21 Day Fix Extreme Testimonial: Week 2 Progress

Week 2 of 21 day fix extreme is in the books! I really can't believe how fast time is flying! This program is no joke and it's all focus! I could sit here and joke about how easy it is but its not easy! It truly tests you mentally and physically! I have not had my beloved French vanilla creamer in 14 Days! This right there in itself is a huge accomplishment! This program tests your fitness ability, nutritionally and mentally! I have never been this sore in I can't remember his long! You think you are in good shape until you do something new that challenges you to a whole new limit!

I love a good challenge and I had all intentions of staying on track! But this week kinds threw me for a little curve ball! I am on vacation in Florida. Yesterday my cousin got married! It eventually turned out to be a great day after a few huge hiccups! With that being said, I completely went off the 21 day fix extreme meal plan yesterday! I will say I tried to set myself up for success but yesterday was the only day of the 21 day fix extreme that I will be failing! I drank a lot of rum punch, ate cake, and enjoyed myself! You know what everything in moderation! You know what it wasn't the plan, but it's just how it worked! Time to get back on track and stay focused for week 3!! Can't wait to see my amazing results! I have worked hard and this week coming up, I am 110% dialed into my nutrition! No excuses, just results! A minor set back of lots of rum punch and unclean maybe a little unhealthy food warrants a big comeback!

With my little set back I do want to say that I stayed completely on track and completely on track leading up to yesterday! I knew that I would be jumping off the deep end and wanted to completely set myself up for success! Life throws you curve balls, and you have a choice, you can swing or you can watch the ball go past you! I choose to swing the bad and see where the curve lands! 

This week because I am on vacation, I had the honor of being able to workout with my dad. He joined me for my workouts each days and I really have to say, it was nice to have my workout buddy. I love that I can share my passion for working out and living a healthy lifestyle with my family! My dad is my biggest cheerleader, motivator, and always is up for a challenge when I give him one! A family that workouts together stays together. Now our mission is to get my mom doing the 21 day fix. He and I have been plotting on how they are going to get her doing it. They are going to do it together. Meal plan, meal prep, and workout together. It really warms my heart when I hear how motivated he is to help her and do this with her. In September they will be married for 30 years. I love that they can cheer each other on and motivate each other to continue to lead healthier lifestyles. A couple that workouts and leads a healthy lifestyle together, stays together! 

Week 3 focus:
✔️drink 150ml water
✔️follow meal plan
✔️never give up
✔️stretch more
✔️daily personal development and positive affirmations
✔️finish strong!

Meal Plan Week 2: 21 Day Fix Extreme

Hope you all have a happy and healthy day! 

Nicole

Apple-Cinnamon Breakfast Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of butter (1/2 stick)
• 4 medium Granny Smith Apples. peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup Aborio rice
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 cups unfiltered apple juice at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla 

Sauteed apples, cinnamon, salt and butter

Directions:

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. add apples, cinnamon and salt. cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes or until apples begin to release juices
2. Transfer the apple mixture into crock pot
3. Add rice and stir to coat
4. Sprinkle light brown sugar evenly over top
5. Add apple juice and vanilla.
6. cover and cook on high for 2 hrs (mine took a little closer to 2.5 hrs to cook)

Serve and enjoy! I made a huge amount of it and I am having it as a morning snack this week! its great to grab and go. you just pop it in the microwave and warm it up and it is absolutely delicious heated up! Simple and Easy!

Hope you all enjoy this and have an amazing day!

Nicole Keating

Emerald Beachbody Coach

nkeating24@comcast.net

Healthy Halloween Treats

Halloween is fast approaching and I am sure that you are kinda nervous about how your going to make it through the fast approaching, candy filled holiday! I know personally, for me, I have a few parties that I am lined up and I am going to make sure that I stay on track! 

I wanted to share with you a few healthy Halloween treat ideas with you! You can use this for you own personal Halloween parties you might be having or you could always bring these with you.

I always love edible arrangements but personally, they are extremely expensive and I can't really afford them on my budget. But this awesome idea copies the expensive edible arrangement! Use a pumpkin and use bamboo skews with fresh fruit and you are ready to go! 

Pumpkin Edible Arrangement

 Who doesn't love a good veggie platter in the shape of a pumpkin and some chocolate covered strawberries in the form of ghosts? These treats are simple and easy to do and great for a party.

Pumpkin Veggie Platter & Ghost Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Worried that the kids are going to have too much candy! send them with this adorable Jack-O-Lantern Mandarin Oranges to school or to a party! this healthy and festive variation! Great for the kids and its yummy! No excuses not to stay healthy! Give the kids this and they can avoid more of a sugar high.

