I’d Rather Pay You!

Advertising is one of the necessary evils of doing business. It’s all too easy to sit back and assume “everyone” knows about you and your amazing product or service; oh that it were so easy!

There’s an incredible number of ways to advertise, and the thing I despise most about print, or radio, or even some online advertising is you never know if your message is getting to the right people – the ones who want or need what you have.

At Get Fit NH, we have invested thousands of dollars in the most incredible advertising possible – the advertising that you our clients do.

That’s what our Referral Rewards program is all about. We think the best possible advertising that can be done is by our amazing clients who have experienced first hand what Get Fit NH can do for body, mind and spirit.

So I am asking you to keep doing what you have been doing, and tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family what Get Fit NH has done for you and what we can do for them.

We will make it worth your while, I promise. Make sure you pick up some referral cards in the gym and give them to people you know can benefit from it. As always they will get a no obligation 2-week tryout at no cost, and if they sign a package with us they also receive $50 off their first 4-week session.

And the $50 you earn is just our way of saying “Thanks” – for training with us and for Making It Happen!

Take a look at all these happy clients who have earned Referral Rewards

An Ode to Nancy (and Dean) by Jennifer Schwab

I hate the gym.  The gym was always a vicious cycle for me.  First, I would commit to going everyday and working out.  I would do really well for week one.  I’d skip a day on week two.  I’d go one day on week three.  I needed to see other people by week four.  I’d sit at home alone with Ben and Jerry.  They would console me at first, but eventually they’d tell me to get my tubby butt off the couch.  And then my bank statement would guilt trip me into making something of that $60 a month I’d already spent in my 12-month contract.  So back to the gym I went…and the cycle continued.

It’s not that I don’t want to be healthy.  I want to be active and fit into pants that don’t stretch.  But it was all those machines.  There were the endless rows of treadmills, begging me to be a part of the machine.  “Be a good little hamster and run on our wheel.”  And the outfits.  The gym membership machine dictates that you look good while you work out.  Perfect hair.  Expensive, color-coordinated outfit of awesomeness.  And the latest iPod.  Oh, and I can tan at the same time too?  Because we all know that is real health right there.

It’s all too much for me.  I don’t need more guilt and expectations in my life, I’ve got plenty on my own.  I don’t want a machine, or to be a part of one.  What I need is a community.  I need Gretchen and Claudia and Lisa… I need people who will cheer me on.  What I need is something new to challenge me everyday.  What I need is Nancy (and Dean by proxy).

Thanks guys.  You’re stuck with me now.

Jen

Is There A GAP In Your Training?

Reality Check – If you were driving across the country you would not just point the car in a westerly direction and step on the gas. You would look at a map, program your GPS, calculate how many days you were going to spend, driving out, make reservations where you were going to stop for night, and calculate how much the trip would cost.

Your outcome was making it to California in one piece. Your action steps were the planning, preparation and packing. You follow the map, you are going to get where you want to go.

Have you taken 5 minutes and enrolled in our Goal Achievement Program (GAP)?

There is something far more important than a trip to Hollywood at stake.

Saying “I want to lose weight” is far different than writing down a measurable outcome goal and than the steps you are going to achieve that goal. It’s like hopping in the car and having no idea where you are going and how to get there.

There’s a better way!

Here’s an example of  what good planning might look like:

Outcome:

I will lose 5 pounds in the next 4 weeks

Action Steps:

I will attend bootcamp 4 days for the next 4 weeks

I will limit starchy carbs to after training sessions only

I will eat breakfast with protein and veggies every day

There is a destination and a roadmap to follow. And while there might be unexpected construction along the way, we can deal with that when we get there.

At the end of 4 weeks you will then measure the outcome and evaluate if you were committed and completed the action steps. The process then starts over again for the next 4 weeks, using what you learned over the previous month to adjust as necessary.

We have made that super easy for you to accomplish. By enrolling in GAP all you have to do is take 5-10 minutes a month to chart your next 4 weeks out. Then 30 days down the road you will receive a follow up evaluation. Submit that to your coaches, ask for help as needed, and then chart your course for the next 4 weeks.

What are you waiting for?

Enroll In The Goal Achievement Program Now

Make It Happen!

Coach Dean

Get Fit NH is Now Hiring

Get Fit NH’s Fitness Revolution is seeking an Assistant Coach at their Concord, NH location to work a MINIMUM of 12 hours per week.  Fitness Revolution is a company dedicated to changing the lives of its clients by delivering a great fitness experience, providing excellent service, and building a community.

Interested individuals must be dependable, punctual, and passionate about learning, as well as hold a nationally recognized personal training certification or relevant degree.

To learn more about the position, fax your resume to 603-617-3405 and then call Dean Carlson at 603-344-2652 between the hours of 1:00pm and 3:00pm weekdays.

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