Faster Way to Fat Loss Results: Update from a Former Skeptic

If you’re here because you’re curious about the Faster Way to Fat Loss program, maybe you’re feeling stuck, carrying extra body fat or just tired of spinning your wheels with diets and exercise that never seem to work; I want you to know you’re in the right place.

I shared my FASTer Way review/story a few years ago, for the first time. Now I want to share an update with you…

Five years ago, in December 2021, I was exactly where you might be right now (see photo below). I was sitting around 30+% body fat, had never touched a strength training program in my life, and honestly thought I “just needed to lose a few pounds.” I was skeptical of the whole thing. I blamed my hormones, was spending hundreds of dollars every month on supplements and workout classes (Pure Barre, kickboxing) that did absolutely nothing to improve my body composition, and felt like my body was working against me. I was frustrated.

I kept hearing about macros and strength training, and FASTer Way offered a program where I could learn about both. As a total skeptic, I joined the program. I thought it was a lot of money to spend, but at that point, I had tried everything and was willing to take the risk.

My coach at the time (a popular influencer) wasn’t great, but the program itself taught me so much about how to properly strength train (lift weights) and track my macros.

Fast forward to today, I’ve gone from skeptic to believer to a top nutrition coach who has helped hundreds of women experience body transformations like the one I’ve experienced!

Over the past few years, I’ve undergone a complete body transformation (and recomposition), gaining confidence and a body I’ve never had before (see below photo).

I now sit around at a lean 15-17% body fat (Curious about your body fat %? I highly recommend watching this video), with visible muscle definition, a strong, toned shape I love (strong shoulders, back, and glutes that actually fill out my clothes in the best way; not just a “skinny fat” look that typically results in weight loss alone), and more energy and confidence in my 40s (even while navigating perimenopause) than I ever thought possible. I went from zero strength training to hitting impressive PRs and building a body that feels powerful, capable, and the best version of myself.

What started as a skeptical client journey turned into the most transformative experience of my life. I became a top FASTer Way coach, earned my PN1 Nutrition Coach certification (a highly respected nutrition school), and have now helped hundreds of women (from ages 25-75!) achieve their own fat loss, body recomposition, and food freedom.

My coaching is different; it’s hands-on, deeply customized, and data-driven. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. I help women build real, lasting results with smart macros, strength training, and habits that fit real life.

In this 5-year update, I’m pulling back the curtain on everything: how I lost over 45 lbs of fat, the mindset shifts, the strength gains, the body composition changes, and exactly where I stand today.

Whether you’re brand new to FASTter Way to Fat Loss, thinking about joining, or already in the program and looking for a more hands-on coach who truly understand body recomposition, I hope my story shows you what’s truly possible with consistency, the right strategy, and patience.

Let’s dive in. 💪

First, let me show you where I started this journey, back in December 2021, then about 3 and 6 months into the program (see photos below)…

I was nearing my 40’s, had been working out for years (kickboxing, running, barre classes), eating healthy and clean (I wrote a real food blog), and yet I was gaining weight. I was frustrated, confused, and felt like I was an “impossible case.” Maybe this is just what happens as a woman when you age? After all, everyone around me was experiencing the same issues.

I joined FASTer Way to Fat Loss in December 2021, and 6 months later, friends and family started to notice the visible changes happening to my body. I was leaner, my arms looked more defined due to muscle, and I felt amazing.

What caused this change? Tracking my nutrition using macros (I set up your custom macro nutrition plan when you join me for coaching) and strength training at home using the FASTer Way home training program (30-40 minutes, 3x a week – very doable for a busy working mom).

And then ONE year later (see photo below)….

I had lost 25lbs on the scale, had achieved a healthy weight range for my body (important for health and inflammation markers- when you lose fat, everything starts improving!), reducing my body fat percentage down to a very healthy 22%, and gaining newbie muscle from strength training using the FASTer Way home strength training program with dumbbells in my backyard.

After this initial fat loss phase (paired with strength training to retain muscle, which is vital in fat loss and can only be done by eating enough protein and lifting weights, which is what you’ll also get with the FASTer Way- an incredible strength program for newbies to advanced lifters), I completely transformed my body through body recomposition. I added lean muscle and dropped fat.

At that point, I decided I wanted to add more muscle to my body to give myself shape (that’s what muscle alone can do- add beautiful curves to your body), I adjusted my calories to no longer focus on fat loss, but instead; now focus on building more muscle on my body (which just takes time and strategy!). I went from around 1500 calories in a deficit to now 2300 calories! Incredible!!

As a coach, in FASTer Way, this is something I work on with my clients: adjusting your calories/macros based on your goal, so you continue to make progress towards the body and fitness you desire. I teach you how to take data, which drives these adjustments, so we’re not guessing; instead, we’re strategic. This is unique to working with me, as your coach.

After adjusting my calories/macros upward, and focusing on getting strong (I moved from the FASTer Way home program to the FASTer Way gym program- you get both options as part of the program) for 1.5 years (muscle just takes time to build, it’s not a fast process), I went into another calorie deficit in 2025 to reveal the muscle I had gained during that time and shed some of the fat I put on (the photos below are the end result of that, giving me a more “toned” look as I now had more muscle on my body and less fat, completely changing my body composition and how I look). 

Here’s what actually happened over the past 4.5 years to completely change my body:

Phase 1 (First 8-12 months): Focused purely on fat loss and started strength training (so built newbie muscle gains!). I lost 25 lbs and got down to a “healthy” weight, while adding muscle to my frame due to access body fat (extra fuel to drive muscle growth even in a deficit) and being new to training. I was smaller and had some tone (was very happy!)… but desired more “tone” and definition. My legs had no shape (I lacked muscle here, and just looked “skinny fat”) and I ended up with a pancake butt from at loss (no butt at all). I wanted to build shape in both areas, which would mean adding muscle mass. 

