Read The Interview Transcript

Kristin Interview Intro

Sandi, you have been my coach now for a year and a half. I started Faster Way to Fat Loss over 2 years ago and got through the first 6 months. I was doing great and experienced a ton of fat loss.

My concern within 6 months was that I was losing too much weight and I was getting too skinny. I didn’t have the toned look that I was going for because I didn’t have enough muscle. And that’s what I needed to prioritize at that point was not just losing weight, but building the muscle. And so I turned to you as my coach.

You have been through this entire process with me and it’s been fun to see not only how my body’s changed, but my mindset around building muscle and fat loss.

I think as women, this whole thing confuses us because there’s so much messaging out there. People have so many questions because I’ve been sharing my journey on social media and want to pick your brain as the expert.

Q: How did you become a coach with Faster Way?

Sandi (Faster Way Coach): I started in the health and fitness industry on my own journey. I had no clue, 20 years ago, that this was going to be the trajectory of my life, my passion. But I got into the gym.

Like many other women, I had children, I had never been that person who needed to lose weight or workout prior to children. So I didn’t know what the heck to do. And I gained some weight, I felt uncomfortable. And so like I said, I turned to the gym. Little by little, the gym changed my life, the way I felt about myself, changed my confidence, changed all these things that I had never experienced in my entire life. And I fell in love with strength training. That was not something that 20 years ago, many women focused on. So it was a very new subject for women to be in the gym and lifting weights. And through that I completely transformed my body.

Most people, if you see me now, they don’t know my struggle 20 years ago, but I’m 5’2” for reference. So when I say this, it will sound differently to somebody who is 5’10”, you know, or six 6 feet tall, but I’m a petite person. And I was a size 12, which meant I probably weighing about 150 to 160 pounds on my frame. And yes, I was younger. It is a lot easier when you’re younger. If you’re younger and watching this start now, then that will make all the difference in your journey. But I lost weight, I started building muscle and I just fell in love.

And after, you know, several years, I was like, “This is what I want to do.” I wanted to help women who were like me, laying in a pile of clothes feeling miserable, nothing fits, comparing themselves to everybody that they see at that time in magazines, because there’s no such thing as Facebook, and Instagram and all of those things. But that’s literally how I fell in love with strength training and fueling your body. And so I became a personal trainer.

I’ve been doing this now for 16 years as an a expert. So within 3 years of my journey, I was like this is what I want to do. So I became a personal trainer. I’ve owned a business in home, I went to people’s houses. I did all of that for years and years and years.

Later in my journey, I started competing in fitness competitions. And that’s really when I started to learn nutrition in a whole different manner. With that comes some body image issues and the way you look at food. And as I went through that journey, I realized my mindset around how I was eating, what I was doing and that was not healthy. So I turned to macros, and that is literally what gave me freedom from food. So I’ve been training people on that now for 12 or 13 years.

So when I found faster way, we had strength training, we had a focus on nutrition, it had a focus on macros, three of the things that completely changed my body, my mind, and the way I looked at food, and I had to try it. It incorporated intermittent fasting. I had never tried that before. And I was like, I’ll give it a shot.

Within 2 weeks in the program, I was sold. And I was like this is this is the missing piece. It is a program that puts nutrition, fitness and all of it in one package so you can follow and continue to meet your goals. And so I’ve been with Faster Way for 6 years as a coach.

Q: If someone wants to lose fat and get toned, where do they start?

Sandi (Faster Way Coach): When you come into the Faster Way, I have a questionnaire that clients will fill out. So it’s going to ask you…

• What is your goals?
• What are you looking to do?

And based off of all that information that you put in, if it is fat loss, if it is weight loss, if it is just losing in general, you’re going to start in a calorie deficit.

Calorie deficits do not mean 1200 calories. Calorie deficits do not mean you’re not eating carbs. So it is a slight calorie deficit. So we can burn fat, but build muscle at the same time.

When you are just getting started with your journey, you can build muscle and burn fat at the same time. You can kind of change your body composition. And that’s what we focus on.

As you go, you will see how Kristin has had to change her focus where she had that initial loss for those six months. But down the road, we have to change the the focus so you can continue to make progresses.

But initially, when people come in, they want to lose weight. And so that’s where we’re going to start. We’re going to start in a slight caloric deficit, where you’re not starving, where you still feel satisfied, but you’re able to stay consistent, because you’re not eating 1200 calories. The reason people struggle most often when they tried to slash their calories and lose weight is they cut their calories too low. And they can maintain it for like two or three days. But then they get off track and they’re like, oh my gosh, that cookie looks amazing. These chips look amazing that ice cream looks amazing. And they eat it all. And then they’ve just taken themselves out of that caloric deficit, the way we’re going to do it is we’re going to focus on protein.

So we’re going to keep you satisfied, we’re going to give you the carbs, so you’re not craving them all the time. And you are going to be able to stick to it much easier. And when you can do that you can make progress a lot easier than continually starting over every two or three days. Because you have binge Do you have gone off track, you’ve had a weekend, you’ve had a birthday, whatever the case may be, we teach you how to build that into your lifestyle. So you can still live life. That’s like the biggest thing and you still want to be able to enjoy those things. So I’m gonna give you the tools and teach you how you can enjoy those things and make progress.

