Pork Chop and Baked Apple Wedges

I had pork chops in my freezer and I needed a protein for my salads this week. I found this recipe and thought it would be great for atop a kale spinach salad. This recipe is super quick and so delicious. I found it in the Brazil Butt Lift Recipe book. I did change it a little from the original because I did not have some of the ingredients. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
• 3 tsp. fresh lemon juice, divided use
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 (5oz.) raw lean pork chop, centered cut. (I made enough for 3 services)
• 1 medium apple, cored, cut into 8 wedges
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Combine 1 tsp. oil, 2.5 tsp lemon juice, minced garlic in a small bowl; mix well
3. Place pork chop in a shallow dish, pour lemon juice mixture over chop, turning and using a brush to cover both sides. Marinate for 20 minutes, discard marinade.
4. While pork chops are marinating, combine apple, remaining 1/2 tsp. lemon juice and cinnamon in a small bowl; mix well 
5. Place apple wedges on baking sheet, lightly coated with spray
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until tender and bubbly. Remove from oven and set aside.
7. Preheat oven to Broil
8. Broil pork chops for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle.
9. Serve pork chops with apples and a salad.

Hope that you enjoy this simple, easy, and healthy recipe!

Homemade Chicken Soup

Life has kinda been getting in the way of everything! So today on my day off and halfway through the week, I figured I would do some major meal prepping as well as make one of my favorite things homemade chicken soup. It was one of those days that I was just in the mood for moms homemade chicken soup. It is simple, healthy, and delicious...oh and did I add, perfect for having multiple containers left to freeze for another day.

Ingredients:

• carcass of turkey or chicken (this time I used a BJs chicken roaster carcass)
• 3/4 pot of water
• carrots
• celery
• onion
• tomatoes
• parsley 
• salt (sprinkled) 

Directions:

1. boil 3/4 pot of water and carcass in the largest pot you have
2. skim foamy white stuff off the top
3. add the rest of the ingredients 
4. cook for 2 to 3 hours 
5. stir occasionally, 

This has been my family recipe for homemade chicken soup for years. It is so simple and so delicious. I make a huge pot of it and have it for months left over in the freezer and I take it out as I want it. Its a simple, cheap, and healthy way to have the best soup ever. 

Hope you enjoy it and if you like the recipe, share it and comment with a review! 

ENJOY!

Insanity: The Asylum Results

In life we are our biggest critics, our biggest naysayer, our biggest challenge. How often do we overthink something or tell ourselves that we cant do something. in life we are our own worst enemy. Today, as I write this blog post I truly cant help but smile. I cant help but be proud of myself for accomplishing something that I never thought that I could. for completing the hardest workout program I have ever done. its a little program called insanity the asylum. talk about being in tip top shape after you complete this and feeling like an athlete, oh my goodness, yes I do. I truly wish that I could go back to when I was playing sports and would have done a program like this, I would have been a serious elite athlete. but even thou I cant go back, I can strive today to be better than ever. I can do things now that when I was a young athlete, I would have never been able to do.

This program taught me that I needed to dig deeper and push myself to a whole new level. it taught me that I can truly  do anything that I put my mind to. I just need a goal and a desire to crush it. I won't lie, it was not an easy 30 days. and I can honestly say that I cannot wait to take a few days off from working out and giving my legs a rest and time to recover. it was a hard 30 days and I don't know if I would have made it if it was longer than 30 days. it was the perfect balance of strength, agility, flexibility, and pure badass.

Day 0 (Top) Day 30 (Bottom)

Sometimes in life, we have to challenge ourselves, challenge our minds, challenge our bodies and challenge our reason for doing what we do day in and day out. sometimes we get stagnant and hit a plateau but when you challenge yourself to go out of your comfort zone and do something that you never thought you could do, you make amazing strides.

It truly is more than the workout itself. it the lessons you learn day in and day out about yourself and how strong you are. you learn that when you want to give up and throw in the towel, you have to rise up and use the towel to wipe off the sweat, blood, and tears. you have to make each day a fresh start, a new beginning, a new chance to be the best version of yourself. I lost 6.5 inches off my body and I was able to do more moves for the fit test on day 30 than starting day 0.

