I've tried many, many diets and fitness routines in my day, and it’s no secret that I LOVE and believe in the 21 Day Fix program. I’ve done multiple rounds and I’ve had success each and every time and I’m sure you will too! This 21 day diet is about planning and preparing your own nutritious and healthy food ahead of time. It tackles having a proper, balanced diet combined with regular exercise and a set time frame.
In this post, I'll share my ultimate guide to having success with the 21 Day Fix Program! This includes an overview of the program, my personal tips & tricks for being successful on the diet, and a whole bunch of amazing 21 Day Fix recipes! I hope you'll give this program a chance; in a matter of three weeks, you'll surely notice a big change in your body.
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21 Day Fix Meal Plan: What Is It?
Digging through every corner of the internet to learn about healthy food options from breakfast to dinner? Before you waste any more time, please spend a few minutes now reading about the 21 Day Fix Meal Plan. I'll tell you all about how this plan works as well as the various 21 day fix meals that it features.
The 21 Day Fix Meal Plan is a three-week-long fitness program that aims to help your body lose excess weight. If you stick to this diet meal plan, this program promises to help you lose up to 15 pounds in just three weeks! Of course, like with any other diet plan, this also requires you to continue with your workouts. In fact, there is a workout program designed for this meal plan too!
How Does the 21 Fix Work?
The way this program works is by creating your own set meal plan for breakfast, in-betweens, lunch, and dinner. These foods should be prepared systematically so that you know what to eat for the day and should follow the 21 Day Fix guidelines of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% fat.
I did mention that your meal should be organized so that you can follow the program subsequently. You should use the seven color coded containers that come with the program as your guideline to help you with how you can prepare your meals:
- Green Container - for vegetables
- Red Container - for proteins
- Purple Container - for fruits
- Blue Container - for healthy fats
- Yellow Container - for carbohydrates
- Orange Container - for dressings
Once you figure out your target calories for the plan, use the containers as your guide for how much to eat that day.
To help you have success with the program, I've put a whole section at the end of this post dedicated to meal ideas. Also, check out an article I wrote with some great tips on eating out while on the program.
Key Considerations for 21 Fix diet program
This program clearly aims to help you achieve your body goals in just 21 days. With that being said, there are a couple of key components to remember once you start your diet program, which are:
1. Nutrition
Nutrition is the most critical component of your diet program. It is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. When combined with physical exercise, your diet can help you to attain and sustain your desired weight. It gives your body the nutrients they require to stay healthy.
Here's how we can think about nutrition in the 21 Day Fix program:
- Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are very important for supplying glucose to your body as they are to be your main source of energy. Carbs are found in so many foods including vegetables, fruits, pasta, bread, pasta, and dairy products. That being said, to get the best results you must eat food that is low in carbs as part of your diet program. This is because if you eat too many carbs and build up more glucose than your body uses, then the glucose will be stored as glyocen, which in turn gets converted into fat for long-term storage of energy in your body.
In order to lose weight faster, you should practice a diet where you are eating ideally 50-150 grams a day only.
2. Protein
Going on a strict diet doesn’t mean that you should deprive yourself of eating meat. Meats are actually the primary source of protein, which is needed for building and repairing tissues in the body.
What this means is that while you’re monitoring your sugar and calorie intake, it is important that you get enough protein. You can get protein from meat, fish, chicken, soy, nuts, and seeds.
3. Water
Whether you are following a strict diet or not, your water intake is very important. Water provides many health benefits, one of which is that it keeps you hydrated so that your body can function as it should.
Obviously, water is absolutely calorie-free, which means that it is the perfect drink to have if you are trying to lose weight. Make it a habit to drink as much fluids as you can and eat foods that contain lots of water.
To ensure I am drinking enough water, I like to fill a huge hydro flask with plenty of ice and water in the morning and make sure I am sipping throughout the day (plus refilling it at least twice).
4. Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and Minerals are essential components of nutrition. Not only do they keep your body fit and functional, but they also protect you from a variety of illnesses.
Apart from taking supplements, there are many fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins, while meat and dairy products are good sources of minerals. Without these two, your bones and immune system will get weak.
5. Fats
Dietary fats are needed in your weight loss program to supply energy to your body. These are the healthy fats that support cell growth, protect the organs, and make your body warm.
There are four types of fat: trans fat, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. The last two types of fat are the ones that are good for your body.
