I'm taking the plunge. I'm hopping on the bandwagon, and I'm committing myself. I'm committing myself to 21 days. It's 21 days out of my 365 days in a year. How hard can it be? I'm sticking to it, and I'm completing it all the way through. As a mom of two- a 2 year old son and 7 month old daughter, it's difficult to get fit fast. I have a belly, and I have stretch marks, and my body isn't nearly as tight as it was 3 years ago. But my children are worth every inch of belly fat and every stretch mark. Still, I am ready to take back my body.
Surprisingly, I am not as heavy and I have ever been. After studying abroad in Italy in 2011, I returned to the states almost 15 pounds heavier than I had left here as. I quickly lost the weight the summer I returned after discovering Almased--an amazing fasting product that really did work well for me... then. Now, however, I literally gag at the smell and initial taste of this product. It just doesn't work for me anymore.
Also surprisingly, I am only 6 pounds heavier than I was before getting pregnant. I quickly lost the weight after my first baby by doing Insanity DVDs and following Shaun T's eating guide. I got back down to my pre-pregnancy weight when my son was about 6 months. Then, when my son was 9 months, we found out we were pregnant again. My daughter, Autumn was born in March 2014. I did't start a diet or workout regimen until she was 5 months old. I cut carbs out of my diet then splurged one day every weekend and ate as many carbs as I wished. I began working out with my fiance at our local gym. I lost about 5 pounds and was really starting to feel healthier and stronger. Then, 1 splurge day a week turned into 2 and 2 plurge days a week turned into 3. Friday nights became pizza nights, Saturday nights became 2 bottles of wine out at dinner nights, and Sundays became buffalo wings and calzones in front of the TV while football is on days. All the hard work I had put in during the week would be SABOTAGED. I'd lose 2 pounds during the week then gain those 2 pounds right back after the free-for-all weekend. Needless to say, I have hit a plateau and have not lost anymore weight in the last month.
Even though I am only 6 pounds heavier than I was pre-pregnancy, my body (especially my belly) looks very different. I wish to tone, tighten, and feel better. I hope to WANT to wear a bikini next February when we take our annual family trip to Aruba. That gives me only 3 months to make these wishes happen!!
Initially, the low carb diet truly worked for my lifestyle. My fiance owns a meat business and our protein portions were never missing from our plates. In fact, they engulfed our plates while our measly veggies sat sadly in a little corner. While this "Atkins" style of eating worked for the time being, I still don't FEEL healthy eating slabs of bacon and chunks of bleu cheese on my salads next to a massive ribeye. I miss eating steel cut oats and brown rice and quinoa. That is why I think the eating plan for the 21 Day Fix will actually contribute to my weight loss journey in also making me feel better mentally about the foods I eat to fuel my body. It will be a big change for me, as well as for my fiance who I hope will join me on this journey. Protein was the main staple in our diet--probably 80% of it. The 21 Day Fix eating guide consists of roughly 40% CARBOHYDRATES, only 30% protein, and 30% fat. I guess that makes sense, though. I mean, can you imagine eating a big hunk of steak and a slab of cheese then going to work out? I'd feel like there were literally dumbbells on my belly. But, working out after eating a healthy carb-based meal? Like a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread and an apple? I can imagine feeling much lighter with more energy for my work out.
So, here's the plan:
1. Figure out my calorie level. Formula:
A. current weight (lbs) x 11 = caloric baseline
B. caloric baseline + 400 (fix calorie burn) = caloric needs
C. caloric needs - 750 (caloric deficit) = MY CALORIC TARGET
2. Find the calorie chart that corresponds with my calorie level
GREEN (veggies) - 3
PURPLE (fruits) - 2
RED (proteins) - 4
YELLOW (good carbs) - 2
BLUE (good fats) - 1
ORANGE (nuts & oils) - 1
TSP (dressings) - 2
3. Spread the eating across 6 meals a day 2 hours apart and make sure all the purple and yellow container foods are eaten before 6PM. (This will be tricky considering my fiance doesn't usually get home from work until about 7, 7:30 and we usually finally find time to eat dinner around 8 or 9 when the kids are in bed!)
4. Work out with the 21 Day Fix DVDs every day once a day, then every day twice a day during days 15-21. (I also plan on going for family jogs around the neighborhood on nice evenings and meeting my fiance at the gym every once in a while to lift with him. Still, I will be sure to always complete my 21 Day Fix work out first and foremost.)
5. 3x a week one yellow container can be replaced with a 21 Day Fix-approved beverage... WINE IS ON THAT APPROVED LIST! HALLELUJAH! This diet is great for me. Here's a list of the approved beverages:
8 fl oz nonfat or 1% dairy milk
8 fl oz unsweetened soy milk
6 fl oz sweetened soy milk
16 fl oz unsweetened almond milk
8 fl oz sweetened almond milk
16 fl oz coconut water
12 fl oz unsweetened coconut milk
8 fl oz sweetened coconut milk
8 fl oz fresh fruit juice
6 fl oz original or vanilla rice milk
4 fl oz wine *******************(just gotta make sure I don't give myself my normal pour!)
6. 3x a week one yellow container can be replaced with a 21 Day Fix-approved "treat". They list the approved treats in the booklet, but the only ones that sound appetizing to me are an 'orange container full' (portion size) of chocolate covered raisins, a teaspoon of dark chocolate chips, and an 'orange container full' of dried fruit.
7. Replace one meal a day with a serving of Shakeology! Delicious recipes I'll be sure to post along the way, too.
8. DRINK WATER (this one will be tough for me. I've always struggled with drinking enough water!) Formula: body weight / (divided by) 2 = amount of water to drink in ounces. (To be safe and make sure I am absolutely getting enough and A LOT of water, I pledge to drink 5 water bottles a day!)
9. Coffee and tea is allowed! (But of course my coffee creamers are not.) So, if I can resist, I will skip out on my morning coffee altogether, or drink it black. At nighttime, instead of my usual 2-3 glasses of wine (terrible, I know!) I will drink a nice calming cup of tea with 21 Day Fix-approved raw honey or agave syrup.
Day 1 : Monday, October 27, 2014
Day 21: Sunday, November 16, 2014
I pledge to post my food intake and work outs every single day throughout these 21 days and record my results. I will let you know EXACTLY how I am doing and how I am feeling every step of the way! This way, I will have NO excuses, because I know people will be counting on me to see this through. I am counting on myself as well. I am excited to start this journey, commit myself to change, dedicate myself to hard work, and finish STRONG! Hope you will follow me and encourage me along the way! I will post my first week's potential meal plan next week.
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