21 Day Fix Advice

NekoneMeowMixx

Good Morning!

Today I began the 21 Day Fix. Having acquired it through a friend, I'm rather eager for the program, seeing as I didn't have to pay for it, heh. That being said, the friend whom I'm borrowing it from said she'd lost an entire pants size in her first week! (A bit more extreme than I'm shooting for, but...)

I did the Upper Body Fix today, and have so far been following the portion control without trouble. (I am *awful* with my macro's, so this helps SO much) The program seems to anticipate you burning 400 calories during each workout. Even though I busted my butt, I only managed to burn 154 calories (according to my HRM) in the 30 minute workout... Not feeling satisified, I picked up my hula hoop and proceeded to burn another 126 calories in 15 minutes...

My question is-- Do I *need* to be burning the entire 400 calories to see the results I'm promised? Certainly, yes, I'm trying, and I don't think I'll be eating the entire allocated calories per day anyway... Prior to this regime, I was weightlifting on odd days, and biking on even days... Weightlifting didn't render much result, but my biking (up to 13 miles per ride) was burning anywhere (according to the same HRM) from 700 - 1,000 calories per ride...

I thought of adding in a bike ride after the 21 Day workouts, but I didn't know if that would be overkill? If I alternate (one day hula hoop after 21DWO, and the next day bike after) will that be too dramatic of a change? I'd really like to get the bike back out a few more times before the weather gets too cold, but I don't want to screw up my results by fluctuating things too much...

Any advice is much appreciated!!

Thanks

msalamun

Hey! I've done the 21 Day Fix twice through and got some great results from both rounds. I just followed the workouts and the meal plan (love portion control via color-coded containers rather than macros - so much simpler). But ultimately it's up to you and knowing your body.

On some days I definitely felt like I didn't burn that many calories (definitely some days included Upper Body Fix). In my second round, after some days when I didn't feel like I burned enough, I would go do another short (~30 min) workout later in the day. But you have to know your body to do the same.

My suggestion is to follow the workouts AND the meal plan as laid out - especially the meal plan TO THE LETTER! For those insane results and really getting rid of that fat around the midsection, you have to eat right, not just healthy, but right. After all, "Abs are made in the kitchen." Some days may have more of a burn than others. Just stick with it. Also, if the workouts feel too easy, you have to push yourself more then. Go a little harder on those cardio days; increase your weight a bit.

NekoneMeowMixx

Thanks for the response! The workout certainly wasn't easy by any means, heh. I was sweating and shaking by the end of it. I'm certainly doing my best to follow through with the meal plan. I'm finding it hard to eat every two hours, but doing my best. And I'm not eating anything I'm not allowed (Ooh, to resist the sweet temptation that is mall pretzels :P) and especially making sure to meet my macros, even if it's only in 4 or 5 meals a day...

I guess I've just got to be patient and wait to see those results-- I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track. I'm thinking (depending on how I feel) next week I'll start doing a bike ride after my work out. I love biking, and it's always helped shred those calories. Thanks and I'm definitely excited to see where this goes!

ajweightloss13

I'm doing the 21 day fix right now too. I'm finishing up my second week now. I lost 3lbs in the first week and I did not burn 400 calories in each workout. I burned a little more than 250 in the Cardio Fix, but the upper and lower fix, a lot less. I hope that helps.

NekoneMeowMixx

That's great to hear! I currently just finished Day (counts) 5! Heh, and I'm down 4.4 pounds since I weighed myself the day before starting! I bought one of those "fancy" scales that let's me track body fat % and my BMI, and So far I'm down 1.1% on my body fat and 0.7 down on my BMI! I have a girl friend who said she lost a full pant size the first week. I haven't noticed *that* extreme of results, but I'm sticking to everything 100% and I'm definitely *feeling* it, and seeing it come off, little by little

Ruxie

How are you guys knowing how many calories you are burning during these workouts? How are you guys (and gals!) logging all of this here on MFP? I'm on week three of my first session and I am finding that I'm just not logging and then feeling like I don't know if it's happening the right way. I have only lost 3 lbs so far, average of 1.5 per week which is okay I just wanted to know if anyone had a good way to log and how you are calculating how many calories you're burning? Thank you!

