The Spotlight is Shining on June

 June has been a part of the Get Fit NH family since March 2014. She has an incredible story that I know many of you can relate to. June started off training four days a week at 5:30pm in Concord. After a few months her schedule became more challenging. Instead of throwing in the towel she decided to train two days a week in the morning in Epsom and two nights in Concord. June has remained committed and results speak for themselves! It has been a pleasure coaching June this past year and I am excited to see her continue to achieve her goals! I hope her story insprires you to make positive changes despite past or current circumstances. Just ask June, you won’t regret it!

I was very honored when asked by Coach Erin to share some of my story — so here it goes…. When you see me in my before picture please  know that I was at one of the many heavy times in my life (again).  I had been at that familiar place before … Lost and gained weight many, many times throughout my life– I was never an athletic type of person.  I was the bat and ball manager on the girls softball team in high school…. I hated the presidential physical fitness awards from Junior high— never could do those chin ups!! As an adult I would exercise on and off, but hated even the idea of being sweaty!!!    (Oh Boy has that changed)

 I always wanted to be a normal size, but loved the comfort of food too much and have wrestled with the whole mess my whole life.  Here is a list of some of the food programs I have used over the years; Weight Watchers ( 6 times ) TOPS ( Take Off Pound Sensibly )  Overcoming Overeating workshop, Over Eaters Anonymous, Aromatrim ( purchased on an infomercial )  The Neuropsychology of Weight Loss (another late night purchase) Free to be Thin,  YMCA fitness program, Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, and probably many other home grown diets and exercise routines throughout the years… Even met with a registered dietitian before I found Get Fit NH .

I was battling migraines, stomach pain problems, joint pain, low self esteem and low motivation (living on Pebtobismol nightly and Prilosec  and Ibuprofen )  I was getting worn out with life, work etc….I remember trying to have some fun outside  with my grandchildren in the snow —  but by the 3rd trip up the hill pulling a couple of them in the sled,  I felt half dead!!    I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and crappy, but I was so afraid to fail AGAIN at any attempt to be healthy—-that I had stopped trying—but I knew I  had to do something so I  decided to give it one more try. I found Get Fit quite by accident searching for a diet program in Concord, NH I heard advertised on the radio … I couldn’t remember the name so luckily my search online some how took me to the Get Fit website.  I read all the Coaches Bio’s and some of the student spotlight stories– they were all very inspiring……

The 2 week free trial really made me feel like ……Well…….what do I have to loose?

And  it hooked me in—

June before

Before

June after

After

 

And then I tried

And I cried…..

And I tried again

And I cried again….

And during the 2 week trial I thought maybe I am way worse than I thought I was– I mean I knew I was in tough shape… but I didn’t realize how INEPT I felt till that 2 week trial— and 2 things happened that made me stay…. As I was walking to my car during that first week of trial training and crying my eyes out cause I was so sore and out of shape and felt sooooo incapable another fellow client in her kindness saw me sobbing my way to my car across the parking lot and yelled over to me  “ It gets BETTER ! “

(thanks Jill)  She was right— her timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

The second great thing that kept me coming was when I was almost ready to decide  (in the first 2 weeks) that this program probably wasn’t meant to be for me because I couldn’t even get to the training on time— I got tied up at work one night and arrived too late for the 5:30 class— Not to mention that I was sore, felt so inept, didn’t know anyone there, figured I would just fail again anyway , blah,blah,blah…..so why bother?  So I sat in my car, tears streaming down my face and wrote a little note for Erin that I was NOT going to continue— luckily she stopped me in the foyer area after I tried to leave her the note without being noticed…She has the eyes of a hawk you know! She stopped me in the Foyer— I don’t remember our whole conversation, but I know it involved a lot of crying on my part and apologizing for being late and explaining that this just wasn’t meant to be for me to get better etc…. and she told me — “June, I really think this program is for you. I want you to right now go get yourself a yogurt snack and some water and go relax for a bit and come back to the 6:45 training— we want you … if you want to…. “

At that moment it was like  she was throwing out the life preserver to the sinking soul on the stormy sea.…And I grabbed it!

