What’s in Your Nutrition?

Get Fit NH has teamed up with Whole9, specialists in the field of nutrition and a respected authority in the health and fitness community, to provide our clients with a comprehensive nutritional program designed to make you the healthiest you’ve ever been. Why are we focusing so much on what you eat? Because we believe nutrition is the foundation of any good fitness program, and the gateway to optimal health. And we think your nutritional habits play such an important role in achieving your health and performance goals that we’ve asked Whole9 to design this nutrition program for our clients.

Eat Real Food.

Our belief is that a good nutritional program should be centered around eating real food. We know that fad diets, crash diets, miracle pills and “meal replacements” are not part of a balanced, sustainable path towards improved health and fitness. Instead, we encourage you to eat high quality meat, seafood and eggs, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, and healthy sources of dietary fats – it’s that simple. Just eat good food, put your meals together in a way that is simple, balanced and (most importantly) sustainable, and experience all of the tangible benefits that come from a nutritional plan designed to help you create a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits, and relationships with food.

The Whole9 Nutrition Program

We believe implementing good nutritional habits from the very start is so important that we provide all of our clients with a comprehensive printed handbook designed to walk you through Whole9’s nutrition program. Your handbook includes all the tools you’ll need to succeed, including:

• Our nutritional “elevator pitch” – Nutrition in 60 Seconds
• A list of food groups that detract from your health and fitness, and those groups that make you healthier
• A detailed Shopping Guide, including helpful hints for making high quality food choices
• The Whole9 meal planning template, outlining portion sizes, meal frequency and pre- and post-workout nutrition
• Delicious, Whole30-approved recipes that follow our meal planning template, and a 7-day meal plan
• A multi-category FAQ to help you hit the ground running
• A number of helpful resources – additional recipe sites, references, books and movies
• The Whole30, Whole9’s original program designed to “change your life in 30 days”
• The Whole30 FAQ, to help guide you through your 30 day program

Whole9 Nutrition
Date: Wednesday August 12, 2015
Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Place: Get Fit NH Epsom

Get Fit Family Appreciation Party! 5k/Strongman/Cookout = One Fantastic Day!

The Get Fit NH End of Summer “We Love The Get Fit Family” Appreciation Party will be an event you don’t want to miss. Geared toward the whole Get Fit NH family and your whole family as well!

To start the day we are proud to announce that we have decided to sponsor, support, and promote a great local 5K for a great cause. Alex Hoeker is a senior at Bow High School who is organizing the “Running for Heroes” 5k. Read his story and sign up for the race here.

Next we will be holding our first annual Strongman/woman contest. We are looking forward to “getting our strong on” with some really fun events. Watch and/or participate, it’s up to you!

Finally we will be holding our “Super Side Dish” contest. During lunch you will get to sample and vote on your favorite, with fabulous prizes to be awarded!

There is fun to be had by all, with games for the kids and fun for the whole family. We would love if you could spend the whole morning with us, but don’t let that stop you from dropping by when you can. Participate in the 5k, the Strongman/woman contest, come to the cookout, or all three! ( just bring that side dish with you!) 🙂

Get Fit NH End of Summer “We Love The Get Fit Family” Appreciation Party

Saturday August 22, 2015

Events:

8:30am: Running for Heroes 5k
10:00am: 1st Annual “Get Your Strong On” Strongman/woman contest
11:00am: Fire up the grill and party!

During lunch y’all get to vote for your favorite side dishes, with prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. We’ll have games for the kids, Coach Dean’s famous pulled pork, and plenty of meat on the grill.

Please fill out the form below so we can plan the best day ever – We all look forward to seeing you there!

The Spotlights Continue to Pour in!

Maryann celebrates one year with Get Fit NH on July 24^th!!  It has been a very exciting year!  Maryann’s changes did not happen overnight.  There have been some struggles but she has worked hard and it is paying off!  Maryann’s commitment and enthusiasm make her a very special part of the Get Fit NH Family.  I hope you all are inspired by her story!