Now that I officially an Insanity: The Asylum Graduate, I have learned a tremendous amount over the last 30 days.
1. I am stronger than I think
2. I can achieve anything I put my mind to
3. Having a support system of fit friends and family and our amazing clients in our accountability groups, helped me immensely when I wanted to give up but got the extra support and motivation that I needed
4. I really need to get focused on my nutrition. no matter what workouts that I am doing and how hard I work it is the nutrition aspect of it all is the most important. you truly need to fuel your body with the food that is best for it. I can say 100% that I was no where near focused as I wanted to be during these last 30 days. I struggled with the nutrition aspect and next round, I plan on being dialed in
5. Shaun T is my man! seriously his workouts are my soul workouts. I feel like even thou we are not working out together in person, every day that I pushed play and worked out, I felt that he was there coaching me on, motivating me and making me dig seriously deep.
6. I might not have lost a tremendous amount of weight but I leaned out, toned up, muscles started popping through and my strength, agility, and flexibility are better than I have ever been
7. I can say whole heartedly, I am in the best shape of my life after doing these last 30 days.
8. You can truly change your life in 30 days.
9. Wake up every morning and make yourself proud. Make sure that you were better than the day before.
10. Don't forget to go out there and do your best. As Tony Horton says, do you best and forget the rest.

As I find the words to close out this blog post, I am somewhat speechless. I don't know how to finish this. Your health and fitness journey is such a crazy ride. We have highs and lows and ups and downs. We hit bumps in the road and we can have the best. Before I started Insanity: the Asylum, I hit a major plateau. I felt like I wasn't getting the workout that I wanted or needed. I felt like I wasn't getting the results I wanted. I had done multiple workout programs and I saw amazing results. I think I needed to shock my body and do an insane workout like asylum. and you know what it worked! not only did I transform my body but I feel like a whole new person physical. stronger than ever and feeling leaner. its amazing what working out and eating clean can do for you body.

What is next for me??? you might be asking....not too sure. I know for the next few days, I will be taking a rest days and maybe just some stretching. workout wise...eeks I don't know. I was thinking of doing a hybrid program of Insanity Max 30 and Insanity the Asylum.

Will you join me on my next journey??? Join me for 21 days and start your amazing health and fitness journey. Whether you need to lose 10 pounds or 100 pounds, this is for you! Fill out the form below and be selected to join our amazing group!

Hope you all have an amazing day! Remember that you can truly do anything as long as you put you mind to it!

~Nicole

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TurboFire Chili

So, I have heard some amazing things about this TurboFire Chili and I needed to try it. It is absolutely delicious and you can make it in the crock pot! I love using my crock pot and recently I haven't really been using it. I now have meals for the rest of the week and also monday next week. Nothing like being ahead of the game. If you do not like the beans, I would suggest you omit them and add gree peppers, mushrooms or other veggies of your choice! You can really make it your own! Just remember don't over indulge. It is absolutely delicious and you can definitly eat more than you wanted to! If you are following the 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme, it would be 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• ½ cup diced tomatoes
• 1½ cups frozen whole kernel corn
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 (15oz.) can black beans
• 1 (15oz.) can pinto, chili, or kidney beans
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ cup water
• 1/2 package Lawry’s chili seasoning
• 4 oz. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions. 

1. Brown turkey. Drain and discard any fat. 
2. Place all ingredients except cheese into a slow cooker. 
3. Cook for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high. 
4. Top with 1 oz cheese if desired.
5. ENJOY

How to Become a Morning Workout Person?

How many of you have a hard time getting up in the morning? Have you ever wanted to become a morning person? How many of you want to become a morning workout person but can't seem to not snooze that alarm? I know it truly is difficult to become a morning person if you aren't one. I have always been a morning person! Growing up, I think I had such anxiety over being late that I would get up ahead of time and make sure that everything was just right. Even now, I am still a morning person. I would rather wake up and start my day off at the crack of dawn and get a full day in of productivity. I mean don't get my wrong, I do love to sleep in once in a while but lets be honest, that isn't very often. 

I know so many people that want to workout in the morning, or wake up earlier to get a jump start on their day. I wanted to share a few tips and tricks to becoming a morning person and achieving that dream of being a morning person. It is possible for you to transform yourself into a morning person. 

1. Get more sleep. I mean really?!?! DUH Nicole!! Just like we make time to schedule in meetings, workouts, nail appointments, lunch dates, etc. we need to schedule our sleep time. It is so important to get 7-9 hours of sleep. For example: tomorrow, my schedule changed for work...I now have to be in before work at 7am. I have to leave no later than 630am for work. I know that I have a 40 minute workout tomorrow for insanity the asylum: vertical plyo workout and 20 minutes before my workout I need to chug my pre-workout formula C4 to maximize my workout. I need at least 30 minutes to decompress after my workout, pack my lunch bag for work, shower, get ready, and have enough time for my morning post workout post on instagram and facebook. In order for me to be 100% on time, my alarm will be set for 4:30am. Which means that I need to be in bed going to sleep at 9pm tonight. I know that really early. But in order for me to get at least 7 hours of sleep, I need to be in bed, decompressed and ready to sleep by 9pm. Moral of the story, Schedule your sleep just like you schedule your appointment with your boss,

2. Stop pressing snooze. I am not going to lie, This is something that I struggle with on a daily basis. I normally snooze my alarm once! I literally hate the sound of the alarm and get angry when it goes off. What I have been trying to do and I need to do a better job of it now is that when that alarm goes off, I need to get right up and tell myself "I am up! I am up! I am up!" and then get up! 

