September Client Success Workshop

The next Client Success Workshop is on the calendar for September! All clients are welcome to come find out how to get the best possible results at Get Fit NH, but we especially encourage those who are new with us or have never attended to come on out. You’ll want to invite your social support to join you. Whether they are family, friends, or co-workers, the more everyone knows about what you are doing, the more help you have.

We’ll talk training, nutrition, accountability, goals and more. We always have a great time, so come on out!

Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Place: Get Fit NH Bootcamp Epsom

Reflections of a FFB

Yesterday I celebrated my 45th birthday.

For some reason I have been thinking about turning 45 for awhile. We tend to focus on the “tees”, like when we turn for”tee”, fif”tee”, six”tee” or seven”tee”. (Get real – 30 isn’t really that traumatic)

But for me 45 holds some real significance.

A lot has happened in the last 10 years.

When I was 35 I had two kids, Tim and Jeff. One a sophomore in high school, the other in eighth grade. Those two boys are now both married, one living in Vermont and the other in North Carolina. 10 years later, Nancy and I have had added four more; Derek, Andrew, Karalynn, and Amy. Derek was with us only 11 months when he died of S.I.D.S.,  Drew is 8, KJ is 7 and the precocious Amy is 4 going on forty. How things have changed!

When I was 35 I had a different career. I was a structural draftsman sitting behind a computer all day, and while I was very good at what I did I didn’t love it, and I was pretty miserable to be around at times. That company treated me well, but ultimately I knew it was not what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

When I was 35 I was miserable in other areas of my life as well. I stopped weighing myself when I hit 260 on the scale. I couldn’t shop for pants in the “regular” stores any more as my waistline passed 46 inches. There is a picture I still have of a church picnic where I won a couple ribbons for a pie baking contest. What you don’t see is the humiliation from that same picnic when I tried to play some relay games and couldn’t begin to keep up. That was the first time I remember feeling “old”, but in reality age had little to do with it. I had high blood pressure, my blood sugar was crazy, I lived on Pepto-Bismol, and was a picture perfect couch potato.

I had a beautiful wife, 2 great kids, good friends. But I was well on my way to an early grave, and while in the back of my mind I knew it, I was too apathetic to do anything about it.

But then…

In March 2002 life changed forever for Nancy and me. I still remember we were pretty shocked to discover that we were going to be parents again, 14 years after the last time. We used to joke with our friends that we were going to be empty-nesters by the time we were forty; we had to adjust that time line by oh, about 20 years or so. God has a funny way of letting you know He is in control sometimes.

Nancy was 5 months pregnant with Andrew when Derek, our “surprise” baby that had brought much renewed joy into our lives, died at age 11 months. What started out as an ordinary Monday morning started bringing the brevity and uncertainty of life into my daily thoughts.

We live with choices every day.

Some are little, and some are big. But each choice we make is significant, and determines the course our life is going to take.

There are things in life we cannot control, as we were recently reminded with the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

It’s not what “happens” to you that determines the course of your life, but the conscious choice you make in response to it.

Nancy and I had to make a choice. Let the circumstances of our life tear us apart, or bring us closer together. The daily choice to drag ourselves out of bed and move on was not easy, but our faith, family and friends brought us and continue to bring us through.

So why am I telling you all of this?

Because those circumstances changed my life forever in other ways as well.

I really understood for the first time that life does not go on forever. That I was given the gift of life, and I was in the process of taking that precious jewel and flushing it down the drain with my lifestyle.

I was making bad choices, and it showed. When you are 35 years old and can’t walk up the stairs to go to bed without getting winded, there is something seriously wrong. Keep up with the kids? I figured if I didn’t do something about it I wouldn’t be around for the kids for very long.

And that’s how my journey started to where we are now.

With a choice.

A choice to be better today than I was yesterday.

Make that choice every day, and pretty soon you get somewhere pretty big.

Many of you have heard and read my personal journey and how Get Fit NH got started, so I am not going to make this note any longer than it already is.

Just know that I am grateful for all I have and all I have experienced, both good and bad.

These past 10 years have been a pretty wild ride.

My weight has been under control and under 200 pounds for going on 8 years.

I have girls in the house – now that’s different!

I have a wife that has stood by me through all the ups and downs who I fall in love with more and more every day.

I get to do what I love to do every day in a career that I am passionate about. I have the privilege of helping our clients accomplish things they never dreamed they could do.

Helping others make good choices that get them where they want to go.

I’d say turning 45 is pretty cool.

