Keto Container Control: 21-Day Fix For Beginners

The 21-Day Fix is a weight-loss and fitness program that promises to help you lose up to 15 pounds in just three weeks. It involves a workout guide and portion-controlled meals using seven colour-coded containers. While the program is not keto-friendly, it is possible to use the containers for keto by eliminating the yellow container for carbs and replacing it with healthy fats and green vegetables.

Replace carbs with healthy fats and green vegetables

The 21 Day Fix is a program that can help you get great results, but it is not a low-carb plan. However, it is possible to use the 21 Day Fix containers for keto. The key is to eliminate the yellow container, which is typically used for carbs, and replace it with healthy fats and only green vegetables.

• Replace the yellow container with healthy fats: This can include options like cheddar and mozzarella cheese, avocado, or nuts and seeds.
• Focus on green vegetables: Choose low-carb, non-starchy vegetables such as celery, zucchini, spinach, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. These vegetables are packed with nutrients and antioxidants while being low in carbohydrates.
• Be mindful of your macros: The macro distribution for the 21 Day Fix is typically 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. However, for keto, you want to aim for a higher fat intake, typically around 70%. So, when using the containers, focus on higher-fat options and adjust your overall calorie intake as needed.
• Get creative with recipes: You can find keto-friendly recipes that fit within the container system, such as spaghetti squash taco boats, mushroom-packed miso soup, or portobello mushroom fajitas.
• Consider keto-friendly replacements: Look for low-carb alternatives to high-carb foods. For example, use zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash instead of pasta, or cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.
• Track your progress: Pay attention to your body's response and make adjustments as needed. You may need to be stricter with your carb intake when first starting out to ensure you get into ketosis.

Use low-carb meal replacements

The 21 Day Fix is a portion-control eating plan that is not specifically low-carb or keto-friendly. However, it can be adapted to suit a low-carb or keto diet.

To use low-carb meal replacements with the 21 Day Fix containers, you can follow these steps:

• Eliminate the yellow container, which is typically used for carbs, and replace it with healthy fats and green vegetables.
• Replace Shakeology with a low-carb meal replacement shake like Isopure or FitMiss Delight Protein Powder.
• Look for low-carb alternatives to high-carb foods. For example, instead of using a yellow container for a treat, use a purple and a blue container to mix walnuts, green apple, and cinnamon, creating an apple pie flavour without added sugar.
• Focus on the keto macro percentages and overall calories. Ensure you are not consuming too many calories, even if they are keto-friendly.
• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time to stay on track. Choose a few snacks and prep enough for the whole week.
• For breakfast, consider options like instant pot frittatas, egg muffin cups, or spinach, ham, and egg cups.
• For lunch, try low-carb options like spaghetti squash taco boats, buffalo chicken bites, or kale blueberry salad.
• For dinner, choose recipes like mushroom-packed miso soup, baked Asian tilapia stir fry, or steak fajita zoodles.
• Remember that you can still include some carbs in your diet, especially if you are active. The key is to focus on complex carbs and limit simple or refined carbs.
• If you are unsure about portion sizes, consider using a food scale to weigh your food.
• Be mindful of your progress and make adjustments as needed. If you find it challenging to stick to keto using the containers, focus on the keto macros and overall calorie intake.

Calculate your calorie needs

To calculate your calorie needs on the 21 Day Fix program, you must first find your calorie baseline. To do this, you should multiply your current weight in pounds by 11. Next, add 400 to this number, which represents the calories burned through exercise. Finally, subtract 750 (the calorie deficit) from this number to get your calorie target.

For example, if your current weight is 125 pounds, your calculations would look like this:

• 125 pounds x 11 = 1375 (baseline)
• 1375 + 400 = 1775 (caloric need)
• 1775 - 750 = 1025 (calorie target)

If your calorie target is below 1200, you should round up to 1200, as this is the minimum number of calories you should be consuming in a day.

Once you know your calorie target, you can determine how many containers of each colour you are allowed per day. There are four "Container Plans" with different calorie target ranges:

• Plan A: 1,200-1,499 calories
• Plan B: 1,500-1,799 calories
• Plan C: 1,800-2,099 calories
• Plan D: 2,100-2,300 calories

Each plan outlines the number of containers of each colour you are allowed per day. For example, on Plan A, you are allowed three green containers (vegetables), two purple containers (fruit), four red containers (protein), two yellow containers (carbs), one blue container (healthy fats), one orange container (seeds and dressings), and two teaspoons of oil.

