I can’t believe I’m writing this out. I can’t believe I did the math and it’s CORRECT. I am officially down 11 inches, 12 lbs and one full jean size in just 14 weeks. When I tell you that I have been saying I want to lose 10lbs for years, BELIEVE ME. I was a broken record! But then I discovered TRIM Bootcamp, and 2019 has become a life-changing year.
I have tried Paleo, avoiding sweets, hours on cardio machines, CrossFit, Barry’s Bootcamp and the like. I’ve always enjoyed working out and never seemed to figure out how to actually LOSE THE DAMN WEIGHT.
Let’s backtrack here.
I was never overweight or felt this major need to lose weight. In high school I did gain a few pounds the year I decided to be a vegetarian and only eat cheese pizza and bean burritos. I ended up losing that weight Freshman year of college (usually the opposite for most people) but I ended up just getting active again and started to cook for myself more. I was also an avid wakeboarder which was a great workout. Then I got into CrossFit right after college and for about 6 months I looked my best. But then socializing with the group and not eating right was the combination that made me gain weight as well as look and feel terrible.
Fast forward a few years and I still haven’t lost those 10lbs I’ve been wanting to lose. No amount of FlyWheel or Barry’s Bootcamp was helping and I honestly was eating nonstop. I am a snacker. I also eat the MOMENT I wake up until the MOMENT I go to bed. My diet wasn’t awful either. I’m a good eater and love to eat well. But I was simply eating a LOT.
I was starting to give up. Was this just how I’d always look?
Insert TRIM Bootcamp. I tried Faster Way To Fat Loss in 2018 (it’s basically the same concept) and failed miserably. For a few reasons. I tried to change the workout days around to fit with the classes I wanted to take instead of following the FWTFL workouts. And then I gave up after 3 days because it was too confusing with me mixing the days and trying to keep up with the Facebook Group. Also, their “meal planning” was to drink a protein shake, eat hard-boiled eggs and a salad. It wasn’t working for me, to say the least.
Then in December of 2018, my friend Shelby who has been a successful TRIM Bootcamper shared TRIM on her Instagram. I remember traveling with her to Miami while she was on the program and she was eating and drinking and living her best life. How could that be? We have such an idea of what “dieting” looks like, so why isn’t she starving herself or eating just vegetables? Because TRIM is a lifestyle that is totally doable while traveling while having to go on dates, or wanting to be social.
I decided to give it another try on January 1st, 2019. Something just clicked for me in 2019 with so many things and this was one of them. I hit the ground running with TRIM Bootcamp and never looked back. I barely missed a single workout, I hit my macros, calories and net carbs (more on that below) and the weight literally FELL RIGHT OFF. I lost 6 lbs in just 4 weeks and felt amazing.
I finally found something that not only worked, but didn’t feel like work.
My Before & After
January 1st 2019 on the left and May 14th, 2019 on the right. Down 12 pounds, 11 inches and 1 jean size!
So what is TRIM Bootcamp? You’ve probably heard TONS of bloggers chat about Faster Way To Fat Loss (FWTFL). It’s basically the same, but I clearly prefer TRIM and I’ll tell you why.
TRIM Bootcamp vs Faster Way To Fat Loss
Both programs offer a combination of carb cycling (that’s mixing low carb days with high carb days to really cut body fat), paired with intermittent fasting and coordinating the right workouts on the right nutritional days. But TRIM to me is 100 times better as it comes with 800+ recipes, a much better Facebook support group (Valerie is just ON IT) and it’s less dumb to say (seriously).
With TRIM Bootcamp, you get access to A Healthy Passion. It’s a software (it’s just a website) that allows you to plan out your week of meals (or just a single day) based on your set macros and calories. The recipes are easy, they don’t take forever and are DELICIOUS! You can even send the grocery list to Instacart and get your groceries delivered. You officially have no more excuses for not making a home cooked meal!
How Does TRIM Bootcamp Work?
TRIM Bootcamp works by providing a combination of carb cycling, intermittent fasting paired with the RIGHT workouts and nutrition. It will help you lose body fat FAST, giving you the results you want. It will also teach you about the foods you’re putting into your body and how you need to fuel it properly to see results and feel your best. You’ll also have TONS of energy. I haven’t napped in 2019. That is BIZARRE. I also have barely any sugar cravings and no longer eat until painfully full. It has truly transformed my relationship with food.
My Three Tips For Being Successful
Everyone goes into a program hoping to be successful. It definitely takes work and some dedication. But with the accountability of the Facebook group, you’ll already get a boost to being successful. But for me, the below 3 tips were how I stayed on track and found success.
Pre Plan Your Day
The #1 tip I can give you is to preplan your day out in My Fitness Pal. The night before, I look at my calendar to see what I have going on that day. This helps you stay accountable and know exactly what you need to eat to be successful. I recommend this because you can’t wing it meal by meal and expect to hit your macro breakdown. By preplanning, you know that breakfast should be XYZ, and lunch should look a little something like this and so on. That way, if the day DOES get away from you or an unexpected lunch meeting gets put on your calendar, you at least know what you need to eat (high protein, high carb, whatever) so you can try to stay on track as best you can.
Slowly Get Into Fasting
This was HANDS DOWN the hardest thing for me. I LOVE to eat and snack all day. Ease into fasting. Start with 12 hours of fasting, 12 hours of eating. Shorten that window every 2-3 days until you get to 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating. And I promise, it gets easier in just a few days. Make this 8 hours work for your schedule. Everyone is different. For me, I do 12pm to 8pm for my window.
