Beachbody 21 Day Fix: Healthy or Harmful?

When it comes to dieting, we're often told that crash diets are a bad idea. So why is Beachbody's 21 Day Fix so popular? The 21 Day Fix is a weight loss program that promises dramatic results in just three weeks without calorie counting.

While the company promotes their product as a healthy way to reach weight loss goals, there are actually some major health concerns with this crash diet.

What is the 21 Day Fix Program?

The 21 Day Fix program is a weight loss and fitness program that promises dramatic results in just three weeks. This is Beachbody's flagship nutrition program, which was developed by their “Super Trainer” Autumn Calabrese.

The program includes workout programs and a nutrition guide, as well as portion-controlled containers that are used to measure out the food you eat.

The premise of the program is simple: by following the workout routine and eating portion controlled meals, the Beachbody website claims you can lose up to 15 lbs in 21 days.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Many people have claimed to have had success with the program and have seen significant weight loss in just three weeks. However, there are also many people who have experienced health problems as a result of this Beachbody program.

The truth is that any diet that promises such dramatic results in such a short period of time is likely to be unhealthy. And the 21 Day Fix is no exception.

The 21 Day Fix Eating Plan

The 21-Day Fix eating plan is based on the principle of portion control. The program comes with seven different colored containers, each of which represents a different food group.

You are supposed to eat a certain number of servings from each food group every day and you are not allowed to go over your daily allotment.

For example, you may have four green containers for vegetables, two purple container for fruits, four red container for protein, two yellow container for carbs, one blue container for healthy fats, and one orange container for oils and seeds.

In this way, the Portion Fix containers act as a set of measuring cups. You are also supposed to drink plenty of water every day and avoid eating any processed foods or foods that are high in sugar.

The premise of the program is simple, but it can be difficult to stick to. It's also important to note that the portion sizes and calorie allotments prescribed by the program are often too restrictive, which can lead to nutritional inadequacies.

The Dangers of the 21 Day Fix Eating Plan

The 21 Day Fix is a very low-calorie diet. While the program claims to promote healthy eating and exercise, the calorie restrictions are often too extreme.

Because of this portion control system, many people who follow the 21 Day Fix end up eating far fewer calories than their bodies need. This can lead to weight loss, but it can also cause a number of other health problems.

When you drastically reduce your calorie intake, your body can start to break down muscle tissue for energy. This can lead to a loss of lean muscle mass and a decrease in strength.

Additionally, when you drastically reduce your calorie intake, your body is not getting the nutrients it needs to function properly. This can lead to a number of health problems, including fatigue, irritability, hair loss, and constipation.

The 21 Day Fix may also cause some people to develop disordered eating habits. This is because the program is based on the principle of restriction.

When you severely restrict your calorie intake, it can lead to feelings of deprivation. This has been shown to trigger binge eating and an unhealthy preoccupation with food.

Because of this, the 21 Day Fix eating plan is not a sustainable or recommended way of eating.

How to Use the 21 Day Fix Containers

The 21 Day Fix uses seven color coded containers to measure out the food you eat.

You are supposed to fill up each container with the prescribed amount of food and then eat a certain number of container counts throughout the day.

For example, if you have four green containers for vegetables, you would fill them up with vegetables off the approved food list and then eat them throughout the day.

The amount of containers you get is based on your calorie needs.

If you need 1,200-1,499 calories per day, you would get four green containers, three purple containers, two red containers, two yellow containers, one blue container, and one orange container.

If you need 2,000-2,499 calories per day, you would get six green containers, five purple containers, four red containers, three yellow containers, one and a half blue containers, and one and a half orange containers.

There are several problems with this.

One problem with the 21 Day Fix is that it doesn't account for the fact that people's calorie needs vary based on their age, height, current weight, activity level, and other factors.

The way that Beachbody has you calculate your calories is not based on best practices and it doesn't consider all of the factors that affect calorie needs.

This has resulted in people being in far deeper deficits than what is necessary to reach their goals.