And I am so grateful that I did! Needless to say I did come back for the 6 :45 class that day  and I haven’t stopped since. Get Fit NH has all the tools you need to save your life, but you have to be willing to grab on and hang on and listen and trust and believe your coaches and feel the support of the others around you who have been there or are trying just like you are.  I remember feeling so vulnerable, like the new kid in the class  and being so grateful to people like Sarah, another client,  who warmly welcomed me and shared her success story with me and kept and eye out for me when I wasn’t sure what to do next.   There are so ,so many good folks here.  I have seen so many changes in myself, my attitude, my health, the way I eat, my weight, my strength. No more headaches or stomach pains. No more prilosec. I am down 30 pounds now since joining last March— I cannot believe it has already been a year!

 I sure have come a long way from that emotional ball of jelly I was when I first started— don’t get me wrong— I still can be pretty sensitive and I still have some of jelly to loose, but I am certainly heading in the right direction .  I have learned that it is OKAY to put myself first. It does not mean I am selfish— it means self caring.  And if I take care of me then I will be around a long time, God willing,  for  my family  and friends whom I love so much.  This  spring and summer my husband and I will be expecting more grandchildren ….number 7, 8 and 9  — I want to be able to keep up with these kiddos— they are an awesome blessing that I want to enjoy for years to come and thanks to GET FIT NH and the coaches and the whole Get Fit Families in both Concord and Epsom I train with I feel awesome !!  I also feel happy and strong and confident and it seems I’ve found the answer to the battle— that there IS strength in numbers, accountability, fun, fitness, education, nutrition, support…….Don’t try to do it alone….. Grab a lifesaving rope when it comes to you and come get into the life boat at Get Fit NH !   

Love June

We are so proud of June and so thankful that she chooses to train at Get Fit NH!

You too can make it happen,

Coach Erin

Coach Meagan’s step by step meal prep

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Step 1: Make a grocery list from your meal plan and hit the store. Stay out of the junk food aisles- temptation is cruel. Grocery shop on a day where you have some extra time to do some prep!  P.S. Extra credit farmer walk when you bring all your bags in at the same time! 

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Step 2: Have your meal plan handy. Unload your bags and leave everything that you can prepare ahead of time on the counter.

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Step 3: I like to take out every pot and pan so that I can cook as much as I can as quickly as possible. Mashed cauliflower was on the menu and that is what takes the longest, so I started there so that I could prep some more veggies while that boiled. Multi-tasking is a beautiful thing!

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Step 4: Pre-heat the oven for roasted veggies and put those greens on standby until you hear the beautiful beep from the oven!

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Step 5: Cauliflower is on the stove- check. Oven is pre-heated for roasted veggies- check. Next on the menu is cabbage noodles with peppers and onions. Chop up some cabbage and get that going on low while chopping up some peppers and onions.

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Step 6: Cauliflower is boiling- check. Oven is pre-heated and veggies are in- check. Peppers and onions added to cabbage noodles on low- check. Time to get the protein cookin’.

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Step 7: Brown ground bison. Stirring up veggies and meat as needed.

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 Step 8: Cabbage noodles. peppers, and onions are done- toss those into a Tupperware and get the ground turkey on the stove. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Step 9: As Coach Erin would say, “BAM!” There you have it. Easy accessible protein and veggies for the whole week. No excuses. You are prepped and ready tackle a great week.  This all took a tad bit over an  hour. 

Don’t say you don’t have time- you must make time. Results don’t just happen, they are earned with hard work, determination, dedication, and preparation!

So is it worth it? Well, I guess that depends if you want to feel better, look better, build muscle, and lose fat? If those things are on your to-do list then you better fit this piece into your life. You can make it happen, I know it!

-Coach Meagan

Runner’s and Aspiring Runner’s – Check this out!

