As of this past Sunday night, Jenn and I made it to the end of our time on the 21-Day Fix and this will be the final update on our journey. We’ve experienced a great amount of success over a relatively short period of time. We’ve had some truly great meals that we will continue to make in the future, and I quickly became much less of a picky eater. I generally only like onions if they’re battered and deep-fried, and I’ve always harbored an unreasonably disdain for red and green peppers. That all changed with the 21-Day Fix, as both of those vegetables were incorporated into a significant number of the meals that we ate, and I, at best enjoyed them, and at worst simply didn’t mind them. This diet helped me become more open to trying new things, helped me deal with temptation and my usual lack of will power when it comes to food. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t get fully on board the exercise train for this program. I always struggle with capitalizing on any passing desire to get up and do something active. I don’t enjoy going to the gym, which is why my membership typically lays dormant, sending my money down the drain. One thing I am truly awesome at is talking myself out of physical activity, because it will always interfere with something else I’d rather be doing, even if that something else is nothing at all. Someday, I’ll have to find a way to overcome this mentality.

As far as the food plan is concerned, Jenn and I plan on doing this program repeatedly, on a cyclical basis. Our general plan is three weeks on, three weeks or a month off. During those off periods, we will still try to mix in as many healthy meals as possibly, while allowing for some cheat meals and days so that we don’t completely lose our minds. The point is, at least for me, to be able to look forward to and enjoy those cheat meals, instead of having my whole life be one big cheat meal. Sure, that lifestyle is fun to an extent, but much of the thrill is taken out of it when you’re just eating whatever you want, all the time.

Since the 21-Day Fix requires you to eat smaller, portion-controlled meals, it is something that takes some adaptation. Maybe it was all in my head, but eating that way kept me feeling hungry between meals quite often. That in itself is strange because you’re actually allowed quite a bit of food each day. I certainly didn’t eat every little thing I could every day. I felt (and heard) a significant amount of commotion going on in my stomach at any given time, but it may have been digestion happening faster since I was eating healthier, and eating less food in one sitting.

One gripe that I had with the meal plan was the incredibly unrealistic and minuscule serving size for salad dressings. If your salad consists of anything more than four leaves of lettuce, trying to cover it with just two tablespoons of dressing is an exercise in futility. I fully understand how unhealthy salad dressings can be, but I don’t think this sort of limitation is something I can ever get used to. Salads are only enjoyable to me when they’re smothered in dressing, and come topped with croutons, cheese, and whatever other goodies strike my fancy. Yes, I am aware that at that point, I may as well eat a cheeseburger.

All in all, we lost some weight, made some great meals, and got a bit healthier. We mostly repeated meals that we’ve had earlier in the diet, so you won’t see much of anything new here. I lived on Shakeology shakes, various fruits, tortilla pizzas, homemade salsa, and shrimp, for the most part. This week, we had a bit of trouble with the scale that we have, which has been known to be indecisive. The number that comes up the first time you step on it is never correct. The second time gives you a different number, which is always lower, and if that’s confirmed by a third try, that’s the number I go with. Moral of the story, I need a new scale, and one that gives you one number, regardless of where you put it on the floor, or how many times you step on it in a matter of a minute. Anyway, assuming that scale is correct, I lost almost another three pounds this week, bringing my weight down to an even 175, with a total loss of 13.5 pounds. Jenn lost another pound, for a total loss of 10.5 pounds. Listed below are my final physical measurements.

Neck: 16″ (lost 1″)

Chest: 39″ (lost 2.5″)

Left Bicep: 12″ (lost 2″)

Right Bicep: 12.5″ (lost 1″)

Waist: 37.75″ (lost 1.25″)

Stomach: 35.5″ (lost 3.5″)

Hips: 37″ (lost 4″)

Left Thigh: 23″ (no loss)

Right Thigh: 21.75″ (lost .25″)

Left Calf: 15.75″ (lost 1″)

Right Calf: 16″ (lost 1″)

Peanut Butter Squares (our first attempt at dessert during the program- slightly dry, but tasted very good)

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the journey Jenn and I took down the path toward better health with the 21-Day Fix. It’s been great overall, and we’ll be doing it again, trying some new recipes, and doing our best to fit in more exercise next time. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Thanks for reading! If you’ve gone through the 21-Day Fix and have a story, leave a comment below!