This is it...I've officially reached day 21 of the 21 Day Fix! I'm going to keep this short and sweet, but didn't want to ignore such a momentous day!! Last time I wrote I had lost 12 pounds. When I weighed myself this morning that number had changed, so now I have officially lost 11 pounds from my heaviest weight. After weighing myself I also checked my measurements against where I was 21 days ago. Overall, I lost 10 inches around my body!! And 2 of those inches were from my waist! So I would definitely say that I saw some great results, wouldn't you? Now you might be asking what the plan is moving forward. I'm still going to continue with the 21 Day Fix, but I'm going to change up how I've been doing it. On November 30 I will be joining a challenge group (also known as an accountability group) on Facebook. This group will help hold me accountable and give me encouragement along the way. As I do this challenge group I am going to stop focusing so much on the number on the scale and instead focus on how I'm feeling. I want to make sure I'm not obsessing over a number and letting that determine my happiness. Instead, I want to spend time making sure I feel like I've done my best and that I'm proud of the work I've done. I will be blogging the whole way through the challenge so you can hear how it goes. I hope this all makes sense and that you stick with me during this next phase of the program! As always, if you have any questions please feel free to ask them in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer them.
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It's hard to believe that I'm just a few days away from finishing my first round of the 21 Day Fix! I can't decide if it feels like it's gone by way too fast or if it seems like forever since I started. Maybe a little bit of both, if that's even possible. Last time I wrote I mentioned that I had lost a total of 10 pounds, and yesterday when I weighed myself that number actually jumped to just over 12 pounds. It feels amazing to see the number on the scale going down for a change instead of slowly going up and up! Today I wanted to spend some time answering some frequently asked questions about the program. Obviously I'm not an expert after only doing this for a couple of weeks, but I know I had some basic questions before I started and I wanted to make sure to address those for anyone else who is curious. FAQ's: How hard are the workouts? Can a beginner do them?
What equipment do I need for the workouts?
How do the containers work? How do I know how many containers I get for a day?
What if I can't finish the food in all of my containers?
Can I follow the 21 Day Fix if I'm vegetarian or vegan?
How many rounds should I do?
As always, please remember that this information is based on my own experience and does not replace the official information that is given by Beachbody. I hope this post answered some of your questions about the 21 Day Fix! If you have any other questions please post them in the comments below and I'll get back to you right away.
If you're interested in starting the 21 Day Fix (or any other Beachbody fitness program or Shakeology), please click the email icon at the top of the screen and send me an email so we can talk about your goals and so I can help you figure out which program will work best for you. I'd be happy to help you get started on your own journey to health and fitness! This past weekend I was looking for a healthy and delicious recipe for a special breakfast. I remembered seeing an Instagram post the previous week with a recipe for a breakfast bake that I had wanted to try out. Yes, you heard that right. I actually found a new recipe somewhere other than Pinterest! Shocking, I know... I already had all of the ingredients, so I decided to go ahead and make it. I had heard that you could also cook the dough in the microwave for 2 minutes, but for my first try I wanted to follow the recipe exactly the way it was written and use the oven. It turned out fantastic and was so tasty & filling. I liked it so much that the next day I made the brownie batter breakfast bake from the same website. Here is the link to access the original post from Running With Spoons in case you want to see her other recipes. And here is the Oatmeal Cookie Dough Breakfast Bake recipe for you to try: Ingredients:
Instructions:
Notes: * If you don't have almond meal, you can replace it with an equal amount of oat flour. To make oat flour, simply grind rolled oats in a food processor or blender until they reach a floury consistency. ** Feel free to sub with raisins or nuts for some added nutrition. Let me know in the comments below if you try this recipe and whether you think it is delicious!