Mark your calendars!
run

When: Wednesday March 25th

Time: 6 pm

Where: Get Fit NH Concord

Believe it or not, spring is upon us! The warm weather is coming, the snow will melt, and many of us will be dusting off the ole’ running shoes and hitting the pavement. Why not start the season off with a little help from our friend Sean Gray from Runner’s Alley? Sean is going to talk to us about everything from safety to shoes to training tips and more!

As you know, at Get Fit NH our goal is train you the best and safest way possible. Since we can’t be with you out on the pavement, we’re bringing in the experts to coach you on their art. Whether you are a runner or wish to run, whether your goal is to run a mile, a 5K, a half marathon, or a full marathon, you don’t want to miss this!

All are welcomed. See you there,

Coach Meagan

P.S. Runner’s Alley offers a 10% discount to Get Fit NH students! 

 

The Loft Indoor Obstacle Course Field Trip is Booked!

loft4Ask and you shall receive!

A few weeks ago I went to The Loft in Tilton to check out the new obstacle gym and it was amazing! I had such a great time and all I could think about the entire time is how much fun we (the Get Fit NH family) would have tackling these obstacles together. I made a couple of phone calls and got us a private date for March 7th and on top of that a sweet discount! It will only cost $15 rather than the regular $25 rate. They can only accommodate 15 students at a time so there is a possibility we will be going in waves if we get a large response.

The Loft is an indoor obstacle course with obstacles identical to those found in races such as Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, Warrior Dash and other obstacle races. The class we have set up will have an instructor to show us how to maneuver the course and attack the obstacles in front of us. This is a very unique and fun experience. You may just find that you want to conquer an obstacle race this summer or you may just discover an adult playground!

We hope you join us in this adventure. The first 15 to sign up will be booked for the 9 AM wave and the second 15 will be booked for the 10 AM wave. The address is below as well. We can’t wait to see you there!

Where: Tilton Sports Center- The Loft 100 Autumn Drive Tilton, NH 03276

When: Saturday March 7, 2015

Time: 9 AM for the first 15 and 10 AM for second 15

Cost: $15 – please pay using the link below to secure your spot

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The Spotlight is Shining On…..

Cynthia Proulx is a new family member at Get Fit NH but already her presence has made us all turn our heads. Cynthia let us know right away what she felt the first few days at Get Fit NH. “As a new member I’m sure I am not going to answer this as well as other family members. With that said, I like the idea of the family atmosphere, everyone is very friendly, and the nutrition class has really helped me. I have been exercising all my life, dancing, gymnastics, ballet, Gloria Stevens, skiing, running, basketball, gym memberships for the last 30 years. The difference that I feel now: the workouts are much more fun than all the other gyms I’ve been to. The coaching has been huge, I can finally do squats that don’t hurt my knees. I love competition and the workouts help me to be competitive within myself. They are hard for me, but I feel a lot of satisfaction when I complete something well”.

After going to the Whole 9 workshop Cynthia made drastic changes to her nutrition plan. She went – “Whole 9”. She experienced drastic results. This is thrilling to her coach and all the coaches at Get Fit NH. As you read what Cynthia wrote, think about yourself. If you can achieve similar results to Cynthia would it be worth your while to make some changes? Cynthia is discovering that the quality of food is changing how she feels. Her training is changing her physical being and as shaping her mental well – being.

 

“I would like you and Nancy to know that in a weeks time on the Whole 9 nutrition plan, I feel better than I have in months. I have been to nutritionists over the years and have been on MANY diet plans, We never talked about eliminating certain foods. Taking dairy, gluten, wheat, breads, etc. out of my diet has made a difference. Since last October I have felt sick most everyday, I knew I had an allergy to dairy, but continued to eat and drink some dairy products. I then began to question wheat and gluten.  I started the plan a week ago today, tomorrow will be one week of feeling good everyday and it’s not hard for me to follow. Food preparation takes time, but I have made many of the recipes in the book. The only vice is a little truvia, I’m working to get rid of that as well. I have much more energy than I did and can’t wait for that to increase even more.  I appreciate all Erin is doing as my coach to help me get the most out of my training without pain. She has been fantastic! Thank you for being part of my life, Cynthia

 

Cynthia has encouraged me, I know she will encourage you as well. I am looking forward to all that Cynthia is going to discover.

