One Stop Shopping

The holiday season is creeping up on us. Who is ready for frosty windshields, snow, and slippery roads?

….No? Me either!

Here is what I am ready for, though! Holiday shopping. I love the holiday spirit and all the joy it brings. We want to help you out with your shopping list this year. On Saturday November 8, 2014 we are hosting a Pampered Chef party AND  a 31 party- that’s right- a double party! Men- if you have women  to shop for then you don’t want to miss this event! I can assure you there will be LOTS of ladies here to help you pick out something great for your lady and ladies, do you I even need to tell you that you don’t want to miss this? C’mon, we all know how awesome these products are.

It’s not just great for holiday shopping, it’s great year round. If you do a lot of holiday cooking these Pampered Chef products are going to help you out and 31 is going to make sure you are transporting those delicious dishes in style. The party starts at 5:30 PM in Concord. Our Pampered Chef representative, Sue Moulton, will be preparing a DETOX FRIENDLY meal!  Taste testing is encouraged! Epsom’s one and only Sonia Cormier will show us all of the great products 31 has to offer.

You DO NOT want to miss out on this so mark your calendars now for this Saturday, November 8th at 5:30 PM here in Concord. If you can’t make this event- don’t worry. We’ll keep the catalogs out until November 12th.

We hope to see you there!

Coach Meagan

Do You Have A Scale Obsession?

Stop it.

If you weigh yourself daily- you have a scale obsession. I hope that wasn’t offensive, but it’s true and it really is not a healthy habit. I am going to share with you a little story about the Coach Meagan you know now and Meagan before Get Fit NH.

Pre- Get Fit NH Meagan was OBSESSED with the scale. I would weigh myself multiple times a day and OBSESS over the number that appeared. If it wasn’t under a certain number it would ruin my day or ruin my mood. I had completely convinced myself that this mysterious number pulled from who knows where was my “fit” weight. Now let’s fast forward a couple of years to Coach Meagan (and more educated Meagan) – she is here to tell you that that is just bologna. I have been coaching and training with Get Fit NH for the past 2 years and since then I have gained somewhere between 15-20 pounds depending on the day. There was not a day in the Marine Corps where I felt more fit than I feel now and I truly mean that. I am significantly stronger now and I actually eat protein now! My Marine Corps days is when I was really obsessed the scale and I lived off of rice, beans and steamed veggies. I won’t get into great detail, because it’s a distant memory now.

I just want you to remember that it isn’t healthy to obsess over the scale and like I said if you weigh yourself everyday then you’re obsessed. Your weight is going to fluctuate and you are going to drive yourself batty.  The scale doesn’t measure your lean weight versus fat weight, but I know how to find that out. You want to know the answer? Schedule a body fat with this girl or one of your other coaches. Don’t let the scale control you. You are in control of your results!

Goosebumps at Get Fit

I have to share with you my goosebumps coach moment on Thursday morning.

You know when someone hits those notes during the National Anthem that give you goosebumps and make your arm hair stand up? Well, imagine those goosebumps, because that’s how a proud coach moment feels!  As many of you remember we finished our last “session A” on our training cards Thursday. For those of you who have been here over the past 4-5 weeks you have had the chance to complete this training day on 4 separate days. Now hold on…I need to go a little off track before I go into the goosebump moment. No skipping ahead- this is important!

Training cards. Let’s talk about these real quick- Why are training cards important? Great question.

– We are all here for results, right? So what better way to track our progress then to write it down? If we did (for example) kettlebell deadlifts one week and then you didn’t see that exercise again for 3 weeks would you remember how much load you used and/or how many repetitions you completed three weeks ago? Allow me to answer that for you- no!
– If we keep the same timing and the same exercise and you record your results over 5 weeks then you will see where you got better. Maybe you did more repetitions or maybe you bumped up your load selection.The important take away here is that your body does not want to change. You must make it change. At Get Fit NH we want you to get results safely, effectively and efficiently. If you deadlift 100 pounds one week and then next time you deadlift 70 pounds because you can’t remember how much you picked up last time, but hey those dumbbells are pretty heavy- do you think your body is going to change? NO! It already knew it was capable of that so it doesn’t have to change. Get comfortable being uncomfortable and make your body change.
– Just like we encourage body composition tests we will stress the importance of these training cards. If your not measuring your success then your hiding from your potential.

