The 21-Day Fix Diet
When you’re trying to lose weight, the numerous and never ending amount of diets and programs can seem to be impossible to sort through. Many of these programs encourage you to engage in complex mathematics to reach your nutritional milestones, but does that really lead you to success? Simplicity and concise instruction are huge pluses when it comes to putting together a plan that will work for you. That is why we will be considering the 21-Day Fix Diet in the article.
Portion Control
Overeating is a leading cause of failed diets all over the world. To combat this, one of the most central parts of the 21-Day Fix Diet philosophy is portion control. This is accomplished by using the 21-Day Fix portion control containers. The containers are also sized and color coded for easily identifying the types and quantity of foods that you will be using for meals. When such a major part of your day is simplified, it helps ensure your success on your journey to healthy living. If you simply don’t eat more than the container allows for the day, you’ll lose weight.
What You Can Eat
There are a wide variety of foods that you can enjoy on the 21-Day Fix Diet.
These include:
Fruit (Purple Container): Berries and apples are included in the fruit section.
Vegetables (Green Container): Feel free to have lots of vegetables, such as carrots, red and yellow bell peppers, onions, broccoli, and cucumber.
Dressing and Seeds (Orange): This section is for your light dressing, which the cookbook will show you how to prepare. You can also have different types of seeds.
Carbs (Yellow): Carbs are also included, but they are limited with what you can have. You can enjoy your complex carbohydrates like oatmeal and some other grains.
Healthy Fats (Blue): These small blue containers are for your healthy fats like nuts and avocado.
Proteins (Red): Lean proteins are allowed, primarily with poultry and tuna.
Plan Your Grocery List
The best way to put yourself on the road to success is to make a plan and follow a schedule. Get to know how many 21-Day Fix portion control containers of which food you are supposed to have for each day and tailor your shopping list each week to those needs. Be sure to choose foods that you can use in a variety of meals that you love so that you can stay motivated to stick with it. Having a great attitude goes a long way to getting you closer to your goals.
What Is Included in the 21-Day Fix Workout Program
Most would agree that any good workout program is the type that keeps the information seeker motivated to learn and practice the things they learn in the program. A key component to forward motion is simplicity, and ease when studying. The 21-Day Fix is a program that has been tailored to meet those needs. By including a range of information and guides, they have taken the hassle and guess work out of the workout plan. Let’s look at a few of the high quality features included with the 21-Day Fix.
Great Educational Materials
The 21-Day Fix comes with great workout educational material to get you started in the form of 2 DVDs. The DVDs will contain all that you need to know to properly execute your daily workout routines, which are: The Total Body Cardio Fix, the Upper Fix, the Lower Fix, the Pilates Fix, Yoga Fix, Cardio fix, and the Dirty 30 Bonus workout. Each of these workouts are designed to keep your body on it’s toes, give your body recovery time, and keep your progress from becoming plateauing.
Workout Calendar
In another stroke of genius, this simple calendar breaks the 21-Day Fix into 3 weeks, allowing you to focus on the progress of each week. Each workout is done once a week for 30 minutes.
It’s that simple. A 30 minute workout makes these workouts more accessible for busy people in every walk of life.
The Portion Control System
The 21-Day Fix Portion Control system is one of the strongest weapons of the 21-Day Fix program. By making food choices simple and color coded, you will spend less time languishing over food options, and get on track to a healthier and happier you. If you’re stumped on what kinds of meals you can make, you can simply read the list of 21-Day Fix approved meal recipes.
Just remember that every meal counts, and that it’s never a good idea to skip meals in a workout program. Be sure to get the nutrients that your body needs.
24/7 Online Support
Last and certainly not least, is your access to online support 24 hrs a day and 7 days a week. Motivation is one of the greatest components to any fitness program, but with the help of online support you will be able to get the much needed tools to push forward and achieve the results that are right around the corner.
Coping with Double Workout Days (listed for week 4 of the routine)
If you are sitting there with your 21-Day Fix bundle, and you are going through your workout plan, you will notice something different during week 4. Week 4 is when the routine changes and you will start doing double workout days to up your routine and boost your results. This may be frightening for you at first, and your first thought may be that you can't possibly do it. Though that may be your vantage point right now, there are some coping methods you can use to make those double workouts easier.
