I started the 21 day fix in April of 2015. That’s when I first started incorporating Shakeology into my day and meal planning and prepping. Meal planning and prepping was all new to me! My girls were still very little at the time and I questioned whether I had time to meal plan and prep. Isabelle was only 10 months old at the time and I was still nursing. But, I was “all in”. I knew I needed the change in my diet and my lifestyle.
I was struggling a bit at the time and was frustrated that I was still hanging onto 10 lbs. that would not go away. So, I knew I needed to change my food. Our results are 80% nutrition!! After starting the 21 Day fix, I realized I was eating the right foods for the most part but my portions were all wrong!! I realized my stomach pains in the evening came from eating too healthy foods. I like how the 21 Day fix nutrition plan simplified things for me. There are so many philosophies out there on what to eat that it can be confusing. I love how the color-coded portion controlled containers enabled me to make sure I was eating the right amount of fruits, veggie, proteins, carbs and healthy fats I needed in day to give me energy. I followed my meal plan exactly the first week and the first few weeks after. This really helped understand how the 21 Day Fix worked and helped me understand portions better using the containers.
I was ecstatic to see after following my meal plan for one week I was able to lose 2 lbs. which is amazing because I was still nursing at the time and I thought the scale would never move. bahaha Of course, the scale is not the only way to measure progress I just knew I could be leaner. I also noticed that I felt better! I felt better about myself and my stomach no longer ached in the evenings. I was beginning to feel more energized all thanks to clean eating, portion control, Shakeology and of course my online health and fitness group that supported my journey. I really needed the accountability for my nutrition (since that was the area I needed the most help with)
Doing the 21 Day Fix also helped me focus on something else. I needed to focus on “me”. I was so busy taking care of my little babies (which is great!) but I was neglecting “me” and it was taking a toll of me. I realized after caring for my little ones I didn’t have much control and being able to meal plan and prep and implement my meal plan was something I could control and once I did I noticed it helped me feel better in many ways.
Since I have been doing the 21 Day Fix for almost two years, meal planning and prepping is really simple for me. First, I start with a plan! I plan out by writing the meals I want to eat during the week and then make a grocery list based off that. Most weeks my grocery lists are pretty similar because we tend to use several staple items.
Then on Sundays I meal prep! I like to make my breakfasts and lunches for the week. I already have a plan for dinner and most of the time I use my instant pot to cook dinner or my oven to roast veggies. So, dinners do not take long to make!
Here’s what I do for Meal Prep Sundays:
I make my egg cups: I use a muffin tin and add any veggies I want to each (muffin) then I put an egg in each one then I can add some spices to it, pop it in the oven at 400 degrees and cook for about 13 minutes. Then once it’s cooled, store in a container in the fridge. Breakfast is done for the week!
I make my steel cut oats: I just follow the directions on the box, 2 cups of water, 1 cup of steel cut oats, bring to a boil, once boiling turn to low, put a lid on the pan and leave it there for 20 minutes. Then my breakfast is made for the week! I put it in a container and store in the fridge. I measure it out when I need to eat it in the morning. Or you can measure it out ahead of time and store it in small containers in the fridge.
I make quinoa: Quinoa is a great option for carbs! I like to have quinoa at lunch. It is cooked basically the same way at steel cuts oats are on the stove. Then I put it in the fridge and it’s ready for the week.
AM snack: I usually have Shakeology and a serving of fruit as my mid-morning snack. Sometimes I make a shake with Shakeology and sometimes I make smoothie bowls with Shakeology and eat it with a spoon.
PM snack: Fruit & Healthy fat: I’ll usually have something like blueberries and ¼ avocado OR a serving of strawberries and 12 almonds. When I pair a fruit and healthy fat together it keeps me fuller longer and gives me energy.
Dinner: Protein & Veggie. I love my instant pot because it’s very easy to put proteins and veggies together and then dinner is ready. It’s easy to even cook brown rice in the instant to pair with dinner. Or roasting veggies is another great option that doesn’t take much time! Plus, they’re super tasty this way!
Why do I meal prep? It helps me stay on track better with my food. If I don’t have food ready it’s much easier to pick at everyone’s food or just grab whatever is close. Let’s face it, most of the choices that are easy to grab are not always good ones and end up being carbs. Carbs give us energy but I only need 2 servings of carbs a day.
I also have a confession, I wasn’t much of a cook before starting the 21 Day Fix but I have learned so much about food and how foods affect our bodies which is pretty amazing!
Here’s what I eat in a day!
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