My 2-Year Experience With Faster Way to Fat Loss (Review) 

2 years ago, I was frustrated and confused by weight gain despite my healthy eating habits. But now, after 2 years, I’ve lost over 20lbs, gained amazing muscle and strength, and dropped 6 pants sizes. And the best part? I achieved all this by eating more, prioritizing rest, and lifting weights 3 times a week.

Below, I’ll share my personal experience with Faster Way to Fat Loss (the program I’ve followed), including progress photos, what I eat in a day, and my best tips for fitness at any age.

Why I Chose Faster Way?

• Looking for Answers in My Late 30s – As I started to gain weight in my late 30s, despite eating real food and being active (barre classes and kickboxing), I began searching for answers. I couldn’t figure out why I was gaining weight.  
• Best Way to Lose Fat – As I began to research and listen to experts in the field of fat loss, I realized everyone recommended 3 things: calories matter (but so does the quality of those calories so focus on macronutrients – carbs, fat, protein), strength train (lift heavy weights), and consume plenty of protein. The problem? I didn’t know how to do any of this. It all sounded good in theory, but I didn’t know how to put the pieces together and make it work in my everyday life. 
• Explored My Options – I contacted a personal trainer and looked into courses, but everything was too expensive for my budget.
• Stalked Faster Way – That’s when I found Faster Way on social media. Of course, I was skeptical, having seen so many gimmicks over the years. And the marketing sounded very gimmicky to me. But the longer I followed the company on Instagram and read client wins, the more curious I became. Faster Way was precisely what I needed.
• Joined My First Round – Finally, in December of 2021, I joined a 6-week round of Faster Way.

What is the Faster Way to Fat Loss Program?

Faster Way is a virtual fitness and nutrition program started by Amanda Tress that teaches clients how to burn fat and build muscle. The strategic program focuses on intermittent fasting, carb cycling, macro tracking, whole food nutrition, and strategic workouts.

How The Program Works

• 6-Week Program –  First, you must join a 6-week round, which is $250. During this time, you’re paired up with a certified nutrition coach (I highly recommend my amazing coach, Sandi – watch my interview with Sandi here) who sets up your custom macronutrient targets/calories based on your goal (i.e., fat loss, building muscle), get access to the Faster Way App where you’ll easily track your nutrition, get weekly meal plans (for ideas and inspiration), and weekly 30-minute workouts (3 strength trainings for home or gym workouts and 2 HIIT workouts. Think of the first 6 weeks as a crash course for a life-time of success – you learn everything you need to know about tracking macros/calories to hit your goals, how to lift weights, strength training, and have a coach to guide you the whole time.
• VIP Program – After the first 6 weeks and an incredible education, you may choose to continue working with your coach, getting the weekly strategic workouts (programmed new each week), using the app. VIP is a monthly subscription costing $79 and worth every penny! I’ve been doing the month-to-month for 2 years now. 
• Macro Tracking to Achieve Your Fitness Goals – The reason why any weight loss program works is because of a calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than your body needs). Most weight loss programs put people in a very low calorie deficit, causing people to lose a rapid amount of weight quickly. This weight is not just fat but also vital muscle. These super low-calorie deficits are not sustainable, so when the person goes back to eating “normal” again, they binge and gain back all the weight. Faster Way focuses on losing fat and building muscle by placing a person in a slight calorie deficit (specific to you!). Instead of focusing on calories, Faster Way focuses on macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats). By concentrating on macronutrients (which total up to a calorie number), the focus is on the quality of food you consume, getting enough protein to build muscle and lose fat, bringing in healthy fats for hormone health, and enjoying carbs for energy. You can’t stay in a calorie deficit forever, so your Faster Way coach will help you exit this stage and live in maintenance, where you’ll eat enough calories to maintain your results.
• Strategic Workouts – Faster Way focuses on building muscle through strength training. Building muscle is the best thing a person can do, both for longevity and for their metabolism and hormones and to maintain a healthy weight. As we age, particularly women starting in their 30s, we lose muscle mass. Faster Way pairs lifting weights with the nutritional aspect. The workout plan is uploaded to the app each week and features 3 days of lifting weights (total body, upper body, legs), 2 days of HIIT workouts, and 2 rest days. You don’t need any prior experience with lifting weights (I had none). Each workout includes a video you can follow along with, form help, and a list of the moves for the day. The lifting moves are all basic compound moves and are built in a progressive manner (helping you get stronger over time). Each strength training features a gym option and a home option. The workouts are like having a personal trainer without the expense. The workouts alone are worth the cost, in my opinion.
• Faster Way App – The Faster Way App is included when you join a 6-week round and as a VIP client. This is where you’ll find the weekly workouts, meal plans (if you want ideas), a huge recipe database (for easy whole food ideas), your custom macros and macro tracker.

