S3 Success Story “So, I am finally getting it!”

Got this note from Get Fit NH Superstar Katie a couple days ago, and it is a keeper! There is so much in here to be learned, so take a few minutes to soak it all in.

Here are some good reminders that I saw in here:

• Don’t be “all or nothing”
• Make it as easy as possible
• Have a positive attitude
• Expect results WHEN you get your nutrition in order

Great job Katie, keep it up.

Coach Nancy

When I joined in January, I weighed XXX lbs according to my scale at home (which happens to be pretty much dead on with the new scale you got), and when I started S3 I weighed XXX lbs. I was doing the work, but wasn’t eating right, so not
seeing huge results.

Haha, remember there were no veggies on my food diary for two days??

Since S3 started, I have been eating 1-2 large salads per day, and have pretty much cut out all bad carbs and limited the good ones.  Since 4/30, I’ve lost 9.8 lbs and it feels great!  And I actually look forward to eating my big salad at dinner!  There were two occasions where I sat and ate a salad while everyone else was going to town on a bowl of ice cream!

I just want to thank you and Dean for all that you do – it’s great to have trainers that genuinely care about their clients, and go above and beyond to help them reach their goals.  You definitely push me to do more than I would have done on my own, and there are many times I find myself hearing you say “you can do anything for xxx more seconds” (like when I’m running up the hill by my house, and want to stop and walk)…

I am just really surprised with how well this is working for me – meaning, I am losing weight and it has been easy!  I was
hoping to lose 2 lbs a week during S3, but I thought that number was too high to shoot for.  I had prepared myself that I might have to start running every day to do this (like I’ve had to do in the past to see results), but I haven’t needed to. I’ve only been running maybe 1-3 times a week (short, like a mile, and when I say run I mean an 11 minute mile jog). I honestly don’t love running, so in the past I think I always failed before reaching my goal weight (and gained ALL of my weight back and THEN some) because I made my weight loss plan too difficult to stick to.  If I didn’t run 5 days a week, I would get discouraged.

The diet part wasn’t working for me because I definitely wasn’t eating enough protein, and was always hungry.  Now, I really only eat 3 meals a day.  Occasionally, I will have 1-2 plain Wasa crackers as a snack, or a piece of fruit, but I haven’t really been hungry between meals.  I think the one thing that made this easiest for me when starting off, is that I took all the decision making out f meal planning.  I don’t have to think “what am I going to make for dinner?” because I already know that it’s going to be a lean meat with either sauteed veggies or a salad or both.  Or if I’m going out to eat, I know that I am going to get a salad with grilled chicken.

Lately, I’ve made the Melissa’s Mean Green UMP shake for dinner (get the recipe here) because it’s good, cool, and filling!  Just last night my husband and I both had shakes, and he kept saying “wow, this is really good” (before he had it, he made a face when I told him I was putting flax seed and avocado in it).

Oh, and I haven’t stuck to this diet 100%.  I know in the past I’ve been all or nothing – “since I’m going to have this hot dog, I might as well eat a burger, potato salad, pasta salad, 2 beers, half a bag of chips and a bowl of ice cream”.  I’ve just tried to do my best wherever I’ve been, and allowed myself to have smaller portioned treats when I’m around certain foods.  I’ll eat my meat and salad, and have a little scoop of the yummy looking potato salad.  It was a little tough at first, but I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t really want that stuff (or at least not a lot of it – I’m satisfied
after a few bites).

Haha, sorry for the book I just wrote, but I’m just in such disbelief with how well this is working for me!  Have a great weekend and see you on Monday!

Looking forward to reaching my goal weight in the near future, thanks to your help!

Katie

Did you Catch the 5K Bug?

Last week’s Rock-N-Race was a blast. The crowd was enormous, the weather was great, we met friends, and supported a good cause. There are many reason other than running that we love to participate in organized outdoor activities.

There are two more outdoor events that Get Fit NH will be participating in the next few weeks or so.

The Arthritis Foundation Walk will feature Coach Erin leading the charge with a warm up. Get Fit NH has actively supported the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run for the last three years. We’ve also led the warm up at the walk for two years. Its a beautiful walk along the River in Manchester. There is not an entry fee but simply run on donations. Sign up to walk with Coach Erin on Thursday, May 31 at 6:30pm.

The Leap 5K is a relatively new race in Concord. It benefits scholarships for the Leap Preschool.

Register Here to join us on Saturday, June 9th at 9am for a family 5K.

I look forward to seeing you during the summer and hearing how you are getting outside more and more.

Coach Nancy

Healthy Eating Is Expensive…

Well at least that’s what I hear.

There are many different ways to look at it, but the bottom line is eating healthy does not have to be expensive, however it does take a change in mindset and the willingness to plan and prepare.

