The 21 Day Fix Review

 On this post, Jared and I are going to share our opinions on the 21 day fix..consider it an insider review of how it really goes down, what it's really like, and how you'll really feel!

Jared and I blogged EACH day of our entire 21 day fix journey. So, if you'd like a day to day breakdown, you can definitely check out my previous blogs in February for an exclusive look at what it's like. I tagged those posts down below for you to click on later. However, this post will be largely an overall view of the Fix and what it can do for you. I'll also be posting my before and after pics so you can see how much it changes your body!

FIRST: Our results
 --> Jared lost 16. 2 pounds and 23 inches
--> Me - I lost 12.2 pounds and 11 inches

Obviously, we saw amazing results in 21 days!  It took a lot of getting used too but once Week 1 was down it became a normal routine. That would be my first piece of advice - consistency, dedication, and planning are the 3 things you need to do in order to make this successful. Jared and I think this quite possibly the most amazing program out their on the market. (oh, they made an extreme one too by the way..like extreme.) It will COMPLETELY CHANGE the way you eat, it will COMPLETELY CHANGE the way you look at food, the way you prepare food, and the decisions you make before you insert food in your mouths. I think the thing we love the most is that we can still follow our plan (making tweaks here and there if we want to go out) and we can pair this with whatever workout we want to do! This ensures that we are clean eating AND working out. To help you: below I've answered a lot of questions (mostly ones that I had before I started the program)

How much does it cost?
      The 21 Day Fix program itself costs $60.00 and comes with the nutrition containers and the workout DVDs. You can get the Challenge Pack (with Shakeology - normally $130 alone) for $140. Honestly, worth it for the life changing effects it'll bring for you. If you need to know more about Shakeology (which I recommend TO ANYONE!) you can check out my page here.

What were the results?
  Obviously you saw our inches and pounds lost below. But check out my pics! (Jared refused pics but I wish he wouldn't have, because he looks awesome..and super hott, but I'm biased.)

It's day to say but in those before pictures on the left, I looked almost pregnant. I felt extremely bloated all of the time! My after pictures show WAY less bloat. Am I where I want to be? Heck no! I've got a ways to go! BUT...seeing visual progress is always helpful, also having my pants continuously fall down because I've lost so much weight is EXTREMELY annoying and inspiring at the same time.

How does it work?
  You'll get a book with easy to follow instructions. I will be making a YouTube video that describes exactly how it works and how to set it up. Breakdown...1) do a math equation to figure out your calorie needs 2) correspond that to the chart to find out how many of each colored container you get 3)look at the lists of food that go into each container 4)decide what you like and make a plan on how you'll spread out your containers throughout the day 5)make a meal plan calendar (you can see mine on my blog posts tagged below) 6)Your meal plan calendar acts as your grocery list!
See my video on YouTube in a few days for extra help!

Was it easy?
  Honestly? No! I mean, would changing the entire way you eat be easy? Heck no! But it got easier each day and by week 3 it was a breeze. The first 3 days were the hardest days that I ever had to deal with food and nutrition wise, but after that it became more of a habit. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit and that's why this program is 21 days. Habits are hard to form and hard to break! So it wasn't easy, but it got better!

What was preparation like/where do I even begin?
  This was kinda answered in the "How does it work"/YouTube video area. However, the best place to begin is in the math equation! It's in the directions book, this helps determine what you need and how much. The Saturday before I started the 21 Day Fix (I started on a Monday) I sat down and calculated our containers. This took me double the time because I was doing it for me AND Jared. I spent about an hour calculating, looking at containers, trying to find foods that Jared liked, planning it all out. Once you spend the time and plan this hour, the rest of your planning will take 5 minutes! No lie! It's always that first ice breaker that takes the longest and then you'll be a pro.


How did you go shopping and make food?
  I just took our meal plan calendar! I did NOT buy anything else than what was on our meal plan. Even if I thought I needed it! Our first week, we kinda went overboard and spent WAY TOO MUCH money on fruits and veggies. But after our first week, we figured it out and we were able to determine how much and what we liked to eat most. After the first week, I researched a bunch of meals on pinterest so instead of making individual things, I was able to make whole meals that would last us two suppers. That saved us money too!

