I love coaching because when you get healthier you AUTOMAGICALLY get happier, and the world needs more happier! This is Get Fit NH's mission. I am so excited to see that become a reality. My goal is to have little ole Epsom, NH be known for the place where the world started to get healthier. I see it happen before my eyes. Kellie is proof that we are changing lives for health. Not just better health, because as Kellie becomes healthier, she became happier. I'm excited for Kellie. She is making it happen daily. Check out what Kellie has to say.

I have belonged to a gym franchise for many years. I would walk in and aimlessly wander around, not sure where to begin. I was bored there and found it difficult to motivate myself to get there, knowing it was the same routine of equipment. My boyfriend Denis has been attending Get Fit NH for 5 years. I've seen the results first hand for him. He really enjoys the workout and most of all the coaches and members.

Feeling out of shape and wanting a structured program, I decided to join. Two years ago I studied with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and received my certification as a Certified Holistic Health Coach. Health and nutrition has always been a passion of mine. In this program I learned that if our personal aspects of life are not in balance first, then it plays a role in our food choices and habits. Having my own life challenges and health issues, I could see where this played into effect for me. Exercise was a challenge and often put on the back burner for me. I realized this needed to be a priority for me. Most of all I was looking forward to working out with my life companion as a team.

In two weeks, I realized that I can get up at 4:45 am. The hour goes by fast. I'm in worse shape then I realized. But, I have really enjoyed the workouts. I've really enjoyed Coach Nancy and her sense of humor and her encouragement to push myself a little more. I Can Do It! When I leave, I feel great, and this carries me through the day. I have just completed my first month. I already feel stronger. For years, my lower back back has bothered me daily. I would toss and turn all night in pain. I woke up the other day and realized that I've had no back pain for weeks. And I sleep really well now. My overall experience has been so positive! Get Fit NH feels like one big family, everyone looking out for each other. It is so true, speaking from experience, that when you feel in shape you are happier, and when one person is happy, its contagious. Thank you Get Fit NH for creating and spreading the ripple effect of happiness...

Kellie
One Month Survivor

Chris and I were talking about age this morning. While age is just a number and doesn't define us, it is a part of who we are. We both agreed that if we knew what we knew now about health, we would have taken better care of ourselves earlier. Chris does a great job explaining it all for me. 

"My health was the last thing on my mind for most of my 20’s and 30’s. I was too busy with raising children, working and managing a household. I wasn’t raised in a family that made health and wellness a priority-but I’ve always considered myself ‘kind of’ in shape. I managed to walk 2 miles most days, mostly as a stress-reliever, but when I started to experience some medical issues in my 40’s I knew in the back of my mind that my physical health was going to need to be a priority someday soon. I managed to avoid that until I was 51 when I realized that the walking wasn’t cutting the mustard anymore. I was mad at my jeans, mad at my body, mad that I couldn’t eat what I wanted to any longer and mad at myself for being mad.

It was hard for me to make a plan to deal with my health. I had never joined any sort of gym, never been to a work out, and I struggle with issues around putting myself first. I hate asking for help. I was also worried about fitting something else into my busy life. But I kept going back and forth and finally I promised myself that if I could just fit into my old jeans I’d be happier and therefore my family would be happier and I could resume walking and everything would go back to normal.

I had a few friends who were going to this “Bootcamp” in Epsom. Just the word conjured up images of drill sergeants and crawling under barbed wire. One of them kept saying ‘you should try it’ but I was convinced I couldn’t do it. Plus it would be an expense that my budget didn’t welcome. But I saw one of those women one day, and she seemed to have this new attitude and looked amazing!

So I made the call and started my free 2-week trial of Bootcamp. I was scared walking through the door that first day, I saw a white board with a lot of writing on it that I didn’t understand, I saw big iron thingys with handles and some sort of crazy bar with straps hanging down. I felt like everyone was staring at me and I wanted to slowly back out the door and run. I remember doing some baseline tests and not being able to get off the floor one inch when trying to do a pushup. Then the class started and I followed along, with encouragement by others. I had no idea what I was doing, and at one point I was going to throw up so I walked outside to take a breath. I made it through.

I kept going for those 2 weeks and by the last day I knew I had made the right decision. I knew that because the bootcamp lady was genuinely interested in me and my reasons for joining. She talked to me and listened to my goals and encouraged me without ever being one ounce of pushy. In addition to the workouts, I was surprised that there was a whole other side to GetFitNH which is the nutrition aspect. I attended a free workshop and began to eat better. It didn’t happen overnight, but within 8 months I felt stronger, lighter, and more in shape than I had my entire life.

