Shakeology Frappucino

I don't know about all of you but I love to mix up my Shakeology flavors depending on my mood, needs for the day, etc. I have been trying to cut back on my morning coffee mostly because I can only drink it with Bliss Vanilla Coffee Mate creamer which isn't the best for you. So on the mornings that I still want my morning coffee fix but not the creamer, I choose to make  Shakeology Frapuccino. There are numerous ways to mix it but a very easy recipe is 10 oz water, a packet of Starbucks via instant coffee, chocolate (or vanilla) Shakeoly, a bunch of ice and blend! It tastes great and you are having your healthiest meal of the day. Feel free to share some of you favorite recipes. I would love to hear them.

 

 

Nicole Link

Team Beachbody Coach

www.facebook.com/fitlifewithnicole

nicolelink@beachbodycoach.com

BLT Bacon Weave

Okay....let me just say this is one of my all-time favorite pins from Pinterest. My husband requested BLT's for dinner and although it isn't the healthiest dinner option I wanted to cook him something that he really wanted. I remembered seeing something on Pinterest that had to do with BLT's and how to cook the bacon so I went searching and I came across an online article from the Huffington Post.

Here's how to make the PERFECT BLT. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Cut bacon pieces in half. Using 6 halves of bacon weave them into a square shape.  Repeat this process for all bacon pieces (each BLT will use 3 full pieces of bacon).

Place in oven for 25-30 minutes watching them towards the end until they are to your desired crispness.

 Remove from oven, place between paper towels to remove excess grease, place on toasted bread and top with lettuce, tomato and avocado if you wish. With the bacon weave you don't have to worry about the bacon falling off the bread and you get bacon in every bite. YUM!!

My Sister's Wedding

This past weekend I had the pleasure of standing next to my sister on her wedding day. My sister was my Maid of Honor six years ago when my husband and I got married and I got to return the favor last weekend as her Matron of Honor. The wedding was in La Jolla, CA and we could not have asked for a better day, better weather, better people or a better couple to celebrate. My sister was the most beautiful bride I have ever seen and the reaction her husband had as she walked down the aisle said it all. He was beside himself and she literally took his breath away. I felt so honored to be a part of their special day.

This is the view she and I woke up to from our ocean front hotel room the morning of the wedding.

My sister and her bridesmaids

 

I can honestly say that I have never felt more beautiful than I did that day. The pretty dress and getting my hair and makeup done helped quite a bit. But it also had to do with the fact that I have never been in better shape in my whole life and I felt confident standing in front of 85 people because of the hard work I put in to get to this point. I love my sister with all my heart and I was so honored to stand next to her on her big day. 

 I mean really?!? She is GORGEOUS!

And my babies got to be a part of the wedding too. The ring bearer and flower girl did a fabulous job and were as cute as can be!!

Vanilla and Peanut Butter Shakeology

Vanilla and Peanut Butter Shakeology

 

 

As many of you know, Vanilla Shakeology was released in the last few months and initially I really liked the flavor but then I found myself comparing it to my beloved Chocolate and I wasn't really feeling it. UNTIL....I found this recipe. Oh My Gosh!! I love this recipe and it is my go-to recipe when it comes to vanilla.

 

8 oz water

2-4 oz of almond milk

1/2 banana

1 Tbsp all natural peanut butter

Blend with a LOT of ice

 

If you are struggling with the taste of vanilla I suggest you try this recipe. You will not be disappointed!



 

 

Getting Started

Have you been thinking about getting fit for a while now but you can't seem to make the commitment. Don't let another day go by where you "think" about getting fit, let's get started today. One small step today can make a huge difference in your life. If you are unhappy with the way you look or feel then why not make a change for the better.

After having my second child I was determined to lose the weight and began working out when I was cleared by the doctor. I lost a lot of the weight but then I plateaued and stayed at a consistent weight for months. I wasn't happy with the way I looked but wasn't miserable enough to focus on why I wasn't losing anymore weight. I have always struggled with food and eating healthy for a prolonged period of time and it was not until I committed to Shakeology in December of 2012 that I really began to see my weight decrease but most of all my body was toning and I was putting on muscle. I ended up losing just under 20 lbs in 4-5 months time and I have kept it off for 3 months. The difference for me was changing my food. I had made a financial commitment to pay for Shakeology and there was no way I was going to waste that money so I began really looking at my food and cleaning up my meals. I finally have a positive relationship with food and I truly enjoy trying new healthy meals and snacks. The girl who hated tomatoes now really enjoys them. It is true your taste buds will change after you change your eating. I saw a quote once that said "If you continue to eat the same food you've been eating, you will continue to stay the same weight you always were." So true!! Make the commitment to yourself TODAY to start a new journey in your life. The best time to start is NOW!!!


Shakeology is a meal replacement health shake that is known to decrease sweets and cravings, promote weight loss, promote digestive and heart health and it truly is the healthiest meal of the day filled with vitamins, nutrients, and superfoods. Follow the link below to try it. The time is NOW!!!

