I recently had the opportunity to train in Epsom and then had an opportunity to coach in Epsom. I had to put the leader of the pack in the spotlight after observing this community. Epsom has something special about them. They are a smaller, more close-knit community. They are hard workers and pushed by the one and only Coach Nancy. While I was training in Epsom she pushed me (a fellow coach) harder than I would have pushed myself. Everyone needs a coach and she is a very special one.

While I was coaching in Epsom I asked the 3 morning classes to finish the sentence and here is what we got...

9AM Epsom: Coach Nancy helped me to achieve...

• Self confidence
• Walk without a fear of breaking my ankle
• Balance
• A healthier outlook on life
• Strength and balance
• Happiness
• Pushing for more
• Change my eating habits

6:15AM Epsom: Coach Nancy taught me how to....

• Believe in myself
• Behave
• Think about the food I am eating
• Drive by the Donut Shop
• Recognize my achievements
• At least try it and listen to my body
• Forgive myself and start over
• It is always doable
• Eat healthy and delicious foods to stay energized

5 AM Epsom: My favorite part of training with Coach Nancy is....

• Positive attitude
• She is always there for you
• Chirpees
• Encouragement
• Her smile
• Her energy
• Always getting bigger weights placed in front of me (I call that the kettlebell fairy!)
• Making me feel welcome and supported
• ​Her kind spirit
• Everyday is the best day ever
• Wonderfully positive support and encouragement 
• She always has a positive disposition and smile on her face and I always feel more positive when I leave
• She has special telepathic capabilities or maybe it is just the mom factor and she just knows when something is wrong or you feel like giving up then BAM she has your back
• She is a problem solver
• She is always willing to share her nutritional knowledge and advice
• She makes me laugh at silly things
• She plays angry music and doesn't even know it

I can tell you that as a coach myself these are exactly the answers we strive for. This is our mission and our purpose. I am proud of Coach Nancy for making 100 students feel this way each and every day. Thank you for giving me something to strive for, Coach!

Keep making it happen,
Coach Meagan

I am shining the spotlight on my mom this month (shhhh, she doesn’t know about it). I will admit that this is not an easy spotlight for me to write. Other than the typical joking and getting frustrated from time to time, I play a lot close to the vest. That tends to make it difficult to write things like this when you aren’t used to saying a lot of super sentimental things. However, I felt I really needed to write this at this time.

The first thing I want to say is just how extremely proud I am of my mom (for anyone who doesn’t know, its Denise at 6:45, but again shhh!). She may not say it to other coaches, but I know that we differ greatly in our feelings about exercise. I have always loved it and ended up making a career out of it, or at least am on my way to doing so. But she has not always been so fond of exercise. She originally started Get Fit NH as a way to build up strength and lose weight to be able to handle going to the Grand Canyon. Since starting though, she has accomplished a ton - in the weight she has lost, her attitude towards eating better and exercising more, and just overall doing things I know are outside of her comfort zone.

The fact that I see how much she has accomplished is the other reason that I needed to write this, because I know on some level she doesn’t give herself the props she deserves for doing it. I make the joke a lot to Coach Meagan about this when I say “can you tell we are related?”. I too have trouble seeing progress in my own life. Its one of those weird paradoxes where I can see it in others but never in myself. I know that she is the same way, not willing to give herself the credit for what she has accomplished. I know its out of being humble and not realizing how far she has come. I know I don’t see something in myself until someone else tells me they noticed a change, that’s the only way I really realize it.

So I just want to say again how proud I am of my mom and all she has accomplished here. I'm proud that she took the step in the first place to join. Also a thank you to the great class at 6:45 where everyone always treats her so well, and the coaches that also do and continue to tell both of us, no matter how stubborn we are, that we have accomplished a lot.

-Coach Adam

Hidden in every training time is a Get Fit NH peep that has a special way with words. I’ve chosen to hide this person’s identity because my goal is to have you be inspired by what they say, not necessarily by the person (although they are pretty awesome too!).

What does "balance" mean to you in training and in nutrition?

I think balance is a mix of adherence and flexibility. When I think about the times when I've been most success in meeting my goals, I strictly adhere to my habits (of all sorts), but also use a range of good options so that I can react to whatever life throws my way. An unexpected late afternoon meeting with a student? No problem. My husband who has an extra-busy day at work? No problem. I can go to the 6pm vs. the 4pm training at Get Fit NH. Whatever meal I've planned suddenly sounds completely yucky? No worries, I know that I have a plan B, and can move on to something that sounds better--but still works nutritionally--for dinner than night.

