How Much Can I Eat on the 21 Day Fix?

When I talk to people about the 21 Day Fix, I often hear things like:

"Oh I can't diet.  I need a lot of food."
"I don't like diet food."
"Those containers are so small!"

So I thought I'd take the time today to show you just how much I get to eat on the 21 Day Fix.

If you read my last post, you may remember that I mentioned that I am in the lowest container group for the 21DF.  Let me remind you of the containers if you don't remember.

Red - Proteins
Green - Veggies
Purple - Fruits
Yellow - Carbs/Starches
Blue - Healthy Fats
Orange - Seeds/Dressings
Teaspoons - Nut butters, Oils

In that lowest container group, I get 4 reds, 3 greens, 2 purples, 2 yellows, 1 blue, 1 orange, and 2 teaspoons every single day.  Now that may not seem like much, but let me walk to through my food intake on a typical day.

Breakfast - Vegan Chocolate Shakeology with Coconut Extract and Caramel Extract - 1 Red

Snack - Green Tea with 2 packets of Stevia, Apple, Lightly Salted Sunflower Kernels (not pictured) - 1 Purple, 1 Orange

Lunch - Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Cous Cous and Broccoli - 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Green

Snack - Celery with Natural Peanut Butter - 1 Green, 2 Teaspoons

Dinner - Beef Cubes, Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli - 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Green

Snack - Greek Yogurt with Frozen Grapes - 1 Red, 1 Purple

That's all in ONE DAY in the LOWEST container group.  When I was in the next group up, I struggled to eat all of that food.  I can't even imagine being in the higher container groups.  As you can see, I don't eat diet foods.  That stuff is seriously gross.  I eat whole, natural, non-processed foods.  I take the time to meal prep and cook good food.  I then measure out the appropriate portions and chow down. 

Anyone can do this.  You just have to have to want to do it.  It's important to note that THIS IS NOT A DIET!  This is simply learning which foods fuel your body the best and proper portion control.  It truly is a lifestyle change.  But it is one that you will enjoy and lead a healthier life with.

Want more info?  Comment below or send me a message!  I'd love to help you!

How I Plan to Survive Thanksgiving.... WITHOUT Gaining Weight!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow... and we all know what that means!  FOOD!!!  And well, I love food.  But I don't plan on gaining weight this holiday season, so I need to make sure I have a plan in place for tomorrow.

How do I plan on staying on track tomorrow?

My 21 Day Fix containers and my workout!  Tomorrow is Pilates (which I have a love/hate relationship with).  I think I'll also do 10 Minute Abs some time tomorrow.

We have two dinners to go to tomorrow, so there's a lot of potential for disaster.  As I said in my last post, I get 4 proteins/reds, 3 veggies/greens, 2 fruits/purples, 2 carbs/yellows, 1 healthy fat/blues, 1 seeds & dressings/orange, and 2 teaspoons in one day.  I will, of course, have my Shakeology in the morning before I go and I'll probably use some extract in it so that'll count as 1 red and nothing else.

Our first dinner is with my family.  I am going to have 1 red container of turkey, 1 green of veggies (whatever that may be), 1 yellow container of stuffing, and 1 purple and blue apple banana muffin that I am making to take along.  I think I'll also have half of an orange container of gravy to liven up my turkey a bit since I'm not a huge turkey fan.  That'll leave me with 2 reds, 2 greens, 1 yellow, 1 purple, 1/2 of an orange and 2 teaspoons left for the day.

Our next dinner will be with Peter's immediate family.  I plan on having another red container of turkey, a green of asparagus, my last yellow will be sweet potatoes, the other half an orange of gravy, and I'm going to have a sliver of pumpkin pie because it's all about moderation, not deprivation.

The great thing is that I will still have a red, a green, a purple, and 2 teaspoons left after dinner!  Since I'm on this restricted sleep schedule, I'll be able to have a snack around 9pm of yogurt with fruit and celery with peanut butter!  Yum!

So there you have it - how I plan to stay on track for Thanksgiving!  It's totally possible to still enjoy all of the yummy foods available, but not go overboard.  What's important is to do your best to stay on the plan and make sure that your workout gets done.