Make Sure to Rest
The first thing you need to do is make sure you are resting. Make sure you are taking breaks and that you are not overdoing it. You know your body best and you know when it needs to stop and breathe. This doesn't have to be a huge thing. You can take a rest by getting a massage, sitting for a few moments doing nothing, or watching your favorite movie. Just make sure that you take some down time and let your muscles and system rest. This is important throughout the plan, but especially on days where you are doing a double workout.
Back to Back Workouts
Timing is the thing that really throws most people off when it comes to double workout days. You may be busy and have found it difficult enough to get in one workout, much less double. One way you can handle this is by doing back to back workouts and knocking them out in the morning or in the evening. If you feel like it is too much on your muscles, and you don't have enough downtime or rest time, consider doing them in the evening so you can shower and rest for several hours and during sleep. Though this may not work in some cases, it does work for people who have very busy schedules.
Take an Extra Week
At the end of the day you are not perfect. No one is. There may be things that keep you from doing double workout days. In fact, some people may have a doctor telling them to avoid this part of the plan. If that is the case, do not feel bad about taking an extra week and relaxing for a bit. Just don't do doubles, take a fifth week, and work on you.
By incorporating these four coping methods you can get through those double workout days and make the best of them. Just remember, this isn't about being perfect. This about getting through, trying your best, and meeting your goals to create a habit that you can maintain even after the 21 days.
Meal Prep For the 21-Day Fix Diet Plan
How well do you feel you have a handle on your nutrition plan? If you’re been looking into diets for some time, you know that having the solid foundation of how the diet works is an important part of being successful. A large part of this can be setting yourself up to have the majority of the ingredients that you will need ready to go in a week. Over the next few paragraphs we’ll be discussing some techniques to help you get started on the process of meal preparation for the 21-Day Fix.
Pick Your Favorite Recipes
To give yourself an easy week of meals, pick your favorite recipes. This will help you to find things that you will be excited to eat, and that will help you to stay motivated and on track. The other reason that you will want to pre-select meals, is so that you already know what kinds and amounts of food that you have to buy on your grocery trip.
Make a Shopping List
Once you know what kinds and quantities of food you will need for the week, make list and set a plan of attack. If you sometimes struggle with making good food choices, there is one very easy piece of advice that can help. Most of the foods that are on the 21-Day Fix program will be found around the perimeter of the store, so if you stay away from the center of the store you will find much of what you need.
Budget Time to Cook the Food
In just a few hours on a weekend or at night, you can prepare all of the food that you need for a week. Budget out the time to make the cooked portions of your meals and store them in containers that you can keep handy in the refrigerator. You can rest easy knowing that you have gotten this part of your meal plan out of the way, which will save you time and money!
Make Easy Grab Meals and Snacks
An easy way to make sure you stay tied to this diet is to keep things simple. Make Easy, Grab and Go style meals and snacks. This will help you to build good healthy habits, and avoid cravings for things that will damage or halt your progress. Put a small portion of your favorite snack into a container that you can grab when you’re in a hurry or needing a pick-me-up..
Guide to Freezing Your Food Ahead of Time
One of the big hassles with any diet, is dealing with the food that you have to prepare, but there are a lot of tips and tricks to help save you time and effort when you need to get a meal together.
Food prep is a very important step towards a successful diet with the 21-Day Fix, so you might want to know if there is a way to streamline the process of daily food preparation. There is, and it’s as simple as freezing a few of the ingredients!
Choose Your Favorite Meals
To begin, you should choose the very best of what you love to keep you happy and motivated. After you have decided what you will be eating for the week, make a grocery list that you can
take with you to the store. Get all of the fruits, vegetables, carbs, meats, and oils you will need for the 21-Day Fix diet plan that week. Be sure to pick up some freezer bags that you can use to keep some of what you’ll be pre-making.
Find Out Which Ingredients You Can Freeze
Although some of the freezing choices are up to personal preference, you can do some online research to find out what kinds of foods keep the best in bags or other freezer containers. After you know what keeps, cook the items, and set them aside. Lay out everything that you will need so you are sure that you don’t miss anything.
