The FITT CYcle
The FITT Cycle portal is meant to guide you through your upcoming lifestyle!
DON’T FORGET TO USE THE #TheFITTCycle HASHTAG ON YOUR INSTAGRAM PHOTOS AND TAG @TheFITTCycle SO WE CAN ALL CHEER YOU ON!!
I have been known to do some amazing check-in/positivity/engagement GIVEAWAYS.. so stay tuned!!!
〰️ Be sure to send your before/progress photos to lindsay@lindsayrenefitness.com 〰️
Your First Week: What to expect
Day 1:
Take a breath!! It's just day one! Review the portal videos, introduce yourself in the collective community and share your MAIN GOAL on the welcome thread within the facebook community group. Make sure that you're super comfortable with the portal, weekly schedule, and nutritional strategies in The FITT Cycle portal. Don't forget to email your before pictures and measurements to: lindsay@lindsayrenefitness.com
Day 2:
Today’s is all about how to figure out your specific ratio of macros. Be sure to watch the training on how to track your macros in the FITT TV Tab. You will want to download the MyFitnessPal app prior to watching and follow along with the video to calculate your macros for High Carb days and low carb/low cal days. If you want to make sure they are accurate, feel free to post them on today's thread in the facebook group and tag me so I'll be sure to see it!
Day 3:
Watch the live video from Lindsay on intermittent fasting, get familiar with TFC food cycle and nutritional strategies. As a standard guideline I recommend breaking your fast at noon, if that doesn't work for you, that's ok!! We can figure this out together. If you have a question about how to fit intermittent fasting into your schedule, comment on today's thread in the facebook group and tag me so I'll be sure to see it!
Day 4:
LIVE Q and A day every other Thursday!! Depending on when you enroll, Tonight I might be going LIVE via zoom conferencing to go over housekeeping, expectations, and answer any last pressing questions you may have. Be sure to have your questions ready, this hour together goes fast! Optional: purchase 6 week meal plan guide. Need exercise modifications? Let me know in the facebook group by tagging me in today's thread!
Day 5:
It's almost time!! Review the macro cheat sheet and start preparing for next weeks success. Watch a replay of the LIVE Q and A and submit any remaining questions to the video thread. I will be posting my meal prep and grocery haul this Sunday on my instastories, so be sure you're following along @lindsayhuelse.
The FIIT CYcle Method
Fasting Intervals, Targeted Training, and Carb Cycling
FASTING INTERVALS
Fasting Intervals is just what it sounds like. You will have intervals throughout The FITT Cycle, where you will be considered in a “Fasting Interval” which is a SMALL window of time without eating at all, letting your body rest from insulin production. It is a conscious decision to have the first meal of your day a little later than you're used to and to not allow snacking after your last meal. Don’t worry, you EAT EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!
The Interval we use with The FITT Cycle is the 16:8 ratio. You will have a 16 hour FASTING Interval and an 8 Hour EATING Interval.
TARGETED TRAINING
With The FITT Cycle, we will be strategically matching our workouts with our Carb Cycle. We do this because of the way your body metabolizes and stores Macro Nutrients.
We are wanting to do STRENGTH TRAINING on High Carb Days to build lean muscle.
On LOW CARB Days we will be doing our cardio in the form of Sprints, Tabata and LISS. Having this short low carb interval in our week allows our bodies to burn ALL the stored carbs and allow us to begin burning our fat stores!!
CARB CYCLING
Carb cycling is just what it sounds like: eating more carbohydrates on some days (High Carb Days) to promote MUSCLE GROWTH and eating less carbohydrates (Low Carb Days) on same days to promote FAT LOSS and minimize fat gain.
mONDAY: hIGH cARB + uPPER BODY
Tuesday: High carb + Lower Body
Wednesday: Low Carb + Sprints/LISS
Thursday: Low Carb + Tabata/LISS
Friday: High carb + Back/bis
Saturday: High Carb + Leg Day
Sunday: Low Carb + Active Recovery
FITT CHATS
Intermittent Fasting
Throughout The FITT Cycle, we will be engaging in fasting intervals, or intermittent fasting, every day. Don’t worry, you will get to eat EVERY DAY!! This is where you have a window of time without eating at all, letting your body rest from insulin production. It is a conscious decision to have the first meal of your day a little later than you're used to and to not allow snacking after your last meal.