My Fat Loss Journey & Progress Photos

When I joined Faster Way, my goal was to lose weight. What I got was so much more. I gained the habits and education to keep me in shape for the next 60 years.

When I joined, the best advice I received was to take progress pictures and stay off the scale. While in the day-to-day, I didn’t always feel like I was changing, looking back, the photos tell a different story.

Today, I have 2 years’ worth of progress photos in my phone, a time-stamp on my progress.

December 2021 (Joined Faster Way to Lose Fat)

• Joined Faster Way – I joined a 6-week round of Faster Way at age 37. I was eating healthy, but gaining weight and felt hopeless and frustrated. While my goal was fat loss, I didn’t have a specific goal number on the scale or pants size (which I think has been incredibly helpful on this journey). I wanted to feel better and hopefully look better – whatever that meant.
• Calorie Deficit – Because my goal was to lose fat, my coach set up my macronutrient targets (eating a certain amount of fat, protein, and carbs) to be in a slight calorie deficit (1600 calories).
• Strength Training at Home – I had never lifted weights before, so I followed the Faster Way workout videos to a T – watching the form, following along, and learning things like deadlifting, bench press, etc. I had a pair of 10- and 15-pound dumbbells at home, and that’s what I used.
• Intermittent Fasting – I also practiced intermittent fasting for 16 hours a day, from after dinner until about 11 am. My metabolism was “in the trash” and I honestly didn’t have much of an appetite so I wasn’t even hungry until this time anyway. I soon learned that this “lack of appetite” isn’t a good/healthy metabolic sign.

January 2022 (Noticed Some Results)

• Finished My First 6-Week Round – I felt good and saw some fat loss, and was getting stronger and loved lifting weights.
• Continued into VIP – I was excited about everything I had learned, understanding the value of tracking my nutrition and building muscle, and decided to continue with the VIP month-to-month program and my coach’s support ($79). I wanted to see where this journey would take me.

Summer 2022 (Down 6 Pants Sizes)

• People Started Noticing – 6 months in, people started noticing my changing body and asking what I was doing. It was at this time I began sharing my journey on Instagram.
• Increasing Calories/Macros – I had now spent 6 months eating in a slight calorie deficit and lifting weights with the Faster Way workouts. Based on biofeedback (hunger, sleep, energy, strength), I worked with my new coach (Sandi) to increase my macronutrient targets (therefore increasing my calories) for the first time to about 1800 calories. As I had built muscle, my body now required more food to maintain that muscle.
• Shorter Fasting Window – I stopped fasting for 16 hours and went down to a 12-hour fasting window, from sun down to sun up. As I built muscle, my metabolism began to “fire up” and suddenly I was hungry like never before. I woke up wanting food with hunger signals -a sign of good metabolic health.
• Fat Loss & Muscle Growth – I continued seeing fat loss as we increased my macros/calories and body composition changes. I started noticing muscle definition like never before as well.
• Mindset Shift – My mindset shifted from one of fat loss to building muscle and strength. I began to realize the incredible benefit of having muscle on my body. The habits I had formed and the consistency of sticking with Faster Way was paying off.
• Dropped 6 Pants Sizes – I still had not stepped on a scale. But the pictures told the story. I had dropped 6 pants sizes at this point, going from a size 8/10 to 2. 
• Home Workouts – I continued to follow the FWTFL workouts at home, buying heavier weights as I got stronger.

October 2022 (Down 20lbs)

• Stepped on The Scale – Finally, 10 months later, I stepped on a scale. Sandi (my coach) had been upping my macros/calories for several months now. I wanted to start tracking my weight each week (taking a daily weight, then a 7-day average over multiple weeks) to see if I was maintaining (my new goal) or losing fat. I was tracking my weight for data collection as I worked up to maintaining my results and as we were tweaking my calories.
• Mindset Shift – To my surprise, in 2021, I was 145lbs (heavy for my petite frame) and was now down to 123lbs. I didn’t care about the number on the scale – a scale number was never my goal. The proof was in the body composition changes, the incredible energy I felt, the fantastic sleep I was getting, my improved hormones and libido, the confidence gains, and the strength gains.
• Home Workouts – I continued to follow the Faster Way workouts at home, buying heavier weights as I got stronger.