3. Have your clothes laid out already. I find that if the night before, I set out my workout clothes for the next day, right next to my bed and it is one of the first I see, I am more likely to get a faster start to my day!

4. Get moving as quickly as possible. When I get up in the morning, the first thing I do is open the blinds, even when it is pitch black out. I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, try to wake up. 

5. Make your bed. One of the first things that I do in the morning after I leave the bathroom, I make my bed. When you make your bed first thing in the morning, you don't want to go back to bed in bed that is already nice and neatly made. 

6. Workout in the morning. Now that you got a great night of sleep, you are up, your bed is made, you brushed your teeth, your dressed, now it is time to workout! If you workout at home like me, the night before, I always make sure the following days workout dvd is in the xbox and ready to go. I have all the equipment ready for me, and all I have to do is push play! You just have to do it, even thou you might not want to. I don't always want to workout in the morning. Some days I would rather lay in bed and get that extra hour of sleep in before a full day of work. But snoozing that alarm and that extra hour of sleep might be a short term satisfaction but a long term disappointment when you don't achieve your goals

7. Have an accountability partner. I have many different accountability partners, depending on where I am in my own health and fitness journey. Currently, I am doing Insanity the Asylum with one of my good friends. Depending on who gets up first, we always send a early morning motivating text! It starts our day off right, having that extra accountability early in the morning, really helps, especially since we live in different states. Having not only an accountability partner who is doing the same program as you are but also having the support of others who are on their own health and fitness journeys through our private facebook accountability groups really just seals the deal! 

8. Remember to have fun. It is so important to have fun when you workout no matter the time of the day. Especially in the morning when your tired and don't want to do it. Make sure to smile, enjoy the workouts that you do! Love what you do and have fun with it.

When I workout in the morning and get an amazing workout in, I tend to set myself up for success. I love setting myself up for success and to have an amazing day! Use these tips in your day to day life and you too could become a morning workout person! Don't forget...NEVER GIVE UP! It takes 21 days to form a habit. So commit to spending the next 21 days to waking up at the same time, getting into a routine, and learning to become a morning person! Who is ready to become a morning workout person?!?! 

If you are ready to make a healthy change and need that extra accountability to become a morning workout person...fill the form out below and I will contact you! :) 

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Insanity: The Asylum...am I crazy?

Well we all know I am a little crazy and love a good challenge! I love to see how far I can push my body and this time, I think I might be biting off a little more than I can chew! Tomorrow, I officially start day 1. Today, I started at day 0 with the fit test. And let me just say, if this program is anything like what I experienced with the fit test, I sure hope that I can walk, let alone I am living after 30 days.

I am taking this challenge with a good friend of mine. We both needed the extra motivation, accountability, and just change in our day to day routine. We live healthy lives but we just kind of feel stagnant in our workouts. She has done Insanity: The Asylum before and saw amazing results. Well now the time has come for me to pick up the pace and get my summer body! I mean really, summer is almost here and I want to look good when I am lounging on the beach! 

This past week, I barely worked out. I quit round 2 of the 21 Day Fix Extreme at day 14 because you know what I just got bored. The workouts are great and all but my soul workout is Insanity Max 30. I had pulled my left quad and I just wasn't feeling good but needed the break. I took a few spin classes. It was great to get back into cycling. My nutrition was off, I cheated, aka rewarded myself, with all the delicious foods and really did not care about what I was eating, just that I wanted it. You know what, I AM HUMAN TOO! I LOVE FOOD! I LOVE TO EAT! Okay, now that we cleared that up, that I am not a machine and I am not like this super human who eats salads all the time. I love chips and bagels and other unhealthy things like ice cream and Chinese food. With that being said, I woke up this morning, feeling like crap! I could totally see how the unhealthy food that I was eating this week, had affected me. I cannot wait to get back on track tomorrow and really focus om cleaning up my nutrition again. I am not going to say that I am not going to cheat or reward myself because I would be lying. I just will be extremely strategic about when I am going to balance out my nutrition. 

Nutrition is all about the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time your nutrition is clean and healthy. 20% of the time, you are splurging. I know next weekend, since it is Palm Sunday, we have a traditional Italian feast. I plan on working out in the morning, drinking my shakeology and being focused with drinking enough water and staying super active. I already have everything mostly prepped for this week except a few dinners which I will make on the go. You know what it pays off prepping your meals and staying focused on your goals. My goal for the next 30 days is to stay focused, do my best, and never give up! 

