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An honest 21 Day Fix Review with my results, before and after photos and more. I loved the workouts and the focus on portion control.
This edition of Fit Friday is dedicated to my 21 Day Fix review. I was a little hesitant to share my review because I’m actually working on launching my own 28 day transformation program (more info coming really soon on this!) but my program is different and I know many of you are curious about the 21 Day Fix so I want to share my results and thoughts on the program.
I experimented with p90x years ago but it wasn’t until last December when I tried Focus T25 when I started to learn more about the different Beachbody programs. While I found Shaun T motivating and LOVED the short workouts T25 offered, I didn’t really get the results I was looking for. Around the time I was finishing up my 12 weeks of T25, I saw that the 21 Day Fix was coming out.
It appealed to me for several reasons — not only does it include quick, 30 minute workouts but it also comes with a detailed nutrition plan. Most Beachbody plans come with some sort of eating plan but the 21 Day Fix includes an 84 page eating plan/guide and is more heavily focused on following the nutrition plan in order to see results. It also comes with handy dandy little containers to measure your portions.
Knowing that the eating plan was focused on portion control is what sealed the deal for me. As you all know, I eat healthfully on a regular basis — with a few treats here and there. Life (and healthy living) is all about balance for me and it’s what I try to focus on with my health coaching clients as well. That said, I do really love food and struggle with portion control with certain foods. I’m human. 🙂
Knowing that the 21 Day Fix was focused on portion control, clean eating and 30 minute workouts, I thought, “What the heck, I’ll give it a try!”
Oh, and Autumn Calabrese’s abs didn’t hurt either. 😉
21 Day Fix Review
So what comes with The 21 Day Fix:
21 Day Fix Eating Plan
- A simple eating plan where you don’t have to worry about counting ounces, cups, and calories.
- You get seven color-coded containers that are different sizes for measuring green = veggies, purple = fruits, red = protein, yellow = carbs, blue = healthy fats, orange = seeds/dressing, teaspoon = oils.
- You figure out your calorie level, which is based on your weight. There are four different calorie levels and each involves a different number of containers. I was in the 1,200-1,499 calorie range and was supposed to eat 3 servings of veggies, 2 servings of fruit, 4 servings of protein, 2 servings of carbs, 1 serving of healthy fats, 1 serving of seeds/dressing and 2 teaspoons of oil/nut butter per day.
- You’re encouraged to drink plenty of water, but you can still have coffee and tea.
- There’s room for treats like wine, oatmeal cookies, trail mix and chocolate as well. <— woot woot! Fair warning on this one, for wine the portion size is 4 oz a.k.a 2 sips. 🙂
- The book includes a list of food ideas for each container and a few basic recipes.
21 Day Fix Workout DVDS:
- Total Body Cardio Fix — Includes moves that keep your heart rate up and your muscles engaged.
- Upper Fix — Targeted resistance training helps to shape your chest, back, shoulders, arms, and abs.
- Lower Fix — Firms and tone your entire lower body (glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves) while you blast fat and burn calories.
- Pilates Fix — Strengthens your core, elongates your muscles, and firms your hips and thighs.
- Cardio Fix — Gets your heart pumping and your body moving with body weight movements like jumping jacks and burpees.
- Dirty 30 — 4 rounds, 8 exercises.
- Yoga Fix — Active rest workout that helps to improve balance, flexibility, and strength.
These before and after pictures crack me up — they were taken right after waking up in the morning or right after my workout. Don’t judge. 🙂
My results:
I didn’t see the crazy results that I’ve seen in some of the 21 Day Fix before/afters online but I think that’s because the plan is similar to how I already workout/eat and I don’t have much weight to lose. This wasn’t about seeing a lower number on the scale for me. It was more about challenging myself, building strength, and firming up my stomach (which is my problem area).
- I lost 1 pound and 2.5 inches.
- I gained strength — I can see more muscle definition in my arms, legs and abs.
- My stomach seems flatter and my waist is smaller.
My thoughts:
- The eating plan is super easy to follow — especially if you’re already eating healthy and fine with eating simple meals. There are plenty of recipes out there if you want to get creative but I found that keeping things simple made it easier to make sure I was eating the right size portions. We grilled out a lot and I steamed, grilled or roasted lots of veggies. I’d make extra so I had plenty for lunches throughout the week. I also ate a lot of salads and made a few simple recipes like this tempeh and kale.
- I ate all the same foods I normally eat, I was just more mindful of my portion sizes.
- Before following the Fix eating plan I was eating way more fat and carbs than the plan recommended. I was also skimping on my protein intake. The portion size for protein is much larger than the portions I would usually serve myself, where as the healthy fats and carb portions were smaller. Examples: 12 raw almonds = one healthy fat serving. 1/4 cup steel cut oats = one carb serving.
- Although it’s heavily promoted, I didn’t use Shakeology. It’s pretty pricey so I actually signed up to a be a Beachbody coach so that I can get the discount. I might try following the full 21 days again and incorporate Shakeology to see if the results are more significant.
- I feel like the plan might be harder for vegans in terms of the protein options. I think you’d have to eat a lot of soy products and protein powder to get your protein in because beans are considered carbs on the plan.
- I LOVED the workouts! I would buy the plan just for these. Every day you’re doing something different — from weights to cardio to pilates and Autumn is really inspiring and motiving. The workouts are only 30 minutes so the time goes by quickly. I was always sweaty afterwards and found myself sore the next day as well. That’s one big difference between the 21 Day Fix and T25. I was consistently sore with the Fix workouts and never sore with T25. I know being sore isn’t the ultimate goal of a workout but it felt good knowing that I was challenging myself and gaining strength.
