Supplement Peddlars Not Welcome!

Received a great question from Heather on our Facebook account over the weekend (you can friend me @ http://facebook.com/deanecarlson) and since we are asked about it all the time, I thought I would share it with you, as well as my answer (plus a little more…)

Healther asked “Got a question for you. Do you take and do you recommend nutritional supplements?”

The short answer(s) is “Yes ” and “Yes”.

We do recommend supplements, but we always put the emphasis on the word “supplement”. We consider them something to be added to a sound nutrition plan, not as an attempt to “make up” for poor nutrition with pills and potions.

My recommendation is this, in order of “Where should I spend my money first?”:

1) Spend your money on real food first. Lean proteins, vegetables and fruit are the foundation of a sound nutritional plan.

2) Make sure your pre/post workout nutrition is in order. It is critical that your body be supplied with “mortar” (protein/carbs) when you are building brick walls (lean tissue). We have found that a supplement such as Ultimate Muscle Protein or Prograde Workout are excellent choices.

3) A good whole food multi-vitamin designed for men or women specifically will help provide your body with the vitamins and minerals it requires for optimal performance and fat-burning. Prograde VGF 25+ is an excellent choice.

4) An essential fatty acid supplement such as EFA Icon can promote fat loss, reduce joint pain and reduce inflammation.

What about fat burners or other supplements designed to “boost metabolism”?

I would say 99 out of 100 are garbage, and the remaining are pretty useless until you get those 4 above taken care of – ’nuff said…

Got a question about supplements? Put it in the comment box below…

***

Much thanks goes to Mark, who spent incalculable time researching what we are finding to be a startling link between yoga and alcohol consumption…

Who knew? (scroll over pic for title…)

BTW, just teasing Karen!

Have a great day, and…

Make It Happen!

Dean

Fast Food Shopping at the Grocery Store

I’m late for a meeting, I’ve been teaching classes all day, the kids were acting up, and I walked out of the house unprepared for the evening ahead. Have you ever been in a situation like this before? Of course you have, but how can you change it around and end the day on a good note? What can you do?

Go hungry?
Stop at the dreaded hamburger joint on the corner?
Grab something at the gas station convenience store?
Or go grocery shopping?

I say go grocery shopping. Yes, hit the nearest food store for you dinner meal. Here’s a few ideas to grab quickly and go.

Hit the salad bar. Most store now feature a salad bar stocked with all the trimmings. As always you want to avoid items in heavy sauces and oils. Fill your container with salad greens, add your favorite veggies, throw in a few pieces of fruit, top with a sprinkling of cheese, sunflower seeds, and add a hard boiled egg or a few slices of ham and your good to go. Don’t forget a fork or you’ll be hard pressed to look good at your meeting with salad drippings all over you.

Go to the Deli. What a great way to build your own sandwich. Delicatessens are more than happy to slice 3-4 pieces of your favorite meats and cheeses. No need for bread. Just roll the cheese inside a piece of meat and eat it naked. No, you’re not naked  – the sandwich is!

Some delis also carry rotisserie chicken, They are already cooked and kept warm. Again don’t forget to pick up a utensil pack at the salad bar.

In a real rush, grab a single serving of almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds along with your favorite piece of fruit that has a peel. Fast Food Grocery Style!

When Dean and I were in New Jersey a while ago, we couldn’t find a decent restaurant to eat in that was close to the hotel so we went shopping. We stocked the small fridge in the hotel room with roast beef, swiss cheese, fruits, and nuts. It was fantastic to have the option just to run up to our room in between seminars for a light snack. It was way better than hitting the candy machine.

Don’t settle for less than the best choices for your best body!

Nancy

Keep Your Gut In Check With Natures Probiotic – Yogurt!

Yogurt has long been cited as healthy, but many people don’t realize how valuable it can be for your health. Yogurt is helpful for boosting your immune system, relieving ulcers and helping to fight yeast infections. Yogurt has these great benefits because of the unique way it is made. Milk or cream is mixed with live active cultures of ‘good’ bacteria. These ‘good’ bacteria actually fight off the ‘bad’ bacteria that can make us sick and that cause yeast or urinary tract infections. We also need a balance of these bacteria to keep our immune system healthy and promote good digestion.