Have a super good Thanksgiving everyone!

 http://www.tprojects.org/public/images/free-thanksgiving-banner-printable-decorations.jpg

21 Day Fix

I was first introduced to the 21 Day Fix by my friend, Heather (who also happens to be my coach). She lost 40 lbs by following the program and I just HAD to know how she did it.

So for those of you who don't know much about the program, let me give you the run down.  The 21 Day Fix is all about portion control and clean eating. It comes with containers that equal certain food groups.

Red is protein.
Green is veggies.
Purple is fruits.
Yellow is starches/carbs.
Blue is healthy fats.
Orange is dressings and seeds.

There's a little math equation you do to figure out how many of each container you get to eat each day. So, for example, I'm in the lowest group. I get 4 proteins, 3 veggies, 2 fruits, 2 starches/carbs, 1 healthy fat, and 1 dressing/seeds, plus two teaspoons of nut butters/olive oil. It's really dependent on your weight so as you lose weight, your container amount changes.

It comes with a book that tells you what foods go in which container, so it's really fool proof. See the food list in the graphic below.

It also comes with workouts for every day of the week. They're only 30 minutes which is nice when you're busy and don't have time for more. I like them a lot because there's also a modifier in them so when I started, I followed her instead of everyone else. I'm now able to do pretty much everything without a modifier.  The workouts vary and cover everything from cardio to lower body, upper body, Pilates, yoga, and everything in between.

One of the things that I hear a lot from people is "But I already eat cleanly." That's great! Congratulations! However, that's not everything. It all has to do with portion sizes. You can eat cleanly and still eat a 1,500 calorie salad. What I love about this program is that it teaches you proper portion sizes as well as how to eat cleanly.

https://sweetjulianne.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/less-crap-more-food.jpg

Eating clean means that you get rid of all the processed food that you've been eating.  So all of those easy, quick boxed dinners that we as Americans eat on a regular basis need to go. I know they're quick on a busy night, but trust me, your body will thank you for it.  You'll feel better and have more energy.

I started doing the 21 Day Fix in the beginning of April 2015.  It's now the end of November.  In those few months, I have lost 30 pounds and nearly 20 inches.  Right now, I'm really starting to focus on those inches.  The weight doesn't matter that much to me anymore.  I went from a size 14 pant to a size 8.  My goal size is a 6.  I still have awhile to go until I'm there, but I know I will eventually get there because I will continue to work at it!  You can see the differences in me in my before and afters below.  I can't wait until my transformation is complete (will it ever really be though!?) so I can share them with all of you!

Now I know some of you out there are thinking "Okay, this all sounds great, but it sounds like hard work."  It is.  I'm not going to lie.  Sure, you can go out there and do a wrap or a patch or take a bunch of diet pills.  I will not judge you for it.  To each their own.  In fact, I will support you no matter what!  However, once you stop using those wraps, patches, and pills, the weight will slowly come back on.  There is no quick fix for a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Deciding to do the 21 Day Fix means that you are ready to change your ENTIRE life.  You are ready to start eating healthy and watch portions for every meal that you eat.  Is it hard? Absolutely.  Will you have to find time to meal plan and prep?  Yep, you will.  But is it worth it?  YES!  It is SOOOOOOOO worth it.  Your health is so worth it.

Want to know more?  Comment below or email me at amyocumtbb@gmail.com.

Ready to make a purchase?  Follow these links:
21 Day Fix Challenge Pack (with Shakeology)
21 Day Fix Kickstart Challenge Pack (with Shakeology and 3 Day Refresh)
21 Day Fix (without Shakeology)

Three Day Refresh - An Honest Review

Last week, I did the Beachbody 3 Day Refresh.... and let me tell you - I was a little terrified before I started.  You see, the thing is, you can only eat certain foods and you drink shakes and stuff like that... and well... I really like food.  Like, a lot.  (Hence why I was previously overweight....)

When the box came in the mail, I dug right in to see what it was all about.  I had a general idea because I knew a few people who had done it, but you know how it is, you have to see for yourself.  It comes with a handy little book that tells you what to eat and when.  You're basically eating/drinking something every 1-2 hours, so I felt a little better about after seeing that.  I was scared I was going to starve!  In the back of the book, it gives you a list of exactly what foods are approved and you can choose what you like.