Dance Your Way To Fitness!!

Not a fan of working out? Hate going to the gym? Bring the workout to your home and dance off the pounds! Sean T created an at home workout program that allows you to shake your body in order to get fit. And the best part...it is currently ON SALE!! When you buy a challenge pack you get a month's worth of Shakeology and ROckin Body and Hip Hop Abs for only $10! Can't beat that deal.

Yogurt Covered Blueberries

Do you have a huge sweet toother? I definitely do! I have always fought the urge to eat candy and sweet treats and now that I have adapted a healthy lifestyle I am really trying to limit those snacks and ideally I would like to get to the point where I don't eat them at all. My mom shared this treat with me after seeing it on Pinterest and I knew I HAD to make them.

All you need to do is grab some fresh blueberries and no fat Greek Yogurt. I used vanilla flavored to give it a sweeter taste.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Dip blueberries in vanilla yogurt then place on baking sheet. Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes then transfer blueberrie in to a ziploc freezer bag and leave in freezer until ready to eat.

Why dehydration is making you fat and sick...

Why dehydration is making you fat and sick...

It is recommended that we should drink half our body weight in ounces of water a day and even more if possible. This will help keep you hydrated as well as promote weight loss. One helpful tip...drink two glassess of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner and decrease portion sizes to help you lose weight and keep it off for a year.

Orange Creme Shakeology

Team Beachbody just released the brand new vanilla Shakeology in July and boy is it good! One of the recipes I have tried and liked is called Orange Creme.

Vanilla Shakeology, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup almond milk, blend with ice. YUM!!

Have you tried Shakeology? If not, you most definitely should. It has been a huge part of my weight loss success and getting fit. It tastes great and is great for you. Go to www.beachbodycoach.com/nicolelink or www.myshakeology.com/nicolelink to read more about Shakeology or to order it for yourself. You will not regret it!


 

What is Shakeology? Shakeology is a health shake full of dense nutrition and will be your healthiest meal of the day. It is full of proteins and amino acids, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, prebiotcs, probiotics and digestive enzymes. Replacing one meal a day with a shake will curb cravings for sweets, promote weight loss, increase energy levels, improve digestion and regularity, and support your cardiovascular health and immune systems.

Focus T25

         I started Focus T25 on August 12th along with about 10 other people in a Facebook Challenge Group. Today is the start of week 2 and I am LOVING this program and so are all of the other women in the group. It is an amazing 25 minute workout which makes it easy for anyone to fit in their day. Seriously, only 25 minutes and I sweat my butt off everytime. And the greatest part is you can still add in your own workouts as well. I am a stay at home mom and I am not willing to give up my child free gym time to only do workouts at home. What is my solution..continue to go to the YMCA for gym workouts while still doing T25 at home.

A few months ago I did the first half of Insanity but ended up falling off the wagon and not finishing. It was a lot of cardio and jumping which I liked but I also wanted something different during my workouts. T25 is a pefect fit between cardio and bodyweight resistance training. Trust me...you will get an incredible workout whether you are a beginner and need to follow Tonya who is the modifier or if you are an in shape athlete. I highly suggest this workout to anyone and the best part...Team Beachbody has extended the discount price on challenge packs until August 31st. Which means you can get the full 10 DVD workout series, a month's worth of Shakeology and 30 days of a club membership which provides meal planning and nutrition advice all for $180! Click on one of the pictures to order this amazing workout for yourself.

 

Here are my starting pictures. I will update my blog with pictures throughout the 10 week challenge.

Mediterranean Salmon Baked in Foil

I found this recipe on Clean Eating Magazine's website and it looked too great not to try. My whole family loved it and it was quick and easy to throw together at the last minute.

Serves: 2, Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
olive oil cooking spray
2 4-oz boneless salmon fillets
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup cooked or BPA free canned chickpeas
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp crumbled low-fat feta cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut 2 large pieces of foil and mist with cooking spray. Place 1 piece of salmon on each piece of foil.

In a medium bowl, combine garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, chickpeas, onion, lemon juice. Spoon mixture over salmon, dividing evenly. Bring all sides together over top of salmon and fold over to form a sealed pocket.

Transfer to baking sheet and back for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before opening. To serve, sprinkle with feta and basil

Clean Au Gratin potatoes

My husband and I tried a new recipe last night that I found online. He had mentioned buying a box of au gratin potatoes and I said "let's make our own because those are filled with fake food and preservatives". I quickly used google and found this recipe. My husband forgot to cover them before putting them in the oven so the liquid didn't cream as much as it should but they tasted amazing even if they didn't look as appealing. The recipe can be found here http://www.eatcleandiet.com/the_kitchen_table/recipe/recipe.aspx?id=1893

And here is a picture of the recipe. Try it!

Shakeology!