Insanity: The Asylum Meal Plan Week 1

I will be following the 21 day fix extreme meal plan somewhat. I have changed a few things up but I am really going to be focused! You know as I am sitting here getting my thoughts out on this blog, I got a call from my friend touching base on how we are going to do the next 30 days, what meal plan we are following and what we are doing. I really took it as a sign that this is such the right timing and the right course. God places things in your life at the time in which you and others need it. I know I am going to need the support and help from her just like she is going to need it for me. We don't live in the same state any more but the beauty of cell phones and social media is that we can stay on track with each other and stay focused and hold each other accountable! I am so excited to take the journey with her, I can't wait to see where we are 30 days from now! 

Take a peak at what the next 30 days are going to be like for me. I am not going to lie, I am seriously scared and I am going to give it my all! I mean it is 30 days.

Challenge yourself to new things everyday! 

Have a Happy and Healthy Day!

~Nicole

Chicken Fajita Lettuce Wraps

These are deliciousness! They are from the 21 Day Fix Extreme Meal Plan book. They are simple yet so filling. I changed the seasonings up a little bit from the recipe in the book. These really were so delicious and I cannot wait to make them again.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 grilled boneless, skinless, chicken breast
• 1/2 pepper slicked
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 2 large romain lettuce leaves
• 1/2 medium avocado, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup black beans
• lemon wedge for garnish 

Directions: 

1. Grill chicken and cut up.
2. Combine salt, pepper garlic seasoning, onions and peppers and saute with olive oil in a saucepan. Add lime juice. cook for a few minutes until onions and peppers are starting to brown
3. Wash black beans and add to saucepan with the onions and peppers .
4. Cut up avocado
5. Clean romaine lettuce and place on a dish.
6. Once onions and pepper melody is cooked, Place mixture over lettuce and add chicken on top
7. Add salsa, and avocado to the top.

21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme Approved Container Equivalents:

• 2 Green
• 1/2 Purple
• 1 Red
• 1/2 Blue
• Optional: 1 Yellow (added black beans)

Hope you all can enjoy this as much as I did! 

Have a Happy and Healthy Day

~Nicole

Make Yourself Proud

Today I had the honor of chatting live on The Mickey Ellison Show. It is something that when I tell you is completely out of my comfort zone and so not something I would normally do, it absolutely is. But I love a good challenge and when Mickey reached out to me about sharing my story, I may have been a little nervous but I took it as a sign that I needed to break out of my shell! I am such a introvert and talking about myself and being in front of a lot of people scares me. I mean technically no one saw me and Mickey and I were just talking but it still freaked me out a little. I mean once I am doing it, I loosen up and get in the groove of the conversation. 

I haven't really publicly, verbally shared my story. I mean don't get me wrong, I share my story all the time through social media but to actually talk to someone about my story...eeks that scares me but it also excites me. 

Sharing my story is a very personal thing and sometimes I am ashamed of where I have come from but at the same time, I am so proud of how far I have come. Sharing my story today has been an absolute blessing. I listened to the recording and I have to say that I had to stop it about a quarter of a way in. I seriously had a moment. I couldn't believe that I was actually sharing my story on a live podcast. I thought back to the girl who was 220 pounds, overweight, unhealthy, unhappy, not loving of herself and most of all broken. But as I listened to this confident person who was speaking her story, I for a second, had tears in my eyes. It was one of those moments where I still can't believe how far I have come and how many lives that I have changed.

I have lost 70 pounds, maintained my weight loss, competed in two triathlons, a half marathon, a 65 mile bike race, countless other shorter running races and I continue to strive to be better everyday than I was the day before. It truly is amazing to me how far I have come. I am not writing this to toot my own horn but to share how proud I am of myself. Never in a million years did I think that I would be where I am today. 

You never really embrace the journey or celebrate it, well at least I never did. But today listening to the recording and even when we ended the show, I was fired up. I was proud of myself. I was proud that I did something that I never thought I would do. I was proud that I overcame an obstacle. I was proud that I never gave up. I am proud of who I have become. But most of all I am proud to be me! 

I tend to overlook my accomplishments, chalk them up to happening but it's sometimes nice to share how amazing the journey has been. The struggles, the accomplishments, how I plan on helping others. I want you to MAKE YOURSELF PROUD everyday! I know today, I can truly go to bed completely and wholeheartedly proud of myself. Embrace the journey and NEVER GIVE UP!

Check out the recording below and hear my journey! 