The trick for me is not embracing the flexibility part too much! If I stay totally focused and don’t allow any flexibility I tend to fall and fall hard. Staying flexible within a positive range of choices is key.

I tend to fall down a slippery slope when I've leaned too far off to one side...so I stay ‘more or less’ on a middle-ground as much as possible.

Tell us ONE small way in which you will try to achieve "balance" in your life, today.

Well, today is a good example of working to achieve balance in my life today (with the help of flexible training). I was supposed to train yesterday, but as I looked at my week I realized that it wasn't going to work. Instead of not getting a second gym time in, and becoming "unbalanced", I found a way to train today (thank you!). Even though it's not an ideal situation, it is going to work.

Balance today = morning training, parenting throughout the day, finishing up my work for the week when the kids are in bed.

Balance today = not necessarily getting to do the things I need to do when I'd prefer to do them, but doing them anyway.

Adherence with flexibility creates balance.

This anonymous Get Fit NH-goer could be the person who trains right next to you. They might be able to help you on the gym floor with encouragement but they might be able to give you a little piece of encouragement to take with you as you go. You won’t know until you ask. Find out more about who trains next to you each day. Find out what they do to help them Make It Happen.

Don’t forget the take home truth: adherence with flexibility creates balance.

Keep making it happen,
Coach Nancy

Our very own Suzanne! She is shining bright today in the spotlight and it is well deserved! One of the greatest perks to being a coach is watching people build confidence and step out of their comfort zone. Suzanne does this every single day. I remember when she first started and how nervous she was about getting hurt. She truly believed she could not be trained because of some challenges and pains she faces on a daily basis. She has proved to us and more importantly herself that she is capable of SO much more than she thought!

On top of a great story, Suzanne also has one of the most positive and upbeat personalities in the gym. Her presence is known! She is hardly ever NOT there, but when she is away, it is noticed! Her enthusiasm and hard work is truly a blessing and we are lucky to have her. This is what she has to say...

"I chose GFNH, because before I joined they evaluated my physical abilities through the Functional Movement Screen and then modified certain exercises so I could do them without hurting myself. This individual attention is not something you get at a typical gym and really sold me on training with GFNH.

Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful testimonial. I am so proud of you and far you have come! Keep up the hard work and THANK YOU for your commitment.

Coach Meagan

Alex spent a couple months training with us in our Athlete Academy program. During those months, he made tremendous strides in his strength, mobility, and flexibility. He went from deadlifting barely the bar, to being able to lift over 150 lbs in his deadlift from the floor, an amount of weight that is well above his bodyweight. Alex worked extremely hard and it showed in the incredible progress he made. I asked him a few questions about his experience and he provided me some short sweet answers about his time in our Athlete Academy program.

"What changes have you noticed since starting Athlete Academy?

Not only am I becoming more physically enabled, I'm also progressing on pushing myself and being responsible.

What outside of Academy has gotten easier?

Playing sports and doing other competitive activities.

What have you accomplished since joining Athlete Academy?

I'm able to lift weights that I never thought I could and do things I never though I would be able to do. And I'm also learning new things.

What is your favorite part of Athlete Academy?

Going in and becoming familiar with routine and then I am able to push myself in a environment where I know I can.

How has Athlete Academy affected your performance?

I feel a lot stronger and more solid and have an easier time keeping up."

Great job, Alex! Keep up the hard work and you will keep on getting stronger!

-Coach Adam

Sarah Kazakis is shining bright this week and it is well deserved! My absolute FAVORITE part of coaching is watching someone change their body and witness them get stronger on so many levels. Sarah is a perfect example. Every time she walks through the door she has her game face on. She trains hard and she is so coachable! After S3 this year I could see a clear difference in Sarah not only physically, but in her performance. I cannot wait to continue watching Sarah progress and get stronger. I bet she will be on the pull up bar before she knows it! Here is what Sarah has to say...

"I chose Get Fit NH because I needed a serious push from people who knew what they were doing. I used to be very active, doing mostly cardio. I had started to fall into bad habits, bad diet and less movement. I needed help getting back into a routine and I wanted to feel good again. A friend had started at Get Fit NH and raved about it. She convinced me to do the two week free trial and I never left.

What results have you earned since starting?

