Meal Planning- P90x3 or 21 Day Fix

Nutrition is key. Repeat it and feel it. Seriously, it is one of the most VITAL components of losing weight, getting in shape and getting that beloved 6-pack.

So, to avoid the temptation of reaching for a fructose filled snack bar- we meal plan and prep. Being prepared isn't half the battle, it IS the battle. So today, before we start our program, I am going to show you how to quickly meal plan- for an entire family and a few options to meal prep.

Now, I am a firm believer in FOLLOWING the program. The meal plan and workout schedule is set for many reasons- although sometimes we need to slightly tweak it for our own personal reasons ex: health problems, allergies, sensitivities.

The reason I am really LOVING p90x3 nutrition plan right now more than our usual simple 21 Day Fix is the versatility for each diet.

Tony and the nutritionalists set up a stystem that deals in macros- which is more beneficial to vegetarians/vegans. OUR family loves the fact that we can have more veggies on one day or more fruit or grains on another. It sets up a basic guide for what macros to eat at each meal/snack which really simplifies meal planning.

So I have attached my meal plan for my 1800 (plan b) calorie diet as well as my husbands 3000(plan F I believe). It would be simple to add/remove a macro to fit into any plan though. So the first week, my husband and I had the same lunch and dinners. 

For breakfast, I alternated between Protein & banana pancakes and oatmeal with blueberries and pecans.

Snacks for me were simple veggies and hummus in the morning and overnight oats or toffee dip with apples in the afternoon.

And a few of our dinners:

Black bean burgers: 

http://littlebutfiercefitness.blogspot.com/2015/08/black-bean-mushroom-zucchini-burgers.html

Chicken salad bowl: 

Lay down lettuce, top with tomatoes, sliced onion, pineapple and baked chicken(marinated in reduced sodium soy sauce, worshestershire sauce and honey)

Pita pizza:

Pita, pizza sauce, ham slices, pineapple, mushrooms, onion, cheese, Italian seasoning.

Chicken & Black Bean wraps

(Tortilla, lettuce, onion, sprouts, cucumber, chicken, black beans, hot sauce, mustard)

Whole wheat Spaghetti with Fixate Tomato Sauce and Turkey Meatballs

Whole wheat spaghetti(2 yellow)

Fixate spaghetti sauce(yum)

Turkey meatballs:

2lbs ground turkey

1/2 cup rolled oats

Italian seasoning

Red pepper flakes

Garlic

Chopped onion

Chicken fajitas on corn tortillas

For my husbands and my meal plans for our first week, we eat the same lunch and supper (supper leftovers become next days lunch)- we eat the same things there. My husband needs to leave the house by 5:45, so he makes a breakfast sandwhich and has his Chocolate Shakeology. It is a REAL struggle getting him to eat breakfast, so he has a few leftovers that he can use for a later snack at night- crackers and avocado, peanut butter sandwhich, pita chips and guacamole, etc. our snacks are also different to suit our tastes- I prefer to have a few different snacks to keep my week interesting- my husband likes routine. My kids will use any leftover foods( an oz of chicken, a bit of rice, pieces of pineapple, bananas, wheat crackers, yogurt,) to cut down on our grocery bill. I will buy them cheese strings and make healthy banana bread or pumpkin chip muffins for a 'treat'. 

 So my 2nd weeks meal plan is a plant based meal plan. It doesn't follow P90x3 or 21 Day Fix meal plan, but somewhere in the middle. I love Dana from Rebel Dietitian- she really lays out clean eating and plant-based diets for beginners. The first week is using her meal plan which you can find here:https://rebeldietitian.us/eat-clean-meal-planning/ . Here is my Plant Based/ Vegan/Vegetarian Meal Plan which revolves around fruits & greens and beans/lentils/quinoa as protein. I don't use oil to cook so I have 4 tsps every day which I use for more extra fats- avocado/guacamole, nuts, and some nut butters occasionally which is why you may see an extra orange container or blue container every day.

***Ooh- side note- chocolate is 'approved' in 21 day fix and is plant based: just follow Dana's recommendations. I put them in my afternoon snack,  I believe in moderation of treats: 80-90% diet and 10-20% treats/life. This helps me from getting a super sweet tooth and derailing from my plan by indulging in a dozen donuts** 

Ps. The black bean burgers are my absolute favourite!!!

The sunshine and crab are L's favourite:

Meal planning/prepping is the easiest way to stay on track and achieve your goals. If you need help planning, reach out to me- i would LOVE to help you. It's honestly my favourite- Planning a week that fits everyone's needs is equivalent to completing the Sunday crossword. ;)

Myranda 

P90x3 90 Day Program- Behind the Scenes

Welcome, welcome, welcome! Many of you have probably wandered here through Pinterest when searching for a meal plan or perhaps from my Facebook Page: fb.com/littlebutfiercefitnessmyrandabritton . Like I said- welcome and I hope you find a few extra meal ideas, plans and motivation to stay on track for the next 90 days- if you need help making it through ninety days- reach out to myself or a fellow coach- we are here to help YOU get past those struggles, temptations and excuses so that you become a stronger, healthier and happier version of yourself. Sounds awesome right? 

So usually I love 21 Day Fix- it has been a life changing, program that has helped my family go from a SAD (standard American diet) to a healthier lifestyle.

Okay so after doing many rounds of 21 Day fix, my results have come to a screeching halt. When you stil have 50 pounds to lose it can be discouraging and *sometimes* can lead to you giving up or throwing your hands in the air at your unrewarded efforts- even half way through a program.

I can also admit, that I am controlled by the scale- each week of poor results leads to discouragement and I revert to old habits and that my friends, leads to that regretful *but so very delicious* downward-spiralling cupcake. I am my own worst enemy. 

So, the moral of this story, is after defeating myself each week, I have finally had enough- enough of this roller coaster- this is my fresh start. I feel the only way to really feel accountable is to tell people. I will be joining a challenge group and documenting my results and journey for the next 30 days. Meal plans, recipes, transformation photos, documenting each step and day in the process. I hope this information will help someone starting a new program or stuck in a rut after many months.

I don't know about you, but when I start a new program (which is often), I want to know EVERY single detail about their journey. What program did you do? What did you eat? 3 carrots or 4? I want to know EXACLTY how to achieve their results. So, here I am documenting my results while following P90x3 nutritional plan and Lean workout plan. 

Now, there may be a few people who read this and say "people are all unique, and no two people will get the same results- there are so many contributing factors." You know what, I agree- it took me a LONG time to step away from my coach's success and her process and find something that worked for ME. 

So if this sounds familiar or you are wanting some meal plans, recipes or results from little ol me- then these posts are for you. 

So, whenever you start a new program or journey- document yourself. Measure, take pictures, take a fit test if suggested, jot down a few feelings, reasons why you want to change or hang that "dream" outfit up so you have something to work towards in case your journey or diet waivers.. Create a dream or motivation board to keep you on track  ! My before and current picture after a few months of changing my lifestyle but still enjoying myself during seasonal get togethers. Left: 191 lbs- unhappy with myself. The right- my current weight- 170 lbs- getting happier with my progress and really digging the lifestyle change and FRESH food. 

If you need additional help, feel free to reach out to me. Even if you have a coach, are a coach or don't have a coach, I would be happy to answer any questions you have about my journey to help you with yours, your challengers or someone who may like a recipe  :)

Okay so on with the show- 90 days is nothing- we got this  :) Tomorrow we talk about my meal plan, how I plan my husbands- AND even our kids ;)

Myranda  <3