Going on a New 21 Day Fix Extreme Adventure!

My husband and I have just completed 60 days of Insanity Max 30!  On Monday we will be moving on to our next 21 day program, 21 Day Fix Extreme.  Both of us did the original 21 Day Fix and got our best results from that program.  The combination of the nutrition plan and fitness plan is the perfect mix to achieving results.  Most people lose 8-10 pounds within one round of 21 Day Fix!  The nutrition plan teaches about portion control.   The program comes with these tiny, colorful containers.

Based on your weight and activity level, the nutrition plan gives you a chart of how many of these containers you can have each day.  So for instance.... I get 3 green, 2 purple, 4 red, 2 yellow, 1 blue, 1 orange.  The plan is not just about portion control, it is about balancing your meals so you are getting the appropriate amount of each type of food to help your body function to the best of its ability.  For each container there is a list of CLEAN foods that you may eat.  As long as that food fits in the container, YOU CAN HAVE IT!  How simple is that? 

Here is what I noticed while doing the nutrition plan:  My body felt good.  Foods that I used to think tasted good like my kids snacks, processed food, ice cream...did not taste good to me anymore!  The kids snacks and cereal tasted like cardboard.  I wasn't craving the bad food anymore.  My body started craving the clean, good food.  I will never forget when I opted to have CARROTS instead of ice cream!  That is huge for me.  Also, because I was eating the correct amounts of each food group my body seemed to get more regular (if you know what I mean...TMI?  Sorry).  The other thing that I noticed from eating clean was that my muscle definition was much more defined.  My biceps, triceps, back, and abs were very much present on this clean nutrition plan.  I learned that I had been eating waaaaay too much fruit and carbs.  I had not been eating enough vegetables and protein.

The workouts offer a lot of variety.  She integrates weights into many of the 7, half hour, workouts.  Weight training burns 40% more fat than just cardio alone.  Weight training also causes your body to burn calories while you sleep.  I spent years of my life running on a treadmill only to get no results.  The minute I started integrating weight training into my workout routine is when I saw REAL results.  My entire body changed shape and the pounds and inches started melting off.  Autumn Calabrese is the trainer.  Here she is!

Autumn uses a variety of workouts to get great results.  All the workouts are 30 minutes long.  She does cardio, cardio with weights, total body strength training, upper body strength training, lower body strength training, pilates, and yoga.  She also has a killer 10 minute ab routine.  One workout per day.  She uses pilates and yoga as active rest days.  Each exercise that she does only lasts 1 minute.  She always says "You can do anything for 1 minute!"  And you can, right?

On Monday we break open 21 Day Fix Extreme and will do the program full out for 21 Days.  I am so excited to share our results when we are done!  But...this week we did try out some yummy looking recipes from the 21 Day Fix Extreme Meal plan.  So, I thought I would share some of my favorites with you!

CHICKEN FAJITAS - 2 green, 1/2 purple, 1 red, 1/2 blue
Makes 4 servings, 2 fajitas each

1 tsp.  chili powder
1/2 tsp.  sea salt
1/2 tsp.  ground cumin
1/2 tsp.  garlic powder
2 tsp.  olive oil (divided use)
4 (5-6oz) raw chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 medium red (or green) bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 TBSP. fresh lime juice
8 Large romaine (or butter) lettuce leaves
1/2 medium avocado, thinly sliced
1 cup  fresh salsa

1.  Combine chili powder, salt, cumin, garlic powder, and 1 tsp. oil in large resealable plastic bag.
2.  Add chicken, bell pepper, and onion; mix gently to coat.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes
3.  Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
4.  Empty contents of bag into skillet; cook, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
5.  Remove from heat.  Add lime juice.
6.  Evenly top lettuce leaves with chicken mixture, avocado, and salsa.

Absolutely delicious!

TURKEY LETTUCE WRAPS - 1 green, 1 red
Makes 6 servings, 1 wrap each

1.5 lbs.  raw 93% lean ground turkey breast
1 tsp.  garlic powder
1 tsp.  ground cumin
1/2 tsp.  sea salt
1 tsp.  chili powder
1 tsp.  paprika
1/2 tsp.  dried oregano
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
3/4 cup  water
3/4 cup tomato sauce, no sugar added (4 oz)
6  large lettuce leaves, washed, dried
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup   fresh cilantro, chopped

1.  Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add turkey; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until no longer pink.
2.  Add garlic powder, cumin, sea salt, chili powder, paprika, oregano; mix well.
3.  Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
4.  Add water and tomato sauce.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, for 10-12 minutes.
5.  Top each lettuce leaf evenly with turkey mixture, tomato and cilantro.

TURKEY CHILI  - 1/2 green, 1 red, 1/2 yellow
Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each

1 tsp.  olive oil
1.5 lbs.  raw 93% lean ground turkey
1  medium onion, chopped
1  medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves  garlic, finely chopped
1.5 tsp.   ground cumin
1 TBSP.  chili powder
1/2 tsp.  sea salt
1/4 tsp.  cayenne pepper (to taste)
2 (15 oz.) cans  black beans (or pinto beans), drained, rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can  all natural diced tomatoes, no sugar added
12 fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped for garnish

1.  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2.  Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes, or until turkey is no longer pink.
3.  Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
4.  Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid).  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; gently boil, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until thickened.
5.  Serve warm, sprinkled with cilantro.

I hope you enjoy!