Ah, here it is....the awaited thoughts on the 21 Day Fix Extreme. Let me give you a little backgrounder before I dive in. I did the original 21 Day Fix last February and LOVED it! I learned so much about clean eating, proper portion control, how much of what type of food my body needed, how to exercise effectively, etc. It was truly life changing for me! I have continued to eat this way since doing the program last February. {Yes, I still use the containers even!} I have modified my workouts to do other programs like TurboFire, PiYo, Insanity Max 30, etc., but my nutrition has followed the 21 Day Fix eating plan for the most part.
I was excited when the new 21 Day Fix Extreme came out, since I had such an affinity for the original program! I was supposed to start it a week earlier than I actually did, because I got sick. Had my original plan worked out to start the program on February 9, I might have had a bit more motivation with it. See, Chad had the Boilermaker Ball, for his work that we were to attend on February 28. My hope was to be a good two weeks into the program before going to the ball, to be in tip top shape. But, alas, that plan went astray due to sickness.
Going into the Extreme, I didn't want to lose weight or inches. I was actually content with where I was, for the first time in my life, I believe! So, I wasn't going into it with a goal of losing anything. Rather, I wanted to get rid of some foods I had let "grip" me & try a more intense workout. That was my plan going on. The months and weeks prior to the Extreme, I had been under a lot of stress and quite frankly, think I was headed into adrenal burnout. {I have had adrenal fatigue due to PTSD, but have never been aware or in touch with how my body responded.} So, keep in mind, that going in, I wasn't in peak condition, adrenal wise ;)
I started the Extreme and was super excited! It felt good to be pressing myself, challenging my body and trying something new. I loved it! I conquered the first week, no problems! I weighed myself at the end of the week and the number on the scale was a number I haven't seen since my anorexic days, so I'm sure that triggered something in me. Red flag, red flag, red flag! Plus, when I would sit down, I would feel a little more boney in my toosh than I have before and I didn't like that. So, I think right there, I kind of decided it was ok to go off plan a bit since I wasn't in it to lose weight. I did follow the nutrition 80-90%, I would say and I was getting the workouts in daily. I was feeling the difference in my body, I looked more toned and felt good. All in all, it was going well. Again, not doing it to lose weight or inches, but change a few habits......
About two weeks into the fix, after doing very well at the Boilermaker Ball, thank you!, I started to think about what I was doing. What was my goal? What was the point of this? To get a 6 pack? Um, no, because, honestly, even if I had one or ever get one, I'm not one to show my midriff off, so my family would be the only ones to see it! That seems silly! Why am I depriving myself for this? I really had to ask. Not going for a 6 pack, not trying to lose weight or inches, so what's the point? By this time, I only had a week in, so I knew I had to finish.
Week three comes into the scene and so does PMS. So I might have lost it a little one day, blaming the hormones, LOL! But, back on track the next day, I went. By the end of the 21 days, I could tell my body was headed into an adrenal crash. See, with adrenal fatigue, excessive exercise isn't good for you. At least in the phase of it I was in at the time {remember the sickness and stress I mentioned before? Yup, took it's toll on me and my body.} So, with me being in the "Wired and Tired" phase of adrenal fatigue, excessive exercise does more harm than good. But, I finished. Not sure how strong I finished, but I did complete the program. Sadly, I didn't take measurements before I started {coach fail, since I tell all my customers to do that before!, but again, not my goal}. so I'm not sure if I lost inches. I didn't lose any weight, but I maintained where I was {which was the goal} and those pesky foods that had a "grip" on me, lost their grip. So, all in all, my goal was achieved.
My honest thoughts on the 21 Day Fix Extreme? It's extreme! It would be a great program for someone who had a short window of time to get ready for a big event - a wedding, vacation, class reunion, etc. However, for the normal person like moi who didn't really have a "reason," I don't think it is the best option. I much prefer the original 21 Day Fix, which allows you more freedom with your food choices in terms of treats, coffee, etc. It's more manageable, I believe, for this current season of life I'm in. I think the Extreme is a great program, hands down, but I think a lot of it also depends on the goal of the person doing it. Also, where they are at in life - is it manageable with a family? Lots of events you're going out to eat for? And, where you are at hormonally, can make a difference as well. I like the 21 Day Fix Extreme, I'm not saying that I don't. I just don't think it is as viable long term as the original 21 Day Fix is. Any questions? Hit me up, hopefully you know by now, I'm an open book! And, back to PiYo I go!
No comments :
Post a Comment