Before

After

“I came to Get Fit NH because I knew that I had to get fit or face potentially deadly health issues.  I always tell people “I went to GFNH so that I could live.” I was having some health issues related to my weight and stamina and I knew something had to change.  I remembered a friend had mentioned GFNH a long while back and it had stayed with me.   I was so nervous when I came in to test with Erin to see what my ability was.  There were so many things I couldn’t do!  Her response was that the first step is making the decision to do something positive!  The first two weeks were so intense!  I loved that at GFNH there was only positive energy. The people around me encouraged me and it gave me a lift. I was hooked! You do the things that are safe for you to do and are encouraged to do your very best 100% of the time!  Challenging yourself safely is the goal, but the expectation is that you will challenge yourself.  I leave the gym feeling powerful and that I’ve accomplished something for myself and my health!

What I’ve learned at Get Fit NH is that the passion you feel for your health and wellbeing should be greater than your passion for what doesn’t benefit you!  Sounds crazy, I know!  But for someone who loves food and is willing to eat regardless of the consequences, it’s an important lesson.  Using the passion that I have for food in order to get comfort from the stressors in my life has not worked for me. It has led me to health problems, stress and low self-esteem. Yet it was a behavior that I just couldn’t seem to change.  Through my many talks with Erin, Dean’s blogs, Nancy’s seminars and more, I have learned to focus on my accomplishments and remember that the feeling I get from meeting my goals, is more fulfilling than that ice cream sundae on a bad day!  I also learned that when I do fall down and make choices that do not benefit me, that is not the time to get discouraged and quit!  I have learned that when I fail or don’t meet a goal, that is the time to work harder! 

A few years ago on fb, there was some kind of a list where you put down a wish.  I remember I put “I wish I could be athletic again.”  I was a very good athlete in high school and college.  Now, I am a nurse and like many nurses, I have a bad back.  I also injured my shoulder moving a patient and the injury put me in physical therapy for a year.  I constantly took the elevators at work because I didn’t have the stamina to walk up a flight of stairs!  How do I feel a year after joining?  Like I’m athletic again.  I can do push-ups.  I can lift weights.  I ran/walked a 5k.  And I have not felt this good in about 15 yrs.   Since I joined GFNH, my back doesn’t hurt, my shoulder is stronger and I feel great!  At the hospital, I can walk up two flights of stairs and I NEVER take the elevators anymore!  I just won’t do it!   

My experience at Get Fit NH has been life changing.  Although I still have a long way to go, I know I can make it happen!  I have met wonderful people and made friends who support the positive changes that I’ve made in my life.  I love to walk into GFNH and see the friends I have made all gathering to work out and have fun!  I love the encouragement, competition and positive energy every time I walk through that door!  And I am grateful to Dean, Nancy, Meagan, Adam and especially Erin-who has walked beside me every step of the way!  They have all created a place of acceptance for all people no matter how they look, or what their abilities are.  I love GFNH!  BAM!”

And we love you too, Maryann! Thank you for your continued hard work and dedication! We are SO proud of you!

Keep making it happen,

Coach Erin

CJ Best is Back!

Yeah, I thought that would get your attention! I am really excited to finally reveal a top secret project that we have been working on in collaboration with Performance Health Spine & Sports Therapy. Many of you have benefited greatly from working with Dr. Coapland, CJ, and now Dr. King, as they have helped keep your body working in tip top shape.

I greatly value our relationship with Performance Health. Because they speak the “language” of the Function Movement Screen (FMS), and because they are so good at what they do, we can more quickly get to the root of what may be causing movement pattern restriction or pain, and then work together to make sure you are getting the best care both in and out of the gym.

We are about to crank that up another notch!

I am pleased to announce that CJ Best will be available for Onsite ART/Body Work at the Concord location starting next Thursday, July 30, 2015. This service is being offered exclusively to Get Fit NH clients from both locations.

Here is CJ: “I want to bring manual therapy into a training environment for many reasons. It can improve joint mobility in a very short amount of time. It can also act as a neuromuscular reset so the soft tissue is primed for the best use in a subsequent training session. Manual therapy post training can aid in recovery as well. The biggest reason to pair ART with strength training, in my opinion, is performance enhancement. Soft tissue that is stiff and tight can’t help generate force. Therefore, if the tissue is released, strength goes up, simple as that. When very specific manual therapy addresses mobility restrictions it allows the person to get into challenging positions with more ease, and this helps increase stability.”