December 2022 (Time For More Food)

• Eating More Food – My daily calories were around 2000 (broken down by specific macronutrients). I still did not hit “maintenance calories,” which was evidenced by the data I was collecting on the scale – my weight was still going down, not maintaining. How could I eat this much and still lose fat? Answer: I had built a significant amount of muscle over the past year as a newbie to strength training, which requires more food to maintain (muscle is metabolically taxing). Ladies, muscle will do incredible things for your body composition, health, and metabolism.
• Continued to Increase Food Intake – I continued to increase my macros/calories with my coach until we found the “sweet spot” of maintaining (not losing or gaining weight, just holding steady). I told Sandi, “Let’s see just how many calories my body can handle without gaining weight.” If we went too far (a surplus, eating more than my body needed), we could simply dial back my calories. I was collecting data from the scale, paying attention to how my clothes fit, and taking pics, so I had data to use during this process.
• Mindset – While my calories were increasing, a battle was raging in my mind. I was fearful that eating more would equal weight gain. I grew up being told “eat less, weigh less.” So the idea of adding more calories and food was a huge mental battle for me. But, I trusted the process, I trusted my coach, and I was collecting data (how my body was responding).
• Home Workouts – I continued to follow the Faster Way workouts at home, buying heavier weights as I got stronger. My collection now ranged from 8lb-60lb dumbbells and bands. I was noticing significant strength gains as I was eating more food!

March 2023 (Maintaining & Eating 2350 Calories)

• 2350 Calories – By this time, I finally hit my maintenance calories/macros, landing around 2350 calories daily. I continued to eat this amount of calories throughout 2023, maintaining my current body, gaining strength, and slowly building muscle.
• Fasting 12 Hours – I followed a 12ish hour fasting window, from sun down to sun up, but I wasn’t strict about this. My metabolism was clearly working like it hadn’t in years and eating this much food was something I needed (and desired based on hunger cues) to support my new body and burning metabolism (thank you muscle!).
• Started Eating Before Workouts – I stopped working out in a fasted state and started eating first thing in the morning before working out, always having some carbs (oatmeal, toast with peanut butter and banana, or dates and peanut butter) before working out in the morning. I found this was needed as I got stronger and lifted heavier weights. After working out, I would have a big breakfast with protein, fat, and more carbs. 
• Home Workouts – I continued to workout with the Faster Way workouts at home using dumbbells and bands. I felt strong and energetic because I was eating so much amazing food (fuel!).

Summer 2023 (Joined a Gym)

• Joined a Gym – I joined a gym for the first time as we moved across the state and couldn’t access my home dumbbells in storage. Plus, as I had built muscle over the past 1.5 years, it was time to reach for heavier options, particularly for leg day. The gym could provide those options.
• Faster Way Gym Workouts – I started following the Faster Way gym workouts (which feature a mix of machines and dumbbells). I didn’t know how to use gym machines, so I utilized the Faster Way video tutorials, along with YouTube, included with each workout to help guide me and learn these new skills. At first, I would mostly use the dumbbells (my comfort zone), but I slowly warmed up to the machines and barbells and haven’t looked backed since.

February 2024 (Maintaining & Building Muscle)

• Maintaining – Today, I’m living my best life in maintenance (eating around 2300 calories and maintaining at around 125-126lbs). I plan to stay here all of 2024, maintaining my progress.
• Food Freedom – I have food freedom like never before. I don’t fear food, I enjoy treats and all my favorite foods, and have an incredible body and feel amazing. Tracking macros and calories has also become very intuitive, helping me understand what an adequate amount of food looks like for my body. Today, I’m able to practice more intuitive eating without weight gain because of learning how to track macros/calories. 
• Building Muscle – I continue to follow the Faster Way workouts (mostly the gym workouts, sometimes the home option) and am focused on building more muscle in 2024!

Nutrition: What I Ate Before vs. During Faster Way

• What I Didn’t Change – I never changed anything about what or how I ate when I started my journey, even in a fat-loss phase (calorie deficit). I was already familiar with eating whole foods, which is the emphasis of Faster Way. This program is NOT a diet program. It’s not about eating special shakes, protein powders, or brand-specific foods. I continued to eat the same foods as I did before I joined the program.
• What I Did Change – What changed is I learned how to track the food I was eating to hit my macronutrient goals and calories targets. As my macros/calories changed, I would increase (or decrease) the amount of food I ate: more chicken for protein or rice for carbs.
• Dairy and Gluten – In Faster Way, clients are encouraged to eliminate gluten and dairy during the first 6 weeks as these foods can cause inflammation for some people. The quality of these foods is important, and I’ve always enjoyed sourdough and cultured dairy (like yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese) without issue. I even tested for gluten and dairy sensitivity many years ago, and both tests came back negative. I would have a hard time meeting my protein goal without dairy. And no one is going to take sourdough bread away from me. That said, if you have inflammation and feel like these foods may be causing it, it may be worth eliminating them temporarily to see if that helps.

What Does a Typical Day of Eating Look Like For Me?

