Earlier this summer, I went to the doctor and was told that I was overweight. Although my doctor told me not to be too concerned because it was only a few pounds, I panicked a little. While I was in living in Italy, I lost weight and was arguable in the best shape I’ve been in since college. I maintained decent eating habits and worked out regularly. However, once I returned to America, the land of super sized burgers and extra large sodas, I began to see all my hard work fade away. I missed American food while I was abroad and I was happy to be back home eating delicious, over processed food – until the weight gaining began.
There are so many health concerns that accompany weight issues, especially in the African American community. While we often think that only people with bigger bone structures can become overweight, short, petite people like myself can pack on extra pounds as well. I’m a firm believer that the number on the scale isn’t all that important as long as you feel healthy and are happy with how you look, but, at the same time, I didn’t want my weight gain to spiral out of control and become something way bigger than what it was.
When it comes to diets , I’ve tried just about everything from counting calories to doing the more extreme Military Diet and a variety of juice cleanses (which I really enjoy, by the way). This time, I wasn’t looking for a temporary diet – I was looking for a longterm lifestyle change and that’s exactly what I found in the 21 Day Fix.The 21 Day Fix is a program that combines portion control and 30 minute daily workouts to help you reach your goal weight. It comes with 6 portion control containers (a red container for proteins, a green for vegetables, a yellow for carbs, a purple for fruit, a blue for healthy fats, and a orange for dressings/seeds) and two DVDs containing workouts led by Autumn Calabrese. I didn’t really take DVD workouts seriously before this program, but let me tell you – they are NO JOKE! There is a step by step guide that accompanies the program, and there is also an amazing cookbook that can be purchased separately. The nice thing about the 21 Day Fix is that you have the flexibility to eat what you want (within reason – at least make sure it’s in the approved eating guide) as long as it fits into its respective container. This freedom is what, for me, separates the 21 Day Fix from other programs that I’ve tried and makes it more realistic for long term use.
I started my 21 Day Fix on September 1st. Based on my weight, I was allocated four red containers (protein servings), three green containers (vegetable servings), two yellow containers (carb servings), two purple containers (fruit servings), one blue (healthy fats), and one orange (dressings or seeds) per day. I was also allowed to have two teaspoons of oils or nut butters. For things that don’t fit nicely into the containers (i.e. a slice of bread), the allowed amount is detailed in the guide book. Be sure to check out two of my favorite 21 Day Fix recipes: Chocolate Protein Crepes and Honey Baked Cod. I did two workouts each day – one with my trainer in the mornings and then one of the 30 minute daily 21 Day Fix workouts in the afternoons. Slowly but surely, over the 21 days I felt the workouts start getting easier and my eating habits change.
Now, let’s talk results:
Throughout the 21 Day Fix workouts, Autumn repeats the mantra, “don’t wish for it, work for it.” There is no magic pill (unfortunately) and only hard work and dedication enabled me to get one step closer to my health and fitness goals. Here are three takeaways from the 21 Day Fix:
It’s all about portion control and moderation in the kitchen – balance is everything!
It really does only take 21 days to change a bad habit – I don’t even crave most of the unhealthy foods I used to love and I can’t imagine going a day without at least doing a 30 minute workout.
You don’t have to spend hours in the gym every day to see results – 30 minutes to an hour each day will go a long way.
All in all, I would recommend the 21 Day Fix to anyone looking to get in better shape and start living a healthier lifestyle. One amazing thing about the program is that they place you with a coach to help you through and answer any questions you may have along the way. My awesome coach, Brittany, is someone that I knew from college. Seeing her results with the 21 Day Fix inspired me to start the program in the first place. She is very knowledgeable abut the fix and other Beachbody programs (Focus T25, P90X3, etc.) and hosts challenge groups regularly where people can support each other and share their recipes and resources. If you would like to start a program or have questions about how you can get involved, feel free to contact her via email at bannwilliams@gmail.com.
My results from the 21 Day Fix speak for themselves. Most importantly, no matter how small they may seem, I know that I did things the right way so I won’t gain back what I lost as soon as I go back to eating “normally” (although my idea of normal is totally different now). I’m excited to start my second round of the fix on October 5th!
How are you breaking your bad habits and maintaining a healthier lifestyle?
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