I'm the worst blogger in the world. I did my New Years resolution post and then the blog died again. I honestly want to be better about it because I think it helps ME but I just don't have the time or energy sometimes. It would be so much better if this was my job. ;)
I did my resolution post and have been trying but I'm doing my usual. You know, "the start a plan, it doesn't work right away, so quit" plan. I was doing wheat and sugar free for a couple of weeks. Not consecutively but randomly. I felt so much better while I was doing it and did notice that I didn't have the daily headaches. Because I'm still searching for a reason for my "why I feel like shit everyday feelings" I asked my doctor to test me for gluten intolerance. Well, that test came back fine which is good because BREAD. But my doctor did mention that a lot of my symptoms could be IBS related which is crappy (see what I did there?) on a whole other level. I haven't seen my doctor since the gluten test, they post results online and call you, so I haven't delved deeper into the IBS thing but I'll do some research and see what happens.
Anyway, all of that and the wheat/sugar free thing didn't seem as important anymore, so I quit that. I've been eating whole grain (more on that below) and have the same headaches and body aches as I did before so I'm sure that wheat/sugar is definitely not a friend. I don't want to go wheat free all together because BREAD but I think there are some benefits to scaling back. So....I was on a search for something new and manageable.
I have no idea how I ended up on the Beachbody website but I did. It might have been an ad on Facebook. I have known of Beachbody for years because I was introduced to it by my sister and own some of the programs but I never had the oomph to make it through a whole program before. So, I was on the site and discovered the 21 Day Fix. Other Beachbody programs have meal plans but none had the portion control containers so I was really intrigued. I had heard other people talking about 21 Day Fix on health sites so I decided to do some additional research. What I came up with is that 21 Day Fix is easy to follow, laid out step by step (you know exactly what to eat and how much) and it includes a workout program (which my doctor has been pestering me to start).
I ended up ordering the system on a Saturday and it arrived that Thursday.
At first I was a bit overwhelmed. There were containers and food lists and daily workouts. I didn't really think I could do it all. BUT once I got myself organized it didn't seem all that bad.
I'm currently on day 6 and here is what I have noticed:
Pros
- Easy to know what you should eat. Mainly whole foods. You can have "treats" 3 times a week.
- Containers are great for teaching portion control and "eyeballing".
- There is a wide variety of foods.
- The workouts are 30 minutes long and doable. You will work and you will be sore but I think anyone can do it. Kat is my go to gal. She is the modifier girl in the workouts.
- You don't need much equipment for the workouts.
- Autumn is great! I think she might be my favorite trainer from Beachbody.
Cons
- You get a ton of food. This wouldn't be a problem in usual situations but eating a ton of whole foods is hard to do. I have a hard time hitting my calorie and macro count. I don't think I have hit it since I started
- If you are new to workouts and eating well you will not lose weight the first week. I didn't anyway. This can be discouraging. I had to really tell myself that I needed to keep going. A lot of people tell you this is normal because your packing on a lot of muscle during the first week. And your sore. So you are retaining water like crazy and have inflamed muscles.
- Planning ahead. I suck at this so I find it a con. If I can start planning ahead I think I'll be better. Even after I'm done with this program because it is a big downfall for me. Eating on the go is not a strong suit of mine. I tend to make REALLY BAD decisions on the go.
I'm happy to have made it this far with the program. I did miss one workout but other than that I've been doing everything as assigned. I have big hopes for the next 2 weeks and can see that this program has the potential to teach health newbies how to eat well and exercise consistently. It has given me a lot of determination. I want to prove that I can do anything for 21 days and I hope that this will be my lifestyle changer.
Tips to succeed
- Focus on building strength, as mentioned, the weight might not come off at first but you will notice your clothes fitting better.
- Plan ahead. Have meal planning Sundays. Get your lunches ready for the week. Get a notebook and write down what you will eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Get your food game strong!
- Utilize the Facebook groups, Beachbody website message boards, your Beachbody coach, whoever will support you. I was getting discouraged this morning and talked to my FB group and they made me realize that I just need to keep going.
I'll be back next week to update on my progress. I think!
