Last week, I wrote a blog about the pause button - about not letting life, work, etc. get you to the point that you put an entire part of your life on hold. Below are some strategies to help you when those hectic times arise.

1. Look at your schedule ahead of time. I fully realize that this may not be an option for everyone. Some of you have highly fluid careers and lives and this may not be completely possible. However, looking at your week ahead can really help. What day do you have a 6am meeting so you may need to come to another class? What day might you have time to sit down for an hour and food prep for the following 3 or 4 days? Sometimes just sitting down and laying it out for yourself can make all the difference, rather than trying to do it on the fly.

2. Plan your meals ahead of time. All of our nutrition challenges have included some type of template for planning out your meals. If you have yet to do one of them, it is fairly easy. They can be as simple as a piece of paper with “Breakfast", "Lunch", and "Dinner” listed under each day of the week, or as complicated as the recipe itself at each spot so you have all your information in one place. Whatever makes it more likely to happen for you.

3. M.I.S.S (Make It Stupid Simple). For those really hectic times, make it stupid simple. By that I mean make it as simple as possible to plan your meals for the week. If you can stomach it, maybe eat the same simple recipe for breakfast every day to cut down on prep time. Or keep the meals different but try to stick to simple recipes that don’t take a ton of prep work. This may not be a good strategy for the long term because you will probably burn out on those easy to prepare foods, but in an extremely hectic time, simplicity is your ally.

4. Make training an appointment. You have heard Coach Meagan say this before and it feeds into strategy number 1. If you can figure out your schedule ahead of time, decide what days and times you are going to train and make it an appointment. Plan it ahead of time, write it down and stick to it.

5. Slow down, but never stop. This one is possibly the most important one of all. If you need to slow down, that’s understandable. If you can only make two classes a week this week and next week because work is so hectic, that’s understandable. The last thing you want to do is put off training completely, because like I said in part one, you never know what tomorrow might bring. Expecting to stop, then start again when things are “less hectic” ends in major complications the large majority of the time. So just slow down, but never stop.

Make it happen,
Coach Adam

This time the spotlight shines on Amy Doyle. Amy and her husband, Jim, have been part of the Get Fit NH family for a while now. Amy is part of our 5am class in Concord and always comes in with a smile, a willingness to work hard, and a shrug (we are working on the last one). All joking aside, Amy has been a fantastic addition to the family and we love having her in class. Here are some of Amy’s own words about her journey at Get Fit NH...

Why did you choose Get Fit NH?

My husband, Jim, and I joined Get Fit in July. After spending years going to gyms, we were looking for a different approach to working out. I had many colleagues at Bow Memorial School that trained at Get Fit and we decided to give it a try. We were both hooked after a few workouts.

What changes did you notice in the first few weeks?

Almost immediately I noticed that I wasn't feeling hurt and dinged up all the time. It was typical for me to experience pain while training, and I had come accustomed to working though chronic shoulder pain during my workouts. The first month showed me that this didn't have to be the case. The workouts at Get Fit were making me stronger, but not at the cost of being hurt. I also noticed that I was able to do more functional skills without pain and effort.

What outside of Get Fit NH has become easier since starting here?

What are your goals?

When I first started at Get Fit my goal was to lose 10 pounds. Like many people, I struggle with the number on the scale. Over the past few months, my goals have changed. I want to be healthy, strong, and know how to fuel and care for my body. I won't lie though...I want to be able to do a chin-up!

What have you accomplished so far?

What is your favorite part of Get Fit NH?

My favorite part of Get Fit are the coaches. I am so appreciative of their vigilance during the workouts to keep stubborn people like me safe and accountable. Without their guidance, I would still be struggling with injury and pain.

Keep the hard work up and the shoulders down, Amy!
-Coach Adam

When you lay down to go to sleep at night, do you ever think about your day and reflect on what you did to better yourself that day? I highly doubt it. Most of us have a mind going one million miles a second and we’re making to-do lists in our head, thinking about our kids and planning out the next day or thinking about work, etc. I know I rarely lay there and think about me.

