November 3, 2015

21 Day Fix Extreme: Honest Thoughts

I debated whether or not to share this post but here goes nothing...

I've put it out into the universe that I've been "doing" 21 Day Fix Extreme.  I sort of did a combination of 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme though- the regular 21 Day Fix meal plan and the 21 Day Fix Extreme workouts.  The 21 days are over and it's time to share my results and my thoughts.

I thought about just pretending like it didn't happen.  Like hopefully you would all forget that I even mentioned it and I wouldn't mention it anymore.  And then I'd start my next program and you'd all be like, "Wait, what?  Wasn't she doing 21 Day Fix?".

I thought about saying how great and amazing my results were and how simple to follow the meal plan was.  But then I have no before/afters to share so that wasn't an option either.

But if I posted either of those I would be lying.

The truth is, I didn't like 21 Day Fix.  There, I said it.

I've had 21 Day Fix Extreme since it was released in February.  I was so excited when it came in the mail.  Everyone seemed to LOVE the regular program and had amazing results so I knew Extreme was going to deliver. When it first came I browsed the meal plan, attempted all of the workouts at least once, and that was the extent of it.  I put it on the shelf and didn't think much more about it until about a month ago when I decided, on a Sunday, that I was going to start the following Monday.

So I kind of set myself up for failure by failing to plan but regardless I found the entire meal plan to be confusing from the get-go so I'm not sure that planning would have made that much of a difference.  Without the help of Pinterest and the giant 21 Day Fix challenge group on FB there was no way I was going to successfully follow that meal plan no matter how much I prepared for it.

That was my biggest problem with the program, the meal plan.  I know everyone finds it super easy to follow, that it allows for a lot of food, and so on and so forth.  I actually thought the opposite of all of that was true.  I didn't find it easy to follow, at all.  I suppose if you were to eat eggs for breakfast, Shakeology for snack, salad for lunch, strawberries for your second snack and grilled chicken with veggies for dinner, you'd be OK.  That would be easy to follow, would fill all of your containers and you would be successful.  But I am a mom to two small kids who are picky eaters.  I have a husband who likes diversity in his meals and I like to eat tacos. So when it comes to eating things with multiple ingredients, that aren't in the cookbook, I failed.  Like where the heck does something like Shepherd's pie fit in? I know, you're probably not supposed to eat Shepherd's pie on 21 Day Fix and that is the whole point behind the 21 Day Fix, but damn it, I like Shepherd's pie on a cold autumn day!  So, it goes without saying, I fell off the wagon hard when it came to the meal plan.

I do like that it keeps your portions in check.  I struggle with eating as much as Jimmy at times so that part I can appreciate.  Also, carbs.  Wow.  I eat more carbs than humanly necessary so thank you, 21 Day Fix, for pointing that out.

As for the workouts, they are legit.  I really had a love/hate relationship with the Extreme workouts.  I loved pilates fix extreme, yoga fix extreme and upper fix extreme, I really loved those three specifically.  The others, however, were the ones that made me most sore {I'm looking at you plyo fix extreme}.  I was actually sore nearly every day for the full 21 days.  I'm weird and I like to be sore, it let's me know that what I'm doing is working, so I didn't mind that part.  However, I do find Autumn to be a tad bit annoying.  She sort of reminds me of Jillian Michaels but not in a good way.  I think she takes A LOT of breaks for only a 30 minute workout.  Listen, clearly it works for her because her body is banging, but Shaun T doesn't even give this many breaks in Insanity Max 30 and that ish is intense.

I know it goes against my business to say this and I know I'll probably hurt my business by posting this but I pride myself on being honest and I felt this was the right thing to do.  I wanted to like it, I really did.  I've seen so many amazing transformations thanks to this program.  Everyone who I've talked to that has done it LOVED it and completed multiple rounds of it.  I felt like I was in the minority with my opinion but after posting on FB and IG Sunday night I realized I am not alone and a lot of you agree with the way I feel about it.

I wish I liked it.  I wish I had an amazing transformation to share with you.  But I didn't and I don't.  I will say that if you struggle with eating the right foods, if you have portion control issues and are looking for a place to start, this program would be a good fit.  It teaches you clean eating, portions and has effective workouts to go along with it.  I would also recommend buying the Fixate cookbook so that you have more options if you are someone who likes to have it all laid out for you {like I clearly do}.

So, there you have it.  My real thoughts on the 21 Day Fix Extreme.  Who knows, I might give it a try again some other time but for now I'll stick to logging into MFP {for the most part} and continuing with my workouts.  Plus I really missed PIYO over these last 21 days and my hips will be glad to get back to it.

Have you tried 21 Day Fix/Extreme? Do/Did you like it?  Any tips?  Am I crazy for posting this?



24 comments:

  1. I find it confusing too and haven't even attempted the meal plans. A lot of meals that I do have multiple ingredients so I didn't even know how to put them all together. I think this is a great program/plan for someone starting out and trying to learn portions and what to eat. I wish I had it when I first started this whole thing before my wedding. But, for someone who actively eats healthy and watches her meals and portions (although I know I could do better), it just seemed like so much work! I think it's great that you are honest. It just goes to show that you are an honest person and people can trust your business.

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    1. That's exactly how I feel! I wish I would have started my journey with this program but now that I'm not necessarily looking to lose weight {although after Halloween I feel a little bit differently} I don't "need" it as much as I did back then. So maybe that's why I feel the way I do about it...