Compare buying a box of Cheerios to a bag of whole oats. Cereal is expensive! Buy that bag of oats and put the difference into a bag of frozen berries.

There is a difference between filling your belly (a box of mac and cheese anybody?) and fueling your body for health and performance.

Here’s a couple recipes that my family enjoys and are really easy to make. In fact Dean and I eat the “Saturday Night Special” almost every Saturday night – It’s that good!

Saturday Night Special

• 1 pound medium shrimp (I use frozen)
• salt to taste
• 3-4 garlic cloves or 1 Tablespoon garlic
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 cup spinach

Heat a pan to medium heat. Add the olive oil and sauté the garlic until you see the edges begin to brown. As soon as the garlic starts to brown, add the shrimp, tomatoes, and spinach to the pan. Spread the shrimp out evenly to cook. Cook until shrimp turns pink and the spinach is very wilted.

Makes 2 servings, and each serving contains 1 serving of protein and 2 servings of vegetables.

Let’s add up the cost…

$5 for the shrimp, remember I used the frozen

$.25 garlic, probably even less.

$1.50 for the cherry tomatoes. The package cost $2.98 but I didn’t use it all.

$ .75 I’m just guessing here. The package was huge and I only used 2 cups. After this meal I’ll still have the tomatoes and spinach to make a salad at another time. I had the olive oil and lemon juice on hand as part of my normal kitchen stocking items.

The Grand Total?

$7.00  – That’s It!

Total cost for this meal for two.  And the best part is it  takes under 10 minutes to make!

Compare to a sub sandwich picked up at a convenient location

1 Large meatball sub  $5

1 small bag of chips $1.19

That is $6.19 without tax for just one person. (PS – potato chips are not a veggie)

***

Mexican Scramble

• 2 eggs
• ¼ green pepper
• ¼ of onion
• ¼ cup of black beans
• 2 Tablespoon of salsa

Heat up a pan to medium. Saute the onions and green peppers. Remove from the pan. Scramble the eggs, add the black beans, onions and green peppers, and the salsa to the pan. Continue to cook until it is all hot. You can make this into an omelet too.

This recipe contains 1 serving of protein and 1 serving of vegetables.

And the cost?

$.30 for both eggs

$.05 for the green pepper ( a whole green pepper cost only $.19)

$.15 for the onion

$.17 for the black beans (I could have gotten these cheaper if I had cooked them myself)

$.10 for the salsa

Would you believe 77 cents?

Compare to a meal at a local fast food place for breakfast

• 1 Coffee
• 2 Donuts

Combo Meal price $3.59  No protein, no veggies!

Got more money saving ideas? Let’s here them!

When Bad News Turns into Good

Claudia, one of our superstars in Epsom, had an incident last week but it didn’t slow her down one bit. She inspires those at 9AM and I’m sure she will inspire you too.

Happy Birthday To You from Coach Nancy

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Get Fit NH, Happy birthday to you.”

Catchy little tune, huh?

I love birthdays. They are fun no matter if it is my special day or someone else’s. It is an occasion, an occasion to celebrate.

So celebrate on May 8th with Get Fit NH because you are part of the family. “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday …. ”

Since our first day of opening using real grass and dirt as the gym floor and the sky above  (with some added lighting) to light the way we marched into our first Get Fit NH Bootcamp session. It was great.

We’ve grown since then. Get Fit NH has grown from 12 people in one training time to 10 training times a day with a much larger family. We’ve added more tools for you to use. We’ve added tools into our personal equipment bag (that bag is our brain).  Many of you have asked if we sit up at night thinking up this ‘stuff’, NO but we do study this ‘stuff’ to train you better. While Get Fit NH has grown our goal is the same: To train you with the best equipment, in the best way, so you can be your best.  It’s still great.

A highlight for me is to watch the process. To see you go from point A and moving toward point B in your health. I love seeing you push past what you thought you could do and go farther than you expected. If you catch me smiling during training, Look around. See the sweat? See the hard work? See the determination on faces? See the accomplishments of those training with you? I see it too. You can’t help but smile.

I look forward to the next four years. To seeing many of you reach far past your goals and dreams.

We are thankful you are here to celebrate with us.

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you (insert your name here), Happy Birthday to you!”

Thank you for choosing to train with us,

Nancy

Donna finds a way to ‘Make It Happen’

Did you ever think, “Next week will be easier”? Or how about, ” When the kids are all grown up I’ll finally be able to……”?

Summer is the Perfect Time for Salads

Deb from Concord loves to experiment with new recipes. She received this one from a friend out West. With summer creeping up on us (yes, at some point it will look like summer) salads will be perfect on a hot day. This Asian Slaw recipe combines the tang of rice wine vinegar with the sweetness of mangoes, the slight zing of scallions, and the crunchiness of cabbage.

