I started to feel comfortable, complacent with my health. Two surgeries in 2014 restricted my exercise quite a bit. My wrist and abdomen really took a beating. In January of 2014, I hit my goal I made for myself with regard to weight. I had created habits over 60 days that changed my body, not only from the outside. I actually was more nervous about maintaining all my efforts than I was with losing pounds and inches.
The 21 Day Fix Extreme came at the PERFECT time for me. I was 2 months post op from my hernia surgery, and am at a point that I can deal with my wrist issues. I knew I needed to take myself out of my normal routine, both with exercise and nutrition.
NUTRITION:
80% of all results come from the kitchen!! It's crazy to think about, but it makes complete sense! You can run, and run, and run, BUT if you don't consciously think about what goes into your body, REAL, LASTING change won't occur. The food we put in our body works in conjunction with exercise to give us results.
Prior to starting The 21 Day Fix Extreme, my nutrition was alright. I put clean, whole, unprocessed foods in my body 80% of the time; HOWEVER, portions and little bits of unplanned foods here and there was definitely showing. A few extra dark chocolate chips here, extra sprinkle of cheese there compounded over time.
The 21 Day Fix Extreme meal plan is VERY similar to The 21 Day Fix meal plan. It calls a person to dial in his/her nutrition a little more. Here are my changes I made with my nutrition:
*Deleted cheese- (Autumn talks in the meal guide about the foods she typically eats and those she skips when getting ready for one of her competitions. Cheese is one of those, so I took the challenge.)
*Cut my sweet tretas- I would have some dark chocolate chips each night in my yogurt, in place of one of my carbs (yellow containers). I would often enjoy a nice popcorn option-Boom Chicka Pop as well, but I cut these out! The BIG difference between this and the regular 21 Day Fix is that those treats are not incorporated, including alcohol. (I'm a mom of 2, so that is NEVER hard for me, LOL)
*Reduce Peanut Butter-According to my calorie bracket, I am supposed to eat 2 tsp. of nut butters or oil. Mine is ALWAYS peanut butter! I did VERY well the first 2 weeks with reducing this amount, BUT week 3 it creeped back up. FACT: 2 tsp. is NOTHING, LOL! I don't want to live in a world with just 2 tsp. of peanut butter. haha!!
Like The 21 Day Fix, Extreme is all about balanced nutrition. It asks a person to pay attention to these categories: Vegetables (green), Fruit (purple), Protein (red), carbs (yellow), Healthy Fats, (blue), Seeds & Dressings (orange), & Oils & Nut Butters (teaspoon).
I've been following the Fix meal plan since The 21 Day Fix came out a year ago. It's simple nutrition!! It gives you lists of foods to eat and the amount you should eat each day. I've gotten accustomed to thinking in colored containers and being able to take typical recipes I've enjoyed in the past and FIX them up.
The Food List for The 21 Day Fix Extreme still offers MANY options but just steps it up again from The Fix by focusing on the healthiest of options.
I certainly made strides in my nutrition these past 3 weeks, BUT I did it in a way I was most comfortable with for my lifestyle because truthfully, I NEED to be able to sustain this plan in order to remain healthy. I am such an advocate for treat meals. These are meals that you have ONCE a week for ONE meal. There is NO guilt attached to these meals. It allows people to feel like they are indulging, but in a planned manner so that binging doesn't occur. Personally, I feel that if you restrict yourself SO much that slip ups are more likely to occur and maintaining your health/fitness becomes much more challenging and far less enjoyable!!
Autumn asks participants to refrain from any treats/treat meals for the 3 weeks, BUT I didn't. I did pass up some treats though: birthday cake for my father-in-law and niece and pizza! I enjoyed one each week. WHY? I wanted to be true to myself. I wanted these 3 weeks to be a representation for how I will enjoy my life. I may perhaps delete my treat meals the 3 weeks prior to heading to Chicago in April however. We shall see! :)
I incorporated my Shakeology in my meal plan, as I always do, each day! This in itself feels as though I am treating myself, which is one of the reasons I am able to refrain from all the birthday cakes and desserts that may be presented to me. I am looking forward to a FROZEN themed birthday cake for my daughters' 2nd and 4th birthdays though!!