I recently passed the 2 year mark with GetFitNH and I continue to go 4x weekly. I love the variety of exercises and the consistent positivity displayed by my trainer Nancy. I appreciate that there is much thought and planning put into each session by professionals so that my entire body benefits. I’ve lost weight and inches, but what I’ve gained is more important to me. Ya I’m happy about fitting back into those jeans, believe me, but what I’m really grateful for is that I feel strong and fit. I feel in control again. By putting myself first for once, I’ve had a positive impact on my family. I recently signed my teenager up for the Athlete Academy run by GetFitNH and he actually likes it. I think he just doesn’t want his mother to be in better shape than he is! I don’t see an end to my connection with GetFit…infact I’m looking forward to the next few years and working more closely with my trainer on nutritional challenges. I have to say that the investment is worth every penny. As I continue to help my elderly parents with their substantial health problems, I know that every hour I train is one less hour my own children will have to spend taking care of my when I’m old."

Age is a number but as that number increases, there are undeniable results to our health and well being. Chris isn't going to be defined by that number. She is fighting it with all of her might. And she is STRONG so watch out age. Chris is here. 

Does this sound like you? Because I hear it a lot. It’s hard. It’s hard to think about and it’s hard to talk about and I’ve been through this before. I have struggled with my weight for years. I have always been overweight. I began to feel so physically awful that I knew I had to make some changes. The thought of needing to lose weight is many things - it’s daunting, it’s embarrassing and it’s just downright hard. When it comes to hard work, I'm reminded of Kim. 

Kim is amazingly stealthy. I say that in only a good way. She gets her work done in training. She asks questions and moves forward in her nutrition. She sticks to it. She doesn't waver...... much. She is honest and straight forward. I couldn't ask for a more open minded student. I'll let her tell you the results. But as you read them, remember it took hard work to get her where she is today. Consistent daily work. What Kim doesn't do is make a big deal of it all. She just gets it done.

 "I came to Get Fit NH because I had been hearing great things about them and reached out to a FB friend to further inquire (thank you Paulette for saying the right things at the right time). I knew I needed a more personal approach and not just a $10/month gym because I knew I lacked discipline and had simply been out of the loop for far too long.

 What I learned after my first two weeks is that I can actually go to bed early and get up early for a 5 a.m. class if I really put my mind to it! I learned that my kids were capable of getting ready on their own and that I could make this new schedule work. I learned that when that little voice on the monitor tells me to “rest” that it really doesn’t mean rest. It’s more like “get your butt to the next spot you’re supposed to be and get ready”.

 I took the leap mid-April and then not long thereafter I started S3 with a fantastic partner that I had never met before. I have hypothyroidism and I had been struggling with fatigue. Once I changed the way I ate, I almost immediately felt such a huge difference in my energy levels which has really been great for both me and my family. I have had days that I’m sore from working out, but it doesn’t bother me as I can tell that I’m slowly making progress and getting stronger. I don’t know if I will ever fully look forward to waking up for a 5 a.m. class time, but I truly look forward to class and it’s been such a great way for me to begin my days. With the kids out of school for the Summer, I find that I have time to relax after my morning class w/ a cup of tea and just enjoy a little peace and quiet before my work day begins.

 My overall experience with Get Fit NH has been phenomenal. I remember the first time I got a post card in the mail from Coach Nancy and I cried like a baby. I was just so touched that she took the time reach out to me. Then I remember the other day I was at work and I got a call on my cell and well . . . nobody ever calls me . . . lol. It was Coach Nancy so I figured that I should actually answer it. I thought I was in trouble for something?! She called to tell me what a great job I was doing and how proud she was that I came to class during my vacation week. It’s mind-blowing to have someone actually call you and say that. I think that this is just one of the things that probably sets them apart from other gyms. I was also so inspired when I listened to Coach Dean share a little bit of personal journey in the intro to S3 - I’m thinking there’s a book deal in here somewhere for him. I like his approach of good, better, best and I appreciate his candidness when he answers your questions. Honestly, I don’t think that there’s anyone there that wouldn’t try to help you or answer your questions and that includes my classmates. They’re all so gracious in letting me follow along like a lost puppy at times and each one of them is willing to encourage you. They don’t even know this, but each of them inspires me differently and makes me want to continue to come to class and work hard. For that I am so thankful.

Well Nancy, there’s so much I can say but it’s hard and I certainly don’t want to become over-confident or cocky. I’m pleased with what I have done so far but there’s much more work to do. Maybe I’ll eventually get strong enough that I can actually hang on the bar?!? or something crazy like that?!"

I can't wait to hear from Kim again because although there isn't any yelling, her life is heard. 

I am excited to shine the spotlight on Betsy McNamara today. Betsy is so inspiring to watch. She is consistently on the perfect attendance shout out, she works her tail off when she is in the gym, and she absolutely killed it on this year’s Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown Challenge. As a coach, it is so cool to see students come in here and grow so drastically often in such a short period of time. Betsy is getting results because she is consistent and engaged. I am so grateful that she joined our family. Here is what she had to say…

I looked into Get Fit NH because I always assumed I would be fit and active when I’m older. But I turned 50 this year, so “older” is getting awfully close (my kids say I’m there), and I realized I can’t assume I will be fit. I have to make it happen. So I started looking around at options. I found that I know some people who are members and they rave about the gym.