Phase 2 (Next 1–1.5 years): I moved into top-range maintenance calories through a strategic reverse diet and spent over a year focused on getting really, really strong. I ate around 2200-2300 calories during this time (my deficit was 1500 calories from phase 1). I followed the Faster Way gym program, progressed my lifts, and trained with heavier weights. My scale went up about 8 lbs over 1.5 years (normal when growing muscle). Clothes size stayed the same. Visible changes were slow (I really had to trust the process, because I wasn’t looking leaner), but I was building muscle. I didn’t need to go this long in phase 2, but I knew the longer I went at this phase, the more muscle I’d build and the better my result would be with having the toned look I desired when I went into fat loss later on. Muscle growth is slow, around .5-1lbs per month at best, so we embrace the slowness of this process. I switched from the FASTer Way home program to the gym program during this time, which meant I could really push myself to get stronger (no longer limited to my small dumbbell collection).  

Phase 3 (2025): Two focused fat loss phases (10 week + 9 weeks) broken up with maintenance breaks. I had to be crazy dialed in at this point, as I was going from lean to leaner. I lost about 10 lbs on the scale and multiple inches, but because I had built muscle first, the fat loss revealed that muscle. My legs finally looked toned instead of bulky. I got quads, glutes, shoulder definition, and arm definition (biceps) — all the areas that used to be my biggest struggles. I slimed down in my mid-section, too. The look I now had came from that 1.5 years of seeing very little visible changes (as far as leanness) and just getting stronger and being consistent with lifting and nutrition. By Fall 2025, I went through a reverse diet again to get up to maintenance calories and sat there until February 2025. 

Phase 4 (Now): In a lean build phase, intentionally eating above maintenance (around 2400 calories, about 100 calories OVER maintenance for a slight, controlled surplus, now needed due to where I sit with body fat and being so lean) to keep adding muscle (especially glutes and upper back, which my glutes have added nearly 2 inches now since the start of this build and quads have grown too, which has meant seeing the scale increase because GROWTH weighs something).

This goes completely against what gets likes and views on social media. But it’s how you build your body: strategy and patience. No way around it. 

If you’re able to do the work in the silence without the applause, delaying instant gratification, it will be worth it. 

Real consistency over time is what matters. Consistency with the basics: steps, nutrition, training. 

If your goal body has any kind of shape to it – AKA: “tone” (a nice butt even when lean, capped shoulders, back definition, some ab wall definition, then yes, it’s going to take getting a lot leaner (trimming off more fat than we often realize, we don’t realize just how much fat we have on our body usually as it’s spread all over: toes, hands, belly, back- everywhere) plus time spent intentionally building that muscle (getting strong!) so it’s there to be revealed when we peel off the fat. 

The process usually looks like this: 

• Get to a healthy, happy weight first (fat loss with lifting as you have extra fat in this stage to add muscle even in a deficit)… then shift into a building phase with more calories in the tank to recover and fuel growth (maintenance for MOST people, unless you’re very, very lean, then we need to use a slight surplus)… get even stronger… and then cut down to reveal that hard-earned muscle. 

And here’s the cool part…

• Because you’ve built muscle, you can now handle more calories (plus all those steps you now get as an active person!) while staying leaner year-round. AMAZING!!! This doesn’t come when you strictly focus on weight loss at any cost (as so many are today). This only comes when you focus on fat loss and muscle growth. 

Since I’ve spent time not dieting and only using strategic cuts as needed (initially to get to a healthy weight, then later on to reveal muscle), I can now hold a leaner composition year-round. 

I have more muscle tissue, a higher BMR (due to more muscle)- a higher metabolism (muscle is metabolically active and a glucose sponge- so I can eat more carbs without issue), better muscle maturity and density (giving a more toned look now). That’s why today I can eat 2400 calories in maintenance (or a small surplus to build) and easily maintain my current body at 2300 calories.

But it all takes muscle and lots of patience.

You can absolutely change your body in the first year of this journey, which is incredible… losing fat and adding muscle! As you can see in my photos. 

From there, we keep going (if you want to improve body composition or achieve more definition), refining, building muscle, cutting fat to reveal a body you likely never dreamed possible. Each stage is so cool, knowing that delayed gratification and consistency with the basics takes the cake for long-term results you desire. Patience and delayed gratification!!  

That’s the honest truth. 

It doesn’t sell well, and most people want “quick results.” But there aren’t any. Sure, weight loss can be quick, but building a body many people desire, takes time and more strategy than just dropping a few pounds on the scale. But the time will pass anyway. Embrace the process, embrace the basic habits (nutrition, steps, lifting), and you’ll be amazed at what you can do!

Ready to write your own transformation story?

If my journey resonates with you (whether you’re just starting out, currently are a FASTer Way client and feeling stuck, or ready to finally build a strong, toned body after months or years of spinning your wheels), I’d love to help you get there.

My coaching is unlike anything inside the standard Faster Way program. It’s highly personalized, data-driven, and hands-on.

As your coach, I’ll create a custom nutrition plan that fits your body, your hormones, your life, and your goals (fat loss, maintenance, or building beautiful lean muscle).

👉 If you’re ready to stop guessing and start transforming, click here to join my next new-client on-boarding. I’ll set up your custom nutrition plan, teach you how to track macros/calories, provide you with the strength program that has transformed my body over the years, and be there to support and guide you the whole way.

And if you’re a current FASTer Way client and not getting the coach support and education, and customizations, you need let me support you! I’d love to work with you as your VIP coach. Use this form to request a coach switch to Kristin Marr.

I can’t wait to cheer you on as you build the strong, confident, energized version of yourself you deserve.

Let’s do this together. Join me here!