Dude…Dude! I barely made it through my first 21 day fix workout. I cannot believe how freaking HARD it was. I honestly thought I was in better shape! I guess I was WRONG. I know as I do it, I’ll build up endurance and it won’t be that bad, but DAMN! Can I get a cane?! I’m not going to be able to walk tomorrow. I can already feel it. Being honest too, I almost puked when I was done. Note to self: Do not eat right before working out.
I haven’t begun the diet portion of the 21 day fix yet, but I’m headed to the grocery store this afternoon to stock up on all of the appropriate foods to begin on Monday. I can’t wait. I know doing the diet portion will ensure better results. I’ve been eating like absolute garbage lately, so clean eating will be nice for a change. My best friend is also doing the workout and has lost 5.5lbs and is only a little over a week into the program! Insane!
Anyway, I wanted to share my weekly grocery list with you all. I tried to keep the meal plan basic. Because I’m just beginning and I saw how TINY those little containers are, I thought I’d keep it basic, prep my meals, and see how it goes this week before I try to get too fancy. Plus, I was still able to tie this into my grocery budget. I have to be able to feed my hungry hippo toddler too, so I couldn’t get insane over my meal plan and grocery list. Yes, he can eat all of the foods that I’m eating, but I’d like to give the kiddo some more variety and let him enjoy his chicken nuggets and goldfish crackers too!
I’m really excited to dive head first into this program though. After seeing what the first workout had to offer and how badly it kicked my ass, um even more geared up!
I never realized how much of myself I let go when I gave life to my son. I became selfless the second I gave birth. In that delivery room, I let everything about my former life go. Working out and eating healthy went right out the window. My universe centered around taking care of him, which meant I wasn’t taking care of myself. I was breastfeeding, which ended up being a completely different experience than I ever could have imagined. I dropped weight so quickly. It was absolutely unreal. I could eat whatever I wanted to, which I did. Nursing meant I was constantly famished. I would eat and drink just about anything in sight. I started to develop some pretty bad eating habits because I knew I could and I didn’t really have a choice. I was fumbling and stumbling around motherhood. I didn’t have time to worry about cooking a full, nutritious meal. As long as I was consuming calories to produce more milk (TMI), that’s all I cared about.
The months waned on and the weight flew off. I was questioned by countless people accusing me of having some kind of eating disorder. It was very hurtful and my self-esteem really suffered during that period. It wasn’t nice to be scrutinized and accused over something that I had no control over. People were very critical and harsh. I’ve been on the other end of the spectrum that felt just as bad. Eleven years ago, I started a weight loss journey and dropped around 75lbs. Being scrutinized as a thin person was just as bad as being judged and made fun of for being fat. People were just not nice and I was embarrassed about my plummeting weight. Being called out so much for this drove me to eat like a mad woman in hopes of putting on a few extra pounds. Those bad eating habits spiraled so far out of control, that when I did get back on track, I felt so restricted.
To date, I have felt a few pounds starting to creep back up. I don’t want to gain weight from cheeseburgers and French fries though. Instead, I’d rather turn extra weight into muscle. I’d like to get back to a point where I can work out, eat healthy, and feel good about myself. This is why I chose the 21 day fix. I know this program will kick start and reset my mind into getting back to my healthier way of eating and working out consistently. I know this will put me back on track to where I’d like to be. On top of that, I’m giving myself the gift of time and focus every evening for 30 minutes on MYSELF. I’m putting the housework and baby aside, so that I can hunker down and give myself 30 minutes of much needed attention. Every mom deserves a break and I’m no exception.
Obviously, my son is the most important person in the world to me. I am a single mother, therefore I am the primary caregiver of my son. I need to make sure that I’m always healthy and in tip top shape. I’m the one doing everything for him, so I cannot get to a point where I’m not able to care for him. Being able to run, play, jump, and just be active and involved in his life is so important to me. It’s more important than stuffing my face full of calories and being inactive. I want to be upfront in the center of all the action. Seeing his smile and hearing his giggle is enough to motivate me. I couldn’t imagine letting him down because I’ve let myself go. He’s enough of a reason for me to begin this journey and to instill some lifelong nutritional education in him. We only have each other, which is a very scary thought. I will do anything I can to protect each of us, which includes developing a healthier lifestyle. Yes, there will be days where we indulge, but if the good outweigh the bad, then we really have no cause for concern. Everything is okay in moderation. I’ve heard that throughout my entire life, but never really believed it until now.
Why would I want to set my son up to feel bad about himself, or to ever have to spend his life being upset about his weight? Wouldn’t it be easier to teach him the right way and to set him down the right path? If I am taking care of myself and focusing on my health, then I’m ultimately setting a great example for my son to carry throughout his life. If I sit and think about all of the times I felt worthless, overweight, and completely disgusting it makes me sad. It makes me want to avoid giving my son a life that promotes those kinds of feelings. If you ever felt that way, or you still feel that way, why would you want your child to endure that same kind of pain? I know I’d like to avoid that at all costs.
The 21 day fix is so much more to me than weight loss and losing inches. It’s about my life, my son, and being the healthiest versions of US that we can be. It’s ensuring we put forth an investment in our health, so that we can spend a LONG life playing, running, jumping, smiling, and laughing together. I can’t think of anything better.
