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I’m so excited to talk a bit about my guilty pleasures, because they’re usually top of mind whenever we start a new diet. I asked my new friend, Nicki Entenmann, to join me today on the show. She is a top Faster Way To Fat Loss coach (If you don’t know what that is, don’t worry! We’ll talk about it in detail today), and I know you’ll enjoy getting to know her.
In this episode, we discuss:
[3:03] Nicki’s background and the Faster Way to Fat Loss program
Nicki is a wife, and a mom to three children six and under. She and her family live in Denver, CO. Nicki describes herself as “a lover of wine and sarcasm”, and her mission is to unite women through motherhood and food freedom.
As a Faster Way To Fat Loss coach, she teaches women how to eat for their bodies. For herself and for others, the program has allowed healing of trauma from years of yo-yo dieting. You can get results while having a really good time.
Faster Way To Fat Loss is the number one digital wellness and nutrition program in the country. It is based around whole food nutrition (what to eat), intermittent fasting (when to eat), and carb cycling (how to eat). Using these strategies simultaneously, Nicki helps women to get healthy and happy – without deprivation (Yes, you can still have some Chick-fil-A!).
Nicki first discovered this program after having her second baby. She was exhausted, overwhelmed, embarrassed, and wanting to lose weight. Her body dysmorphia consumed her life. She chose to miss out on memories with her kids because she did not want to be in a bathing suit. She missed intimacy with her husband because she didn’t feel confident in her skin. She was longing to find the happiness she had always wanted. It was at that point that Nicki realized that she wanted to get healthy not just for herself, but also for her kids.
She saw a friend on social media who had done the Faster Way To Fat Loss program, and she looked incredible. She had dropped some weight, but what Nicki really noticed is that she didn’t talk about her weight loss much in her posts. Instead, she shared more about her internal transformation. She slept better, and she had the energy to chase after her babies. Nicki craved the same transformation. She wanted to be the happy and healthy version of herself.
Nicki decided to sign up for the program, and it has changed every part of her life. She chose herself, and now she has the opportunity to teach other women how to do the same.
[7:25] How to practice intermittent fasting while still including treats in our daily lives
Intermittent fasting is an eating schedule, in which you cycle between fasting and eating. It improves insulin sensitivity, and your body adjusts in order to better access your stored fat. In addition, intermittent fasting gives your body digestive rest and helps with cell repair.
Typically, Nicki works with her clients to achieve a 16 to 8 protocol – meaning you fast for 16 hours and eat during the remaining 8 hours of the day. She recommends choosing a window that works best for them, and noon to 8pm is a pretty common eating window. When you first start, it can definitely feel hard to wait until noon to eat. What Nicki realized, however, is that she had never been eating enough for her body. She had been on super low-calorie, depriving type of yo-yo diets such as low carb diets, juice cleanses, and other fads. Ultimately, she would end up binging because she was cutting out things she loved and not going out or enjoying food.
As a coach, Nicki focuses on her clients’ relationship with food. Rather than restricting everything, it is important to be able to have a glass of wine or some chips, or go to your favorite restaurant. That is what makes it a true lifestyle. Nicki suggests focusing on an 80/20 rule where you eat whole foods, without depriving yourself. When Nicki started doing that within the Faster Way community, she was able to stop binging because nothing was restricted.
If you go down the research rabbit hole, the benefits of intermittent fasting are truly astounding. It has changed our lives! I actually did a 30-day intermittent fasting challenge with my audience a few years back, which breaks down how to ease into the intermittent fasting lifestyle.
Y’all know I love Chick-fil-A, and we talked about wine. Nicki also shared that she loves herself some salt. Her treats include fries, chips and salsa, and margaritas.
[15:43] Measuring your changing body composition (look beyond the scale!)
Nicki is a big proponent of taking pictures and measurements before and during a fat loss program, because you will be able to see the changes in your body composition. While you may weigh the same, or maybe more, your muscle density and mass will completely change. Nicki doesn’t even step on the scale anymore.
[18:16] Nicki’s experience with postpartum anxiety
Nicki had her first two children 13 months apart. Surprise, breastfeeding is not birth control! She shared that it then took them a while to have a third, because they didn’t come out of the “baby cloud” for a long time.
After her first baby, the postpartum period was really hard for Nicki. She had postpartum anxiety, and she felt overwhelmed, exhausted, and resentful of her husband for being able to go to work. She questioned the choice to have a baby, even though she loved her daughter so much. They were some of the first people in their friend group to have kids, so she had FOMO as her friends continued to live their lives without children. Nicki talks about this experience all the time now, because she wants other women to be more aware of the symptoms of postpartum anxiety. She thought it was normal at the time, but there was more going on than she realized.
Nicki had a lot of anxiety around whether her daughter was breathing, why she was crying, and letting others watch or even hold her baby. When she ended up pregnant shortly after the birth of her daughter, that added a whole new element. In some ways, however, Nicki thinks that her pregnancy calmed her nerves a bit. She had something else to focus on and could not be so consumed with every thought and emotion.
The second time around, Nicki recalls an improved postpartum experience. Physically, however, she did not “bounce back” like she was expecting. She became consumed with looking a certain way rather than feeling a certain way. As mentioned earlier, it was during this time that Nicki found the Faster Way To Fat Loss program. She continued on the program through her third pregnancy, and she had never felt better. While she gained the most weight out of her pregnancies, she loved it. She was fueling her body with the right things, and she felt amazing postpartum.
Around a year after her third child was born, Nicki’s anxiety ramped up a bit when she tried to pursue a career. She loved being a mom, but it wasn’t her only role. She fought through thoughts many mothers have around her choice to have a career, how she was raising her children, and if she was spending enough time with them. It felt hard to split herself equally with the free time she did had, and she felt some guilt around that.
[23:21] Balancing motherhood with a career
Nicki and I are both Enneagram 3s – we are super competitive, and we like to be on top in whatever we do. Sometimes, however, that can cloud our perspective. It can feel hard to balance being a working mom and wanting to feel like we are giving our best in both areas.
[25:48] Understanding love languages in a marriage
My husband is an Enneagram 5, and he has a mind like a steel trap. I always tell him not to let me forget things. Nicki’s husband is an 8, and she shared that they cannot be on opposite teams – they get so competitive! They have, however, learned how to communicate better and to appreciate each other’s love languages.
Find out more about the Enneagram here.
[28:36] Building a supportive community for mothers
Nicki and I are both in the business of empowering moms to find confidence, a baby step at a time. We want moms to find that village and community that we all need. Motherhood can be incredible, but it can also be challenging. More than ever, Nicki points out, we are craving human interaction, connection, and real relationships. Nicki has learned to put herself out there and give her number to a mom she met at the park or join a mom workout group. She has joined a book club and a golf club. MOPS has been great in her local area as well.
[33:04] Nicki’s resources for health and weight loss
You can find Nicki at her blog, with Faster Way To Fat Loss, on Instagram, and on TikTok.
Although Nicki specializes in working with moms, she works with clients of all ages and stages. Everyone can benefit from getting healthy. It’s so powerful, and so much more than skin deep.
[35:03] What is making Nicki feel like herself right now on her health journey
Nicki feels really confident in who she is. It has taken her a lot of time, but she feels calm and settled in the life she is creating. She is proud of her personal and professional growth and of the boundaries she is setting. In addition, Nicki has healed from her past diet culture trauma, and she feels like she is doing what she is meant to do. Finding that passion within her own journey and being able to transform lives across the world is really something special.
[36:41] The Marriage Corner: A discussion with my hubby, Eric, about our experiences golfing – together and separate
Eric and I discuss whether or not we should play golf together as a date activity. He is an excellent golfer, and I would have to learn how to play. After reminiscing about the trials of playing tennis together (he’s excellent at that as well!) we decided that we would have to change our mindsets a bit if we wanted to golf together. I may want to start just going out on the golf cart, having some drinks, and enjoying the sunset. We’ll see how it goes.
Connect With Nicki:
- www.nickient.com
- www.fasterwaytofatloss.com/#nickientenmann
- www.instagram.com/nicki.entenmann
- www.tiktok.com/@nickientenmann
You have a place here, mama friend! Be sure to take a screenshot of your podcast app on your phone, post it to your Instagram Stories and tag me @healthywithheatherbrown to let me know your favorite takeaway from this episode.
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