- I like the fact that all you need is the DVDs, floor space, a mat and one set of heavy weights and one set of light weights (or a resistance band) to get the workouts in.
- I was part of a 21 Day Fix accountability group on Facebook that I checked in with each day. I know accountability is a big factor for me so this was really helpful and made the process of following the plan more enjoyable.
Overall, this was a fun challenge for me and I liked the program a lot! Although the plan wasn’t too different in terms of what I was eating or the amount that I was working out — it felt good to pay more attention to my portions and switch things up workout wise – I definitely challenged myself by lifting heavier and pushing myself through the tough workouts.
My only complaint about the program is the name, 21 Day Fix. I get it, we all want fast results but it makes it seem like a quick fix or a fad diet, which I’m not a huge fan of. I’m all about changing habits and making lifestyle changes that promote living a healthy, balanced life rather than trying to change drastically for three weeks and then going back to old habits. Overall, the plan guidelines are a bit more strict/regimented than how I eat and exercise on a regular basis but the foundation of the plan is legit — clean eating (real, wholesome foods), watching your portions and working out regularly with varied workouts. At the end of the day that’s the basics of living a healthy lifestyle. I get it though — Healthy Lifestyle Fix doesn’t exactly have the same ring to it. 🙂
If you’re interested in learning more about the 21 Day Fix, definitely check out the 21 Day Fix on the Beachbody website. Like I said, I signed up as a coach to get a discount on their products so if you do want to buy the 21 Day Fix or another Beachbody program, feel free to purchase through my account. I’ll get props for it and I can help you get started if you have any questions. 🙂
you have to eat all of the containers this program works great if you stick with it. i lost 10 pounds and 4.5 inches overall in 21 days
This is the best review I’ve ever read – thank you Brittany. I do have a question about cooking for others when your on the plan. Don’t have kids but a husband who doesn’t need to loose any weight, just me and my current weight is 230. How do you suggest I keep him satisfied during my 21-day round(s)???
Aww, thank you Kelly. I’m glad my review was helpful. I’d say just make extra of what you’re making for him. I’m sure he’ll enjoy the healthy meals, but he might just need a bit more calories since he’s a male AND because he wants to maintain instead of lose weight. Hope this helps!
I’m in the middle of week 2. The workouts are great- If you’re like me, primarily a vegetarian, you will not groove with the diet. Unless it’s a soy product, she considers all beans, except lentils, to be carbs! So the diet part does not mesh with vegetarians. I’ve lost 3 pounds so far which is not the results they boast. Also, the containers great, but they should give you more than one of each.
Hi I just ordered the 21 day fix. I used just their colored coded containers…how many sets would I need for a typical day? Rough guess. I was thinking of purchasing extra sets. My husband & I both are gonna do this together. I have a lot of weight to loose & thought this miht be a better option to get the food lined up ahead of time. Thoughts?
You’ll probably only need one set if you’re just using the containers to measure your portions. If you want to use the containers like tupperware and pack items in them you’ll probably want an additional set or two, especially since your husband is doing it as well.
Your story sounds very similar to mine. I hadn’t really been looking to start anything like this when I saw an informercial for it. I’ve been cooking and preparing more healthy meals lately, not just for myself but for my entire family. However,I had been wanting to figure out a regular exercise routine. I had been a member of a health club but had a hard time finding a time to go, and the only exercise video I owned was a little too long and getting very repetitive. I was very excited to get this new program in the mail, the portion control was needful for me since I ate way too many carbs in my diet (easily 6 times a day). That’s been my biggest weakness, I crave carbs all the time- though it’s getting a little easier now that I’ve been on the program for almost 3 weeks. I also crave sweets all the time, I’m not doing Shakeology either because of the price. I’ve thought about trying a different protein powder, just to see if a chocolate protein powder would help my sweet cravings. I didn’t do this to lose weight, I was 107 lbs to start. But I did want to get toned, and slim my belly down (after 5 kids I have a bit of a flabby tummy which I hide pretty well with clothes). I do feel stronger and I see definition especially in my arms. I feel like this has helped me a lot with my portions, and even though I have my cheats and don’t follow the meal plan to a T, I know I’m eating better than I ever have.
By the way, what Facebook group are you a part of? An accountability group would be a great idea for me.
Is there a way to access the program w/o the DVDs? We killed our DVD player over a year ago and only access on-line video content now.
BTW – what’s the deal re alcohol on the program?
I am thinking of ordering the 21 day fix. I am 5’6 and weigh 220. I have been overweight since a serious illness in 98. I usually don’t even eat breakfast or lunch and eat dinner. But I can’t seem to lose weight. I work around 12 hours + a day. I need simple and normal foods in plan or it won’t happen. Will this work for me??
Honestly your body may be in “store” mode because you are not getting enough calories. When your body isn’t getting enough fuel it conserves what it gets so you will not lose weight.
Hi there Brittany…I’m 46 and I am currently doing T25 and have changed my eating habits for the better. While comparing the two programs I noticed that the 21 Day Fix workouts seem more intense. I left the Army at age 36 for family reasons after 16 years and am looking to go back in to finish my time. At 46 I have some weight to lose and wondered which of the two workouts would help me to better achieve my goal. I weighed 279 January 1st when I started T25 and currently weigh 251. I am trying to get down to 225 and wondered if the the 21 Day Fix workout would help better. Any advice would definitely be greatly appreciated.
Hi Stephanie, the biggest thing to remember is sticking to the containers, so you can make a fruit smoothie but you have to account for the containers. If you get 2 fruit containers per day and put 2 containers of fruit in your smoothie, you shouldn’t eat any more fruit for the remainder of the day. If you’re doing the Shakeology I’ve read that adding one container of fruit to it works well, but you have to remember that it would be one red container and one purple container just for that shake. Good luck!