Q: What is the benefit of going through Faster Way and working with you as a coach?

Sandi (Faster Way Coach): I have been in the fitness industry for 20 years. Whether it be paying for it or doing it on my own. I have never not paid for accountability. Do you hear me? I still I pay Faster Way. I still have a coach that I answer to that I will ask questions to. Accountability is huge.

You can go and just pull up some random calculator. But if you don’t know how to put that information into that calculator, you are not going to get the right calories, you could easily be doing way more damage. It is so much easier to have somebody to ask versus trying to figure it out on your own. People have done that for years and years and years, and they’re still spinning their wheels. If you did not join, Kristin, you probably would be in the same spot you were at two years ago. Because it’s so hard to do it on your own, you will get in your head, you will think something’s not working. The scale goes up one weekend, you panic and you lower your calories. When you have a coach that you could reach out to and be like, “Oh my God, this scale went up what does that mean?” And they can talk you off of the the ledge, you are going to save so much more time and you are going to take something off of your plate that you don’t have to worry about.

I would not go and try to fix the engine on my car, because I’m not a mechanic, I’m gonna go take my car to the mechanic so that mechanic can fix it. And that’s literally what you’re doing when you’re hiring a coach.

And nope, not all coaches are the same. They don’t all have the same knowledge. They don’t all have the same experience. They don’t all come to the Faster Way with the same expertise as others do. And so, it is important when you are picking somebody that you pick somebody who can get you past 6 weeks. You need somebody who knows what to do then because anybody can teach you how to lose weight, but it’s going to be how you keep it off and how you keep getting better and better. That’s going to make the biggest difference. But I will tell you, having somebody for accountability and just to make sure that you are on the right track is such a time saver. And it’s such peace of mind.

Kristin (Live Simply, Host, Faster Way Client): 100% Yeah, I tried it all. I tried tracking macros on my own. I did YouTube workouts, I did it all. Honestly, I tried to piece it together because I did not want to pay. And now I’m like people do it.

Learn more about macros 101 and how to track macros here.

Q: Does Faster Way address hormone health and unbalanced hormones?

Sandi (Faster Way Coach): Nutrition, exercise, and how you’re fueling your body – it’s not always your hormones that are the problem. It is what you’re trying to do to lose weight or to lose fat that is causing the problems. I am postmenopausal myself, yes, at 44 years old. There are things that I’ve had to adjust and tweak for myself to feel good. For instance, because I’m sure people have asked this about fasting, I adjusted how long I fast, because I found that I was not having as much energy. I was not feeling as good. So I did a little tweak to my intermittent fasting. And I feel perfectly fine. So it’s all about what you’re doing that is going to help you balance your hormones. Whole Foods is a huge one. It literally will come down to exercise, how you’re fueling your body, when you’re not stressed out so much, and you’re sleeping a little bit better, because you have more energy throughout the day – all of those things make a huge difference in your hormones, all of them. There’s not this like magic pill that you’re going to take that’s going to fix your hormones, but it’s all the little stepping stones and blocks that you’re building in Faster Way that will help your hormones.

Sandi (Faster Way Coach): I call it digestive rest, and it is truly beneficial. There are so many different like fasting protocols. I will tell you, if you’re my client, the first thing that you’re going to hear out of my mouth is fuel is more important than fasting.

So if you are somebody who has severely been under eating, we might have to adjust that fasting window, I would rather you learn how to fuel your body before you start trying to not eat enough. So again, we’re going to tweak things as needed.

But digestive rest is important. It is that time where your body is doing nothing, like it’s not working at digesting food. It can then work on other things. And it’s just a way to let food get out of your system and burn fat a little bit. And it doesn’t have to be extreme.

I will look at all of my clients, for example pregnant people are not going to fast the same. Can you still fast? Yes, but it’s probably going to be a lot lower than somebody else. Women who are in the brunt of menopause, that is going to have to change your fasting window. Somebody who runs, you’re gonna have to adjust your fasting window.

So in the Faster Way, the general fast is 16 hours of giving your body digestive rest, and then eating for eight hours. But there are so many middle grounds in between there, that is also beneficial. So it’s just looking at your lifestyle and health. Do you have Hashimotos? Do you have an autoimmune disease? All of those things come into play when we are talking about fasting.

For half and half, just in general, you want to keep things under 50 calories, have no fiber and no sugar. If whatever you’re putting in your coffee meets those 3 criteria, it should be okay. If you are that person who has creamer or coffee, you’re gonna have to tweak that a little bit, where you’re gonna have to back off some of the creamer.

Kristin (Live Simply, Host, Faster Way Client): Yeah, it scares people so much. But I point out to people that everybody fasts. When you go to sleep at night, you are fasting, probably for a good 6-9 hours. I don’t know, whatever you’re sleeping at night, you’re naturally fasting. It’s just that people get so scared because I think there’s so many like hormone specialists out there talking about it and all sorts of things. And I’m like, listen, I intermittent fast, usually for about 12 hours and I dinner and breakfast. I love breakfast. Nobody is gonna take breakfast away from me.

