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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 am in the 1200-1499 calorie bracket. I am vegan.
Per the plan I should eat 5 green, 3 red, 3 yellow etc.
if I have to add all calories per my fitness pal website, the total calories go way over 1499. It is 1850. Do I have to cut down and how much!
Hi Samantha, What are you entering for serving sizes on myfitnesspal? I would follow the plan how it is laid out and keep track of your progress. If you find yourself gaining after a couple weeks then you may want to cut back. Bethany
hi,
i’m a 52 year old woman at 267 lbs. What are my color container numbers? I can’t find it them.
According to the chart you would start in the last bracket. As you lose be sure to readjust the numbers as you go.
Chris, did you find the count? It’s gonna be the highest,
Like me. 2100-2300 calories. 6 green, 4 purple, 6 red
4 yellow, 1 blue, 1 orange and 6 teaspoons.
Hi Bethany,
I have PCOS which makes losing weight very difficult for me regardless of how healthy I eat. What can I do to help accelerate my already very slowed metabolism? I am 216#s, but a lot of it is muscle, so I’m more so about 185lbs. What foods should I avoid or eat more of? Would it be okay to juice all my vegetables and then drink them? Or do I need to eat them whole? Thanks!
Hi Brianna, I’m not to familiar with pcos, but I’ll try my best to answer your questions. The foods from the 21 Day Fix is a great place to start as you get lots of leans proteins, veggies, some fruit, and slow digesting complex carbs. You’ll want to try and avoid processed foods, foods high in sugars, added salts, foods made from white flour and processed meats. The downside to juicing all of your vegetables is the loss of fiber(which keeps you feeling full and lots of other benefits) and you will lose some of the vitamins and minerals too so I would caution against it. Bethany
Thank you!
Fruit is not something that is easily found this time of year. Can I swap a green for a purple instead?
Hi Jen, I would probably swap two green for the purple. Bethany
how do you figure out a salad with veggies and protein that you get from a restaurant? or even a meal at a restaurant? I am going to be traveling on vacation and plan to eat out (healthy) in a week but want to make sure I stay on track. thank you so much. your site is so informative and all the questions people are asking.
Hi Michele, Once you have been using the containers for a couple weeks it is pretty easy to start eyeballing different foods. On page 42 & 43 of the 21 Day Fix Eating PLan eating out is covered. They give you about 40 different ordering options of different popular cuisines and the corresponding container amounts. Hope this helps. Bethany
My calculations come to a cal count less than 1200. What do I do?
Hi Nancy, You round up to the first calorie level.
If my calorie level for losing weight was 815, wouldn’t I gain weight eating 1200 calories?
No because your internal organs and other bodily functions need and burn calories too.
Hi Bethany, for me I’m suppose to have 4 fruits a day. When I have a banana it seems like it’s about 1 1/2 bananas to fill 1 purple container . If the the banana is 9” long is this normal to have more then 1or should I go with just 1 banana to count as 1 fruit?
Hi Lisa, Some foods you do not have to measure in the containers. These foods are listed in the meal guide and noted next to them as serving sixe. Mostly odd shaped foods and sticky stuff that you do not necessarily want to have to use containers for. Hops this helps. Bethany
Thank you so much for all of this helpful info! I am just getting ready to start with containers and I have a question! My calories come up to be 1259/day. If I follow the column for 1200-1499, won’t I be eating too many calories? What if I generally eat 1400 calories in that column? Won’t I end up gaining weight?
Hi Robin, Even eating 1400 calories daily you should still be creating a calorie deficit with diet and exercise so you will lose weight. Bethany
Hi, I am currently 135 pounds, which will put me into the 1st category of 1200 calories. I am currently nursing an infant and always feel hungry as it is. I did the BOD workouts through my pregnancy but now I want to add in the nutrition to lose the rest of the baby weight. My question is what bracket should I be in to safely lose weight (10 more pounds) without affecting my milk supply? Thank you in advance!!
Hi Jen, I’m in the same boat myself. Somewhere between the second and third category depending upon how you feel. Definitely don’t want to be hungry and our bodies burn a lot more caloires during breastfeeding. I also have another post that goes into more detail if you would like to take a look – https://thefitnessfocus.com/21-day-fix/21-day-fix-after-baby. Bethany
Thank you so much for posting this I wanted to restart the 21 day quickfix thing and I found everything but the meal plan book but I’m glad I went through and wrote down everything I needed to of what I like to eat hopefully I’ll find the book but this is enough to get me started
Hi Karyn, You’re welcome! You should be able to piece everything together from the posts I have on this site under the 21 Day Fix category. If you are a Beachbody On Demand member all the program documents can be found in digital format under the Program Materials tab. Bethany
Hi. I have a question. When it tell you to eat 1200 calories and use the containers I’m confused. Do you count calories or just use the containers in each color?
You just count containers, this will put you in the calorie range depending upon your level.
trying to calculate with weigh of 336 lbs but dont see it on the charts , looks like 3346 but how do I figure containers?
