Fixate - Another 21 Day Fix Tool for Success

One of the biggest challenges many of my clients come to me with when doing the 21 Day Fix or the Fix Extreme is recipes. And I know I have struggled with this as well. I have clocked many hours in the kitchen trying to fit my standby recipes into those Fix containers. Many times they end up being a big old failure but sometimes they totally rock. Either way it still adds up to lots of time in the kitchen. Now that I am juggling two kiddos my time to devote to such activities has been cut way
way down.

I was super pleased to wake up this morning to an announcement that will really change the game when it comes to the 21 Day Fix (and take A LOT of the work out of meal planning.) Autumn is coming out with a cookbook to work with the 21 Day Fix. She has taken 101 of her family recipes and made them container friendly. AND there are recipes in there that are vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and gluten free. 

"This book is for everybody," says Autumn. "You don't have to be graduates of 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix EXTREME^®. You also don't have to be a chef or great in the kitchen. It's for anyone who wants to make healthier versions of the foods they love."  In addition to all of the recipes, Autumn also included a detailed checklist for her must-have kitchen and pantry staples, as well as the basic utensils and tools that every cook needs. So if you aren't familiar with cooking at home, this is a great tool to add to your healthy eats arsenal. 

Fixate will include sections for breakfast lunch and dinner, as well as snacks, desserts and even some Shakeology recipes. For a free sneak peek at some of the recipes click here.

Can't wait to get your hands on it? Fixate is going to be available mid-July.

Can it get any better?

Of course it can! Purchase one of the following from me this month and I will send you a FREE copy of Autumn's cookbook once it is released.

• 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack
• 21 Day Fix Kickstart Challenge Pack
• 21 Day Fix Extreme Challenge Pack
• 21 Day Fix Extreme Kickstart Challenge Pack

• OR sign up as a coach with ANY challenge pack

To join my June 21 Day Fix accountability group fill out the application below. 

Preseason begins begins June 22st with our official kick off date on June 29. I will be providing accountability, meal prep tips and tricks, recipes and MY 21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme meal plans including a 7 day Countdown to Competition plan.

I am so excited to help you achieve your goals! 

Fill out my online form.

Online contact and registration forms from Wufoo.

21 Day Fix Week 2 Meal Plan and Week 1 Review

Oh do I hate when I am wrong.

I went into this 21 Day Fix with thinking that it was going to be easy. I mean Autumn is cute, bubbly and adorable....what was she going to do to me? I spent January working out with Tony Horton (and P90X3) I spent last spring with Shaun T (Insanity) and this fall and winter lifting heavy with Chalene (Chalean Extreme) so a little 30 minute total body workout. I got this. I may even need to do doubles from the start because I am so-o-o above this. Ha!

Let me tell you that I haven't been able to walk all week. (And I did not start with doubles.) I am seriously hurting....in the best way possible. (That's what I get for thinking I was in shape and totally ready for this program!) I did push it when I could and there were some times I had to drop to the modifier too. My abs are no where near as strong as say my shoulders or legs (and I have some problems with my wrists so a lot of plank work and I am toast!)

As for the containers....I will tell you the first few days I was starving. I was all...no wonder people lost a ton of weight on this program. They starved it off. (So I drank a lot of tea in the mid-afternoon those first few days!)

But after Day 2, I was good. Good to the point where I was kind of forcing myself eat my containers. And I haven't been perfect about getting all of my containers in each day. As I sit here and write this I still have a purple and half a green container I can nosh on if I want. (Which the fact that I could still have a snack right now is very reassuring. It makes me want one less. Go figure.) So the containers are kind of awesome. They hold a lot of food....seriously. I had a mini-freak out when I got them and saw how small they were but once I filled them and dumped them onto a plate. I was amazed.

And I do love the fact that I get to bust out my favorite sharpie highlighters and color code my meal plan. (I have a highlighter/color coding addiction.) So the whole planning thing is right up my alley. It actually makes me WANT to meal plan (which for me is huge. Sitting down and making the meal plan is where I really struggle.)

I am really looking forward to week 2. The workouts are good. I won't say they are my favorite (I am still partial to Chalene Johnson and my Chalean Extreme and TurboFire hybrid.) I like lifting heavier weights and not doing as many reps as I can in a minute, but struggling to get to 8 or 10. But I do know it is good for me to mix it up. Muscle confusion is a good thing. And this is a great program for that. 30 minutes and done. (And I am loving the pilates that is thrown
in there.)

Here is my meal plan for week 2 (which making it this week was so much easier than last week!)

