Tuesday, June 07, 2016

372 day fix? What have I learned....


Something happened on June 1st...

it was the anniversary of my one year of doing the 21 Day Fix... or as I call it now, the 372 day fix.

A full year of changing my eating habits, of working my body in new ways, of trying to make a better me.

I definitely am not where I wanted to be (65 lbs down) but I am 40 lbs down... & I'm thrilled with that.  Slow & steady wins the race, right?

& to be fair, I have slacked off of it as hard as I was at the beginning.

I think if I really buckled down & stuck to the exact containers instead of sliding in an extra yellow (carbs... oh sweet carbs) I could get that extra 25 lbs.

& really, hitting this one year mark has really inspired me to get back in gear & hit my goal.

Summer clothes helps too.  Everything is so stupid short & revealing. Yikes.

Speaking of summer clothes - I will say, last year when I pulled out my summer stuff, I sat in the middle of my bed & cried big ole ugly, self pity tears because none of my shorts fit.  I had NOTHING to wear for summer. I had to go out & buy a few pairs of bigger things.

I am THRILLED to say, I have a HUGGGEEEE (said in Trump's voice) bag sitting by my front door ready to go to Goodwill.  Everything I bought last year now looks like a tent & the things that were too tight last year?  They all fit really well & some things are even too big & also in that bag.


It feels good to see & feel progress.

But what did I learn over the past year....

1.  Portions make a difference.  
When you use the 21 day fix, things are based off those containers.  & if you ever have used them or you do get them, the first thing you think when you see them? THEY'RE SO SMALL! & they really are - compared to what portions are in today's world. It's crazy to see how much food you get in a restaurant once you train your eye to know how much is basically a cup or a half cup of food.  It's no wonder our mind thinks a FULL plate of food is normal.



2. You get used to smaller portions.
... & following up on #1 - you totally get used to the smaller portions. You learn what it means to eat until contentment instead of eating to that feeling of "I'm going to throw up".  We just ate at McAlisters the other day for lunch (A half salad & a half veggie sandwich) - when we left, I honestly felt like I could have eaten a whole other meal.  I didn't feel "full" but as we left & got moving & onto our next thing we had to do, I didn't feel hungry. I felt fine. Contentment.  It just wasn't that feeling of needing to unbutton my shorts under my shirt. That's a much better feeling.



3. Carbs aren't my friend.
I have always said I'd eat fresh bread over any sweet treat any day. I love me some bread & crackers & anything doughy.  (My mom, if she's reading probably just threw up. My aversion is that 'c-word' that shall not be named - hers is anything doughy. Like the smell of Subway? She'll gag walking by one)... anyways, carbs are limited.  & I know some people do the Atkins & cut out carbs & get great results, but I HATE when people think they can live a lifestyle of cutting out a full food group.  How is that really reasonable in a life?  So you can eat carbs on this, but as they should be, they are limited. & that makes this carb-loving-gal a tad sad.  But I also know that when I do splurge & say forget you to my yellow container, that scale shows me every time that it does matter. At least to my body.
Doesn't this look like a piece of heaven?
... & I probably just gained 2 lbs looking at this...
4.  Being a vegetarian paid off.
So again, I love my carbs & according to this eating idea, rice & beans are yellow - carbs. UNLESSSSSSSSS, you are a vegetarian & then your beans are considered red which is your protein. YES YES YES! I eat so many different kinds of beans.  Black beans especially, but lentils & kidney beans.  & quinoa?  Yep, that counts as protein too for a vegetarian.  So when some people are complaining they cant have a lot of beans & quinoa because its using their yellow containers, I'm all over here stuffing my face with delicious protein.


5. Protein is a must.
& speaking of protein, I've found that if I don't have some sort of protein with every meal, I am hungry FAST!!!!  I used to eat breakfast of something usually carb related before.  Something fast. Like toast or a pop tarts ...mmm... & honestly, I'd be hungry at work maybe 2 hours later. & then guess what I would have for a snack? Crackers.  Little Cheez-It crackers. mmm... all the carbs.  But I was always hungry.  I'm now making sure to eat protein as much as I can for every meal & what a difference.  Again, being vegetarian, its not protein like you think - but I'll have eggs for breakfast at about 6am & I honestly can go all day until lunch at 12:30pm without even noticing any hunger pangs.  Greek yogurt is another great protein thing for me.  & I am that person that loves protein shakes just because it does help curb the appetite & helps me get in those protein grams that I'm always slacking on.

6. Planning is key.
When you have a set number of containers you are allowed during a day, it really helps to be prepared. Like if I know we're going to have pizza for dinner, I'll try & save my yellow containers for the evening & not have toast with breakfast.  I'm a planner by nature anyways. I like to know what's in my day & what lies ahead so this really plays in my favor.  Now, if only I could meal prep. I see some people get food all made & ready to grab & go for a week & those people are my heroes.  I'm more a one day at a time planner, but it's still being aware of your food for the day.

I can deal with this kind of meal planning

7. It's not really about a diet.
I know you've heard it before, but its so true. I don't consider the way I eat to be a 'diet' - I really consider it to be a lifestyle.  Just the way I naturally eat now. I think once you start training your mind & your body to eat a certain way, it just becomes 2nd nature. Same thing happened when I decided to give up meat.  That freaks people out to think about giving up meat, but you can do it... you just get used to it & you dont think anything of it. Same with this eating style.  You really know if you're eating too much 'yellow' or you're lacking in the green containers (veggies).  You just know.  It's second nature. & I think that's the key to it all.  Just letting a lifestyle take over instead of feeling held down by the thinking of living on a diet.  It really can happen. It's happened to me.


