21 Day Fix Extreme

The box was waiting for me in NC after a 14 hour road trip. I tore into the 21 Day Fix Extreme bundle last night and began flipping through the glossy pages of the books. I washed the color containers and stuck stickers on them to designate the protein from the vegetable from fruit from carb, etc. I spent some time this morning getting organized. I decided to use a white board (that is actually PURPLE) to keep track of my food intake. This way I would not waste paper and could start new each day. The downside is that it does not allow me a place to look back at if I hit a plateau or struggle to lose weight. I plan to officially begin the Extreme version of 21 Day Fix on Monday, July 15. The extreme food program is different from the regular plan in that it consists of 2 day of carb depletion with 1 day regular 21 Day Fix eating that repeats for 21 days. It also has its own exercise program. In the meantime, I will be on the regular 21 Day Fix eating plan, using the workouts I have used since 2016when I began my 21 Day Fix journey. I was terrified in 2016. I had asked my "coach" and friend if she thought I would be able to do the exercise program, as I was still on Prednisone and limited in my mobility. She said I could try and if it didn't work out, Beach Body has an excellent customer service; I could always send the DVDs back for a full refund. I began in August and snapped pictures. I didn't see results on the scale until after my 3rd 21 day cycle, when my 21 Day Fix group of friends stopped checking in with one another in a formal place. But I had non-scale victories along the way. I could see results in my clothes, my energy, my ability to complete the workouts, and the weekly photographs. By November, I had lost 15 pounds (even while taking Prednisone, allowing a few cheats and not fully being able to do the workouts) and managed to keep most of this weight off. Since that time, I have tried numerous times to restart. I sometimes saw results in the first week and grew bored with the workouts. Or I'd get sick. Or life would get busy. And it is typical of me to cut out my self-care when I most need to keep that in my schedule. I have been starting and stopping since November 2016. I have tried Weight Watchers Freestyle and even MyFitnessPlan app. I think all of this has helped me maintain my weight, but I am looking to reduce. Having this new extreme version of 21 Day Fix reminds me of that summer in 2016 when I was excited to try something new. I hope this motivation can carry my through to December, but I have no idea what Monday will bring. I have new motivation for my weight loss goals and am looking forward to sharing my successes and struggles in this space.

Day one photo of 21 Day Fix July 11, 2019.

Walk in beauty and peace + keep being most excellent, my peeps.

\m/\m/