21 DF : Week 3 The Results

(Sorry this is late again, but ya know...life) Alright kids, my 21 days are over! So I'm going to now share with you how my last week went and my results, and my overall opinion of the 21 Day Fix and Shakeology!

Days 15-21:
Ok so obviously I'm not going to repeat myself again, but I followed the exercises from Days 1-7. Again however, I ended up not getting my work out in every single day. What I have learned about myself is that I am not a morning person. It worked for a week getting up early and working out, but I really hate doing that first thing and so it didn't last too long. I tried working out at night too, but I don't have a set work schedule and sometimes that didn't allow me to do that either. The easiest day to work out obviously was my day off because I was able to do it mid-day, which for me is best case scenario.

I did continue to "eat clean" as in no fast food or anything artificial. I did not use the 21 Day Fix portion boxes, but I was very conscious of my portion control and not over eating. I also made sure to get well rounded food groups into all of my meals. I did not regularly use Shakeology either.

My Results: 
Ok so as I said before, I don't weigh or measure myself. I find that I'll just get caught in the numbers. My goal with this whole process was to just get to a place where I'm happy with the way I feel and look. I am posting my before/after pics below, but I gotta say that I don't really see a big difference with the way my body looks. Unfortunately due to my own life habits, I wasn't able to 100% follow the program and, maybe if I had, I might of had better results. However, I do feel stronger. I feel like I have shaped my leg muscles, booty, and back muscles some. I am now able to also hold a plank for an entire minute, where before I could do like 25 secs. I think that if I continue to do these workouts for at least the majority of the week, then I'll eventually have the body I want. PLEASE NO NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE PICS!! I can see a bit of a change personally and I'm going to keep working at it. Not to mention it takes guts to post unflattering pictures of yourself. Sorry for the poor quality of the after shots as my picture taker was absent and I had to make do! lol


21 Day Fix Opinion:
Alright so overall, I really did enjoy the workout for the 21 Day Fix. They are good workouts, like for real you'll sweat. They only last 30 minutes so it let's  you get just tired enough. Any longer and I wouldn't have made it ha. The eating plan totally makes sense, however (as with any fitness/eating plan) I don't think it's right for everyone. I think this program would be great for someone who weighs 150 or more and is looking to drop like 10 or 15 pounds. My starting weight was around 130 ( I say this because I weighed exactly 130 last time I was at the doctor). As I said in my very first post about this program, I'm not sure this program is for someone who has a beginning weight in my range. While figuring out which "Plan" I fell in, I told you guys that my calorie index didn't even fall within their table. I guess a lot of people's end goal is around 130. My goal here wasn't really to lose weight though, but to just slim down and get a more athletic build. You know "bikini body ready" lol. So, I'm not sure 21 Day Fix is the best choice for what my fitness goals are. However, I can totally see how this plan can work for others. I will say though, I think you have to do several rounds of 21 Day Fix to see drastic results. America is just too consumed with getting that "quick fix", but if you want something serious, you gotta work for it! Anyway in conclusion, I would recommend this to someone who is looking to definitely see a difference on the scale, but it may take more than just 21 day.

Shakeology Opinion:
Ok so before I start, let me say that this is just 100% my opinion about a product based on how it worked for my body. That in no way means that it is going to be the same for anyone, so if you are thinking Shakeology is the thing for you, then by all means give it a go. That being said, I don't think Shakeology is for me and I didn't really care for it after constant use. The first few days was ok taste wise, but as time went on, it got more and more disgusting tasting. Probably because I hate repetition and I hate eating the same things all the time, I need diversity! My BF, who drinks a different daily vanilla protein shake from Nature's Bounty, tried my vanilla Shakeology and almost gagged. He said it was disgusting compared to his vanilla shake, so maybe it's not just me? My biggest issue with Shakeology however is the price. It is EXPENSIVE!! Around $120 a month!! That's crazy to me. It was justified to me by saying well you are replacing one of your meals, so ultimately you aren't buying as many groceries, but that wasn't really true. I live with my BF who is still eating just as much food and also the 21 Day Fix menus don't replace a meal with Shakeology, but expect you to eat all three meals and use Shakeology as a snack in between meals. So really, I was buying just as many groceries, plus spending an extra $120 on Shakeology. Needless to say, I have already cancelled my Shakeology subscription. After a lot of research by my very sweet BF, who couldn't believe I was paying so much for that, found several good shake products that have almost identical ingredients and cost anywhere from $12 to $35 for a months supply. I'm sorry, they might not be brand name, but my wallet is much happier. After using Shakeology though, I do think that a protein shake DOES enhance your workouts and fitness progress in a good way! So personally I wouldn't recommend Shakeology first to people, unless they get a big paycheck and afford to pay that. I would recommend you do your research and choose workout and health enhancers that are safe, healthy, and affordable.

