Back in April, after traveling for a few weeks and being out of my workout routine I needed to whip myself back into shape for the upcoming summer months. A couple of my colleagues had success with the 21 Day Fix so I decided to give it a try. I really liked it and am on my second round again. My friends and family have asked me about it so I thought I would share my experience here.
The program is a series of daily 30 minute DVD workouts and a meal plan with containers to measure out daily proportions of food groups (ex. red container = protein, green = veggies, purple = fruit, etc.). I lost about 7 pounds and several inches after 3 weeks. Overall my clothes fit better and I saw a significant difference in my skin from ditching all the processed foods and upping my water intake.
Initially I was really confused with the meal planning and containers. While I was waiting for my package to arrive in the mail I did some research on Pinterest and downloaded an Excel template to start planning. After my research and reading the manual it all made sense. I ditched my spreadsheet in a few days and just needed to make sure I had a thorough grocery list. It's all about planning in advance!
Rather than ordering Shakeology, which is highly encouraged by the program and in the DVDs as a meal replacement, I bought
Vega One All-In-One Nutritional Shake. You can find the single serve portions to give it a try before buying a tub and the cost per serving is less.
This page compares the products. I'm not an expert, but I would say they are very comparable. I have this for breakfast or post workout.... even when I'm not on the Fix.
Here are some of my typical meals and how they are color coded.
Breakfast
2 eggs and whole grain toast (1 red, 1 yellow)
Vega All-In-One Nutritional Shake with almond milk, 1/2 banana (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 purple)
Greek yogurt with fruit (1 red, 1 purple)
Lunch
Cottage cheese with fruit, whole grain crackers (1 red, 1 purple, 1 yellow)
Cottage cheese with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, whole grain crackers (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow)
Grilled chicken or sliced turkey, baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, balsamic vinegar (1 red, 2 green)
Grilled chicken, baby spinach, strawberries, crumbled goat cheese, balsamic vinegar (1 red, 1 green, 1 purple)
Snacks
Raw mixed nuts and Craisins (1 blue, 1 orange)
Small apple (1 purple)
Dinner
Sauteed chicken, peppers, onions w/ Mrs. Dash Fiesta seasoning, topped with a little Greek yogurt (2 red, 1 or 2 greens)
Grilled chicken, roasted veggies w/ Mrs. Dash Chicken seasoning (2 red, 1 or 2 greens)
Salmon, roasted veggies with Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herbs seasoning (2 red, 1 or 2 greens)
2 eggs, turkey bacon, mixed greens, asparagus (2 red, 2 greens)
...LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER!
Mrs. Dash is my salt-free saving grace.
This dish was adapted from this
Self recipe to be 21 Day Fix approved.
So, what's hard about this program?
Alcohol: The 21 Day Fix allows for you to substitute a carb for a glass of wine but I cut out alcohol completely. This is the hardest part of the fix given my weekends generally revolve around food and booze.
Traveling: I traveled for 2/3 weekends the first time I did the fix and didn't have the chance to do the workouts at some points. I planned in advance and doubled up on workouts earlier in the week or supplemented with a class at my gym.
Restaurants: I am able to tweak meals to fit into the plan. I primarily order salads with a protein, no cheese and balsamic vinegar. (I need to go back to
Ward 8 in Boston - everyone else's meals looked so darn good compared to my stripped down salad!)
Avocado, Nuts, Cheese: These are all grouped in the same category so you are limited.
Chips: I LOVE chips and Chex Mix. Ditching these snacks was hard at first since there is an endless supply in my office.
Temptation: You will be tempted to cheat "just one time" multiple times. By everyone. Good luck!
DVDs: They do get monotonous.
This time around, I've been doing more research on Fix-approved meals to add some variety. I'm all about switching up my workout routine... if you are too then I would give this a try.
Anyone else out there try the 21 Day Fix?
