My Honest Review of the 21 Day Fix Extreme

Why do you need a program like this in the first place? Well, for the same reason we love instant mac 'n cheese or frozen pizza (pardon the food analogy). We just don't have time to manage every detail of our lives from scratch. You could totally create your workout schedule using various resources and then design a nutrition plan or talk with a nutrition coach. But what if you didn't have to? Someone already created an optimal workout schedule with DVD's for you to follow each day and a nutrition program that has been evaluated down to the last detail.

All you have to do is follow the plan. That's the beauty of the 21 Day Fix programs!

So here is my list of positive benefits you get from following the program:
 1. You can trust that doing the workouts in the order they were designed (according to the calendar that comes with them) will change your body. Period. You will see results!

2. Can I just say "color coded containers"?? I mean, how much easier could it get?

3. Shakeology -- we all know quick and healthy are NOT synonymous, but Shakeology is the one exception to this in my opinion. Shake it up and go, and you are really getting the healthiest most dense combination of nutrients I have ever found. And it's only $4! (get Shakeology here)

4. There are endless resources online for tips, ways to modify and recipes that fit in the guidelines of the nutrition plan. Just search "21 Day Fix" on Pinterest and see what comes up!

Here are the cons:
1. It takes work. But so does anything worth having. You have to set aside that 30 minutes and get it done.
2. Meal prep - if you cook all your food at once, it saves time in the end and makes it so much easier to follow the plan. This was a "pro" for me because I like learning and trying new things. If you absolutely hate cooking, you may not like this, but you can learn! And there are lots of sample meal plans on Pinterest as well.

3. Your clothes may not fit when you're done, so you might have to go shopping ;) But hey, if you can afford a few new pairs of pants, I think you can handle this one!

Come visit my kitchen!

Would you like to see what products I use on a regular basis? Take an informal tour of what's in my pantry and refrigerator.

List of staples:
Almond Butter - Maranatha or Justin's (expensive treat)
Oats
Walnuts, Cashews and Almonds
Matcha powder
Cacao chips (unsweetened)
Ground Flax Seed
Truvia natural sweetener
Coffee ;)
Shakeology - our dense nutritional breakfast every morning!
Almond Milk - unsweetened original for me
Spinach, tomatoes, carrots
Turkey Burgers 
Berries

Life is not a series of perfect days...

I've been thinking about the "ebb and flow" of life ever since I listened to a podcast on The Chalene Show with guest Rachel Cruze. The daughter of Dave Ramsey talked about setting up guidelines that help raise kids to be aware of money and learn how to use it well. When Chalene asked whether giving (or tithing) EVERY week was essential, Rachel said she 'felt' like she had done it consistently, but in the ebb and flow of life she was sure it didn't happen every week. But that's not what's important.

Life gets in the way...

This made me think about healthy eating and exercise and how, no matter how much I plan, things always happen. Something hurts and you can't do the workout you planned, or you end up going out to dinner and can't eat what you prepared or planned to eat. Is that it? I'm a failure....I can't be a fit and healthy person because every day is not perfect. So not true! I remember when I was doing 60 days of PiYo...I fought so hard to eat well and never miss a workout, but then came Thanksgiving and yummy food....I got a cold....but I got back to it. No success, right? Wrong! I lost 5 lb. and 8 inches at the end of those 60 days!!

What mattered was what I did consistently, not occasionally.

What are a few consistent behaviors that can get you where you want to be?

1. Eat clean, whole foods most of the time (80%)
2. Exercise consistently. This could mean 2 days a week or 7 days a week, as long as there is a consistent pattern. 
3. Sleep enough! (This is WAY more important than you think)
4. Drink at least half your weight in ounces of water. Your body needs water to flush out toxins and help you digest what you eat.