Thank-you for being a part of my life.

Coach Dean

F.L.A.G. F.A.Q. – Deadline Wednesday

We have had a number of questions from you, our fantastic clients, about the Fat Loss Accountability Group we are currently enrolling (cutoff Wednesday at Midnight)

How do I know the F.L.A.G. is right for me?

F.L.A.G. is for those Get Fit NH Bootcamp clients who need input into their daily nutrition habits, have had challenges with sticking with a nutrition plan beyond a few weeks, and need regular feedback and accountability to make sure they are staying on track.

When and where are the weekly meetings?

F.L.A.G. is designed to be as easy as possible for you to do, so the weekly check-ins are all done on a private online forum. It’s as easy as sending an email.

What is a check-in?

At the weekly check-in, you will share your victories, your challenges, and what your goals and action plan is for next week.

Here’s an example:

This week was a great week. I ate breakfast every day, and got to all 4 of my training sessions. I wasn’t as hungry as I used to be at about 10am, so I am guessing that breakfast thing is working.

My challenge this week was snacking right before bed. I usually have the TV on and it’s just a mindless thing. Can you give me some help on this one?

My goal for next week is to make all 4 sessions again, and limit dessert to 2 days. I am going to do that by not keeping dessert in the house, but by picking up what I want for that night on the way home from work.

It can be as long or short as you want, but it should contain all 3 elements every week:

Achievements
Challenges
Goals & Action Plan

Will you look at what I am eating?

Every week by Friday you will be responsible to turn in a minimum of 3 days of your food log. This can be done via email or there will be a bin in your training facility. Your coaches will review the food log, comment and return to you by the following Monday.

What else is involved?

Upon registration you will be enrolled in our Goal Achievement program, where you will be setting and reviewing your goals on a monthly basis.

You will also be responsible to track your body weight on a weekly basis. Next to the food log bin is a file with log cards to record your weight and measurement. You may also choose to have your bodyfat tested using our Bodymetrix Ultrasound scanner for an additional testing fee.

How long should I do this?

The initial commitment to join the group is 3 months. For some clients that is all the time they need to get and stay on track. Others will want to keep active in the group in order to make sure they continue moving forward. Both Coach Nancy and I belong to accountability groups, and I can tell you they are a powerful way to make progress, because you know someone is both helping you forward and keeping you accountable.

How do I get started?

Simply click the “Subscribe” button below to begin the enrollment process. Your account will be reviewed, and upon approval you will receive an invitation to the private forum and be enrolled on the Goal Achievement program. You will also be sent further instruction on keeping your food log and the weekly check-in.

Registration deadline is Wednesday September 14th at Midnight. It is unknown at this time if and when we will open the group or start another one. Love to see you there!

Check out Get Fit NH client Donna K – She’s Famous!

Nicely Done Donna!

Please Welcome Coach Sue!

It is an exciting time here at Get Fit NH Bootcamp and Fitness Revolution! We are pleased to announce the latest addition to our world class coaches, as the amazing Susan Tardif joins our staff. Sue has been involved in fitness for many years as a personal trainer and group instructor. As you will read in her biography, she is a living testament to the power of exercise and the will to overcome obstacles. Her high energy and constant smile is contagious, and we know you will love being coached by her.

Welcome Coach Sue!

Sue in her own words:

I have been involved in health and fitness in one capacity or another since I graduated from high school (a long time ago). I started as a participant and moved quickly into instructing!

I spent many years as a certified group instructor/personal trainer teaching all levels and varieties of aerobics before I was fortunate enough to open my own gym where I spent a very fun ten years teaching and training all levels of fitness participants.

I particularly enjoyed helping women feel comfortable in the weight room and realizing how great strength training is! I was unable to continue after a serious back issue kept me from training to the level needed to operate a fitness facility.

After a long journey of physical therapy and being told I “would not be able to train, hike, bike, etc, again”, and here I am doing all of those things. I am extremely excited to be back in this environment and helping others to realize their potential – there is nothing like it for me! I have missed it! Get Fit NH Bootcamp is a great environment for all of us who need to work around injuries and other obstacles in a safe manner.

I’m very excited to be on board, and look forward to helping you reach your goals!

Sue is a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer with the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association

Thanks For Choosing To Train With US!

Just wanted to say thanks again to all our fantastic clients for choosing to make us part of your lives. We had a great time Saturday, and we look forward to getting together as a “family” soon!

Make it Happen!

Coach Dean & Nancy

First Notice – Recovery Week Is Coming!