Freeze Them in Portions That You Can Use Easily
After everything is cooked you can make food kits that you can easily put together for the week.
The food that will be frozen should be put into portions that are easy to use and take little to no effort to pull out and put with the other ingredients for your meal plan. For example, you could cook all of the chicken breasts and the vegetables that accompany them for the week, and place each pairing of them into plastic freezer bags. If you like, you can get the kind that allow you to write on them for additional notes and ideas.
Thaw and Eat!
When it’s time for you to eat your food, you can simply take it out of the freezer, let it thaw, or you can place the freezer bags in water so that they thaw more quickly, and viola! You have a fast pre-made meal ready to eat in a few minutes.
How to Lower Your Grocery Bill
When most people think of dieting, they tend to think of expensive special foods that will drain their time, money, and patience. The beauty of the 21-Day Fix is that it tends to be less costly because of i’s use of whole foods, but could there be more to this method that can save you money? In this article we will be looking at just a few tips and tricks to help keep you from breaking the bank.
Plan Your Grocery List
Before you go to the store, it’s important to understand what types and quantities of food you will need to buy for your weekly meal plan. When you have a complete understanding of the nutritional requirements, you will be more prepared to make balanced, healthy choices and pick the most exciting meals that are available during the 21-Day Fix. Focus on what is easy and simple. Avoid buying anything that you are less likely to use.
Purchase Food in Bulk
Buying economy packs can save you a great deal of money. Stores are likely to package surplus or give a price break for items in higher quantity, so buying a larger amount is often a good idea. You will be surprised how much money this can save. For example, buying a family pack of chicken breasts can get you a great deal on your chicken, which you can separate into portions when you get home. If you plan accordingly, you can shave hundreds off of your grocery list this way.
Have a Meal Prep Day
When you have time, the next step is to go ahead and prepare it bulk as well. This will save you time, and help prevent the likelihood that you will be tempted to eat something outside of your diet, or buy an expensive item to replace your food from your meal plan. Always make choices and take action to protect yourself from an opportunity to deviate from your diet. A small amount of maintenance goes a long way.
Freeze any Unused Items
If you have purchased a substantial amount of meat or vegetables to eat that go beyond what you will need for the week, you can freeze it! Some stores offer very generous specials on meat that they don’t believe they will sell, so you can take advantage of this and purchase amounts large enough to last more than the initial 21-Days. If you know that you will not be using items soon, freezing them will prevent waste.
Simple Grocery List For the 21-Day Fix Diet
The 21-Day Fix is built on the idea of starting a new habit that you will maintain beyond the initial 21 days of the program. This means you are taking on the challenge of not only a new workout routine, but a new diet routine as well. Though the kits do come with recipe books, some of the books may not be clear on how you need to actually set up an effective grocery list regardless of your budget. If you are looking for a simple grocery list, here is what you should be grabbing. This will get you through one week of the program and is broken down according to your containers.
Protein
Go for things you can always find at most stores. For example, sardines and boneless skinless chicken breast should be on your grocery list. These are easy to weigh, easy to prepare, and can be put into your containers easily during meal planning. If you are a non-meat eater, you can go with things like greek yogurt if dairy is allowed on your dietary plan. Keep in mind, if it is not you can go with an almond yogurt or soy yogurt option as well. Protein powder and veggie burgers are also options that can meet your daily protein requirement.
Vegetables
Kale is a vegetable that is becoming increasingly easy to find and simple to prepare. If kale isn't on your list for whatever reason, you do have other options. Brussel sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, and peppers are all easy to prepare. They are easy to find as well. If you aren't really a chef then these are ideal options to add to your simple grocery list since all you have to do with these is either bake them or steam them.
Fruit
With fruit you want something that is easy to prepare and even easier to keep in a container. Ideally you want a cut and eat option. Watermelon is an ideal choice when it is in season. If it isn't in season then you can go with berries and berry mixes. You can also choose to go with mango, banana, kiwi, and of course grapes. The trick with fruits is to remember to keep these in accordance with the amount you are allowed to have, based on the program guides, each day. Remember, fruits do have natural sugars.