In other words – CJ is going to help fulfill the mission of Get Fit NH. When you move better you can exercise harder, and that in turn helps you Lose Fat, Get Lean, and Look and Feel Great!

For those of you who already are patients of Performance Health, you know the benefits of this kind of work. Because CJ knows you and your history, he can quickly get down to work and help you get ready for the training session to come or facilitate recovery post-training. For new clients, CJ will act as liaison to the doctors at Performance Health by looking at your FMS and making the appropriate decision as to the next step in your care.

The really unbelievable thing is how affordable this is for you. Appointments will be in 10 minute blocks for the incredibly low fee of $10/block. Take THAT ridiculous co-pays! 🙂 Please note all billing will be done through CJ and Performance Health.

Scheduling an appointment is also super easy. Just go to Get Fit NH’s blog page here (if you are reading this you are probably already there) and follow these steps:

• On the right sidebar their is a widget that reads “Schedule Now”.
• Click “Schedule” and a calendar will appear.
• Click on the Thursday you want to make an appointment.
• From the drop down list choose an available time and click “Select”
• Fill in the info and click “Reserve”

Appointments are available Thursdays from 5:30am to 10:30am, as well as 4:00pm to 6:45pm.

I cannot emphasize enough how excited we as a team are to have CJ back in the house. I know our clients appreciate high level service and top level care, and this is just one more way we can serve you better. I expect to see that schedule fill up fast, so don’t delay in making an appointment. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Make It Happen! – Dean

CJ Best

CJ graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, where, during a senior independent study, he developed and helped implement a strength and conditioning curriculum. After graduation, CJ accepted a position as an intern Strength and Conditioning Coach at North Carolina State, where he coached various teams from baseball and basketball, to wrestling, track sprinters, and jumpers, to swimmers and more.

CJ then dove into the world of triathlons as an Operations Manager for Endorfun Sports, who produced 5 large races per year. In 2010, he formed his own company, Best Strength and Conditioning, LLC, where he coaches athletes and active individuals to this day. To add to his repertoire, CJ engaged in the world of endurance sports, taking up cycling and running, culminating in a 50-mile ultramarathon.

In 2014, CJ’s desire to help his clients went one step further when he earned his Massage Therapy License, and two certifications in Active Release Techniques ®. His passion for learning fuels his desire to teach the people with whom he loves to work. He learned from some of the most progressive minds in the fields of strength and conditioning, manual therapy, and human movement, attending seminars featuring Charlie Weingroff, DPT, CSCS, Stuart McGill, DC, and Mike Leahy, DC. He also attended the Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group in both 2013 and 2014.

At Performance Health Spine & Sport Therapy, CJ utilizes his expertise in exercise science and manual therapy to educate his clients, assist in recovery, alleviate pain, and enhance performance.

And the Answer Is……

When you walk into a gym you usually don’t think, “How is this place going to help me to eat better?” Get Fit NH strives to help you with just that. The first time I talked with Mae Lynn, she wanted to know how Get Fit NH could help her with running. Once she started and now over three years later, Mae Lynn gives us a little insight into more of the things Get Fit NH has helped her to change.

I asked Mae Lynn one question after our Sizzlin Summer Slimdown Challenge ended.

What do you find was the easiest new habit to change and which one was the hardest?

“Easiest? I found changing my cooking and shopping habits to be very, very easy. It simplifies the shopping process so much when you don’t have complicated recipes and long lists of ingredients to deal with. I go in, grab eggs, bacon, one or two big cuts of meat and 5 or six fresh veggies and fruits and that’s it. Maybe a package of salad and grape tomatoes. I always keep cans of olives and roasted peppers and artichokes in the pantry, and frozen peppers and onions in the freezer. It’s easy to stick with shopping this way when you find you are eating leftovers a lot and therefore cooking less! One big roasted chicken or a pot roast and two big pans of roasted veggies? Boom. Several meals.

