What is the 21 Day Fix? It Is Not Just a Workout Program

Most workout programs focus on the workouts only, leaving you to figure out the diet maze for yourself.

And then there’s the 21 Day Fix, which takes you out of the cornfield entirely. In fact, it has turned dieting into an easily understandable and doable practice of eating healthy nutritious food that supply you with energy sans the scale.

So, what exactly is the premise of the 21 Day Fix? It takes 21 days to form a habit, so this is the foundation the program is built upon. It’s all about forming simple, healthy eating and exercise habits that, after 21 days, will set you on the right path for life.

And what exactly is its promise? Lose up to 15 pounds in 21 days and get healthy for life!

Wondering if it’s really possible? Of course it is! But the 21 day fix is much more than that. After reading through the program’s eating plan and sampling the workouts, this program really is simple. And despite the lack of complicated directions, it is quite grand in scale.

The Lowdown

21 Day Fix is just 21 days long. However in these three weeks, you will learn a foolproof way to eat, called the “portion approach”. Once you learn how to eat this way, you can continue eating healthy foods without the painful need for weighing your food, counting every single calorie, or even using the food containers that come with the program.

21 Day Fix teaches you how to eat healthy – it is meant to fix unhealthy habits. Once you are done with the program, you will know how to eat a well-balanced diet that is roughly 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. This also happens to be the magic macro-nutrient ratio I always suggest people to follow when they make the decision to get healthy. While you can definitely skew the diet ratios one way or another, this is the healthiest option and the most sustainable for your lifetime.

Keep working out, eating right and you will continue to see results – plain and simply! Change the way you think, and you can change your body for life.

The 21 Day Fix Portion Approach Meal Plan

What if dieting were as easy as measuring out your food in color coded containers? Well, it is with the 21 Day Fix containers, which are the heart and the soul of how this program will not only change the way you eat, but also how you think about food.

This program comes with 7 color coded containers you can use to portion out your meals and bring with you.

Here’s what you receive:

Green Container for vegetables

Purple Container for fruits

Red Container for protein

Yellow Container for complex carbohydrates

Blue Container for nuts and dairy

2 Orange Containers for seeds and oils

And if you’re worried they’re cheap containers that will perish after only a couple of uses, then think again! I was pleasantly surprised to find these were not only dishwasher and microwave safe, but also BPA free and quite sturdy.

The meal plan guide comes with an easy mathematical equation to figure out roughly how many calories you will be eating. You can then match this number to a chart that shows how many servings of each container you can eat throughout the program. Remember, if you lose enough that you drop down to a lower calorie ratio, make sure to update your daily container allowances.

For me, I’m in the 1,200-1,400 calories. This means I can eat the following each day:

• 3 green
• 2 purple
• 4 red
• 2 yellow
• 1 blue
• 1 orange
• 2 teaspoons of healthy fats

As you can see, the 21 Day Fix diet is not a starvation diet – you eat healthy foods to energize your workouts and get you eating healthier.

Overview of the 21 Day Fix Workouts

So, now that I’ve given you an overview of the program’s heart and soul, I have to tell you about the workouts. They’re all roughly around 30 minutes, give or take a few minutes, and they’re very easy to follow.

The 21 Day Fix consists of seven, 30-minute workouts and a 10-minute ab workout that you can add into any day if you’re feeling up to another quick workout. You workout out seven days a week, but remember, this is short-term, although it is healthy to exercise daily.

There is a modifier in each workout, Kat, who you can follow if you’re just beginning to exercise after a long time away or you’re feeling overwhelmed at any point during the workouts. Plus, each workout has a nice warm-up period and, which I really like.

With only 30 minutes of workouts, you knew they wouldn’t be easy :) Here’s a short breakdown of each ones included in the regular program:

• Cardio Fix: This 31 minute workout is based on the HIIT principle (High Intensity Interval Training). One minute bursts of higher intensity exercises, followed by 20 seconds. There are two sets of two exercises with each round followed by the rest period. Think classic moves like jumping jacks and push-ups mixed with not-so-classic moves like skater jumps.
• Upper Fix: This 30-minute workout has you working your upper body – plain and simply. The only equipment necessary are weights or resistance bands and a mat. This time, she has you doing two sets of five different exercises with 20 seconds of rest in between. It includes everything from classic movies like a plank and chest presses to scissor twists.
• Lower Fix: You’ll only need weights and a mat for this workout. In this workout, you’ll be doing two sets of two exercises with the 20 second rest period. You’ll be working every part of your lower body from your calves to your butt.
• Pilates Fix: You’ll only need a mat for this 33-minute workout, since it’s all floor exercises much like Pilates would be. Its Pilates-based movements include everything from the classic hundreds to c center.
• Total Body Cardio Fix: You’ll need weights and a mat for this workout, which includes four rounds of two exercises and a 20 second rest period. It covers your entire body with an emphasis on cardiovascular conditioning and muscle toning.
• Dirty 30: This workout has a distinctive name, but with the dirty thrown in there, it has to be a little gritty. You will need weights and a mat for this one, but my advice would be to be VERY careful with the moves you have to do. There are lots of advanced, compound movements where you could really hurt yourself if you don’t pay close attention to your form. So…make the most of Kat if you find yourself having difficulty hitting the moves!
• Yoga Fix: The only thing you’ll need for this workout is yourself and your mat. This half hour workouts was designed to help you stretch out and elongate those muscles you worked all week. It is a nice addition for the seventh day, since you will really need it. It combines classic yoga moves and has you following a series of moves. I enjoyed it very much, but then again, I love yoga.
• 10 Minute Fix for Abs: This 10-minute workout has you doing all of Autumn’s favorite ab exercies. Granted, they are mostly crunch variations with the bicycle move thrown in there, but it is tough and will definitely hit your abs in good way. This will leave you with ab definition by the end of the program, since you can add it to your daily workouts if you want.
• Plyo Fix (bonus): This 30-minute bonus workout that you will only receive if you purchase through Team Beachbody can be added in whenever you feel like it, whether it’s in place of Cardio Fix or just as an added bonus to another workout day. It is tough and will have you torching calories with its six rounds of plyometric-based movements. It’s intense, but easy-to-follow and will build strength and endurance to get you a lean, toned physique.

Each workout has modifier moves you can follow, which is really great for beginners or when you’re feeling like you can’t keep up. That means even if you’re a couch potato, you can still follow this program and get yourself on the fast track for eating healthy and losing weight.

What Type of Results Can You Expect?

The 21 Day Fix is built two fold to get you results.

1. Fast Weight Loss – the promise is to lose 15 pounds in 21 days. If you are severely overweight, this is easily attainable. However if you don’t have a ton of weight you’d like to lose, the  average weight loss for most people will be 5-10 pounds in 21 days on the Fix. I’ll keep you posted on how I do…I still need to get rid of my holiday poundage, lol!
2. Long Term Weight Loss – the 21 Day Fix is also a long term weight loss program. After the 21 days, you will be amazed at how you will begin to recognize how much you are eating and how much you should be eating thanks to the portion approach. With this knowledge, you can continue losing weight simply by eating right and continuing to exercise.

Who Is the 21 Day Fix Trainer?

Autumn Calabrese is the trainer and creator of the 21 Day Fix program. Autumn is a national-level bikini contestant, celebrity fitness trainer, and most importantly, a mom. Her claim to fame is the portion approach to eating and working out in a consistent and controlled manner.

How Much Does the 21 Day Fix Program Cost?

When I first heard about what the 21 Day Fix was, I thought for sure it would be the classic $119.85 priced program, but ended up being pleasantly surprised. If you order through this link, you can purchase the 21 Day Fix Essential kit for only $59.95, which includes:

The 21 Day Fix Workouts, color coded portion control containers, Shakeology shaker cup, 21 Day Fix Meal plan, and, 3 Day Quick Fix eating plan.

Beachbody has also put together the 21 Day Fix Ultimate Upgrade package which includes:

Two additional workouts, Barre Legs & Flat Abs Fix, Large 21 Day Fix Container to mix your small Fix containers together, resistance band, and 21 Day Fix Insulated Tote Bag.

 The Ultimate Upgrade is an additional $59.95.

The Third Option:

Beachbody has also put together the 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack which is the 21 Day Fix Essential Kit & Shakeology. This package gets you the 21 Day Fix Essential Kit, a month’s worth of Shakeology, a free 30-day trial of the Team Beachbody Club, and free shipping on your order.

*All purchase options come with a 30-day no questions asked, money back guarantee.

What do you think – is 21 days long enough to see results with a workout program?