2. Exercise
The 21 Day Fix Meal Plan will definitely be effective when done with regular exercise. You should follow the workout that is designed for this program for 21 days as well. If you bought the program package, you can use the two workout DVDs that are relatively easy to follow. Either way, you've gotta get moving every day for about 30 minutes total.
The 21 day fix workout schedule is:
- Monday: Total body cardio
- Tuesday: Upper fix
- Wednesday: Lower fix
- Thursday: Pilates or flat abs fix
- Friday: Cardio fix
- Saturday: Dirty 30
- Sunday: Yoga fix
You can double your effort as long as it is within your body’s capacity. Once you’ve completed the entire program, you can start over and do the same routine, or you can move on to other workouts. Just remember, the more dedicated you are with working out, the more fat you’ll lo0se!
My Tips & Tricks for 21 Day Diet Success
A great way to stick to the 21 Day Fix meal plan is with smoothies mixed in. I could not survive without my Ninja Auto IQ Blender. It even comes with a stainless steel cup to keep your smoothies cold all day long. It gives you the versatility while still making preparation just a touch of the bottom. There's nothing simpler.
If you don't already have the 21 Day Fix essential package then be sure to grab it. It comes with two dvd's that include all seven days. You also get the portion control containers and multiple manuals for reference to keep you on track throughout the program. It's an amazing value!
I routinely try to grow as a person and professional. One of my all time favorite books was The 12 Week Year. It is an amazing book for professional development, but it's also fabulous to help you reach your healthy weight goals. It'll make the 21 day fix program so simple and easy to achieve with just a slight mind shift.
Everything that you read states that your water intake needs to be consistent everyday. The Infusion water bottle makes it that much easier to get your necessary water. You simply place your fruit in and water. I love how much better fruit infused water tastes and I definitely drink more when it is infused
I have a tendency to get stuck when it comes to the meals in 21 day fix because I don't want to go over on my containers, but at the same time I don't want to be eating the same recipes day after day. The Fixate Cookbook provides a ton of recipes to keep your 21 day fix program interesting and you happy.
I like to use weights when I do the 21 day fix program, but when I switched it up once a week by using a resistance band I saw a difference in my results. There's just something about using different muscles. It creates a different kind of definition.
Part of my success in the 21 day fix program was that I am a huge believer in meal planning. I know that when my refrigerator is stocked with the necessary foods to make me successful then I am. The Meal Planning Game Plan is packed with resources and tips to keep you on track to your weight goals.
I resisted a yoga mat for a long time because I felt that I could just work out on my carpeted bedroom floor. This yoga mat made all the difference in having a better grip on my yoga day.
As you go through the 21 day fix program your going to need to increase your weights in order to continue your progress. I had girly dumbbells for a while, but I was routinely needing to buy a new set as a got stronger. This adjustable weight set is so much more economical. It's simple to increase my weights as I need to.
21 Day Fix Meal Plan Ideas
We've gone over the program and how it works, I shared my tips & tricks with you, so now it's time for the best part- the recipes!
Below are recipe ideas for every type of meal. All are 21 day fix compliant recipes and all are super yummy! Enjoy!
21 Day Fix Breakfast Recipe Ideas
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While it doesn't necessarily have to be a heavy and fully loaded meal, it should be healthy. If you're clueless about what food to ingest every morning during the program, I have 21 day fix breakfast recipes that are healthy and perfect for your diet.
We are usually always rushing in the morning, so it’s better that you go for breakfast meals that are easy to prepare. Oatmeal is an easy morning meal that you can make in a few minutes. You can add sliced strawberries and apple on top of it, and you'll be solved with all the nutrients it provides.
Although, if you really want to try something from my breakfast recipe list, a bowl of mixed berry overnight oats is perfect to start your day. During the weekend, try this healthy breakfast cauliflower pizza, which has soft eggs and a leek bacon pesto. It’s quite high in protein, free of gluten, and low in carb. In fact, you could serve this dish for dinner.
Finally, my other favorite breakfast option are these delicious and simple veggie egg cups. Sure, you could buy them at Starbucks, but save the money and make them yourself. These egg cups are quick and easy to make and are packed with healthy flavor.
21 Day Fix Lunch Recipe Ideas
There are plenty of 21 day fix lunch ideas that go with this program, so don’t think that you're only allowed to eat vegetables or gulp protein shakes for you to lose weight. You can still have beef or chicken for lunch, but ideally try to eat unprocessed, low-carb meats that are high in proteins.