Additionally, the portion sizes prescribed by the program are often too small, which can leave participants feeling hungry and unsatisfied.

Lastly, the food list is very restrictive. Beachbody claims they have ordered their lists from top to bottom based on nutrient density, and for the best results participants are instructed to choose foods towards the top of the list.

However, I found several inconsistencies with this ranking system, so it seems to me that this was merely a way to further restrict foods, making it hard to find foods that you like and fit into the color coded container system.

21 Day Fix Calorie Brackets

I don't know what formula Beachbody is trying to use for this nutrition plan, but I've never seen it in any of my nutrition science textbooks. I ran several scenarios using their formula and always came up with calorie deficit recommendations that were very aggressive.

For example, if I use my husband as a case study here: Joey is a 6'3" 210lb male who has a sedentary job but engages in moderate exercise 4-5 times a week.

Using the formula from the 21 Day Fix:

210 X 11 = 2310

2310 + 400 =2710

2710 - 750 = 1960

At 1960 calories, it is recommended that Joey be assigned to "Plan C" which puts his caloric intake bracket between 1800-2099 calories a day.

I don't know about you, but this calorie goal is putting off major alarm bells in my head! That is far too low for someone of Joey's stature to be regularly consuming! 

A more evidence based method would be to determine Joey's total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and for this I like to start with the Mifflin St. Jeor formula.

The male formula is: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5. And the formula for females is: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161.

Using the male version of the Mifflin St. Jeor:

(10 X (210/2.2)) + (6.25 X (75X2.54)) - (5 X 34) - 161 =

(10 X 95.5) + (6.25 X 190.5) - (5 X 34) - 161 =

955 + 1191 - 170 - 161 = 1815

Joey's BMR has been established to be 1815. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of calories your body burns at rest and it accounts for 60-75% of the calories you burn in a day.

The BMR represents the energy your body needs to perform the most basic functions such as breathing, circulating blood and repair.

If you remember, it was recommended that Joey eat between 1800 - 2099 calories on the 21 Day Fix. That is the range for his BMR! Dipping that low puts him at risk for not having enough energy to function at a basic level!

If Joey was one of my clients, I would use his BMR to find his TDEE. The Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the amount of calories someone needs to eat in order to maintain their current weight.

To find Joey's TDEE, we need to multiply his BMR by his activity factor.

The activity factors are:

1.2 = Sedentary

1.375 = Lightly active

1.55 = Moderately active

1.725 = Very active

1.9 = Extra active

Since Joey engages in moderate exercise 4-5 times a week, we will use 1.55 as his activity factor.

1815 X 1.55 = 2801

To maintain his weight, Joey needs to eat about 2800 calories. If Joey wanted to pursue weight loss, he would have to go into a caloric deficit, and if Joey wanted to pursue weight gain, he would need to go into a caloric surplus.

I like to recommend a gentle 10-15% deficit to my weight loss clients, with a 20% variance. What this means for Joey is I would take his maintenance calories (his TDEE) and subtract 15%.

His new calorie target is 2381 with a 20% variance. The 20% variance allows his diet to naturally fluctuate within a range of about 1905-2856 calories a day.

Some days he may eat more, and some days he may eat less but as long as he is averaging out near his deficit target of 2381, he will make significant progress eating 280-580 more calories a day than what was recommended on the 21-Day Fix! 

When you overly restrict your calories, you are also overly restricting your nutrients. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies which can have serious consequences on your health!

So, not only is the 21-Day Fix an ineffective way to lose weight, it is also a dangerous way to diet!

Crash diets like the 21-Day Fix come with significant adverse health effects such as:

-Hormone imbalances

-Metabolic damage

-Muscle loss

-Decreased bone density

-Gastrointestinal issues

-Anemia

-Fatigue

-Weakness

-Dizziness

-Fainting

-Irritability

-Headaches

-Constipation or diarrhea

I'm not saying that you can never eat fewer calories for intentional weight loss. But I am saying that if you are going to do so, you need to be doing it in a safe and sustainable way!