Q: How can people work with you? What’s a 6-week Faster Way Round like?

Sandi (Faster Way Coach): For the first 6 weeks, that’s where you’re gonna lay the foundation and the fundamentals where we’re going to work out the kinks where you are going to start understanding protein intake and start understanding macros. It’s like kindergarten, where we’re learning and we’re just doing all of the things and trying to figure out how it all works. That is where you’re going to ask any and all of your questions, you’re going to have your stumbling blocks, you’re going to have really good days, you’re going to have really bad days. But along the way, you’re learning that foundation to keep going and build your fitness and health lifestyle.

But where you’re really going to continue to make the progress is in VIP, moving forward.

I am not that person who is going to be like, yes, you’re going to reach your goals in 6 weeks. Because I’m going to tell you right now, that’s probably not going to happen, there’s probably half a percentage of people who met their goals in six weeks. I mean, it’s that’s just an unfeasible thing. But in that initial 6 weeks, that is the foundation, that is where you learn about intermittent fasting, carb cycling, dairy and gluten, just every and all the pieces that you need to make it a lifestyle.

Final Thoughts

One of the last thing that I want to end with is I, I don’t want people to look at this as like a weight loss plan. I want to transform people’s minds and thinking, “I want to get stronger, I want to feel better. There’s so much more out there when you start focusing on not just losing weight. It’s the journey throughout the process that is going to transform your mind. And it’s just you have to give it time. I have so many people like Kristin, who was like, I’m not doing this past 6 weeks. And those are the people who are the ones that are skeptical. The ones who didn’t think it would work. Well. We I don’t want it to work in 6 weeks, because if it works in six weeks, you’re not going to sustain that at all. You want to be able to build on to that lifestyle so it will sustain.

Kristin (Live Simply, Host, Faster Way Client): I’m not a coach but the people that see the most success are the people who have that consistency and just love the process of the day in and day out. They’re not just looking for some quick results.

Sandi (Faster Way Coach): I will share people’s things at the 6 week mark, you know, they send me pictures. But when you look at my account, you’re going to see people who have been doing it for 8 months. You are going to see people like Kristin who have been doing it for 2 years because I like to highlight what you can do down the road. Kristin had good results in 6 weeks. But she had amazing results at 2 years. So those are the people that I tend to highlight and share. Because that’s literally what is transforming somebody’s life, not just quick, easy, “Here’s what I did in six weeks, and then I left.” It is literally just transformed somebody’s life.

Why Track Macros?

• Awareness – Tracking brings attention to what you’re eating, how much, and what a proper amount of food in each macro group looks like for your body and to achieve your goals. Without tracking, most people have no idea how much protein they consume daily. Getting adequate protein is critical to building and maintaining muscle mass, particularly as we age.
• Reach Your Goals – Macro tracking is an amazing tool that you can tweak and play with based on your goals. By tracking macronutrients, you’ll focus on getting a specific amount of each macro to achieve your goals (fat loss, building muscle, maintaining, etc.). No longer does one feel confused and helpless about how to reach these goals.
• Food Freedom – It’s hard to explain, but tracking my macros has given me so much education and knowledge on how to eat and that has brought about incredible food freedom. I no longer fear food, food groups, treats, dinners out, vacations, etc. If I want cookies, I can eat the cookie. If I want to smash burgers, I can enjoy a smash burger. Fries? Yep, that’s cool, too. I can make all these foods and more part of my life without fear or guilt. And because of that, along with being nourished with a balance of each macro group daily, I no longer have intense cravings because “I can’t have that.” I understand how fat loss, muscle building (which requires food!), and weight gain work, and I know that no foods are bad. Sure, there are more nutritionally-dense foods, but morally, I don’t look at any food in a good or bad way. I also have an excellent understanding of how much food my body needs and what that looks like. Since I’ve focused on building muscle over the last two years through lifting heavy weights and eating, I know that when I do over-consume the number of calories it needs to maintain during a vacation, holiday, date night, etc., my body can metabolically handle this surplus. Tracking macros has allowed me to live a more balanced lifestyle and know when to enjoy food and cherish food memories without guilt. It has eliminated constant cravings (because nothing is off limits, and I’m also eating enough of all food macronutrients to satisfy hunger), giving me an even better relationship with food. 

How Many Macros Should I Eat?

How many macros you eat is specific to you, your body, and your current goals. My daily macros will be different than yours, and yours will be different than mine. Macros are not a “one size fits all” thing. Here are a few ways you can breakdown your overall calorie consumption into macros.

• 45/25/30 Breakdown- Generally speaking, most Faster Way clients (the ladies, at least, I can’t talk to the men’s program nutrition) use a macro breakdown of 45% carbs, 25% protein, and 30% fats. This means that 45% of your calories will come from carbs, 25% from proteins, and 30% from fats. This is the most common breakdown for fat loss and muscle growth.
• Other Macro Breakdowns – Other options include, 50% carbs, 20% protein, and 30% fat or 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.
• Coach Adjustments – When you join Faster Way, you don’t have to think about this as your coach will create your custom macros and percentage breakdown based on your unique body and current goal.