In Conclusion:
I am glad I have been able to go on this journey with you guys. I am disappointed that I was not able to fully follow the program everyday. My major issue was accountability and motivation to MAKE myself commit to it everyday for the whole 21 days. With that being said, I'm going to give it one more try and this time, I'm not doing it alone. I am going to do it within a challenge group with other like minded women, so hopefully when I have someone checking in on me and in it with me, I'll have more success. I will also say I'm going to continue to use Shakeology through out the "21 Day Fix Take 2" until I run out, because I bought it so I might as well use it up haha. I am going to be starting Program/Challenge group on June 20, so check back for updates and see if I do better the 2nd time around!

I am also going to begin my next challenge soon! We all always see all of the "Learn how to be a runner" and "From couch to 5k" ads on Pinterest, so I chose one and I will be reporting to you how well it works. So be on the lookout for that too!
Until then - Happy working out!

Let me know in the comments your thoughts on 21 Day Fix and Shakeology!

Happy 100!!!

Just wanted to leave a quick celebratory post here that this blog has hit 100 views!! LOL I know it may not sound like a lot to you, but I am amazed that 100 people have taken the time out of their lives to see what I have to say! SO THANK YOU!!!

21DF: Week 2

Days 8-14:
Ok guys so I suck at posting this on time. It was supposed to be posted Sunday, but I'm nearly a while week late because... life lol. So, let me tell you about my second week of 21 Day Fix and Shakeology. In the spirit of being totally honest in this blog, I kinda sucked at Week 2.
First, off let me say that Shakeology gets old real quick and the chocolate ones are really the only ones I can still even stomach and even then I have trouble finishing them.
Now with the workouts, Days 8 through 10 actually went really well. Day 11 I had a crazy day at work and I didn't get home until almost 10. I don't know about you but a workout is not what I want to do at 10pm when I'm already drained. So, I decided that I would just double up Day 12 and do the Day 11 workout the following morning and then Day 12 workout that evening. Well I got the morning workout done, but when I got home from work, we had surprise company show up and planned on spending two nights! Now let me paint this picture. I live in a one bedroom apartment and the guests were sleeping on the couch which is right in front of my tv. I didn't particularly want to put on a very awkward show for everyone while I worked out. So therefore I ended up missing the evening Day 12 workout PLUS Day 13! So when Day 14 came around I was really down on myself for getting messed up and not following through and decided to skip Day 14 and just start new on Monday with Week 3.
Now all in all I'll say at the end of Week 2 I did not feel very confident in how well this program was going. I realize a lot of it is on me and accountability with me is my downfall. However, I don't see really a change in my body at all and I feel like even with what u did miss, there should be at least a small change. In conclusion, I ended Week 2 feeling a little defeated and aggravated.
Come back in a few days right here to hear about Week 3 and the finish to my 21 Day Fix and Shakeology program. Also, like I always say, please share your experiences with this in the comments!

21 DF Day 7: Yoga Day

*I apologize this post is so late!!! I wrote it on day 7 and then saved it as a draft in my sleepiness instead of publishing! I promise that Day 7 was actually done on Day 7 lol.

Finally! The last day of week one. Today was another recovery day and a relaxation workout to kind if take it easy after 6 days of hard work! It's yoga day!! So to prepare for this, I dimmed the lights and turned on my essential oil diffuser with some lavender and peace and calming. (yes I use essential oils, if you're interested, I have a blog about that too ha)
Now I will say, this is definitely the easiest of all the days. My only problem was that I don't know the names of different yoga moves because I've literally only done yoga once ever. So instead of fluidly flowing from one pose to the next, I kept having to stop and watch how to do each pose. So it wasn't quite as relaxing as it should have been.
Well guys, that's the end of week 1. Now I basically just have to do the entire thing over again next week lol. Now that I've outlined each individual day for you I'm not going to do daily updates again because it would literally say the exact same thing ha. So instead I'm just going to do a weekly update.
Again, if anyone has done or is currently doing the 21 Day Fix or Shakeology, please let me know what you think or how it's going in the comments! See you at the end of Week 2!