Hi Cathy, I would start with 8 green, 5 purple, 7 red, 5 yellow, 1 blue, 1 orange, and 8 tsps. This is what the 21 Day Fix extreme meal plan gives for the 2,500 to 2800 calories. If you find yourself hungry or losing to much weight, you can always add in a couple of containers. As long as you are eating healthy you’ll be good. Bethany
So if I am 300# and I use the calculations it puts me at 2950 calories…. I do not see that on the chart what do I go by?
Thank you~
I would probably go with 8 green, 5 purple, 7 red, 5 yellow, 1 blue, 1 orange, and 8 tsps. This is the range given at the extreme program for 2,500 to 2800 calories.
Hi.. Can we follow the meal plan to lose weight without doing the workouts?
Hi Chelly, Yes, the diet alone should create a calorie deficit without the workouts. Plus generally speaking the diet is a very healthy way of eating. Bethany
I need to modify the diet because I am pre-diabetic. I need to know the number of calories for each food group for a 1200 calorie diet. For example, 1 serving of green/Veggies = 45 calories ????
Hi Sue, It’s is going to vary depending upon the food. You could use something like myfitnesspal to get the exact number of calories in a food. Bethany
If I’ve eaten all my green containers by mid day, is it ok to add one more green container? It would be 4 instead of 3. Thanks!
Hi Sara, I’d say you’ll be fine. Just be sure to finish all of your other containers too. Bethany
Thank you for all the information. My question is,what happens after the 21 days? Wouldn’t you just gain all the weight back if you do not continue to eat these portions long term? Is there a way to alter this into a long term plan?
Hi Karine, Once you hit your goal weight you can move to a weight maintenance calorie level. The program is 21 days because studies show this is how long it takes habits to form so you should want to continue eating healthy and the right amount of food. Bethany
Whats the difference for the portions for 21 day fix vs the extreme plan?
Hi Brittany, There isn’t any. The allowed foods on the 21 Day Fix Extreme plan is stricter. Bethany
Hello! I am pregnant and have done the 21 Day Fix twice and love the way it helps me stay discipline. I really want to eat healthy during the pregnancy, but my pre-pregnancy weight is 160 which comes out to 2,160 calories a day (I did not subtract the 750 like I normally do which always puts me in the first column of your chart) but now it would seem like I should eat the containers listed in the far right column, but that looks like a whole LOT of food for me. Am I understanding that correctly? It just seems like so much food…
Hi Marisa, If you have concerns I would talk to your ob. I actually ate a little more than the recommend amount of calories and still gained the recommended amount of weight for my size. Bethany
Hi there. I am currently doing the P90x3 I believe I am 127 pounds. I just ordered the Portion control containers along with Autumn Calabrese FIXATE cookbook. The thing that confuses me about the portion control containers is how am I suppose to know how much to eat? I did the math & my calorie intake came to 1047 so assuming I should just be taking in a flat 1200. However, if I wanna mix up my own stir fry because I’m not a total recipe girl how do I know if I’m gathering too much or too little? Like if I want to put broccoli, mushrooms, tomatos, kale, spinach all in one pot. and I’m weighing them out in the veggies container and lets say I want to do 3 container sizes of each veggie for lunch or dinner how do I know if I have weighed myself out too many servings of veggies? I’m not going to pick from this cookbook everyday. So to be making things on my own, it leaves me kind of confused. I know they’re portion-controlling it for you with the containers. But how do I know how many veggies I need, how many fats, I need and etc. If I’m making my own dish? Because I can’t just know how many scoops of pasta I should be eating if it is a pasta dish? I’m very confused. In the FIXATE cookbook you’ll see it will say for example a steak salad: 3 green containers 1 red 1 blue & 1 orange. Well there’s my question right there. How do we know that ” 3 green containers ” is enough? That’s where you loose me on this diet. HELP! Thank you :D
Hi Kiona, Yes, always round up to 1200. And, for the containers I think you might be overthinking it. Basically the portion control containers measure your food by volume. So when you are measuring out food a serving of each container will have about “x” amount of calories(this is why the foods are colored coded, typically the macronutrient breakdowns of similar foods are about the same size or the guide will tell you to eat more or less of a certain food) and this number will vary depending upon the food group. When you add up all your containers for the day you will be around the calorie target that the chart shows. Hope this helps, Bethany
If I weigh 109 (I’m 5’3 & 53 years ol) and want to lean out my muffin top, do I want to maintain my weight or do I want to lose it? I’ve been on the 21 day fix for 5 days (target is 1599 cals) & now I’m questioning if I’m in the right calorie intake category?? Should I drop it down to 1200 cals? Thanks for your help!!
Hi Marilyn, Yes you would want to drop down to the 1200 level according to the nutrition guide. Bethany
Hello. What about my own recipes? Say meat lasagna or chicken and rice where there are proteins carbs and veggies all in one?
How do i convert those to containers?
Thank you
Hi May, You would just measure the ingredients in the containers and then calculate the containers based on the amount of servings. Bethany