I am officially on Round 2 of the 21 Day Fix Extreme. And prior to trying Extreme, I completed 3 rounds of the original 21 Day Fix. With about 14 consecutive weeks of 21 Day Fix programs under my belt, I’m definitely figuring out what works and what doesn’t work as I strive to stay on track and work towards success.
Today I want to share with you 21 tips for losing weight on the 21 day fix.
If you’d like to check out my (slow but steady) results, you can read my posts here:
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{It can be very helpful to have a support system – three other 21 Day Fix bloggers and myself have a Facebook group you can join here – we’d love to have you!}
1. Prep water the night before. I often keep a carafe in the fridge. Before I go to bed, I add some cucumber and lemon slices (or whatever fruits I have on hand) and let it sit over night. This little but of flavor makes it easier to drink ALL THE WATER you’ll need to drink. A fruit-infuser water bottle can make drinking water more fun!
2. Meal plan. Your success depends on your diet. I use my own 21 Day Fix journal to record everything I eat. We meal plan as a family, and then I either plan out my meals and snacks for the day the night before, or I make sure to write down what I eat as I eat it. You can check out my Meal Planners and 21 Day Fix Journals here.
3. Have the right shoes. I used some old, beat-up running shoes in the beginning. My feet were always sore and my knees started feeling wonky, too. I invested in some new shoes and my pain was reduced quite a bit.
4. Don’t weigh yourself during the program. Wait until you’ve completed the entire 21 days, at least for the first time. It’s easy to get discouraged if you don’t see results – and it’s easy to slack off if you DO see results.
5. Commit, and then show up. Every day. It’s only 30 minutes of exercise a day. You can do it. Make it happen.
6. Stretch before the workouts start. There is a warm-up period, but if you’re old and crickety and out-of-shape (me! me!), stretching for a few minutes on your own before the workout starts can really help.
7. Have the right equipment on hand. I used two sets of weights (started with 3 and 5 pounds, and then graduated to 5 and 8 pounds) and a yoga mat. I bought my weights at Target, but you can also order them here (and this set should get you through the regular fix and extreme, should you decide to move on). And I used to have an old yoga mat from Target, but after awhile it started to fall apart. I eventually spent a little extra money and bought this yoga mat – it was worth every penny.
8. Try not to eat out. You totally CAN eat out on this program, but if you’re new to eating a clean, portion-controlled diet, you might want to wait until you have a good grip on the program’s diet requirements before venturing into a restaurant.
9. If you do eat out, plan what you’re going to eat before you go. This will keep you from impulse eating.
10. Avoid alcohol. You don’t have to avoid alcohol (although the allowed amount is minimal), but I chose to for the first three weeks because I know that if I have a glass of wine, it never stops there – before I know it I’m eating chocolate and chips and whatever else I feel like eating. So, I avoid alcohol when I am really serious about this (which is most of the time).
11. Create your own playlist. After about 3 days, I was tired of the music on the DVDs. I created my own playlist of random songs (Taylor Swift! Britney! Muse! Ginuwine!) that make me happy.
12. Take Before & After photos and measurements. Trust me, you will want these, even if just for yourself. You’ll love seeing the progress. I write down the measurements and starting/ending weight in my 21 Day Fix journal.
13. Keep water next to you during the workouts. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten water and had to pause my workout or run to the kitchen to get some.
14. Use Pinterest to find new recipes, inspiration, and meal plan ideas. You can follow my 21 Day Fix board here.
15. Invest in a quality sports bra. TRUST.
16. DON’T SKIP YOGA! I think people are tempted to skip yoga, thinking it’s easy and doesn’t really count. But after 6 days of intense workouts, your body NEEDS to stretch. And besides, this isn’t a simple yoga workout – you’ll be sweating!
17. Prep your food in advance. It’s so much easier to succeed when you’re prepared and have eliminated excuses. When I have fruits and veggies pre-cut, I am more likely to grab them when I’m hungry.
18. Be kind to yourself. If you miss a workout or eat chocolate, it’s okay.
19. Don’t be *too* kind to yourself, though! 😉 If you slip up, get right back on track. Don’t let one mistake (or an entire day, or an entire weekend of mistakes) ruin your progress. Jump right back on that healthy train and don’t look back!
20. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t feel skinnier right away. For the first two weeks of the 21 Day Fix, I felt constantly bloated and super sore. I felt like my clothes were tighter and I was puffy all over. This is an actual thing. I learned that some people retain a ton of water to protect their terribly out-of-shape muscles, and this can make you think your weight loss is stalling. This is exactly what happened to me. Trust in the program, stick to the plan, and see it through.
21. Celebrate your results. Seriously. Be proud and drink that sugary latte, girl (or in my case, lemonade iced tea). You deserve it.
My 21 Day Fix Journals are now available! You can get one here >>>
If you’ve completed the 21 Day Fix, I’d love to hear about your results! Go ahead and brag on yourself in the comment section. 🙂
Find me on Facebook for 21 Day Fix updates, free printables, super simple kid-friendly crafts, and things to do in Dallas. I’d love to have you join me over there!
Hi Carrie, great list! Number 2 and 12 are most important for me. When I prep my meals it keeps me from eating fast food when I do not have to cook and pictures keep me motivated and focused. Keep the good work!
very nice and well organized! thanks
Losing weight must be great decision. It must be you are determine to do work on your body and getting to disciplined on what you eat. I created planner too. It really a big help.
Nice article, congratulations!
First time I have heard about the 21 Day fix – I shall check it out 🙂
This was SO encouraging and helpful! Thank you for taking the time to write this out. I’m on day 6 of our very first 21 day beachbody with my husband and it’s kicking my butt right now. Craving brownies and ice cream and ALL the carbs!!! This was a great read to help me keep up the hard work, so thank you!!! 🙂
You are *so* welcome! The carb cravings will get better, I promise. The first week is so tough. How’s this week going for you?
Do you have any tips or tricks for eating out or attending events where food/drinks are present that we can follow? I’m in my late 20s and going out with friends is a big part of life for me. I am on my first round of the 21 day fix now and am cutting out alcohol completely but don’t think I can do that forever so would greatly appreciate some advice 🙂
That’s a GREAT question, Jen! So, when I’m really trying to hit it hard to get results, I don’t drink at all. Not becuase the alcohol itself is so bad, but because it’s a trigger. I can’t just have a little glass of wine and go on with my day. A little glass of wine triggers eating, and a bigger glass…etc. lol. So, what I try to do is plan for my social outings/drinks. If I know I’m going out on the weekend I won’t drink during the week. I also try to make super healthy choices and workout during the day so I don’t feel any guilt when I’m out with my friends enjoying a cocktail.
Another thing you might do is save all your yellows for your night out. A drink is technically okay on the plan as long as you swap it out for a yellow (and no more than twice a week, I believe). So, I try to save my yellows to accomodate for a glass of wine and the cookies I will probably eat afterwards. 🙂
Does that help any?
Hello,
I was just wondering if you doubled up on your workouts on the third week or just did 30 mins. I am trying to do the double workouts for the last week of the program and it’s killing me. If I do them together by doing an entire hour then I almost die. And if I try to do one morning and the other later I get super lazy and don’t have the energy. I am a morning. Person and all my energy is in the mornings. I am drained in the afternoon.
Hi Sofia! I never did do the double workouts, and I know lots of other people who don’t do them, too. You can always add them in later if you feel like you need or want to at that time! 🙂
Hi I’m on my day 4 of the 21 day fix and I dont feel like ive lost any waigh I’m a fussy eater my lunch I have is a egg sealed or tuna sealed and a apple chopped up and I’m full of this am I doing it right can anyone get back to me please.
Hi Rachel! Stick with it! I didn’t see any results after four days either…in fact, it took almost the full three weeks before I saw results and then they were pretty good! Definitely stay the course and I bet you’ll see results soon!
Would like to try this don’t know much about this program
Great 21 tips. I enjoyed reading them. I have done 21 day fix and seen results. I can never seem to be motivated to do a second round. I’m thinking of starting tomorrow as I have fallen off the wagon and gained a lot of weight. You are a reminder of taking those DVD’s out as it’s only 30 minutes a day.
The second (and subsequent) rounds are definitely harder, just because I think it’s not as easy to be motivated. But you can do this!!