NekoneMeowMixx

I bought a heart rate monitor watch off Amazon for pretty cheap-- it has a function where you hit start when you begin the exercise, you hit stop when you're done, "set", so it takes you to Pulse, and then put your fingertip over the sensor and it reads your heart rate. I'm sure it's not as accurate as an actual HRM that straps on the chest would be, or say, a more expensive one, but it gives me a nice ballpark figure!

Otherwise, you could maybe try googling a calorie burn calculator? I know there's ways to measure your heart rate manually and do the math, but I'm really not sure, personally. I would recommend getting a HRM watch-- you can get them pretty cheap on Amazon (seriously, mine was on sale for about $15! :P)

Ruxie

Ok this might be a really dumb question, but I actually have a HRM but I haven't been wearing it, I got it when I was doing a half marathon but had found out I was pregnant and so I had to keep my heartrate under a certain number while I did the run, but how do I translate that to calories burned? Thanks for your help!

gnalani

Your HRM should have a function where you start and stop an exercise session. Once you stop your workout, there should be a screen telling you your average heart rate, number of minutes in heart rate zones, calories burned, etc. All HRMs will be different.

kstruzinski

Congratulations on starting and best of luck to you!!! It looks like you are definitely going to succeed!!!

I have done the 21 day fix, as well as P90X3 and some of the other beach body programs. I have to say, it is not completely about burning calories, but building muscle as well. The upper and lower fix workouts, using the resistance training, will work your muscles hard, but as they say, women will not get bulky, rather long, lean muscles. I am thinking if you are pushing hard, you are sore the day or two after each workout. This is a good sign your muscles are changing, growing, getting stronger!!! If you are a scale person, and can swing it, get a scale that measures body fat as well. I know personally, when I work out with weights, my overall weight does not drop much, but my body fat does and I like to see that progress. Overall, pay attention to how your body is changing...pants getting loose, less tired during days or actually gaining more energy!!!

I guess all I am saying is that a lot of people look at calories burned and how many pounds they drop. If you commit to change your eating habits to clean eating, and stick with the workout programs, your body will have not choice but to change!!!! 21 days, just three weeks, is a great program because of how short it is, making it easy to stay with it.

Good luck!!!!

chocolate_owl

OP, if you're measuring your success with weight lifting/21 day fix by calories registered on an HRM, you need to reevaluate. HRMs are designed for steady-state cardio and won't give accurate readings for calories burned on resistance-focused activities. Instead, be focused on your strength gains, and remember that resistance training will help you retain muscle while losing fat. That will make the inches drop and leave you looking sexy!

I'd question any program that suggests you'll burn 400 calories in 30 minutes, especially since you're not very heavy. That's an extremely high burn. I'd say 200 would be a more reasonable expectation for that sort of workout.

Deftness

The first time I did 21 Day Fix I lost 5lbs in a week and about an inch off my waist. I am a bit heavier and my eating before that round was TERRIBLE. I believe your friend lost a lot of water weight and bloating during that first week. Whatever it was, it's an incredible motivator!

mskessler89 wrote: »

OP, if you're measuring your success with weight lifting/21 day fix by calories registered on an HRM, you need to reevaluate. HRMs are designed for steady-state cardio and won't give accurate readings for calories burned on resistance-focused activities. Instead, be focused on your strength gains, and remember that resistance training will help you retain muscle while losing fat. That will make the inches drop and leave you looking sexy!

I'd question any program that suggests you'll burn 400 calories in 30 minutes, especially since you're not very heavy. That's an extremely high burn. I'd say 200 would be a more reasonable expectation for that sort of workout.

^i think that is spot on though. I bought a Polar FT7 and only burned 300 cals today with Total Body Cardio. I was like,"where's my other 100 calories?", but it makes sense now after reading her reply.