Could the 21 Day Fix be the Fix For Me?

Mini confession here... I have to admit to being somewhat food and nutrition obsessed.

For the past few weeks I have been making an attempt to work with IIFYM - If It Fits Your Macros - to come up with a food plan that I can follow and use to knock off a couple of pounds of fluff.  I have been strength training 3 times per week and also walking a lot.  

I have not had a great deal of success... I have had a few mini losses and a few mini gains and what I find is that all I think about is food, to make sure I am hitting my numbers. I think it is not really mentally healthy. 

So, I have decided to change gears.  

I bought the 21 Day Fix when it was first released a couple of years ago, and although I do like some of the workouts, I never really gave the colored-container food plan an honest trial. I read it through, decided it was too restrictive and put the colored containers away in my cupboard.

This past week I saw that my BeachBody Coach is running a Holiday Challenge group and I jumped right in. I have been assembling the tools and information I need to follow the 21 Day Fix food plan and I am ready... mentally ready too.

Yes, I know that nuts and seeds and healthy oils and nut butters are limited.  Yes, I know that I cannot have cheese and avocado on the same day.  Insert sad face here... but on the positive side... I no longer drink wine so that will make it much easier.  I know that if I am hungry I can fill up on raw veggies... going over my GREEN container count for the day is not a serious infraction and will be my back up plan.

Colored containers?  

Yes, there is a set of cute colored containers with lids, and each color represents and different food group and they are all different sizes.  According to the formula suggested, I calculated my food allotment by container.

GREEN holds about 1 cup and is for vegetables. I am allowed 3 each day.

RED holds about 3/4 cup and is for protein. I am allowed 4 each day.

PURPLE holds about 1 cup and is for fruit. I am allowed 2 each day.

YELLOW holds about 1/2 cup and is for beans and grains and potatoes.  I am allowed 2 each day.

BLUE holds about 1/3 cup and is for cheese, avocado, nuts and hummus. I am allowed 1 per day.

ORANGE holds about 2 Tbs and is for seeds and olives and chopped nuts. I am allowed 1 per day.

I am also to have 2 tsp of healthy oils or nut butters.

All totalled, it is supposed to come to between 1200 and 1499 calories per day... which certainly is in the range of where I was with IIFYM and with Weight Watchers too.

But looking at it, it doesn't seem like very much food to a girl who can put away 3 cups of spinach and greens at lunch in a salad!  And who can toss back a handful of almonds in a flash.  Which is probably why I am struggling with those few pounds in the first place, right?

But I am committed, and I am going to do it.  Here is what I am planning for the week:

• each morning I am going to write myself a food plan for the day according to my schedule of activities for the day.  
• I am going to up my workout game this week and do 4 strength workouts M, W, Th, F using the 21 Day Fix DVDs and my Reebok Kettlebell workouts.
• I plan to run today.
• I am going to track my food intake on my colored charts as well as in My Fitness Pal to see what I am actually consuming.
• If I am truly hungry, I will eat veggies/fruit to get me through to the next planned meal.  And being somewhat rebellious, I am not going to use the GREEN containers to count my leafy greens... baby Spring mix or spinach, only the other veggies that I eat.

And I intend to report back my progress... what was planned vs. what actually happened.

Here goes... wish me well!

Do you follow a particular food plan?

Do you have any experience with the 21 Day Fix?

Rechargeable Knuckle Lights Review

This product is something I have been wishing for... Rechargeable Knuckle Lights.  I eagerly read the press release that arrived in my email and then contacted them right away.  I am so happy that they sent me a pair of the new rechargeable lights to try out and review.  Honestly, I really love them!

I first became familiar with Knuckle Lights about 3 years ago, and published a review of them at that time. You can read my review about the original product here, if you like.

I have been faithfully using those Knuckle Lights every time I venture outside in the dark... whether to walk or to run... no matter how far I have to go.  We live in an urban area and sometimes the traffic seems to pay little attention to people on foot.  And the first rule of safety, I am sure, is to SEE and BE SEEN.  Knucke Lights certainly take care of me that way!

And with the new, improved version... they look after me even better.

These new Rechargeable Knucke Lights shine much brighter than the originals.  And, they have an extra wide beam that moves with your hands so it illuminates the entire area in front of you as you move.

When you first take them out of the package, they need to be plugged into the battery charging station and fully charged before first use.  This dock has both a wall unit and a USB unit for charging.

There are indicators on the dock that glow RED when the light unit is not fully charged.

And then the indicator turns GREEN when the light unit is ready to use.

The dock has built in overcharge protection.  This means that the light units can be stored on the dock and plugged in at all times. There is not danger of overcharging and damaging the batteries.  Very convenient. And it means they will be ready to go whenever you want to use them.

Along with walking and running in the dark, these handy light units can be used in other ways.  The Captain has discovered that one works very nicely when he is out on our deck using the barbecue. And when he is finished with it, he places it back on the dock.

And a short time later is is completely recharged and ready to use again.

The light units are made to be worn on the front of your hands and they have adjustable silicone straps which means you can wear them over gloves and mittens.

And they are fully waterproof... the unit is completely sealed... which is a real bonus for me because where I live it pretty much rains all Winter!

The lights have 3 different settings.  You can easily cycle through them with a press of your thumb on that button on the top of the unit.  There is a very bright beam, and a low beam and also a blinker. Just hold the button down for a couple of seconds to turn the light off altogether.  

I will warn you now not to look into the light when you turn it on!  That bright beam is VERY bright.

And the lights are long lasting.  The battery charge is good for 4 hours on bright, 8 hours on low and 14 hours on blink.  Lots of charge there for long runs and walks.

I should also tell you that this is an American made product. The company is based in Oregon and was founded by Dan Hopkins who is a runner himself.

I hope you will have a look at the Knuckle Lights Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/KnuckleLights/  because they have a sale on right now. But you have to act fast.  There is a code on today's post to use as at checkout in order to receive a 10%  discount on a pair of Rechargeable Knuckle Lights.

How do you stay safe when outside in the dark?

Has the time change affected your routine?