Eating every 2-2.5 hours was fun! Eating small meals but often, really fuels my body and doesn't make me ever get to that, "I'm starving!" mode.
This meal plan is such a healthy way to dial in your nutrition when you need a change/jump start. Both The 21 Day Fix & The 21 Day Fix Extreme meal guides are a fantastic way to maintain a BALANCED nutrition plan to allow your body to work at its best.
WORKOUTS:
I got a glimpse of The 21 Day Fix Extreme workouts while I attended Super Friday in Pittsburgh 3 weeks before it launched. I was also given a sneak peak of one of them via Beachbody's newest endeavor- BEACHBODY ON DEMAND. I streamed it from my laptop!! Autumn spoke about the workouts while in Pittsburgh and said she took them up 2-3 notches. I won't lie! I was unsure of how my body would handle it because my workout routine was scattered since the end of September due to my surgeries. At the same time, I was excited to have my body work in new ways, shaking it up a bit, which I knew would lead to results.
The program includes 7 workouts, 1 per day, 30 minutes each. The main difference I saw between The 21 Day Fix and The 21 Day Fix Extreme was the use of jumping, a resistance band, and how weights were incorporated. I definitely used weights more this time around, which I enjoyed! She also includes a Hardcore 10 minute ab routine. I also received a bonus workout called The Fix Challenge.
1. PLYO FIX EXTREME:
This lower body workout uses jumping and resistance to not just burn major calories but to sculpt your body. I remember the feeling after doing this workout and trying to sit on the toilet. LOL! That added jumping REALLY makes a difference!
2. UPPER FIX EXTREME:
I was most concerned about this workout. My upper body took a beating after not being able to do much of any of it pre and post surgery. I LOVE how the workouts focus not only on the arms, but I definitely feel and SEE a difference in my shoulders and back! This workout sculpts your chest, back, shoulders and arms in a nonstop 30 minutes!
3. PILATES FIX EXTREME:
TRUTH- I enjoyed this the LEAST of the workouts! Way back about 10 years ago when I started to think about the importance of my health, I started with Pilates. I've had 5 knee surgeries, and I always shied away from more intense workouts. So, I've always had a love for Pilates. Well, Autumn added in these resistance bands, and I look pretty silly most of the time. Keeping the bands in place, at first, was a challenge. I do believe part of my problem is I was using a band that came with another program-Focus T25. The bands used in the workout video, I think, have less resistance, so I may be investing in new ones OR it will just get easier as I get stronger. I felt good with the exercises on my back BUT once I had to turn over, the laughs and awkwardness began. Although I felt uncomfortable and as if I wasn't getting anything out of some of the exercises, my BODY told me differently. SORE....
4. LOWER FIX EXTREME:
I have developed a fondness for lower body workouts since starting Beachbody routines! This is such a LARGE muscle group that keeps the calories burning all day! Hello, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and even calves in this workout. My legs are not only stronger because of it, but LEANER!
5. CARDIO FIX EXTREME:
Cardio and I have a LOVE/HATE relationship. I used to be an avid runner prior to my knee surgeries but never got back into it. My other workouts, especially Insanity and Focus T25 have really helped with this deficit. Regardless, cardio is not my favorite. I did enjoy how combining weighted moves with traditional interval training pumped up my heart rate but I didn't feel overwhelmed.
To think a traditional jumping jack used to frighten me. This is me doing a weighted jumping jack! I think my face says it all. :)
6. DIRTY 30 EXTREME:
This workout was only made up of seven exercises, BUT they would compound movements that focused on MULTIPLE body parts at ONE time! Autumn truly named this correctly because you have to get down and dirty for 30 minutes but your muscles will gain definition.