Recording of My Weight Loss Journey on The Mickey Ellison Show

Shakeology and Weight Watchers

As some of you know, my weight loss journey started almost 4 years ago with weight watchers! With weight watchers, I lost 70 pounds in about 9 months! My goal after that was to maintain my weight loss. In the past, I had lost weight and then gained it back. I hit a serious plateau while I was training for my second triathlon a year after I had lost lose 70 pounds. My fear of gaining weight back was crazy and when I wasn't getting the results I wanted, I needed to make a change. Weight watchers had taught me portion control and how to eat in moderation!

You know how you see those infomercials on tv about p90x and insanity, etc. well one night, I was channel checking and I saw both infomercials. It caught my attention with the transformation stories and pictures. Since I felt like I was in good shape, I did my research about each program! Don't get me wrong, I was scared to do a crazy hard workout at home. I was introduced to something called shakeology. For those of you who don't know, shakeology is a healthy meal replacement that has super foods, vitamins, and so much more! It has become a staple in my life. I have never missed a day of drinking shakeology.

When I first started drinking shakeology, I was still doing weight watchers, I was following the point system which was so amazing! Like I said before, it taught me everything in moderation, portion control, and ultimately a healthier lifestyle....the best part about it is shakeology is only 3 points for the healthiest meal that you could have. That 3 points for a scoop of shakeology (1 meal). You can mix it with anything you want. The options are endless! You could add water or almond milk & water, orange juice and water or you could blend in frozen fruit, and so many more things. You can keep it s low point meal but it's truly the healthiest meal you could feed yourself.

Chocolate  = 3 points
Greenberry = 3 points
Tropical Strawberry = 3 points
Chocolate Vegan = 4 points
Vanilla = 3 points
Strawberry= 3 pounts

Looking back, on my own weight loss journey, I really wish I could go back in time and could have learned about shakeology and started drinking it from the beginning! I think it would have been such a significant change in my overall health and well-being. I mean 3 points for the healthiest meal of the day...sign me up!!

I wanted to give you a few examples of recipes and how many points you could make your shake:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shakeology

1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology (3 points)

8 oz. unsweetened almond milk (1 point)

2 tbsp. PB2 (1 point)

1 medium banana

6 ice cubes

Blend together until smooth.

Total Points Plus value……….5

Pineapple Mango Shakeology

1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology (3 points)

8 oz. unsweetened almond milk (1 point)

1/2 cup pineapple

1/2 cup mango

6 ice cubes

Blend together till smooth.

Total Points Plus value………4"

Have you ever wondered about shakeology? Is it something that you may have wanted to try but just aren't sure?? Have you been questioning how shakeology can be incorporated in with your weight watchers points program. I want to help you see the amazing benefits that you can gain from shakeology and doing weight watchers, both at the same time!

If you are interested, fill out the form below! I will contact you on how I can help you along in your weight loss journey! 

Hope that this helped to clear some questions some of you have on shakeology and weight watchers points! Have a Happy and Healthy Day!!

Nicole <3

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Turkey Meatloaf: 21 Day Fix Extreme Approved

On Sundays, I meal prep and this past sunday, I wasn't sure what I wanted to make for dinners this week. I was browsing through the 21 day fix extreme eating plan guide when I came across this recipe and decided to give it a shot. I was able to prep it in advance and after work, I was able to just put it in the oven and everything I needed to done! I have meals for the entire week and yes it might be a little redundant but you know what anything to get me closer to my goals!

Ingredients:

• 2lbs raw 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 cup all-natural salsa
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 3 cloves of galic
• 1 tsp sea salt or himalayan salt (mineralized)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Combine turkey, salsa, quinoa, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl; mix well with hands or a spatula 
3. shape mixture into shape of a loaf and place on ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan
4. bake for 60-70 mins or until center is no longer pink and meat is cooked through
5. let stand for 10 minutes before serving

21 Day Fix / 21 Day Fix Extreme Container Equivalents:

• 1 Red
• 1/2 Purple
• 1/2 Yellow

I served this with a side of spaghetti squash and mushrooms with some homemade marinara. (2 Greens and 1/2 purple).  This was absolutely delicious and I really cant wait to make it again! :)

Hope you enjoy this delicious! 

Nicole <3

21 Day Fix Extreme RESULTS

It really is crazy how fast time flies. I feel like it was yesterday that I started 21 Day Fix Extreme and finished 60 days of Insanity Max 30. I am so excited with my results. I have to say this is the first time that I have 98% stuck with my nutrition. I did not cheat other than day 13 when my cousin got married. but hey the rum punch was amazeballs and I of course had to try the cake!! 

Even if I didn't lose a significant amount of weight, I will have gained so much more these last 21 days. The growth and progress that I have made in such a short time really has set me up for amazing success.

For starters: I AM COMPLETELY COFFEE CREAMER FREE! Like not even a drop of coffee creamer at all! Today being that I am on day 22 and no longer am doing round 1, a friend of mine asked, girl did you have your coffee with creamer today...my response was absolutely not! you know what it wasn't worth it!I actually started liking my coffee black! I never in a million years thought that I the coffee creamer addict would actually kicked of her delicious addiction!