21 DF Day 5-6: The Dirty 30

Day 5: 
Good news! It's almost the end of the week and I'm still alive! Woohoo!! So last we spoke I told you about the changes I made with my diet and ended with the easier Pilates day. Well let me tell you, I now see why they have a toned down day half way through. It's because it's about to get amped up in a major way. Day 5 workout is another cardiovascular day, but it is NOT the same cardiovascular workout done on day 1. This one doesnt include the use of weights which is a little bit of a double edged sword. It was nice because weights are heavy, but it kind of sucked when I realized my body was my weights instead and my body is much heavier than my weights lol. Basically this work out included lots of planking, high knees, and burped - oh the burpees.

I did want to mention here to the third and final flavor of my Shakeology regimen, the cafe latte. I actually expected to love this one because I am a Starbucks addict!!! However, I was a little let down. I'd have liked the coffee taste to have been a little stronger. So all in in all my definite favorite  flavor is chocolate followed by cafe latte and then vanilla rounding out the bottom (bleh vanilla)

Day 6:
So Day 6 was a workout called the "Dirty 30". Honestly I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because it feels like you're working like 30 muscles all at once. It kinda of kicked my booty. It's a lot work with weights, like doing 5 zillion sumo squats while lifting weights. I'm not gonna lie, I was feeling like I was progressing until this workout. It felt like day 1 again where I felt like I was doing every move like 2x slower than the people on my tv. Even the easier modifier lady was blowing me out of the water. I am proud to say though that I didn't stop I just kept moving at my own pace because even that is better than nothing. I did actually do a substitute exercise for the last rep though because that particular move I was supposed to be doing hurt my hip in a weird way, so to avoid injury I made up my own move

So to sum it all up, I do actually feel like I am seeing a change in my body. I feel like I am staring to slim down in areas and for a little definition. I'm going to quit leaving you Shakeology updates because I've told you about all three flavors I've tried and I'm going to have one once a day. End of story lol. I would love to hear if anyone reading this has done or is doing the 21 Day Fix. Just let me know in comments about your experience. I will see everyone back here tomorrow for end of my first week!

21 DF Day 3-4: I See It

Ok so I am smooshing these two days together into one update because I kind of totally reworked my entire original schedule/plan. I am now doing my workouts at night because that way I can rest after and not have to worry about having enough energy to go through work and the rest of my day. Therefore after my Day 3 work out I was kinda too tired to type a blog post - sorry not sorry lol.

Day 3:
Ok so the work out for day 3 was "the lower fix". As you can imagine it worked your lower abs, glutes, and legs. I actually found this workout to be a little easier for me because I did dance from the age of 9 to 19 and, while that was some time ago, I feel like I still have a little residual muscle left there while upper body I have zero - like really it's sad.

For the Day 3 food, I played around a little bit like I mentioned in my last post. For breakfast, I again had my egg and toast, but I also added my Shakeology Shake as well. I felt much fuller and I've always heard breakfast is the most important meal. For the rest of the day, I still used the boxes during meals, but if it wasn't satisfying me, I added like an extra veggies box or fruit box etc from I'm "supposed to be eating" according to Plan A. Guess what? I felt 110% better and I feel like I'm still eating healthy enough to get results.

Day 4:
The workout for Day 4 was definitely my favorite so far. It could be because it was a little easy for a "recovery" day, but hey judge me. Day 4 was Pilates Day. I actually did enjoy it because Pilates help to give you more flexibility which is definitely one of my goals. Plus the planks in this work... I cant even lol.
Me trying to touch my toes--->

For the food on Day 4 I followed my modified method like I explained above for Day 3. I'm not gonna lie because I told you I'd be totally honest, I did allow myself a "cheat item" today - plain vanilla ice cream cone, but let me defend myself. First, I have been working really hard this week and deserve a reward. Second, it's been proven that people on a diet are more successful if they allow themselves one "cheat item" a week. (That info came from my bf, not sure how "proven" it is lol) Lastly, I wholeheartedly believe every girl is entitled to one yummy good item on the first day that Aunt Flo comes to visit. Sorry if that's tmi, but it's true, ask any girl.

