I love cookbooks. I love to make people happy with cooking. I love to eat food. Food makes me happy. 

I also get agitated because cooking takes a long time. I forget to plan and prepare so I end up stressed and rushed. ​I often serve the same thing over and over. Am I truly making anyone happy for a lifetime with my food skills? Do I know what foods should be on my plate? How much do I need to eat? Can my kids eat the same thing I do? What foods will make me healthiest? What foods can harm my body? 

Jumpstart Nutrition Coaching is your one stop for the answers to these questions. While we can't solve every issue in an hour. We can get a good Jumpstart on them.

Begin your Jumpstart

Date: Saturday, March 18th

Time: 8am sharp to 9am

Place: Get Fit NH Concord

See you there, 
Coach Nancy

If you have been with us for longer than a month, than you probably know we talk a lot about nutrition and we offer nutrition coaching as well. If it wasn’t important and 100% necessary for results, then we would not waste our breath. Keep that in mind if you are a student struggling with results, but haven’t jumped on the nutrition ship yet.

It isn’t an easy leap, but I can assure you Coach Nancy has poured her time and heart into simplifying for you. In case you are new to our blogs, allow me to remind you, you cannot out train poor eating habits. Below are 3 ways you can get in control and start making steps in the right direction. These are habits and won’t feel natural right away. Start with one and work your way up until one, two, or all three become part of your routine.

1. Meal plan. Your family should be involved in this. It can be done while watching TV. It takes almost no effort to figure out meals that everyone likes. There are plenty of recipes that can be tweaked to make smart choices. Ever tried almond flour chicken fingers? It is a favorite in this house!

2. Make your grocery list from your meal plan. When I make my grocery list based off the plan it reassures me that I won’t forget anything, because I checked to see what was in the house. To take it a step further, I always make my list based on the layout of the grocery store. This way I am not tempted to go down any additional aisle. When I go to the grocery store with a scattered list, I ALWAYS forget something which can quickly lead to a bad choice if you don’t have what you planned for.

3. Meal prep. My husband teases me, because when I get home from the store I take everything out of the bags and line it near the fridge or cabinet where it goes. I put everything that can go away in it’s spot and prep everything else that I can to make my week easier. Chop veggies, boil cauliflower, cut meat, etc. Because of my schedule I usually prep on Sundays for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday I have more flexibility so I prep for the rest of the week at that time. You know your schedule. Do what works best for you.

You don’t have to do all of that, but start somewhere! Jumping aboard the nutrition ship can seem like a ginormous leap, but with small steps you will find that you are ready to step up. We are here for you!

Coach Meagan

I enjoy writing, but some posts are a lot harder to write than others. 

That is certainly the case this year as we start forming our team for the 2017 ​Rock N' Race, which is always one of the biggest community events in Concord as well as one of our biggest fundraising efforts.

For those of you not familiar, the Rock 'N Race is a 5k run/walk that raises funds for the Concord Hospital Payson Center for Cancer Care. This is the 15th year this event has been held, and Get Fit NH has been sponsoring a team and raising funds for the last 7 or 8 years - just about as long as we have been around.

It is no secret that cancer touches all our lives in one way or another. We all have friends, family, and co-workers whose lives have been changed forever by this disease, and the Get Fit NH family is no exception. Right now Coach Nancy's sister Sharon is fighting cancer for the second time. Others have loved ones they have lost or are in midst of the battle. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and you who support them.

This year however, is especially tough for one of our own, Jim Knee, as he mourns the loss of his dear wife Catherine Dowd. Catherine lost her battle with cancer on December 30 of last year. This is not the first time I have seen one of our Get Fit men lose his wife to this disease, and while I cannot imagine what they have and are going through, I don't have to sit by and do nothing either. I hope you will join me by taking action and getting involved in the Rock N' Race this year, as a sponsor, runner, or walker.

Doesn't have to be on our team. It's not about us, or who has the biggest team, or the awards we can win. It's about men like Jim Knee, and Tom Barker, and Dan Gauthier, who need to know that those they have lost are not forgotten, and that somebody cares enough to do something about it, no matter how small. It is an added bonus that the Rock N' Race just happens to be a ton of fun - Music, Food and Contests. It's a family event and you don't have to be a great runner (or a runner at all) to come down and have a good time.