Here is how I want to break down how amazing the last 21 days were:
✔down 8 pounds 
✔lost 5.5 inches
✔feel healthier
✔my skin feels better 
✔22 days with no coffee creamer
✔more confidence
✔tighter and toned, I feel leaner and just overall amazing!
✔I do have a ways to go but this is just round 1...round 2 starts tomorrow!
✔super proud of myself for only cheating one day out of the 21 days...I know my results could have been better if I didn't, but hey, my cousin got married and I had some rum punch and cake! It didn't kill me, it make me happy!
✔I completely cleaned up my nutrition and I think this program and its values will stick with me forever! I feel amazing and why would I want to change that?
✔I never thought I would be able to do a program like this and completely dial in clean eating nutrition!! But you know what I accepted the challenge and surprised myself at how well I did! Was it easy...heck no! was it worth it...heck yes! 

So you might be asking, what is next for me? well I am so glad you asked! today I had what I like to call a "reward" day. so like a cheat day or cheat meal, I am rewarding myself for the hard work. I have been craving a big burger and french fries! I have to say that I don't normally have hamburgers! So tonight, I treated myself to Red Robin and had a delicious whisky bbq burger with french fries, and on my way home, I stopped at Friendly's and had some ice cream! Go big or go home right?!?! thats my theory! 

Today was amazing to splurge a little but hey its time to get back to work and get my butt in gear! Cant wait to start round 2 tomorrow and completely kill it! :) No excuses, just results!

Have you ever considered working hard and seeing amazing results! Join my next accountability group, it starts march 9th! Dont miss out!! Fill out the application below! I am choosing 10 beautiful ladies to join us! will you be on of them?

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Week 8: Insanity Max 30 Progress, Insanity Max 30 Results, Up Next...21 Day Fix Extreme

Oh My GAWD!!! I am kinda freaking out! You want to know why...shhh...don't tell anyone....well maybe tell everyone!! I AM OFFICIALLY AN INSANITY MAX 30 GRADUATE! Totally smiling from ear to ear with this one! I think this workout graduation might be my most cherished one! I have to say, I don't think I was every pushed to the limit or worked that hard day in and day out! This week I was feeling stronger than ever! I felt like I had come full circle and really had pushed myself to the limit! It is absolutely crazy how when you push yourself to a level that you never thought you could and really overcome and come out on top, you feel this sense of accomplishment.

I never thought in a million years that I would finish Insanity Max 30. I seem to doubt myself when starting a new program and I really shouldn't because if I remember, I can accomplish any task that is put in front of me. I may fall but I will always get back up!

Week 8 was truly amazing, I really felt like I was stronger than ever. My max out times were better and I just had this sense of calmness! I still struggled through every workout to do better and max out at a better time than the previous workout. I realized that you know what, I can truly accomplish anything! I really learned that no mater what your size or weight is, you can achieve anything you put your mind to. All along, I have always known this but I think I just needed that moment of clarity when I was down on the ground, gasping for air and drenched in sweat, knowing that I gave it my all. It wasn't easy, but life isn't easy.

As I reflect on the last eight weeks, I really can't help but smile. I am not saying this to toot my own horn or praise myself, I am saying this because this is one of my top accomplishments. I always doubt myself, I always don't support myself, I always don't have the most positive self talk, but these last 60 days have really showed me how strong I am. This applies for everyone! I doubted myself that I wouldn't make it through the full 60 days. I feared that I would hurt my ankle again like I had done with Insanity. These "excuses" could have held me back but I truly gave it my all and I am beyond proud of myself.

It doesn't matter what size, shape, color, age, gender, etc. you can do anything  you put your mind too, even a crazy workout program like Insanity Max 30. YOU HEARD ME RIGHT! You can do this too! Another huge thing that I learned while doing max 30 was that it doesn't matter who you are, you can do this and you know why? Because you are NOT trying to compete with the person next to you...your competition is looking you in the mirror. It is the person that you look at every morning when you look in the mirror. Its the person staring back at you, YOU ARE COMPETING WITH YOURSELF. You are competing to be the best version of yourself. You may fall flat on your face or max out at an early time, but you best believe that next workout, your trying to beat your best time. Your trying to be better than you were the workout before, the day before, the minute before.

Like I said before, life is not easy. When I look back on how far I have come, I am proud to say that I MAXED OUT, I COMPLETED INSANITY MAX 30, and I AM THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF. How many times can we say that we gave it our all? We left everything out on the court and have no regrets? not every often to be get the chance to make a change in our lives and really how many of us take the time to focus on ourselves. I had my ups and downs in the last 60 days but I can honestly say that I came out on top! You know what I might not have been a 110% on point with my nutrition, heck it was Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, my birthday all during the time that I was doing max 30 but that does not mean I didn't give it my all.

