21 Days Fat Loss Challenge Review. Did it work? {Spoiler – YES!}
21 Days Fat Loss Challenge. My Honest Review. Did it work? {Spoiler – YES!}
The 21 Days Fat Loss Challenge promises fast fat loss. Does it work? It was found to be highly effective for weight and inch loss over the 21 days of the challenge. Easy to follow, with good support it can be recomended for fast fat weight and inch loss and trimming belly fat, especially for women.
You know that sinking feeling when you spend loads of money on a diet plan only to find it makes zero difference to your weight? To part with your hard-earned cash and buy loads of odd and expensive foods only to discover that the plan doesn’t work for you. You are left feeling disheartened, dejected and a failure, maybe even heavier? Well, that’s how I felt BEFORE I tested out Avocadu’s 21 Days Fat Loss Challenge. I had given up on diets.
Let me explain what I mean…
As a woman of a “certain age” {Well, 50! How did that happen?!} I have struggled with my weight over recent years.
The struggle has been real!
Not only was I dealing with my Menopausal body, but I was also working with the complete hormonal meltdown of having my Thyroid removed due to Thyroid Cancer.
You know the Thyroid regulates your metabolism right? It’s a major player in your hormonal mix. Menopause + No Thyroid = Hormonal Crazyness to the MAX! EEK. And as you probably know by now, any imbalance in your hormones means that you just CAN’T lose weight no matter how hard you try.
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There were weeks when I would feel like I hadn’t eaten anything at all, exercised like mad, and then when I weighed myself I had put weight on!. How does that even work? It was extremely depressing, to say the least!
Gradually my weight was creeping up and up. It seemed like an unstoppable force. My previously flat stomach now had an unmistakeable Menopause Belly Fat look. It had got particularly bad after I put weight on over Xmas and then found it impossible to lose it again.
I began to panic as I felt there was nothing I could do to change it. I felt that I would just have to resign myself to “middle-aged spread” but the thought of spending the rest of my life overweight, unhealthy and frumpy didn’t sit well with me.
I felt like I needed to do something about the weight and turn the tide but I didn’t know where to start.
Your old weight loss methods don’t work any more when you hit Midlife
Coupled with the Menopause this hormone and weight craziness was getting me down.
None of my old “go-to” methods that I used to lose excess weight when I was younger worked any more.
In truth that was probably a good thing.
Some of my old ways were pretty unhealthy!. Surviving on 2 bowls of watery cabbage soup a day is not the way to nourish your body right? It worked when I was 25 but not now.
I didn’t want to treat my body that way any more. It had been through a lot with the cancer treatment and was struggling with Menopause. I wanted to nourish it back to a balanced state that would allow me to shed the weight.
I discovered I wasn’t the only person to struggle with their weight during Menopause & Midlife.
It’s not just me who has problems with their weight… I ask all the ladies who sign up to my site what they struggle with most at Midlife?.
The overwhelming answer, above all else, is Weight Loss, especially during the Menopause or Perimenopause years. Just stopping the weight creeping up and getting back down to a healthy weight again is the main worry for a LOT of ladies.
That’s why I determined to find something that worked for these ladies as well as myself. I believe I’ve found a good solution but I’ll tell you about that as we go along.
My Quest To Find A Healthy Weight Loss Diet For Midlife & Menopause That Works!
The Quest. Finding a diet for menopause weight loss that WORKED!.
So I did my research. There had to be a healthier way to lose weight which took into account the way my body had changed at midlife and due to losing my Thyroid and the hormonal chaos that ensued.
There had to be methods I didn’t know about which would make this easier.
What I discovered was that most diet and weight loss information is written by men, for other men or young gym bunnies. It doesn’t take into account the way women bodies work or how we change as we age. It doesn’t take into account the havoc our hormones wreak on our ability to lose weight, especially during menopause.
I also didn’t want to use any of the old fashioned types of diets that use hard to understand points systems or expensive chemical-laden nutritional shakes. I wanted something that used real food, was healthy and easy to understand and worked for midlife women like me to remove the stubborn pounds, [especially around the belly area].