7. YOGA FIX EXTREME:
This definitely was a faster pace than The Fix Yoga or even a typical yoga session, BUT it allowed me to get refocused and stretched out for the upcoming week. It combines strength, balance, flexibility, and power!
BONUS:
1. HARD CORE ABS- This 10 minute ab routine was a great addition to the 30 minute workouts on days when I had a little extra time. It used weights which really ramped it up. It's crazy what you can accomplish in as little as 10 minutes!!
2. THE FIX CHALLENGE:
I started round 2 today, so I decided to give this extra DVD that I got a try. I get a lot of extras with programs and don't always use them, which I need to get more in the habit of. This had 13 exercises in the 30 minutes. The workout kept adding one of the thirteen exercises to it, with no breaks. :) It got to the point where you would do all 13 exercises in a row. I loved the challenge and will continue to use it!
Summary: This is a workout routine for people who have some baseline of fitness. Although there is a modifier in this workout, as in the original Fix, it is definitely ramped up! This would be good for people who are FIX GRADUATES as well as graduates of other more extreme programs such as T25, Insanity, P90x, etc. Others who have a routine workout schedule would enjoy this as well. I certainly wouldn't recommend this for someone who is just going from the couch into a health plan, BUT The 21 Day Fix would be a good option in that case.
It comes down to simple fitness and nutrition. 30 minutes of work each day with a focus on eating great portions of whole, unprocessed foods. These meal plans (FIX) have been what has made me continue with this lifestyle. I may not have followed The 21 Day Fix Extreme meal guide to a "T" but I certainly boosted my workouts and honed in on areas of my nutrition that needed some "cleaning up."
RESULTS:
My results are a combination of 30 minutes of exercise, portion controlled eating of whole, unprocessed foods, my daily dose of Shakeology, and ACCOUNTABILITY!!!
I started feeling and seeing changes within the first week! That is part of the reason I continued to be motivated! I used to be ADDICTED to the scale. It was a huge problem because if I saw little to no change, I would just say forget it! Being involved with Beachbody has allowed me to realize that healthy is measured beyond the scale, SO this is the first time completing a program that I DIDN'T weigh myself BEFORE OR AFTER. How did I measure my progress?
1. Pictures: Oh the dreaded pictures, lol! Now, the camera certainly doesn't lie. I love tracking progress in pictures. I look at old pictures from time to time to remind myself of how far I have come. When I took my before pictures, I knew I wanted to work on 3 areas: abs (midsection including love handles), arms, and legs.
2. Measurements: I have learned to be much prouder of an inch lost than a pound! It is crazy how many inches can fly off your body in less than a month! I took my measurements before and after and recorded the change.
3. Clothes: As I was losing a great deal of weight and regaining my health, new clothes had to be purchased. You're welcome, KOHL'S! :) It became much more about pants and shirts I could not only fit into but feel FABULOUS in. It is such a great gage of progress!
That's what it is all about, PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION. I didn't follow this plan to perfection BUT I made small, daily changes that compounded into results over 3 weeks.
MY STATS:
*Chest- 1 1/4 inches LOST
* Right Arm- 3/4 inch LOST
*Left Arm- 1 inch LOST
*Waist- 1 3/4 inches LOST
*Hips- 1 1/2 inches LOST
*Right Thigh- 3/4 inch LOST
* Left Thigh- 1/2 inch LOST
TOTAL LOST: 7.5 INCHES
I lost over a HALF OF A RULER in 3 weeks! I didn't workout for hours and certainly didn't refrain from eating! I know my results would be different if I didn't treat myself at all, BUT I stayed true to me and my LIFESTYLE!
Do you need to FIX your nutrition or exercise?! Contact me on this blog, via Facebook (Kynslee Althoff Pearrell) or at kpearrell@gmail.com. I am happy to talk to you about your goals and how this or other programs can assist you!
Happy & Healthy,
Kynslee
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