Drum Roll Please.....MY INSANITY MAX 30 RESULTS!

I gained 4 pounds and lost 11 inches total. I feel tighter and leaner. I am not at my goal yet but I am closer every day! It is still so hard for me to post progress pictures. I think that is also another reason why I am struggling posting this blog. I look at my pictures and I pick out all my imperfections. but you know what my imperfections are what make me me and make me perfect! Never be ashamed of your progress. Embrace your progress, Embrace your changing body, Embrace the journey. Love yourself and live for the moment!

Autumn Calabrese & I (creator of 21 Day Fix Extreme)

You might be asking...What's Up Next? so glad you asked..hehe...Well if you must know...I just started the 21 Day Fix Extreme today! No rest for this fit chick! I am totally dialed into my nutrition. I am going to make the most of the next 21 days and I am really focused on seeing amazing results! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger....cheers to another crazy roller coaster! 21 days of extremeness!

If you have ever considered doing a program such as Insanity Max 30, P90X, PIYO, 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, I would love for you to take this journey with me! Fill out the form below and I will contact you on how you can join us in our next accountability group! I want you to see amazing results like I have! Its all about a healthy lifestyle! :)

Hope you all have a happy and healthy day!

<3 Nicole

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How Weight Watchers Saved My Life

Most of you may not know my story and how I came to become where I am today. So today, I want to share a more personal side of my journey. It all started January 24, 1990....haha just kidding, I won't go that far back to the date of my entrance into this amazing world. but I will go back almost 4 years ago or a little beyond that. The date was May 31, 2011. It had been a really tough year. I had been struggling through nursing school. I had recently lost my cousin who was like an older brother to me. I was trying to accept the fact that he had been taken way too soon. I had always been overweight and struggle with staying in shape. In high school, my senior year, I had lost about 30 pounds right before college doing weight watchers. Going into college, I stopped following weight watchers. I was young, stupid, and thought that I was invisible and couldn't gain weight again. Stupid I KNOW! but you live and you learn! So the freshman 15 turned into the freshman I DONT KNOW (because I never stepped on the scale). I would go to the gym when I could and thought I was doing great. But then you throw in the cafeteria food which was all you can eat two or three times a day, excessive frat parties where drinking beer in excess was always happening thursday, friday, and saturday nights. So this whole cycle happened for my entire freshman year of college. Fast forward two years to my junior year where I had a horrible year. Cousin passed away, nursing school became really hard with clinicals and managing lectures and everything, and really just being totally unhappy with myself.

The entire month of May 2011, I knew I needed a change. I was unhappy, I couldn't stand looking at myself in the mirror, I hated the way I looked and felt. So on June 1, 2011, I signed up for weight watchers, like I had said before, it had helped me lose weight before I went to college, so I figured I could do it again. this time I knew it would be a lot harder and I knew I was doing it for the right reasons. I set a high goal. I wanted to lose 50 pounds. June 1st, I started at 220 pounds. When I went on the scale and I saw that high number, I cried. I had never been that heavy. I did not want that number to define me. I was determined. Went to the gym 6 days a week, checked in daily and tracked my points. I worked my butt off day in and day out. No excuses. Even when I did not want to, I used motivation, I used my thoughts of what other people thought about me.

I also want to let you in on a little baby secret of mine. I told absolutely NO ONE what I was doing. I was determined to prove myself wrong and change that 220 into a different number. I did not tell my family, my close friends. I kept it in secret..you know why...because I was ashamed. I was ashamed I let myself get to 220. I was ashamed that I couldn't control what I had done to myself. While that was hard to swallow and hard to handle, being ashamed only made me work that much harder. Within the first month, my family started to notice, they would ask me if I was on a diet or something because something had changed. I started meal planning and prepping, following the weight watchers point system.

When the weight started to drastically come off, and people would ask me what I was doing, I felt like everyone was out to judge me (this was my own insecurities) and I would just say oh working out and eating healthy. To me it was not about a diet, it was about a lifestyle change. Weight Watchers changed my life and they saved me! If I did not start weight watchers on June 1, 2011, I do not know where I would be today! So many amazing things have happened to me as a result of my weight loss. THANK YOU WEIGHT WATCHERS FOR SAVING MY LIFE!

By December 2011, I had lost the 50 pounds that was my goal. I was so proud of myself. I felt amazing, I was happy, I loved the person that I became. I was at a cross roads. Thoughts of anxiety went through my head about what should I do next? How will I maintain my weight loss? What is my next goal?