 

I heard about Shakeology about 9 months ago. I was on Facebook and came across a page that a friend of mine had liked and it was all about one woman's transformation using Shakeology and Beachbody products. This woman had totally transformed her body and lost over 100 pounds. Of course my first thought was "can a shake really help do that". But my curiosity never left me. I FB stalked her page for a few months before finally messaging her and asking a few questions. I didn't have 100 pounds to lose and I thought that the weight I did need to lose I could do it on my own. However, that hadn't been the case and with a deployed husband I decided to sign up. And I had complete buyer's remorse at first because money was tight that month and I actually put it on my credit card. It didn't take long (30 days actually) for me to look back at my progress pictures and realize that this really could make a difference in my life.

This was over the holidays where I was drinking Shakeology and working out sporadically.

 

 

After my first 30 day challenge I was hooked and I knew with hard work, better eating and  Shakeology that I could get fit and feel great about myself.

 

 

My first 30 challenge results



 

 

Now I cannot imagine my day without Shakeology. It gives me the energy needed to get through my day, is a quick and easy meal when I am running around trying to get my two kids ready for the day, and has helped curb the major sweet tooth that has haunted me my whole life.

 

If you want to see what Shakeology can do for you, you can try it risk free! Team Beachbody offers a "bottom of the bag" guarantee which means you can drink all 30 days worth and if you don't like it for any reason or if you don't see the results you would like, you can return it and get all your money back.

 



My Story

Hello, my name is Nicole and I am on an ongoing journey to stay fit and live a healthy life. I am a mom to two beautiful children. Alyssa is almost 5 and Collin is almost 2. My wonderful and supportive husband has been serving in the US Navy for 15 years. We have been through several deployments, countless detachments, 2 cities and 3 houses in our 6 years of marriage. My husband deployed in September of 2012 and the next 8 months were some of the hardest of my life but they are special because this is when I would start my journey to loving myself.

Here is my family a week or so before my husband would deploy.

I started by journey with Team Beachbody in December of 2012. I had been Facebook stalking my current coach for a few months and was completely inspired by her amazing transformation and losing over 100 lbs in a year and then maintaining that weight loss for another year. I didn't have 100 lbs to lose but after two children and having a husband who was deployed I was ready to step up and make a CHANGE.

My amazing Beachbody coach who inspired me and has taught me so much.

In December of 2012, I weighed 140lbs and I am 5'5". I had been working out for over 6 months after having my second child and I had lost about 13lbs oer the course of a year post baby #2. With clothes on, many probably would not have thought I had a lot of weight to lose but I was not comfortable in my own skin and to be honest I never really have been growing up, throughout high school or college, etc. I have always struggled with a terrible self image. I was chunkier growing up and my best friends from grade school through high school were all very thin and although we all played the same sports I was always a little bit heavier than everyone else. I noticed it as a kid and I never wanted to wear a two piece growing up. It took until I was a junior in high school for me to wear a two piece and at that time it was boy shorts and a tankini so you can see I was still not comfortable. My senior year of high school I thinned out a bit and was much happier with myself bu then I went to college and the freshman 15 got me. My junior and senior year of college I joined weight watchers with two of my best friends and I definitely lost weight but I did not learn how to eat well. I learned how to drink diet soda and eat low fat food to decrease the number of points I was eating but did not learn to eat REAL food.

With pregnancy and child birth came more weight and of course after both pregnancies I was at my heaviest weight which is to be expected. But I really struggled to get it off and I carried a lot of weight in my stomach. I would go through waves of yo-yo dieting and working out and once I got most of the weight off I got pregnant with our second child and started the cycle all over again.

I had our second child in September of 2011 and it took until December of 2012 to finally decide to make a LIFESTYLE change. I was determined to not make it a diet and instead make it something that would last a long time. I got through the holidays drinking Shakeology and then in January I joined my first challenge group. It was eye opening and I started to really learn about real food and what our body needs for nutrition. I have not stopped doing challenges since and I have lost a total of 20 lbs over 6 months and I am eating completely different than I was when I began.

My transformation from starting to now.

I now fluctuate between 121-122lbs and my journey is not done. I feel confident in my body and love the way I look and I am starting to inspire others to start their journey. I am not done...this is only the beginning! I decided to become a Beachbody Coach in July of 2013 because I love the products and the company and I have a passion for helping others achieve their goals. I have gotten my family and friends on a path to living a healthier life and I cannot wait to continue to inspire and help others.



He is home! And I got to surprise my husband with my new body and self confidence which felt great.

Happy and in love with my post deployment body.

My beautiful children

Focus T25

I recently ordered T25 from www.teambeachbody.com/nicolelink and I cannot wait to start the full program August 12th. I have tried a few of the workouts because I was so anxious and I can already tell I am going to LOVE this workout. It is quick, intense and gives you a great burn. 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week is something anyone can do and even with two kids in the house my husband and I were able to complete the workout together. The workouts are broken down to focus on cardio, speed, total body, lower body focus, and abs in the first five weeks. Then a second set of DVDs for weeks 6-10.

I will be updating the blog with reviews and transformations as I do it.