But, wait! We (you and me!), WE are important too! Shouldn’t we all be striving to get a little better each day? I have two challenges for you:

1. Before you go to bed each night set yourself one small goal for the following day. It could be to read 10 pages of a book you have been meaning to pick up again, or to go to bed or wake up at a certain time. It could be to make it back to training if that has been slipping away from you. Set one goal that you KNOW you can achieve the following day that will help you get just a little bit better. Write it down!
2. Before you go to bed and before setting a new goal for the following day, check off that you completed your daily goal. If you didn’t make it happen, then reflect on what got in your way and come up with a plan to make it happen the next day.

It is way easy to put yourself on the back burner over and over and over again. I never quite understood this until I had kids. I get it now, but we are important too and taking some time to ourselves each day is not going to hurt anyone!

-Coach Meagan

Now, maybe when looking at that title you probably had one of two thoughts, either “what the heck is he talking about” or “WAIT THERE'S A PAUSE BUTTON!?!!”. Hopefully it was the former, not the latter. We as humans always look to solve puzzles and plan things accordingly. What do I mean by that? Well… work is going haywire, Billy-bob and Suzie-Q both need to be at hockey and soccer practice on opposite sides of town at the same time, and someone has to get home to let the dog out...and if you are a family member at Get Fit NH, you also have to make your training today. So, we as humans try to put everything into its own category. We look at when kids’ seasons will end and we look at when projects will be done at work, and “that’s when I’m going to start eating right” or “that’s when I’m going to get back to training”.

Here’s the somewhat depressing, but completely honest answer…ITS NEVER GOING AWAY ENTIRELY!!! 3 months down the road when you expected everything to get easier, other things have cropped up and you have spent the last 3 months not caring about yourself without that magical open period finally showing itself.

That’s why this next part is important. No matter how much free time you think you will have coming up, in today’s world I think we can all agree we never end up with as much as we expected. That’s why it’s even more important to keep moving. You CANNOT hit the pause button. Life will always throw obstacles your way but you can never just all together stop eating right and exercising.

Think about it like a bike, you go on a long bike ride, lots of big hills and the like. Which option is going to get you to your destination (or your goal) more quickly?

• Option 1: You keep the bike on its highest gear and every time you get too winded, you stop and wait to completely catch your breath.
• Option 2: You start to get winded and instead of stopping, you just drop to a lower gear. You can take a breath but you are still moving towards your destination. Then once you catch your breath again, you go back up to the higher gear.

Option 1 is you hitting the pause button. It’s you saying “I’m putting it over there in the corner until I have time to even think about it”. Option 2 is where you want to be. Is it as easy as option 1? No, of course not, but you have goals you want to achieve and you WILL NOT get there if you hit the pause button every time things get hectic. Life isn’t like a movie where if you pause you can come back and just pick up where you left off. During that time you put it in the corner, you will have fallen further from your goal and will be even more reluctant to start again.

Don't hit pause, and keep making it happen,
Coach Adam

I wrote this blog a couple weeks ago as I was approaching the end of my pregnancy (which came a little sooner than expected!). I was taking time to reflect on how different my body felt, so its from the perspective of when I was still pregnant.

The human body is a pretty incredible machine. Over the past 8 months my body formed another human- craziness! A true miracle, indeed. The human body capability is unbelievable. I am currently 22 pounds heavier than what I was 34 weeks ago. My body has changed and it feels different in many ways. While many differences are pregnancy related – others are not. What used to be simple is now a struggle for no other reason than I am heavier than what I am used to. Here are three big changes in life just because I am heavier.

1. Getting up and down off the floor. What a simple part of the day this used to be. With all the classes I coach on a daily basis, this was a mindless activity I never really thought twice about it. Before I get up now I have to carefully roll myself on to my side and use my hands and sometimes knees to stand myself up. When you are not overweight, getting up and down off the floor is not a chore.