1st Triathlon 2012

Well now that I hit the 50 pounds down mark, I had to set a new goal. My goal going into 2012, was to maintain my weight loss. In the past, as you know, I had lost weight with weight watchers and then gained it back. So my biggest fear was gaining that 50 pounds back, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to accomplish next. I always wanted to compete in a triathlon, so why not sign up for one. I signed up for the Danskin Women's Triathlon in Sept 2012 in Sandy Hook, NJ. I had trained for months leading up the the tri and I have to say, It was one of the most amazing experiences ever. While I was training, I lost another 20 pounds while following weight watchers. I felt like I was in the best shape ever. I finished the race better than I ever thought, if I can remember correctly I finished 7th overall for my age group. Something like that. This just fueled me more to want to continue to stay in shape, all by continuing to follow the weight watchers point system.

Weight Watchers taught me how to portion size, meal plan and prep, follow a routine of staying healthy. Above all, it taught me about how to live a healthier lifestyle. It wasn't a diet or a quick fix, its a way of life.

 DC Half Marathon 2014

Over the next year, I would continue to workout 6 days a week, including cycling, and running. I ended up getting into running with my dad and we started to do runs. who would have thought, this would have lead me to run the Washington DC Nike Women's Half Marathon in April 2014. This was a huge accomplishment and was taken off the bucket list.

Towards the end of 2012 and into 2013, I was training for my second triathlon in May of 2013, this one was in Red Bank, NJ. As a competitor, I wanted to be better than I had done before. I was strong in the swim and bike but when I got to the run part, I literally thought I was going to die. I felt like the wheels rolled off and I couldn't gain momentum. I wanted to give up but I did not. I think it was a sign of God that I maybe was not following through with weight watchers and I was going through the motions and I needed a change.

2nd Triathlon 2013

Sometimes you have to move on and challenge yourself to something new to overcome a plateau. I had posted my transformation picture in april of 2013 and I ended up getting alot of responses and comments about how I did it and people wanted my help. It literally took me like a week to post the picture and even that I almost did not post it. People wanted my help? I thought. I had that self doubt and self negative image of myself but weight watchers allowed me to help others and believe in them, when they didn't believe in themselves.

In June of 2013, I became a beachbody coach, only because I wanted the discount on shakeology and I wanted to do p90x. For those of you who do not know, shakeology is a healthy meal replacement you drink daily that has vitamins, super foods, and amazing nutrients in it. It has been a staple in my life over the last almost two years. I wanted to challenge myself to push my body to the limits and let me just say, I have truly done that. I have completed programs such as P90X, T25, 21 Day Fix, PIYO, and I am currently doing Insanity Max 30. I never thought in a million years that I the girl who was 220 pounds would ever be doing programs like insanity and p90x. but you know what I have completed them.

No matter what, you need to lead a balanced life that is filled with happiness, health, wellness, and above all, a life that you want. I know the struggle of being unhappy with what you see in the mirror and not loving who you are but by doing weight watchers and losing 70 pounds, my life was saved. I have no idea where I would be if I had not decided that I was sick and tired of where I was in my life and I needed a change.

Helping others in their own health and fitness journeys has given me a phenomenal opportunity to be a support system for others in their own health and fitness journeys. the journey is not easy but when you have someone there to support you and help you, it makes it a little easier.

We have an accountability group starting on monday January 26th! It is a great way to achieve all your health and fitness goals. I would love to help you out in your own health and fitness journey! Fill out the form below and I will contact you! Anyone who does not currently have a coach or is a coach can join us!

Hope You All Have a Happy & Healthy Day!!

Nicole

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Man Cake with Apples Recipe

Friends of mine had been raving about "Deidra's Man Cakes" all weekend while we were away on "business". So I did my research and finally found the recipe and let me just tell you, I am so thankful that I had today off and slept in and had the opportunity to make this delicious breakfast! 

Mix ingredients & put in pan to cook

Ingredients:

• 1 Green Apple diced
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 6 egg whites, 1 yolk 
• 1/2 tso Vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• EVOO

Directions:

1. Put stove on medium and coat bottom of pan on stove with EVOO. (I used a paper towel to lightly coat the bottom of pan
2. Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl and add it to pan on stove
3. Cook on each side for approximately 4 minutes or until it is done to your liking
4. Let cool and enjoy

Literally like these so much, tomorrow I am planning to use fresh cut up strawberries instead of the apples! Its so simple and so easy to make and whats great is it is absolutely delicious and healthy! It even follows the 21 day fix meal plan! 1 Red (protein): eggs, 1 Yellow (carb): oatmeal, 1 Purple (fruit): apple!

I cannot wait to play around with this and make some other amazing recipes! Share with others if this is something you think you would like!

Have a Happy & Healthy Day!

Nicole <3