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In this this post, I’ll explain how to figure out your daily calorie/container intake for the 21 Day Fix portion control diet.
Don’t worry you’re not going to starve on this innovative color coded container based diet. Actually, you are probably not going to be very hungry on the plan at all. I hear more often that eating all of the food that the 21 Day Fix diet allows each day is difficult for lots of folks. But we will cover that area towards the bottom of this post.
Containers Explained
The diet is often referred to as a portion control diet, which basically means you get your correct portions of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats each day, without over consuming calories. The portions are broken into seven particular colored containers:
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
There is also the free food category that consists of herbs, spices, sauces, extracts, and a few more. You also get replacement food containers that you can substitute for different beverages and treats throughout the week, these are limited but are what makes the diet very livable. :)
What a lot of people don’t know about the portion control diet is that it is also macro-nutrient portioned, meaning you get the right percentage of proteins, carbs, and fats to keep you body running optimally to fuel your body for your workouts and overall health.
The above is covered in greater detail in the 21 Day Fix eating plan, I have created a 21 Day Fix food list and sample diet here for people also.
Calculating Your 21 Day Fix Calorie Level
To match your calorie level to the amount of containers you should be consuming on a daily basis ,you first need to do a little math. But don’t worry – it’s super easy!
This is the equation to use if you’re looking to lose weight on the program:
A. Take your current body weight in pounds and multiply that number by 11 to calculate your baseline calories.
B. Then, add 400 to your baseline calories to equal your daily caloric needs.
C. And then, subtract 750 from your caloric needs – this equals your calorie target.
If you wanted to maintain weight, use this equation:
Multiply your body weight by 11 and add 400 calories.
If you wanted to gain weight, use this:
Multiply your body weight by 11 and add 900 calories.
Very important! If your calorie target calculates below 1200, roundup to the 1200 level. You should NEVER go below 1200 calories in a day – it is not healthy over an extended period of time.
21 Day Fix Calorie Target and Container Chart
Somewhere along the way I saw a very cool chart that showed body weight above each calorie target level and then the corresponding containers below them. Since I can’t find it, I decided to reproduce something similar below.
Helpful Tools for Portion Control Beyond 21 Day Fix Containers
I especially love the 21 Day Fix for its simple approach to nutrition. Over time, you will build the habits to know the right portion size and the food groups you should be eating and those to avoid. This means The color coded containers are not something you’re going to have to use forever.
Below are a few tools to make the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan even easier to follow:
- Glass Meal Prep Containers – While the Bodi portion control containers are BPA-free, they’re not meant to eat out of. Measuring out your food with the containers and then using meal prep containers designed for food storage is so much better. And glass cleans much easier than plastic :)
- Insulated Blender Shaker Bottle – I thought insulated protein shaker bottles would be a fad when I saw them on Shark Tank years ago, but I have to say that being able to keep protein shakes cold for hours really does improve the taste and texture. The worst thing is a warm shake.
- Shakeology 0 Grams Added Sugar – 0 Gram added sugar protein shakes are not a requirement for the 21 Day Fix. However, if you are looking to cut out all unnecessary calories and reduce the other drawbacks of sugar, these shakes or any other shakes with 0 grams of added sugar are a good idea.
Hope these help!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Are you available to help?
A. Yes, just leave a comment below, sign up for my emails on the sidebar, or even send me a direct email – [email protected]
Q. As I lose weight, do I need to recalculate my calories?
A. Yes, I would recommend recalculating after every round of the 21 Day Fix exercise program if you have more than 10 lbs to lose or after each week if you have less than 10 lbs to lose.
Q. There is more food than I can possibly eat, what do I do?
A. You could try eating partial containers, or you could rotate the containers you can’t fit in. Try not to skip any containers you only get a single serving of each day or your teaspoons. I know people’s first tendency is to skip their one orange container or their teaspoons, but both are necessary for a healthy functioning body.
Q. How many meals should I eat in a day?
A. It is entirely up to you. Three main meals and two snacks is customary, although three larger meals or five smaller meals are fine too. It’s whatever works best for you.