I needed something different. A plan that took hormones into account and was created with midlife women in mind. A diet for Menopause Weight Loss. I felt like there had to be something out there…
That night I sat down with my laptop and spent a good couple of hours seeing what I could find. Eventually, I stumbled across Avocadus 21 Day Fat Loss Challenge. I had never heard of this site or plan before but after watching their intro video, what they were saying seemed to make sense.
The 21 Days Fat Loss Challenge by Avocadu
I spent quite a bit of time reading over their course intro page, which featured video testimonials of ladies who had lost weight successfully on the challenge.
Some of them had lost a LOT of weight and were very happy with what they had achieved. I didn’t have a lot to lose but I wanted desperately to turn the scales around and stop the constant creeping weight gain. I felt like I had to do something to turn my weight around. Lose the extra pounds and feel healthy again, so I bit the bullet and purchased the plan.
You can watch their intro video and testimonials here if you are interested.
What’s inside the Avocadu 21 Days Fat Loss Challenge?
The Fat Loss Challenge is comprised of a combination of Videos, downloadable files and resources. It’s spread over around 5 core modules as well as all the supporting information.
I found it easy to follow and work through. There’s a LOT of information in the course but it’s all well presented and clearly explained so you don’t feel overwhelmed, which I loved. You can use as much or as little as you like. The core principles are very simple.
Heres a rough overview of what is included:
Introduction and overview
- Program downloads and bonuses.
- This section includes a booklet on how to fix your hormones through nutrition, which is invaluable information for us Menopausal ladies and probably worth the cost of the plan alone.
- There is also information on how to fix a leaky gut, a recipe book, a motivation guide and a workout plan [although you don’t HAVE to do this to lose weight on the plan]
- All in all, there is a lot of information to ensure that you get the most out of the plan and succeed.
Module 1: Introduction and Expectations
- An introduction and how to measure your progress whilst completing the challenge.
Module 2: Diet
This module explains the plan and covers
- Nutrition
- Detoxing
- Intermittent Fasting – How to do it successfully
- The approved and unapproved Foods
- A plan overview
- Strategies to use if you have to deal with social occasions and events
- How to overcome plateaus
Module 3: Exercise
This includes
- An overview of the workout plan
- Walking For Weightloss
- How to do resistance Circuit Training
- & Exercise Instructions
However, I need to make clear that YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THE EXERCISE TO LOSE WEIGHT. It’s an optional extra. You will probably lose more weight more quickly but you don’t HAVE to do it. For those averse to exercise [like me!] this is a huge win
Module 4: Motivation
This section includes videos on how to get your head in the right place to lose weight. I found this incredibly helpful as I am generally the kind of person who will give up on a diet after a few days. This section was brilliant.
Module 5: Supplements
This section includes information about supplements for health including information on probiotics and other vitamins and minerals which may help you lose weight and regain optimum health.
Again, optional but helpful.
There is also information on recipes and cooking tips.
FaceBook Support Community
IMPORTANT > The plan also gives you access to a private Facebook group of supportive women which is absolutely invaluable for moral support and motivation to reach your goal.
Some of the meals I made on the challenge
{BTW – I’m not the best cook but these were tasty!}
What I loved about the 21 Days Fat Loss Challenge Diet for Menopause Weight Loss
Overall I felt really happy with the 21 days fat loss challenge and felt it was money well spent. The information was well presented and easy to understand and there was a LOT of bang for my buck.
It wasn’t just a cheap hastily put together course which you can sometimes feel when you buy things online. A lot of thought and work has gone into it.
I also felt that the information and diet plan wasn’t something you could just cobble together yourself by watching a few things on YouTube. I felt I was learning something new. It made me rethink my whole approach to dieting AND IT WORKED!.
My favourite things about the programme were.
Designed with women in mind
The challenge utilises all the things we need to think about for weight loss at Menopause. These include balancing hormones, intermittent fasting and lowering carb intake.
I loved the fact that this challenge was designed specifically with women in mind. It’s not something designed for men or gym bunnies or celebrity types . It’s for real everyday women.
