Some of you may have seen my Why Wednesday a couple weeks ago about this topic, but I wanted to go back into it because I do think it's so important.  In reading a book to help myself out recently I realized how much I was allowing myself to become a victim of my circumstances. Or more accurately allowing myself the excuse because of things that were happening to me.  I think one of the biggest examples of this is my relationship with food. That is the main reason I am writing this blog and using this example. When something bad happened or I had a rough day the first thing I would do is use food.  So what I was saying is “I’m a victim of my day so I can have this”.

Another example that many of you might be able to understand as well is the “If it's in the house I’m going to eat it”. I remember getting legitimately angry at people for bringing things home that I could have because I would eat them.  Again what am I saying? “You are victimizing me by bringing that stuff here” which gives me the excuse to mow down on it. Coming to that realization has helped me immensely because if there is one thing I never want to be considered it is a “victim”.

Don’t misunderstand me, you do not have control over everything that happens in your life.  You’re going to have to deal with crabby people, difficult work associates or customers. No one has complete control over the things that happen in their life.  What you DO have 100% control over is how you respond to those scenarios, are you going to allow yourself to be a victim of your circumstance? Or are you going to decide to still fight, be positive, stay strong.  To realize that you can choose whether or not you allow yourself to be a victim, or not allow yourself to be puts you in control.

-Coach Adam

This has been a hot topic in our accountability group recently. I have been harping on the importance of keeping a journal and how it could seriously change your attitude and help you embrace self-love. Diaries and journals might be outdated or seem immature, but I am here to tell you why they are NOT and how answering 3 simple questions to yourself each day could truly make a difference in your quality of life!

First, let me outline WHY you should journal:

1. It’s an inner therapy session. Releasing your feelings and your doubts, guilts, etc can help you let go. Rather than keeping negative energy built up inside, you can release it by “confessing” to yourself and giving yourself the opportunity to move on.

2. You can set yourself “mini” goals each day that make you feel successful. These mini goals add up into big results and a person who feels PROUD of themselves.

3. You can reveal trends about yourself If you are journaling daily that you got 3 hours of sleep then you can use that information to set yourself a “mini” goal like, “Screens off and In bed by 9PM” Small changes like that build up to big results and a well rounded, happier and healthier human

Here are three things you should ask yourself everyday as well as some examples of what those answers look like

1. What did I do GREAT today?

1. I made it to the gym!

2. I drank 80 ounces of water today and even though I was in the bathroom more than normal, I feel hydrated and energized

3. I ate ALL of the meals on my plan today and stayed away from the donuts in the breakroom

4. I shut my screens off by 10pm and did not check my email until after I worked out this morning

5. I made a meal plan!

6. I scooted past the cookies at the grocery store!

2. What did I struggle with today?

1. Emotional eating- rough day at work (Explain what happened or what DIDN’T happen) for example, I was so stressed at work today because we were short handed I came home and ate an entire bag of tortillas and salsa OR I came home and ate an entire bag of chips and salsa, because I didn’t have a PLAN

2. Traded gym time for extra sleep or because I got stuck at work

3. Didn’t follow through on my meal plan- got take out instead

4. Went to the grocery store starving and loaded up on the good stuff, but also ice cream and chips that will taunt me until they’re gone

5. Threw away half my groceries from last week because I had take out every night

6. Drank nothing but soda today and ended  up with a massive headache

3. What am I going to do better tomorrow?

1. I’m going to make it to the gym at 5AM

2. I’m going to get 32 ounces in by 10AM

3. No take out. Eat my meal plan!

4. Screens off by 10pm

You will notice that the goals for the following day are SPECIFIC and MEASURABLE so that next day when you go into your journal you can check off that you did do it or you did NOT do it.

Answer to yourself. Figure out what is holding you back and overcome it by setting mini goals each day. Show yourself forgiveness by admitting to yourself where you are struggling and celebrate yourself by patting yourself on the back where you are crushing it. We are all a work in progress!

Coach Meagan

• Snacking!

• I am not talking about a morning or afternoon snack. I am talking about the snacking that goes on while you are making your meals. You know, a handful of almonds while you are cooking- or 2, 3, 4, handfuls of almonds. Or the cheese and crackers while your dinner is cooking. That’s a lot of calories that adds up!