Carbs
When you think of carbs you may automatically go for potatoes or pasta. Instead, expand out to things like beans. You can also go with quinoa, peas, crackers, couscous, pita bread, waffles, and tortillas. All of these are healthy options and easy to work with on the 21-Day Fix.
Healthy Fats, dressings, and oils
Healthy fats, dressings, nuts, seeds, and oils may be the hardest things to figure out on your diet plan and keep simple for your grocery list. Keep it simple by sticking to avocado, coconut milk, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and coconut or extra virgin oils. These are easy to find, easy to stock up on, don't cost an arm and a leg, and are easy to mix throughout your recipes to get what you need each day.
These are just a few of the grocery list items that can make your diet plan and eating plan easier. These items also keep it simple and give you grocery list that will work for your 21-Day Fix.
Wake Up to These 21-Day Fix Breakfasts
There are two types of breakfast people. There are the ones that eat very little or the ones that treat breakfast as the largest meal of the day. Either way, when you start the 21-Day Fix eating plan you will be eating a certain amount for breakfast based on the guides and what works for you according to the guides. If you aren't sure where to begin, consider these three 21-Day Fix breakfast options that you can mix up during the week to give you a bit of variety in your morning routine.
English Muffin with Nut Butter and Banana
A quick and easy grab and go breakfast that is 21-Day Fix approved is the english muffin energy breakfast. This breakfast packs a punch of energy and gives you some of your fruit and nut butter for the day as well. Just take an english muffin and cover it with almond or other nut butter. Now add a sliced half of a banana to cover the top. It is that simple. You can eat it quickly and if you like a sweet taste to your breakfast then this will be ideal.
Greek Yogurt and Fruit
If you are used to eating your breakfast from a fast food location, then you may be used to the fruit and yogurt parfaits that so many places offer. You can still have this indulgence while meeting the requirements of your 21-Day Fix. Simply use greek yogurt, plain or vanilla, and add your fruit. You can dress this up a bit by adding your daily requirement of nuts or seeds to give it some crunch and some added protein and energy.
Spinach and Egg
If you have time to sit down, read the news, look over your daily plans, and have some coffee then you have time for one of the more traditional breakfast meals. This 21-Day Fix breakfast will give you your serving of protein and vegetables. Just make the allotted amount of eggs for the day and add some spinach. You also get a pack of iron with spinach and help boost your vitamins as well.
With these three 21-Day Fix breakfast options, you have something to get started and work with to make your morning routine a bit easier. Remember, if these options aren't suited to you and you have too busy of a morning, then you can opt for your morning to be your Shakeology shake.
Try These 21-Day Fix Snacks and Desserts
So, you have breakfast figured out and your lunches or dinners. The issue with you may be that you aren't sure how to handle your snacks and desserts in a well thought out way. This means you may be wondering how to make the snacks and desserts satisfying while filling the void for your sweet craving as well. Here are a few of the snacks and desserts that you can make ahead of the week and have ready to go in your containers when you need them.
Flourless Brownie Muffins
The trick with brownies on the 21-Day Fix plan is to make them flourless. There are many paleo recipes that use this method and with great success in flavor and texture. You may be wondering what you replace the flour with. The flour is replaced with chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed. This will give you the brownie like feel you are looking for and when combined with the chocolate chips you won't even notice the difference. You can make these ahead and have one for a dessert or snack at home or on the go.
Superfood Chocolate Discs
You already know that pumpkin seeds and dried fruits can be superfoods. Well, have you thought about mixing them with chocolate? Using dark chocolate you can melt it down and make small discs. Before the discs cool, add your superfood dehydrated fruits, seeds, and nuts to the top. You get the great flavor of chocolate while still getting in your superfoods and maintaining your 21-Day Fix diet plan. These can also be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge if necessary.
Energy Bites
You may be wondering if there is a snack that is not too sweet, packs in protein, and gives you the energy you need. There is. They are called energy bites and they are super easy to make. What you need is your Shakeology powder, almond flour, rolled oats, almond butter or peanut butter, almond or coconut milk, and some raw almonds. Mix them together, roll into balls, and chill. You can pack these with you and grab them anywhere.
