Day 9 of the 21 Day Fix

Nutrition Update

Finished yesterday on track (with the added bonus of 2 lindt chocolate truffles...).  Today I've been continuing to follow my meal plan.

I have realized that saving most of my carbs for dinner doesn't always work.  I may change up breakfast a bit tomorrow.  I didn't today because the plan is to have American chop suey for dinner.  THAT will take up my carbs.  Again, if I were following the meal plan to a "T," I wouldn't be eating pasta at all, but I'm making the meal plan work for me.

Workout

Upper Fix:  Although it was torture to get out of bed this morning, once I got going through the warm up, this was a lot of fun.  I used to hate any kind of upper body workout because I was so weak, but that just meant that I needed them more.  I stuck with my 8 lb. weights as my heavies and used my 4s as my lights.



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Day 8 of the 21 Day Fix

Statistics:  Week One

Reminder:  I chose the calorie bracket that would actually help me to MAINTAIN my weight, instead of losing weight....and was less than stellar on sticking to the nutrition plan these past few days.

weight - 126.6 (up .2 lb) not significant

waist   - 27.5 " (down 1")

hips     - 33" (down 1/2")

thighs  - 22" (no change)

arms   - 12 " (no change)

Nutrition Update

I actually was not very hungry yesterday, so I made myself eat what I needed to have for dinner.  I still didn't quite have all of my carbs, veggies or fruit for the day, but I couldn't eat any more.  It isn't like I burned many calories during yoga, anyway.

Today, I'm back on track with my breakfast and snacks.  We got more bananas, grapes, spinach and mushrooms yesterday, so I should be set for the week.  I'm kind of tired of having my eggs with mushrooms and spinach, but if I just have eggs, I won't get enough veggies in throughout my day.

Workout

Week 2 is exactly the same as week 1, so I'm just repeating the workouts from last week.

Total Body Cardio Fix:

I did not have the energy that I did going into last Monday's workout, but it is still a fun workout that goes by quickly.  I started using my 8 lb. weights, but when I got to round 2, dropped down to 5s.


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Day 7 of the 21 Day Fix

Nutrition Update

Here is a perfect example of life completely throwing the container system off balance.  We went out for dinner with friends last night.  I was prepared for our evening at the Longhorn and was looking forward to my 6 oz. Flo's filet and sweet potato with a garden salad.  I made sure that what I had earlier in the day allowed me to fit this dinner in without an issue....and even ignored the bread placed on the table prior to the salads coming.  What, then, is the problem?  Friends ordered dessert.  Well, if they are ordering......ummmm....YES, the Chocolate Stampede looks wonderful!  My husband and I shared dessert.  It was wonderful.  It was more than I could even eat.  It made my stomach ache and made me feel like I was going to be sick....but, yet, that was wonderful.  What is wrong with THAT picture?

Oh well.  Today is a new day and I have started out on the right foot.  I'll take weight and measurements tomorrow....fully expecting to see a GAIN!

Workout

Yoga Fix -  Autumn walks you through basic yoga poses that are a nice stretch after the week's workout.

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Day 6 of the 21 Day Fix

Nutrition Update

Last night was not in the eating plan.  We had to "fend for ourselves" for dinner before heading out and we didn't have much that could be made quickly.  I made myself and egg and cheese english muffin...which really would not have been horrible, except that I was still hungry afterwards.  My husband made a frozen pizza.....So, after a couple Lindt chocolate truffles, I did have a couple pieces of pizza.  :(  

Today, however, is a new day and one messed up dinner is not going to ruin everything.  The big issue right now is that i really need to get to the grocery store because I'm running low on the fruits and veggies.  That makes sticking to the plan difficult.  I'm muddling through today, but may need a quick run to the store.

Workout

I got out of bed this morning feeling less than motivated, but after sitting around for a few minutes and waking up a bit, I forced myself to push play.  I'm glad I did.  It was what I needed to get that energy and feel great again.

