Keys to Success in Your Fitness Journey

It is PREP WEEK for my LAST group of clients for the year. We just had our first training call this morning and I’m so excited to be working with them through the holidays! They are going to be a fun group.

I am closing registration very soon, so if you want to get in and start your health and wellness journey BEFORE the holidays, you need to jump in right now (register here).

Today I want to talk about the keys to making your fitness journey a success.

Starting something new can be intimidating. For a lot of people, it means stepping outside a very comfortable COMFORT ZONE and risking failure! If you are just starting or are wondering what it takes to be successful in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss® program, this video is for you.

Here are the things you can do to be successful in any fitness journey, and specifically the FASTer Way to Fat Loss® program:

First, you must COMMIT. I’m not talking about just hitting the registration button and handing over your money. But since you did do that, let’s make sure you get your money’s worth! I’m talking about making the program a priority, digging into the materials when you get them (not waiting to the last minute to figure it out), maximizing PREP WEEK as a chance to ease into the program and practice the strategies so that when you get to WEEK 1 you are ready to go. When you fully commit, you will make it, you will succeed.

Second, you must PLAN. At the beginning of the program I ask all of my clients to name one main goal they have for themselves. A goal without a plan is just a wish. Our number one focus in the FASTer Way program is nutrition. To be successful, you have to think ahead. Plan your meals, plan your snacks. Don’t just plan whatyou will eat, but also plan whenyou will eat. Plan time to PLAN ;) 

Third, you need to ENGAGE. In the FASTer Way to Fat Loss® we use accountability groups because the success rate for women goes up when we have a strong support system in place. Staying engaged keeps you focused on your goals, helps you get back to it if you get distracted, validates your feelings as you go through the process because you are not doing it alone! The more you engage in the process and with others in your accountability group, the more success you will have with the program.

Last, STAY POSITIVE.Your journey will be sprinkled with missed workouts, non-functioning equipment, uncooperative time schedules, non-supportive friends and family and even a few “I just don’t feel like it” days. But, if you maintain a positive mindset, you will be so much more successful and so much more likely to pick yourself up and jump back into it the next decision, day, or whatever it is.

When you put these 4 things together, you will have amazing success in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss® program, you will reach your goals and be prepared to make it a lifestyle.

I hope this was helpful for you. I would love for you to let me know in the comments. You can also leave a question if you have one.

For more information on FASTer Way to Fat Loss® ---> check out my page here.

Low Carb Meal Planning Made Easy

It’s an exciting day for me. I have clients finishing up their first round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss® and getting ready to send me their final results. I CANNOT wait to CELEBRATE their success!

I also have a new group starting TOMORROW who are ready to THRIVE through the holidays and CRUSH their health and wellness goals. 

I do still have a few spots remaining -> so if you are thinking about joining I would jump on that registration right away and get your spot!

Today I want to talk a little about carb cycling (one of the strategies that we use in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss®  program) and how to make meal planning easier if you are just getting started.

For those that are unfamiliar with carb cycling, it is simply an intentional variation of carbohydrate intake. Some days you’re eating fewer carbs and some days you’re eating more.

For anyone who is new to carb cycling, it can feel a little overwhelming when you start thinking about meal planning. But it doesn’t have to be.

Here are a couple of tips for making meal planning easier if you are carb cycling:

1.  Always plan your meal around lean protein and healthy veggies and fats. If you focus on these things, you won’t miss the carbs on low carb days and you can easily add them in on regular macro days when your carb intake is higher.

For dinner your main meal plan could be grilled chicken and veggies. This is

all you need on a low carb day. On a regular macro day (when your carb intake is higher)

you could add rice, a baked potato, quinoa.

For breakfast your main meal could be bacon and eggs. Then on regular macro day you can add in the carbs with hash browns, toast, pancakes.

For lunch your main could be turkey rollups and carrots. For higher carb days add the bread and some fruit.

2.  Take your favorite meals and do a low carb swap. This means that you are going to take away the high carb item and replace it with a low carb item.  

Instead of mashed potatoes, make mashed cauliflower – again you can do this yourself or find a pre-made option in the grocery.

Spaghetti – everyone loves spaghetti. Make it low carb by replacing the pasta with zucchini noodles!

Breakfast toast - replace it with a low carb plain rice cake and choose low carb toppings like peanut butter or avocado 

3. Make your family favorites but offer two simple options: high carb and low carb.

On taco night, serve tortillas and hard shells along with lettuce cups.

