At the time I am writing this blog, there are less than 24 hours until the final weigh in for S3 – Our 8 week “Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown” contest. We have seen some incredible changes in many of our members. Not only in the way they look, but in the way they feel, the sense of purpose and focus to themselves and their health, and as a bonus some pretty drastic fat loss as well!
We have also observed a pretty wide range of emotions as the contest draws to a close and the day of reckoning approaches.
Some of you are excited, some of you are dreading facing the scale, and others are, well, pretty indifferent about the whole thing.
There are three basic outcomes that we will see at the end of the contest. You will have:
I would suggest that how you approach those results, how you feel about how you did as well as the actual results themselves, is actually more important than what happened during this brief 8 week period.
Why?
Because there are reasons why you did or did not succeed to your level of expectation.
In other words your outcome over the last 8 weeks that is an amalgamation of all the choices you have made, for better or worse.
I don’t think it’s going out on a limb to say that those who were committed to their training, nutrition and sleep made great progress, while those who were not, did not.
Now what are you going to do with that?
One definition of insanity is “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.
Were your actions in line with your expectations? Did you do anything different over these last 8 weeks?
Changing your body composition is only easy if you are trying to do one thing – be overfat. Most of us have experienced that – you wake up one day and you weigh 30 pounds more than you did a couple years ago, and you didn’t even have to try!
Going the other way is not that easy, as many of us have also discovered over the years.
But it isn’t rocket science either.
The #1 reason why we don’t make the progress we desire is because we are unwilling to change what we are doing, usually in the area of nutrition.
I defy anybody to demonstrate they have taken these three steps over a reasonable period of time (8 weeks maybe?) and not made significant progress toward body composition goals.
I am extremely proud of everyone who made the effort to make the changes necessary to achieve the outcome they desired. I know you will continue on the path you have started.
I want to help those who did not.
Do you really want to make the change necessary to achieve your goals?
I have to believe that you do.
So here is what I want you to do.
Step #1
I want you to go to http://fitday.com and set up your account. Click here to watch our video on how to do that. Make your account public so we can look at it.
Step #2
Talk to Greg, Anne or Stephanie about the results they have achieved over just the last few weeks since they started keeping a food journal.
Step #3
Log your food intake into your account for one week. When you have done that, send me an email and I will not only take a look and evaluate for that week, but put you on my schedule (or Nancy’s if you prefer) to look at it every week, as long as you continue to be consistent.
No other changes, no other hassles, no nothing. Those three simple steps.
This is our gift to you, our current clients. Very soon we will be offering nutrition classes and coaching, and there definitely will be a charge for those. I would strongly encourage you to receive and use this tool.
If you won’t, think long and hard about why not.
I am excited about tomorrow. I am excited to see how you all did. To hear your success stories and your challenges overcome. It has been incredible to see the changes that are being made, and I am more excited than ever about helping you reach your goals.
The only way you can fail is to give up.
Don’t ever, ever, ever give up!
Make It Happen!
Dean
We received great feedback from this recipe when we posted it, so this edition of “Cooking with the Carlson’s” shows you just how quick and easy it is!
Enjoy!
Grilled Salmon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c onion, chopped
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Soy sauce or Tamari
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 lb salmon fillets
Combine marinade ingredients. Add salmon and marinade at room temperature for 15 minutes. Drain marinade. Cook on uncovered grill for 7 minutes. Turn with spatula and brush with marinade and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes until the fish flakes easily. (the fish can be broiled in an oven as well) Serves 2
No Pasta? No Problem!
This great tasting dish uses your favorite vegetables to keep calories low while keeping all the flavor.
Goes to Greg and Judy of the “Road Crew”. Greg and Judy have made great strides in fitness but also in their nutrition. This husband and wife team encourages each other to eat healthy each meal. Recently they faced two challenges head on and won.
Here is what Judy wrote:
“This morning we went to the Meathouse to resupply our Boars Head. We were the first customers of the day & as we were checking out, the cashier said “would you like a loaf of bread? (it was the giant round loaf kind) …it’s FREE!” Greg had already successfully negotiated the fudge, cookies & other land mines throughout the store & at the checkout. We both looked at each other – none of the other temptations were FREE. We both laughed & smiled at the cashier & Greg said, no thanks I’ve been doing so well, I don’t want to ruin it now. Come to think of it, that loaf of bread was about the size of a small land mine…
Thanks for helping us so much!! – Judy”
Avoiding the Land Minds, Isn’t that what it is all about?
Great Job Greg & Judy!
This free tool might be the most valuable tool in your nutrition and healthy eating toolbox!
Tip: Click on the “YouTube” logo to see the video in a larger format.
Why?