Antibiotics are one of the most harmful medicines when it comes to this perfect balance our bodies require. Lets compare taking antibiotics to clear cutting a forest. Clear cutting a forest is cutting down every tree and brush in a certain area. This basically leaves the land barren. Now apply this to our body. Antibiotics are the initial clear cutting of every organism in our digestive tract. The diarrhea that often occurs while taking antibiotics is like the erosion that happens after clear cutting the land. The Yeast infection is the quick undergrowth that occurs next. The tree farmer wants new tree growth but the quick growing undergrowth cuts back the amount of young saplings that survive because they don’t have the sunshine and other nutrients they need. So when you have to take antibiotics you should also take a probiotic to return your digestive track back to its healthy state full of live healthy bacteria. One form of probiotic is Yogurt.

When purchasing yogurt look for these qualities:

• A natural product. Organic is best.
• A yogurt that does not have added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or trans fats.
• A yogurt that is not pasteurized after the cultures have been added as this will kill the cultures and you will not reap their benefits.
• Buy yogurt farthest from the sell by date. You want to eat fresh yogurt. The live ‘good bacteria are at their best and most active. Buying local yogurt instead of big commercial yogurts help to ensure they are the freshest.

Yogurt can be incorporated into your diet in a variety of ways. By adding fruit, berries, granola or nuts to your yogurt, you can turn it into a delicious replacement for your usual dessert.

One way to make sure the yogurt you are eating is fresh is to Make It Yourself! I use starter from Stonyfield as it is local and organic, plus it just makes great yogurt. It might take you a couple of tries to get it just right, but it is well worth it. Give it a try, and if you have any questions just let me know!

Nancy’s Recipe for the Freshest Yogurt Anywhere

¼ cup plain yogurt
4 cups milk

Heat milk in a double boiler until it reaches 180 degrees. You can use a regular pot but you will have to stir it constantly so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Let the milk then cool to 120 degrees. Using a whisk slowly add the yogurt into the milk and mix well. You do not want the mixture to foam up so mix slowly. It is essential that you use a thermometer to keep the yogurt at the right temperature. If the yogurt cultures go above 120 it will kill them but if they are below 100 they do not grow and multiply which thickens the yogurt.

After you have mixed the yogurt in with the cooled milk pour this into quart size glass jars and seal with lids. This mixture needs to be kept at 120 until it thickens. This time will vary depending on your yogurt culture. Remember the freshest is the best so try to buy a local organic brand. I use Stonyfield yogurt. You can keep the yogurt in your oven with just the oven light on but I like to use a small cooler. I place the jars in the cooler and fill up the cooler with warm water. The water and the cooler insulate the heat inside the box as the cultures do their thing. Check it after an hour. You are looking for yogurt that is just starting to gel or thicken. If you wait until it is solid the yogurt will have a sour flavor. (if this happens just use it for cooking or smoothies and make more for eating). When your yogurt is done just put it in the refrigerator. Let it cool and then eat.

Making yogurt takes time to master. Here are a few tips I have learned:

• Always use clean sterile equipment so only your yogurt culture is growing.
• Use a thermometer.
• Don’t get discouraged if your first batch isn’t exactly right, Practice makes perfect.
• Some whey will separate from your yogurt as it cools simple stir it back in or pour it off.
• If your yogurt is not as thick as you want leave it in the warmer for a longer time.
• Sweeten your yogurt as you use it instead of trying to add sugar to the milk culture.
• Use yogurt in recipes in place of milk, in smoothies, or top with your favorite fruit, nuts, or granola for a quick snack or breakfast.

I’m A Princess!

My youngest daughter is two and her sister loves to dress them both up and play make believe. To my amazement old hats, loud shiny beads, my dress shoes, along with a frilly dress transform my girls into ladies from a different era. They are no longer 2 and 4 but full grown ladies of the court.

Princess Amy and Princess Karalynn reign supreme!

Now was it their lovely dress that transformed them into princesses? NO, they believed they were royalty and they became royalty. As adults we have “matured” to know our outer appearance does not make us who we are, right?

When did we lose the ability to dream and Make It Happen?

If you see yourself as a wonderfully dressed, healthy, all-put-together woman, mom, or business professional – why can’t you become that? You can become what you visualize. Don’t settle for being less than you want to be!

Dream and dream big.

Here’s to being a kid again and living life fully.