2. Training enjoyment. Because I am heavier, I am winded quickly. I am not able to lift as much as I know I am capable of because my range of motion is limited. It is overall more exhausting. When the weight comes off training is easier and more enjoyable.

3. Confidence. Yes, pregnancy is a beautiful thing, but when you’re heavier and don’t feel as “in shape” as you once were, your confidence takes a beating. I don’t walk as fast, I don’t do stairs as fast, I get out of breath easier and that can be kind of embarrassing. My clothes fit, but not like they used to.

I know this blog has the potential to be misperceived. While many of the things mentioned are directly related to growing another life, my intent is to help you understand that life is easier when you are carrying less weight around.

My intent is to help you understand that the human body is INCREDIBLE and your genes are not likely the reason why the weight is not coming off.

My intent is to help you see that life CAN be easier and things like getting up and down off the floor, training and self-confidence are not impossible.

If you want it – you can make it happen. The only person giving you a “no” is YOU!

The only person saying you can’t or won’t is YOU!

I can find a BIG family of supporters who can encourage you and assure you that YOU CAN!

-Coach Meagan

Since today is Friday, I thought I'd share why training on Fridays is so important!

1. Mentality - Probably the most important part of why training is important is the mentality, or the mental strength, that is required to do so. On the flip side, it’s important to avoid the bad habits you’re reinforcing to yourself if you skip it. I’m not talking about skipping one Friday if something comes up and you just can’t make it. I am talking about Fridays upon Fridays of skipping. It teaches, even if its just subconsciously, that it’s okay to not finish what you start, that after three days of training “okay, close enough” is acceptable. That is a dangerous sentiment to have. It’s the same as taking the opportunity to do 21 days of clean eating and on day 20 saying, “Well, I made it 20 days, how big of a difference is 1 day going to make?”. Nutritionally and training wise, maybe not much…at first. However, it’s a slippery slope. At first, it’s just one week. Then the next week you think, “I skipped Friday and felt fine, I don’t really feel like going this week either”… then the trend continues. Missing one class might not have a huge impact on training, but if that trend continues, that’s 4 classes a month and 48 classes a year. Don’t give yourself an excuse to not finish what you started. It starts with one thing, but we are all humans - if we give ourselves an inch, we will take a mile. It may start with training, but before you know it it’s bleeding over into nutrition and general life responsibilities.

2. Training Results - The programming at Get Fit NH is designed to affect your system in different ways to elicit an overall training response. Many of you already know this, but training is written as 2 days of metabolic work (most closely resembling cardiovascular training) and 2 days of strength work each week. That means that the training is written to work as a whole, balanced program over a week’s span, so missing a Friday leads to an unbalanced week of training. For the best training effect, we have to take advantage of all of it. Can you really tell me that missing 48 trainings in a year wont effect you?

3. Accomplishment - Its no secret that Friday's trainings are challenging, and on Friday you are tired, stressed, and ready to end your week as soon as possible. The sense of accomplishment you will feel after making sure you gave it your absolute all and saw the week through to the end will be great.

Fridays are important, too! Don’t give yourself an excuse, because it probably will not stop there.

-Coach Adam

Student Spotlight time!!! This time it is shining on Rita Grenier for the first part of a mother and daughter spotlight. Rita has been a student at Get Fit NH for several months now and continues to bring a positive attitude and willingness to work hard whenever she comes. She and her daughter Jess have been a great addition to the family, coming in with a great sense of humor and looking to have some fun. Rita's hard work has paid off as she has screened out of multiple bands and is looking to take care of the ones she has remaining. Enough from me, take a look at what Rita had to say about her experience!

Rita and her daughter Jess winning the "Best Mother-Daughter Accountability" award!

Why did you choose Get Fit NH?

I had just been diagnosed hypothyroid and having metabolic syndrome. When I looked into Get Fit NH, they were offering the Metabolic Reboot which, being a structured course, I felt fit my needs perfectly.