If chicken is your favorite, I sure have 21 day fix chicken recipes to share with you. I suggest that you try preparing yourself a balsamic chicken strawberry salad. It’s so simple to make, gluten- and grain-free, and packed with protein, healthy fats, and fiber. You can serve this either for lunch or dinner.
If you want something that’s easy to eat and you can take with you to the office, try the vegetarian greek lettuce wraps. They taste amazing and are 21 day fix approved! In case you prefer rice, try to make the cucumber tomato quinoa salad. And finally, do try my skinny broccoli salad recipe, it's packed with flavor and very low on carbs!
These are just some of the 21 day fix recipes ideas that I'm sharing with you, but please keep checking my site as we are always posting healthy recipes that you can use as your food guide.
21 Day Fix Dinner Recipe Ideas
If you're running out of ideas on what meal set you should have for dinner, I've also got you covered! Just like my lunch recipes, there are many delicious yet healthy dishes that you can prepare for dinner.
The 21 day fix dinner recipes are quick and simple to follow. If you prefer a simple dish, in just 15 minutes, you can have garlic mashed cauliflower ready on your table. A perfect soup for winter nights is coconut curry soup, which even helps boost your immune system!
Another recipe to try as part of your meal plan is the baked falafel couscous bowl. These bowls are savory and perfect for weeknight dinners. This is another dinner recipe idea that’s ideal for your whole family too.
The low-carb cauliflower lasagna is another 21 day fix-approved meal that can make your dinner exciting. This will surely become a family favorite! This dish takes only 15 minutes from start to finish, and it's ready to be served.
If you want a light dinner, you'll love garlic shrimp with sriracha sauce. It is so easy to make and full of taste. It's perfect when served with toasted bread slices.
Finally, I couldn't end the 21 Day Fix dinner section without suggesting you try this tasty keto turkey meatloaf. It's filling and low carb and also lean given it's made with turkey.
Between the lunch and dinner ideas, you should have plenty of options to come up with your perfect 21 day meal plan. Let me know what you think!
21 Day Fix Dessert Recipe Ideas
Believe it or not, eating dessert is also necessary for your weight loss program. It’s not like your bending the rules on your dieting; just make sure that you only eat healthy desserts and pay attention to your food’s portion sizes.
So what can you have under the 21 day fix desserts? Well, we're talking about ice cream, cakes, pudding, and so much more!
Here’s one perfect sweet treat that you may want to try after having a bowl of a healthy meal. Not just you, but your whole family will surely love this no-churn oatmeal creme pie ice cream. You will only need three ingredients to make this dessert treat: condensed milk, heavy whipping cream, and Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies . You just need to freeze it for six hours, and then it's ready to enjoy!
Do you want an easy, decadent dessert? Then berry coconut energy bites are perfect for you. They are healthy, tasty and purple- a perfect combination that my girls love!
21 Day Fix Snack Recipes Ideas
Even if you're changing your lifestyle, it doesn't mean that you have to give up eating snacks in between. It's still important because it can reduce your hunger before meal time which will in turn prevent you from eating way too much during lunch or dinner.
So don't ruin your diet; make sure that you're still eating healthy during snack time. If you only know a few snack recipes, here's some additional ideas to try.
The quinoa pizza bites are a super healthy pizza alternative. In a total of 17 minutes, you and your whole family can share these healthy snacks together.
If you're looking for more wholesome snacks, try to make chocolate peanut butter energy balls. This quick, easy, and healthy snack recipe is packed with nutrients that combine the flavors of sweet and salty.
How about healthy snacks on the go? Admit it; there are days when you really have a tight schedule, and you only have limited to no time in order to get a snack in. In case you didn't know, the red grapefruit sunrise fruit bowl is the way to go. By the way, they're stuffed in cups, so you can actually take them with you as you go.
Conclusion
Inarguably, this program will help you change your lifestyle for the better and you can be on your way to your ideal weight within 21 days. You don't need to be too hard on yourself either; you just need to strictly follow the 21 day fix meal plan with regular exercise, and you'll surely get result!
Once you're through with the program, it doesn't mean that you should quit eating healthy foods and working out. If you want to maintain a fit body, just continue what you've started or hop back into the 21 Day Fix plan whenever you think you need it. Remember, don't ever give up on yourself and stay consistent.
If you are looking for more information to make better food choices do check out foodforly.com.
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