Prep for Success Tips for the 21 Day Fix

When I first had the 21 Day Fix program show up at my door, I was a little (read: a lot) overwhelmed.  I KNEW this would be the ticket to success for me, in regard to weightloss, so I decided to have FUN with it – I dove right it.   I read the nutrition guide and figured up my calorie bracket and the number of containers I could have each day.  I got the containers out, held them up and thought ‘ARE YOU KIDDING?  I am going to starve, Autumn’. (Boy, was I wrong!!)  I made a grocery list of the foods on the list my family enjoys – I kept it simple.   I looked to Pinterest and my fellow coaches in the challenge group for recipe ideas.   I ate a lot of chicken and veggie stir fry in my first 3 weeks – which is FINE.  It is delicious and easy!

Here are my round 1 result photos – I saw these and almost fell over – definition in MY arms?  WHAT?!  That has never happened.  I was hooked.   I am in the best shape of my life and I am SO EXCITED about this program that I want to share it with everyone I meet (yes, I am enthusiastic!).   I put together some of my best tips for the 21 Day Fix to help you succeed with this program. 

First off, what is the 21 Day Fix?

Portion Sizes – SHOWS you what a portion actually is by using these fun, color-coded containers.  You will be surprised how much food you get!

Nutrition Guide – The guide tells you WHAT is Fix-Approved – if it is on the list, it is ok to eat.  There is so much variety, it is truly difficult to get bored with all of the options the plan provides you with.  All of the approved foods are listed by container color, making it SO SIMPLE to determine your foods.

Container Bracket Formula – With this program, you are NOT counting calories, you are counting containers.   When you get your program, you will start off by figuring your container bracket using the simple formula in the nutrition guide.  This will tell you how many containers you get to fill up each day. (i.e. 3 purples – you get to fill up that purple container 3 times in a day with fruit from the nutrition guide list).

Fitness – Incorporates 30 minutes of daily fitness from the comfort of your living room with DVD workouts led by celebrity trainer, Autumn Calabrese.   There is a modifier for every move in the program – it is truly for all levels of fitness.

Support – Coupled with me as your coach and our Challenge Group which provides you with support, accountability and a community of people doing the same program you are, we will set you up for success!

Click here for a more detailed explanation from ME about the 21 Day Fix.

Angela’s Prep for Success Tips:

I typically start my Fix week on Monday when I do a dedicated round of the Fix, it is just easier for me, so when I say I do all of my shopping/prep on the weekend, that is why.

Saturday afternoon/evening is my time to sit down and plan out my meals for the week.  I will usually gather a few ideas here and there through out the week and jot them down as meals to try.  When I go to make my dinner menu for the week, I will select a variety of 5 dinners (chicken, beef, turkey, pork, vegetarian), trying a couple new recipes each week.  If you are interested in a Free 5 Day Meal plan with 21 Day Fix approved dinners and grocery list, sign up here to make me your FREE Coach!

I will shop and prep on Sunday.  Here is what I will prep:

• Shredded chicken in the slow cooker – place a few chicken breasts in the slow cooker and add some seasonings of your choice (I usually add oregano) and some chicken broth) – cook on high for 3-4 hours or until cooked through.  Shred with a fork, it should shred easily.
• Bake sweet potatoes in the oven for the week to store in the fridge.
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Wash berries and pre-portion them out into Tupperware
• Wash veggies and pre-portion them out into baggies or Tupperware – my go-to are sugar snap peas, mini sweet peppers and carrots. 
• If you love salads each day, make your salad dressing for the week.
• If you are on the go for breakfast, try the 21 Day Fix Oatmeal Bake, Egg muffins or overnight oats – Shakeology is always a good option too!

**If you are NEW to the 21 Day Fix.  My BIGGEST tip for you is to KEEP IT SIMPLE and DONT GET OVERWHELMED!   Have fun with this – you are doing something for YOU.   I did A LOT of chicken and veggie stirfry during my first round (and I still do because it is DELICIOUS!)  The stir fry is SO easy.  I will get a bag of frozen stirfry veggies and a bag of 3 pepper and onion blend from the store, throw them on a pan with some seasoning (a little chili powder and oregano) and then add some of my shredded chicken in from the slow cooker prepped chicken I made.  Serve it topped with some hot sauce and Feta cheese – BOOM, dinner is served.

Other Fix Success Tips:

Here are some of my other BEST tips for succeeding with this program.

• DON’T CHEAT – you are only cheating yourself.  Going to get real with you here.  You signed up for this program and YOU are the one who determines how well you are going to do – make it count!!
• Stop eating after dinner – Allowing your body time to digest food before bed will help you get better rest because your body isn’t working to digest food, it is ‘working on’ getting rest.  Drink water or hot tea before bed. 
• Drink WATER – LOTS of water.   I start my day off with a large water bottle (or 2) full of water before I have my coffee and breakfast.  It helps me to ensure I am getting in my 100+ ounces for the day!   Good rule of thumb:  Take your weight, divide it by 2 and that is the minimum number of ounces of water you should drink per day.
  • Pro tip – if you need to change it up, add some cucumber slices or raspberries to your water for some fresh, infused flavor!
• Eat all of your purple and yellow containers in the first half of the day
• Schedule your workouts – you are the boss!  Find 30 minutes in your day to get your work out done – YOUR TIME. Remember, bosses don’t cancel.
• Make sure you get yourself into a challenge group!  You don’t have to participate and post every day, but to have that accountability there for you is priceless AND it is included in your purchase to HELP you.  Contact your coach about their next challenge group or if you are not working with a coach, please feel free to send me a message!
• Write down your goals.  This is SO key.  If you write down or tell someone your goals, you are adding a layer of accountability to yourself to meet those goals.  We go over this in our Prep for Success week for the Challenge group, too. 
• Shakeology – Yes, I said it.  That superfood nutrition shake I drink every day.  It’s secondary purpose is weightloss – it’s primary purpose is helping you to get in that nutrition you need for the day.  I feel better when I drink it.  It helps with my energy level, my mood, my regularity…the best part is, it is quick, easy and one meal I look forward to EVERY day because it tastes like a milkshake!   It truly does help with cravings as well – satisfies my sweet tooth!  More info on Shakeology here.
• Tools – Use an app on your phone or a tally sheet to mark off your containers for the day.  This is the tally sheet I personally use each week.  It helps me keep track of my water intake too!

A Final Takeaway

You can prep and plan all day – but remember, it is up to YOU to make the decision to make this commitment to yourself.  To decide that you are ready to take control of your health and fitness.  I am here to help you, but it is ultimately all about YOU!   Say YES to you and yes to your health!  If you are interested in learning more about the 21 Day Fix and my Fit in ’15 Challenge group, please contact me with any questions or order yours NOW.  I would love to help you get your health and fitness goals!