Are you in?

Let's Make It Happen!

15th Annual Merrimack County Savings Bank Rock N' Race

​May 18, 2017

6:00pm

Downtown Concord

As a postscript I want to thank Jim for his graciousness. He is a quiet guy, and his hurt is still deep. How could it not be? It would be easier to just stay quiet and not bring up the pain. But he set that aside so others could be helped. Cancer is not "just" a disease. Cancer has a name, a face, and a story. Here is just a small part of Catherine's.

Catherine C. Dowd, 64, died Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Concord VNA Hospice, Concord, after a long illness.

She is survived by her husband of 16 years, James E. Knee; two sons, Conor P. McNally of Essex, Vt., and Hugh F. McNally of Bethlehem; her mother, Vivian (Tambolleo) Dowd, of Sterling, Mass.; three brothers, Thomas F. Dowd Jr., of Holden, Mass., Peter M. Dowd of Sterling, Mass. and James J. Dowd of Grifton, N.C.; a sister, Therese Vattes, of Bolton, Mass.; two step-sons, Michael Knee and Matthew Knee, both of Concord; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins; and her beloved animals, dog, Obo, and horses, Pumpkin and King.

Catherine was born in Worcester, Mass., and raised in Clinton, Mass., daughter of the late Thomas F. Dowd. She was a graduate of Sacred Heart High School, Worcester, Mass. and Atlantic Union College, South Lancaster, Mass., where she earned her degree in Nursing.

As a Registered Nurse, Catherine started her career at St. Vincent Hospital, Worcester, Mass., prior to relocating to New Hampshire, where she began a 29 year career at Littleton Hospital, before working at Concord Hospital for more than 12 years before her retirement.

She was a former member of St. John the Guardian of Our Lady Parish, Clinton, Mass. An avid skier and mountain hiker, Catherine was a talented equestrian, who, along with Jim, kept horses on their former farm in Franconia. It was there that she cared for her most-loved mare, Heiress.

​Thank-you Jim. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with you.

March Madness was such a success last year, we just knew we had to roll it out again this year for everyone at Get Fit NH. Whether you’re a veteran of our challenges or brand new, you’ll want to get involved, because who doesn’t like a little madness?

The Concord and Epsom gyms do things differently, which we will highlight below.

Get Fit NH Epsom

We know how much you love to push that sled so we’ll be breaking up into training time teams and go after it on the green. It’s a great feeling to push a 135 pound sled for the first time or for the fifty first times. Last year we about wore out the turf, and Coach Nancy loves to see those laps rack up. The prize for all this hard work? Your very own dinner party from the Carlson’s kitchen

Get Fit NH Concord

We are going to break into teams of 4, so look for the sign up sheet on the desk. The deadline to form a team will be March 8th, so you only have about 10 days to get it together We will go head to head bracket style, most MEPS wins the round and moves on.

We’ve put a few new rules in place for this year’s challenge. Since we never want to put anyone in harm’s way and overtraining can lead to injuries and other complications, we’ve added a MEPS cap of 1200 per person for each week. If there is a tie for MEPS at the end of the week we will use tiebreakers (most Meps in the yellow zone, then red as a second tiebreaker if needed) in order to decide who will advance to the next round. Also new this year, only MEPS earned between Monday and Friday will count towards the challenge. Last year the carry-over of not getting the results from the week before until Wednesday or Thursday because of weekend MEPS detracted from the competition. So in order to get your MEPS in you will have to make sure you are in at some point by Friday night before we close.

Want to participate but don’t have a belt?

We got you covered!

For this challenge we are selling the new MZ3 MyZone belts for LESS than what we pay! That’s right- $60! If you have one of the older belts, those are great and work fabulous, however the upgraded belts (MZ3) record activity in real time. So let’s say you are out skiing – if you have you belt on then your MEPS will update immediately rather than recording on your bean until the next time you return to the gym. Also you will be able to see your effort stream (meaning your tile) in real time rather than going back to see how you did.