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  2. I completely agree! I heard so many great things about the 21 Day Fix and wanted to try it. Those containers? Confusing as hell! I was carrying 2 lunch bags to work - one with food & one with containers in them. And I never knew how to plan meals using them. I will say, that I loved the workouts and continue to do them. And I still drink a shake in the morning. But the containers? They are now part of my daughter kitchen play set.

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    1. Funny that you say that b/c I pack Kendall's lunch in them now! They're perfect for strawberries and grapes!!

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  3. OMG - I've done some of the 21 day workouts and I totally agree with you on Autumn ... like the first 2 min of the first workout I did I was missing Chalene Johnson!!

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  4. I am in the middle of doing the 21 day fix and I hate it! I can't figure out the food portion either, I keep trying the find the container for Halloween candy, but it doesn't seem to exist. I am also pretty sure I am gaining weight and not losing it on this plan. I have a week and a half left so hopefully it goes by quickly! Thanks for being so honest!

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    1. Hang in there!!! You've been doing it this long, what's one more week!? And if you find that candy container let me know ;-)

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  5. I started with PiYo in April and last month got 21 day fix. For two weeks I followed the containers and meal planned for myself. I lost weight. I was full. But I was cooking separate meals for my kids and husband and stopped. Now I use the containers as portion guidelines. Cut down the carbs. Work on getting more veggies/fruits in. my dad just got it and was disappointed the containers weren't bigger. :)

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    1. hahaha a friend of mine actually said, "I can't fit pizza in these tiny containers!!!!" Joking, obviously. But yes, as a guide I think the containers really help put portions into perspective, totally.

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  6. I feel the same way! I am so happy to hear that I am not alone. I liked the workouts but found the meal plan too confusing. You also have to have a LOT of time to prep and pack your food. As a mother of two young kids with a full time job outside of the house, I just don't have that!
    I love PiYo and I also like the Moms into Fitness workouts (sorry - not BB!). I will stick with those and tracking my food in MFP as well.

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    1. I've heard great things about those Moms Into Fitness workouts! You will never offend me, I'm just happy you are doing something!!! But no, you are not alone at all!!!!

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  7. No, you are not crazy for posting this. I actually think it is a positive for your business because you are being honest and upfront about it. I think it is important for people to understand that you are not going to like every single program BB has to offer, and it is OKAY. Seriously. That is WHY BB offers such a variety of programs to fit the different preferences and lifestyles of so many different people. Maybe, 21 Day Fix is not a program for you or I, but it may be beneficial to someone else. This is NO different than someone enjoying PIYO while the next person enjoys P90X3 because the trainer is different, the workout varies from length and intensity level, or whatever other preferences you have. I think honesty is best, and I would be disappointed as a fellow coach if you sat around and advocated every program knowing full well you didn't believe in what you were saying. I have seen way too many coaches do this on FB, and I can tell they are lying through their teeth about it but to make money, they will say whatever to earn a paycheck. I, personally, hate that mentality so I appreciate your honesty.

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    1. Thanks girl! I love that you support and motivate me to be my best self! Thank you!

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  8. Girl I feel you! I found it confusing and stressful because it requires a lot of prep work and for some reason if you tell me I can't have something I want it that much more (i.e. more cheese, that blue isn't enough!). I just tried it again and it just doesn't work for me. And I'm okay with that. I love my MFP! I am curious, as a pretty active person like you, how many calories do you eat a day?

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    1. hahaha yeah that blue one is TINY! AND the yellow? mama needs more carbs, LMAO. I like MFP too and essentially they really are the same thing. When I'm actually using MFP regularly I do anywhere from 1200-1500 calories but usually when I'm logging is when I've fallen off the wagon and need to lose a few lbs...if ya know what I mean ;-)

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  9. I had a different love hate with 21 DFX. It was the first program I went with and it got me hooked(21 days makes a habit) on working out. Not having a "rest day" made it better for me. The meal plan was hard I'm not going to lie. But it taught me portion control and better clean eating habits. I went on to do PiYo after 3 rounds of 21DFX workouts (Love me some Dirty 30 extreme)and eating clean as much as I could handle, defiantly feel off the wagon. I LOVE PiYo now, looking into certification after the holidays. My next program I wanna try is Insanity max 30.
    Thanks for being your honest self, that's what you should do!!!

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    1. That's awesome that you had such a great experience! And 3 rounds?! Amazing!!! You already know my love for PIYO! Go get certified! You'll love it!! It is literally 8 hours of PIYO though so be prepared to be sore the next day!!!

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  10. Your honesty is so refreshing - programs aren't suited for everyone. the important thing is to find what works for YOU!! x

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  11. I don't mind the workouts but the eating plan was what I could never get on board with. I'm like you, I need to know what it means for a full meal. I do have the cookbook, but I still haven't given it a whirl. I think your honesty about it is great! Beachbody has done well with having all kinds of workout options. I wouldn't expect anyone to like them all, even someone who works with them.

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    1. Thanks for saying that! I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone! Funny I figured having the cookbook wold help!!!

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  12. I will push through 21DF for the results but it is not my favorite. The regular program is good for beginners like Tim was the first time we did it and for those getting back on the horse like me this time. It takes a bit to get use to the container/portions and how to plan for them when also feeding a family. Do I miss Chalene when doing the workouts but in the end the results were amazing.... or at least they were for Tim, I couldn't figure out why I was gaining weight only to find out after the 21 days I was pregnant.

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    1. haha a friend of mine did it and found out she was pregnant halfway through too! So funny!!! You're going to do great! I cannot wait to see your results!

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