What You Can Eat on the 21 Day Fix?

The 21 Day Fix comes with a food list that outlines what you can and cannot eat while following the diet. There are seven food groups on the 21 Day Fix food list:

-Protein

-Vegetables

-Fruit

-Carbs

-Healthy fats

-Seeds and dressings

Each comes with their own 21 Day Fix "approved" food lists. The problem with food lists is that they are often very restrictive and can be hard to follow.

Beachbody promises this program is about flexibility, but the more food rules they add, the more rigid this appears to me. For instance, I cannot find any reasoning as to why they would extrapolate fruit from vegetables. 

Vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet, but so are fruits! And the 21-Day Fix encourages reducing whole fruits in the diet.

To take it a step further, the "3 Day Quick Fix" program removes fruit all together for even more rapid weight loss! This is a terrible idea.

Fruit is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is also low in calories and can help you feel full after eating. Removing fruit from your diet will likely lead to nutrient deficiencies and will make it more difficult to reach your calorie goals.

Additionally, these unnecessary food rules have been shown to trigger disordered eating patterns.

If you go over your allotted fruit servings for the day, you are "cheating" on the program. This type of thinking sets people up for failure and creates a negative relationship with food.

What Foods Are Not Allowed on The 21 Day Fix?

Some of the language in the 21-Day Fix materials encourage this all-or-nothing thinking to be applied to food. At several points, participants are encouraged to eliminate and avoid processed foods, artificial sweeteners, certain types of foods, alcohol, and caffeine.

For starters, any of these things can be part of a healthy diet in moderation.

I also find it interesting that they discourage processed foods, but encourage the use of Shakeology - their very much so processed and ineffective shake powder.

They also discourage drinking too much caffeine, even from black coffee and plain tea. However they encourage the use of their Energize pre-workout supplement.

The problem with encouraging people to avoid and eliminate certain foods is that it can lead to disordered eating patterns or even develop into a full blown eating disorder such as orthorexia - an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.

People who develop orthorexia often become fixated on the quality of the food they are eating, to the point where it interferes with their social life, work, and relationships.

Your psychological health is just as important as your physical health. And a program that is encouraging you to avoid and eliminate certain foods is not taking your psychological health into consideration.

What is the 3 Day Quick Fix?

The 3 Day Quick Fix is an optional part of the 21-Day Fix program that promises even faster weight loss results.

Participants are also encouraged to do it the last three days of the 21-Day Fix to "maximize their results.” 

This is a crash diet inside of a crash diet. You continue to follow the 21-Day Fix, but remove purple containers (fruit), blue containers (healthy fats), and orange containers (seeds & dressings).

You are also encouraged to stop using salt, increase your water intake to a gallon a day, and drink melted coconut oil with every meal.

(Author's note: I cannot describe the amount of rage I am feeling as I type this. In my research annotations on the 3 Day Quick Fix guide I just have "what the fuck?" written all up and down the margins. This is RIDICULOUS!)

As if the 21-Day Fix wasn't bad enough, now Beachbody is encouraging participants to restrict MORE food. Specifically the food groups that are higher in calories such as fats and seeds.

In combination with a very low calorie, and diuretic focused diet, encouraging participants to rapidly increase their water intake and cut out salt is dangerous.

This could cause something called hyponatremia which is a condition where your body's sodium levels become dangerously low.

Symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, and confusion. In severe cases it can lead to seizures, coma, and even death.

Furthermore, the idea that removing fruit from your diet at any point is a good idea is just abhorrent.

Fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are essential for good health. It is also a great source of dietary fiber which is important for gut health.

This alone goes to show that this diet is developed to prioritize thinness over health which is the epitome of what toxic diet culture is.

Lastly, the bit about drinking melted coconut oil with every meal is laughable. Autumn claims that coconut oil has a special ability to increase fat burning potential and burn calories during your workouts.

Coconut oil does contain a type of saturated fat that is theorized to support fat loss, but there is not enough data to consistently document its benefits and it is not at all the magic bullet Autumn claims it is.