For sloppy joe sandwiches or burgers off the grill, serve buns and lettuce wraps.

I hope you found this information helpful. I would love for you to let me know or if you have a question leave it in the comments! You can also check out my Pinterest board for low carb recipes ---> here.

Learn more about carb cycling in my next round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss® and start your journey to a healthier you!

What is FASTer Way to Fat Loss®? - Online Bootcamp

This is the first post in my series What is FASTer Way to Fat Loss®? with a focus on what to expect from the premier online bootcamp.

FASTer Way to Fat Loss®  Online Bootcamp

• It's a six week online program where you learn to create a healthy lifestyle and to effectively burn fat through cutting edge strategies (intermittent fasting, carb cycling, tracking macros).

• The bootcamp classroom is a private Facebook group (or email), a private website portal, LIVE online training calls, videos, podcasts, and My Fitness Pal.

• Daily instruction and accountability are provided in the private Facebook group.

• You access program information through a private website portal. In the portal you receive a comprehensive program guide, daily eating schedule and workouts for the six weeks and sample recipes. **There is no meal plan. 

• You learn the strategies through online readings, LIVE video training sessions and podcasts.

• You use My Fitness Pal to track your food consumption and learn to eat the right macros, at the right time, for the right reasons.

The goal of an online bootcamp is to allow people from all over the world to meet in an online classroom, learn together and support each other.

Learn more about my next round here.

Coming up next, I will discuss the elements of carb cycling and how it is used in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss® program.

How to Avoid the Holiday 15

This is the time of year that a lot of people look forward to. All of the end of the year holidays...Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s. People are getting together with family and friends, having all the yummy foods and treats and drinks and dealing with stress.

Wait, what?

The end of the year holidays stress a lot of people out because they are worried about over-eating, over-indulging and gaining weight! The reality is, most people will over-indulge and over-eat during the holidays and see some weight gain.

It doesn't have to be that way!

Here are my tips to avoid gaining the Holiday 15:

1. Drink lots of water - doing this fills your belly up and reduces the chance that you'll confuse the hydration signal and the hunger signal.

2. Start your day with some exercise - go for a walk, do a 20 minute elliptical, do anything that gets you moving. This will set you up to continue making healthy choices throughout the day (don’t want that workout to go to waste, right?)

3. Don’t accept any leftovers. Seriously! No matter how good it was or if it’s your aunt’s most amazing and delicious cheese ball…leave it behind. Out of sight, out of mind. You can’t overeat food that you don’t have, am I right?

4. Try intermittent fasting - try eating during a set window of time, say 8 or 10 hours. Not only will this kick start your body’s own natural fat burning process, but people who do intermittent fasting tend to eat less during their set eating window.

5. Finally, if you really want to head into the holidays without a worry in the world when it comes to eating and not eating, join my next round FASTer Way to Fat Loss® online bootcamp. I will equip you with the strategies you need to enjoy all the holiday food and treats and instead of gaining a Holiday 15, you could be on your way to losing a Holiday 15!

To sign up for my next round or check out what it’s all about -> click here

Running and Fat Loss

Dear runners, 

Have you been logging the miles but not seeing results in your body composition? This happened to me. I called it chubby fit syndrome. My legs could get me across the finish line of a half marathon, but I wished I was stronger and that my midsection was a lot firmer. 

This happens to A LOT of runners. 

What many runners don’t realize, and I was one of them, is that we are 1) under-eating in calories and 2) spending too much time in sustained state cardio -> which helps your heart and your endurance, but not fat loss and muscle building.

The FASTer Way to Fat Loss® put together a workout plan that includes interval training (like sprints and cardio HIIT), strength training and rest days. All things you are probably doing or have done before, but the FASTer Way combines the workouts with intermittent fasting and carb cycling for FASTER results.

You CAN do the FASTer Way if you are training for a half/full marathon. You won’t have to give anything up, in fact you can still enjoy that celebratory beer at the finish line if that’s what you like. The FASTer Way will simply show you how to improve the things that you are already doing and make them work FOR you instead of AGAINST you. 

And it’s not just about losing fat, the program has other benefits for runners like faster finish times, better quality of running and fewer injuries.

If I know anything about runners, it’s that you want to continue doing it when you are 70, 80, heck even 90! This program can show you how to fuel properly and maximize your workouts so that your body can sustain a lifetime of running. 

If you have any questions, email me at amycainefitness@icloud.com

You can find more information about the program or join my next round here.