March Macro Bell Curve Cycle
This month in the Faster Way To Fat Loss, my VIP members and I are participating in a macro bell curve cycle. I wanted to break down a few of the things that we are doing, and share why it is beneficial to participate in! Carb cycling in general, is an excellent way to burn fat for fuel, and introducing this new cycle to our current strategy tool belt, we are preventing plateau, keeping things fun and interesting, and taking our results to the next level.
Who is this cycle for?
If you are a new client of mine, we are not learning this curve quite yet. During your 6 week new client round, you will be learning the BASICS of what make the Faster Way truly incredible and effective. But don’t worry. Basic doesn’t mean boring! There is PLENTY to learn in our 6 week program, and frankly, you have to learn to crawl, before you can learn to run! The new client experience is the perfect place to get your foundation, and VIP membership is where you can really take off from that runway. Once you have mastered the basics of our original carb cycling schedule, you will be ready to jump in to this new macro bell curve cycle.
How to do it
The bell curve is basically a variation of carb intake throughout your week. We start with a low carb day, gradually increase each day (up the curve), and then back down the curve to end with another low carb day. On the weekend we are going to “super charge” our muscles with an additional day of BONUS carbs. This is going to be SO beneficial for allowing our lean muscles the chance to recover and GROW!
I know carbs get SUCH a bad rep, and honestly, most of my clients are scared to eat carbs. However, carbs are NOT the enemy! You NEED carbs in order to fuel muscle. Muscles are needed in order to fuel metabolism. An on fire metabolism means that you will be able to burn fat, and look and feel your BEST! See where we started on that timeline? Please for the love, DO not fear carbs. When eaten in the right amounts, on the right schedule, you will be amazed at how your body responds. (More on why you need to EAT to see results, here.)
Protein is our anchor
For this cycle, our carbs and fat percentages are changing every day, however one thing is remaining constant. That macro is PROTEIN. Protein is honestly one of the macros that I sometimes struggle with getting enough of! I love fruits and veggies, so it takes a conscious effort sometimes for me to add meat to my plate. We are increasing our protein by 5% this cycle, and eating the same amount every single day. I wanted to share some of my best tips for increasing protein throughout your day, without feeling like you have to sit down and eat half a cow. Ok, that’s dramatic but honestly. That’s how it feels sometimes. Continue reading for my best tips to increase your protein intake.
Sneak in a serving of collagen peptides into your daily cup of coffee, tea, oatmeal, or smoothie.
This is literally the easiest and quickest way to bump up those protein grams. I love Vitauthority for all of my collagen needs, I have literally tried them all, and this one wins hands down on taste, price, and quality.
Increase your normal serving sizes of meats when looking to increase protein.
You would be surprised how much you can boost your protein grams, just by increasing your serving size by an ounce or two. For example a 4 ounce serving of grilled chicken contains approximately 32g of protein. A 5 ounce serving would give you 40g, and a 6 ounce serving would yield 48 grams! Do you see how much you could boost that protein just by increasing serving sizes?
Double the bang for your buck with plant based protein sources.
Let’s not forget about the protein content in plants! For those of us who love veggies, this is a great way to boost protein without gnawing on a turkey leg. I love this cheat sheet below for some plant based protein ideas. Some of my personal faves are to pair lentil pasta with a meat sauce for a double protein punch. Mix in flax, chia, and hemp seeds into a smoothie bowl or oatmeal. Throw some nuts into a salad, or toast and top some veggies with nuts or hemp seeds. I love to eat beans, peas, and quinoa on their own, and they taste even more amazing mixed into a bowl together!
Blend up a protein packed fruit smoothie.
I am a HUGE fan of smoothies, and they are usually my go to when I just don’t feel like cooking. My favorite base to a smoothie is 2 parts frozen fruit, to one part liquid. If I need protein in a big way, pea or soy milk are both high in protein. Almond milk also has a moderate protein amount.
In with my fruit and liquid, I will add in a scoop of Vegan protein powder (20g per serving – I LOVE Vega protein and greens), I will also add in a scoop of collagen peptides (tasteless and adds another 7g of protein), and I usually add in a tbsp or two of peanut butter or almond butter! It delivers such a rich and creamy texture plus another 4-10 grams of protein, depending on the type you are using! Throwing in a cup of spinach or kale will add another 2-3 grams. So you can see, in one quick blender, you are able to add in 30-40 grams of protein, depending on your add-ins!
Why the bell curve?
So we’ve covered the who and what, now I want to cover the why behind doing a strategy like this. Simply put, we want to supercharge our metabolism. Our bodies are constantly wanting to adapt, so this will keep it guessing.
How do I do it?
You get signed up with a Faster Way coach to guide and lead you! 🙂 Honestly, you can try to figure it out on your own. And you can probably google your way into finding some numbers that work for you. But how much easier would it be to have a coach tell you exactly what you need to do, have a community who is all doing the same thing with you, and an app to follow with step by step directions, meal guides, and resources to help you? Honestly, I have done the DIY route, and I can Pinterest things like it’s nobody’s business. But when it comes to your health, it’s too precious to put through a guessing game! Trust a qualified and certified individual to guide you to better health. I can promise you won’t regret investing in yourself!
My next new client round will be starting on April 5, and you can join my waiting list here. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to me here, or on social media!