29 Personal Bests at Get Fit Games

What a great morning at Get Fit NH.

We had a big crew show up and participate in the “Get Fit Games”, where we come in, have some fun, and confirm we are getting better.

By my count our athletes set 29 personal bests! Now that is what it is all about! Make sure you look out for the next time we host Get Fit Games. If you wanna get better, you gotta measure!

Here’s the highlights of this mornings games.

Proud of you all!

Doreen Mathison

Deadlift, Gold level achieved

Push-up, Personal Best

Chin-up, Personal Best, Bronze level achieved

Front Plank, Personal Best

1000m Ski Erg, Gold level achieved

Jayne Millerick

Deadlift, Personal Best

Chin-up, Personal Best, Get Fit “Fit” level achieved

Front Plank, Personal Best, Get Fit “Fit” level achieved

1000, Ski Erg, Personal Best

Susan Moseley

Deadlift, Personal Best

Front Plank, Personal Best

Heidi Coen

Deadlift, Personal Best, Gold level achieved

Push-up, Personal Best, Bronze level achieved

Long Jump, Personal Best

Front Plank, Personal Best, Get Fit “Fit” level achieved

1000m Ski Erg, Personal Best

Alice DonnaSelva

Deadlift, Personal Best

Push-up, Personal Best

Chin-up, Personal Best

Front Plank, Personal Best

10000m SKI Erg, Personal Best

Adam Rosenthal

Push-up, Personal Best

Front Plank, Personal Best, Bronze level achieved

1000m Ski Erg, Personal Best, Get Fit “Fit” level achieved

Adam Davidson

Deadlift, Personal Best, Get Fit “Fit” level achieved

Push-up, Personal Best, Bronze level achieved

Vertical Jump, Personal Best

Chin-up, Personal Best

1000m Ski Erg, Personal Best

Dick Boddie, Laura Starr-Houghton, Lori Preve, Jenn Stevens, Kim Boddie, Laurie Vallee, and Glenn Berwick were all first time participants and ROCKED IT! Can’t wait to see what you do next time around!

Encouraging you all to measure your greatness next time!

Make it Happen,

Coach Meagan

Training for a Cause is coming!

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A bunch of you have been asking when our next training for a cause will be and we have the answer right here!

On Saturday February 21st we are going to gather out in Epsom at 9 AM for our annual Winter Wonderland event.  Last year we had a total blast building ginormous snowballs, sledding, and of course pulling our Get Fit NH friends around in their sleds! We have plenty of snow to play with so  have no fear! Come join us and let us show you that we can have just as much fun outside as we can inside!

As mentioned this is our quarterly training for a cause event. Get Fit NH supports Operation Hat Trick (OHT) as our ongoing cause. For those of you who are not familiar with OHT please follow the link below to learn more about them. They are well worth our support. Your consistent generosity does not go unnoticed and we are forever grateful to have such a generous family at Get Fit NH.

We are asking for a $10 donation or the purchase of one our custom Operation Hat Trick baseball hats. The hats are $15 and they are snazzy! 100% of donations will go to OHT!

We look forward to seeing you there. Oh and just to clarify this is and outdoor event so please dress accordingly. Kids, family, and friends are all welcome and encouraged to come play!

See you there!

Coach Meagan

Click here to learn more about Operation Hat Trick- You won’t regret it!

When: Saturday February 21, 2015

When: 9 AM

Where: Get Fit NH Epsom

Holiday Hold Em’ Results are in!

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Congratulations to all of our Holiday Hold Em contestants.  We are so proud of everyone who took on the challenge and held their weight through the holidays. Maintaining your weight through the holiday season is without a doubt a big challenge. We even had a bunch of you lose weight! Now that is impressive. Great job to all who participated, you are all winners!

