21 Day Fix Grocery List Staples

I can honestly say that I am in love with the 21 day fix meal plan and the whole 21 Day Fix Process! It's easy, its simple, its basically fool proof.  If you stick to the things on the list of approved foods and you keep it basic you can't go wrong.  Plus I really dislike counting calories so the fact that I can tally up my containers and check it off each day is much more my style. I still use my containers at home, but I am getting much better about "eyeballing" when I am out to eat.  I can visualize what a proper portion size should look like on my plate.  

The thing that I really like is that since I was already eating "clean" I really didn't have a total learning curve. My biggest "a-ha" was the portions I was eating of my clean food. I was way overdoing complex carbs and fruit! The containers and the system taught me how much I should be having and now I am much better at planning my meals to fit the plan. 

So what should your grocery list look like?  While I can't tell you to go out and buy EVERYTHING on this list, I can give you an idea of the general things that you are going to be using on a daily basis for the fix.  The quick reference guide below really helps as well.

Proteins

So when you hit up the store stick to lean proteins like

Fish- Salmon, Tilapia, Cod

Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breast

Turkey Breast

Eggs

Lean Ground Turkey (I typically get 95% lean)

Pork Tenderloin

Flank Steak

Veggie Burgers

Personally I really limit my red meat, processed lunch meats, turkey bacon and ham slices.  These items are on the 21 Day Fix approved list, but I just think there are "better" options.  Turkey bacon, lunch meat, and ham all are higher in sodium and can cause you to retain water.  

Fruits 

Apples

Pears

Berries like Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries

Oranges

Watermelon

Cantaloupe

Kiwi

Bananas

This is one of the areas I was over-doing. Make sure to pay attention to your fruit portions. Please don't take this as me telling you to not eat fruit (not the case at all) but since fruit has a natural sugar content we want to be conscious of how much we consume!

Vegetables

Green Beans

Celery

Asparagus

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Spinach

Peppers

Onions

Tomatos

Squash

cucumbers

Lettuce

Brussels Sprouts

Mushrooms

Fill up on the greens! I sneak spinach into my chocolate Shakeology. You would never know it was there!  I stay away from corn as a vegetable and if I eat it then it goes into the starch category.

Complex Carbohydrates 

Brown Rice

Quinoa

Oatmeal (not instant in the packet)

 Rolled Instant Oats

Sweet Potatoes

Red Skin potatoes

Black Beans

Pinto Beans

Couscous

Ezekiel Bread

Whole Grain Tortillas

Quinoa, sweet potatoes, Ezekiel bread are great sources of whole grains that are very natural and will give you fiber, fullness and nutrients. When I buy waffles I buy the Vans Power grains for the extra nutrient kick. I do limit myself to eating them as a treat though...I really like maple syrup. ha! 

Blue

Unsweetened Coconut

Raw Unsalted Almonds

Raw Unsalted Cashews

Hummus

Goat Cheese

Feta Cheese

Avocado

This is definitely a category that I used to go way over!  I used to eat hummus, almonds and cheese and avocado all in one day and it was totally killing my progress.  I now only have cheese (or really any dairy) on occasion and have found I am much less bloated!

List of other ingredients that I used frequently:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Coconut Oil

All Natural Peanut Butter, only ingredients are peanuts and a little salt.

Almond Butter

Unsweetened Almond Milk for my Shakeology

Chia Seeds

Sea Salt

Pepper

Chili Powder

Onion Salt

Garlic Powder

Garlic

Seltzer Water- Love La Croix if you have a hard time drinking water.

Green Tea

Honey

Greek Yogurt

Cinnamon

Slivered Almonds

What is the 21 Day Fix?  Email me: BrittanyLerbakken@gmail.com

xoxo

Britt

Getting Healthy and Saying YES to New Opportunities

Have you ever had that feeling that you were missing something from life, but couldn't pinpoint it? Like there was a void that couldn't be filled? Like you were meant to do something really great, but were completely at a loss of what that was?

This was me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my life. I have wonderful people who surround me daily, I have a job that is supportive, flexible, and has one heck of a great mission. However, I didn't feel on fire…and I was craving the heat.

The Background:

I've mentioned before that I followed the Tone It Up nutrition plan for the past couple years. I don't follow it to a TEE, but I do keep their ideas and practices in mind as much as possible. I am not sure why I haven't been more public with this (unless you follow my Instagram), because it has opened my eyes to a whole new world and has really presented itself to be a bigger part of my life than I ever thought it would be. I probably didn't share because I was afraid of being "annoying" on Facebook or something. I care too much about what others think sometimes. 

Over the past several weeks I've really been stirring myself up: changing my perspective on life, my sense of identity, my vision and what I am really after and meant to do while here in this life. I'm becoming more self-aware and confident in all aspects of my life-as I am starting to believe myself when I say "I CAN DO THIS. I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!". I'm realizing that my experiences and motivation can actually have some influence, and I want to share so that I can hopefully help others!

So I am sure you might be thinking " Tone It Up is just another diet plan, why the heck is she so excited?" Here is the thing that sets Tone It Up apart from other "plans": there is a HUGE community of women out there on social media supporting each other through every healthy meal and work-out "check-in". This accountability is why I have had success and why I love it so much. It is hard to post a burger or huge plate of pasta, but it is pretty exciting to post about my colorful salad! Don't worry--I eat burgers and pasta on occasion! The accountability is KEY to long-term success. You can see my journey on Instagram @BrightEyedandBushyKaled

 (All photos from my Instagram)

Since adopting the lifestyle I have maintained a 5 lb weight loss and seen some definition. I have a ways to go...this is me not being SUPER dedicated. What I have realized through posting my journey on Instagram and recently Facebook, is that people find me motivating. Me? Motivating?! Wow, and thank you :)

Where I am now:

About a month ago, right after the wedding, I was scrolling through Instagram and saw a post about an opportunity that I had ignored…a LOT. This time, I felt it in my gut that I really needed to ask questions and find out more about this opportunity. I have only felt that strong gut feeling two other times in my life: once when I called off a wedding and once when I met Dave. What I found was something that combined my passions for health and fitness with a business opportunity. Something that I could mold and make my own and release that entrepreneur that I knew I had in me.  That opportunity was becoming a  Team Beachbody “Coach”.

So what is this “Team Beachbody”? They are the company behind the successful home fitness programs like 21 Day Fix, P90X, T25 and Insanity.  The mission of Beachbody is to promote healthy and more fulfilling lives. Whoa. So you are telling me that with this opportunity I could do what I was already doing by promoting a healthy lifestyle, motivate amazing women, be motivated by amazing women, and possibly make some extra cash on the side?! SIGN ME UP! I felt the FIRE I was craving! I felt like I was meant for this. I am SUPPOSED to do this! I just never knew where to turn!

So what does this mean for you: my family, my friends, and my friends I have yet to meet? It means that my new adventure is not to “sell” you products, but to help you live a healthy and fulfilling life. That can mean losing weight or just gaining confidence. I will be running private, FUN Challenge Groups through Facebook where you will be connected with other like-minded women who are also doing a program looking for accountability and wanting to make a change. I am there every step of the way to keep you motivated and encouraged. Because you CAN feel confident!

I am literally bursting at the seams with excitement. Let’s chat if you are interested in seeing some REAL RESULTS! I would love to chat with you about your goals! brittanylerbakken@gmail.com

Cheers to love and a healthy life!

Xoxo,

Britt