Today, prep week starts for my January Health and Fitness Challenge Group.  We’re doing the 21 Day Fix program by Beachbody, and I am SUPER excited! This program came out last February, and I was about 6 weeks pregnant, so I couldn’t do it.

I led a few challenge groups, and the women in my group had amazing results with it, so I have been anxiously waiting to try it out!

It’s an awesome program for the start of the year, because the workouts aren’t too intense like Insanity or P90X.  It’s a great way to ease into a healthier lifestyle for 2015 if you haven’t been exercising regularly, and need a good starting point.

The Workouts

The program comes with 7, 30 minute workouts: Total Body Cardio, Upper Fix, Lower Fix, Dirty 30, Pilates Fix, Cardio Fix, and Yoga Fix.  From what I’ve heard, the workouts are awesome, because they have a modifier, which helps those of us who are maybe just starting out, but without modifying, it’s hard core for those of us who are already used to working out regularly.  In addition, the workouts contain some unique moves that help keep you engaged and coming back for more.

This is the schedule for the first 3 weeks, and then you have the option of doing doubles the last week, or continuing one last week of single workouts.

Monday- Total Body Cardio Fix

Tuesday- Upper Fix

Wednesday- Lower Fix

Thursday- Pilates Fix

Friday- Cardio Fix

Saturday- Dirty 30

Sunday- Yoga Fix

The Meal Plan

This is the part I am MOST excited about.  I feel like, for the most part, we all know what foods are healthy and what food are not.  We all know the difference between a McDonald’s double cheeseburger, and a grilled chicken breast with veggies.  BUT, I think most of us would agree that it can be really difficult to know HOW much we should be eating.

I struggle with this alot. Even with healthy foods, we need to make sure that we are managing our portions.  Fruit is a great example.  It’s super healthy for us, but it is still high in natural sugars, so if we eat to much, it’s not good.

This is where the creator of the 21 Day Fix, Autumn Calabrese, totally nails it.  When you purchase the program, you receive 7 color coded portion control containers:

Green- Veggies

Purple- Fruits

Red- Proteins

Yellow- Carbs

Blue- Healthy Fats and Cheeses

Orange- Seeds and Dressings (you get 2 of these)

You also receive a free Shakeology cup for mixing drinks if you purchase the challenge pack.

When you purchase the program, you receive a nutrition booklet that has a simple equation in the beginning involving your current weight, calories you will burn during the workouts, and a target caloric range to ensure that you are losing weight at a healthy pace.  Then, you look at the caloric ranges, and you will see how many of each container you are allotted on a daily basis.  For example, if you fall in the 1200-1499 range, you would be eating 3 Green, 2 Blue, 4 Red, 2 Yellow, 1 Blue, 1 Orange, and 2 Teaspoons of oils, nut butters…

The booklet also includes TONS of ideas for recipes, snacks, seasoning mixes, dressings, and even treats!

Results

Here are some results from the test group for Beachbody- they have always stood by their guarantee that no images are EVER photo-shopped or altered.

So, there you have it…21 Days, up to 15 pounds, and it’s done the healthy, old fashioned way- healthy eating, simple workouts, and managed portions.

I’m SUPER excited! Our prep week starts today, so if you’re interested in joining, let me know! Today is the last day to sign up