Postpartum Weight Loss with Beachbody 21 Day Fix

Left {Pre-Pregnancy}, Middle {6 months Postpartum}, Right {After 21 Day Fix}

First, I want to say thank you to everyone for your sweet comments on the picture above yesterday! They meant a lot to me and really made me glad that I decided to share my postpartum fitness journey with you all. 

I did the 21 Day Fix once before a few years ago and continued to use the workouts for maintaining even through my pregnancy. The workouts are easy and convenient because I can do them quickly right in my living room. It has been tougher with the baby setting aside the time every day to workout, but I knew I had to do it for my mental and physical health. 

I did get some requests for meal ideas and a bit more information regarding the 21 Day Fix workout and cleaning eating program so here they are.

21 Day Fix Program

The 21 Day Fix Program consists of 7 different, 30 minute, workouts using hand weights or resistant bands. Some workouts require no equipment at all. 

6 colored containers (green, purple, red, yellow, blue, and orange) each for different food groups. These help you make sure you get in your correct daily portions. 

Shakeology Protein Powder. We LOVEEEEE Shakeology and we always have it in our house. We prefer the Vegan flavors, strawberry, and chocolate. Even if we aren't doing a program Shane and I each make a smoothie in the morning with Shakeo. If I was craving it while I was pregnant, I would not take my pre-natal and supplement with folate instead. I also continued to use Shakeology while I breastfed. 

If you are interested in trying this program you can purchase it here: 21 Day Fix Program

I have signed up to be a coach because we use Shakeology so much and you get a slight discount per month. That being said, if you purchase a program through me I will be there cheering you on throughout your journey. That is one of the best things about Beachbody. Having a coach and being apart of a community gives you the support needed to successfully complete this fitness program. I studied behavior change a lot in graduate school and one of the reasons why I love the 21 Day Fix is because it includes EVERYTHING a person needs to be successful. The 30 minute workouts are quick and soooo hard {they include great modifications}, the portion control containers make it easy to know you're not overeating, Shakeology helps with getting all your vitamins and helps curb cravings, and the online fitness community gives you the support you need to complete the program. The best thing about this program is the flexibility. You CAN replace your yellow {carb} container with wine 2-3 times a week. So if you just can't give up your wine, you don't have to give it up completely. I only had wine twice while doing the program because I wanted to get the best results possible. 

If you just want to try Shakeology you can purchase it here: Vegan Shakeology Sampler

Typical Daily Menu

Breakfast: Morning smoothie with 1 scoop Shakeology, 1 cup frozen fruit,  and 1 cup unsweet original Blue Diamond Almond Milk {add water to get desired consistency}

Containers: 1 red, 1 purple {Autumn doesn't count the almond milk I never have either. That is all I have in a day.}

Midmorning Snack: 2 hard boiled eggs with salt and pepper. 

{To switch it up sometimes I add a dash of Sriracha, or a small spoonful of Dijon Mustard}

Containers: 1 red

Lunch: 1 light multi-grain English Muffin, 1/2 cup tomato puree {seasoned with Italian dry seasonings}, and 1/3 cup low-moisture shredded mozzarella cheese. Stick in the microwave or toaster oven to melt cheese. 

Containers: 2 yellow, 1 blue, 1/2 green 

Snack: 2 tbsps raw, unsalted sunflower seeds and 2 clementines 

Containers: 1 orange, 1 purple

Dinner: Protein {Baked Chicken, Salmon, Ground Turkey} with oven roasted veggies. 

For a fresh, flavored, chicken I season it with fresh chopped rosemary and basil, 1-2 cloves mashed garlic, juice a lemon, add some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning let it sit in a plastic bag for 30 minutes or you can prep in the morning and let it sit all day. Roast in the oven on 350F for 30ish minutes. 

I add tons of fresh dried Italian herbs to my veggies, toss in some garlic cloves, sprinkling with a little olive oil and roast on the same temp, same time with the chicken. 

Containers: 1 red, 2.5 green, 2 tsp oil

I use the marinade below for Salmon.

Marinade includes a juiced lemon, dried dill, drizzle of olive oil, small spoonful dijon mustard, salt and pepper. 

Dessert: 3/4 cup non-fat Chobani Greek Yogurt, dash of cinnamon and a drizzle of Maple Syrup. 

I am a HUGE dessert person and that is alway my biggest weakness and craving. This dessert helps me get my last serving of protein in for the day and gives me a little bit of sweetness to help with cravings. 

Containers: 1 red 

By the time I am done with the 21 Day Fix my cravings are significantly better and my willpower is always stronger. If for some reason I am dying for something throughout the day I always try to consume either a green juice or a small serving of raw fruit. 

More 21 Day Fix Recipes

Caprese Chicken

Crock Pot Meals {these are bomb and so easy!}

Taco Salad {I use ground turkey}

Pumpkin Overnight Oats

Snack Ideas

Hummus and Carrots

Apples Slices and Almond Butter

Raw Almonds

Reduced-Fat Mozzarella String Cheese

You can also follow my Work Out and Food pages on Pinterest for more recipes or workout ideas. 

I still have a few more pounds I would like to lose so I plan to continue with this program just not as strict. I lost 7 pounds during this program over 21 days. That may not sound like a lot, BUT you have to remember you are also gaining muscle because of the intense workouts. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you see your scale staying the same don't get discouraged. It can be a good thing. You want to build muscle, so you can be strong and not just skinny.

I have my 30th birthday coming up in a few weeks and I would definitely like to be a bit closer to my goal weight by then. My goal has always been to have all the baby weight gone by 9 months postpartum.  I think it's really important to give your body and mind time to heal and process before you commit to any eating and physical lifestyle changes. Also to realize, it took you 9 months to grow that baby, it may take 9 months to get your body completely back afterwards.. and guess what?! That is totally fine! A woman's body literally creates a miracle and all Moms really need to remember that. 

I hope this posts answers some questions, but if you have more questions please feel free to email me {alina@theneapolitanblog.com} so I can do my best to thoroughly answer them. 

As always thanks for reading!

xo, Alina