All in all, I am still happy with how this is going. Even with me modifying the eating plan, I do feel like I am starting to see some changes. I feel like I can see just a tiny bit of muscle starting to poke through woop woop!!!

Please if you have done the 21 Day Fix, let me know your thoughts on it in comments or if you're currently doing it, let me know how it's going and if you're experiencing the same as me! If you're interested in what I'm doing and have any questions I'm not answering in my rants, let me know!
Goodnight Loves!

21 DF Day 2: I'm Hangry

Ok so let me start off by saying today was not a good day. Yesterday went MUCH smoother! First of all I didn't get up like up until 8 instead of at 7 like I had planned. I worked a late shift last night and I was tired. When I got up I still felt really asleep and sluggish, so I sat and let myself kind of wake up first before hopping into a work out.

The Workout:
Today for my work out I did the "Upper Fix" workout. It is 30 minutes of weight work that targets your arms, back, and abs. Now I will say that I am QUITE sore from yesterday's total cardio, but I did find that today's workout was a little easier for me. It was more isolated movements so I didn't get out of breath as much. I was actually able to keep up with the other people and didn't have to resort to the easier modified moves.

The Food:
So I have pretty much been totally hangry all day! I NEVER expected for the food portion to be what I struggled with the most. I did eat breakfast this morning which helped a little. I had one scrambled egg (proteins box) and one piece of toast (carbs box). Since I am not really supposed to have like butter and stuff, I just left the toast plain and piled my egg on top of it making like a weird little egg sandwich. I seasoned my egg with just a little garlic powder and a pinch of cheese. For my mid-morning snack I had my Shakeology shake (protein box - vanilla today which I didn't like as well, but I'll explain later) and some raw almonds and cubed cheese (healthy fats box). Now here is where my day got negative. With the portioned eating and workouts that I'm use to, I got a little exhausted I sat on the couch just for a breather and I passed out. I totally slept through lunch! When I did wake up, I had a headache, felt horribly sluggish, and was starving. I filled my entire fruit box to the brim with blueberries and strawberries and devoured them all. I was still hungry! I knew dinner was going to be here soon so I got in the shower to make time go faster, but I could feel my mood totally sinking and felt very irritable because all I really wanted to do was go eat a piece of leftover pizza out of the fridge. For dinner my boyfriend made shrimp and rice (carb and protein boxes). He made his stir fry style, but lovingly made mine separate with with healthier approved seasoning (like no soy sauce). It looked so good and smelled even better! My stomach was growling. I got out my little boxes and when I filled them and poured out the contents onto my plate I literally wanted to cry! It was so little from what I would normally eat. I finished that super fast and quickly made an impromptu salad in my veggies box, but I was still hungry. I HATE not feeling full after a meal and I have felt a hunger all day which has made me feel nauseous and gave me a headache. I'm likely going to fill up another box of fruits here in a minute to see if that will do any help. I did get all of my daily water in today though so yay!

Shakeology:
So today as I said above, I tried the Vanilla shake. It was alright, but not as good as chocolate. At first it was yummy, but the more I drank, I wasn't crazy about it and had to struggle to finish it. I don't like a ton of sweet things and vanilla is sweet. It also did not mask the protein flavor as much as the chocolate.

In conclusion, I have been in a bad mood all day because I have been hungry and haven't felt good at all. I am feeling a little defeated. I am not sure this is the program for me. I can see where it would work well who is looking to do a lot of weight loss, but my goal is more to just turn my pudge into muscle and to look more athletic build than Pillsbury dough boy build. I weigh around 130 so that is what most people doing this kind of thing would hope to have as an ending weight. I'm starting to think that I am not getting enough calories to sustain myself after the hard workouts. I don't know if I am not doing this correctly or what, but I think what I might do if tomorrow does not go better, is to definitely keep up with the workouts, but modify the eating plan. I like how the eating plan is forcing me to eat healthy well rounded meals, but I don't think I should be constantly hungry to the point where I don't feel good. So I might just try a little bit bigger portions of the healthy suggested meals, but still not over eat.

If anyone has, or is currently doing the 21 Day Fix, PLEASE comment below with any pointers or if you has the same issues! Have great night and say a prayer that tomorrow goes easier for me!