 If you are a shakeology lover like myself, and you want to curb the candy cravings before they hit....try this delicious Honey Pumpkin Spice Shakeology Shake. I most definitely will be making this this week. If you are going to a Halloween party, here are my suggestions

• drink your shakeology before you go
• drink lots of water
• stay close to the veggies and healthier treats
• talk to everyone and keep yourself busy, so you wont stay close to the chips and dip
• make sure to get your workout in and maybe do an extra workout too! 
• set yourself up for success and remember that it is okay to splurge a little (MODERATION IS KEY!) 

Now I am in no way telling you not to not have candy because we are all human. I never deprive myself of anything. If I want some chocolate or candy, I am going to have it but in moderation. Keep your eye on the prize and make sure you remember your goals!

Have a Happy, Healthy, and Safe Halloween! I hope you enjoyed some of these great healthy Halloween Treats.

Nicole Keating

Emerald Beachbody Coach

nkeating24@comcast.net

Mac & Cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese is one of my all time favorite meals! Today while I was meal prepping, I made enough for 3 side dishes. It is simple, easy, and delicious

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp of pepper
• 2.5 cups of milk
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups of elbow pasta
• special k (grinned in a mini food processor)

Directions

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. cook elbow pasta as direct on the box
3. in a medium saucepan combine first 3 ingredients, stir in the milk. add butter, stir consistently. once boiling, stir in shredded cheese.
4. mix in the elbow pasta
5. place in a corning wear dish, then on top sprinkle the special k crumbs
6. cook for 25 minutes

Have a Happy and Healthy Day! I hope you enjoy one of my favorite dishes!

Nicole Keating

Emerald Beachbody Coach

nkeating24@comcast.net

Muffin Tin Apple Crisps

Apple Crisp is one of my favorite desserts. This weekend while on the beach, I was reading a magazine and came across a simple recipe for Muffin Tin Apple Crisps. While I liked the recipe, I changed it up a little. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 2 tsp of cinnamon
• 8 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp of oat flour
• 6 tbsp of melted butter
• 4 apples cored and diced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Core, peel, and dice apples 
3. Mix 1 cup rolled oats, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 7 tbsp light brown sugar, 2 tbsp oat flour and 6 tbsp of melted butter in a bowl
4. Press one heaping of mixture in the bottom of each muffin tin, leaving some extra for the top
5. Mix together with 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tbsp of light brown sugar
6. Divide apple mixture evenly into muffin tins
7. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top
8. Bake for 25 minutes and ENJOY!!

They just came out of the oven and I let them sit a little but I had to try it and it was DELICIOUS! Have a Happy and Healthy Day!

Frozen Grapes

Have you been looking for a healthy snack that is easy to make? WELL, I have just the right one for you! 

FROZEN GRAPES

These little delicious gems taste like candy but they are so simple, so easy, and so delicious. Literally takes all of 1 minute to prepare these bad boys!

Ingredients:

• Grapes
• Jello packet

Directions:

• Line a container with wax paper
• Wash grapes (leave wet)
• Place in lined container
• Lightly sprinkle jello packet over wet grapes 
• Place in freezer, let sit for a few hours.

You can do this with any fruit....I prefer grapes but this works with all types of fruit!

Let freeze and ENJOY!

Shakeology Shamrock Shake!

St. Patrick's Day is upon us! Now for those of you who are Irish like myself, St. Patty's Day is a celelebration! For as long as I can remember, growing up we would always have "green" treats. We would have green eggs in the morning for breakfast, we would color green our homemade Rice Krispy Treats and we would always have some form of green sugar cookies at school. If it was green, we would have it!

So while these "treats" are what I used to associate with St. Patrick's Day, now I have found another replacement for my cravings. At first I thought this who Shakeology Shamrock Shake was a load of crap! I thought there was no way that shakeology could taste like a milkshake. Well let me tell you, I was wrong! It totally met all of my expectations and blew my thoughts out of the water.

So now I can not only have a Shamrock Shake but I can have 70+ superfood ingredients, which is the equivalent to 6 slads in one meal, no feeling of bloated, not killing my diet, and I am still able to lose weight and, have energy! This "treat" is by far the healthiest that I have had in years!

We all know McDonald's Shamrock Shake well take a look at this comparison above! Seeing this definitely makes me reconsider what I am putting in my body! 

Ingredients: 

• 8 oz. Skim, Rice, Almond or Soy Milk
• 4 oz. ice and water
• splash of peppermint extract or some mint water
• 1 tsp all natural pb
• 2 tbsp vanilla sugar free instant pudding mix
• 1 packet of Greenberry Shakeology
• Blend and Enjoy

Join me on March 17, 2014 for a 30 day Shamrock Shakeology Shake off challenge health and fitness support group. 30 day money back guarantee! 

Nicole Keating

Emerald Independent Beachbody Coach

nkeating24@comcast.net

www.facebook.com/afitchicknamednick

www.facebook.com/nicole.lauren.124

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Hope you have a Happy, Healthy, and Safe Day!