I share my daily meals on Instagram. Here’s an example of what I eat in a day…

• Break My Fast & Pre Workout – Coffee with heavy cream, water and electrolytes, and creatine, 2 dates with peanut butter (I like to eat carbs before training; carbs are the body’s preferred energy source and help me get through a workout) 
• Breakfast – 1 egg + 3 egg whites (for extra protein) omelet with ham, 2 slices of cinnamon raisin toast with cream cheese, berries + Greek yogurt with honey 
• Lunch – Tuna mashed with avocado (a great way to get in fat and fiber) and salt, crackers, apples, cucumbers and carrots
• Snack – Smoothie with rolled oats, peanut butter powder, protein powder, banana, almond milk, ice 
• Dinner – Ground beef tacos (corn tortillas, ground beef), avocado, sour cream, lettuce and roasted sweet potatoes on the side. If I’m still hungry after dinner or need to catch up protein, may have some Greek yogurt.
• Begin my Overnight Intermittent Fast – Usually about 12 hours, sundown to sun up, but I’m not super strict on this.

Learn more about macros in my Faster Way to Fat Loss Macros 101 Guide.

What will you learn in a 6-week round of the FWTFL program?

As I mentioned, you must complete a 6-week round of Faster Way to start. The first 6 weeks are all about education and building habits. After this, you can continue with a month-to-month VIP membership (much cheaper than the 6-week round).

So what should you expect if you join Faster Way and go through a 6-week round? 

• Custom Macros With a Certified Nutrition Coach– Your coach will have you complete a survey after joining and, based on this info (such as your current goal, diet history, height, weight, etc.), will send you custom macros. Not all coaches do custom macros, but my coach does, and that’s why I recommend her. 
• Macro Tracking – Your coach will then teach you, over the 6 weeks, how to track macros (you get access to the Faster Way app and macro tracker, or you can use an app like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer). 
• Small Group Education – Over the 6 weeks, you’ll be placed in a small group with your coach and other people going through their first round. This is a place to stay accountable, ask questions, and learn. Your coach is there to teach, guide, and help you. 
• Carb Cycling – Faster Way uses “carb cycling,” which means eating more fat, fewer carbs (net carbs), and the same amount of protein 2 days a week. Then, 5 days a week, eating higher carbs, lower fat, and the same amount of protein. I practiced carb cycling for over 18 months and loved it! In the summer of 2023, I stopped carb cycling due to personal preference. This is a fantastic nutrition strategy to learn during your first 6 weeks.
• Intermittent Fasting– Faster Way also uses a strategy called intermittent fasting, which doesn’t mean skipping a meal. Fasting is simply giving your body time for digestive rest. I still eat all meals, including breakfast and dinner, and fast for 12 hours each night. Your coach will help create a custom fasting schedule for you that’s safe and based on your goals and body. This is the beauty of Faster Way: once you learn how to track macros and strength training, use intermittent fasting safely, and have the help of your coach, how you utilize these strategies can be completely customized to you and your lifestyle. 

Do I Recommend Faster Way to Fat Loss? My Honest Review

100%, yes!! 

• Best Decision – Joining Faster Way is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s completely transformed my body, relationship with food, strength and energy levels, and outlook on aging.
• Not a Fad, Diet, or Gimmick – Faster Way isn’t a gimmick; it’s not some crazy fad. It’s a clinical-trial-backed, evidence-based program focused on eating the right amount of calories/macros to meet your unique goals and strength training. Those are the fundamental tenets.
• You’ll Get an Education – Over the past two years, my understanding of fat loss, weight loss, and muscle has completely changed, and as a woman, I feel empowered and excited to age. 
• Consistency = Results – I’ve seen results because of the compounding effect of consistency. I’ve never been “perfect” with my macro tracking, and I’ve taken weeks off from strength training (vacations). But my daily habits have been consistent, and I stuck with it even when I didn’t feel like I was making progress. I’ve seen incredible results by not focusing on a result (like a number on the scale) but instead on being consistent and enjoying the process. And those results aren’t just in a physical change, but also my energy levels, hormones, libido, sleep, and more non-appearance markers. Ladies, please stop obsessing over quick fixes; instead, build the habit of consistency. It’s boring, but it works! What if I quit after those first 6 weeks, when I didn’t see a huge change? I wouldn’t be where I am today. Change takes time.
• The Coach Will Make or Break Your Experience – When I first started, my initial coach could have been better. She didn’t set up custom macros for me and was very distant. She was an influencer, not a coach. This was fine during my first few months, but after a while, as I needed more help, she couldn’t provide that help. This is when I switched to Sandi, who has been a personal trainer for a long time and knows her stuff! With her, I saw the progress I have made so far. I can’t stress enough how important it is to choose the right coach. To join a 6-week round of Faster Way with my incredible coach, click here.  

I’ve been sharing my journey on Instagram, and since that time, I’ve received incredible messages from people also on a similar journey. Here are just some of the amazing messages I’ve received.