How Do I Determine My Unique Macros?

There are 2 ways to determine your specific macros. Remember, macros are unique to each person as we are all different.

• Certified Coach – The best way is to start by working with a coach who can set up your macros, monitor your progress, and adjust as needed. When joining Faster Way, you must start with a 6-week round. During this 6 week time, you’re paired with a certified FWTFL coach who will calculate your custom macros based on your body, weight, activity levels, past dieting history, goals, etc. These are your initial macro goals/targets based on your current body and fitness goal (whether it’s fat loss, maintenance, etc.). These macros will and should change as your body changes and you build more muscle, lose fat, etc. The beauty of having a coach (who continues with you if you choose to continue into the month-to-month VIP option with Faster Way) is your coach will work with you to adjust those macros and offer the additional support to reach your goals. My macros changed multiple times over the past 2 years as I built more muscle (which requires more food to maintain and increased my metabolism) and transitioned from a fat loss to a maintenance goal. 
• Macro Calculator – Another option is to use a macro calculator (Google “macro calculator,” and you’ll find many options). The calculator will ask you questions like your height, weight, activity level, and goal (fat loss, maintenance, which means you want to maintain your current weight, etc.). After an initial survey, the calculator will provide you with an idea of what your estimated macros are based on your goal/body at the moment. Keep in mind that calculators are not personal like a coach who can adjust numbers based on how your body responds to these initial numbers, so use these calculators as more of an estimate than an exact number. For example, macro calculators estimate my maintenance calories to be about 1850/1900. However, in working with my coach, we found that my true maintenance calories are 2300. That’s a big difference. 

How Do You Track Macros?

• Meet Your Macro Goals Through Tracking – Once you know your macro targets (specific macro grams that you should aim to eat each day), it’s time to start tracking what you consume to ensure you hit these macro goals.
• You Must Track If You’re Working Toward a Goal – This is the ONLY way you will see progress if you have a specific goal like fat loss, building muscle, or working to maintain your weight. You have to track for some time. You don’t have to track for the rest of your life.
• Use a Macro Calculator – The easiest and best way to track macros is to use a macro calculator. A macro calculator will do all the work for you; all you have to do is enter the food you’re consuming (most tracking apps have large databases with thousands of different foods), and the calculator will do the rest.

Here are a few options for macro trackers

• Faster Way App – Available to all Faster Way clients, which includes an exclusive macro calculator, macro tracker (I love how visual the tracker is, see below image), a recipe library (whole food recipes), and meal plans (if you want ideas each week for well-balanced meals that will help you meet your macro goals). This option also comes with a coach to set up your custom macros, education how to track and meet your macro goals, and their support.
• My Fitness Pal – I’ve never used this popular calculator and tracker, but many people love it. My Fitness Pal was free, but now it’s a paid macro tracker.
• Cronometer – I know a few people who love this macro tracking app. There is a free and paid version. If you’re serious about tracking, the paid option is best.

Fat Loss, Maintenance, and Bulking: When & How to Change Your Macros

Your current macros aren’t a forever thing. They will and should change based on your body, metabolism, hunger cues, and goals. 

Here are the 3 phases you may find yourself in over the years, as you progress in your fitness journey, during which your macros will look different.

• Fat Loss – Macros/calories set to a slight calorie deficit are needed if you want to lose fat. A calorie deficit is the ONLY way to lose fat. It’s important for you to eat enough calories (and protein macros in particular) to maintain muscle mass during this time. During this time, you’ll be tracking data via progress photos and measurements. Your macros may need to be adjusted based on how your body responds (using data to guide adjustment decisions- this is where a coach is super valuable). A general fat loss phase is around 12 weeks.
• Maintenance – You can’t stay in a fat loss phase forever as you don’t want your metabolism to adapt to these low numbers (and it’s not fun), so eventually, you must reverse your macro targets and calories up. This will take increasing your macros to where your body can maintain your current weight while slowly building muscle. This is where your body is happiest! For me, this meant working with my coach to increase my macros 5% every few weeks based on my hunger cues, strength, and other biofeedback markers (like sleep). Usually, significant fat loss and a toned look are achieved through years of maintenance and then short fat-loss phases. This is the healthiest, most sustainable way to lose fat, build a toned body, and support your metabolism. But this method certainly isn’t as sexy as quick-fix diet programs. You can also stay in maintenance for years, or the rest of your life. No need to go back to a fat loss stage (or bulk) if it’s not needed or desired.
• Bulk – Building muscle in maintenance is a very SLOW process that takes years, so some folks purposely eat more macros/calories than their body needs for a short time and go through a “bulk” phase. Building muscle requires lots of food, so you can put muscle on your body much faster by eating slightly more than the body needs and lifting heavy weights. During a bulk, you’ll also put on some fat and muscle. So usually, people will complete a bulk phase and go into a fat loss phase (to maintain muscle but lose fat) and then work up to maintenance. I’ve never done a bulk, and I don’t plan to (not yet, at least). Going through a bulk would also mean a change in macros/calories.

Having my Faster Way coach has been an invaluable resource in helping me navigate changing macro needs over the last 2 years on my incredible journey.