Nancy

The Big Red Button

America is obsessed with quick fixes.

If it doesn’t happen immediately, I don’t want it.

Give me the big, red easy button.

Well, the truth is fatloss is tough work.

You’re gonna have to sweat.

You’re gonna have to breathe heavy.

You’re gonna get a little sore.

You’re gonna have to do it for longer than 30 days.

But when you choose the long haul…

You’ll look and feel amazing.

You’ll burn your fat jeans.

You’ll walk up the stairs without huffing and puffing.

You’ll never sit on the sidelines again.

Get off the sidelines and Click Here to join Get Fit NH Bootcamp today!

Make It Happen,

Nancy

[nggallery id=7]

Bonus Recipe (one of Dean’s favorites):

In honor of Tim P. (Indian to most of us – here is a fantastic recipe just in time for the Brussels Sprout harvest here in NH!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 ½ pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed

3 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place Brussels Sprouts, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large sealable bag. Seal and shake to coat. Pour into a baking sheet and bake on center rack. Roast for 30-45 minutes, shaking pan every 5-7 minutes to prevent burning. The Brussels sprouts will be almost black, dark brown when done. Serve immediately.

Don’t Try To Lose Weight Anymore

First Things First…

Huge kudos and congratulations go to Karyn and Brenda for the awesome results they achieved in our August classes. Both of these ladies set the bar high for their monthly weight loss goal – 15 pounds – Now that is an aggressive goal! If you don’t aim high you will never discover what you can accomplish, so don’t be shy.

Here’s what Brenda wrote to us:

“Week Four was a good week.  I lost another 3Ibs… so that’s 11 lbs total for the month of August.  My clothes are starting to feel better and I am starting to have more energy.  It’s  a great feeling.  So, although I did not meet my original goal of 15 lbs for the month, I am happy about the progress.  Thank you.”

Would you be happy if you set a goal of 15 and lost “only” 11? Hello!

Karyn was very low key about the whole thing. She wrote me a note about another subject, and at the bottom was:

“PS…Lost the 15 I set out to this month.” Shout it from the rooftops…you did it!

How did these ladies get such great results? They had a plan and they followed it. Brenda sent us her compliance chart with notes at the end of every week. Karyn is meticulous in her detail, and met her goal even though she had a crazy month with her kids!

You have the tools to achieve the same results, you just need to take action and do it! The plan they follow is right here – http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com/21

Don’t be shy, we want to hear the results you are achieving too! Comment Below!

***

How many times have you “tried” to lose weight?

How many times have you “done” a program like Weight Watchers®, or Nutrisystem®, or Jenny Craig®?

Do you know the ins and outs of any of these popular “diets”?

Atkins®

South Beach®

Pritikin®

The Zone®

The Mediterranean Diet®

Sugar Buster®

When you break it down, all of these diets are the same because of this one factor – They are structured plans.

I can pretty much guarantee you that you can and will lose weight on any of these, When you actually consistently DO THE PLAN!

Some of these plans are better than others. In my mind the most important thing to ask yourself is “Can I do this for the rest of my life?” This is the weakness of most “diets”. They are simply not sustainable. If you can’t see yourself being happy on one of these plans for life, it’s going to be a whole lot easier for you to “go off”. That’s disaster on many different levels.

So what do we do?

We want to teach you how to eat for life!

We don’t want you to try any plan, including ours.

In order to achieve permanent fat loss (like the former fat boy writing this) you MUST shift your mindset from “TRY” to “DO”.

Why is this so important? Because when we say we are going to “Try” something, it is a built-in excuse for not succeeding. “Well I tried, and it didn’t work for me” – BALONEY!

That’s why we are such sticklers about keeping records, particularly when you first start developing new eating habits and patterns. The records show what you are actually DOING. Cold, hard numbers. Either you did it or you didn’t. Takes “trying” right out of the equation. Did I eat breakfast every day? Did I eat my protein and veggies? What percentage of the time? It’s all there in black and white.

Time to be brutally honest with yourself. If you are not keeping records, why not?  What excuses are you formulating in your head right now?

We have found there is one underlying reason – You really just don’t want to know.

Look I am realist, and I have dealt with many of the same things you may be going through right now. What happens if I fail – again? What happens if I succeed? What will change in my life? What will my friends think? What will my spouse say? Man have I been there! Change is never easy, but rarely in life is anything worth achieving easy.