Because most of us are masters at convincing ourselves that we “eat good”. But what exactly does that mean? If I ask 100 people what “healthy eating” is, odds are good I will get 100 different answers.
In general there are three primary reasons why we are not getting the results we are looking for with our nutrition.
The order in which those are listed is important. If you don’t have a plan, you know the challenge already. If you have a plan and aren’t following it, it’s not hard to figure out that you need to follow the plan to get the results you want. And if you have a plan and are following it, and you still aren’t getting results, it’s time for a new plan.
The focus of this video is to discover if reason number two is holding you back. We will start with the assumption that you have a plan. But how can we evaluate properly if it’s effective?
You must measure!
The only way to know if you are truly following your plan is to log what you are eating, everything you eat and drink, on a regular and consistent basis. When a client asks us for nutrition guidance, the first thing we are going to ask for is their food logs, so we can see the content and amount of food being consumed. The video will take you through the steps to setup your own free http://FitDay.com account. If you have any further questions about setting it up, let us know!
Thank-you and congratulations to Paula, Deb, Lisa and Tim for earning their one year “Red Shirts” and being the newest inductees into the Get Fit NH Bootcamp Hall of Fame!
You Guys Are Awesome!
File this under “You asked for it, you got it”!
Our Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown Contest is in full swing, with only a few more weeks to go.
You are doing a great job with the contest:
Your pants are getting looser…
The class competition is getting tighter…
and you are throwing more trash talk my way than ever!
In spite of the fact that you are doing your best to hurt my feelings, due to overwhelming demand we have decided to extend the S3 contest…
One More Week!
Why?
Two primary reasons:
First it’s April vacation next week, and many of you are going away. We wanted you to have a couple weeks after vacation to tighten it up, get back on track, and make your final push. If you are not going away – even better – you have one more week to Make It a Happen!
Second, the first week of May is a short week. Don’t miss this! We will be meeting Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only the week of May 3rd.
Because of these two facts, we are going to end the Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown on Friday, May 14th. Your final weigh-in will be the last day you train during that week, and you must weigh-in no later than Friday.
I am really looking forward to seeing you take advantage of the extra week and make even better progress!
If you have any questions, please let us know.
What can I say? This dude is JACKED!
Nice Job Susan, and Happy Birthday Mr. Patterson!
Eat Your Brussel Sprouts!!!
Before you read this post, I want you to head on over and read Gretchen’s blog on “results” from a couple days ago. She is writing as one of you, someone who isn’t a coach or trainer, someone like Nancy or me you may perceive as having an “unfair advantage”. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Done? Alright then let’s get to it.
The main point I want you to come away with from that post is this – Give Yourself Some Credit!
If you are headed in the right direction, if you have lost even 1 pound, you need to embrace the progress. It is possible that some are doing better than you, and if so I would encourage you to ask them what changes they have made to get where they are at. In fact here are some recent stories we have from your fellow team members. Ask one of them.
Robin writes: “So you may have already heard of my dressing room story. If not I can share it again. I recently visited one of my favorite clothing stores in the mall. I went to the dressing room with my clothes to try on in my usual size. I put them on and I looked like a bag lady. I had to go out and get a smaller size in everything, shirt, skirt, and yes even pants. I was excited. I am making better choices, preparing my foods ahead of time and not just crabbing things just to eat. I feel better, and people say I look better also. I also love how I can just grab a pair of pants in the morning, after bootcamp of course and they fit, they are even loose. No more imprint of the button in my belly after I have been sitting.”
Or how about this one from “Bride To Be” Amanda
I’m getting married in August, so a little while ago I picked out my wedding dress and they took my measurements, I really didn’t like what they were. So I came to bootcamp and stuck to eating healthy while at home and at work (which was hard) and last Wednesday I went for a dress fitting and I had to hold the dress up because it would have fallen off! I was so proud of what I accomplished and thankful for the support I got from everyone I go to bootcamp with! I now know anything is possible!!
Stories like these two demonstrate that it is possible to make your goals happen, when you are dedicated and persevere.
You must get past the “What If’s”.
“What if I fail?”, or even more insidious “What if I succeed?”
Remember that old song “Free your mind and the rest will follow”? In many ways that is exactly right, and you need to get your head in the game.
So at the four-week mark of our S3 contest, I want to give you some more tools. Tools that will help us, you and your coach, find some potential trouble spots that are possibly keeping you from where you want to get.
Many of you know of our relationship with Dr. John Berardi and the folks over at Precision Nutrition. We have begun using the assessment tools they have provided as a way for us and you to gain insight in to how to more quickly, easily and painlessly reach your goals. There are 3 short questionnaires that will just take you a few minutes and will no doubt make a big difference.
