I am not a “diet” person at all in fact, I still don’t believe “diets” work. I believe in eating real foods and making healthy lifestyle changes that are sustainable. For the most part, I feel I have a pretty healthy vegetarian diet that works well for me. I don’t count calories and I don’t weigh myself. So why did I try the 21 Day fix?
Why the 21 Day fix?
I had a rough summer where I just didn’t feel like myself for a while. A combination of hormonal changes, nagging minor injuries and being off schedule left me feeling kind of blah. My clothes were feeling a bit tighter and it was time to tweak things. I always think of September as a reset month. For me, it’s the perfect time to get back on track with schedules and meal planning. I am creature of habit and I crave my regular schedules.
When my friend, Nicole from FitnessFatale, suggested I join her 21 day challenge group, I was skeptical but decided to give it a try. 21 Day fix is part of the Beachbody umbrella which includes a full library of workouts as well as an eating plan based on color coded containers. You can read more about it on Nicole’s blog and also find much free info just by googling 21 Day fix.
Since I had reviewed some workouts for Beachbody in the past, I still had full access to the site including all the workouts and meal plans. I decided that I was only going to do the nutrition part and not the workouts.
In a nutshell, the 21 Day fix uses color coded plastic containers to guide you towards eating the approximate number of calories for the plan that you choose. I chose to follow “plan C” (btwn 1800-2100 calories) which seemed appropriate for my level of exercise. I was directed towards eating a certain number of servings from each of the colored containers. You can basically eat any foods that you wish if you eat them in the correct quantities.
What did I learn from the 21 Day Fix?
I really love my carbs!
I had no idea how often I just grab carbs when I am hungry. In fact, I was eating way more carbs than I realized. Although most of the carbs I was eating were the “healthy” whole grain type, they were still making up a huge part of my diet. I thought nothing of grabbing a few pretzels while making dinner or heading out the door.
I was eating bigger portions than I realized
When I started measuring out my portions of rice and quinoa, I was shocked that I had been eating way more than a “serving size”. The first few days, I admit, I was worried I would be starving or that I would not have the energy to make it through my workouts. I made it through just fine!
I was not eating enough protein
Being a vegetarian, some days I do still struggle to fill up the 5 red protein containers. I do count beans as protein so that helps. I have made a concerted effort to eat more protein which is not easy for me. I tried a few of the protein Shakeology shakes and they are fine but I would rather eat real foods than drink a smoothie.
What kind of results did I have from the 21 Day fix?
Admittedly, I tweaked the program to fit my lifestyle so I did not follow it to the T. As I mentioned, this was not about weight for me as much as it was about how I was feeling. I still have not weighed myself but I do feel better in my clothes. I’ve learned that I do not “need” as many carbs as I thought I did and I can just as easily fill up on more veggies or protein. About that protein? I could eat just a little bit more and it does fuel me for my workouts just fine. I have relearned what appropriate portion sizes are. The past few days I’ve even had a few containers left at the end of the day.
I plan to keep it up for the next 2 weeks and see how I feel. I am now again able to eye ball the portion sizes without measuring them which I assume is the point after all.
Have you ever tried the 21 Day fix or anything similar? What was your experience?
Linking up
My friend did the 21 day fix and lost a lot of weight.but she had plenty to lose and wasn’t doing it for a reset. I still would have wanted to know my weight before and after doing it. Good job stixkibg to it
scale numbers are hard for me and I didn’t want to dredge all that up right now. I did learn a lot though
So interesting. I’d probably learn similar things to what you did. I know I can use more protein. The snacking I do is almost always carbs. I think, especially as runners, we feel like we can get away with it but it adds up fast. Especially at a certain age!
I do definitely lean towards the carbs as a go to. It was eye opening really. Ugh the late 40’s annoyances 🙂
Ooh interesting! I have never done the 21 day fix but I can see how it would be helpful since you’re forced to keep track of the portions and types of foods you’re eating!
It was a real learning experience and I think a good switch for me
I haven’t tried it, but as you know, I’m a lifetime Weight Watchers member so learning portion sizes is a big part of that. A part my husband definitely hasn’t learned, although since I do most of the cooking, he gets what I give him (and he isn’t active).
Sometimes you just need that tweak! I know I did, and my clothes are feeling soooo much better & so am I!
yes I totally agree and it sounds like we have the same struggles with our husbands.
I’ve never heard of the 21 Day Fix but I’m glad it worked for you! I totally love my carbs too 🙂 thanks for sharing your experience!
Carbs are the best 🙂
I’ve heard about this before but have never tried it. Based on your review, I think it would be a great thing for me to do. I know that my portion sizes are probably incorrect and I’m a self proclaimed carbaholic lol
I learned a lot about portion sizes. Hit up Nicole if you want some more info
What an interesting diet. I’m not a diet person either so I hadn’t heard of it before but it seem like it would be really easy to follow and 21 days is very do-able.
Definitely doable for sure
I stopped any dieting or counting calories, etc, a fee years ago… it never made a difference anyway… I do think everything is about portion control, so I eat everything and watch the portions… we love to eat out, so trying any plan is hard for me because I feel like it impacts eating out… anyway, sounds like you are doing this is a healthy way so whatever works to get you back to feeling like you should in your body
Yes I stopped counting calories for the exact reason. It was a lot harder to do on the weekends when I went out with my family but I kept it up during the week. I think all the mid 40’s stuff just kind of hit me all at once and threw off my metabolism and my mood
I haven’t tried the 21-day fix but I think it’s a great way to help people understand portion sizes and the importance of protein and fats. I’m glad it’s helped you get back into the swing of things!
