21 Day Fix Week 1 Review

21 Day Fix trainer Autumn Calabrese

Week 1 of the 21 Day Fix is complete!  Overall I think it went really well although there is some room for improvement.  It's hard to change your habits in just a week and there were definitely a few slip-ups over the week.  But again, I feel like it was a great start since I plan on making this a lifestyle change.

As far as the working out went, holy cow, I guess I was more out of shape than I realized.  30 minutes doesn't sound like a long time but you still get a really good workout in.  I can really appreciate how each exercise has a modifier available as well.  I certainly needed to use a few of them.  I always seems to have a difficult time with push-ups and planks ad used modifiers much of the time with these.  But, I'm hopeful with continued practice they will get better.  If you have any push-up or plank tips I would love to hear them!

Day 1 workout: the total body cardio fix was a great whole body workout.  I woke up the next day not actually feeling that sore and thought I had escaped the typical soreness of a new workout, but as the day wore on I got more and more sore.  Tuesday was upper fix which I did okay with.  I was so thankful that I didn't have to do too many leg movements since I was extremely sore by the time I exercised after I got home from work.  If I thought I was sore Tuesday evening, I was wrong.... Wednesday morning the soreness really hit.  I was sore to the point where, anytime I wanted to sit down, I had to brace myself to make it bearable when my legs touched the chair.  Needless to say, the lower fix workout that day was rough but I completed it as best as I could.  Fortunately the soreness slowly eased up and today I am able to move around as normal.  But I'm interested in seeing how my body responds to starting the workouts over again today.

Thursday's workout was Pilates fix.  I'm not really familiar with doing Pilates and need to work on some of the movements.  Friday's workout was cardio fix and Saturday was Dirty 30.  Yesterday, I did the yoga fix.  Like Pilates, I only have limited experience with yoga.  Personally, it is a little slower pace than I like but then again I have to remind myself that it is suppose to be an active recovery day which does seem to describe the workout well.  I will stick with the yoga fix for the next 2 weeks as scheduled, put don't necessarily know if yoga is something I can see myself doing often.

Following the eating plan went better than I would have expected.  I basically stuck to my plan with a couple of minor changes.  One thing that made the week difficult was the fact that it was my birthday last week and naturally we went out to dinner to celebrate.  I stuck with relatively healthy options including a salad and turkey sandwich but did allow myself to cheat and had a chocolate cupcake that came with dinner.  I knew I was going to allow myself dessert and tried to be especially careful earlier in the day while eating.  I also told myself that this is not going to become a pattern but is rather a one-time cheat since it was my birthday.  I also had some pop that day which I had been craving the rest of the week but had not given but since I knew this would be my one cheat day I decided to splurge.  Maybe not the best decision, but I enjoyed the food and and now good for a while without feeling the need for junk food.

Week 1 Meal Plan

Other than my birthday meal, I have pretty much eaten the appropriate containers each day and have been pretty satisfied with the amount of food I have available to eat.  My husband is even doing pretty good with checking in with me about what containers I have left to eat so he can plan dinner when it is his turn to cook.

To be completely honest, I still have cravings for junk food, but I have been able to resist most of them.  I really do think that Shakeology is helping with the sweet tooth I have.  Shakeology gives me a dose of chocolate everyday and is enough sweetness to curb my cravings.  I know that eventually the cravings will subside somewhat but I expect it to always be a challenge.  I will consciously have to tell myself that the small pleasure I get from eating the sweets isn't worth the work it would take to erase it from my body. There will be times I will give in because I don't want to totally deprive my body but moderation is the key!

Wow, that turned into a long and wordy post!  But I do hope it gave you a better understanding of how the 21 Day Fix went this first week for me.  Do you have any specific questions about week one?  Have you done 21 Day Fix before or do you think you want to try it?  Let me know if I can be of any help to you!

In case you were wondering, I don't plan on checking my measurements until the end of the 21 days so stay tuned for results in 2 weeks.

21 Day Fix Week 2 Meal Plan

Stay tuned for the 21 Day Fix week 1 update, it will be up soon.

In the meantime, I just wanted to share my week 2 meal plan with you.  Meal planning went easier this time but still took me close to an hour.  Part of my problem is that I like variety but am also picky and don't like about half of the allowed foods so I have to try to get creative with what I eat.  Plus, I'm also kind of lazy at times when it comes to cooking and have no desire to make a meal for myself and then have to make something different for my husband.  I know my husband gets sick of rice after a while so I try to space it out and think about what else fits in the yellow containers that he would enjoy.  These considerations make it harder and more time-consuming for me during the planning stage but saves me work later on in the week.

