21-Day Fix - Results & Review

I completed the full 21-Day Fix program this weekend. The 21-Day Fix is a 3-week program following a specific nutrition plan of clean eating using color-coded containers to portion out your food along with 30-minute workouts every day. I was part of a support group focused on healthy eating and exercise during the 21 days, which is the biggest reason I was able to stick with it all the way through.

Results
During the past 3 weeks, I lost 1.5 inches in my waist and dropped 2 percent body fat. Weight wasn't part of my goal, and I don't own a scale, so I don't have a measurement to report there. Toning up was one of my primary goals, along with improving my eating habits.

Although I wasn't great about staying on track with the containers, I definitely paid more attention to what I ate and made far better choices. I limited sweets and carbs and added more protein to my diet. By eating more healthy foods, I have less tolerance for junk food, which has encouraged me to keep going.

Below are my before and after shots:

Review
The workouts
I loved the workouts. It was really easy for me to fit in 30 minutes. I had days where my 17-month-old played in the corner while I worked out, where my husband picked out a movie from RedBox while I exercised, or where I just fit it in during naptime or after bedtime. I took the DVDs with me on a weekend trip to the beach. My 5-year-old even joined me for at least part of the workouts. In all 21 days, I only missed one day of exercise. The workouts have simple moves, and everything has a modification, so it's great for beginner and intermediate fitness levels.

The food plan
The eating plan is absolutely designed for losing weight. That made it tough for me to find the right balance. It is a low-carb, low-fat diet and heavy on protein, mostly from meat. I don't regularly eat a lot of meat, so it was a tough adjustment. But soy protein, eggs and yogurt counted toward my protein containers. I bumped up to the second calorie bracket (1,400-1,700 calories) during the second week to help avoid losing weights. The containers were pretty easy to follow, especially with some planning, and I didn't feel like it added time to meal preparation.

I cheated a little more than I would have liked, but overall, I felt like the plan made me much more aware of what I was eating, I stopped the nighttime junk food snacking, and I feel able to continue making healthy choices. My pantry looks much different now than when I started.

Recommendation
The 21-Day Fix is a great all-around program, but I would only recommend it for certain people.
This program is a good choice for you if you

• are new to following a fitness regimen or if it's been a long time since you've exercised regularly
• have a primary goal of losing weight
• need an easy way to manage portions
• want to develop clean eating habits

If you are at more of an advanced fitness level or are looking for a more intense workout you can do at home, I would recommend a different program. After this, I plan to add muscle with ChaLean Extreme.

Feel free to comment here or message me on Google+ if you want to know more about this program or fitness groups that I lead.