a hard time adjusting to how much food I needed to eat on this program. My brain just couldn’t understand that I had been under-eating and so it took me more than a few weeks of my first round to really, truly follow the program. Remember that you are learning something new and to give yourself grace. You will have days where you don’t hit your goals, you’ll have life events that make what you’re eating fall to the wayside, you’ll travel and all of it will be ok if you give yourself the grace you deserve. This program really is flexible, you just pick back up on the next day and go from there!
8. Watch for the Wins
In the beginning, keep an eye out for the small changes that happen as you work FWTFL. The first thing I noticed was less bloat around my cycle. Soon I was sleeping better, I was definitely eating way more than I had in forever (who doesn’t love that), I felt in control of my snacking – all of which I noticed within the first few weeks. Celebrate the small changes!
If you want to see my six week before and after photos and my thoughts on my very first round of Faster Way, check out this post!
Photos by Demi Mabry
I agree! I did my first round last February with a small group and LOVED it! However, this time I did it directly through Amanda and then was assigned to a smaller group. Hardly anyone posts anymore and the only thing we get it is a "good job!" as a response to our macro posts and one recipe idea a day – which are all from Skinny Taste. I love the program, but I would never do it again through that. I would look specifically for a smaller group/coach that was highly recommended. I hope that in the process of getting more successful, that it isn't losing its individualized appeal.
I'm so sorry that was your experience! I can only comment on having Kristen as a coach, because I've done both of my rounds through her, but she is incredibly active in the Facebook groups and on Instagram in general. The groups have been warm and encouraging in my experience with Kristen herself leading the charge (along with help, of course). I never joined the larger FWTFL Facebook group but have loved my experience – people in my first round actually still occasionally post wins and non-scale victories, even though the round was months ago! I can absolute understand how that lack of attention would not be worth the fee, I consider Kristen and her coaching style/knowledge to be what I'm paying for!
Your coach sounds awesome – I wish I had looked into her when I did a round of this at the end of 2018. Our "small group" was sort of a joke. It was like, the main daily post from Amanda with people commenting posting their macros, and "Yay good job!" replies from the coach. Questions mainly went ignored (in both the large and small groups). No real engagement. Lots of grumpy people in the large group, so I don't think it was just our group. Towards the end of the round, everyone basically stopped posting. I think the program seems great in theory, but wasn't worth the $$ to me. I hope they address these issues as it seems to be all growing very fast!