How much time did this take?
  So, on average, I planned every Saturday morning for 5 to 10 minutes. I went grocery shopping each week and that took a 1/2 hour. Each morning, I'd pack my lunch and snacks which took maybe 15 minutes, probably less. Then suppers never took more than 40 minutes, which is normal for me! There was a 30 minutes workout too for each day I mean...that's what...9.5 hours a week. and 1 hour and 30 minutes a day. not even. :) It's easy! You probably spend more time (and money) eating the way you do now!

If you'd like to see details, go here for Week 1
or to this post for Week 2
and finally to this post for Week 3!! and our final results :)

The 21 Day Fix Week 3 - The Final Results!

We are rounding third base and almost at home plate! WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR OUR RESULTS! We have more energy, I have no bloat, and we have both seen scale and non-scale victories so it's time to really see our final results and compare it to the beginning. After all, it's only 21 days - anyone can do this! And it truly does take 21 days to form a habit, 21 days to make something consistent, I think Jared and I have it down. I also made a whole plan for the rest of the year too as far as fitness goes :)
Here is a sample of my new plan for Week 3. I've been changing things up, especially suppers to help us feel fuller and keep our bodies guessing.

Meal	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Breakfast	Eggs Mushrooms Onions 10 Olives	Eggs Turkey Bacon Mushrooms Onions 10 Olives	Eggs Turkey Bacon Mushrooms Onions 10 Olives
Snack	Shakeology Fruit	Shakeology Fruit	Shakeology Fruit
Lunch	1 Tortilla Lettuce Tomatoes Meat ½ Cheese Fruit	1 Tortilla Lettuce Tomatoes Meat ½ Cheese Fruit	1 Tortilla Lettuce Tomatoes Meat Fruit ½  Blue
Snack	Fruit Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Chips	Fruit Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Chips	Fruit Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Chips
Dinner	STUFFED PEPPERS (1 each) 2 green 1 red ½ yellow ½ blue	BURGERS 1 Red 1 Yellow 1 Green 1 Blue	STUFFED PEPPERS (1 each) 2 green 1 red ½ yellow ½ blue
Snack	Oatmeal	Fruit Oatmeal	Fruit Vegetable Oatmeal

Day 15:
Feelings: Not hungry, but we definitely feel kinda off. Jared felt a little bit sick in his tummy earlier this morning and I just felt off after lunch. I REALLY hope we aren't getting sick, because honestly, I want to finish the strongest that we possibly can.
Body Update: I didn't see any changes on the scale today, but no weight gain is perfectly fine with me! Jared was the exact same too. We think it's because Sunday's workout of Yoga isn't super intense so we aren't working off as much! Who's to say?! All I know is that tonight, Total Body Cardio killed us and we have fingers crossed for results tomorrow!
Jared Quote: "Frog crunches make me look like a woman giving birth."

Day 16:
Feelings: I was super tired last night, but today I feel more energized. I'm hoping, truly hoping, to lose 15 pounds out of this deal! Only 4ish more to go. Jared is hoping to lose 20 and he has about 4 more to go as well! And we happen to have 5 days left. I think if anything, we are feeling more determined to lose weight than ever!
Body Update: I'm down some more weight again - *happy dance*, Jared gained a few tenths of a pound but he think it might be some muscle building since his weights are heavier! We feel like this is more normal, our new normal.  I like it. However, Jared insists that as soon as he can eat normal food he's going to have a burger with two donuts for buns.... hahaha oh dear! He is a challenge for sure!
Jared Quote: "I lied to you, I did eat a brownie today. But I can't lie to Autumn."

Day 17:
Feelings: I've been kinda irritable lately, but I'm a girl so you can't really pin that on any certain thing. LOLZ. Jared seems to be his normal self...avoiding veggies as much as possible. :) Also, today is my Mama's birthday so I always like to get in the birthday spirit. This weekend is Valentine's day and there's so much love in the air - especially as we pick up our new puppy!  <3 AHH. I'm just happy, happy, happy.
Body Update: I'm pooping more again - who's really to say why! Jared and I are both feeling fine. We feel "normal" now which I'm assuming wouldn't be normal if you asked us 17 days ago. It's getting harder to describe to you how our bodies are because now it doesn't feel different. Eating less but more times a day just seems to make sense!
Jared Quote: "Gio's antics aren't as entertaining the third time."