As I mentioned in my 2-year journey post, the coach will make or break your experience with Faster Way, and Sandi is incredible at able providing custom macros and guidance (not all coaches do). 

What I Eat in a Day: Example of Macro Tracking & Meals

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

This meal plan example is based on my current macro goals (in maintenance) of 142 grams protein, 76 grams fat, 245 grams carbs, and 25 grams fiber.

• 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, cheese, sour cream, slaw and black beans 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.

Reader FAQs

How can you be hungry for this much food? It seems like a lot!

When I started my journey, my metabolism was “in the trash” and I honestly didn’t have much of an appetite. I soon learned that this “lack of appetite” isn’t a good/healthy metabolic sign. I could go all morning without any hunger cues.

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. Muscle mass is key to maintaining a healthy metabolism and to do that you must lift heavy weights and eat enough protein!

At first, the amount you need to eat may seem like a lot, trust the process, focus on lifting heavy weights 3 times a week and eating your macros. You’ll soon find that your desire for more food picks up as your metabolism fires up.

I tried tracking calories in the past and it didn’t work.

Most diet programs put people in such a low-calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than you need) that a person loses weight rapidly, losing both fat and muscle mass. And muscle mass is the key to a healthy, thriving metabolism. This causes the metabolism to adapt to a super low-calorie intake and slow. When a person eventually goes back to eating more calories (because such a low-calorie target isn’t sustainable in the long run), they regain all the weight and more.

For example, people on Optavia eat around 800-1000 a DAY!!! That’s a recipe for disaster and a sure way to lose muscle (and a ton of scale weight), down-regulate your metabolism, and eventually gain back a ton of weight when you start eating normally again. 

Faster Way, on the other hand, uses a calorie and macro approach, with a slight caloric deficit (eating less than your specific body needs to maintain) and an emphasis on the quality of those calories to maintain muscle mass (and even build more muscle) and lose fat. After a fat loss phase, clients work up to maintain calories (this is the amount of calories needed to maintain their weight) and focus on building more muscle (supporting the metabolism even more). 

How Do You Track Food Without a barcode?

One of the biggest misconceptions about macro tracking is that you must eat processed food. I don’t know where this idea originated, but I get asked how to track food without a barcode (something to scan in the macro tracker or anything without a nutritional label). And to be clear, just because a food has a barcode doesn’t make it highly processed. Tracking things like fish, eggs, veggies, rice, and chicken is super easy. Type what you’re eating into a macro tracker (i.e. baked chicken breast) and find the item. Then, add how many grams you’re eating- say 150 grams. Boom, done! No barcode is needed. 

I eat healthy, but I’m gaining weight. Will tracking macros help me? 

Yes, it can. If you’re practicing healthy eating but gaining weight, you’re in a calorie surplus (eating more calories than your body needs). By working with a coach or using a calculator, you can determine how many calories (and macros) your body needs to lose fat (a calorie deficit).

I’m not meeting my calorie targets/goals. Will I still see results?

No, you don’t have to be perfect all the time, but learning to track and hit your macro goals is crucial to meeting your fitness goals and having the data to know how your body responds to your current macro breakdown (and calories).

People often want to eat more or less because they don’t think they’re progressing with their goal, but they’re not even meeting their current macros. Being consistent with your macros, particularly in a fat loss phase, is the best/only way to see progress and make an informed decision about how your body responds and if a calorie/macro adjustment is needed. 

Is it hard/time-consuming to track macros?

Yes and no. Like anything new, learning to track your macros takes time and effort. This is what I love about Faster Way, particularly if you’ve never tracked macros before. During the first 6 weeks, your coach will teach you how to track macros easily and efficiently, and you’ll have time to practice and learn with their support.

The more you practice, the easier and more innate this new habit/skill becomes. My best advice is to keep meals simple and repeat breakfast and lunch as much as possible – this makes tracking so much easier and simplifies your life.

Today, 2 years later, tracking is very natural and innate, and I only sometimes track my food in maintenance as I have a good idea of what my body needs without tracking. You could call what I practice more intuitive eating. Still, I only got here by taking the time to learn how to track, putting in the work to be consistent with this new skill, and gaining incredible knowledge and awareness about my body from tracking. 

Tracking macros forever isn’t the goal. Tracking is simply a tool and learning how to use this tool has incredible value!

Do you have to use a scale when tracking macros?

Do you have to? No. Is a food scale the best and most accurate way to track? Yes!

I use a basic digital scale. Weighing your food only takes a little extra time but will provide you with the most accurate visual of what 30 grams of protein looks like, etc. 

What do you tell your kids, who are watching you weigh food?

Many folks come from a dieting background and worry about their kids seeing them weigh food. The truth is, tracking isn’t about restriction. Macro tracking is about feeding your body enough of what it needs to achieve your goal(s).

When my kids have asked, I say, “Mom has a goal of getting strong and building muscle, and to do that, I’m making sure I get enough food to build a strong body.” 

What is a “macro-friendly” meal or food? I hear this term a lot online.

All foods contain macros to some degree (protein, carbs, fat). Macro-friendly meals are generally meals/recipes that balance all 3 macros. 

