21 Day Fix - Let's Get This Party Started!!!

Today is the first official day of the 21-Day Fix for me!  I am really excited to get started - but whenever starting something new like this, it can get a little overwhelming!  Between figuring out what I'm eating and how much of it....between planning meals and planning grocery lists....between planning workout times and meal times....it can seem like a lot!  Today I'll cover a few of the basics that I have figured out.

First of all, I started my day off by having my husband take my "before" photos for me.  I'll be honest, it didn't feel great to look at those photos and see where I'm at right now!  Instead of letting it get me down, though, I'm determined to use it as motivation to stay on track and my body back to a place where I'm feeling good and confident.  I'm not going to share the photos now....right now they have been locked up in a box, key thrown away, and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.  ;) Maybe once I'm done with the 21 days I'll be brave enough to post them.

Second - groceries!  There are SO many food options to choose from that are 21-Day approved - which is GREAT because there's bound to be something for everyone - but in making a grocery list it can get a little overwhelming!  In case you can't see through my scribbles, here's what I got today:

GREEN: Romaine, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, red peppers
PURPLE: Bananas, frozen mango, apples, grapes
RED: Ground turkey, chicken breast (I decided to get Deli meat for this), cottage cheese, eggs
BLUE: Almonds, avocados, mozzarella (I also ended up getting hummus)
YELLOW: Brown rice, pasta (of the gluten-free pastas, I prefer brown rice pasta, but any whole-grain pasta or gluten free pasta is a good choice!)

For the orange containers (oils/seeds), I will be making my own dressings or using ones that I have at home already that are 21-Day approved.

Third - workouts!  This one is going to be a bit complicated for me.  I go to Crossfit regularly, and I love it.  I love lifting weights and the programming at my gym is great.  And, most importantly, I love the people.  They're like family there.  SO I am not going to be giving those workouts up.  However, I am still excited about adding the 21-Day Fix workouts to my daily routine!  Because of the extra exercise, I'm going to be adding an extra protein shake in on the mornings after my Crossfit workout. I'm going to be paying close attention to how I am feeling, and if I'm feeling depleted, I'm going to address that as it comes - probably by adding more fruits and veggies.  The plan so far is to go to Crossfit in the mornings 4-5 times a week like normal, and then add the 21-Day Fix workouts (which are 30 minutes) at the end of the day.  Like I said, I'm going to be really careful about not depleting my body - I'm interested in being healthy and fit, NOT starved and "skinny"!  Stay tuned to see how that goes and if I decide I need to make any adaptations to the plan.

This was my lunch today.  Salad (romaine, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, deli meat, avocado), mango chunks, cottage cheese, and brown rice. I am LOVING this lunch box - I forgot I had it but it's a great solution for meal planning!  I like to plan the whole day ahead of time, so that means that I have to use my 21-Day Fix containers more as measuring cups than as storage containers.  This container is awesome because it's got everything I need - there's even a fork/spoon/knife utensil that goes in the lid, as well as a small storage space for dressing - which fits a half of an orange container perfectly.  I ordered more today, in a style that has four compartments instead of three - so I can keep my fruit in its own container - and I can't wait for them to come in!  Click here to link to the one I ordered.  These are awesome because when they're empty, they collapse!  I am a little bit nutty about "tools" - I completely love them - and I think this one is going to be the perfect 21-Day Fix tool for me.

Anybody else have experience with the 21-Day Fix?  Any little tricks you figured out that you just loved?  Let me know!