The best part is you are not alone. You are part of something special – A group of people with common goals, dreams and desires. Coaches and members that encourage, congratulate and yes, kick you in the pants when you need it. Take advantage of the resources you have, and make today the day you Make It Happen!

http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com/21

Nancy and Dean

You Can’t, Huh?

“Like I said, just because I can’t do it TODAY doesn’t mean I won’t be able to do it EVER….”

Found this video in the archives, and was compelled to share it again.

Don’t ever give up on your dreams…

Don’t ever let anyone tell you you are not good enough…

Don’t ever think the obstacles you face today are permanent and immovable…

You are powerful…

You are able…

You are good enough…

You Better Believe It!

UMP Brownies To The Rescue

I think we posted this one not too long ago, but some of you were asking, and it is absolutely worth posting again.

Sometimes you need a bit of CHOCOLATE to get you through the day, and we have got the recipe for you! This recipe has only a few ingredients, and you can experiment with cooking times depending on how soft you want the brownie to be.

Just take 2 scoops of Chocolate Ultimate Muscle Protein and add enough water to make a batter (again you will need to experiment)

Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until you get it just right (I like mine a bit gooey)

Add 2 teaspoons (take it easy here) of natural peanut butter and a tablespoon of whipped cream. Enjoy

Just the recipe to keep those cravings away so you can keep building that better body!

***

Wanted to give kudos to the 6pm class for their testing performance last night, and especially to Kristin and Meghan, who got their name up on the record board – Well Done!

***

Another reminder that we are on a scheduled recovery week in our bootcamps next week (find out why here: http://getfitnhbootcamp.com/rest-recover-regenerate-its-not-optional/) and we will pick it up again September 8th.

We want to tell you again how much we count it a privilege to work with you and how excited we are to see you getting better and better every day. To have so much fun is just a tremendous bonus, and we thank-you for that as well!

We had a blast this Summer, and we look forward to a great Autumn! Enjoy your week off, and we will see you on the 8th.

Keep On Making It Happen!

Nancy and Dean

Records Are Made To Be Broken

WHAT A MORNING! Despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth (you know who you are Steph) our testing today was incredible!

The morning classes are giving the 6:00pm class some HUGE numbers to shoot for tonight!

New Records:

Squats: Tim Patterson – 109

Squat Thrusts: Bethany Yeaton – 45 (The previous record was also broken by Tim Patterson with 41)

100 Rep Test: Dan Yeaton with 1:03 (Previous record also broken by Mela Stewart with 1:06)

Congratulations!

We also saw a TON of personal bests set today! This blog would be a mile long if we put them all up here, but just know that we are proud of you for the progress you have made over the last month. We saw a number of ladies who couldn’t do even one pushup a month ago breaking double digits today – Great Job!

A couple highlights I wanted to mention:

This is the first re-test we have done with our Concord classes, and our members averaged a 27 second decrease in the 100 Rep Test, with Debbie R. knocking a whopping 59 seconds of her time in one month, plus Lorie and Shannon both knocking over 40 seconds off their times! Other highlights include Deb R. adding 18 pushups, Stacey H. upping her squats by 27 and Elizabeth H. increasing her situps by 11. In fact every Concord person who did their initial retest set personal bests in every category – You guys ROCKED it!

Other Epsom highlights (besides our record breakers) include Don cranking out 45 squats (on those knees?)  🙂 and Denise upping her pushup count by 18 – Love It!

You are truly Making It Happen!

Keep up the great work, and when 6:00pm demolishes some of those records we will let you know!

Rest, Recover, Regenerate…it’s NOT optional!

Your body is a machine. You work it hard. You train hard every time you walk into the gym. You attack the weights, you complete every rep. Nothing is going to stop you.

And then, in the middle of making tremendous progress, we nasty trainers tell you it’s time to take a week off. WHAT?!

Actually I love the reaction I get from you when it is time to take a scheduled week off from training. You are dedicated, determined and get downright ornery!

So why do we do it? A fair question, and one we are going to answer in this article. Now there are a few of you out there (you know who I am talking about Danno) that will resist taking time off for restoration and recovery. But it is for your own good, like it or not.