• I recommend getting one of those veggie trays and putting raw veggies in it so if you feel like you need to snack or you are so starving then the food you are putting in your mouth is nutritious and low calorie. Sometimes we end up eating a mini dinner before dinner and that is how we pack in unnecessary calories

• Iced water and lemon with a fancy straw. If you are trying to keep your mouth busy this is a great way to keep it busy calorie free!

• Right now many of us are in “challenge mode,” but non challenge mode is the sweets control or out-of-control!

• I am not talking about a square of dark chocolate daily that makes you feel like a super human- That is not crushing your results. What could be crushing your results is 3-4 days of desserts, sweets, sodas/juice, etc. While those things are ok 10% of the time if your goal is to lose weight then you will have a very hard time losing weight with multiple days of several sweets. Our bodies don’t metabolize as quickly as they once did. You can choose to play the victim, not fair card or you can decide your goal is more important. Either way you are still a fabulous person. Because what you eat, when you eat, how you eat, where you eat does not and will not ever define who you are.

• Mindless eating

• Raise your hand if you are guilty of this! I am the QUEEN! Not even hungry, why am I eating? Because it is in front of me and/or available. If you have the control to bring great choices into your house then that is fabulous, but some of you don’t have the luxury- DANGER!

• If you are guilty of this then I HIGHLY suggest keeping a food log for a few weeks. Put it on your fridge and make a point to write down everything you are eating. This will create more awareness and show you how much you are eating and you truly might not even realize it.

• If you are struggling with weight loss there is a VERY good chance you are eating too much for what your body needs and yes when you cut calories you WILL feel hungry until your body adjusts to a new normal. It is absolutely never recommended for women to consume less than 1200 calories and men less than 1500 calories because that comes with its own issues.

If your goal is weight loss or to change something about the way you look and feel then chances are we need to look at food. These are three things that come to mind that could be a “simple” fix for you or at least create more awareness. Most of you are in challenge mode, but some of you are not so let’s work on getting 1% better today!

If you have not joined our private (free) accountability group then let’s make that happen!

Coach Meagan

Pushups are one of the best exercises! However, they can also be one of the most challenging for many people. I want to discuss the importance of practicing push ups from your toes rather than your knees. When a pushup is properly executed, the feet are together, and the glutes and core are engaged. Everything should be tight as the body moves as one unit through the range of motion. When a pushup is performed from the knees it is more challenging to engage the glutes and core.  Your low back is more likely to be in a hyperextended position when you are on your knees.

Push ups are not just an upper body exercise. They require core strength and proper movement patterning. Often times when we are going through the Functional Movement Screen and we look at the Trunk Stability Pushup (the red band) we see people lift their chest off the floor first and their hips sag.  Gray Cook, who developed the FMS, states that “The Trunk Stability Push up is used as a basic observation of reflex core stabilization, and is not a test or measure of upper body strength.  The goal is to initiate movement with the upper extremities in a push up pattern without allowing movement in the spine or hips.” Therefore, if you practice push ups from your knees you are not training the core to execute the way it should in a push up from the toes.

I want to encourage you to work on the eccentric (the lowering phase) part of the pushup. Eccentrics are a great way to build strength and you will be recruiting your glutes and core! Take your time on the lowering phase of the pushup (3-5 seconds) and focus on making sure that your chest makes contact with the floor before your hips. You may feel like towards the bottom of the movement you are just flopping on the ground but that is ok!  As you continue to work on them you will flop a little less each time. You can also do Band Assisted Push ups which will help keep your hips in the proper position while you work on core stabilization. Keep working at it and you will see improvements!

-Coach Erin 

“You will falter, fumble, and fail in life, but failing at something does not make you a failure.  Failure is not final – unless you choose to not get back up.  The key to growing from failure is refusing to quit.”

That quote was in my reading of a book by Christine Caine and I absolutely loved it!  I believe that many of us have a fear of failure. I also believe that the fear can often hold us back from making changes in our lives because we are afraid of the outcome.  

“What if I fail? What if I don’t lose the weight this time around or I just gain it all back? What if I hurt myself by trying a new exercise or lifting something heavier?”