Now my goosebumps moments that you have all been waiting for…

On Thursday we finished our 4th “session A” training day and I asked a couple of the training times, “who saw improvement over the last 5 weeks?” and every single student in the room raised their hand. Everyone! Seriously that is incredible. Now let’s take it back to before training cards and imagine if I asked that same question…who could raise their hand with 110% confidence that they made improvements over the past 5 weeks? I know many would assume or raise their hand because they measure in other ways, but for everyone to raise their hand and be able to look at their card and say “I got stronger” is pretty stink’n cool!

And that, ladies and gentleman, is why training cards are here to stay. It’s all about getting better and we want to congratulate you for doing just that over the past 5 weeks!

Keep making it happen,

Coach Meagan

Capture Your Now

Over the weekend I spent a little bit of time packing up my house. As many of you know I sold my home and will be moving to Nashua very soon (not to worry- I am not leaving the Get Fit NH family. You can’t get rid of me that easy!) Anyways as I was packing I came across a binder my mother kept for me while I was in boot camp. She saved every single letter I wrote her all the way from day 1 through day 80. I can’t tell you how thankful I am that she saved these letters. It was funny (now) to relive some of those memories.

Letters/journals are funny like that. They capture the “now”. They capture exactly what you are feeling and how you are feeling and what is making you feel that way. As I read these letters I honestly revisited some of those emotions. At first all of the letters were sad filled with expressions like why did I do this, what was I thinking, I am going to fail, time is dragging, I don’t understand….then the next month the emotions eased up a little. Expressions like I am starting to understand, I really like _____, I need to work on ______, I killed it on _____ and then last month there were hardly any letters, but the ones that I did write were all positive filled with stories about what we did that day and what kind of events were coming up.

So what is the purpose of me sharing this with you?

This can be applied to any goal. My goal was to earn the title Marine.

Was it easy? Heck no!

Was it an emotional roller coaster? Absolutely

Did I learn a lot about myself? Yes

Did I GIVE UP? NO!

If I gave up then, I can assure you I wouldn’t be writing this today and you need to think about your life in the same way. Set a goal today and get excited to share your story. All of those emotions apply. At first it is hard- really hard- but it does get “easier.” By easier I mean you fall in to a routine. You know what works for you. You strive to get better because you know how far you’ve already come. Keep a journal if it helps. Capture the moments and look back on it. You’ll realize on those days that your feeling weak that it is not worth going back.

-Coach Meagan

What do you have to say?

To yourself that is? So often we have a negative tape playing in our head and we may not be aware of it. I have met with many fantastic mothers, wives, successful business owners and in 30 minutes I can’t tell you how often I hear:

“I just can’t lose the weight”

“I can’t find the time to go grocery shopping and prepare meals”

“I can’t find the motivation”

Those are just a few. It is sad to think that if I am hearing these statements in such a short time, how much more are they reciting them in their mind throughout the day?

We have talked before about how powerful the mind is. Your internal dialog sets the tone for what you believe is true about yourself. I remember growing up and if I ever said something negative about myself my father would remind me that if I said it and believed it then it would be true…negative or positive. If you keep telling yourself “I can’t lose the weight” or “I can’t find the motivation” then you WON’T! You need to start BELIEVING you CAN!!! Can’t is a four letter word that we want to banish in our home at Get Fit NH! Here is a quote I really liked in an article I was reading:

“Between being perfect and giving up, there’s BETTER.”

Many of us strive for perfection, especially on the journey of weight loss. When things don’t go as planned you might say “Forget it, I will start again tomorrow” and tomorrow turns into Monday and so on. Then that voice inside your head might tell you, you failed again so why bother trying any more. You need to SILENCE that voice and get back on track!  Every day (even every minute) is an opportunity to get better and closer to our goals!