You see, your body does not get stronger, faster, leaner…better…from just training. Your body adapts to the training stimulus ONLY when you properly recover. This recovery includes rest between workouts, flexibility work, proper nutrition, and periodically pretty much doing nothing.

That’s what our recovery weeks are all about. To give you body and mind a break from your hard training, in order to come back refreshed and better than ever.

So without further adieu…

The Maintenance Manifesto

 

Learn How to MAINTAIN Your Overall Health, Performance, and Body Composition During Off Weeks

Congratulations! For the last 8-12 weeks you have done a phenomenal job of improving your overall health, body composition, and performance. You have been introduced to a lifelong eating plan, and have been building healthy habits that will serve you for a lifetime.

However, your body can only be pushed so hard for so long before it needs time to recover and regenerate before unwanted chronic overuse injuries present themselves. In addition, you can only follow aggressive fat loss plans for so long before the mental and physical grind begins to wear you down and your results begin to plateau as your body enters survival mode to hold on to as much body fat as possible. This is why it is paramount that we accomplish the following things during the transition week between the various phases of Get Fit NH Boot Camps:

 

Moving to Maintenance Mode

 

1.) Physical Rest and Regeneration

–        Our bodies must rest and recover to prevent overtraining issues so that we can come back 100% healthy and energized for the next phase of the program

–        Focus on maintaining and/or increasing flexibility and tissue health by stretching and foam rolling daily. 15-30 minutes is fantastic!

–        Daily restorative walks are beneficial during this week. 30-60 minutes briskly walking (not jogging/running) will keep your body refreshed and active, without negating the purpose of this week. Don’t overdo it!

2.) Physiological and Psychological Rest and Regeneration

–        We must normalize key anabolic hormones, refill muscle glycogen, increase caloric intake, and prevent any diet induced catabolism (losses of lean body mass) so that we can enjoy greater fat loss for the next phase of the program

–        We have taken the road less traveled by being flexible eaters with a long-term approach to success and thus we will take a break from our aggressive fat loss nutrition plans. This is not a free for all, so stay away from your “trigger foods” (junk foods and sweets) that open the door to excessive calorie intake.

–        Instead plan (key word) and enjoy 1-2 controlled free meals to reward yourself for all of your hard work, but do not overdo it!

3.) Celebrate the Fruits of Your Labor

–        Take some time to reflect on how far you have come since you joined this program in terms of improving your overall health, body composition, and performance

–        Enjoy your results!

4.) Track your Progress from this Last Phase and/or the Start of the Progra

Step#1— Answer the Following Questions

–        How much progress did you make this past phase?

–        Did you meet your goal(s)?

Step#2— Use Outcome-Based Decision Making

If you met or exceeded your goals:

– You are on the right track so keep doing what you are doing

If you fell short of your goals:

–        Assess your compliance to our training and the nutrition program you are following. Be honest in evaluating compliance. 90% is what it takes to make realistic progress toward your goals

–        If compliance was not an issue, plan to speak with Dean or Nancy so that we can monitor and adjusts your plans if need be

Step#3— Re-Assess Your Goals

 

–        Were your goals S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Trackable)? If not, talk to one of us to re-assess your goals for the next phase of the program.

–        Use outcome-based decision making to determine if you need to adjust your goals for the next phase of the program:

If you met or exceeded your goals:

–        Your goals for the next phase may change based on your progress over this past phase

–        If you have reached your ideal bodyweight, clothing size, or “look”, your goal may now be to maintain it, or maybe these results have motivated you to try to take it to the next level?

–        If your results were better than you were expecting, maybe we should set more aggressive goals for the next phase of the program?

If you fell short of your goals:

–        If your results fell short of what you were expecting, maybe we should set more conservative goals for the next phase of the program?

5.) Take Advantage of Your Free Time

–        This is a perfect time to get things done that you otherwise could not during the last phase of the program (e.g. household chores, doctor’s appointment, travel/vacations, quality time with friends and/or family, etc.)

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

We would just like to take the time to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your hard work and dedication to improving your health and fitness… keep Making It Happen!

You will never know how much this means to us and how much this is appreciated. It has been a total team effort from the start and though we provided you with all of the necessary programs to get the results that you were seeking, YOU DID ALL OF THE WORK! We cannot wait to get even better results during the next phase of the program!

Get Fit NH!

Dean and Nancy