Hardest? At first, probably the no added sugar beverages. I never drink soda anymore, I gave that up cold turkey years ago before I even did Weight Watchers. But when I gave up soda, I would still enjoy sweetened iced tea or lemonade especially in the summer. Now I have lemon water, unsweetened green tea, etc. I think people don’t realize real change takes time and often needs to be gradual. I quit soda in something like 2009, did the other sweetened stuff for a few years, and eventually got here.

I think that once you have the basic habits ingrained, having some treats once and awhile isn’t the end of the world.

Once and awhile I still have a sweetened iced tea and I almost always have chocolate milk after a long run. But it’s all about balance, and I feel okay with that as long as what I USUALLY do is a good habit. I have to remind myself it wasn’t always this way! I used to have soda or a sweetened beverage with every meal! Those things add up. When people ask me what they can do I always say change that one thing first. Now I always have water with my meals, and drink a lot of water during the day. If I do ever have a sweetened iced tea I’ll water it down, or ask for half sweet half unsweetened on the rare occasion I’m getting one at Dunks. A little sugar goes a long way for me now.

By the way, I love the new accountability idea. One comment I made on Facebook is that I will probably end up asking for more body fat assessments because my scale really hasn’t moved all that dramatically since I started with you guys, but I have gone from a size 12 to a size 4. Every summer, without exception, I have to buy new summer clothes. The lady at Eddie Bauer couldn’t believe it when I told her I lose weight over the winter.”

Keep on surprising all of us Mae Lynn!

How would you answer that question? 

What do you find was the easiest new habit to change and which one was the hardest?

Another noteworthy piece Mae Lynn added was,

“For as long as I can recall, my cholesterol has been high, and every health professional who ever had the opportunity has ‘strongly urged’ me to get on Lipitor. One stress test technician, after I ran the equivalent of Heartbreak Hill on the treadmill and passed with flying colors, was still downright nasty to me when I told her I intended to continue trying to handle it with diet and exercise and that I simply didn’t agree that statin drugs, designed to indiscriminately remove all fat from the blood, are a good thing for anyone. She said I was being irresponsible and that ‘some people are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol.’ Given that many relatives were on Lipitor, I might have had to concede that point.

Embrace the change and commit to greatness

Do you know the number 1 reason why people just like you choose Get Fit NH?

Accountability!

After our recently completed Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown, we asked “What helped you the most with your success?”

In a landslide the number one answer was…

“I was being held accountable.”

We listened. If our awesome students want more accountability, we are going to keep that momentum going all the time. Since we know this is what you want and more importantly what you need we decided to take action.

Our mission at Get Fit NH is to help you lose fat, build muscle and look and feel great. That’s why you came to us,  and from now on we are going to be more proactive in measuring your success.

Starting in our August session we are going to be weighing you in on a monthly basis. Simple as that. The first week of every month you just need to hop on the scale and we will write down the number. Leaving it to when we “feel like it” is not a good idea. If your body weight is higher than it should be, step on the scale. If the scale is not your friend then you will have a better opportunity of being reminded to get your body composition measured. These are tools that are available to you to be sure we are taking you from where you are to where you want to go.

We don’t want you to dread this each month. Our hope is that you embrace this change and embrace your journey toward a fitter more healthier you!

If we didn’t love you we wouldn’t hold you accountable – lucky for you we do love you all very much!

Here’s to making it happen!

Coach Meagan

I

Training For a Cause is Back!

Training for a cause is back! We are due to come together as a family and train together toward a GREAT cause! On Saturday, August 1st we will gather at Get Fit NH Concord and lay some sweat down! We encourage you to invite those friends and family members who you have been trying to get through the doors. This is the perfect opportunity!

This training will cost $10 and every dime will be donated to Operation Hat Trick. This is a local organization that is near and dear to our hearts as this is a program that assists our New Hampshire Veteran’s! You can either donate $10 or you can buy one of our custom Get Fit NH O.H.T ball caps for $15. 100% of proceeds will be donated to O.H.T.

Click here to learn more about Operation Hat Trick! We hope to see you there!

When: Saturday, August 1, 2015

Time; 9 AM

Where: Get Fit NH Concord

Cost: $10 or $15 for a ball cap

Who has earned their way into the spotlight?