In short, the 3 Day Quick Fix is an irresponsible, and dangerous diet that should be avoided at all costs.

The 21 Day Fix Workouts

The 21-Day Fix "Real Time" Workouts put participants through a different 30-minute workout every day (yes, EVERY DAY - no rest days!) along with 10 bonus workouts that encourage participants to "double-up" during the duration of the exercise program.

These daily workouts are primarily high volume and aerobic-based exercises using light weights and body weight.

[image]

To recap, the 21-Day Fix diet has participants eating less calories than they need to support basic body functions at rest. They will double up on workouts, with no targeted resistance training to preserve lean muscle mass, and have no rest days for three full weeks.

I can't make this make sense if we are speaking in the context of exercise science.

I can't make this make sense if we are speaking in the context of nutrition science.

I can't make this make sense if we are speaking in the context of health promotion.

I can only make this make sense if we are speaking in the context of fitness programs written by uncredentialed internet gurus that I strongly recommend you avoid.

How Much Does the 21 Day Fix Cost?

The 21 Day Fix program was recently rebranded to be called Portion Fix. And like most Beachbody programs, is available as part of several bundles through Beachbody.

To buy "just the essentials," the Portion Fix kit is $119 and includes the portion control containers, all the digital and printed materials, and access to the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme workouts.

Shakeology is recommended during the Portion Fix. If you want to bundle the two together, that'll set you back $179.95.

And if you want to also include Energize and Recover to have the full supplement suite that Beachbody recommends, you'll be paying $238.95 to get started on the 21 Day Fix.

That's a lot of money to be shelling out for something that is not sustainable, and could even be harmful. Of course, you get a discount if you join Beachbody, but then you're not only on a dangerous diet, but in an MLM scheme too.

Is The 21 Day Fix Good For Weight Loss?

A crash diet by definition is any diet that involves severe calorie restriction in order to promote rapid weight loss.

The 21-Day Fix is a perfect example of a crash diet. While it is possible to lose weight quickly on a crash diet, it is important to remember that not all weight loss is successful or healthy weight loss.

My definition of successful weight loss is losing a decided amount of body weight and maintaining those results without experiencing any adverse health effects.

The 21-Day Fix may help you lose weight quickly, but it is not a healthy or sustainable weight loss program.

Extremely restrictive diets like this are likely to have negative effects on your health in a number of ways, including increasing your risk for developing an eating disorder, reducing muscle mass, compromising your immune system, and disrupting your gut health. 

If you are considering the 21-Day Fix as a way to lose weight, I would urge you to reconsider. There are far better (and healthier) ways to lose weight and keep it off for good.

Is Beachbody a MLM or Pyramid Scheme?

Beachbody is a multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sells fitness and weight loss products that are heavily promoted through a network of independent distributors, that are each called an "Independent Beachbody Coach."

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding MLM companies like Beachbody regarding labor exploitation, pyramid scheme accusations, and general unethical business practices.

MLM companies are considered unethical because they rely on recruitment of new members (distributors) in order to make money. This creates a never-ending cycle of exploitation, as the new members are recruited under the false pretense that they will be able to make a good income by selling the products and recruiting more members.

Do Independent Beachbody Coaches Make Money?

In reality, only a small percentage of people at the top of the pyramid make any significant amount of money, while the majority of people end up losing money.

In fact, OVER 99% of people who join an MLM company like Beachbody will never make a profit, and companies who use this model profit at the expense of the people losing money.

So, if you're considering joining Beachbody as an Independent Beachbody Coach, just know that the odds are stacked against you and that you're more likely to lose money than to make any significant income.

Conclusion: Is Beachbody worth the money?

I do not believe that Beachbody products are worth the money.

This company uses an unethical business model and relies on exploitation of its members to sell overpriced products and overly restrictive crash diets.

While you will likely lose some weight on the 21 Day Fix or on similar Beachbody plans, the cost is at the expense of your physical and psychological health.

You have better options than that.

---