After we eat and our bodies are beginning to digest food, we produce insulin to counter act the spike in blood sugar. Insulin secretion makes fat burn extremely difficult. About 8-12 hours after our body is done digesting, insulin levels are lower and we are considered to be in the "fasted" state, allowing your body to access fat stores for energy.
As a society, we have been told we need to eat every two hours in order to increase our metabolism and reach our fatloss goals. Think about it. Insulin stays in our blood stream for 8-12 hours. If you are eating every two hours, you are constantly spiking your insulin levels, inhibiting your body from being able to utilize your stored fat for energy.
As a standard starting point with The FITT Cycle, I recommend breaking your fast at noon and eating until 8pm. This will help you maintain the 16:8 intervals of fasting for 16 hours and keeping an 8 hour eating window.
*if this timing doesn’t work out for you, let me know in the facebook group and we can figure out what works best for your schedule!
One of the most FAQ I get: “If I workout fasted in the morning, aren’t I supposed to have protein within 30 minutes of my workout?” - NO. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting actually increases a hormone called HGH which is your Human Growth Hormone - this hormone helps to burn fat, gain muscle, and is said to reverse signs of aging #winning!!
Once you really understand the why behind the what, you will begin to have the knowledge to implement these strategies into YOUR life, creating a sustainable LIFESTYLE. Feeling amazing, having tons of energy, glowing from the inside out, sleeping great, and loving life all start from WITHIN! Learning how to properly fuel your body will change your life. Whatever your goals are, start here.
Targeted Training and Carb Cycling
Throughout The FITT Cycle we will strategically be matching up our Carb Cycle with specific workouts to maximize fat burn and lean muscle gains, this is called TARGETED TRAINING. Carb Cycling doesn’t mean eating Tacos during a spin class.. although… I wouldn’t hate that!! Carb cycling is just what it sounds like: eating more carbohydrates on some days (strength days) to promote MUSCLE GROWTH and eating less carbohydrates (Cardio days) on some days to promote FAT LOSS and minimize fat gain. Using this technique combined with intermittent fasting, your body will enter EXTREME fat burning mode.
What's the point of Carb Cycling?
For as long as I can remember, the message we have been told is… EAT LESS… eat less carbs and eat less calories in order to lose weight. Did you know the correlation to that message and OBESITY is at an all time HIGH?! YES! Long term carbohydrate and calorie deprivation can have a negative effect on our metabolic rate and hormones. This is why so many women find themselves stuck on a diet rollercoaster. Your body is smart. If you are constantly restricting macronutrients and calories, your body is going to learn to survive on that little of calories - therefore causing you to restrict even more, leading you into a vicious cycle of frustration.
By integrating high carb days, we can increase grehlin stability (the hunger hormone) and internal homeostasis to help alleviate the feeling of being hungry. Cycling our carbohydrates also allows for two other hormones, insulin and leptin, to stabalize which will increase fat metabolization. We will be alternating two high carb days with two low carb days to allow for increased fat burn, increase energy leading to enhanced performance, endurance, and better overall physique.
The Daily FITT
Use the #thedailyfitt so we can find you!!
You will notice everyday throughout The FITT Cycle, the overall workout structure is the same. You will always have an Activate, Build, Sculpt, and Burn circuit... even on cardio days sister!! The workouts are designed to show progression of strength. You will notice week 1 and 2 are similar types of exercises but you may have more reps in week 2. Same with weeks 3 and 4. It's exciting to hear the women say how many MORE reps they can do than the week prior.
During the BUILD circuit, I really challenge you to increase weight as your reps decrease.. this will help with hypertrophy of the muscles to really tone up those trouble spots!
With the SCULPT circuit, you will notice exercise couplets - you will want to do the prescribed number of reps of each exercise 2-3 times before moving onto the next couplet.
I have also added an "activate" phase which is meant to get blood flow and circulation to the muscle groups we will be working that day. The Daily FITT activate/burn circuits are 7 minutes long. You will do the allotted exercises and reps as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in the 7 minutes. The "burnout" is meant to be ADVANCED and OPTIONAL, it is designed to reach those intrinsic muscle fibers and create even more lean calorie-burning muscle.
What if I'm short on time?! Not a problem!!
Skip the burnout AND/OR take off the last set of each BUILD exercise OR do 1 less round of Sculpt - VERY FLEXIBLE!! You will STILL get results!!
Lifestyle
The women who go through my program see unprecedented results by properly implementing the core tenets of the program: Fasting Intervals, Targeted Training, and Carb Cycling! The FITT Cycle truly is the most sustainable and effective program on the market.
I have no doubt you will be overwhelmed in the beginning this is why I have designed the program to have a week of preparation. I will slowly start to “leak” you information daily, throughout prep week, on the core tenets of the program and then bring EVERYTHING full circle during our live Q and A. I promise, you will be set up for success come day 1!
High Carb Days
Monday | Tuesday | Friday | Saturday
FAST
FAST for 16 hours and complete a 6-8 hour feeding window.
Try to break your fast with your biggest/carb dense meal.
NO FASTING ON SATURDAY!! Give your body a break girl and grab some #BRUNCH
TRACK
You will want to consume 50% Carbs, 20% protein, and 30% Fat
I recommend downloading the My Fitness Pal app!
There are TWO tabs I want you SUPER familiar with - The MACROS and NUTRIENTS tabs
Think of macros track like a budget!!
Try not to ADD any extra fats on High Carb Days - most fats will come from your lean protein
FITT
Activate: Build: Sculpt: Burnout
Low Carb Day
Wednesday | Thursday
FAST
FAST for 16 hours and complete a 6-8 hour feeding window.
Try to break your fast later in the day
TRACK
Strive to eat less than 40 grams of net carbs on this day. Total carbs minus fiber = net carbs.
Think PFF - protein, fats, fiber at every meal
Eat lots of vegetables and avoid starchy foods - refer to macro cheat sheet for guidance
Your macro chart in MyFitnessPal will have a LOT of fat on these days (close to 70%). THAT’S OK!!
Aim to eat 25% less calories on this day as well
If you are breastfeeding, and have consulted with your physician, I don’t recommend going below 100g net carbs for low carbs days - listen to your body and give it what it needs.
FITT
Sprint/Tabata Cardio
Followed by low intensity steady state cardio (LISS) Keeping your heart rate in the fat burning zone
Optional 24 Hour Fast
Wednesdays
Note: You will see an optional extended FAST weekly on Wednesdays. This is recommended for anyone that has gone through at least one round of the FAST Track To Fit. I also only recommend doing this 1-2 times a month!!
IF YOU’RE BREASTFEEDING, YOU WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS FAST
You will begin the extended fast after your last meal on TUESDAY and break your fast 24 hours later on Wednesday
For example: if you finish eating at 7pm TUESDAY you will break your fast WEDNESDAY at 7 pm.
Drink a lot of water (electrolyte water is my favorite), herbal teas, black coffee, BCAAs, pre workout and bone broth are all approved and encouraged while participating in an extended fast.
Break your fast with a low carb high protein smoothie and do not worry about tracking macros
On Thursday, break your fast when you are hungry and resume with regular TFC recommendations.
Low carb Day + Selfcare Sunday
Sundays
FAST
GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK TODAY AND ENJOY BREAKFAST WITH YOUR FAM
TRACK
Eat 25% less calories than a High Carb Day.
Aim to still hit less than 40g net carbs.
If you are breastfeeding, and after consulting your physician, you do not need to do 25% less.
FIT
Engage in a Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) cardio or very-low intensity active recovery (walking, biking, rowing, purebarre, pilates, reformer, yoga, etc).
Treat yourself to #selfcaresunday