Asian Slaw

• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 mango, not fully ripe
• 3 medium scallions, chopped
• 3 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
• 1 Tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon black and white sesame seeds

Dice the mango and then combine it with the cabbage, carrots, scallions. Toss together in a large bowl.

Prepare the dressing by whisking together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and lime juice; slowly whisk in the oil.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Let it sit at least 15-20 minutes to let the dressing soak in.

Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds

I made this and my family loved it too. I grilled up some chicken and used this one as a side dish. It was even better the next day.

Enjoy great food that is great for you,

Coach Nancy

A New Twist on Salsa

This Recipe Makes Me Smile!

Deb Saks from Concord sent in this wonderful recipe.  She is enjoying this salsa as a dip for fresh cucumbers and peppers. I’m adding this as a salsa to top off grilled salmon. This twisted salsa has endless possibilities.

How are you going to use this recipe?

Shrimp Salsa

• 16 ounces cooked peeled shrimp, diced fine
• 4 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
• 6 Tablespoons red onion, diced
• 3 Tablespoons jalapenos, diced
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• ½ teaspoon salt

Combine the onions, tomatoes, salt and lime juice in a glass bowl. Let sit 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate at least an hour.

Serve as a dip for cucumbers and peppers.

I can’t wait to hear how you used this recipe. Let us know your creative menu using Shrimp Salsa.

Coach Nancy

Keeping It Simple in the Get Fit NH Kitchen

I love being in the kitchen. If I could I would make everything from scratch. My kids love to help me but I just don’t have time to do as much as I would like. So I’ve cut down the prep time by buying some items that need little to no work.

Since veggies are a big part of PPW (Protein, Produce and Water) that is where I started because that is also where lots of peeling, slicing, dicing, cutting, cleaning etc…. Came in.

Here’s my helpful food prep cheats list to buy at the grocery store.

Frozen Veggies

Frozen chopped onion

Frozen chopped onion and pepper combination

Frozen stir fry veggies. (Don’t buy the ones with the sauce already added to them)

Frozen veggies

Frozen blends of veggies (the California blend is very yummy with a little olive oil sprinkled on top, salt and pepper then roasted in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes)

Fresh Veggies

Cherry tomatoes (no need to cut these up to throw on a salad, plus they make a great grab and go snack)

Baby carrots

Pre cut celery

Spinach (I’ve made Spinach Honey Moon Salad many times. (LETT- UCE Alone) But it can be thrown in with eggs for a delicious omelet, added to stir fries, rolled around a slice of chicken or turkey, or sauté with shrimp and garlic)

Precut mushrooms

Coleslaw mixes can be bought. (Use these in stir fries not loaded with mayo.)

Canned or in a jar:

Tomato sauce

Petite tomatoes

Plum tomatoes

Tomato tomatoes 🙂

There are so many tomato products that are canned or in a jar for use in soups, sauces, stir fries, added to your favorite protein dish.

While there are days when I spend a long time fixing just the perfect dinner but more often than not I’m making things happen, double time. I don’t have to miss out on good food I just have to make that good food as quickly as I can. Keeping things simple have helped cut down my time in the kitchen. If you have time, spend it on cooking and let your kids help. Otherwise, let them help while you keep on smiling.

Go simple this week. Very simple.

Coach Nancy

Late-for-Dinner-Winner

Jayne created this recipe on the fly. Here is what she wrote when she sent in the recipe. Tell me this scenario isn’t true of many of us? While planning our menu before will help us avoid this scene, there are times when all the great plans fail. Jayne had ‘one of those days’.

 “Work has been crazy and I was very late making dinner yesterday, so I ended up just quickly chopping and sautéing a bunch of things I had in the fridge.  I do this a lot – but as it turns out last night IT TASTED GREAT and was really simple.  So…thought I would share for all my Get Fit NH family who also start cooking dinner right when everyone is starving.  Start to finish, this took me about 20 minutes.  Enjoy!”

Late-for-Dinner-Winner

• 1 medium sized eggplant (unpeeled)
• 2 small green summer squash (unpeeled)
• 2 9-oz packages of Perdue Short Cuts Carved Chicken Breast, Grilled
• 15 oz can of Cannelloni beans (drained and rinsed)
• Salt/pepper to taste
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Start by chopping the eggplant (skin on) and summer squash into similarly sized pieces (1 inch cubes).  Sauté in olive oil on medium heat.  After a few minutes, add about 1/4 cup of water and cover to get them to break down and soften up.  Continue cooking until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add pre-cooked sliced chicken breast, cannelloni beans and cook until heated through.

Jayne is a member of  our FLAG accountability group. After sharing this recipe, others have used this recipe as a base idea and added their own twists. Helen used broccoli and chicken sausage to make this recipe her own. While Hester had broccoli and leftover chicken for her dinner. The point of all this is, dinner can be made quickly with what you have on hand and it can taste good!