Q. Do I eat the total amount of containers per day or per meal?
A. The total amount of containers is meant to be distributed throughout your day.
Hi! I did my calculations correctly and it leaves me at 1124 calories/day. Isn’t that extremely low?
That is first level.
MY QUESTION HERE IS THIS -HOW DID 21 DAY FIX COME UP WITH THE FORMULA FOR THE WEIGHT LOSS ? I HAVE BEEN ALL OVER ON THE INTERNET AND THIS PROGRAM SEEMS TO BE THE EASIEST -BUT THERE IS NO CLAIM TO BACK UP THE FORMULA. IS THERE A BOOK THAT CAN BACK UP THE CLAIM FOR THE CALORIE FORMULA? PLUS -WHAT IS THE 400 MEAN ? MY WEIGHT -TIMES 11 – PLUS “400 ” -TAKE AWAY 750 –
I KNOW MY WEIGHT -I KNOW WHAT THE “11” MEANS (ITS THE ACTIVITY ) -I EVEN KNOW WHAT THE 750 MEANS -IT EQUALS (A POUND AND A HALF ) -SO WHAT IS THE 400 MEAN? IF IM NOT EXERCISING -CAN I TAKE THE 400 OUT? -IF YOU CAN GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE GREAT! I HAVE THE BOOK AND I HAVE THE CUPS -AND THIS PIECE IS MISSING FROM THE BOOK.IT DOESNT EXPLAIN IT IN DETAIL. PLEASE WRITE BACK.
The adding of the 400 calories is to give a persons number of calories that person needs to maintain current bodyweight.
So does she remove the 400 if she doesn’t exercise (for weightloss)or just leave it in? I’m still confused myself.
Leave it in, because you still will be subtracting the 750. Bethany
Hi Bethany!
My name is Kay! I want to purchase these containers but I’m kind of confused. I weight 195 and I’m looking to use these for weight loss. After completing the math for the weight loss I came up with 1,795 calories. Do I go by my weight with the chart or with the calories I calculated? Thank you
Hi Kay, You can use either. They should end up being the smae.
I am on day 4 of 21 day fix but i keep wondering if i should put myself in a lower bracket. I am supposed to be in the highest bracket but that’s a LOT more calories than I ate before starting the program and the workouts are pretty much the only exercise I am getting. Should I put myself in the bracket with the amount of calories I was typically eating in a day (B or C) to be able to lose any weight?
I am in the exact same boat. I know eating more calories helps your metabolism, but I also don’t want to be miserably full all day. Did anyone ever answer this question?
Hi, it may feel like a lot of food because this program focuses on consuming Whole Foods. If you can’t eat all of your containers try eating mostly greens, reds
I would start at C and see how you feel there. I wouldn’t go all the way to B, I think that would be too big of a jump.
I’m sorta confused if I did the math an got 3,181 calories… Would I do the last bracket??
Yes according to the guide you would.
I am so confused how to use the containers. Even after reading the comments and finding out my caloric number needed. I noticed in one comment you mentioned anyone above 223 does 8 green, 5 purple, 7 red, 5 yellow, 1, blue, 1 orange, 8 tsp. Is this daily? Is to lose weight?
Yes this is daily and to lose weight.
I have the 21 day fix app and it doesn’t match the portions I get after doing the math myself. What do you think is more accurate? I am 155lbs and the app give me five veggies, 5 proteins. That seems like too much.
Hi Cat! Based on your weight (and looking at up-to-date Portion Fix program materials on BOD), you should be in plan A if you’re looking to lose weight. That gives you 4 veggies and 4 proteins. Hope that helps! If not, let me know.
Im searching everywhere and think maybe I am calculating wrong. Im doing 21 day fix and met my goal weight. Im now 158, and lean! I want to maintain however when I do the calculation of 158×11+400 im in a bracket with waaaaayyy too many containers! I have a hard time with 4 protein and 4 veg, I have no idea how I could eat 6! Am i doing something wrong? Can I drop down to a lower group to maintain?! Or am I calculating wrong. Im now on 9 week control freak and want tk make sure im getting the food I need without gaining. Thanks!
Calculation looks right to me. If you start gaining you could always drop down a bracket but I wouldn’t force feed yourself either.
