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!
I want to do this with you!! Really good tips and good luck!
You should, Kristen! It’s only 30 minutes of exercise a day.
Hi! I can’t find the 21 Day Fix items in therapy shop? And above links only take me to meal planners? Help!
Thank you!
Angela
Hi Angela! You can buy the program here (hopefully this link works, if not, email me at [email protected] and I can help): https://extranet.securefreedom.com/MillionDollarBody/csShopping/ShoppingCart.asp?Cat=Fitness%20Program|21%20Day%20Fix
And the 21 DAy FIx Journals aren’t in the shop yet – they will be early next week (probably Tuesday, maybe Wednesday at the latest!). 🙂 I linked to my shop so I wouldn’t forget to go back and add it later.
I’ve just completed 4 rounds of the 21 Day Fix program. I’ve had some off days, even off weeks, when I severely pulled my upper left quad muscle doing the Surrenders exercise too fast. That put me out of a lot of exercises for a 7-10 days, even though I kept doing the workout schedule I had to modify or skip entire sections of the workouts to make sure I didn’t end up actually tearing the weakened quad muscle. I started adding walks to my exercise regime then bc I was frustrated with all that I had to skip or modify and still felt motivated to do the work but wanted to be safe.
I also found that my shoes were causing runners knee! I talked to my brother-in-law who is a physical therapist, & he told me to get new shoes and change them out frequently between workouts so I did and the runners knee is no more! I now have like 10 pairs of sneakers, and I switch out between them, never using the same pair in a row for workouts or walks.
The food has been a problem for me too, but I’m getting the hang of it by now. Certainly making better choices overall, but I’ve had my share of cheat meals/days.
The results? I’ve lost 14.4 lbs and lost 24in since I started!!! I haven’t lost a full size yet, but my clothes feel much more loose and I think I another pound or two, I’ll be down a full pants size at least. I’m seeing definition in my arms and shoulders, my stretch marks are clearing, and I’m definitely feeling hard muscles forming under my fat! It’s very exciting!! My bro-in-law says I’ve probably lost more fat, but also gained muscle (which takes up less volume than fat but weighs more) so the scale is not be 100% accurate. He suggested doing an “In-Body” that would show what percentages are fat, lean muscle mass, water, etc. I haven’t done that yet, but will!
I also have the Focus T25 from Beach Body, which I may switch to soon, if I find that I begin to plateau on the 21DayFix. I do REALLY like Autumn more than Shawn T (T25), so maybe instead I’ll look into the 21DayFix Extreme as another option!!
Your story sounds a lot like mine (we have similar results, too…I still haven’t dropped a size even though I’ve lost 14 pounds and around the same amount of inches).
Since starting Extreme, I’ve had some knee issues that I didn’t have before. I totally took your advice today and used different shoes…I’ll start rotating them out from now on. In Extreme, there’s a lot of jumping and my feet and knees really feel it (and the rest of me, ha).
The biggest motivator for me right now is being able to feel my abs under the fat…hopefully I can get on track and start eating better this week and I’ll be able to see them soon, too!
I’m on Round 3 of Extreme…I don’t know what I’ll do next, but I think I might need to change it up. I LOVE Autumn though! My husband does P90x3 but I just like Autumn and her program more, so…we’ll see if I can handle the P90x3 one or not.
It’s great to know you’re having similar results as mine! I’ve tried other diets and exercise routines, etc. and this is honestly the only one that I’ve been able to stick with for this long. Thanks for all the good tips, and for the reassuring story! Now I know I’m not alone in my journey, and I appreciate hearing your story as well!
I’m a veteran of the Fix myself, and there are some REALLY good tips here!
Thanks Jennifer! And I loved your post about what you eat during the day…I always need some new ideas.
I thought I was the only one who hated burpees!! Thank you for your genuine honestly in your postings. You are doing great and look fabulous!! Love your updates!
Thanks Patty!
You would think I’d be better at burpees by now, but with the 21 Day Fix Extreme program, they just get harder and I just hate them more! lol.
Thank you for creating and having the journal available for purchase!! I have an app but I like to write things down. 🙂 SOOOO appreciative!! Started round 1 day 1 today.
You’re so welcome! How has the week been for you?
Sooooo…see, what had happened was….
Haha
I struggled a bit with preparation this week. Continued to eat clean, but doing a little more reading on what goes into each container and getting a feel for it. I think the journal is going to help a TON. :).
I’ll be on track 100% soon!
I’m trying hard to lose weight and appreciate the helpful tips. 15 pounds left to lose…
You can do it!!
Great tips! I’ve never tried the 21 day fix, but I love that you created a planner to go with it!
I’ve been trying to get something that works. I haven’t done this, but I’ve been thinking about it and your planners seem like the thing to help you stay on course! Thanks for the tips!
I have heard great things about this program. I am needing to lose weight and i keep telling myself every sunday, that I’ll start on monday. Then Monday rolls around and guess what, I’m already off to a bad start. Plus, I don’t have a ton of healthy foods in the house at the moment. I need to quit making excuses and do it.
Awesome tips! My favorite is to not weight yourself until the 21 days is over. This is brilliant and you are exactly right! Nothing good comes of it!
I’m starting my 21 day fix tomorrow. Thank you for for the tips.
How’s it going so far, Kelsey?
These are great tips! I may have to try this out for myself.
This is a great post! I’ve heard so many great things about the 21 day fix. I love how the containers are pre-proportioned. And YES to great sports bras!!
Can you please email me?
Hi Shawna! Shoot me an email at carrielindsey @ gmail. com!
Hey great post 🙂 so I have a question.. So I’m use to working out alot. I want to do this program but I got the extreme workout as a present. Do you think it would be bad to start of on that one??
Do you have a meal planner calendar if I am on weight watchers?
Thanks
Hi Val! I have this: http://shop.carrieelle.com/collections/food-journals-track-weight-watchers-points-or-count-calories That might be what you’re looking for?
I am on my 2nd week on round 4 of 21 day fix. I have yet to stay on the food part of the diet. I have lost 13 pounds and 19 inches so far. I have been counting calories on my fitnesspal. Tomorrow I plan on trying to stay on track with the food for the last two weeks. Thanks for the tips and I plan on getting the 21 day extreme maybe for Christmas if not before. I really want to accomplish all the exercise moves without modification before I change. I think the 2 cardio days are the hardest for me and I am guilty of not doing the yoga on Sundays I use it as a rest day. I also do an hour zumba class on Tuesdays and Thursday along with an hour of pilates on Thursdays. I try to walk on Sundays. I am feeling stronger but I also have been having knee pain this week. I have 3 pairs of shoes I switch out but I think I need a new pair. Thanks for all the tips!
The cardio days were the hardest for me, too. And I had a similar pain problem, but with foot pain. I think you’ll like the food part of the diet once you get going with it…although it sounds like you’ve had amazing success with MyFitnessPal. Good job!! <3
I haven’t tried the 21 day fix but, love the tips! Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Shared
Hi Carrie
The reason I’m here is that I want to get rid of obesity.I really had tough time and I was tired of working out.Your blog motivated me.I will try your 21 days weight loss plan and will share the results.
Thank you for your valuable post. 🙂 🙂
You can do it!!! I would love to hear your results!