I have to remind myself that this is only a 21 day program, and I can do anything for 21 days.  Although, I do know that I want to continue incorporating much of the eating plan in my diet from here out.  Once the program gets finished I will probably add in some foods that I am avoiding now, in moderation of course.  I'd hate to reverse the improvements being earned from this program.  Therefore, for the time being, I am trying to stick as closely to the plan and approved foods list as possible.  I want the best results possible!

A suggestion I have for you is to write your meal plan out either on paper or in a table on your computer and print it out. Then, post your completed plan on your refrigerator or somewhere easily visible in your kitchen. It will be easy to reference if you question what you are suppose to be eating and it will also help keep you accountable for your foods.  If I am tempted and walk towards the refrigerator, I will see my meal plan and that helps prevent me from snacking on something I shouldn't.  I am motivated to stick to the plan!

I'd love to hear any questions or comments you may have regarding clean eating or meal planning.  I'm still learning and know I have room for improvement.  But hey, it's a start and is certainly better than the junk food I had been eating.  Anybody have any success stories they want to share regarding clean eating and fitness?

PiYo

Get an ultra lean and intensely defined physique 

without bulking up or straining your joints.

Check out the new program that Beachbody will be releasing later this summer!! Definitely going to be a hit!

.

If you love Chalene Johnson, Yoga, or Pilates this looks like a great program for you.  I am excited to try it out later this year.  Want to find out more??  Click here and enter your email address and you will be signed up to receive the latest product announcements.  By signing up you are also entered into a drawing to win a free PiYo kit!

My Motivation For Becoming a Beachbody Coach

I've always enjoyed working out and staying active.  In high school and college I was a cheerleader and also ran and lifted weights pretty frequently.  I made sure I committed part of my day to working out and staying fit.  I was committed to not gaining the "freshman 15".  After college I had to enter into the adult world and was also newly married.  Naturally, and partly out of necessity, my priorities changed and I didn't make exercise as much of a priority.  I'd still run and use free weights at home, but I wasn't always exercising on a daily basis.  Over the next 10 years, the pattern continued.  To make matters worse, I took on some bad eating habits and started drinking pop on a daily basis and regularly snacked on junk food.

Well, as you might expect, I gained about 20 pounds after graduating college and no matter what i tried, it just wasn't coming off.  My husband and I went to Disney World to celebrate our 10th anniversary this past December and had a great time.  However, after coming home and looking at some pictures that were taken of me, I realized things needed to change.  My body no longer had the shape and tone it use to.  I was upset with how I looked.  Sure, when I looked in a mirror I could tell I had gained some weight, but it took that picture to make me realize just how out of shape I had gotten.

I understand that some people might think I still look great and I don't want to offend or upset anyone, but for me, I am unhappy with my body and want to make a change.  After coming to the realization that I needed to make the change I had to evaluate how that change would occur.  I really enjoy running and being active outdoors, but it was winter in Michigan and I am not one that enjoys being outside if it is colder than 50 degrees.  I'm pretty wimpy when it comes to cold weather. So, I needed to explore other options.

I was familiar with Beachbody and had bought Turbo Fire a couple years ago (although never completed it) and thought that trying another one of their programs would be a good option.  For the next several weeks I researched the different program options and at some point stumbled upon the option of signing up to be a coach.  I read a lot of information about becoming a coach and gave it a lot of though over a week or so.  Finally I made the choice and signed up to be a Beachbody coach!

So, what made me decide to be a coach instead of just buying the 21 Day Fix program?  Well first off, the 25% discount on products was too good to pass up.  (There are some monthly coaching fees, but it still makes that discount worthwhile if you plan on drinking Shakeology on a daily basis).  Another reason I decided to become a coach is that I love to help people and am passionate about health and nutrition.  I am committed to making a lifestyle change and want to offer others the motivation and support needed so that they can make a similar change in their lives!  I want to form relationships with individuals and share tips and encouragement with them.  Additionally, it is awesome to be a part of a team of coaches that share my passion for health, nutrition, and working out!  Beachbody is a great company to be a part of!

My journey to losing weight and getting toned while eating a clean diet is by no means finished, rather it is just getting started.  I'm sure there will be bumps in the road at times but I'm not going to let them stop me. Can't wait to share some results as my transformation begins.  I am excited to see where my coaching can lead and how my life will be transformed by Beachbody!

Do you have a passion for fitness and nutrition?  Do you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or just get more toned?  Leave me a comment, I would love to talk with you!

21 Day Fix Week 1 Meal Plan

A major part of the 21 Day Fix is clean eating.  Included with the program is an eating plan book that breaks down what is and isn't allowed during the 21 days.  It tells you how many of each container you can have and also what foods go in which container.  I really like how the eating plan breaks down acceptable foods and then lists the  best foods at the top and the less healthy but still good for you foods at the bottom.  Each color container has numerous options, so even someone picky like me can still find enough options and have variety.

