21 Day Fix Fan
I begin with a sigh.
*SIGH*
As you know, the Body Electric Team is a huge fan of the 21 Day Fix, and collectively have helped hundreds of people lose weight, gain natural energy and regularity, and seek a happy, healthy lifestyle over the last 2 years since its release. So imagine our utter disappointment in Women’s Health Magazine when they published an article based on the sole opinion of one person, who we’re guessing has never actually completed the Fix program.
The magazine stated that “living life by a ‘container diet’ isn’t living at all,” which practically proves my theory that the review done on the 21 Day Fix BY Women’s Health Magazine was a quick Google search done in conjunction with what may look, at first glance, like a complicated approach to weight loss given the seemingly small containers. Why do I think that the research behind this article isn’t really research at all? Because if you’ve done the 21 Day Fix, and/or helped someone else through the program, you know it’s not a diet… it’s a lifestyle well worth living.
21 Day Fix Thoughts
Let me prove my point.
I was, by far, the most skeptical person about this program upon its release in 2014.
I considered myself a clean eater, an avid exerciser (thanks to P90X), and didn’t want to complicate things with the color-coded containers and what seemed, at first, like a restrictive calorie “diet.” For two years, I avoided promoting the program and focused my efforts toward programs I had experience with that worked, like P90X3, T25, Insanity, and PiYo. But at least weekly, a customer or two would inquire about the 21 Day Fix given all the advertising on television and the Internet. Over time, Coaches on our Team were having great success and weight loss with the program, and were providing meal planning tips, container equivalents, recipes, and even video tutorials on how to master the program.
This intrigued me, so I decided to do it myself.
My initial thoughts:
“No way I’m only eating that much at one time,” as I truly looked at the containers for the first time.
“Ha! I’m supposed to eat HOW MANY Greens?”
“Um, this Orange container looks small. Forget this program. I’m not doing it.”
“What if there’s a food not on this list? I can’t eat it? Ugh.”
Looking back, wanna know what I think of all of those thoughts now?
Oh, how naive.
Once I actually figured up my caloric intake goals, I started to get a feel for just how much I was going to be eating. Once I started to actually fill the containers with their corresponding foods, I was shocked at just how much food would be going on my plate. And then, reality set in.
My next thoughts:
“Ugh, making this food is going to take freakin’ forever,” I thought as I meal prepped on a Sunday afternoon.
“How much are our groceries going to be?” I asked my husband out loud.
“Well, let’s just do it for 3 weeks and see,” I thought to myself.
Looking back… Oh, how naive.
Meal Prep For Your 21 Day Fix
The first time I meal prepped, on a Sunday afternoon, I was stressed. It took me over 3 hours to get everything done, and I admit, while I felt relieved and ahead of the game for the week when it was over, it was NOT the way I wanted to spend every Sunday. The next week came, and committed I stayed. It was only three weeks, after all. So I meal prepped and low and behold, it took 2 hours. I was becoming more efficient. By the 3rd week? Down to 90 minutes, and all of my food for the week was ready to rock and roll.
My next thoughts:
“Hey, this isn’t so bad.”
“I kinda like having a plan. It keeps me on track!”
Not to mention, “Whoa, my pants fit better.”
At the end of the 21 days, I had lost 7 pounds and 3 inches in my waist. I had zero bloating, felt full of energy, and had seen amazing progress in my workouts. I was hooked. This “3 week commitment” had become a habit, or, as I call it now, a lifestyle. Not a diet.
Now, when I go out to eat with friends, I can eyeball how much should be on my plate. I know about how much fits into each container, and can stay on track EVEN WHILE LIVING MY LIFE. I spend around 2 hours on Sundays cutting veggies, preparing meats and soups, and writing out meals for the week, all of which keeps my husband and I on track.
And so, to Mashru, the “expert” interviewed for the seemingly shallow article for Women’s Health Magazine, I say this: Try the program yourself, with the help of a Coach, and THEN tell us your expert opinion. And to Women’s Health Magazine, I ask that next time, you properly secure a person who has experience with the program for which they’re offering input. Journalism research should be completed thoroughly before offering an at-a-glance opinion, especially before going to war with a network of over 400,000 who have helped thousands of people change their lives thanks to the program in question.
Another quick word regarding costs, as Mashru claimed, “Most of the meals are expensive or time consuming too make.” After prepping my meals for this week and calculating costs, I estimate each of my meals to be under $6 (and this includes my daily Shakeology, which comes with the Fix program in Challenge Pack form, for just over $4 per day). Call me crazy, but $6 per meal for whole foods to ensure my health and vitality is plenty cost-effective. As for the “time consuming” claim, even if I chose not to spend 2 hours on Sundays plus an hour grocery shopping, and if opted to do it daily as most Americans do (thus resulting in last-minute “what sounds good” decisions versus “what fuels me” decisions, not to mention eating out), I’d be spending just 42 minutes per day on food preparation.
Regarding the workouts being “not for beginners,” I can attest to the fact that our Team has had several clients who have been able to follow the modifier in the workouts (yes, there is a person modifying every move in the 21 Day Fix workouts). In fact, of my over 1,000 customers, I have never had a customer unable to perform the exercises. As a Certified Personal Trainer myself, I can tell you that most of the moves shown in the videos are functional movements which should be adequate for beginners to perform themselves unless dealing with a previous injury or disability, in which case the modification and/or simple movement (i.e., marching in place) is a great start. As Autumn Calabrese, the creator and trainer herself says in the workouts, “Just keep moving.” At the end of the day, that’s what matters.
Last but not least, this:
“Though some people might continue to watch their portions and work out on the regular, others might revert back to their previous lifestyle habits, which could lead to gaining back the weight they lost.”
Wow, that sounds so scientific and smart. #saidnooneever
The 21 Day Fix is a Lifestyle
That’s like saying, “Though some people might be able to sustain this lifestyle, others might not.” Or, “Though some people might be able to run a half marathon, others might not.” It goes without saying that all plans work if YOU do. If you stay consistent, and move your body, and watch your food intake. And guess what? If you don’t? They might not work. Shocker.
To the general public, I tell you this: The 21 Day Fix is not a diet, it IS a lifestyle. It’s a simple system, created by Autumn Calabrese herself, to help people understand how much should actually be on their plate. It’s a simple solution to the crisis we face in America, which is that of overconsumption and obesity. Oddly enough, this is the company, Beachbody’s, mission: to help people achieve their goals and live healthy and fulfilling lives. Before listening to one woman’s opinion on a program she herself hasn’t completed, and who has a program of her own to endorse, try it for yourself with the help of a Coach. Don’t have a Coach? Reach out. We’d be happy to help.
And the real answer as to why the 21 Day Fix is blowing up online?
Because it works.
Yours in Health & Fitness,
Jenny L. Swisher
Founder, Body Electric, CPT/FNS