My days generally went like this:

Wake Up - Drink 8 ounces filtered water.
Breakfast - Shakeology + fruit option
Morning Tea - Unsweetened green tea
Mid-Morning - Fiber Sweep
Lunch - Vanilla Fresh + fruit option + vegetable option + healthy fat option
Afternoon Snack - Vegetable option
Afternoon Tea - Unsweetened herbal tea
Dinner - Vanilla Fresh + Dinner Option + 1 cup organic vegetable broth
Evening Tea - Unsweetened herbal tea

Now you're probably wondering what in the world the Fiber Sweep and Vanilla Fresh are like.... so here's my honest opinion of the two:
 *Fiber Sweep - It was really hard to get down. On day 2, I gagged, but I knew I was doing it for good reasons.  Its not like it tasted horrible, it was just a texture thing for me.  It tended to be a little gritty.
*Vanilla Fresh - I liked this!  You're given the option to add pure extracts and things like cinnamon or ginger to it to help liven it up a bit.  I ended up really liking vanilla extract, caramel extract, and cinnamon in mine.  It made it really yummy and I found myself looking forward to having them.  If you like Vanilla Shakeology, this is similar!

What I experienced DURING the 3 Day Refresh:
*I wasn't any more hungry than I normally am.  That being said, I am in the lowest container group for the 21 Day Fix, so if I were in a higher group, I may have been a little more hungry than normal.
*Carb Withdrawal - Listen.  I'm a recovering carb-oholic.  Me & carbs = LOVE!  Lots of people cut out carbs completely when they want to lose weight.... that wasn't even an option for me!  That's why I'm so glad the 21 Day Fix lets me have carbs.... but that's for next weeks' post.  The only thing I REALLY struggled with was not having carbs for 3 whole days.  It got to the point that on Wednesday night, I was telling my friends that I couldn't talk to them anymore because I had to go to sleep so I could wake up and eat carbs.... and I did.  And they were DELICIOUS!
*The book recommends that you do more toned-down exercises and don't push yourself too hard because you're taking in less calories that normal.  2 of the 3 days, I did my normal exercises, one day I skipped because I had a full schedule (shh... don't tell Autumn Calabrese!).  On the days I did the normal exercises, I still felt pretty good and up to it, so that's why I didn't tone anything down

My Results: 
In those 3 days, I lost 2 inches in my hips and a little over 3 pounds.  I was absolutely AMAZED!  I did not expect my results to be THAT GOOD in just three days! 

Would I do it again?
ABSOLUTELY!  It was so worth it.  I actually already have it on auto-ship for every 3 months.  I think it's great for after the holidays or any time that you find that you've indulged in something and need to refresh your health.  Afterall, it is ONLY three days....

Give it a try!  Follow these links to try it yourself.  These will also sign me up as your FREE coach!!
Three Day Refresh Complete Kit
Three Day Refresh without Shakeology - Only use this one if you already have Shakeology.  You DEFINITELY need it to do the Refresh.
Three Day Refresh Challenge Pack - This link will get you an ENTIRE months supply of Shakeology!  You end up saving $40 on the 3 Day Refresh kit by doing this option.

Why I Became a Beachbody Coach

 
So... Beachbody.  Have you heard of it?  If you haven't heard of that name specifically, maybe you HAVE heard of some of the programs... P90X, Insanity, 21 Day Fix, etc.  Those are just some of the better known ones.

I know what you're thinking.  Why the heck would someone like ANNIE (who used to be known for sleeping until noon and avoiding all kinds of physical activity) become a Beachbody Coach?  Well, before we get there, let me tell you why I started doing a Beachbody program in the first place.

This girl right here:

Here's some back story for you.  Heather and I were friends since junior high.  We met when I transferred schools in 7th grade and were friends all through high school (with some minor hiccups.... sorry about the whole stealing your boyfriend thing... :-/) and kind of lost touch once we started college.  We occasionally ran into each other or talked every once in awhile.  So, shortly before the February 2014 picture was taken, I ran into Heather when Peter and I were out to eat.  We talked a bit and caught up and I didn't see her for awhile.  Then, scrolling through my Facebook page like a year and a few months later, I see a picture of Heather that looks very similar to the May 2015 one and I was like "WHOA WAIT A MINUTE!  What the heck is going on here?"  So, of course I messaged her to see how the heck she lost so much weight and to tell her how great she looked!