WOW. Meal planning for the 21 day fix is HARD. I’m sure it’ll become easier as I go along, but I had a very tough time. I haven’t actually started yet either. I wanted to prep first and to be able to get my grocery list and meal plan in order. That seems like the biggest hurdle, but one of the biggest things to push you towards success. I don’t know how people do this without preplanning. There would be no freaking way. The good thing is once I have the food prepped for the week, I won’t need to worry about it until the following week. I’ll have everything ready to pull out of the fridge: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
I also didn’t realize how restrictive this program was. It’s insane to think that I’m only allowed to eat ONE cup of carbs/starches a day! I think I did a REALLY good job of dividing everything up evenly, so that I’m not starving throughout the day. I’m a creature of habit, so I don’t mind eating the same meals every day. I do it now. If you hate eating the same thing over and over again, then you’ll definitely hate my below meal plan. Sorry! Doing it this way works better for my budget and made it a lot easier to meal plan.
I know this will be a big challenge, but I’m geared up for it. I don’t eat very much during the day now, so it’ll definitely be a change for me to up my food intake with the below plan. It’s at night that does me in. I’m usually starving by dinnertime. Of course, I’m sure that’s all due to the fact that I’m barely eating during the day. I’m hoping by doing this, I can adjust and not be so ravenous at dinner time, so that I’m not tempted to reach outside of my meal plan.
I welcome the challenge though and despite how difficult the meal planning was, I did like putting everything together. I have it all color-coded on a spreadsheet and I even have printables to write meals out at home. I feel like I am all geared up now and prepared to start. I’ll tweak my meal plan as I go along and become used to eating this way. The first few days will be a little hard. I don’t eat tons now and I don’t eat very bad, but I do eat more carbs than 1 cup a day!
I did it. I pulled the trigger and bought the 21 day fix (extreme version). I’m one of THOSE moms who ended up thinner post pregnancy. Take your moment to mumble “bitch” under your breath…All done? I’m not exactly sure how I became one of “those” moms, but I did and I’m very glad because it was one less thing I needed to worry about. Being honest, I had no freaking clue what I was getting into when I became a mother. The schedule was rigorous and absolutely unpredictable. I don’t even know where I’d squeeze working out in. Probably somewhere between being puked on, snoozing for five minutes, or in between boobing down my kid. Over the last year, I’ve dropped a significant amount of weight from breastfeeding and probably running myself ragged. For such tiny people, they have awfully BIG demands. Working out wasn’t really a top priority for me. Lately, I have been able to squeeze in some workouts, but it’s so inconsistent. I need something that is planned and is structured, or else I’ll continue to fail. The 21 day fix is giving me that guidance. Knowing I have a 21 day goal that isn’t months and months long, makes this even more desirable. I’ve noticed over the last month, a few of those pounds creeping back on. So far, I’ve only gained a much needed 5lbs, but I don’t want that number quadrupling. I’ve decided it’s time to get serious, so I bought the 21 day fix!
I want to document this journey over the next 21 days. It may end up being nothing but a sad, sob story where I fall flat on my face and fail, but what if it turns out to be this incredible adventure that helps inspire other moms? Let’s be real, if you had a program that didn’t take too much time, gave you some good guidance, and told you what to do to lose weight, get in shape, and be healthy would you try it? I’d like to be YOUR guinea pig. Can I do these workouts and follow the eating plan that doesn’t require me straying from my regular grocery list? If I can, then you can.
I don’t know about anyone else, but after I get my crazy toddler down for the night, I’m left to my own devices. I’m bored. That’s a dangerous thing to say. (Please knock on wood. I don’t want to jinx my quiet time). What the hell is there to do at 8pm? Eat? Watch tv? Sit on my ass on pins and needles awaiting a shriek, or a cry to start blaring out of the baby monitor? It’s hard to relax. It’s even harder to sit still when I’m constantly in motion chasing around a tiny mad man. I thought this would be a great cure. It gives me something to do, focuses my attention on anything, but that damn monitor, and will keep me moving.
I’m already meal planning and preparing dinners to freeze well in advance, so I have no issues with that. I’ve discovered a hidden gem in my kitchen cupboard: The Crock Pot. I advise anyone not using one to get with it! It’s so much easier to dump your dinner in the crock to cook, while being at work all day. When I get home, I barely have to do anything. This fits into the 21 day fix PERFECTLY! I can still pre plan meals, so I’m not scrambling trying to figure out what the hell I can eat that fits into all of those tiny containers. The work is ALREADY done for me! That’s half the battle!!
I have a VERY tight budget, so I make sure the groceries I buy consist of real food, not junk. There are times that I sneak in SOME snacks, but I usually hold off because I’m extremely cheap. I didn’t want a program that dictated me into drinking expensive shakes, or buying ridiculously overpriced healthy foods. I want to eat what I’m eating now, so that I don’t have to cook separate meals for my hungry hippo of a toddler. Yes, we try to eat as healthy as possible, but I do love pasta, rice, and potatoes. If I’m limiting it, fine, but to cut it out completely isn’t going to work for us. We need to find a good balance between mama and toddler. Just because I can’t have something, doesn’t mean he should be cut off from it too. Carb-free diets are wonderful, but that just won’t work in my home with a growing child.
I welcome anyone to come along with me on this journey. I hope you can find some inspiration for yourself, or to at least get a chuckle or two, while I try to find the motivation to get off my ass! Below are my starting metrics. I’ll update after one week, two weeks, and then do a final tally! Let’s hope for some BIG results!
Before Pic:
