21 day fix
I'm not an expert. I'm not a sales rep. I'm just someone who heard about this program and said "Even I can do that". So I'm putting my disclaimer here...there may be inaccurate info, but I'm telling this from MY point of view on this wonderful program.
I don't have to tell you my struggles. If you're a long time reader, you know. If you're a friend, you know. If you need to get caught up...read the page linked to the right.
On July 2, this is THE DATE. This is the date where I reached my bottom.
On July 2 I attended a wedding with friends. I was severely overweight. My back hurt if I tried to walk too far. My knee hurt if I walked. I had NO motivation. I was pissed at myself for allowing it to happen. I knew what i needed to do. I know the tools. I just didn't care anymore.
We had a group picture taken and I was sick. Sick with how I looked next to my lovely friends. I was chubby-bloated chubby. I looked aged. I was obese.
Climbing stairs winded me. I would come home from work and go to bed early because I was tired.
I HATED having to fly because I didn't fit in the seat.
Looking at that one picture just made me decide ..no more. I heard about the 21 day fix and got more info on it. 1) You received containers for your food. Using these containers eliminates the need to count calories and weigh your food. and 2) there was a workout program. All you needed to do was follow the workouts--30 mins.
Even though I feel very busy, when I stop and think about my day I realized I could easily find 30 mins to do these exercises.
I purchased the challenge pack which came with 30 days of Shakeology at a discounted price vs buying everything separately.
THE CONTAINERS/EATING PLAN
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| My Challenge pack. |
There are 6 different colored containers. They vary in size-depending on the type of food that goes into it. Veggies are Green. Fruits are purple. Proteins are Red. Carbs are yellow. Healthy fats are blue. and Seeds and dressings are orange.
There is also a book that comes with it that explains the containers and the foods that go into them. There is an "approved" list of foods for each category.
This diet is about clean eating so you will not find overly processed foods on this list anywhere.
Now I'm going to put a disclaimer right here. For my particular eating plan, I'm not "hardcore". I have worked with a dietitian and know the ins an outs, so I while I stick to the allotted containers, I have eaten off list.
The book contains a calculation for you to work to determine your 'calorie goal' and gives you how many of each you can have daily.
So let's look at the image to the right. For someone in the 1200-1499 range, they are allowed 3 cups of veggies, 2 fruits, 4 proteins, 2 carbs, 1 healthy fats.
A person on this plan can fill their veggie cup up 3 times and eat whatever fits in there (or whatever the book says. Like asparagus is only 10 stalks for 1 veggie).
Additionally, you should eat at least 6 smaller meals each day. One of those meals should be your Shakeology. Shakeology counts as 1 red(Protein). Be sure to count any liquids other than water as well.
So that's the gist of it. You eat all your approved containers and there is no calorie counting or weighing of food.
Another thing I should mention is that recommend you pour your containers onto a plate. This allows you to visually see the portion size. The idea is eventually you will be able to make your food without the containers and judge portion sizes.
Also I think I read that the reason it's 21 days is that it takes that long to get someone into a new habit. So 21 days of eating healthier choices will carry over past the 21 days.
I like to see numbers so I do log all my foods into MyFitness Pal. MFP gives me a 2900 daily calorie goal. I average about 2100-2500 calories.
THE WORKOUTS
Along with the eating plan, there are 2 dvds that come with the program. There is a different workout for every day of the week. And even an option to double up (especially the last week if you choose)
21 Day Fix image tools from:
https://jmkpeterson.wordpress.com/2015/05/03/21-day-fix-review/
In each of the videos there is an alternate way to do the workouts. I do a lot of the alternates and even some that are not on the video. In my case, I can't put too much pressure on my knees or on days where they act up, I'm limited to movement. Even with these alternatives, I am working out along with them on the video.
Each workout is organized in such a way that it's easy to keep up and not get bored.
So think about this. I am doing the workouts with a bad knee. Modifications on several of the workouts and I am still seeing results. To me that speaks volumes.
I'm sure if I followed everything to the letter my results would be greater...but that's not how I have chosen to do it.
SHAKEOLOGY
I was very LEERY of this at first. I've tried protein shakes in the past and it's hit or miss and they taste gross. The great thing about this is you determine how it tastes. They have several flavors. I originally started with the Vanilla,Chocolate, Strawberry pack. I have also gotten Greenberry.
You can customize your shake to your tastes. For me, this morning's shake was 1 cup Almond/Coconut milk (unsweetended) 35 calories (a yellow container). I used vanilla shakeology (1 red). 1 banana (1 purple) and chocoPB2 (1 of the teasspoons).
The other day I had a Greenberry Shakeo, 1/2 cup of pineapple juice, 1/2 cup of water, strawberries, raspberries, & blueberries and some spinach to top it off.
There are so many more recipes out there, but I really do enjoy my Shakeology.
SO there you have it. My summary of the 21 Day Fix w/Shakeology.