And the Prize. A sweet custom Get Fit NH tee designed by the winning team!​

This contest will run the 13^th of March through the 14^th of April (last two weeks of March and first two weeks of April) with recovery week smack dab in the middle. MEPS earned during recovery week will not count for the challenge, as the purpose of recovery week is to, well, recover.

​

Let’s get ready to have some fun and kill it for March Madness Round 2!

-Coach Adam

March Madness Challenge

​

Start Date: Monday March 13, 2017
End Date: Friday April 14, 2017
Cost: Just a little Blood, Sweat and Tears
Registration deadline: Wednesday March 8, 2017

​

I would imagine many of you watched or at least heard about the recent Super Bowl. What an epic performance. As many of you know, I am no athlete. If you throw a ball to me, I will most certainly duck. Despite the fact that I am not an athlete, this year’s Super Bowl performance taught a powerful lesson that I believe is worth talking about.

First and foremost, how about the “why” this Patriots team shared. Not only was this the biggest and most meaningful game to them, but it was a chance for Tom Brady to make history. History was made for many reasons that night. Because of this “why”, the team fought with every ounce of strength for every second of that game. What is your why? Is it big enough that you are willing to fight for it every second of every day- even when it seems nearly impossible?

Pushing through even when odds are against you. When I fell asleep on Super Bowl Sunday, the score was 28-9 in the third quarter. There was no way the Patriots were coming back from this. Never, in the history of super bowls, had any team come back from such a score. I was honestly wondering if the Patriots were throwing in the towel, because there was no way they could recover from this (because let’s get real, for a little while they didn’t show up to that game!).

I woke up to my husband jumping up and down and Tom Brady on his knees, because he had just won his 5th super bowl. Despite the odds, despite the naysayers, despite the challenge they pushed through, because they wanted to win that bad. Do you want to reach your goals that bad? Where absolutely nothing will stand in your way? So bad that when someone tells you there is no way, you find a way?

Every second counts. Man, did the Patriots prove that or what? Even with 3 seconds left on the clock Bill was calling a timeout to get one more play in in hopes that he could get some points on the board. And did you see the fourth quarter? Even with less than 3 minutes left they were still down. Those guys played with every bit they had left, left it all on the field and walked away champions.

Are you paying attention to the other 165 hours per week that you are not in the gym? That is crucial time and if you’re not paying attention then you’re not going to get very far.

Learn from the Patriots. They are a successful team because they are coached by the best and they give it their all every time!

Coach Meagan

I think it's about time we got the Get Fit NH family back together, so howsabout a dinner date? A nice relaxing early evening with friends, family, and food.

WINNING!

On Saturday March 18th we are going to be hosting "Dinner and a Movie" at 5:00pm at Get Fit NH Concord. Our cinematic feature film (pretty fancy, eh?) is going to be "That Sugar Film", which Nancy and I found not only eye-opening, but pretty darn entertaining too. 

Here's a brief synopsis:

Mary Davidson is laying down the gauntlet on the next Ski Erg Challenge, so listen up!

"Starting March 15 Concept 2 is starting their "2017 World Erg Challenge" and I need you to help.

The past couple of challenges only myself, Mary Ellen from the 8:30 class, and Adam from the 6:15 class have participated.

Now I have to admit, Adam has done more than his far share and Mary Ellen and I do what we can. We would like to invite you to join us!

It is only on for the month, March 15 to April 15, and it is always more fun with friends, not to mention the weather is getting warmer and not a bad bad thing to burn a few more calories. I am just sayin.

Our Coach Adam can help you sign up if you have a problem.

Our team is Get Fit NH, and you can find out the challenge details by clicking here

See you on the back wall! - Mary

We want both Epsom and Concord to participate, so let's get on it! Little ole' Get Fit NH has won our division in the past, but we can't do it without your help.

Challenge Page is here

Team Page is here (you will need to create an account if you don't already have one - it's free!)