Is Macro Tracking Associated with Disordered Eating?

No, macro tracking doesn’t cause an eating disorder. It’s a tool to help you achieve a goal and eat ENOUGH. You don’t need to track macros forever; it’s a tool to help you reach a goal(s) and bring awareness/data so you can make informed decisions about achieving that goal, optimally. Just like anything, tracking macros can be misused when people become obsessive. 

How is macro tracking different than calorie counting?

Just tracking calories alone doesn’t focus on nutrition quality. For example, you could track and eat 1600 calories and consume little to no protein. Doing so will not help you retain and build muscle.

You’ll naturally track and hit a calorie goal by tracking macros. Each macronutrient corresponds to a calorie amount per gram. When you hit your macro target numbers, you’ll eat a well-balanced amount of nutrients and calories your body needs to achieve your goal optimally. 

What does the macro eating schedule look like in Faster Way? 

Faster Way uses different macro eating strategies, like low carb days, low macro day days, and regular macro days. Low-carb days are practiced 2 times a week, paired with short and effective HIIT workouts, to focus on burning fat. Low-carb days concentrate on eating more fat, less carbs (net carbs), and the same amount of protein. This keeps your calorie target number the same as a regular macro day but makes your body use a different fuel source and burn fat more efficiently. For the remaining 5 days of the week, bring back all the carbs and lower the fat consumed, keeping protein the same.

I practiced low-carb days for 18 months and LOVED this macro cycle. But as my macros/calories increased significantly as I worked up to maintenance, I found it challenging to eat enough fat required to meet my calorie goal on low-carb days.

I now enjoy 7 regular macro days (my goal is not fat loss right now), but I love that I learned how to use this strategy and will revisit low-carb days if I go into a fat-loss phase (calorie deficit). 

Low macro days are sometimes part of the VIP month-to-month eating schedule. These days slightly reduce calorie intake 1 or 2 days a week, creating a calorie deficit for fat loss (a calorie deficit is required for fat loss and the only way to lose weight/fat). These days are not a regular part of the program, but they show up a few times a week in the yearly cycle. It’s up to you whether or not you choose to follow these days. I never did and always stuck to regular macro days. 

Will you have to track macros forever?

No, the goal is not to track macros forever.

Macros are simply a tool to help you achieve a specific goal (whether fat loss, building muscle, working to maintain your progress, etc.). Tracking provides data on how your body responds to a particular amount of food, allowing you to adjust or keep things the same based on your biofeedback, fat loss progress, etc. But you don’t need to track forever.

Eventually, the goal is to live in maintenance and eat intuitively (based on the knowledge and awareness that comes from tracking). Tracking macros is a tool you can revisit if you decide to go into a fat loss or surplus phase. 

I heard Faster Way encourages intermittent fasting. Can you explain more about how this works with macro tracking?

Fasting is simply giving your body time for digestive rest. Whether you realize it or not, you naturally practice intermittent fasting when you sleep and go hours without eating. Intermittent fasting is simply being more intentional about this fasting window.

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 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 you follow the Faster Way meal plans?

I don’t. The meal plans confuse people because they think the meal plans are what they must eat when following Faster Way.

Faster Way isn’t a diet with prescribed foods, or special shakes or bars.

The meal plans are generally created with a 1500-1600 calorie range, so they aren’t built for your custom calorie/macro target. The meal plans give people ideas, particularly if you’re new to eating whole foods and tracking macros. There are both regular meal plans (which include meat) and a vegan meal plan. 

When I first started, I would look at the meal plan to get an idea for food. Tracking was new to me, and I wanted to see how the meal plan paired foods together throughout the day to bring in enough protein, carbs, and fat. I found that very helpful.

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. I continued to consume the same foods as I did before I joined the program.

What changed is I learned how to track the food I was eating to hit my macronutrient goals and calorie targets. As my macros/calories changed, I would increase (or decrease) my food: more chicken for protein or rice for carbs. 

Faster Way encourages a gluten and dairy-free way of eating. Do you have to eliminate these foods?

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. 

Unless you know you respond poorly to these foods, my personal stance is that it isn’t necessary to eliminate either food group. 

Can I do Faster Way and/or track macros if I’m vegan or vegetarian?

Yes, you can. Macros aren’t about one way of eating. You can eat anything and everything when tracking macros. The most challenging part about being vegan or vegetarian is meeting your daily protein goal. I recommend using the Faster Way vegan meal plans each week to give you an idea of how to get adequate protein without meat. 

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.

Unlike other preservation methods, the good thing about freezing is you don’t need fancy tools or a lot of time.

How to Freeze Blueberries in 3 Easy Steps 

Below, you’ll find both a video guide and step-by-step instructions with photos.

This simple process works with a handful of berries or a large excess of blueberries. For a large blueberry harvest, work in batches or use multiple sheet pans.

Video Guide: How to Freeze Fresh Berries

The video tutorial demonstrates the freezing process using fresh strawberries, but the same method is used for blueberries (along with blackberries and raspberries). The only difference with blueberries is you don’t need to remove the green tops or cut the berries.