We must choose to be positive and shut the negative out! There is so much negative going on in the world it is hard not to be brought down by it. I often suggest people write down one positive thing each day and see the difference it makes. Some have started doing it and they now notice when others compliment them or when they make a better choice that will get them closer to their goal. It has been a privilege to see what a little positive note each day (or every other day) can make in their mindset.

Thank you for continuing to let me be a part of your journey! I look forward to you sharing more of your successes with me!

Coach Erin

The Transformation

“Imagine that last night, as you slept, your world magically changed. You woke up this morning with everything you have ever wanted. Every life change, every goal, everything you’ve ever striven for has been achieved.

You don’t know how this wondrous transformation occurred — you were asleep, after all — but you know it’s perfect. You open your eyes, yawn, and look around.”

Now answer these questions:

•    How will you know that your life has changed?
•    Which specific things are different?”

The responses to these questions can spark an interesting discussion, and can show you some ways to measure progress.

Identify the outcome you are seeking. Set this outcome goal aside. Understand that you can’t control it 100%.

List your behavior goals.
 In the form below, list 3 behaviors that — if done consistently — are going to get you to your outcome goal.
What will you do this month?
What will you do this week?
What will you do today?

Keep it simple. Match behaviors to identity, values, and goals. 
Focus on a few small, concrete, daily actions that matter.

Start Your Transformation Here:

1. What will I do this month to help me reach my goal?

2. What will I do this week to help me reach my goal?

3. What will I do today to help me reach my goal?

The magic is in the doing. Be consistent. Never give up. Take action, and Make It Happen!

Coach Nancy

Got Grit?

Have you ever considered seriously what it takes to be successful?

Angela Lee Duckworth is a psychologist that studied different people in various settings to see what made them successful. On one of her studies she went to West Point to try to predict which cadets would make it through the program and which would drop out. She found that those who succeeded had the most grit. Duckworth defines grit as “passion and perseverance for long term goals”. Grit is not giving up when faced with challenges. It is working on your goal every day.

How do you build grit? Here are a few characteristics of people with grit:

Courage: You must have courage to set goals and not be afraid to fail. Some of us are perfectionist (myself included) and we never take that step outside of our comfort zone because we are scared of failing. Don’t let fear paralyze you because you may miss out on something great!

Goal Oriented: The most gritty and successful people set goals and then work relentlessly to achieve them. If you don’t set goals then how do you know where you are going? After you have your goal you must have an action plan to get there. Then you work on it daily!

Endurance: Life is a marathon not a sprint. Malcom Gladwell states in his book Outliers that it takes 10,000 hours to achieve mastery in a field. To achieve success we must be willing to put in the time necessary. There are no short cuts or quick fixes!

Resilience: Success is not linear. There are going to be bumps in the road. People who have grit and are successful are also resilient. They use every opportunity as a chance for growth and have confidence to move forward.

Excellence: Not perfection! We must strive for excellence in everything we do. When we seek perfection we often get discouraged because we don’t achieve it. Perfection is not realistic. Excellence is an attitude that is positive and motivating.

Let’s work together to build these characteristics and some Grit!

What do you drive?

I want you to take a second and think of your favorite car. It may be a sports car, an antique ride, or maybe it’s a luxury vehicle. Now I want you to think about how you would treat that car if you had it.

• What kind of fuel would you put into this vehicle? The “good stuff” or the “cheap stuff”?

• Would you keep up with the maintenance that goes along with owning an $80,000 machine?

• Would you eat ice cream while driving that car? Or would you fear that you may destroy the interior of your valued possession?

I think you may see where I am going with this metaphor…

Your body is a machine. And I can assure you it is a heck of a lot more valuable then any materialistic possession you’ll ever own. You only get one body and you need to take care of it now, because here is the scary part- ready?

If you don’t take care of your body and give it what it needs you are putting yourself at risk for countless harmful and fatal health risks.