Then, my friend Karen joined and was hooked and encouraged me to try it out. At first, the hardest part for me was getting into the routine. I had to figure out how to build that time into my mornings, what I had to do be sure I got to the gym on time, and then got to work on time. That took about a week. It’s also always intimidating to join a new gym. But here I felt welcomed and supported. Coaches learned my name really quickly. Other members were really nice. And the coaches were constantly providing support and corrections. I loved it. I could tell that it was working because I was sore after the workouts. That’s a good thing!

After the 2 week trial I learned that Get Fit NH is committed to getting their member fit without getting injured. Coaches are so good about offering suggestions on how to do specific exercises so that a) you don’t get hurt, and b) it’s having the best result. They adapt exercises for all kinds of fitness levels. I came to understand that if I just show up and give it my all during class, I’ll see positive results. The coaches do the rest of the work. I feel stronger. I have more energy. My sleep is better. My clothes fit better. And I’ve reversed the trend of slow weight gain I was experiencing in my 40’s.

Less obvious is the sense of accomplishment I feel from setting out to do something and doing it. I feel challenged at the gym and there are always new challenges to work on. How hard I work in class is within my control. I feel like I’ve joined a health community. Coaches talk about nutrition and sleep and rest and exercise — a great reinforcement for healthy habits. The Myzone technology is really fun to use both in and outside the gym. Also, it’s been a hoot to have joined at about the same time as my friend Karen. Even though we are not in the same class, we have a great time comparing notes and encouraging each other. I’m really proud of her and she’s proud of me."

-Betsy M.

Betsy and Karen have both done AMAZING since starting their journey. I am proud of both of them. What friends can you encourage today to get the ball rolling?

-Coach Meagan

Continuing along with Athlete Academy, I am bringing a second one of my Athletes into the spotlight. Today’s spotlight is on Zach Dutton. Zach competes widely for archery, and just recently was selected to a regional team made up of some of the best archers in the region. I got some additional information about his accomplishment and what it means for him moving forward:

"The Regional Dream Team is a prerequisite program for the Junior Dream Team. There are two teams: RDT-East and RDT-West, comprised of 30 dedicated and promising archers from each region of the country. This self-funded program is for recurve archers looking to improve their skills and gain access to the best-quality training in some of the most excellent archery training facilities in the world with a dedicated set of USA Archery certified coaches."

What exactly he qualified for: Regional Dream Team as a probationary member. Age group: he is a "cadet", which is ages 14-17. This is a pretty wide range for boys when you think about their muscle development. There can be cadets shooting next to him that I swear have arms bigger than both of Zach's put together! As a Cub, the age group he just finished in 2015, he placed first at Northeast indoor nationals, and was 16th and 24th in the country. Now as a cadet, he'd starting over again.

What he is going to be doing: He gets the lead RDT coach, Linda Beck, who said: "I will be your RDT coach and work with you and your personal coach to improve your National Training System Technique." The selection camp that he went to was at the Easton Center in Newberry, FL (we arrived the day the Olympic Trials were finishing!). There are other locations for future camps. His local club is Pioneer JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development), run by Frank and Christy Schackart in Dunbarton.

What it means for him going forward: He'll have access to some of the best coaches in the country. He has asked for more coaching for a long time, and a year ago he went to a camp in Arizona. He sends his RDT coach videos of him shooting (from 4 vantage points) for feedback.

A little background on Zach's story: He started archery when a friend invited him to an "invite your friend" night at a YMCA archery program. That was in October/November 2013. He joined a JOAD club in December 2013, shot in his first tournament in February 2014 (where, as he likes to joke, he placed "dead last"). That was the Northeast Indoor Nationals 2014. A year later, in 2015, is when he placed first. Pretty nice progression! Now, as I said above, the new age bracket with boys up to age 17, is a whole new ball game. Zach is 14.”

Zach has worked hard and taken well to the Athlete Academy Program. The plan now is to get him on the same level as those other archers. Even those older than him. With his hard work and dedication to his craft I have no doubts he can do it!

-Coach Adam

Denis is one of those people that once you meet him, you build an instant friendship. Denis has trained in so many of the different training times in Epsom that many Get Fit'ers know him. In fact, he jumps into our holiday trainings and loves to battle it out in Concord for those big events. But Denis has a work ethic that is top notch. No wonder he is a 5 Year Super Star. (He didn't bribe me to say any of this either. You'll have to read his whole story as to why I say that.) 