Step by Step Instructions With Photos

Step 1: Wash and Dry 

• Wash the fresh berries and dry thoroughly in a single layer on a clean dish towel. Discard any defective berries (rotten or moldy berries). 

Step 2: Spread on a Sheet Pan 

• Spread the dry blueberries on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan (or cookie sheet) in a single layer.
• For a large blueberry haul, use multiple sheet pans or work in batches with one sheet pan. 
• Place blueberries in the freezer for 1 hour (or more), until fully frozen.

Step 3: Store in Freezer-Friendly Containers or Bags

• Once the berries are frozen, remove the sheet pan/cookie sheet from the freezer. 
• Place the frozen berries in a plastic freezer bag or reusable bag (or multiple bags, depending on quantity) or freezer-safe containers.
• Seal the bag, removing excess air from the bag as you press down on the bag and seal. 

How Long Do Frozen Blueberries Last in the Freezer?

Berries may be safely stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

How to Use Frozen Berries

• For baking (i.e. muffins, baked oatmeal, scones) use berries in their frozen state. Do NOT defrost before using.
• Or, defrost the berries in the fridge and add to yogurt for fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt, warm oatmeal, or frozen fruit overnight oats. Mushy (defrosted) berries can be so delicious!

How to freeze blueberries without getting mushy? 

Frozen berries will always be mushy when defrosted. This is due to the extra water content of berries. Either use the berries in their frozen state (for baking or snacking) or take advantage of the delicious mushy texture for yogurt bowls and oatmeal dishes.

13 Frozen Blueberry Recipes

• Chia Jam: A quick berry jam for toast, sandwiches, and biscuits. Cookie and Kate has a great berry chia jam recipe.
• Baked Blueberry Oatmeal: A healthy meal-prep breakfast with frozen berries and oats.
• Pancakes: Make baked sheet pan pancakes or oatmeal pancakes with a blueberry filling.
• Blueberry Muffins: Use my master einkorn muffin recipe to make frozen blueberry muffins. If you’re gluten-free, go with almond flour blueberry muffins.
• Blueberry Smoothie: Add 1 cup frozen berries to a blender jar, along with 1/2-1 cup of milk or yogurt, and a banana for a simple smoothie. I also love this blueberry smoothie with avocado. 
• Popsicles: Blend berries with yogurt and some water, then pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
• Scones: Add frozen blueberries to this scone recipe.
• Berry Frozen Yogurt (Froyo): Blend frozen blueberries to make homemade frozen yogurt.
• Yogurt Bowls: Top plain yogurt with frozen berries and honey or granola.
• Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt: Add frozen berries (or any frozen fruit) to the bottom of a mason jar, top with yogurt and place in the fridge. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Frozen fruit slowly melts, creating the best fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt. Stir the fruit into the yogurt before serving. Top with granola.
• Straight From the Freezer: The perfect frozen snack or treat.
• Smoothie Packs: Package frozen fruit into individual bags or containers so the fruit is ready to blend for smoothies.
• Frozen Fruit Overnight Oats: Add frozen berries to overnight oats for a macro-friendly breakfast or snack.

What You’ll Need to Freeze Strawberries

• Rimmed Sheet Pan or Cookie Sheet
• (optional) Parchment Paper
• Freezer Ziplock bag(s), silicone bag(s), or tempered glass container
• Fresh whole strawberries or cut strawberries or other berries (as many as desired)

Step By Step Instructions With Photos 

Step 1: Wash and Dry Berries 

• Wash the fresh berries and dry thoroughly on a clean towel.
• Remove the green tops from the berries and discard. If you have a strawberry huller, use that to remove the green leaves. If not, use a paring knife to slice off the green stems. 
• If freezing the berries, whole, move to the next step in the freezing process. If you’d like to freeze sliced berries, cut to desired size before the next step.

Step 2: Spread Berries on a Sheet Pan 

• Once the strawberries are fully dry, spread the whole berries or cut berries on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan (or cookie sheet) in a single layer.
• For a large strawberry haul, use multiple sheet pans or work in batches with just one sheet pan. 
• Place the berries in the freezer for 1 hour (or more), until fully frozen.

Pro Tip: Lining the sheet pan with parchment paper is optional, but highly recommended.

Step 3: Store Frozen Berries in a Freezer-Safe Bag or Container 

• Once the berries are frozen, remove the sheet pan/cookie sheet from the freezer. 
• Place the frozen berries in a plastic freezer bag or reusable bag (or multiple bags, depending on quantify) or freezer-safe container.
• Seal the bag, removing excess air from the bag as you press down on the bag and seal. 

How Long Do Frozen Berries Last in the Freezer?

Berries may be safely stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

11 Different Ways to Use Frozen Strawberries and Other Berries

Here are some ways to use frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries.