It is important to note that you should never consume less than 1,200 calories per day, and if your estimated calorie needs are above 2,300, you should round down to 2,300.

Plan your meals

Planning your meals is key to staying on track with the 21 Day Fix program. The program includes colour-coded containers for different food groups, and your daily container plan will tell you how many of each container you can have per day. For example, if there is a "3" by the Green Container (Vegetables), you will fill it with vegetables three times a day.

The container food groups are as follows:

• Green Container: Vegetables like broccoli, spinach and pico de gallo.
• Purple Container: Fruits like blueberries, strawberries, mango, and banana.
• Red Container: Proteins like chicken breast, salmon, eggs, and tempeh.
• Yellow Container: Carbohydrates like sweet potato, brown rice, tortillas, whole-wheat bread, and wine.
• Blue Container: Healthy fats like avocado, cheddar cheese, and cashews.
• Orange Container: Seeds and dressings like pine nuts, cashews, cheddar, and mozzarella.
• Teaspoons: Oils and butters like peanut butter, olive oil, and mayonnaise.

When planning your meals, you can choose a few snacks that you know you will enjoy and prepare enough for the whole week. The same goes for lunches—you can plan to take leftovers from dinner to make busy days easier.

Breakfast:

• Instant Pot Frittatas
• 21 Day Fix Egg Muffin Cups
• Cheesy Spinach, Ham & Egg Cups
• Easy Egg Scrambles
• Cloud Bread Egg Sandwich
• 2 Eggs with Fresh Salsa
• Cheesy Spinach, Ham & Egg Cups

Lunch:

• Spaghetti Squash Taco Boats
• Buffalo Chicken Bites
• Baked Asian Tilapia Stir Fry
• Portobello Mushroom Fajitas
• Kale Blueberry Salad
• Steak Fajita Zoodles
• Apricot Sheet Pan Meal
• Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa

Dinner:

• Mushroom-Packed Miso Soup
• Baked Asian Tilapia Stir Fry
• Portobello Mushroom Fajitas
• Steak Fajita Zoodles
• Orange Chicken with Vegetables
• Zoodles and Turkey Meat Sauce
• Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa

Snacks:

• Hummus and Celery Sticks
• Hard-Boiled Eggs
• Celery Sticks with Nut Butter
• Turkey Deli Meat Cucumber Roll-Ups
• Greek Yogurt with Berries
• Tomatoes with Balsamic
• Deviled Eggs
• Dried Fruit and Nuts
• Pumpkin Seeds and Fruit
• Cloud Bread with Nut Butter and Strawberry Slices

Desserts:

• Watermelon
• Strawberries
• Banana with Almond Butter
• Carrie Elle 21 Day Fix Chocolate PB Ice Cream
• Southwestern Watermelon and Jicama Salad
• Lemonade Popsicles
• Coffee Ice Cream
• Raspberry Banana Ice Cream

Remember, the 21 Day Fix program is not keto-friendly, so you will need to make adjustments to the containers and food choices to follow a keto diet.

Track your progress

Tracking your progress is an important part of the 21 Day Fix program. Before starting the program, it is recommended that you take a "before" picture. This will allow you to visually compare your progress after completing the program. In addition to taking pictures, you can also use body measurements to track your progress. Measure your arms, chest, waist, hips, and thighs before starting the program. After completing the program, compare your measurements to your "before" measurements to see how many inches you have lost.

Another way to track your progress is to calculate your calorie needs and consume portion-controlled meals. The 21 Day Fix program provides a mathematical equation to estimate your overall calorie needs. First, multiply your current weight in pounds by 11 to get your calorie baseline or basal metabolic rate (BMR). Then, add 400 calories to your calorie baseline to account for the workout calorie burn. Finally, subtract 750 calories from your total to get your calorie target for weight loss.

The 21 Day Fix program also uses color-coded containers to help you control your portions and track your daily intake. Each container is a different size and is meant for a specific food group:

• Green container (one cup): Vegetables
• Purple container (one cup): Fruit
• Red container (3/4 cup): Protein sources
• Yellow container (1/2 cup): Carbs
• Blue container (1/3 cup): Healthy fats
• Orange container (two tablespoons): Seeds and dressings

The program also provides tally sheets to make it easy for you to keep track of your daily container consumption. You can use these tally sheets to ensure you are staying within your calorie target and consuming the recommended amount of each food group.

By combining these different tracking methods, you can effectively monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed throughout the program.

Frequently asked questions