So yep, a full year has gone by & I'm still loving the fact that I am aware of how food works in my body, how it effects my health, how to 'feed' my body the best way possible.

I'm sure you'll be seeing a post in about a year about my 730 day fix...

& I'm going to put it out there & believe that I'll hit that 65 lb goal by then as well!


_____

Side Note:  I'm not posting this to try & sell or promote anything - I actually have stepped away from selling anything Beachbody, only because I dont have the time dedicated to make it beneficial to me, but I do still love the products & will continue to use them. I'm also still available for any questions on anything about this program because it has worked for me.



22 comments:

  1. Dang I am so proud of you girl. It's hard to stick to stuff like this but you completely rocked it. You look great too even though you haven't meant your goal quite yet.
    You can pass your bag along to me cus I have been getting rid of clothes that are way too tight. I've been slowly revamping my wardrobe to larger sizes :(

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  2. Woo ho! Congrats doll on doing over a year of it!! WOW!! That's great for all you have accomplished and will continue to do. And YAY for getting rid of the clothes!

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  3. You go, girl! 40 pounds down is an AMAZING accomplishment! And love that you're sticking with it. Happy for you! :)

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  4. ALL OF THIS. so proud of you. changing your lifestyle is hard but once you do, you see incredible benefits as you have personally experienced. CONGRATS!

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  5. What an amazing life transformation you've made for yourself!! You are absolutely going to get to your goal! xo, Biana BlovedBoston

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  6. An entire year is such an amazing accomplishment on top of the weight you loss and growing in strength! This is so encouraging and inspiring to read and I love all of the tips you shared from what you've learned because it's actually realistic advice!

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  7. Thank you so much for writing this post. I have the containers but I haven't done the work. I eat low carb but I know my portions are too big! When I get back from vacation I am going to jump on the bandwagon and use the tools I have. Congratulations on the weight loss!!! You rock.....

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  8. You've lost 40 lbs??? Girl, that is so AMAZING! Beyond proud of you for all you've accomplished to make such positive changes in your eating habits, exercise routine, etc. High fives all the way!

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  9. Wow you should be so proud of yourself!! 40 pounds is great!! I think it better to lose it slowly because then you're more likely to keep it off! xo, Kristina

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  10. You're doing great! I really give you credit because it all sounds like too much effort to me. My friend started doing Tai Cheng and is following an intermittent diet...eating what she wants but within certain hours. She's also trying to avoid carbs, sugars, and processed foods. She has lost 17 pounds in 4 weeks! She said she can almost watch the Tai Cheng shrinking her belly. I am going to get started on it today with the initial evaluation.

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  11. Awesome job!! and great dedication! :) Slow and steady is way better than dropping more than that within short amt of time and then risk gaining it all back -- you KNOW what it takes and by-golly, you made it work! Yay for you! :)

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  12. Get it girl!!! I think 40 lbs is amazing and it feels so good to pack up the "fat" clothes and send them away because they are so huge. And nothing is better than being able to "shop" in your own closet and have stuff it again! You are doing wonderful!

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  13. I try so hard to use the "baby plates", as I affectionately call the smaller plates I own. It really makes a huge difference when the portions fill the plate.

    I am working so hard myself to focus on portion sizes & eating until I am content, not FULL, & not until I hate myself & need a Tums. These things are very different amounts of food. I remind myself that if I finish my portion & am TRULY still hungry I can eat more. Another dinner portion or a snack depending on my hunger.

    Do you ever feel like you're not getting enough carbs for the amount of running & exercise you do? Or do you think the rice & beans & quinoa for reds not yellows helps you?

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  14. Great job! You have worked hard and it shows.

    I also do not believe cutting out entire food groups is a sustainable way to live - and it truly should not be a diet, but a lifestyle. Keep up the good work!

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  15. Awesome job for losing 40 pounds! I was actually JUST looking into the containers and stuff. I have a few extra surgery pounds to loose, was thinking of trying this out...mostly I think this will help me to learn portion control.

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  16. Way to go! A whole year... that's impressive! (I'm eating an apple fritter as I type this... hahaha!) You go girl!!

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  17. I'm so happy for you!! Great post and share! I'm cheering for you! Just remember that muscle weighs more than fat and you are building muscle, which is great!!

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  18. I love this. Congrats on your incredible progress! I can't agree with the no dieting more. There is a lady I know at work on a no carb diet and she's lost a lot of weight but I can't help but wait for it to all come falling down. I can only imagine that if I completely restricted carbs I would end up eating a ton of carbs if I felt restricted all the time. Then again, maybe that works for some people. I am always trying to get enough protein, since I'm supposed to get 70g right now! I don't count, but I do my best. Haha I couldn't make it without a morning snack however much protein I ate, but I try to do small meals. It's crazy when you see how much food restaurants give you. I definitely count it as a treat. I will enjoy my vegan po boys and fries in attempted moderation.

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  19. A HUGE congrats on losing 40 pounds! I know I've said this before, but you really look fantastic. I can't imagine you needing to lose any more! But this way of eating is definitely working for you, and now that it's a lifestyle for you, you'll definitely be able to keep it off in the long term. And yay for your vegetarian diet paying off!

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  20. You seriously look great and have come so far! You should be so proud of what you've accomplished! :)

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  21. This is AWESOME! Congratulations!!! It's so amazing to see all your hard work pay off!

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  22. You rock! So proud of the changes you've made. You are a true inspiration!

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