Dirty 30 -  Autumn starts out with that same warm up of jogging, jumping jacks, windmills and touching your toes.  Again, the format is the same with each round of 60 second exercises and a break between, but the exercises are different.  We needed "heavy" and "light" weights again.  I tried to stick with my 8s and 4s, which worked well until the tricep exercises.  I pushed through the first round with my 8s, but probably should have used my 5s for the second round.  I grabbed the 4s, but they were too light.  This was a fun workout that targeted the entire body.  It was not a cardio workout, but it did get the heart rate going.  The modifier is still there incase you need her.  I'll be looking forward to doing this one again next week.


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Day 5 of the 21 Day Fix

Nutrition Update

Sticking to the containers in order to maintain my current weight....   and still having a lindt chocolate and a hot chocolate at night.  We will see if I maintain or gain at the end of this....

The biggest dilemma today:  We are out of bananas!  What was I going to bring for an afternoon snack?!?  I am definitely a creature of habit, so this did throw off my morning a bit.  After finally settling on some more raisins, I realized, if THIS is my biggest problem of the day, life is pretty good.

Workout

Cardio Fix -  Autumn begins with the same warm-up that is in the other videos (except for pilates) and follows the same format of one minute with an exercise, 20 second break, one minute with a new exercise, 20 second break and repeat.  This workout does not use weights and is a great cardio workout.  I will say that, one minute of burpees is NOT fun.  I believe I started swearing at Autumn at this point of the video.




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Day 4 of the 21 Day Fix

Nutrition Update

All is still going well.  Of course, I don't think that American Chop Suey was meant to be on the 21 Day Fix Meal Plan, but I at least followed the portions.....and had another couple Lindt Chocolate Truffles for dessert.  I also made a mug of hot chocolate before bed.  I have to be realistic.  I'm not on a diet.  I'm trying to get portions under control and be realistic. 

Workout

Pilates Fix -  This was a nice break....but still a workout.  It was a good break from the weights and squats, etc.  It works your core while also stretching out those sore muscles.

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Day 3 of the 21 Day Fix

Nutrition Update

This container system is pretty easy....in fact, I can't eat everything that I should be in a day.  I still had a yellow, blue and green container left.  I guess I made up for that with the cream and sugar in my morning coffee....and the two Lindt chocolate truffles that I had last night.  I just can't give up having something sweet at the end of the day.

Workout

Lower Fix -  Yesterday, any time that I had to bend down in my classroom to pick something up, I had to cringe.  I don't remember working my lower body that hard on Monday, but I felt it yesterday.  This made me a bit nervous going into a lower body workout...and rightfully so....my legs were already so sore.

Again, Autumn said to have "lights" and "heavies" but I wasn't sure what to grab.  I pulled my 4s and 8s again.  We started out with the heavy weights and, part way through the first round, I put down the 8s and grabbed my 5s.....We never, however, used the light weights.  I guess they were there incase we got tired with the heavier ones.

We started with the same warmup we've been doing in the other workouts.  Then it is lunges, squats, calf raises and floor exercises that BURN and get your legs shaking.  It didn't take much to get my legs burning today, but this workout made me sweat.



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Day 2 of the 21 Day Fix

Nutrition Update

How did last night go?  Well, I had saved quite a few containers for dinner thinking that I'd need them....  I couldn't eat that much.  I still had containers that could have been filled.  I DID, however, have a pasta side for my carb...which is not what I should be eating according to the foods listed, but that is what we were having with dinner, so that is what I ate.

I also had a mint during the day.....there is no container for that.  :)

And I let myself have one Lindt chocolate truffle.

Today - Again, I had my big breakfast and my normal snacks throughout the day.  I've been better about drinking water, too.   The trick will, again, be dinner and the temptation of junk food in the evening.  It IS all psychological.  I'm not at all hungry.

Workout

Upper Fix -

More appropriate name would be Upper BURN.  First, when Autumn said to choose two sets of weights, one light and one heavy, I wasn't sure what "light" or "heavy" really should be.  I picked 4lbs. and 8lbs.  Part way through the first round, I was wondering if I should have chosen 2s and 5s!  When things got tough, though, I could just follow the modifier for a few seconds before getting back into it.  This workout works everything from your core on up.  You do each move for a minute with a 15 second rest in between.  It is amazing how fast the 30 minutes passes!