Many of the women in the Facebook support group are going through midlife and menopause and struggling with many of the challenges we all face and which the diet helps with.
No exercise needed!
Although the programme includes information on workouts and exercise, it’s NOT NEEDED for success. It’s an optional extra. You will lose weight quicker if you do it but it’s not a crucial part of the plan. I didn’t do any exercise and I lost weight with no problem.
Manageable Time Limits
I liked the fact that the programme is broken down into 21 day “rounds”. If you need to lose more weight you do as many rounds as you need with a short break in between. 21 days seemed like a totally achievable and manageable amount of time to be on a diet and didn’t seem too daunting.
Fast results
In the first few days, you will lose quite a lot of weight fast. This is REALLY MOTIVATIONAL as I have been used to seeing the scales refusing to budge, or even more depressing, going up on other diets. This initial quick result meant that I was spurred on to stick to the diet and do well.
Awesome Facebook Support Group
The Programme includes access to a private Facebook Support Group of women who are also going through the challenge. You can only access this once you purchase the diet.
This was one of my favourite parts as it was so helpful to chat with others to keep motivated. When I just checked in now to see, the group has 4,477 members and is very active.
Members share recipes, tips and generally help out anyone who is struggling. This group alone is one of my favourite parts of the programme.
Menopause Belly Fat Targeting.
The main thing that I hated about my excess weight is that it was mostly on my stomach and “love handles”. As I have had a caesarian this meant I had a dangly “pouch” effect on my lower stomach which I felt very self-conscious about.
The weight I lost seemed to target my belly area and shift from this area first which I was EXTREMELY happy about!. I could almost see the belly shrinking! At the end of the 21 days, the belly pouch had pretty much gone!
Learning Good habits
I felt like I learnt some good eating habits whilst on the challenge. There was a lot of good nutritional information and I feel like I learnt a lot of things which have helped me improve my health and I have continued to do.
For example, I started taking my coffee black first thing in the morning to increase intermittent fasting which has all kind of health benefits as well as helping you to lose weight.
This is something that I have carried on doing even though I am currently not trying to lose weight. I think this has helped to keep my post-diet weight stable.
Easy To follow
The diet programme contains a lot of information which you can utilise to improve your health and lose weight. However, it’s also really easy to follow and use.
A quick start guide is provided which you can just print out and follow along day by day. This tells you exactly what you need to eat and do each day in easy steps. I started by printing this out and then went through more of the information in more depth in my own time but I was already off to a flying start.
No cravings
The diet allows you to eat quite a lot of protein and for this reason, I found that I didn’t have any cravings as protein is very satiating. In the past, I have felt deprived, hungry and light-headed when dieting but I didn’t feel like that on this diet. Sometimes I ate less than what I was supposed to eat as I just couldn’t fit it all in and felt too full!.
What I didn’t like as much about the diet
No wine
I don’t tend to drink much, and not at all during the week, but I missed WINE!. You really shouldn’t drink any alcohol on this plan but I did find myself pining for my Saturday night glass of wine. However, this was a small price to pay for weight loss.
The amount of water.
You are supposed to drink 100 oz of water per day on the plan. I struggled with this and drank nowhere near this amount. I just find it hard to get that much water down. However, I did drink a LOT more than I normally drink and felt a lot better and more hydrated for it. I lost weight so it must have been OK.
The first couple of days are hard
The first week is designed to kick start FAST weight loss. Therefore it’s a bit more extreme than the rest of the programme. It starts with a fast and vegetable-based days. I found the first couple of days a bit difficult, but, the weight loss was dramatic so I was so motivated to continue. Once you start to eat protein it becomes much easier.
About Alex & Lauren, the creators of the 21 Day Fat Loss Challenge.
The Challenge has been created by husband and wife team, Lauren McManus and Alex Nerney a personal trainer. Alex has worked with clients to lose weight and now they have combined their training and nutritional knowledge to create this programme.