Audrey is shining in the spotlight today talking about her success with the latest 21+ nutrition challenge. I knew Audrey must have been successful, because she was one of the most active participants on the Facebook accountability page. She posted updates daily about how she was feeling, what was challenging, and how she was overcoming obstacles. During this challenge she even spent time out of her home and in the hospital with her father as well as in living arrangements that were not her own. She made a plan and made it work. I am proud of Audrey for finding a way to make it happen when it would have been SO easy to find an excuse. Her positive attitude, energy and smile are all very contagious. We are lucky to have her in the Get Fit NH Family. Here is what she has to say.

Audrey is pictured on left

"Absolute biggest challenge? For sure was meal planning. I broke up the week and planned meals from Monday-Wednesday, and then planned again for Thursday-Sunday. Breaking the week up made it not so overwhelming.

What changed after starting the 21+ Day Challenge? I always love a challenge. The no sugar and no dairy was the biggest change. I love to bake so this was difficult, I just decided to not bake at all. I took out every unapproved food in my house so I am not tempted at all.

What results have you seen? Weight loss - finally. I love that I have not starved myself. I am working on changing my thought pattern to use food to fuel my body, not just eat for pleasure. I've also lost inches and I know I'm gaining muscle (thanks to the awesome workouts). I feel healthy from the inside out, not just looking for weight loss.

​What would you say to someone on the fence about starting? I would tell them it's not easy but so worth it. To write down their goals and make a plan. I would tell them I've tried everything in the past and there are no shortcuts. Something worth having is worth all the work. This is a life long journey not a sprint.

​What keeps you coming back? To have success you need support, and Get Fit is the best support I have ever had with a gym. The accountability is awesome and something I absolutely need. Dean and Nancy, as well as every trainer, practice what they preach. I love how they keep it exciting and challenging - always mixing things up. I especially love that the gym talks and educates us on healthy eating - not just working out. 

People ask me what the price is to go to Get Fit. They say Planet Fitness is only $10 a month. My response is you get what you pay for, and Get Fit NH is worth every penny!"

Thank you for taking the time to share your story with us, Audrey. Keep at it- we are so proud of you!
-Coach Meagan

Last week, I wrote a blog about the pause button - about not letting life, work, etc. get you to the point that you put an entire part of your life on hold. Below are some strategies to help you when those hectic times arise.

1. Look at your schedule ahead of time. I fully realize that this may not be an option for everyone. Some of you have highly fluid careers and lives and this may not be completely possible. However, looking at your week ahead can really help. What day do you have a 6am meeting so you may need to come to another class? What day might you have time to sit down for an hour and food prep for the following 3 or 4 days? Sometimes just sitting down and laying it out for yourself can make all the difference, rather than trying to do it on the fly.

2. Plan your meals ahead of time. All of our nutrition challenges have included some type of template for planning out your meals. If you have yet to do one of them, it is fairly easy. They can be as simple as a piece of paper with “Breakfast", "Lunch", and "Dinner” listed under each day of the week, or as complicated as the recipe itself at each spot so you have all your information in one place. Whatever makes it more likely to happen for you.

3. M.I.S.S (Make It Stupid Simple). For those really hectic times, make it stupid simple. By that I mean make it as simple as possible to plan your meals for the week. If you can stomach it, maybe eat the same simple recipe for breakfast every day to cut down on prep time. Or keep the meals different but try to stick to simple recipes that don’t take a ton of prep work. This may not be a good strategy for the long term because you will probably burn out on those easy to prepare foods, but in an extremely hectic time, simplicity is your ally.

4. Make training an appointment. You have heard Coach Meagan say this before and it feeds into strategy number 1. If you can figure out your schedule ahead of time, decide what days and times you are going to train and make it an appointment. Plan it ahead of time, write it down and stick to it.

5. Slow down, but never stop. This one is possibly the most important one of all. If you need to slow down, that’s understandable. If you can only make two classes a week this week and next week because work is so hectic, that’s understandable. The last thing you want to do is put off training completely, because like I said in part one, you never know what tomorrow might bring. Expecting to stop, then start again when things are “less hectic” ends in major complications the large majority of the time. So just slow down, but never stop.

Make it happen,
Coach Adam