What changes did you notice in the first few weeks?

I had much more energy and less brain fog!! My biggest issue with being hypothyroid was the exhaustion. Since joining I am not sleeping all the time and I am able to do so much more! I still have off days but they are few and far between now.

What outside of Get Fit NH has become easier since starting?

My job. I work nights, therefore I go to class before work. I go in with a much better frame of mind, more positive attitude, and a much better mood. I move around so much easier, and my feet and my back do not hurt so much as they use to. I can climb steps without being out of breath! I also have more energy to keep up with my 4 rescue labs!

What are your goals?

My goal is to develop and stick to good eating habits and losing weight. My other goal? To drop at least 3 more bands!

What have you accomplished so far?

I've dropped 3 bands since day one. I'm pretty proud of that. LOL. I've also come out of my shell so to speak. It's hard to be social when you sleep all the time. Everyone in all the classes are friendly and supportive! Also since joining with my daughter Jess, I am helping her work towards her goals.

What is your favorite part of Get Fit NH?

ALL the coaches are awesome. They are so patient when I am having a hard time with an exercise or if I don't remember how to do something they take the time to show me and they make the classes fun!

Great job Rita, and I have no doubt that when we re-test shortly for those bands, you will shed more of them!

Stay tuned for the second part of this mother daughter spotlight!

Coach Adam

And this time it's Leslie Thompson that's thrown right into the middle of the it! Leslie has been a student of ours since before I even became a coach. I can tell you, however, that just in the time I have been coaching at Get Fit, I have even seen a change in her. Screening out of bands left and right, working hard and having a positive attitude every time. Always enjoying coming in. Here are some words from Leslie herself about her journey...

"I chose Get Fit NH because my neighbor, Sheila, recommended it. I was looking for something for me. Something that I could do for myself. Plus, I was sick of feeling achy all the time and really out of shape. So I thought I'd give it a try. My first few weeks I was really, really sore. But I liked that feeling, I still do. It makes me aware that my body has muscles. And that they are meant to be used. I began to feel strong and flexible. Everything in my life started to become easier. I could run laps around my old self at my job. I had so much more energy. And my body began to feel looser but stronger at the same time

My goal at Get Fit NH is to continue. To continue to go. To continue to commit to myself and my health. I love it. Sure, when I get there at 6:45 pm, I am usually crawling in. But, I am always glad that I went, glad that I trained. Glad that I spend that hour on myself. Get Fit NH has helped me in so many ways. Physically, of course. But mentally and emotional as well. I am stronger and more assertive, in a good way. I am my own advocate now. This is my life and it is what I make of it. My favorite part of Get Fit NH is the fact that I LOVE to go. It is a strange concept, I know. But I am hooked. And I am thrilled about it!"

Like I said above, just in the time that I have been at Get Fit I have seen a change in Leslie. I wanted to make sure people were made aware of how hard she works and what she has accomplished. I am extremely proud to be her coach! Keep up the hard work, Leslie!

Coach Adam

In December and January we have been experimenting with assigned monthly goals using the mystery box. I have to tell you- the response and compliance since we tested this out has been much better than when students were setting their own goals- why is that?

Goal setting is a skill. We expect a lot from ourselves sometimes. Like losing 10 pounds in a month. That’s a huge goal. Achievable- sure for some, but certainly not likely unless something else in your life changes. Meaning training alone ain’t gonna melt those pounds and inches off.

Or sometimes we don’t expect ENOUGH from ourselves. Meaning you are avoiding the areas that truly need the attention. So where’s the balance? How do you know what is right for you? Well for starters- that is what your coach is for, but also focusing on habits /behaviors not numbers.

The purpose of assigning goals is to get away from the numbers like losing X inches, losing X pounds, etc. That is all well and good, but it is the habits and behaviors that make those numbers change. So as we migrate back to setting our own goals I want you to take that into consideration. The numbers will change if the behaviors change.

Make it happen,
Coach Meagan