By using these 21-Day Fix snack and dessert options you are making sure that you aren't overeating or giving into cravings. You are prepared and ready to face the day and face your cravings head on in a healthy and thought out manner.
Quick and Easy 21-Day Fix Lunches
Lunch time is the time that most people meal prep for because that is when you are at work, on the go, or can sit down and have something ready for a quick bite. Regardless of your schedule, you will likely want lunch to be the easiest and quickest of your meals, even if you are doing meal prep ahead of time. If you are looking for a few lunch ideas that fit the quick and easy bill, then here are some to consider.
English Muffin Pizza
There is a misconception that you can't have your favorite foods when you go on a 21-Day Fix diet plan. The truth is, you can but they do need to be altered just a bit. The english muffin pizza is just one of those types of options. All you need is an english muffin, sauce, and some cheese. Each one does need to be measured in your containers to ensure you are only getting what you are supposed to have and in the amounts that are right for you. Just take the sauce, layer it on the english muffin, and add the cheese. Bake until melted. You can even make it ahead and add the cheese and sauce and pop in the microwave.
Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Wraps are something that a lot of people enjoy even when they aren't on a diet plan. You can still enjoy your wraps, and take them in your containers to fix during your lunch easily. For the buffalo chicken wrap you will need chicken, buffalo sauce that meets the needs of your 21-Day Fix program, a yellow container of your tortilla, spinach, and a blue container of cheese. Mix them up and make your wraps. Easy, quick, and ready to go.
Veggie Burgers
Burgers are something that you may feel like has to go from your lunch time menu. The truth is you have a wide array of burger options on the 21-Day Fix. One of them is a simple veggie burger. You can buy the patties or make them yourself. Just stick to the amount of veggies you need for the day and add them to the burger. Make sure you use an approved sauce, like tomato paste, and your daily amount of cheese. It's a healthy version of the burger you love.
By using these recipes you can ensure that you have something quick and easy. You can also build on these ideas, keeping with the meal plan of course, and change them up to add a bit of variety to your weekly lunches as well.
Healthy and Filling 21-Day Fix Dinners
Dinner time will likely be your most difficult time of meal planning throughout your 21-Day Fix program. The reason is because dinner is when we usually indulge in our foods. Just look at any restaurant menu. Even cheaper meal deals start with an appetizer, include an entree, dessert, and let's not forget the beverage that is either high in sugar or alcohol. So, what do you do when you need a healthy and filling dinner option that fits with your 21-Day Fix program? Here are some options to consider.
Salmon and Asparagus
An easy and protein packed dinner is salmon and asparagus. You may think that making this dinner is difficult or requires too much time. The truth is you can make it easily in foil or on a non-stick sheet in the oven in less than half an hour. You can even buy your salmon pre-measured so it meets the 21-Day Fix requirements. You need to make sure that any oil you add is only the amount you are allowed for the day and only approved oils like extra virgin olive oil. This is filling, easy, and healthy as well as something that is easy to find in most stores and can be found on most restaurant menus as well.
Chicken and Potato Foil Meal
Foil meals are easy and quick to make. All you need is foil, a little oil, your protein, and your vegetable or carb. This is easy to achieve with a chicken and potato foil meal. You will need boneless skinless chicken breast, potato, and you can add vegetables as well. Bake the mix for around thirty minutes and you're done. It's easy and super filling. You can even change it up a bit with different sauces to give it more tang or richer flavor.
Mozzarella Stuffed Buffalo Chicken
Chicken is one of the easiest and most standard part of most 21-Day Fix programs. You may be concerned that the only type of chicken you can ever have on the diet is plain grilled or broiled chicken. The truth is you can dress it up and get a filling dinner as well. Try a mozzarella stuffed buffalo chicken one night. All you do is cut your boneless chicken breast in half, making sure not to cut all the way through and instead make a sort of pocket. Fill it with mozzarella cheese, up to your limit of course, and add spinach if you would like. Use a buffalo chicken sauce, up to your limit, and coat the chicken. Bake it and enjoy.
These three meals can be changed up, added to, or use different sauces and dressings to give it a bit of a flavor. These meals are also ideal to get you started on the right foot with your diet plan.
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