Healthier habits all around. I eat healthier, drink more water, and am regularly working out. I was taught and now can do things correctly with weights that I never thought I could do without hurting myself. I am SO much stronger than I was when I started and that makes me really happy. Oh, and I have also lost almost 20 pounds since I have started and I think that is really awesome also.

What has become easier since starting a training program?

Overall, everything. I just generally feel better which makes day to day easier. I've noticed little things from time to time that have gotten easier like lifting and playing with my nephews has gotten easier and they've only gotten bigger, which means I'm just getting stronger. Lifting my boat or kayaks onto my truck and not struggling.

What keeps you coming back?

The knowledgeable coaches. The encouragement that you get from the coaches and also everyone else who trains next to you. I love that I am getting stronger and that keeps me coming back. But one thing that I have told others is that Get Fit is a family. I've seen things that the gym has done for it's members and what members have done for each other. Whether it's a hard time or a time to celebrate, and that means something.

What would you want to share with someone who is on the fence about joining?

If you are on the fence, just do it. You will always find an excuse not to if you find one now. You just have to do it. What's there to lose, besides a few pounds or inches (cheesy but true)."

We are so proud of you, Sarah! Keep up the hard work and thank you for sharing your story! 

Coach Meagan

I often receive wonderful emails from students at Get Fit NH proclaiming their happiness because of the progress they are making.

How can you argue with that? Everyone needs a bit more happiness. And I’m going to share a bit with you from Theresa, a Rockstar out in Epsom.

“A few days ago you sent me the portion chart for men and women (*Coach Nancy's note: you can see that on the free tools page on The Grateful Plate).
THANK YOU for the "gentle" reminder. 

That took me back in my mind's eye of the very first Nutrition Class I took on a Wednesday evening April 2015 in Epsom NH with you as the presenter

Shortly after absorbing all that information then, I committed that info to memory and followed through

Progress is progress
Change is happening
Life is a constant
Never stagnant
5 almonds = my thumb
3 eggs/ 1/2 chicken breast or any protein that is the size of my palm is my portion at each meal
Vegetables are never measured
Water Water Water and oh yes, more water
This works!!

Tha​nk you
Thank you
And oh yes did I mention to you Nancy how grateful I am for the savage training and epic nutrition coaching coming out of Get Fit NH
Thank you again if I have failed at all in this email to thank you
God Bless Everyone!!
Theresa"

Theresa isn’t alone. She and many others have increased their happiness by increasing their health. And your coaches love to help you.

-Coach Nancy

Tara was a part of the Get Fit NH family before I started here and I am glad she decided to come back! She is an extremely consistent example at the 6:15 class who always works extremely hard and I can count on to give it her all and want to always improve. I would ramble on, but Tara has a lot of experiences to tell you about that I don't want to take away from. 

"Why did you choose Get Fit NH?

I was always very active as a young girl and teenager - I played every sport I could, all throughout grade school and high school. And then came adulthood and I found myself doing zero, zilch, nothing to keep my body active and fit. I have a “sit-down-in-front-of-the-computer” job and started noticing small aches here and there and stiffness in my hips when would get up from my work station and it really made me feel, well, old. I signed up at the local gym on 4 different occasions and, no lie, went about 3 times. It just was not the scene for me. I had no instruction, no oversight and no motivation, therefore, I didn’t go!

I was lucky enough to have a friend talk me into giving Get Fit NH a try in 2010. A two-week trial period is genius because it was the perfect amount of time to get me hooked! I struggled with finding a program that 1) kept my interest, 2) fit with my busy schedule/offered classes early enough that I could go before work and 3) had instructors that would motivate me and most importantly, push me to be accountable. Get Fit NH offers all of these things and, little did I know at the time, much more!

What changes did you notice in the first few weeks after joining?

What outside of Get Fit NH has become easier since starting?

I have completely changed my eating habits since joining Get Fit NH. I am amazed that most of my diet is whole foods now and how easy it is. I love all of the recipes, videos and helpful hints that are shared by both the coaches and Get Fit Family.

What are your goals?

I really, really, really want to be able to do a pull up some day :o) Other than that, my goals are to stay committed and be accountable, keep increasing my weights and to try to stick with the 90/10 eating habits.