Here’s the rub. I am not going to post these on the website. I don’t want any anonymous downloaders. Send me an email with your name and let me know you want to complete the assessments, and I’ll send them to you. Your coach will then be expecting the assessments back to review and then discuss with you. Don’t miss this opportunity to crank it up a notch. I am expecting a bunch of emails.
We have also recently received feedback from Dr. Berardi regarding the one thing our members can do that is extremely easy to do plus will make the biggest difference in fat loss progress. In other words, what is the maximum return on effort that you can possibly get.
Here’s the formula he provided:
Fish Oil (1g / %Body Fat) + multi-vitamin daily
In other words, Dr. Berardi recommends taking 1 gram of high quality fish oil for every percent of bodyfat you carry, plus a multivitamin every day.
So if your bodyfat is 18% you will take 18 grams of fish oil, spread out evenly between meals, plus a multivitamin, on a daily basis.
Here are a couple simple online calculators that will give you a general idea of what your current bodyfat is so you know how much to take.
http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/bfb
http://www.csgnetwork.com/bodyfatcalc.html
Now some of you may be thinking that sounds like a lot of fish oil, but I assure you science backs this recommendation up over and over and over again. I personally have started taking between 10 and 12 grams a day and am a believer. There are some very good fish oils out there, Nordic Naturals has a great reputation among others, but the one I am currently taking is “Members Mark 1400mg w/ 900 Total Omega 3” from Sam’s Club. I researched this particular product to make sure mercury was not an issue, and as far as I can tell it is a good product, and it is very inexpensive.
As far as multivitamins go, my recommendation is sticking with a “whole food” vitamin such as the VGF 25+ from Prograde Nutrition. Most vitamins in the average superstore are synthetic varieties and the research is mixed at best on these formulas. Take a look at the research and decide for yourself, but you need a multivitamin your fat-loss arsenal.
So there you have it.
Now it’s up to you. You have a choice to make. Do you take advantage of these “new tools” or are you going to keep beating on that nail with a screwdriver?
Post your questions below, then Make It Happen!
That’s what the amazing Coach Nancy demonstrated during her live “Cooking With The Carlson’s” portion of our nutrition seminar tonight.
If you think food prep takes forever and you don’t have time to cook, think again. A little patience, perseverance and practice and you’ll be cranking out tasty and creative meals in no time!
We’ve shared all the recipes below, so if you couldn’t make it tonight, you can still make chicken dinner!
[imagebrowser id=12]Crock Pot Chicken
1 whole chicken
salt and pepper
Place chicken in crockpot, salt and pepper it. Cover and turn crock pot on low. Cook 6-8 hours. Enjoy.
Variations:
1. Place a lemon pierced with a knife in the cavity of the bird along with several sprigs of fresh parsley.
2. Vary the spices by sprinkling inside and outside the bird with Cajun spices or thyme, paprika, and sage
Kung Pao Chicken
1 pound raw chicken breast, cut into ½ inch cubes
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch of ginger, chopped
2 Tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
1 green pepper cut into 1- inch squares
1 onion cut into 1- inch squares
8-15 dried red chilies, snip off dried stem
8 ounces of sliced water chestnuts, drained
½ cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
2 Tablespoon peanut oil
Marinate chicken in garlic, ginger and vinegar while preparing other ingredients, up to several hours in advance
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 Tablespoon of peanut oil over medium heat. Add chicken and marinade to wok. Stir fry until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken, add another Tablespoon of oil. Stir fry the onions, and peppers, water chestnuts, and chilies until the veggies start to brown. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, peanut sauce, mix thoroughly and serve.
Grilled Chicken
2 pounds of Chicken breast
½ cup rice wine vinegar (can use apple cider vinegar)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sprigs of thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
Add all ingredients to a Ziploc bag. Marinate for several hours. Grill over medium high heat until done.
Chicken Tenders
1-1 ½ pounds of chicken breast cut into 1/3 inch strips
¾ cup almond meal
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika
Mix all ingredients except the chicken in a ziploc bag. Add the chicken one at a time and shake to coat. Place on a cooking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 400 degrees for 7-15 minutes.
Coconut Chicken
1 pound of chicken breast
2/3 cup coconut
2 Tablespoon coconut oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Lay chicken in baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Mix the remaining ingredients together and cover chicken with coconut mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and broil for an additional 10 minutes.
Barbeque Chicken
2 pounds of chicken pieces
½ cup cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¼ hot pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients together except chicken. This can be done in a Ziploc bag to save on dishes. Add the chicken and marinate for 1 hour. Grill chicken pieces over medium high heat for 20 minutes, turn and grill for another 15-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
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