Tomorrow, I'm afraid that I won't be able to lift my arms!

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Day 1 of the 21 Day Fix

Starting Weight and Measurements

weight - 126.4 lbs.

waist   - 28.5"

hips     - 33.5"

thighs  - 22"

arms   - 12"

First Impressions of the Nutrition Plan

Breakfast was great, but I have never eaten that much first thing in the morning, so adding veggies to my eggs really filled me up fast.  My snacks and lunch were no different than my typical day (except less peanut butter on my apple...).  I'll let you know how dinner and the evening went tomorrow.  I'm worried about feeling the need to grab a snack after dinner....

Oh....and I did put cream & plain old sugar in my coffee.  Sorry, but that is a must for me.

First Impressions of the Workout

The thing that really scares me is that this is a 7 day/week workout.  I'm used to having at least Sunday off as a rest day...if not the entire weekend.  That said, it is only 3 weeks, so I guess I'll just have to suck it up and try it!

Today's workout was Total Body Cardio Fix.

I began the warm up thinking, "this is pretty low key" and as we were doing the surrenders felt that I could get through this 30 minutes pretty easily.....then, as we did the ski something or others, my thoughts changed to, "my shoulders are going to fall off.  What is that modifier doing?"  My shoulders were quite happy when we moved to the floor for core work and I was surprised that we were finished after that.

This was a nice total body workout that goes by really quickly!  And, unlike many of the other programs, the cooldown is incorporated in the time.  You don't hear Autumn call "time," tell you it is the end, and THEN the cooldown comes on.  She just goes right into it in the last couple minutes of the workout.

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Container System for the 21 Day Fix

I'm preparing to start the 21 Day Fix tomorrow and wanted to be sure to get my nutrition in order.  This program makes that pretty easy to do with color coded containers that give you exact portion sizes.

I'm currently in a weight range that I am okay with.  Could I lose a couple pounds?  Probably.  But I'm actually going to do this while eating the calories I need to maintain my weight.  The nice thing is that I was able to fit the snacks that I already eat into this program quite easily.  The changes that I'll need to make will be to cut down on carbs (not a surprise) and to decrease my peanut butter intake.  So, although I am in the "maintain weight" category, I will need to cut down my carbs and healthy fats, as well as increase my vegetables.  I imagine that this should help with those couple pounds that could go, but we'll see.

I've decided to change my breakfasts so that I can save most of my carbs for dinner time.  That is my heaviest meal.  I'll probably make eggs in the morning and throw in some mushrooms and spinach or some other vegetable.

Lunch every day will be my Shakeology.  I do use 6 oz. of coconut milk in my shake (a small portion of my yellows), but will refrain from adding peanut butter so that I can have it on my apple as a snack.  That's okay, though, because there are plenty of other "free" additions that I can put in my shake to change it up each day.

Okay, Autumn, I'm ready to start!  Bring it on!

21 Day Fix Dilemma

So....I've been doing P90X3 for the second time.  I am enjoying it and have two months of the program left to go.

The dilemma?  I got the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme in the mail yesterday.  It's new to me...  a lot of other people I have in my groups are doing it and loving it... and I'm excited to start.  Why is this an issue?  Because I want to drop everything and start the Fix!  The question I was having was, do I finish X3 first?  Do I finish X3, but use the container system from the Fix?  Or do I just say, "forget X3 for now, I want to play with my new toy!" ???

When I posted this question on my FB wall, I did get a couple of requests to start on the Fix so that I could review the program.....so......  my arm has been twisted.  I'm going to start the 21 Day Fix on Monday and post here about my reactions to the program and my progress.  It's only 21 days, right?  I can always rotate X3 into my routine elsewhere.  I'm not looking at it as giving up on a program.  I just used it temporarily between two other programs and will come back to it at a later date.

Now....time for me to become familiar with the container system (I already calculated which calorie bracket I fall into and how many of each color I should have each day).  I just need to actually look at what foods I should be eating more or less of....