They are very sweet guys and genuinely want to help women who are struggling with their weight. They seem to care very much that people get great results and are genuinely touched by their success stories.
The results are in!
I was really pleased [and actually quite amazed] with my results.
The 21 days fat loss challenge promises that you will lose between 10-21 lbs in the 21 days. I lost just about 10lb {as you can see on my scales in the picture below} which I was super surprised about!.
As I explained earlier, as someone who is only 5ft 1 with Thyroid hormone imbalances I find it extremely difficult to lose weight. I was flabbergasted when the weight came off easily with this diet plan.
I have honestly not managed to purposely shed any weight for around 10 years before this {other than unintentionally when I was ill with flu and then cancer} so I was extremely happy with my weight loss.
I freely admit that I am a rubbish dieter.
I usually do a weight loss plan for a couple of days and then give up when I don’t see any results. However, this plan was different and I stuck to it easily as I didn’t experience any cravings [other than for that glass of wine!} and I enjoyed the food.
Once I saw the initial weight coming off I was empowered to carry on.
I also admit that I did cheat a bit.
On the second weekend, I met up with two old friends from my university days who I hadn’t seen in 30 years. We went out for food and drinks together and I had to throw caution to the wind as it had been so long since we saw each other I couldn’t in all conscience spoil the party by refusing to go to a restaurant or have drinks afterwards. However, I did manage to keep to some of the diet principles whilst eating out. I didn’t lose anything over that weekend, but I didn’t gain either and soon got back on track.
I also didn’t do any exercise on the plan. I fully intended to get out for a walk every day but work got in the way and this fell by the wayside. If I was going to do another round I would incorporate this into the plan as I feel it will help to boost the metabolism.
All in all, I think if I had avoided the cheat weekend and done more exercise I would have lost even more weight on the plan.
However, I was REALLY happy with what I did lose and feel more comfortable in my clothes which was my aim. My menopause belly fat has also shrunk away which is a wonderful thing for me as I really hated that dangly pooch!
My Weight loss on the scales after 21 Days
Diet For Menopause Weight Loss – My 21 Day Challenge Success Story
The embarassing before and after photos…
My “Love handles” are much smaller thankfully…
and my Menopause Belly has shrunk a lot {as well as my wobbly back fat… ?}
After the diet
- I’m happy to report that haven’t put any weight back on since finishing the plan which has been a few weeks so I’m very pleased with that.
- I have incorporated many of the things I learnt into my everyday life which I think has helped to keep the weight off.
- I especially liked the intermittent fasting side of the diet as an easy way to lose weight which works well for women at midlife and menopause. I have kept up with this in my everyday life which I think helps me stay trim.
Men Too
Although the diet is aimed at women it does also work for men. I dragged my husband, into doing the diet with me to keep me company. He also wanted to lose the post Xmas flab. He enjoyed doing it and lost 13 and 3/4 pounds over the 21 days. He’s lost his slightly wobbly tum and looks much trimmer [although he won’t allow me to show the photos :) ]
My final Verdict
So all in all this diet gets a big thumbs up from me. I feel like I have been handed the secret to losing weight at 50 and now know how to do it. This is a diet for Menopause Weight Loss that actually works!
I feel happy that if I do put on a bit of weight, after Xmas or vacations, I can easily take control of it and reverse the gain. This was something I just couldn’t do before.
I openly disclose that I am an affiliate for this diet. Affiliate income is the way I keep this blog running. However, I have only chosen to become an affiliate after I found that it worked as I am a genuine fan of this diet and Alex and Lauren. I think they have created a brilliant product which genuinely helps menopausal or midlife women to lose targeted weight in a way other programmes do not.
I also feel that there is a nice “vibe” around the diet which is supportive and kind and makes you feel that you can achieve your goal. I hate diet and fitness plans that make you feel like the unfit person doing it all wrong at the back of the aerobics class [you know what I mean right?} And this plan doesn’t do this at all.
Yes. It does work…
I’m happy to recommend it as something that can help my readers to get fit and healthy and achieve their weight loss goals.
Start My 21 Day Challenge…
Helen