I am so excited to tell you guys that I have lost 10 pounds since I started the 21 Day Fix! I knew that I would see results, but I'm amazed at how much of a difference just two weeks has made! And don't get me wrong, I have not followed this program perfectly. There have been days when I didn't work out and days when I didn't eat completely healthy, but overall I've stuck to the plan and it has paid off in a major way! The other thing I'm excited to tell you about is that I have officially signed up as a Beachbody coach. I posted my story on Facebook, so click here if you didn't see the post and want to know the backstory. Although deciding to be a coach wasn't something I had to think about for very long, I knew in my gut that it was the right thing for me to do. I had a feeling that I would be able to accomplish some great things if I signed up. My main goal as a coach is to help as many people as possible. I know what it feels like to think your health is out of control and to feel like you will never get to a healthy weight. Honestly, I still have those days myself and I know that I have a long journey ahead of me. But I truly believe that everyone is capable of living the life they've imagined as long as they have the right tools, are willing to push themselves to work hard, and never give up. That's where I am at in my weight loss journey. What about you? If you are ready to take your life into your own hands, then comment below or send me a Facebook message so that we can talk about how I can help you get started on this journey.
Have you ever noticed how slowly time seems to go when you're counting days? Whether you are counting down to something exciting or you are keeping track of how many days you have done something, either way time seems to drag. Doesn't it? I was thinking of this last night because I was getting down on myself for not being able to see results in the mirror from doing the 21 Day Fix. Then I realized...I've only been doing this for 11 days! Of course I don't see results yet!! Realistically, anything having to do with weight loss is going to take some time before you can tell a difference in the mirror, no matter how extreme it is. Here's a quote I found on Pinterest that helps me keep things in perspective: That seems about right, doesn't it? So although it feels like I've been eating healthy and working out for a long time, I still haven't hit that 4 week mark where I see it. I do, however, already feel some changes in my body. I can tell that my muscles are starting to come back and my flexibility is also getting better every day. Speaking of results, what I wanted to talk to you about today is something I don't think I've mentioned yet, and that is the part about me drinking Shakeology every day. I started the same day I began using the containers and have definitely noticed a big difference in my appetite and my cravings. In case you haven't heard of it, Shakeology is basically a super food meal replacement shake that provides you all of the nutrients you're probably missing from your diet. I will admit, I was a little skeptical about the taste of Shakeology before I got my package, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tastes. I especially love the chocolate flavor. It might sound crazy, but I actually look forward to drinking it every day because it tastes so good. The other nice part is that there are so many different ways to prepare it. Here are some of my favorites:
And there are so many more options...it's crazy! You can also order the Shakeology to come in packets, which makes it nice and easy to take with you either to work or when you're traveling. The 21 Day Fix comes with a shaker bottle (in the picture above), so you can take that with you and add water to any of the flavors for a quick and healthy meal. So that's my update for halfway through my second week on the 21 Day Fix. I'll post another update at the 14 day week mark so you can see how I've done after a full two weeks. As always, if you have any questions please leave them in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer them!
I wanted to check in again now that I've officially completed one full week of the 21 Day Fix. It might seem like that's all I'm posting about lately because it's honestly a big focus in my life right now. I have spent way too much of my life being unhappy and unhealthy, so now is the time that I'm dedicating to making a better life for myself. Hopefully my posts are helpful to you if you're thinking of starting a new fitness program, whether or not it's the 21 Day Fix. My goal is to show you what someone can accomplish when they set their mind to it so that this can be an inspiration to anyone who doubts their abilities to change their life. Today I'd like to focus on the workouts for the program. They are all 30 minutes long and you do a different one each day of the week. The materials that come with the program explain that the exercises have been scheduled in a specific way so that they are the most effective in changing your body, so they urge you to follow the schedule instead of choosing randomly based on what you feel like doing each day. Here is the schedule of workouts and their description:
You also get 10 Minute Fix for Abs that you can add on at any time. This can also be used in the third week when you have the option to do double workouts in order to get even greater results. All together the workouts are challenging, but not to the point where you can't get through them. Most of them focus on 60 second intervals and as Autumn, the trainer, says, "you can do anything for 60 seconds!" Personally, I'm so out of shape at the moment that I have to use the modifier on almost all the moves. I like that they give this option so that the workouts truly are for all fitness levels. I made the mistake of not doing the workout on Friday because I had a busy day and didn't think I had time for it. I also wanted a little break, but ultimately it backfired because then I had a rough weekend and didn't workout on Saturday or Sunday either. For me, I always re-start on Mondays, so I knew I would be back at it today. I wish I hadn't missed those three days, but I'm trying not to be too hard on myself and just remember in the future that a one day break could snowball into much more. I hope this was a helpful glimpse of what workouts you can expect if you do start the 21 Day Fix. If you're on the program, let me know in the comments which workout is your favorite one!