In order to succeed in clean eating, I really think you need to create a meal plan for the week.  Sure, creating a meal plan takes time; it probably took me a good hour to create my fist week's plan.  But, by creating a meal plan for the week you know you'll get in the appropriate containers each day.  After spending time up front, the rest of the week should go much smoother.   Below is my week one meal plan.

I created my meal plan in a spreadsheet so that I could modify it in the future if needed or wanted.  It would be just as simple, and maybe less time consuming if you just wrote it on paper and used colored markers or highlighters to indicate the container color.

I plan on really trying to stick to my meal plan, but I completely realize that things come up and plans change. My husband is a farmer and if the weather is nice he wants to be outside.  I might end up with dinner later than I was planning or I could need to eat on the go.  At least I will know that I need to fit in certain containers for the meal and can adjust accordingly.  A lot of people like to use tally sheets or some sort of mobile tally app to keep a running total of which containers they have used for the day.  I can totally see how that can make things easier to keep of if you are on the go and away from home for much of the day.  Below is a sample tally sheet which is presented in the 21 Day Fix eating plan book.

I don't expect to be perfect in the meal plan, nor do I claim to be a nutritionist or fitness expert with all the answers.  I'm still learning just like most of you.  But, I do think that creating a meal plan is setting me up for success!  As the weeks go by, understanding correct portion sizes and how different foods are classified will become so much easier I'm sure.  Being healthy isn't always easy but it's worth the effort.

I encourage you to really examine your diet.  Are you eating clean or is your diet filled with convenience foods that are high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories?  Don't get me wrong, I love my sweets and totally expect to have cravings for food that I am not allowed to have.  I love pop but it's not allowed and has so much sugar, so I'm going to give it up.  Do you need support or motivation to make a change?  Leave me a comment or email me, I would love to help you make a positive change too!

21 Day Fix

My 21 Day Fix has arrived!!!  I've been rather impatiently waiting for this program to arrive for 3 weeks.  Beachbody just couldn't keep up with the demand and it had been on back-order for while but it finally came earlier today.  I have heard so many positive things about this program and am excited to try it myself.  The program claims that you can lose up to 15 lbs in 21 days!

The 21 Day Fix focuses on clean eating with  a 30 minutes workout a day.  There are color coded containers that foods get classified into.  Yellow for carbs, red for protein, green for veggies, purple for fruits, blue for healthy fats, and orange for seeds/dressings.  The containers help take the guesswork out of portion sizes.  For the most part, if it fits in the container you can eat it.  I won't lie, at first when I saw the containers they seemed pretty small.  But, most people that have used them say you get more food then you think.  I guess I'll find out soon.  I ordered a challenge pack which includes Shakeology.  Shakeology can replace one meal a day and counts as 1 red container.

There is a formula in the eating plan book which helps determine your calorie target.  Once you determine  your calorie target, you find the calorie range you fit into.  Then, each calorie range brakes down how many of each container you can have a day.  I am in the lowest calorie range (1,200-1,499) so I get 3 green, 2 purple, 4 red, 2 yellow, 1 blue, 1 orange, and 2 teaspoons (nut butters and oils).  The eating plan book lists foods that are allowed for this program which makes things more simple.  Still, it is kind of intimidating and will take some time and practice to figure everything out.

I am excited to start this program and become better at clean eating and learning proper portion size.  I'm guessing most of my portions are much larger than they should be.  The other part of the program is working out 30 minutes a day.  Honestly, I haven't been very good at working out on a regular basis lately but this program is going to kick my butt back in gear and set me on the path to becoming more fit.  I love how you only need to work out for 30 minutes because that short amount of time is totally doable regardless of how busy I am on a particular day.

I plan on starting this program on Monday, March 24.  In the meantime, I'll work on getting use to eating clean and creating a meal plan to help ensure I get the appropriate amount or each container on a daily basis.  I'll probably try out some of the workouts too.  Leave me a comment if you have questions or would like to join me during my 21 Day Fix transformation.  I would love to help you start your transformation as well!  I'll try to post updates on a regular basis to let you know how things are going with the 21 Day Fix.

Better Late Than Never

I've wanted to create a blog for several years but have never had the time or know-how.  I finally have the time and am going to learn about everything involved in blogging as I go.  I am so excited to join the blogging world!  Better late than never, right?!

Today is another cold day in what seems like an endless winter.  Only a couple weeks till spring!  Here we are at the Polynesian Resort in Walt Disney World this past December, wish we were there right now.