Just a quick reminder that Phase III of the training year is coming to an end soon, which means we will be taking a recovery week from August 29th and be back on Tuesday September 6th. This marks the last full recovery week of this year, and while we will have two shorter breaks, you are gonna want to take advantage of this one!

If you have not already, please mark it on your calendar!

Now if you are a fairly new client recovery weeks may be a new concept to you, so we have put together some resources to further explain “why we do what we do”.

I HATE Recovery Weeks!

Rest, Recover and Regenerate – It’s NOT optional

Recovery Nutrition

As always your coaches are here to answer your questions and guide you through your Get Fit NH Bootcamp withdrawals! 🙂

Make It Happen!

Coach Dean

Brittany’s Story

Brittany and mom Deidre!

It has been our privilege to work with Brittany over the last few months; we even got to go down and watch her knock some heads in the New Hampshire Roller Derby League as “Slick Tracy” 🙂

One of the things I love about Brittany is in spite of some pretty big challenges she continues to train and get better. We train a lot of clients with some form of orthopedic challenge or another, and to see Brittany move it is hard to tell anything is seriously wrong. She could have quit, but chose not to. Instead we modified her training where necessary and worked on what she could do, rather than focus on what she was “currently unable” to do.

You Rock Brittany – we will miss you!

***

Hi Guys!

As both of you know, I found out very recently that I tore my ACL in my left knee.  Not only did I completely tear it, but I tore it 3 months prior to learning about it, and continued my daily activities as if nothing was wrong!  I was diagnosed shortly after I joined Get Fit NH Boot Camp, and was really worried it would impact my ability to participate from that point forward.

I started Physical Therapy with Concord Hospital Rehab Services, and both of the Therapists were extremely impressed with my involvement in boot camp.  In reality, they both encouraged me to keep attending!

It’s one month into PT, and both of my therapists are incredibly impressed with my progress and muscle strength!  They both agree that Boot Camp has undoubtedly helped me in strengthening key muscles, as well as increased my balance!  I’m so sad that when I move north I won’t have boot camp to look forward to (yes, I really did just admit that!) anymore.

I want to thank Dean and Erin for being great coaches, and for helping me adapt exercises, and pushing me so hard.  The road to recovery after surgery will be far easier thanks to the help both of you have given me!  Thank you so much!

– Brittany

First Look: Our Meal Movement Experiment

Caliente Chicken with Normandy Vegetables

It’s no secret that eating supportive healthy foods in the right amount at the right time is essential to weight management, health and performance.

It’s also no secret being consistent with the above can be really, really hard. Most of live a lifestyle that makes preparing “3 squares” a day challenging at the least, and at times practically impossible.

Believe it or not, Nancy and I are no different from you. Two training facilities, 10 training sessions a day, 3 kids at home, a business to run – it can get pretty busy around here. We are not immune to the temptation to go through the drive thru, and no matter how “healthy” the menu, that’s usually just not a good choice.

Nancy is fantastic at getting organized in the kitchen, having good choices on hand, and she cooks a lot of meals. But there are days it just isn’t going to happen. The hardest time for us is dinner on training days. Nancy is coaching a class at 4:00pm, and I am watching the kids until it’s time for me to drive to Concord to coach the 5:30pm. Believe it or not I actually do cook evening meal once in awhile, but usually I am finishing up paperwork and spending some time reading to the kids or playing with them.

So when our friend and fellow coach Jason Yun told us about “The Meal Movement”, we were ready to listen. Especially when he told us that fitness professionals were an integral part of designing the program.

Monterey Jack Chicken Sticks with Caribbean Blend

What is “The Meal Movement”?

What if I told you there was a way to get the “PP” part of PPW (Protein, Produce and Water) in an easy to prepare, great tasting, and relatively inexpensive way?

That you could literally have at your fingertips 100’s of different combinations of great tasting PPW meals that you could prepare and eat in as little as 5 minutes?

I didn’t believe it either, because when it comes down to it, most food from the “big boys” of weight loss (you know who they are JC, WW, NS) are full of artificial ingredients, heavy on the starches, and taste, well – sorta nasty.

But I trust Jason, so when it told us the food was 98% unprocessed and tasted great, we suspended the skepticism and placed an order. It took about 10 minutes, and we got to choose from 15 different types of breakfasts, 22 vegetables,  28 lunch/dinner entrees, and 10 different snacks. For our first order we ordered everything on the entire menu so we could get a good idea of what we liked.