I'm officially more than halfway through my first week on the 21 Day Fix. If you read my post on Tuesday, then you're already familiar with the basic idea of the program. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, go check it out so you know what I'm talking about in this post. When I weighed myself this morning I had already lost a little over 4 pounds since Tuesday. I knew the program gave good results, but that's even better than I expected! I won't plan on losing a pound every day, but at this rate I'm already well into the 10-15 pounds they say you can typically lose during the 21 days. Needless to say, I'm definitely happy with my results so far! Today I actually took a rest day from the workouts, even though the schedule said to do the cardio workout today. I felt like I needed a break and decided that I would let myself off the hook without beating myself up about it. I'll just get right back into it tomorrow and be back on track. Also, I went to lunch today with some co-workers. I think I did really well by ordering the tofu & vegetables with brown rice. All I needed to do was choose items that were plan approved and deduct those items from the corresponding containers I had allotted for today. Even with a big lunch, I still have plenty of food I am allowed for the rest of the day, which is one of the main reasons I really like the 21 Day Fix. One of the other great parts of this program is that I'm signed up for Shakeology, which is a superfood shake that can be used as a meal replacement. The box says it's the "healthiest meal of the day". Regardless of how healthy it is for you, I'm a huge fan of the taste. I've had other shakes that taste chalky and gross, so I was a little worried about how these would taste. For my first month I signed up for the multi-pack with chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. The strawberry was just okay but I absolutely love the chocolate one. I already switched my auto-shipment for next month to a be a 30-serving bag of the chocolate flavor. It tastes amazing blended with half a frozen banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter! I haven't noticed any health benefits from Shakeology yet, but I'll keep you posted on my results as I continue to drink them. So, that's how I've been doing so far on the 21 Day Fix. In my next update I'll be sharing what I eat in a typical day, so stay tuned for more if you're curious to see what the eating plan looks like. As always, let me know in the comments below if you have any questions!
Like I mentioned in my post on Friday, I'm starting to focus on nutrition and fitness in order to improve my health and lose weight. These days it seems like there are a million different weight loss programs to choose from, so it can be hard to decide which to follow. Personally, I have tried and failed at a few different programs, so I have an idea of what works for me and what doesn't. Basically anything too complicated or too much work is going to go out the window almost as soon as I start it. So this time I tried to find something that would be simple and only take common sense to follow. I didn't want to count calories or do any math to figure out how many points I have left in a day, so that ruled out some of my options. I finally decided on following the 21 Day Fix. I had heard about it from a friend and had also seen the infomercials on TV about it. There are a lot of things I like about this program. First and foremost, it's simple and straight forward. There are workout DVD's that you follow every day for 30 minutes. Also, the eating plan is very easy. All you need to do is use the colored containers to track how much food you're allowed to eat in each food group (vegetables, protein, etc). That's it! I placed my order last week and the package arrived on Friday. Typically I would have wanted to start right away, but I knew that I'd be busy this past weekend and yesterday for my birthday, so I decided to start today. In order to prepare I put together a spreadsheet of the foods I would be eating each day so that I knew which groceries to buy and what I'd be eating at each meal. Once I bought my groceries I made sure to cut up all my fruit and vegetables right away and portion them out so I wouldn't have to measure later. So today was the first full day I followed the 21 Day Fix. I used the workout schedule to do the upper body strength training workout. I had already done most of the workouts last week by streaming them online (a feature you get when you buy the program), so I knew what to expect, which was kind of nice. I've been eating my meals according to my meal plan all day, so that's been super easy too. Because I prepped all my food ahead of time, it made things much easier today when I was making my salad for lunch. I literally just threw a bunch of pre-measured stuff in a big bowl and was ready to go! Overall my first impressions of the 21 Day Fix are really good. It doesn't feel complicated or overwhelming like other plans I've been on. It's also nice to know that it lasts for 21 days, so it's a reasonable amount of time to stick to something. I'm hoping that I'll love my results so much that I'll decide to do more rounds of it and keep going until I'm at my goal weight. That's the plan, anyway! Please let me know if you have any questions I can answer for you about the program, whether it's the nutrition portion or the workouts. I'd be happy to give more details on anything that I didn't explain in this post. So comment below if there's anything I can help you with!