Day 18:
Feelings: We went out to eat tonight. That's right! You can go out and eat healthy and remain on the 21 day fix. True story! It was fabulous and if you are trying to eat healthy, I recommend Applebee's or other chain restaurants that have low calorie menus. What we ordered was 21 day fix approved! AND DELICIOUS!
Body Update: Jared and I skipped our workout today. WHATT. Because we are only human, we were exhausted, and we had to do our taxes and lots of shopping. BUT, we will double up tomorrow! We promise! It's important to listen to your body, to let it rest, to take breaks. But you can't just never get back into it! Rest days are simply 1 day or 2 or 3, but no more...With only three days left of our 21 day fix, we are going to go out strong!
Jared Quote: There isn't one. After a solid 17 days of quotes, Jared is burnt out...or not funny anymore..Who's to say? ;) We'll see what he has to say tomorrow! `

Day 19:
Feelings: At this point, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Tomorrow and Sunday are pretty busy days and we are only hoping things can go smoothly! Especially with a church meal on Sunday..eep! We almost skipped our workout tonight (see what skipping last night did to us?!) because it's so cold outside (and in ) and we just wanted to go to bed. But we did it! And we are completing more and more of what we couldn't before and that feeling can be only be described in one word: progress.
Body Update: Jared and I stepped on the scale this morning! I'm done .6 of a pound and he was about the same. Instead of seeing drastic drops in weight like we had earlier, we are now seeing slower progress.  I'm assuming it's because our bodies are still trying to figure out this system. Hah! Little do our bodies know, this meal plan is permanent! I'm also seeing crazy definition in my arms, shoulders, and calves. Like awesome muscles I didn't even know I was working! I'm excited!
Jared Quote: (about the "music on" version of the workout) "I feel like I'm in a strip tease." *proceeds to shake his butt while doing windmills.


Day 20:
Feelings: We can see the end in sight and that's making it so much harder to stick to our diet plan! Especially with such fun stuff today - a college visit, valentine's day, all of the above!
Body Update: I'm fitting into pants I haven't been able to wear for a while and the pants I currently wear are so huge I don't need to button or unbutton them in order to take them on or off! I FEEL AWESOME! And I also have amazing definition like we talked about yesterday. :)
Jared Quote: After realizing tomorrow is our last day..."On Monday, I'm going to eat a burger with two donuts for buns." Nice try, buddy, nice try.

Day 21:
Feelings: We nailed our workout. I think our biggest feeling is confidence at this point, because we able to complete the whole workout and complete it strongly! Also, we got a puppy today and it's amazing so we are kinda just blissfully happy.

Body Update: We are feeling good! I'm down 1.8 pounds even after cheating a little bit yesterday. This is simply because I drink Shakeology! I KNOW IT!!! I can't wait to weigh in tomorrow and measure our results. You guys don't understand the anticipation I have, mainly because I know you all will be BLOWN AWAY and want to do this too and you should! Our bodies have never felt this "clean" before.
Jared Quote: "Free at last, we are free at last".

I hope this blog really really helps you see the changes in us and in our bodies as we made it through the 3 weeks! It's kinda cool to go back and see the progression of our thoughts too...First to only about food and now I hardly think about food, except for how awesome the meals are when I'm eating them!

WEEK 3 RESULTS:
Jared: lost 1.2 pounds and 4 inches
Alyssa: lost 2.8 pounds and 3.75 inches


THE FINAL RESULTS: It seems like Jared and I have been waiting for this day for weeks (3 weeks to be exact!) The final results are here and I am so excited to share them with you. We waited until the morning of Day #22 because then our results would be the most accurate after completing the full 21 days.

Jared: In total, Jared lost 16.2 pounds and 23 inches in just 21 days!
Alyssa: In total, Alyssa lost 12.2 pounds and 11.25 inches in just 21 days!

Jared's goal was to lose 20 pounds and he came so close! My goal was to lose 10 and then once I surpassed that goal, my goal was 15. WE FEEL AWESOME! Before and after pics of me to come :) Jared didn't want pics!

So now the question remains...what's our plan for after this?!
OUR GAME PLAN FOR AFTER:

We are going to keep following the diet plan (for the most part) and then if we want to eat out on the weekends, we'll be able to adjust our diet and caloric intake! Our next plan is to begin T-25 (well, atleast that's my plan...I'm not quite sure about Jared ;) ) Here's to another workout, a clean eating diet, and more health and wellness!

The 21 Day Fix: It's all in the Preparation

So, in a normal week, I'd only post once! But! I felt so strongly about the support system thing, I HAD to post it and then I was like, "Wait a minute Alyssa! You and Jared are starting the 21 day fix on Monday so you have to post about that too!"

