Hi babes!
Thanks for following my Faster Fitness ‘6 Week Fat Loss Challenge’ journey. I have had so many amazing supporters help push me to get thus far, and am so blessed for that!
I just want to say that this experience has been the HARDEST best thing I have EVER done. Mentally and physically it is not easy changing your lifestyle. So please, don’t take this blog post that way because it has been very HARD to change. Especially the first two-week mark- I didn’t think I could live without a taco in one hand, and gummy bears in the other. Nevertheless 6 weeks!
As mentioned in my intro post for Faster Fitness, Savanna encouraged me to try the ‘6 Week Fat Loss Challenge’ because she KNEW how uncomfortable I was with my body and how bad I wanted to be more fit. I was ready to change my habits to align with my expectations… and boy was this challenge the way to go.
The 6 Week Challenge:
I’m sure a lot of you are curious about what the environment and program is like for the Fat Loss Challenge, so I thought I would talk a little more about how it works.
First, I was not allowed to step on a scale for 6 weeks unless it was the 2 week check in mark! Faster Fitness is one of the only facilities in Saint Louis that has a scale that measures everything, from your weight, body fat percentage, water weight, muscle mass, etc. Marshall said the scale they have is what sports teams like the Cubs use for their players’... pretty sick huh!
My favorite part about the program was how simple Faster Fitness makes it for people like me who are just starting to get into fitness and food prepping. Each week Marshall emails participant’s SIMPLE meal plans for them to follow for the week. As time has progressed I have become a better cook and mix and match things that Marshall put on my meal plans.
He also made it a requirement for us to be taking in 2 liters of water a day. That was hard for me at first because I wasn’t used to drinking a lot of water! I ended up getting a Nalgene water bottle that measures your water out in ounces and know to drink to of those to reach my goal. Also, I am newly obsessed with Mio for my water to help curb my sugar cravings, so that I do not stray from just water.
I also cut out ALL alcohol for the entire program. I am a social butterfly so this was especially hard for me on top of the cravings. When I did go out I would just drink a water and put a lime in it- voila! Virgin water vodka haha!
If I could even tell you how amazing it feels to eat RIGHT and get stronger.. I would but the feeling is indescribable. Especially if you eat as bad as I used to. I have SO much more energy, and don’t mind working out now because it’s fun and I have built a connection with people who work out with me in classes!
There is also a Faster Fitness app where you can book your group training times, and a habit accountability app. The habit app is awesome because it asks you every day if you hit your goal for the day beforehand. You either answer yes or no, if you answer no it helps your trainer know he needs to chat with you on what you are struggling with, and how to set you up for success.
So how does the program work?
Generally, people doing the contest get to go 4 days a week, for 45 minute intense workouts. Why so often? Each day is assigned a different area to your body. A day is the beginning of the week and focuses on the front side of the body, while B day focuses on the back section of your body towards the end of the week. Then there are the hardest, but most fun days... the Metabolic Conditioning classes! Those are a mixture of different workouts that help get your body moving, and heart rate up!
Faster Fitness also just got the My Zone sweat bands that send your workout results to an app you download on your phone and show on the tv’s during your workouts! I’ve never used one before but holy cow they make the work outs competitive and push me to hit calorie goals while I’m there or even when I do cardio at Planet! LOVE this new addition to the gym.
Another thing I really value is being able to work closely with Marshall and Greg in more ways than one. Whether that was with the work outs, or having them help me with my nutrition, they care about helping their members reach their goals!
We also have a Facebook support group that we all posted our struggles and successes to, that feature was nice because I knew I wasn’t the only one who was struggling. Especially on Valentine’s Day haha! Other members also posted recipe ideas for everyone else to try. I made this chicken melody with mushrooms, onions, and asparagus because of one of the members and it was amazing!
My Personal Struggles
So… If you know me you know tacos, cheese, popcorn, and fries are LOIIIIIFE. The first two weeks of this challenge were the worst part about it. It’s all about your mentality that you bring to the challenge, and allowing to keep that mental toughness all 6 weeks. I want to feel confident AND be healthy. That’s why I didn’t stray. But yes, not drinking alcohol, sometimes staying in and missing drinking events sucked! I also had a hard time cutting out almost all dairy but when I did I realized how much it helped transform my body! However, sacrifaces PAY OFF.
Mentality= Everything
The Journey:
Two weeks after the challenge, after finally getting over the hard bump I could feel my stomach pooch starting to go down. The first weigh in I had lost 2% body fat and 7 lbs.! I was so happy that after curbing my cravings and being more hungry than I was used to, was starting to pay off.
Week 4 check in I dropped 3 more lbs. and again 2% body fat. Since I am still very new to learning about how the fitness world works I asked Marshall and Greg about my results with and they said I was doing good with my weight loss but were way more so with my fat loss percentage. 4% down in 4 weeks is HUGE! I then knew I had to keep pushing myself hard and make sure I was following the guidelines for the last two weeks.
GOODBYE SKINNY FAT!!!
Today was the FINAL WEIGH IN day! I can’t believe how fast time has flown by and how my habits have changed! I feel like a brand new person! I'm beyond excited for April’s Challenge.
My final numbers in greater detail are:
Body Fat Lost: 6.2%
Lbs. Lost: 17 lbs.
Fat Mass: 14.7
Muscle Loss: 0.9
Results:
Below are pictures thru out the 6-week plan... You can slowly start to see an improvement with my love handles, as well as the shape of my body in general. The first photo is the definition of what skinny fat looks like. I cannot say it enough that I am so glad that stage of my body is OVER.
The more fat I have started to shed I have realized my little baby abs are slowly starting to make an appearance, and my pants are slowly startng to get BIGGER! Talk about one of the most rewarding feelings!
As embarrassed as I feel about the first picture, I am not ashamed. I am a women and curves are beautiful. However, I always gain so much weight in the Winter time, and wanted to get in the healthy range of body fat and appropriate weight that my age group should be in!
Much respect to those that do post their progress pictures as time goes by, because it takes A LOT to put yourself out there! I now know that haha!
BEFORE AND AFTERS
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Thank you for taking the time to read about the start of my lifestyle and fitness journey! I hope that it motivates you to keep going with your fitness and nutrition regime, or gets you to Faster Fitness to make changes like I did! Also, shout out to Greg and Marshall for making me the ‘Athlete of the Month’! I feel so special and love being a part of the Faster family. You all make working out so fun, and rewarding so I am honored!
The next ‘6 Week Fat Loss Challenge’ at Faster Fitness starts on April 10th and ends the Monday before Memorial Day! Talk about the most perfect timing for one to do this challenge!
Pre-sale reservations slots will open 2-3 weeks prior and will fill fast, so be sure to keep an alarm set if you are interested. Also, please let Marshall or Greg know that I sent you! ;)
Visit www.fasterfitness.com to make a time to talk with one of the trainers about your fitness goals, or if you’re interested in knowing when you can reserve a spot for the April Challenge!
Next fitness post will be with my girl, Savanna about what ‘Cool Carbs’ you should include in your daily diet!
Here are some of my favorite motivation quotes from Marshall, Greg, and famous people!
“Fuel this the right way! Don’t go home and eat ramen noodles! It’ll make you have a tummy!”- Greg from Faster Fitness
“Let’s go baby! All day bay bay!” Marshall from Faster Fitness
“Your only limit is You”
"Always do your best. What you plant now will harvest later." - OG Mandino
Much love!