If you follow me on Instagram (@besidebeth), you've probably noticed that my posts have been trending towards working out and eating healthy. Hopefully you're not sick of me already because I'll be continuing with those types of posts as I follow my journey towards losing weight and getting healthier. You might be asking yourself, "Didn't she just do one of those programs a few months ago? What ever happened to that one?" And yes, it's true. I have started and stopped a number of different programs in the past. Like most people, weight loss has been a challenge for me for a long time. So of course I've tried everything I can do to make it work. What's different this time around is that I'm also starting to work on becoming a happier, healthier person on the inside. I'm working on personal development every day in hopes that I can get one step closer each day to being happy, healthy, and confident. It's not going to happen overnight, but I am going to stick to it and try my very best to share my experience along the way. My plan is to use this blog as a way to share healthy recipes, weight loss tips & tricks, and lots of personal development ideas. I'll be continuing on with my Something For Yourself series so that you can learn something new about how to take care of your own wellbeing, whether that be spiritual, physical, or any other way you take care of yourself. So now that you've heard about my plan, I'll share a healthy recipe with you that I just tried for the first time. I was skeptical about making a recipe with brown rice because I've never liked it in the past, but amazingly I loved this recipe. I don't know if it's the type of rice I bought (which was Safeway brand long grain brown rice) or if it was the other ingredients, but whatever it was, I loved it! No surprise, I found this recipe on Pinterest, just like most of the other recipes I make, but it's originally from a site called Skinny Ms. Check out their site for the original post. Mexican Rice Ingredients:
Directions In a large skillet or sauce pan add oil, turn to medium-low heat and saute onion until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute one additional minute. Add remaining ingredients, cover, reduce heat and simmer on low for approximately 45 minutes or until rice has soaked up the liquid and is tender. NOTE: The time it takes to cook the rice will depend on the brand. Some brands take 35 minutes, while others take up to an hour. We prefer Uncle Ben's Long Grain Rice because it is tender in approximately 35-45 minutes. Remove from heat, leave covered and allow to set 10 minutes before serving. I hope you make this recipe and tell me if you like it in the comments!
This week I'm going to talk about starting your day off right by establishing a morning routine for yourself. Each person is different, so there's not one perfect morning that will work for everyone. What I would suggest doing is writing down two or three things you can do each morning so that you can start your day on the right foot and set the tone for the rest of the day. Here are some ideas on things you can do:
And here are a few YouTube videos that have some other ideas for you: Hopefully after a week or two of following your routine you will feel like mornings are a time to get centered for the day instead of feeling like you're starting off the day by being frazzled. Let me know in the comments below which of the ideas you have incorporated into your morning routine.
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AuthorMy name is Beth and I live in Denver. I am a single lady in my 30's and wanted to start sharing my awesome and amazing life through a blog. Categories
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