She started telling me about this program called the 21 Day Fix and about how she was a Beachbody coach.  As she's telling me about it, all I can think about is the price.  At the time, I was barely able to pay my bills on my salary, so the thought of spending money on something that I might not stick to wasn't very appealing to me.  I did some research about the portion sizes and started without owning the actual program.  I did lose weight, but I was lacking the workouts. I talked to Heather and ended up getting a subscription to Beachbody on Demand.  I LOVED it!  I get bored easily, so being able to choose a different program whenever I wanted was really worth it.  I did eventually end up getting the actual 21 Day Fix program and, to be honest, I wish I would have gotten it right off the bat.  The workouts are great and I always feel good afterwards.  Plus, the containers are just so stinken' cute!  I also started drinking Shakeology after a friend gave me 2 boxes that she no longer needed.  Now I'm on a monthly home direct order!  I love the stuff... but the benefits of Shakeology are for another post.

Fast forward to August 2015.  I had lost about 25 pounds by that point and knew that the program truly worked.  I saw the things that Heather did as a coach and had a sit down with her and another friend to learn more about being a coach.  I realized that I could help other people achieve great results while I was also being held accountable by those people.  It doesn't hurt that Beachbody also gives a commission to their coaches with each sale.

So why do I continue to be a Beachbody coach?  Aside from the commission, I also get a 25% discount on my monthly Shakeology purchase and on any other Beachbody products that I want to buy.  All of that is great, but the best part is being able to help other people achieve results that they never thought were possible.  One of the people I've gotten to help is my mom.  She has lost nearly 20 pounds so far and has many health problems that are going away or getting better because she has chosen to live a healthier lifestyle.  She's the main reason that I continue on this journey as a coach.  Each day, I am reminded why I do this and am inspired by her to continue helping others.

Another reason that I love this company is because they stress the importance of personal development.  It is recommended to get AT LEAST 10 minutes of personal development a day.  My coach group also stresses the importance of faith in your business.  As a Christian woman, I LOVE this!  It's so important to me that God be first in my life, so the fact that this is also a part of my business is a real bonus in my book!

When I first heard about coaching, I thought that maybe I would just be a "discount" coach - someone who signs up as a coach just for the discount.  However, I'm so glad that I decided to take that leap of faith and be a part-time coach.  Here's to one day being a full-time coach!

If you would like to learn more about being a coach, follow this link and fill out this form.  I will get in contact with you soon!

I'm interested in learning more about being a Beachbody Coach!

All About Me!

Hey everyone!

So in the midst of my crazy life, I decided to start a blog about, well, everything! For those of you who don't know me - I'm a nanny, Beachybody Coach, cat mommy (to a beautiful kitty named Chloe), People to People Teacher Leader, daughter, girlfriend, fitness enthusiast, sister, book lover, and just an all around fun-loving Christian woman. I love spending time out and about with family and friends just as much as I love curling up on the couch with a good book.

Some of my favorite things include: kids, kittens, puppies, penguins, books, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Sherlock, dancing, singing, anything celestial, music, movies, board games, and spending time with other people.  For fun, I read books, go line dancing, exercise, and spend lots of time with my boyfriend, Peter (he's the cutie in my profile picture with me).

About the nannying thing - for any of you who are wondering - I'm a nanny for three wonderful children, S (3), L (6), and G (9).  They are silly and smart and make me smile every single day.  I can honestly say that I love what I do and look forward to coming to work every day (now who gets to say that?!).

Beachbody.  There's a word that some of you should recognize.  What about it, you ask?  Well, I'll blog more on that a little later.  But it is the reason that I am now 30 pounds lighter and a LOT healthier!

I don't want my first post to turn into a book.... so I'll cut it short now.  Thanks for visiting!  I hope to see you back soon!

-Annie