It has helped me get back to feeling normal thanks
I enjoyed reading your review. I did try the 21 day fix a few years ago with my husband but only lasted a few days as I was hungry all the time! I agree with making sustainable lifestyle changes but a “reset” to get back on track is a great tool. Yes, carb snacks are so much better:)
Carbs are still my favorite but I realized that I can have them in less quantities. I was really not hungry at all. My husband would never do it!
I had the same realizations when I first did the program! I actually don’t follow the containers most of the time, just when I’m needing a reset or have been off balance with my eating.
And it’s been great having you in the group- glad you’ve learned some things!
I have re learned a lot and realized that I do not need as many carbs. Thanks for the encouragement and the help with getting to feeling back on track with things.
I’m a carb girl, too! I have never tried any kind of program like this…I know the portion control containers are a great learning tool, but I think they would make me feel so restricted. Good job on sticking it out (and continuing!).
Funny thing is that I never felt hungry! Now that I’ve done it for a few weeks, I don’t feel like I need to use them anymore but I know what a serving size is. Most importantly, I am feeling a lot better
I actually love the 21 day fix. I’ve done the full 21 days a couple times now and followed the workouts. And I have had great results. Whenever I’m feeling like I need a little boost or pick-me-up, though, I will just do my own mini-fix for a week or so. Helps me get back on track and realize where I need to focus my attention (portion size, protein – I’m vegetarian, too -, veggie intake, etc.).
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing that. Yes it is easy to do a little mini fix when you need it. It can be hard to make sure to get in enough protein as a vegetarian. Thanks for stopping by!
Great post. I was just googling the other day to find out what the portion sizes were for these ‘cups’ they have. I’m not a diet person either, but a dear friend of mine is Beachbody coach and she said the same thing about realizing how much she eats byt doing this.
I too don’t think I get enough protein being plant-based – just my fault by not choosing the right foods.
I think I’m going to try this out when we get back from vacation in October.
Ah glad I could answer some questions for you. Let me know if I can help and of course Nicole would certainly answer questions for you as well. Good luck!
I’m so glad this worked out for you. I’ve always wondered what the 21 day fix was!
It was eye opening for sure!
so interesting! great info to recognize
I thought so too
I’ve done the 21 day fix and extreme version and I too am surprised with portion size and would so more this year if I did it I’m sure as I now eat sourdough. Otherwise carbs weren’t usually a big deal other than granola/muesli in the past. I always wanted more fruits and veggies and like you had issues with the protein. Adding in beans and things of that nature didn’t work well for me. I did a lot of shakes but you can only have so many. When I did it after eating eggs it was easier but again I can only eat so many so by the end of the 21 days I was sick of eggs and egg whites.
I was just thinking about doing a round of 21dfx as my husband and I haven’t in a year or longer. It’s a great time of year to keep away from all the baked goods to but I need to want to do it and right now I don’t want to. That said when September hit I decided to try to keep desserts to weekends as well as wine, except for special occasions and not too hard. Wine and popcorn nights and late night were happening too often.
I have been eating eggs most days for breakfast but yes I do get tired of them. When it cools off a bit more I will move to oatmeal and see how that goes.
I think most of us eat larger portions than we realize. I think it’s always good to do these little self checks.
It was really helpful and I bet we do!
Carbs are the easiest — most available — snacks. Last night I worked through dinner and then had cereal and my no-sugar added Klondike ice cream bar when I got home – at least I had milk and a banana on those Cheerios? I do find that the serving sizes for grains are small, and I probably have 2 cups of greens in my salads!
I did not measure my greens bc I like the more the better on those. Carbs are the easiest grab but I am trying to just think about it a little bit more which was a helpful reminder
I have never tried 21day fix but have had friends that loved it. I do occasionally like to be reminded of what a serving/portion actually is, as I know my services by perception can get a little skewed sometimes.
Yes exactly! It was a nice reminder for me
No diet or program is ever going to work for everybody in the exact same manner. Kudos to you for being willing to try something new. It sounds like you learned a lot from your experience to be able to continue having success going forward.
Thanks it was a great eye opener on some things I would like to continue to be aware of.
What a cool experience– even though I’m with you and am anti-diet for me. I to have to focus on getting the protein and really love those carbs. I think this might just help anyone be a smarter eater all the time.
Yes getting a little more protein will be key for me.
I always find it eye opening when I track food for a few days in myfitnesspal and look at the carb/protein/fat breakdown … it takes mindfulness to keep it balanced! Otherwise I’m all about grabbing the carbs too.
I completely agree! It’s great to do a check in from time to time
I always wondered about this! After doing Weight Watchers, I learned the hard way just how small an appropriate portion size is…but since I no longer measure my food, I am SURE I could benefit from trying this!
It was really interesting for me and I was surprised for sure
I’ve never tried anything like that but it sounds interesting. I usually don’t worry about getting enough protein (most people don’t need as much as they think). Many foods that may be primarily carbs or vegetables still contain significant amounts of protein. Seeds and nuts too. Does the plan take that into account?
I do find that my portion sizes tend to creep up and if I ever feel like I need to use a few pound that is the first thing I check. Funny how that happens. 🙂
Yes the vegetarian plan has you count beans as protein and not as carbs. It was really helpful to have a reminder on the portion sizes
I love that you tweaked this to fit your lifestyle and focused on how you feel instead of your weight. Sometimes that’s so much more important! I like to do things like this every once in a while when my portions are getting out of control. I’m like you and reach absentmindedly for carbs! — even when I’m minutes away from my next meal!
Thanks and yes why do we do it? Those carbs just call my name. 🙂