I do eat A LOT of eggs. The red container is my struggle. I try to avoid meat. It just isn't my thing. I also don't do soy. And since beans and quinoa (my go to sources for protein) are considered yellow containers, I just keep putting eggs in the red container. (I am either going to turn into an egg after these 21 days or start to hate them.) I think on this program there is going to be one container that is a struggle for everyone. It may be blue (if you love cheese!) or yellow (which I am so shocked that I am not in carb withdrawal!) I have learned that I do tend to eat mostly fruit and complex carbs (like beans and quinoa). I also learned that I thought I ate a lot of veggies but in reality, I was not eating near as many as I should. The containers really make me focus on my food groups, which I love. As of right now, I this is something I can adopt for a lifetime. And I can't wait!

If you would like to join me in this challenge or any other one, please message me or comment below.
I would love to have you!

21 Days to Awesome

There has been a lot of buzz in the fitness community about the new 21 Day Fix that is being launched by Beachbody in February. And if this thing delivers what it promises, it is going to rock the fitness world. Losing up to 15 pounds in 21 days....crazy talk or is it?

The 21 Day Fix is a 21 day program with trainer Autumn Calabrese that focuses on portion control and exercise. Portion control through tupperware containers. So easy. No weighing portions, no counting calories or points. If it fits you can eat it....within reason.

Who is Autumn Calabrese?

She is a mommy, a celebrity fitness trainer, certified trainer and a national level bikini competitor.  A rising star in the fitness community, she's made a name for herself by helping people lose weight and get fit through simple portion control and consistent exercise. Autumn holds personal training certificates from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA). Her supportive, motivating style has made her a highly sought-after expert among celebrities and the fitness industry.

How did she come up with the 21 Day Fix?

I love this story. She has worked with many clients as a trainer and talked about how often she sees how hard she pushes people in the gym and looks at what they are eating and it doesn't add up. They should be losing more weight. (Ummm...hello I feel like this all the time.) And it wasn't until she went out to lunch with one of her clients and she saw her client eat a huge salad. Autumn got the same thing and ate 1/3 of the salad. Her client ate the entire thing. And in her client's head, she only ate a salad for lunch and something right there clicked. You can overeat on healthy food too. (Story of my life.) I mean how frustrating is it to keep a food journal and look at all the healthy good things you eat and still not see the movement on the scale you want? If you are anything like me it makes you crazy. Crazy to the point of getting your thyroid tested, talking to doctors and wondering all the time, what is wrong with me? I am so excited for this program to come out I can't even stand it. Because let's be honest, who at home is weighing all their food on a food scale or like me are you just guessing at what a portion size is and how many you are eating? And if you are I give you a standing ovation because that is amazing.

Portion Control Containers:

Now there is no container for chocolate cake but there is the built in to have chocolate on occasion...even a glass of WINE! (Yay wine!) Even though I don't think going 21 days without chocolate or wine is a deal breaker, I love that the option is in there. So the tupperware you get with the program is color coded. For example - Fruits may be purple, protein red, carbs yellow etc. and there is a list of foods that fall under each category. The list is going to start with the best choice and end with the least desirable choice. You pick what you want. Measure it with the container and done. There is a calculation that lets you know how many of each container you get per day. I am assuming it will go off of your current weight, goals, gender, activity level much like the other Beachbody program meal plans.

30 Minute Workouts:

I am in love with the 30 minute workout. (And whoever did the research that found we get the most of our workout in the first 30 minutes, I want to kiss you.) Everyone can find time for 30 minutes in their day, whether it means dvr-ing your favorite show until post workout, getting up 30 minutes earlier, or using part of your lunch break, giving up your facebook scrolling in the morning before work....everyone can squeak in 30 minutes somewhere. Look at your schedule. Where can you spare 10 minutes, 15 minutes and then use them to get in a workout? Trust me. It's possible. And the results can be awesome.

I was able to listen to an interview with Autumn this morning and she briefly about what these workouts are going to be. There are going to be 7 workouts included in the Fix. Including: yoga, pilates, cardio, cardio with weights (LOVE!), and weight training. You will need some type of resistance (dumbbells or bands), a mat, and some awesome shoes. There is a modifier and the exercises are designed for any fitness level. So even if you've done Insanity or P90X, you can push yourself here and get results. This workout is not above or beneath anyone. Check out the video below for more info.

So when does all this go down?

The program is available February 3rd. If you want to be added to the list to be one of the first notified when this thing goes live please click here and sign up for a free account with me as your coach. I will be sending out info to all of my peeps as soon as it launches. If you would like to be part of my exclusive test group starting on February 17th please fill out the application here. And as always if you have any questions or need anything at all please leave a comment below or contact me!