I was very overwhelmed with the meal planning and figuring out how to space out my meals. I saw the size of the containers and my allotted number of containers, and thought..
"No way. This is going to be horrible. I quit."
I was not only trying to plan out MY meals and snacks, but I was trying to figure it out for my husband, Matt, as well. I was frustrated with the process.
And then it came together. It takes time. It takes planning. It takes a little recipe research. It takes some creativity.
But then it comes together and goes as smoothly and easily as the creator of the 21 Day Fix promises. But you have to be prepared. You have to have your ingredients and snacks on hand. You have to plan for your day. You have to be MENTALLY prepared for when you are in a social situation.
If you are here looking for creative recipes and an in-depth meal plan...you are looking in the wrong place. Matt and I are creatures of habit and routine, and therefore are extremely content to eat NEARLY the same EXACT things on a day to day basis. We both struggle with nutrition, so we have to keep it simple. It is the only way we will succeed.
I am in the 1200-1499 calorie bracket and Matt is in the 1500-1799 calorie bracket. Matt would be in a higher calorie bracket, but his chronically injured hip doesn't allow him to workout.
For my calorie bracket I get 3 GREENS (Veggies), 2 PURPLES (Fruits), 4 REDS (Protein), 2 YELLOWS (Starches/Carbs), 1 BLUE (Healthy Fats), 1 Orange (Healthy Fats), and 2 TSP (Oils/Nut Butters).
I have made some allowances for a few things that I am not ashamed to admit here. I am allowing myself my coffee WITH 2 tbsp of flavored creamers (I know, the WORST). I allot myself one more YELLOW per day of soy milk to blend with my shake. Matt and I will also have PLANNED cheat meals throughout the 21 days. I understand we may not get the most PERFECT results, but we will maintain our sanity, which is very important, as well! :)
Here is a snapshot of the Excel spreadsheet I am using to log all of my food choices throughout the day :)
As a more visual reminder, Matt and I created a very simple and not at all pretty tally system for knowing what we have left to eat. The "GPRYBOTsp" are the colors of the containers. The tally marks are how many we get of each container, and as we eat, we erase!
The first two nights we have eaten this chicken and veggie stirfry, and I was pleasantly surprised at the delicious flavor the coconut oil gave it, as well as the portion size. I found the recipe on a fellow Beachbody coach, Kendra Fletcher's blog.
So how do I feel? I woke up this morning (Day 3) feeling very empowered. Last night, we attended a memorial service for a very close family friend, that ended with desserts in the fellowship hall. I made brownies for the event, did not allow myself even one lick of the spoon, and then Matt and I both remained strong for the duration of the event and stuck with our plan. No desserts.
What a feeling of control and strength and discipline! Truly, I feel so good that I have taken control of my cravings, my desires, my emotions, and have embraced this plan. I've also lost three pounds in just the two days.
I have not felt particularly hungry, as much as I just want to grab a handful of pretzels because of habit. I am learning so much already about the habits we pick up and the reasons we over-indulge.
Tonight we have a planned cheat meal, so I know that has also given us the courage (yes, courage) and stamina to be strong until tonight!
If I can be honest, when I think about doing this for 21 days...I am still intimidated. So I don't. I take one day at a time, one meal at a time, and make the best choices I can.
More updates to come!
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