Hey Toni, according to this calculation you forgot to -750. With my weight at 164lbs i am at 1450 calories a day. I am just starting the program next week. I believe you would be in the same bracket as me.
I have done the 21 Day workouts and I’ve done three rounds. I have only lost five pounds, which is unbelievably frustrating. I push myself, I’ve logged all my reps and increased reps and weights each week. I do not cheat and I do not skip workouts. I notice a huge difference in the calorie number I get when I do my calculations and the actual calories I’m consuming when I eat all of my containers. For example, when I eat all my containers, I usually average around 1400-1500 calories. But my formula of 191 x 11 + 400-750 = 1750 calorie intake. The number of containers and the calories they contain don’t equal the calories I’m supposedly supposed to be eating…should I eat more? I am so tired of hearing everyone’s 15 pounds lost in three weeks and that one guy in one of the workouts who has lost 35….any advice?
I understand your weight loss frustration but you are really are doing a great job! The scale is not always the best way to measure results, there are so many things that could affect your weight on a daily basis sometimes it is better to use a measuring tape or what you see in the mirror(or pictures) to track results. If you search “scale” on this site you will find a few articles of why it is not the best indicator of results. I would stick with the container system how it is laid out. I can tell you 15 pounds of actual “fat” loss in three weeks is unrealistic, it would be a lot of “water” weight that would be lost too. 35 pounds is over multiple rounds, likely a year or longer. Hope this helps.
My calorie says it is 3059/(after deducting 750) I follow the 223 and above?
Sounds right to me.
Hello,
i am 38 almost 39 and I’ve been doing this for a few weeks now. my weight fluctuates from 205-210 which puts me in the C category for the 21 day fix program. however i have not lost any weight and I’ve been doing this the food portion for about 3 weeks . I’ve been doing the workouts for about 6. its getting a little frustrating why i’m not loosing any weight. a lot of my weight is around my belly area. is there any adjustments i can make? i’m not sure why this isn’t working.
Hi Bethany,
Your inspiration and motivation is great! Thanks so much for this post, have been looking for something like this to enable my understanding and inspire me to do this. Reading through the post and to the comments, questions and answers I got so much clarification but also got a confusion!
Here is my confusion that I really need you to clarify so I can start my 21 Day fix: I am 47 years old, weighing 225 Lbs and working out daily for 30 minutes for 6 days of the week.
If I do : 225*11+400-750= 2,125 calories which I think is much for me to effectively loss weight
If I do: 225*11-750= 1,725 calories
So which of them is correct for me?
Please I really need your help as am confused
Thanks and waiting to hear from you
You’re welcome. Your first calculation is correct if you are following the 21 Day Fix program as it is laid out. Remember, as you do lose weight you will want to recalculate your calories after each round or weekly. My best advice is to try and follow the program as close as possible and if you need to make adjustments wait till you have some experience with it first. Bethany
Hi,
Thanks so much for your reply
I’ll do my best
Hello, my husbands current weight is 311 pounds, which using the 311*11+400-750=3,071 calories. The chart only tells the cup calculation up to 223 pounds with a calorie count of 2300. How do I figure the correct cup amount for 311 pounds & 3,071 calories?
Thank you
According to the 21 Day Fix eating plan over 223 pounds you would round down to the last container level. Autumn has another workout program, 80 Day Obsession that also uses the portion control containers that has a 2500-2800 calorie container level The container count for that is 8 green, 5 purple, 7 red, 5 yellow, 1, blue, 1 orange, 8 tsp.
I have a job that is extremely physical in nature, I would imagine that my food intake should be higher than someone who might sit at a desk, even though we are technically both in the same calorie bracket. Is there any info on how to up my food intake appropriately without jeopardizing weight loss? I bought the program years ago and have since lost my book. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Roo, There is nothing in the guidebook about someone who works an extremely physical job I would start where the program recommends and if you find yourself to hungry, lack of energy, or are losing to much weight to quick then consider bumping up a level until you find your comfort zone.
I have a question I work a desk job 10 hrs a day so other than the 30 min workout I’m not really active during the week will this change my container calculations ?
You should be okay, the 30 minute workout puts you in an active category.
