BACKSTORY

I want to start this blog post by saying I am not encouraging you to not workout or not go to the gym but I want to help those with personal injuries, restrictions from physical activity, and time restrictions and allow them to see that there are other ways to transform your mind and body for the better! Having not been able to be active at the gym I was searching desperately for a way to feel good about my body. I realized that one thing I could be in control of was what I put into my body every single day! I could not believe how much my body changed in just 21 days! In the past the only other thing that worked for me regarding weight loss was weight watchers. I concluded that the common theme between that and what I did this time around was portion control! WW wasn’t as always nutrition friendly (I literally lost 21 pounds eating TV dinners) but this all goes to show just how important portion and diet truly are when it comes to transforming your body!

I also would like to note that it has actually been over a year since I have been able to work out, however, this blog post focuses only on the 21 days I incorporated this portion control plan.

THINGS THAT HELPED ME

I ORDERED THE 21 DAY FIX PORTION CONTROL CONTAINERS

I was introduced to the Beachbody 21 Day Fix Program while producing on Revenge Body With Khloe Kardashian. Due to personal injuries I did NOT partake in the workouts that go with this particular program, however, I decided to use my online resources to calculate my new caloric intake (was supposed to be 1200 to 1499 calories a day but I bumped myself up to 1500 to 1799 calories a day). The reason I did this is because I have had my metabolism checked and know that the initial amount calculated was simply not enough calories for me considering my RMR (resting metabolic rate… how many calories my body burns at complete rest is 1681 calories). That RMR testing I had done by a woman named Aishea at Optimis Sport PT in Pacific Palisades, CA.
Once I calculated how many of each colored container I was allotted a day on the 21 Day Fix I ordered two orders of the portion control containers to have enough to prep on a daily basis. See below for container representation and how to calculate your caloric intake! Also, within a day 1 I realized exactly what I was lacking in my diet and what I was consuming way too much of. Mainly eating “vegan” made me realize I was eating way too many carbs, not enough vegetables, and not enough protein. Not to mention I was eating way more than 1/3 cup of fats (like avocado and cheese).

Green container = vegetables Purple container = fruits Red container = proteins Yellow container = carbohydrates Blue container = healthy fats and cheeses Orange container = seeds, nuts, and dressings Teaspoon = oils and nut butters — Green container = vegetables
Purple container = fruits
Red container = proteins
Yellow container = carbohydrates
Blue container = healthy fats and cheeses
Orange container = seeds, nuts, and dressings
Teaspoon = oils and nut butters

How many of each container I was allowed in the 1,500 - 1,799 calorie category.

2. I PLANNED AND PREPPED AHEAD

To be completely honest whether it was an hour at the end of the day or an hour at the start of my day, I set aside one hour a day to prep. Personally I liked having all my food prepped and in its containers for the following day. I found that by doing this I held myself accountable and sort of played a “finish all the containers game” with myself each day. In order to succeed with a portion control plan like this it does require thinking ahead and planning. This includes making grocery lists and making the time to run to the store or market for food!

3. I GROCERY SHOPPED ACCORDING TO CATEGORY NEEDS

Not only did I make time to go to the store but when I did make the time I made sure I shopped as smart as possible! What I mean is I literally made a color-coordinated grocery list in which I made sure to shop for more green container (veggies) and red container (protein) foods than for example my blue container foods (healthy fats & cheeses) because I was eating more greens and reds than anything else. This would help me make sure I have exactly what I need for the week and not have food that is going bad and to waste.

4. I WAS HONEST WITH MYSELF AND MY LOG

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Throughout my 21 day challenge I kept a journal tracking my container intake each day. On some days I had a glass of red wine and on other days my mom was in town visiting and I had to adjust to adhering as best as I could to my container needs for each meal. I get it LIFE HAPPENS. And that is okay and it is okay to get off track sometimes, but the key is to be honest with yourself about it so you don’t beat yourself up when you don’t meet a certain expectation!