And yes...I'm starting the 21 day fix tomorrow, and yes, Jared is doing it with me, and yes, I couldn't be happier to have a clean eating and workout buddy who I just so happen to be married too.

I'm sure there are multiple questions filling your head - What exactly is the 21 day fix? It sounds terrible, but it's only 21 days, etc. :)

Well, that's why I'm blogging! This blog is going to be about what the 21 day fix is, how you can use it in YOUR life, and how to prep and begin for it. I think I refused to do this program because I didn't think I could give the time commitment to the preparation and the organization of the food - but alas, I once again have been proven wrong and now it's time to explain it all.

1) WHAT is the 21 day fix:
So, you can read the professional description here:
 http://www.teambeachbody.com/workout-routines/21-day-fix-workout
but, my description: It's a workout and portion control program. You get different colored and sized containers (each container is basically a food group), after doing some math you figure out your caloric needs which tells you how many of each container you should have a day. From there, you read the foods you can eat and make a meal plan! If you eat all the containers you need a day, you'll be full - this isn't a "hungry" situation. It also comes with a workout plan that's about a half an hour a day. Do this for 21 days :)

2) HOW it works: basically it's teaching us portion control. As Americans we tend to eat until we are full and we eat three really really big meals. With the 21 day fix, I'm eating six small meals a day! They say (and by that I mean the professional creators of this program) that eventually our bodies will get used to the normal sized and smaller portions we are supposed to eat! Eventually we will only be able to eat so much, eventually our bodies will get rid of these silly "super sized" tendencies! Plus, we are getting a good workout in - so you are sure to lose weight!

3) WHY it works: it becomes a lifestyle - you can apply it to ANYTHING. Birthday party? Portion out your foods. School day? Plan your snacks accordingly for in between classes.

4) HOW to set it up and organize it!
---now this is where I come in! I've spent a lot of time pinteresting, researching, and trying to find the BEST POSSIBLE way to plan for a busy schedule (and I don't even have kids, so I can only imagine!) I combined a bunch of different methods and made them my own. I definitely spent about half a day on my planning and just trying to figure out HOW to make it work. And in the beginning, it's going to take you that long too - just because it's a new thing and you are completely altering your lifestyle and your eating habits. However, now that I have my plan, I'm set for each week and it's easy to write my grocery list, get the food, and be done!
So...here's where I started.

FIRST: I recommend having a way that's easy to document your progress. This will keep you going and help you survive.
I made this :)

As you can see this is how Jared and I will document our weight and our inches lost. We will use pictures for all the rest. Later on, after making this, I used the bottom to figure out all of the math. Jared and I are obviously different sizes meaning we will have different caloric needs. This means our containers and amount of them we get differs as well - but I managed to make it work.

NEXT: Do the math - figure out the number of colored containers you'll each need. Jared isn't a super huge veggie and fruit eater, so I made a list off of the book of the stuff he actually liked.  

I knew how much he needed of each colored container and I divided that up throughout the day, making sure it made sense with the meals. For example, he needed 6 green containers (green = vegetables) and with three main meals and three snacks I was going to give him one green container at each meal. But he didn't like the idea of having vegetables at breakfast. So instead, we doubled up his vegetables at lunch when he eats his tortilla sandwich!

I made a chart like this!

I color coated each food group to have to deal with the containers, so that way I knew we were covered! Finally...

THIRD: I knew he and I weren't home together during the day, so I leave a little note card each day with what he can eat and by color coding it, then he knows what container to measure it with! The creator recommends measuring with the containers, but then putting everything on a plate instead of eating from the containers. In this way, our body begins to recognize how full our plate should actually be.

Finally, I went grocery shopping and this is where I WAS FLOORED. I normally dread buying fresh fruits and veggies - it's costly. But since I had a plan, went in with my list, and bought only things on that list, I came out spending $50 less than I normally do and I'm feeding me AND MY HUSBAND 6 meals a day for the next 7 days...

NOW THAT IS INSANITY.

my cart was only half full!

SO. WE ARE READY! You are probably looking at my calendar of food and thinking, "That is a ton of food!" and it really is! The creator of the program says we probably won't be hungry enough to finish everything. It looks like alot because when we nourish our bodies with processed foods we don't need as much, but since it's almost 100% organic then we need to eat way more!

I'm excited for this week and for our results. I'm even more excited because Jared is doing it with me!!

Next week's blog will be about our first week's results and our plan for the upcoming week! 

In other news...I've set up my Coaching office and I'm ready to kick some butt for the year!