This is so great that you posted this article. I purchased the 21 Day Fix, but access to the portion containers and recipes are extra. I am confused about the chart though. Are you supposed to fill 3 green containers a day, 2 purple, and 4 red, etcetera, each day? I fall into the first column of the chart, and that seems like a lot of food! LOL Could you clarify?
[P.S. Also, there is a typo on the title of the chart – Calulate – if you care to fix it :) :) :) ]
Sorry for the late reply. Yes, you would fill the containers the amount of times listed for the day. For example, if you got 4 red containers you could do 1 red container for breakfast, 1 for lunch, and 2 for dinner. If I have the editable version of the image still, I’ll update the typo but guessing I don’t anymore. Good eyes, see anything else let me know.
Hello, a bit curious about foods that would technically qualify in two categories.
For example, avocados are a healthy fat but also a fruit.
So what should I do in these situations?
Avocado is a blue container. It goes more by nutritional value than technicalities of food. You can match the food to the food category list if you you have questions.
When you weigh 300 pounds how do you do the formula when you work out 6 to 7 days a week for 45 minutes each day how do you do the container method without seeming like there’s too much food because 3000 calories looks like too much food
I would trust the calorie recommendation the program suggests. It is usually surprisingly accurate when given a chance even it does seem like a lot at first.
Hello…what if you aren’t working out but just doing the nutrition part of it. Isn’t the math. weight x 11- 750? I have been told two different ways so I want to make sure. Someone said it is weight x 11 – 400 if not working out so which is it cause how I understand it, it would be the first one. I would only add 400 if working out correct? so that would make it weight x 11 – 750?
My other question is I get eating the whole grains and eating healthy and clean but wouldn’t you still want to eat less calories to lose the weight. I thought I would be plan a as when you look at dozens of website calculators online it says to times your weight by 12 to get BMR and then minus 1000 to get your calorie deficit so it is just a bit confusing to me on how that part works. Can you explain to me. That would be great.
Hi Heather, They are different formulas…If you are not working out the calculation is bodyweight times 11 and then subtract 400 calories to get your calorie target. With just subtracting out the 750 you would be ignoring the fact that the 400 calories was added in, with some of the more extreme workouts 600 calicoes might be added in depending on activity level. For the second part of your question, the problem is if you cut calories to low, to quick, your body just can’t keep up(you’ll be drained of energy) while you will initially lose weight it is not a sustainable weight loss method. This is often refereed to as “crash dieting” when taken to the extreme can damage your metabolism. A better way is to create around a 400-500 calorie a day deficit to be a able to sustain and keep the weight off for the long term. Hope this helps.
ok so what plan would I be without working out? as I am still confused. I thought I was Plan B… by doing 220*11-750, but you are saying I am plan C then cause it is 220* 11- 400?? 2000 calories is a ton if I am trying to lose weight. if I create a 500 calorie a day deficit… Would I just do – 500 when I get the calorie target? I am sorry I am so confused, but I obviously am. Thank you.
Yes, according to the calculation, it would be Plan C 1,800-2099 calorie level. As you lose weight you drop down plan levels, so at 195 you would then go down to Plan B 1,500-1,799, etc. I’m sorry you feel like it is to many calories, that is just how the math works out.
Bethany, I am confused about the teaspoons, am I supposed to have that raw, like drizzle some olive oil over salad, or can I use those to like cook a piece of meat in the skillet?
Hi Ann, It is recommended to have the teaspoons raw and not just pan seasoning. Like you said you could use olive as a salad dressing or use coconut oil in a cup of coffee. I think the main part is just to make sure you get the nutritional benefit of the healthy fats is to make sure you get them whole.
Thank you for asking this. I thought you had to use it in preparing my meals
I downloaded the 21 day fix app on my iphone and ipad. The “Remaining Portions” containers are not correct. According to the 21 day fix book and my calculations, the daily container portions should be 4-3-4-3-1-1-4. The app shows the container portions as 3-2-4-2-1-1-2. How can I change the container portions? Thank you.
Hi Marcia, I’m not sure. I used the printable tracker sheets. You may want to try reaching out to the app developer to see if there is a way to change the target portions.