5. I TOOK PROGRESS PICS

This is a MUST! I am telling you! I ended up losing about 6 pounds over the course of 3 weeks but my progress photos were way more telling to me than the number on the scale! To me 6 pounds didn’t feel like a huge deal but after seeing my photos I was like DANG! It worked! It was also very interesting to see specifically what parts of my body changed the most. For me it was my back! My advice is to hide the scale and take photos every week!

6. I ORDERED SMART AT RESTAURANTS

During Week 2 of the 21 days my mom was in town visiting and of course we had many plans to go out to eat! I wasn’t going to not be a part of that so instead I did my best to focus on having a variety of my containers out to eat. For example, when we went to an Italian Restaurant I had the appropriate portion of pasta (yellow container), some salad (green container), and a veggie for a side (green container), rather than have a huge plate of pasta and that’s it.

7. I DRANK 3,000 ML OF WATER A DAY

I drank a water bottle that was literally the size of one of my cats…. no joke! I found this water bottle at the checkout line at Homegoods but it recently fell off my bed and cracked! So I opted for the same brand water bottle but this time a FULL GALLON. It is so important to stay hydrated all day so that you do not confuse thirst for hunger and over indulge!

8. I MADE SLEEP A PRIORITY

Seems like a no brainer but I know that technology and Netflix can get in the way of those ZZZs! I aimed for 7-8 hours a night and was serious about it! To prevent myself from staying up late and getting sucked into another episode of some show I decided to read instead right before bed.

9. I TOOK AT LEAST 5,000 STEPS A DAY

I know that doesn’t seem like a lot considering my previous pre-injury goal was at least 10,000 steps a day but for me I need to ease back into things and be careful! The goal was to make sure I was moving throughout the day. If it was close to the end of the day and my Fitbit wasn’t close to 5K I would go out for a nightly walk to get those steps in!

10. I READ OTHER PEOPLE’S BLOGS FOR IDEAS, RESEARCH, AND MOTIVATION

Believe it or not both the 21 day fix and when I did weight watchers in college I did the programs all on my own without purchasing the program. I simply set the time aside to do my research and collect all the information that I needed to be successful. I made lists of all the foods I like and eat that fall into each colored category that I was eating each day. Pretty simple. I also explored on the Internet and came across other people’s blog posts and advice! I love to shop at Trader Joes so I googled “21 day fix trader joes grocery list” and was taken to several blog pages with pre-made grocery lists. I also used people’s progress pics as motivation as well!

11. I LIMITED ALCOHOL

I was staying for a weekend in Palm Springs and couldn't resist a few jello shots!

Alcohol is allowed on the 21 day fix. Up to 3 glasses of red wine a week and the wine replaces a yellow container. Talk about sacrifice! Having to give up a food carb that day in exchange for a glass of alcohol. This wasn’t very difficult because I love me my pasta, rice, and OMG sweet potato is considered a carb on this plan (makes sense now that I think about it!)…. that was tough! Silly me was always treating sweet potatoes as a veggie. NOPE! But I truly did stay away from hard liquor and I don’t drink beer anyways so that was easy. It sure felt nice to not be hungover or bloated as well!

12. I CUT PROCESSED FOODS

This wasn’t very difficult with this program because there aren’t really any processed foods that fit within the colored container categories. My groceries really did consist of fresh fruit, produce, and protein. To be honest I don’t think I ate a single thing from my freezer during the 21 days unless it was a bag of frozen veggies.

So there you have it! It is insanely possible to transform your body solely based on the foods and drinks you consume. Again I am not encouraging anyone to NOT GO TO THE GYM, but I am simply sharing with you my personal journey which consisted of not being able to work out for over a year due to an injury. Everyone’s journey is different. If you are capable and able to incorporate a healthy diet/lifestyle with your food as well as incorporate going to the gym 4-5 times a week I highly encourage you do to so!