"I’ve always tried to remain fit. When I was in the military, there was time allowed to exercise so it was easy to partner up with someone and go for a run or hit the gym. After retirement, I continued to exercise for a while but it slowly trickled away. Then what trickled back my way was slow weight gain and feeling sluggish or simply, I felt my age. I was getting close to the big “five 0” and that number woke me up. It was time to start thinking about getting back in shape as I knew it would only get harder to do so if I procrastinated. I began looking for options, looking online for what was available. I heard of a person that worked for my company that lost a considerable amount of weight by attending Boot Camp. I never really heard of boot camp so I investigated the facility that he attended which was “Getfit". I was impressed with what was offered, so I decided to jump in as I had nothing to lose but weight.

The first two weeks were overwhelming. I was somewhat able keep up with the exercises. What I found difficult was trying to figure out the board, meaning the acronyms and the exercises themselves. The timing was different everyday so for me, it was more a mental than physical exercise. I also learned I was in worse shape than I thought.

 I am approaching the 5 years at the Epsom facility. I feel better than ever. I attend 4 days a week. There are many days when I wake up at 3:50am and just do not feel like training. I drag myself in, not because I don’t want to train but, because I know that if I skip a day, then I’ll skip another and another to the point when I won’t show up any longer.

My experience at Get Fit has been positive. I feel great. I've had the opportunity to meet and work out with fun and energetic people. For me, it's my second family. I make it happen at either 5 or 615 am as I like to start my day on a positive note. Yes, its early but there are no excuses at that time. The coaches are all wonderful. Nancy is the best though, just sayin'."

Great job making it happen, Denis! Keep it up!
-Coach Nancy

On Cara Leuchtenberger, of course! I asked Cara to share her story with us, because I have seen an INCREDIBLE change in her over the past 4 months she has been training with us. It didn't take long for Cara to dive in and start getting results. When I first met Cara she was so shy and very nervous about training. Now when I look at her train you would think she has been here for years. She has totally come out of her shell and it is clear that her confidence level has improved drastically. Cara's story is awesome- keep making it happen, Cara!

What drove you to check out Get Fit NH?

I am someone who has always exercised alone. I love to swim, walk and have also done couch-to-5K training to the point where I dragged myself through a half marathon in 2009. 🙂 But in the last few years I have really floundered - saying I would start something and then feeling good for a while and then life would get in the way, and since I was only accountable to myself, I would stop. Recently, I have gained more weight, and was having back and knee pain. I am a hospice and palliative care nurse, so I see people all of the time during health crises, and decided that, at the rate I was going, I was going to be an 88 year old woman who could not walk without pain. Coming to Get Fit, where the name of the game is showing up day after day and working out with a group of people, was WAY outside of my comfort zone, but I am so grateful I made myself fill out that form on Facebook so Nancy would call me. I also had the positive feedback from my friend Jayne, who has been coming for years and gently encouraged me to try it.

What did you learn after your first 2 weeks?

I learned that I could do it! And I learned that I actually LIKED it! I was so pumped after those first two weeks. I felt welcomed (it helps that some of my kids' teachers are in the 6:15 class!), and even though I felt a bit like a deer in headlights (I had never seen a ski erg, never picked up a kettle bell and what the heck is a TRX??), everyone was helpful and nice.

Why did you choose to stay after your 2 weeks?

I was already feeling better. Even though my muscles were sore, I was sleeping better and my back pain was gone. I was also feeling better emotionally - just generally happier and more energetic. And after meeting with Meagan and seeing all of the cold, hard facts (the fat/muscle ratio! the full body scan! the weight on the scale! eek!!), I decided that it was important for me as a person, a mom, and a caregiver to make the time for myself each week, especially as I was feeling better already. The other great thing was getting involved in a challenge right away. Meagan suggested that I talk with Stacey about the S3 challenge, and it was a great way to get to know some new people and to have a concrete goal.

What results have you seen?

I am stronger than I was. I can flex my arm and see a baby muscle under my layer of subcutaneous fat. 🙂 I can to things in class today that I could not do when I started in April. I feel better emotionally and now my aches and pains are boot camp-related, rather than from weakness and under-use of my body. I have lost some weight and some inches, of course, but more exciting to me is the boost in my mood, the comments people make when they see me ("You look great! So happy!"), and being able to do things that I could not have dreamed of doing a few months ago.

Overall, I am so, so happy that I took a big step out of my comfort zone. I am so excited about Get Fit - the training, the people, the supportive coaching - and I tell everyone who asks me! I know that going forward I am going to continue to set realistic goals, as I would like to build more muscle, lose fat and be stronger. One day I WILL be able to do a real squat thrust! I am grateful to be able to imagine these goals and to actually (finally!) believe they are attainable. Yay!

I asked Cara to share here story in hopes that she can encourage YOU to make it happen, too!
-Coach Meagan