As a result, we react to our fears by staying in a comfort zone.  I will be honest I was scared, when Meagan asked me to come back to Get Fit NH. After our meeting when I accepted the position, I went home and tried to do a Squat Thrust. I thought my hands were going to break due to the Fibromyalgia pain.  My mind started racing, “How am I going to coach when I can barely do a Squat Thrust or get up and down from the ground without significant pain?”

 I reminded myself that Meagan would not have asked me to come back if she did not believe in me.  It was going to be a long road and a lot of hard work, but I knew deep down this was what I wanted to do. I could not let the fear of failure hold me back. These past six months have not been easy, I have fumbled, and I have fallen. However, with the support of Meagan, Adam and Brian, the rest of the Get Fit NH Family and my personal family, I have made progress.  I want more than anything to see you succeed. We are here to support you along your journey. When you falter, you can count on your Get Fit NH Family to be there for you! We are in this together!

-Coach Erin

"When you go out of your comfort zone and it works there's nothing more satisfying." -Kristen Wiig

​Since we are young we hear the saying "You have to step out of your comfort zone to grow" and I am a believer in this. I do not think you need to go sprinting out of your comfort zone into the unknown, but a lot of growth can be had when we baby step into being uncomfortable. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable is a skill we lose as we get older. 

When we are kids and growing up almost everything in life is knew to us at some point. You are constantly stepping out of your comfort zone to try new things, go new places, and learning to handle new situations. Yes some of the times we were nervous about these new things but growing up we tried it and it may have been something you loved! Think of the first time you tried riding a bike and for some how terrifying that experience could have been at first! But then after learning to be uncomfortable with it, practicing, and time it could have been one of your favorite things and you were probably so happy the first time you rode a bike all by yourself! The same thing could be said for learning to swim, the first time you traveled somewhere new, trying new food, and many more possibilities. 

Now the issue is as we grow up we learn the things we are good at and the things we like and we tend to stick to those things like glue. Somewhere along the line unlearn how to be uncomfortable and learn that not being good at something is a failure and bad. My hope of this post is to help throw away that mindset!

Try something new, feel uncomfortable, find something you need to practice because you are not that good at it....yet. I don't think you need to dive out of your comfort zone like spontaneously moving across the country, unless you want that!, but take a step and you may find new things you love or find the satisfaction of doing something you couldn't.

So now how that relates to the gym side of this. If you find yourself using the same weight every week for the same exercise or not trying the more difficult variation because its challenging or you are not good at it, I encourage you to do it! Grab a few more pounds or take the time to practice the new variation because when you get uncomfortable with something and then own it that is where the magic happens! Plus your coaches will always be there to support you in it! 

Make It Happen!

-Coach Brian 

​"Ask a comedian, tennis player, chef. Timing is everything." - Meg Rosoff

I believe that the quote above is such a true statement and applies to our trainings more than we think. If you look when you come into train the timing is usually different from the week before or even day to day. When it comes down to picking the timing there is a method to our madness and not just throwing darts at a board to pick the timing. We put a lot of thought into making the right choice on how long to work and how long to rest and you deserve to know more about the why.

You will see in the more fast pace metabolic days we are with shorter times working and resting. We are trying to challenge you cardiovascular, get your heart rate up, and breathing faster. Usually we are doing exercises with less weight that allows you to work faster. Since that timing is so short its VERY important to work to a max effort right from the start so that at the end you are breathing heavy! 

On our more strength training days we look to lift heavier and may have a "Slower" pace. On these days we look to challenge your body in a different way. We have talked about intensity in a workout and how to increase it being two different ways: Work Faster or Lift Heavier. So on these days we tend to give you more rest time to allow your body to recover to continue to lift the heavier weight in a safe way. 

A Big thing I always talk about is understanding your timing and working to match the effort of the timing. That can happen in many different ways:

1. Always work through the entire time. If you stop early you may miss a large portion of the training.
2. You can exert more energy in shorter times since you do not have to work as long. So if you can farmers carry 50lbs for 60 seconds you should be able to carry more weight for 30 seconds since its a shorter time.
3. Regardless of metabolic or strength days our trainings are designed to make you sweat and be out of breath in a manageable way, if you aren't we may need to bump up the intensity. 

If you can understand and work to your timing it will take your trainings to the next level/

Make It Happen!

-Coach Brian