21 Day Fix: Final Thoughts and Results

So, I went through my first 21 Day Fix.

Here's how my weeks went:

Week 1: I planned out every day's meals and snacks. I went grocery shopping the day before and stocked up on all the healthy foods I would need. I stuck to the plan almost perfectly. I worked out every day but one. You can read more about my 1st week here.

Week 2:  I only planned out dinner and lunch this week. We ate out a couple of times this week and I've learned that even when you think you're eating healthy, eating out costs you a lot of calories. I still did fairly good this week. I worked out every day but one again.

Week 3: I didn't do so good this week following the 21 Day Fix. I didn't plan at all. I still did good staying under my calories, though. I only worked out Sunday and Monday this week. I blame it on the fact that I started a job Tuesday-Friday and I had a cold. When I got home from work, I was too tired and didn't feel well enough to do much of anything! I also didn't eat as many fruits and vegetables because we didn't have any at home. Where I live, you have to drive about 25 minutes to go to a grocery store so it's difficult to go every week to get that produce. My Memaw also bought my family petit fours which are SO good! I couldn't resist, but I did limit myself to only one a day. I also had pizza one day for dinner. I'm okay with all of this, though, because I need a lifestyle change not a diet. I want to eat healthy a majority of the time, so it's okay if I want to eat an occasional treat. The key word being OCCASIONAL. My old lifestyle involved eating treats every day.

I do feel like I've made some positive changes. The first week, I was hungry most of the time and I was craving chocolate and junk constantly. As the days went on, this stopped happening. By week 3, I stayed fuller. I hardly think about junk food. I also used to be a big after dinner snacker. The first week, that was the hardest time of day for me. Now, it's no big deal. I don't even really think about snacking after dinner.

Going forward, I want to continue to count my calories using MyFitnessPal. I want to be intentional about eating more fruits and vegetables. I want to watch my portions using the 21 Day Fix containers. I want to limit my carbs and healthy fats using the 21 Day Fix rules. I also want to make healthier choices, such as grilled over fried. The biggest thing will be limiting snacks and the types of snacks.

The results:
After 21 days, I've lost 12.1 pounds and 16 inches! With 5.75 of those inches being in my waist. I feel like I could have done more if I'd stuck to the 21 Day Fix better and I'm not opposed to doing another fix in a few weeks and hopefully doing better.

{Sorry I have no pictures to accompany this post.}

21 Day Fix: Week 1

Well...I survived week one of my 21 Day Fix. The week was not perfect, but I'm proud of myself.

Food:
When I first received the containers, I thought they were SO small! But honestly, more fits in there than you think. I think my biggest challenge with this program is that I'm such a picky eater, so there are so few things I like in the vegetable and fruit category. I feel like I'm eating the same thing over and over and over. I tried to cook dinner as normally as possible-just healthier-since I'm also cooking for my husband, daughter, mom, and dad.

The hardest part of the day for me is after dinner. That's usually a major snacking time for me. I get very hungry and it's tough not to snack. There was one day- I think it was day 2 or 3- that I was craving chocolate really bad. It was so tough not to eat some! My family are big junk food eaters so there's plenty around to tempt me.

My worst day was Day 6. We were out and about and my husband insisted on having lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Chips and queso is my weakness and I definitely ate too much. I ate less than I normally eat, so I guess that's a small victory. 

I did break the rules a couple of times. I feel okay about it, though. Along with doing the 21 Day Fix, I'm also tracking my calories on MyFitnessPal app. Both "rule breaks" still kept me under my calorie goal for the day. I know that if I deprive myself completely, there's a greater chance of me failing. I ate healthy 95% of the week. One day, I had air popped popcorn and another day I ate one mini Reese's cup. The mere fact that I only ate one Reese's cup is amazing.

I took pictures of my food the first day. It's nothing amazing, but I'll share.

For breakfast, I had turkey bacon (which tasted better than I thought it would), eggs, and a banana.

For lunch, I had lettuce and carrots with ranch and pizzas made from an English muffin.

Confession: I can't afford Shakeology, but I did buy a protein powder. I made a peanut butter and chocolate shake for a snack. At first, I liked it. The longer I drank it, however, the more it kind of made me feel sick. So, I haven't had a shake since the first day.

A snack of mixed nuts...

I was almost done with dinner by the time I remembered to take a picture. My dinner was baked chicken, steamed broccoli, and mashed potatoes.

Workout:
The first day's workout about killed me. It was the hardest one and it was the very first day. My legs and especially my knees hurt for days. I could barely walk. I have bad knees; so I know when I do that workout again, I will have to modify some of the moves.

 I was beat after the first day's workout.

I did skip the "Lower Fix" this week because of how bad my knees were hurting. I did my workouts every other day.

Other than the first day, the workouts were doable. I had to modify some of the moves-usually the ones that involved upper body strength.

 

 Baby Girl joined me in my workout one day-bad idea! She sat on my head while I was on the floor doing chest presses. You can't tell from the picture, but she was dancing to the music.

Feeling okay at the end of week 1. I'm proud of how closely I've followed the program and how I haven't snacked, which is my biggest weakness. 

Hoping for a good week 2 and 3 and some results!!

In week 1, I lost 4.4 lbs! 

I'm Starting 21 Day Fix

I know it's super cliche to kick off a fitness goal at the beginning of the year. I also know I've said every year that I'm going to get healthier. But this year I HAVE got to make a change and I've been inspired by many friends/acquaintances that I've seen with amazing before and after photos. 

I didn't gain a freshman 15. I actually was the skinniest I've ever been during my freshman year of college. I maintained a decent weight throughout college, but something just happened after I got married. My best guess is that I increased my snacking and decreased my activity. I've set out to get healthier many times before and I would be successful for a while, but nothing has ever been long term. I laugh now thinking about how I actually was REALLY motivated about 2 years ago. I wrote a blog post and everything and then I literally took a pregnancy test that same day, found out we were expecting, and all that fitness stuff went out the window.

Before becoming pregnant, I was already at my highest weight. While pregnant, my weight gain was average. Now, I look back at pictures from after Baby K was born and I looked better then than I do now-thanks breastfeeding! Once I stopped pumping, I steadily gained weight.

**I have some confessions. I still wear some of my maternity clothes. 98% of the time I wear leggings or yoga pants. I can't fit into the majority of my clothes. I refuse to buy pants in the size I would need because I can't believe I'm that size. I stepped on a scale the other day and was shocked. I have to do something!**

Enter-the 21 Day Fix. I had been considering Weight Watchers. It worked for my mom and I'd followed the program on my own and it worked for me as well. I also just considered counting calories which is also something that has worked for me in the past. A couple of problems with Weight Watchers for me was that it would involve a monthly payment and while you are encouraged to eat healthier and watch your portions, processed foods are an acceptable part of this program. I knew I'd have to be very self motivated to just count calories on my own. 

image from Beach Body

I heard about the 21 Day Fix and really liked the simplicity of the containers. With counting calories, there's always some guess work about how many calories you're taking in and if you're eating the right portion. I also liked that the program came with workouts. This program encourages real food which is the way I'd prefer to eat.  I'm hoping that after losing the weight I'd like to lose, I'll have created healthier eating habits and made them part of my lifestyle.

I went shopping yesterday and I barely ventured into the inner grocery aisles. My cart was colorful and full of healthy foods. One of the reasons I wanted to go back to blogging was to share about my journey with 21 Day Fix (and what I hope will be a lifestyle and physical transformation). I hope it will help keep me accountable. Along with posting occasionally on here, I'll probably post more often on my instagram. I hope you'll follow along and if you're on a weight loss journey as well, I'd love to know about it!!