Why I'm doing the 21 Day Fix

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*** A small disclaimer--this is my little blog about fashion and how I dress my body. Please don't assume that I am not grateful for what I have and how I look. This is my journey to better health and fitness from MY starting point. Yours will look different just as your body looks different.*****

Half the battle in finding an outfit to wear is finding something that looks good on your body. How can we diminish certain features and accentuate others? How can we put our best body forward in the clothing we wear? I'll admit that dressing my frame has been fairly simple for the majority of my adult life. I have always been petite and fairly trim which makes clothing easier to try on, buy, and wear. I completely understand that this statement is not true for a lot of people. However, I am sure we can all agree on that no matter our size, when an outfit , shirt, or pant FITs well.....we feel better in it overall.

This past year has presented a battle for me that I have never really encountered but knew was coming (everyone told me so when I was younger and had the metabolism of a racehorse). My weight was slowly but surely climbing(can you say pre-menopausal?) and it all seemed to all want to go to the spot where I am the most self-conscious--my mid section. After four kids, I have a love/hate relationship with my belly. I love that it grew and nurtured our 4 baby girls, but the aftermath is a constant struggle to dress. I know I'm not alone in this and that I am not a worst case scenario-- but it is my battle. For years, I have been able to get away with not eating 'horribly' but not healthy,  and working out 2 times a week.....until now. I have put on an unwanted 10 pounds over the last year that just. won't. budge. Time for a change. Or a fix.

Why the 21 day fix? (and no I get no props from this nor am I a coach)

1. I wanted to make healthier eating choices to help my gut. I tend to get bloated and distended when I eat certain foods. I had already eliminated all fast food from my diet and saw a huge improvement. However, I have a love affair with carbs--especially pastries and bread--and these were definitely contributing to my waistline and my gut ache.

2. I have a chronic illness that is greatly benefited by regular movement and exercise. I'm a die hard Zumba fan and have made it a part of my exercising routine for nearly 5 years. However, I needed strength training in ADDITION to cardio to tone and lift.

3. It is not always about the weight for me as long as I fit into my clothes. Well, the waistbands of many of my pants, skirts, and slacks have become increasingly uncomfortable to wear over the last year. Either buy all new clothes or......

4. I realize that I look "good" for having 4 kids but I feel like my personality is that of a "skinny fat" person. My body is thin but made up  mostly of untoned tissues that tend to squeeze, flap over, and protrude out of clothing. The toning workouts provided by the 21 day fix workouts seemed like a FIX to my skinny fat mindset.

5. I researched the entire Beachbody system and was excited about many of their instructors and workout videos but the 21 Day Fix just seemed like a good starting point and fit for my current fitness level and needs. I plan to add other workouts as I continue doing additional fix rounds.

After one round of the 21 day fix...

1. I followed the eating plan fairly precisely using the containers. The food areas that required the most change for me were the carbs and proteins. I was consuming too many carbs and not enough lean proteins. Carbs are great sources of energy that your body needs, but if you eat too many and don't burn off the excess, your body turns them in to simple sugars that are stored as fat. I added much more fruit into my diet and kept my vegetable consumption at about the same. I treated myself mostly with trail mix and M&M's.

2. The workouts that come with the program are 30 minutes each and there are 7 different workouts ranging from cardio to pilates to yoga. I never missed a single workout over the 21 days. I had some really great accountability in my family as my 2nd oldest and my hubby joined me during the workouts which made it so great. We consistently do each workout at about 8 pm each night--fastest 30 minutes ever.

3. I did not do the Shakeology (meal replacement) component of the fix. It is a pretty expensive addition and I am not a big fan of drinking my calories. My plan is to try it during my third round and keep some pretty specific data on how I feel and what effects it has on my overall energy.

My Results

(putting myself out there with this--be kinder than necessary). 

My total inches on day 1 were 219.25. My total inches on day 21 were 209.75. A loss of 9.5 inches in 21 days!! Success to me!

My second round has started and I am super pumped to keep up the fix and see additional results. If you are looking for body and menu changes....go for it! Check out my 21 Day Fix Pinterest board for meals and ideas!