No, not…

• I’ll start on Monday
• I don’t have time
• Well I train 4X per week so I can eat whatever I want.

There is no time for excuses. At best case scenario we see you for 4 hours a week!

Do you know how many hours are in a week? 168.

That means at BEST case scenario there are 164 OTHER hours during the week where you need to be making conscience and smart decisions.

Because guess what?

You cannot out train poor nutrition. Sorry. It just is not possible. Treat your body like a Camaro.

• Fuel it up with the good stuff- Protein, produce, water
• Train at an absolute minimum twice per week (for best results make that four times per week)
• You don’t want to destroy your interior- so just eat clean

Remember training is forever.

I will see you guys two-four hours a week FOREVER! (Lucky me, huh?  …..or lucky you?)

Make it Happen.

Coach Meagan

Don’t Fix What Ain’t Broke

Last week I had a very excited client come up to me and share how well she had been doing since the 21-Day Detox.

It went something like this.

“I am still eating the detox plan and I feel great. I have lost 19 pounds and it has never been easier. I have loads of energy. I am running my best 5k times ever. I am going to get to 25 pounds lost and then start adding some of the foods back in.”

Now all those things are fabulous. What more could you ask for? In fact those results are so fabulous that the next word I uttered was…

“Why?”

As in “Why would you change anything if you are getting the results you want?”

And she didn’t really have a good answer. “Well, I guess just to see what happens.”

Well my educated guess is that if you start adding things back in – sugar, dairy, and wheat for instance- that you are going to go back to feeling like you were. The fact of the matter is that none of those things are necessary for good health. At the least you want to be very careful when you re-introduce them and make sure you aren’t getting any adverse reactions. We discussed those things (and I congratulated her on her achievements- I am not heartless) 🙂

Think about it though.

The old maxim is “If it Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It.”

Same thing goes for your training.

Spring is here. Summer is coming. The weather is nice. You are headed outside.

I get it.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to train. You still need the soft tissue work, the mobility and flexibility work, the structured metabolic work and the balanced strength work.

THOSE are the thing that help you hit the golf ball further, stay on the bike longer, and tackle the taller mountains. Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking that walking, hiking, biking and golfing is training.

It’s Not.

You are able to do all those things because you have taken the time in training to get better.

And that quest never takes a break, never slacks off, and never ends.

Stay the Course.

Hold The Line.

Make It Happen.

Dean

Do you want to lose body fat?

……is that a silly question?

I am pretty sure most of us are here to lose body fat, build muscle and feel good! Have you set yourself a body composition goal?

If yes, ask yourself these questions:

• How often do I get my body composition tested with one of my coaches? If the answer is not every 4-6 weeks then your behavior goals are not supporting your outcome goal.
• Do I create a weekly meal plan and follow it? If your answer is no- why? Failing to plan is planning to fail. That is so true. It may take time to sit down and make a plan, but it SAVES time when it is time to go grocery shopping, think about what’s for dinner, and certainly saves time meeting your goal!
• Do I recover from training efficiently and effectively? If you’re not getting some protein, produce and water in your body as soon as possible after training you’re not maximizing your potential results.

If you have not set yourself a body composition goal, let me ask you these questions:

• Have you had your body composition taken with one of your coaches? Using the Intelametrix Ultrasound System is easy, discreet and accurate. It is hard to set a goal if you do not know where you are at!
• Did you walk through our doors to become the best version of yourself you could possibly be? Whether that means stronger, leaner, faster, happier, healthier….how do you know you are achieving the best version of yourself if you do not know where you stand?
• Do you fear being held accountable? The body composition test doesn’t lie. If your nutrition “slips up” your body composition goes up. If your nutrition is on point, your body composition is on point.

These are only a few things I challenge you to take in to consideration when setting goals. If your actions don’t support your goals then you’re going to be walking in circles with no results. We are here to help you meet your goals.

As always- be accountable. Take advantage of all that we offer you to succeed.  Schedule a body composition test with your coach today.

Make it Happen,

Coach Meagan