Check Out The Complete Menu Here

Three days later the food arrived via FEDEX, packed inside a styrofoam cooler in dry ice. Out of the cooler and into the freezer it went.

Mesquite Chicken with Summer Squash

Taste Test

No time like the present, so for dinner that night we had our first “Meal Movement” meal. Nancy chose the Caliente Spicy Chicken with Normandy Vegetables, and I had the Monterey Jack Chicken Sticks with the Caribbean Veggies.  In your package you also get a “Sweet Garlic Vegetable Sauce” which I really like.  You can either prepare the meals in a conventional oven or microwave them. Being marginally impatient, I chose to “nukem”. The pictures in this post are all foods we prepared and ate – they taste as good as they look!

In our little dinner party of two, the verdict was unanimous – the Meal Movement food was really good! The vegetables were crisp, the protein was seasoned nicely, it was enough food – what more can you ask for?

First Impression – The Meal Movement is a winner!

Nothing since has changed my mind. Everything we have tried to date has been good if not excellent. Chalk it up to different tastes, I am not a huge fan of the shaved chicken for instance, and I like the mixed vegetable blends better than the individual veggies, but the good news is I don’t have to order anything I don’t want. There is such a wide variety of choices I can’t see many people not finding a bunch of choices they really, really like.

Spicy Chicken with Sicilian Blend

How To Use “The Meal Movement”

There are two primary ways I suggest the Meal Movement food can be integrated into your nutrition program.

The first I’ll call “The Total Package”. This is for the person who is really struggling getting a handle on what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat it. My recommendation is to order 28 days of food – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks – and just eat!

A couple things will happen. You will begin to see the effects of eating PPW, without having to think about food preparation. Your body will feel better because you are actually eating real food, every meal, every day. You will begin to understand portion control – once your plate is empty, you are done!

The second strategy is the one Nancy and I have been using.  I’ll call it the “Life is Crazy Package”, and it consists of always having some Meal Movement food in our freezer. I am writing this note on a Tuesday, and it’s now 3:45pm. Nancy is headed out to the gym, the kids need attention, and I have about an hour before I head off. Before I go, I am going to head to the freezer, grab a protein and a bag of veggies, heat them up and get to eating. It just works!

Next Steps

Click Here to take a look at the Meal Movement website.   Explore and discover for yourself all the different combinations and choices you have with The Meal Movement.

Ask us questions. We will be glad to sit down and put together a menu with you, then help you place the order or place it for you.

In the near future we will do a “Meal Movement” workshop where you can get your questions answered and you can try the food out for yourself.

Look at this as another tool in your toolbox. Learning to eat a supportive “diet” is challenging, but actually applying that knowledge can be even harder. We believe that integrating the Meal Movement into your busy lifestyle is just one more way to make your life easier and get you closer to your goals.

Make It Happen!

Coach Dean

Get Fit NH Bootcamp Success Stories – Judy Swain

We got some fantastic before and afters of Get Fit NH Bootcamp Superstar Judy Swain.  She shared some pics of the dress she wore to here sisters wedding before she started with us, and now the dress is swimming on her! We got a couple pics of Judy in her training gear as well…Wow, great job Judy!!!

Judy in her own words

Judy's dress then and now

“Remember S3? (Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown that started at the beginning of the year) One of the “What do I want to accomplish in my fitness program” on my Goals Assessment sheet was to do stretch/mild exercise on the non-bootcamp days and during recovery weeks.

Even though we were in Delaware for the recovery week, I managed to use the tennis ball for self massage, the wall to stretch my shoulders and the somewhat inferior stretchy theraband (so glad I now have my own purple band) to do band walks in the our hotel room.

But the best part was in the S3 “Why do I want to accomplish these goals?” where I put down I wanted to be able to enjoy our grandchildren. I can and do! Our little grandson is a bouncy machine at just over 22 pounds. He loves to use his little legs while you hold his hands to bounce over and over and over ferociously.

Judy is looking and feeling great!

Even at 22 pounds, that’s 2 more pounds than I usually lift at bootcamp, and hanging out in that squat position my non-dominant forearm felt it only slightly.

My 2 other S3 “What do I want to accomplish in my fitness program” goals were to have nutrition ingrained (natural to plan/prep/deal appropriately with surprises) and to think and act like a thin person. I think I’m getting closer to those as well.

The bootcamp benefits just keep coming! Since I joined the bootcamp family I’ve lost close to 60 pounds. Thanks so much!”

Judy from 6:15