Annmarie Timmins! Annmarie has been a fantastic addition to the Get Fit NH family. We are so blessed to have her train with us 4 hours a week. Annmarie is an incredibly hard worker and she always has a smile on her face! Her positive attitude and willingness to be patient and get better have served her well as she is conquering a lingering shoulder injury. I am proud of Annmarie for keeping her eyes on the prize. She has earned her way into the spotlight for her all around dedication toward bettering herself both during training and during the 164 hours per week where she is not with us. Here is what she has to say:

When I left my former career last year to return to school fulltime, I gave up my gym membership elsewhere and joined a local chain gym for $10 a month. I figured I could save money and train myself. I was wrong. When I began looking for a new gym in September, I wanted a place that was supportive, serious about training, and fun. Get Fit NH was an easy choice.

I have been training with a persistent shoulder injury for months with modifications from Coach Meagan and Coach Adam. My goal was to maintain my weight during my toned-down training. Then I did the S3 challenge and saw my body change in ways I never expected just by pairing good nutrition and consistent training. I went from about 140 pounds to 135 and lost eight pounds of fat. Even better, my longtime allergy symptoms, migraines, and digestive ailments have completely resolved for the first time in my life.

I had thought I was eating pretty well before I did the S3 challenge. I already ate lots of raw veggies and good quality protein and was drinking loads of water. But I was also eating dessert daily, cereal for breakfast, and other foods that had hidden sugars. Once I cut those out, my body changed quickly. I feel better now at 46 than I ever have.

I’ll mark my one-year anniversary at Get Fit NH in September and am looking forward to renewing for another year. I like lots of things about Get Fit NH – the schedule, the training routines, the challenges – but it’s the coaches that make Get Fit NH extra special for me. They give me the perfect mix of motivation, support, and challenge.

Thank you for choosing to train with us, Annmarie! Keep making it happen!

-Coach Meagan

MYZONE Match Training- Space Limited!

Mark your calendars! We have our next MYZONE Match training scheduled for Saturday July 18th at 8:00 am in Concord. Those who attended last time would probably agree that this training hour was quite the learning experience as well as a challenge. During this hour there will be a prescribed zone that we will want you to train in. For many of us we can easily jack our heart rate up into the red zone (90-100% of our maximum heart rate) while others have a challenge getting out of the green zone (70-80% M.H.R). Still others have a challenge getting back into the recovery zones. The purpose of the match training is to learn to control your exertion, control your recovery,and control your breathing. This type of control is and maintaining these zones is not easy and it is the optimal way to train your heart.

If you haven’t picked up your belt yet, you will want to make that happen before this event!  There is limited space available, so you MUST register for this training ahead of time, no exceptions please. Space is limited to 28 students, so please do not sign up if you are not 100% sure you can be there – Thanks!

After this fantastic sweat-a-thon we will have our monthly Whole 9 seminar with Coach Nancy- so don’t miss out. It is 2 for 1 Saturday at Get Fit NH!

Make it Happen!
Coach Meagan

MyZone Match Training
When: Saturday July 18, 2015
Time: 8:00 AM Concord
Location: Get Fit NH Concord

Motherhood Is Not For Wimps- Training for Childbirth Workshop

Childbirth is usually the most challenging athletic event most women will ever train for – being a mom is definitely not for wimps!

It’s an exciting time at Get Fit NH Bootcamps as many of our families are getting bigger, and we want all of our moms to have safe and healthy pregnancies.

To that end, Get Fit NH is hosting a prenatal informational class with Certified Pre/Post Natal Coach (and mom of six) Nancy Carlson on Saturday, July 11th at Get Fit NH Epsom from 9:00-10:00am.

During this fun and informative seminar you will learn how exercise is not just for you, but for your baby. You’ll go home confident of the “do’s and don’ts” of exercising while pregnant. Also included are tips on “eating for two”, examples of healthy and tasty foods as well as additional resources that will keep your growing family healthy and feeling great!

To register for this seminar please call (603) 344-2651 or RSVP to nancy@getfitnh.com