We did hand out prizes to three of those winners. These winners won the luck of the draw. We promised that anyone who maintained or lost weight over the holidays would be entered in to win some great local prizes so congratulations to:

Kelly Gauthier: Congratulations to her and we hope she enjoys her gift card to Things are Cooking (donated by the fabulous owner and Get Fit NH’s own, Diane Beauregard)

Rebecca Baccotti: Great job and we just know she will enjoy her massage from Chichester Massage.  (Donated by Get Fit NH’s own, The Great, Amy Troy)

Jennifer Kretovic: Congratulations Jennifer! We are sure that you will enjoy your gift card to the Co-Op!

Keep up the great work! We are so proud of your accountability and dedication to yourself!

 

You really did make it happen!

Coach Meagan

Special Guest Coming to Epsom!

drchelseaarcheus

Do any of these apply to you?

  • You have questions or concerns about back pain or spine health
  • You have experienced back pain in the past
  • You want to know how to maintain your healthy spine

If you answered yes then we have great news for you! We have invited Epsom’s own, Dr. Chelsea Doughty from Archeus Chiropractic and Wellness, to come answer your questions! Dr. Chelsea will be talking to you about how to keep your spine healthy. She is excited about leaving plenty of time to answer your questions and concerns.  In fact she is highly encouraging anyone and everyone to come out and throw some questions her way.

We hope to see you in there!

When: Wednesday February 11, 2015

Where: Get Fit NH Epsom

Time: 6:00 pm sharp

Let’s Make It Happen!

Coach Meagan

 

 

Another Motivating Student Spotlight

heidiThe success stories are rushing in and we can’t help, but share them all with you. This week’s Student Spotlight  is going to Heidi Coen. Heidi has been training with Get Fit NH for almost 4 years! The success you are about to read was earned and well deserved. Heidi is always pushing herself, she never quits and she is always looking for ways to get better and get stronger. It is a pleasure to coach Heidi. I am so proud of her success. I want to encourage ALL of you to take advantage of the body composition we offer. We often refer to it as the truth-detector and it truly is a fantastic way to measure. If you are not having your body composition read regularly you can afford to step it up (I say that with love as always!)

Here is what Heidi has to say about her success:

“Real Results…

I have pretty much exercised in some way for the majority of my adult life (walking, body building (free weights), aerobics, kick boxing, ellipticals/treadmills, cable machines…). But, I never found a workout regime that I got the results I was looking for.

Then in May 2011 – I had heard about Get Fit NH training and signed up for the free two weeks at the Concord Get Fit, attended my first 5:00am class — and have been hooked ever since!

What I have learned is that with all my previous exercising attempts the workouts were all the same routine and none included anything about nutrition. At Get Fit this is not the case! After participating in the first detox – I discovered that I have a sensitivity to gluten. I had taken Prevacid for years because of acid reflux and Excedrin for headaches every day for years. With my changes to my diet (majority of which is now vegetables and protein), my acid reflux completely resolved and I rarely have headaches. In regards to the training, I really like the varied workouts.

But – how do I really know that what I have learned about nutrition and that the training really works? When I had my very first body composition test done in 2012 my body fat was 29.7%. Two weeks ago, I had another body composition test – and my body fat  is down to 20.5%. I have lost almost 10% in body fat! This is results! This is success!

Today – at age 51 – I am in the best shape of my life!!! I feel GREAT – inside and outside!

It’s not just the training that makes Get Fit so great – it’s also the people! The coaches are awesome and I have made the most special friendships!  I love the 5am group!!!

So Meagan and Dean to answer your questions after every class – Do I have fun? Yes! Do I challenge myself? Yes! Do I learn something? Yes! And, I plan on continuing to do so for many years to come!

Heidi”

We loving hearing about your success! The day you realize that nutrition and training go hand in hand is the day you will change your life. Heidi is a perfect example of someone who learned how to fuel her body and train to succeed. I must add that we are super proud of Heidi, who attacked the chin bar and cranked out some jumping chins for her first time this morning. We couldn’t be more proud of her!

Thank You for choosing to train with us, Heidi!

Make it happen,

Coach Meagan