Drink All The Fluids
This will not only help you get through fasting, but will help reduce your bloat. The first thing I noticed when I was doing TRIM for 2 weeks was how the bloat magically disappeared. Between the healthier eating, fasting and all of the water, my stomach was already flatter and more firm because the bloat was gone. It was the first big change I saw in my body and made me feel and look better. This will also help curb those cravings so you can fast!
FAQ Of TRIM Bootcamp
I get a lot of the same questions about TRIM and I want to have one whole place to answer the FAQ. If there’s something I’ve missed or you want clarity on, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email here. I am happy to chat about this as I’ve become so passionate about the program and the new lifestyle I’ve built from it.
Q: How is it different than Faster Way To Fat Loss?
A: FWTFL vs TRIM is quite similar. The same concept of carb cycling, IF, weight lifting and so on. But TRIM offers a lot more in terms of meal planning, recipes, daily check-ins, and support PLUS is also one week longer! The program also comes with tons of great downloads like a vacation guide, cocktail guide, eating out guide and more. All for the same price of $199!
Q: I don’t really like to workout, or I already have my favorite classes, do I have to follow the workout plan?
A: You will definitely still see results with this program if you only stick to nutrition and IF. If you have a favorite class, you can mix them into the workout program. Your coach will help explain which of your workouts go with which days but it’s fairly easy to figure out for yourself. HIIT workouts for low-carb days, strength workouts on regular macro days. I highly recommend at least trying the workouts. Even doing half of it will be better than nothing. TRIM Bootcamp provides you with weekly workouts that are different every single week. They also come with at home substitutions and video guides! I have canceled ClassPass saving me money and now do all my workouts at home or outside! Plus, most of the workouts are under 45 minutes. Do what you can!
Q: WTF Is a macro, this is confusing!
A: It is confusing. And that’s why there’s a prep week! Macros is short for macronutrients. It’s the nutrients that make up our food: fat, carbohydrate and protein. That’s it! You’ll use the free My Fitness Pal app to track the foods you eat and you’ll want to meet your requirements for each macro.
There will be low carb days (Monday and Tuesday) where you ONLY look at your total carbs minus total fiber for NET carbs. Then there are regular macro days (what we like to call high carb days since you eat a TON of carbs) where you’ll hit your macro needs for protein, carb and fats under the MACROS tab. These numbers you’ll want to hit are provided for you by the trainers and also set up according to your weight, activity level and weight loss goals that you’ll set up from the beginning.
I’m not going to sugar coat it. It takes time to get used to doing this and you want to give yourself some grace. No one hits it perfect ever. And no one learns this all overnight. Practice is where it’s at! I would say by week 3 I was feeling my stride and felt much better about it. Just TRY.
Q: What the heck am I going to eat?!
A: You’ll eat TONS of things. Below is a sample week of what my diet looks like. I tend to eat a lot of the same things, but you don’t have to! TRIM comes with a FREE software called A Healthy Passion that has over 800 recipes (nearly half are vegetarian) and will help your macro planning down to the grocery shopping. There’s no turkey wraps, protein shakes or salad with chicken. These are real dishes that are restaurant worthy! In my opinion, the BIGGEST difference between TRIM and FWTFL is this software.
Q: Can I eat out? Drink alcohol with friends? Or have my glass of wine at the end of the day? Or travel?
Yes, yes and YES. This is a lifestyle and because you will have a better understanding of macros and what your body needs to lose weight, build muscle and feel great, you’ll know how to work these things in. I traveled a TON, I went out for drinks with friends and on dates a BUNCH in my first two rounds. Sure you’ll probably be more successful if you avoid these situations and stick to 100% home cooked meals. But that’s the beauty of the program. It will teach you how to be successful because of these instances and how to make better choices.
I can now go into dinner with friends with a clear idea of what I need to order. Let’s say it’s a high carb day and I know I’m going out to Mexican and I want all the chips. I know to keep my day very low carb and low fat so I can eat those things. Which is so easy to do. You just have to do a little pre-planning!
Q: I have to eat as soon as I get up, how the heck will I do intermittent fasting (IF)?
Same girl, same. I was the type who woke up, brushed my teeth, then made breakfast. Even if I woke up at 4am to catch a 6am flight, I was eating at 4am. I just thought I had to. IF is an incredible weight loss tool, helps to lower blood sugar levels and stabalize them. It is also an immune system booster. I haven’t had a cold in 2019 and have had more energy than ever.
I do 16 hours of fasting with 8 hours of eating. I typically break my fast around noon with breakfast (always start my day with breakfast no matter the time ha) and then finish around 7 or 8 depending on dinner. Start slowly though. Begin with 12 hours of fasting, 12 hours of eating and begin to shorten that window every few days. I would say it takes a week to get used to if you’re a first thing in the morning eater like I am. For others, this is the easiest part! For me, this was hands down the hardest part to get used to but now I can’t imagine eating until 12!
And yes, you can still have hot tea, coffee and sparkling water while fasting. Just keep things under 50 calories or you’ll break your fast!
$15 OFF & A Sample Week Meal Plan
Interested in getting $15 off of your first round of TRIM? Sign up below and you’ll ALSO receive a one week meal plan of what I love to eat!
Favorite easy meals…
- Low Carb Breakfast Bowl – add potatoes on regular macro days
- Fajitas w/ low carb tortillas – add in black beans for regular macro days or add lots of guacamole on your low carb days
- Shrimp fried rice – easy to swap out rice for cauliflower rice depending on your macro day – you can also sub any protein you like!
- Sea bass with cannellini beans & veggies
- Banana Peanut Butter Toast – Dave’s killer power seed bread with peanut butter, banana and cinnamon! This is almost a daily high carb treat!
I truly can not say enough good things about this program. Never have I been able to stick to anything, and never on this program have I felt like I’m dieting at all. It’s been a true transformation in not only my body, how I feel, but also my relationship with food.