• Chia Jam: A quick berry jam for toast, sandwiches, and biscuits. Cookie and Kate has a great berry chia jam recipe.
• Blueberry Muffins: Use my master einkorn muffin recipe to make frozen blueberry muffins. If you’re gluten-free, try my almond flour blueberry muffins.
• Strawberry Smoothie: Add 1 cup frozen berries to a blender jar, along with 1/2-1 cup of milk or yogurt, and a banana for a simple smoothie. Here’s my guide to making the best smoothies.
• Popsicles: Blend berries with yogurt and some water, then pour into popsicle molds and freeze. You can also create a more custom pop like these Strawberry Lemonade Cream Pops using strawberries or blueberries.
• Strawberry Sauce: Use strawberries, water, and honey to make a delicious strawberry sauce/syrup for ice cream, milk, or stir into plain yogurt. 
• Scones: Scones are a great treat for a weekend breakfast. Use frozen blueberries to create homemade scones using this recipe.
• Berry Frozen Yogurt (Froyo): Blend up frozen strawberries or blueberries to make a homemade frozen yogurt treat.
• Yogurt Bowls: Top plain yogurt with frozen berries and honey or granola. Add chopped fresh mint in the summer.
• Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt: Add frozen berries (or any frozen fruit) to the bottom of a mason jar, then top with yogurt and place in the fridge. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. The frozen fruit slowly melts, creating the best fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt. Stir the fruit into the yogurt before serving.
• Straight From the Freezer: The perfect frozen snack or treat.
• Strawberry Ice Cream: Use frozen berries, cream, whole milk, and honey to make homemade ice cream. 
• Smoothie Packs: Package frozen fruit into individual bags or containers so the fruit is ready to blend for smoothies.
• Frozen Fruit Overnight Oats: Add frozen berries to overnight oats for a macro-friendly breakfast or snack.

I hate spending money on real food, only to find that food rotting in the fridge.

The good news!

When food is stored under the right conditions and with proper care and proper storage, fresh produce can last for days and weeks, saving money and time!

How to Store Cut Carrots and Celery (Video & Steps)

• Step 1: Cut carrots and/or celery into sticks: If the whole carrots have carrot greens/tops attached, cut the tops from the carrots to remove them from the carrot root. The green tops may be used to make pesto (use 1/2 basil, 1/2 carrot tops) or discard. Also remove any celery leaves. Cut the carrots and/or celery ribs into the desired sizes: carrot slices, sticks, coins, etc. The veggies need to fit inside your container of choice.
• Step 2: Add carrots and/or celery to jars: Add the carrots and/or celery to mason jars or storage jars (anything works). I’ve found that wide-mouth mason jars work well for “sticks” since the pieces stand up in the jars.
• Step 3: Fill the jar(s) with cold water and cover the carrots and/or celery in a water bath. Secure the lid(s) on the container(s).  
• Step 4: Store the carrots and/or celery in the fridge: Store the jars in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Discard and replenish the water in the jars every few days. 

How to Store Baby Carrots & Keep Them Crunchy 

​Baby carrots are notorious for drying out. To keep the carrots crunchy and moist, here’s how to store them for a few weeks…

How to Store Whole Unpeeled Carrots 

There are various methods, from the moist sand method to using a root cellar (a basement space, which is great for long term food storage).

But my preferred method is to use the plastic bag method. Using this method, carrots will last several months in the fridge. Yes, a short period of time, but unless you have a huge bushel of carrots and need long-term storage, this method works great.

 Helpful Tips

• No need to wash the carrots before storing.
• Don’t peel the carrots before storing.
• Some people like to wrap all the carrots in a paper towel before placing in the bag to capture the moisture that can build up over time (or just line the bag with a paper towel). I haven’t found this necessary, but you’re welcome to do so if you find moisture builds up on the bag over time causing rot on the carrots.

How to Store Whole Celery 

The easy way to store whole celery is to…

How to Use Carrots 

There are so many different ways to use carrots. From a side dish to a snack. Here are a few of my favorite ways…

• A salad: Chop, dice, or peel into ribbons using a veggie peeler. Add to a leafy green salad. 
• Snack: Serve with hummus or ranch dressing/dip (this is one of my kids’ favorite snacks or lunchbox sides).
• Fermented Carrots: One of my favorite snacks and so good for your gut! 
• Roast Them: Roast up the carrots on their own or with green beans for a side dish. 
• Slaw: Add shredded carrots to a slaw for tacos. 
• Soup Base: Make a mirepoix; a combo of chopped celery, carrots, and onion-the base of any good soup!
• Carrot Muffins: Add shredded carrots to muffins. I love these gluten-free carrot muffins or einkorn muffins. 
• Cake Carrot: I love this einkorn carrot cake. 
• Stock/Broth: If your carrots are limp, or you just want to make something delicious with crisp carrots, make veggie broth or chicken broth for soups. 

How to Use Celery 

Celery also has many different uses. Here are a few of my favorites: 

• A salad: Chop or dice celery ribs for a salad. You can also add the leafy greens.
• Snack: Serve with hummus or ranch dressing/dip.
• Soup Base: Make a mirepoix; a combo of chopped celery, carrots, and onion-the base of any good soup.
• Stock/Broth: Use the ribs to make a veggie broth or chicken broth for soups. 
• Celery Soup: A delicious soup to serve alongside a sandwich or quesadilla. 

Should fresh asparagus be refrigerated?

Yes, asparagus is a vegetable that should always be stored in the fridge. It will not last at room temperature for longer than a day.

Video Guide: How to Store Cilantro & Other Fresh Herbs