What is your favorite part of Get Fit NH?​

It is not possible to pick just one favorite…

1) I love the MyZone program. It is a fabulous way to track your workouts and how hard (or not hard) you are working. It keeps me very motivated when the coaches yell out, “I should be seeing everyone in the yellow zone!”. Another great feature of the MyZone is to become connected with other people on the MyZone App. I have a couple of connections and we all can see each other’s workout information. We like to see who gets the most MEP’s per month.

3) Get Fit NH Family. I love that I see the same faces every morning at 6:15-it proves that everyone who attends, loves this program and is dedicated. I think it speaks volumes to see the same people, every morning at 6:15 (or whatever time your class is), 4 days per week, year after year. I’m also thankful to everyone who is kind enough to let me know when I’ve ventured off from my group and am at the wrong station :o)

4) The Coaches-I truly admire and respect all of the coaches. You are all so dedicated and good at what you do and it is obvious you are completely invested. You all have such a hectic and strange work schedule - I don’t know how you do it…but you do and I am grateful. Thank you for always correcting me when I am not doing something quite right. Thank you for pushing me to pick up a heavier weight or put the red band back and get the black band, and to ‘get that last rep in’. I may make not-so-nice faces at you when you are telling me to do it but I truly am thankful that you do.

Thank you Get Fit NH for making me a stronger, healthier, happier me!”

-Coach Adam

This week we are highlighting Brittany Collins as our 6:15 superstar! I asked Brittany to share her results with us, because they are pretty amazing and she is quite humble about the progress she has made. I, on the other hand, am going to brag on Brittany for a minute before I share what she had to say. 

When S3 came around, she was on the fence about participating. Brittany is in the Army Active Reserves so she was scheduled to go to Canada for a good part of the challenge. She asked if she could participate, but not have a partner since she would not be around for weigh ins. She did S3 with no partner and blew it out of the water. She lost 2.2 inches off of her waist and 2 inches off of her hips in the short amount of time she has been training with us (just since April 2017!). These results are excellent. She will share more about her progress below. 

I want you all to know and Brittany to know that I am SO proud of her and how far she has come. Her body composition is important to her for her job and also her confidence and she looks fantastic and is performing at a higher level than she was in April. She has already screened out of her red band, which is another huge accomplishment worth mentioning. I don't get to see Brittany as much as I would like to since she trains in the morning, but my goodness, there is such a visible difference when I look at her. I am so excited to see how Brittany performs at this time next year! Keep at it! Here is what she has to say...

​What was your absolute biggest challenge prior to starting at Get Fit NH?  
Nutrition. I would just work out like crazy and eat whatever I wanted thinking I "earned" it. I also struggled with weights, never really knowing what to do I would really only stick to running which from doing it so much would cause pain in my hips.

What changed after starting at Get Fit NH?
After I started I realized how nutrition is the biggest part in fitness. I now weigh my food, meal prep, log how many calories and carbs I've had. I also learned how important strength training is and aimlessly running can only get you so far.​

What specific results can you share?
So far I've lost around 16 pounds, I'm the lightest I can ever remember being and feel awesome.​

What would you say to somebody on the fence about starting?
If you're struggling with fitness and are ready to be given the tools to make real life changes, join.​

What has kept you coming back?
I like the group setting and also how knowledgeable coaches are there to help.  I like how nutrition is included.​

There you have it. Real people. Real results.  Keep making it happen!

Coach Meagan​

Lori Smith and Evelyn Gaynor were absolutely SHOCKED when they learned they won this year's Sizzling Summer Slimdown transformation contest. We can't quite figure out why they were so shocked because they  walked away with over 13 inches gone from their waist and hips and almost 30 pounds GONE and over $1300 (each) richer!! That is some pretty significant progress in only 6 short weeks! To say I am proud of these ladies would be a total understatement. These two bring positivity, smiles and laughs wherever they go. Here is what they had to say about the big win! 

What was the greatest take away from S3?

I realized that I enjoy eating certain veggies and that they are very filling along with my protein, which was often chicken! I learned that I can survive without eating a piece of chocolate daily. I realized how much added sugar I was consuming after the first week when my body went into major detox mode! ~ Lori

I was truly Blown Away in the difference in My overall measurements from beginning to end. It's really not about how much weight you lose.​ ~ Evelyn

When you first started the challenge, what were you expecting?

I was hoping to lose a few pounds and inches by the time the 6 weeks ended. At my midway scan, I was down 10 pounds and several inches and I thought, this actually works! At the reveal party, I was hoping to at least place within the top 10. Never thought we'd win! I'm still in shock. It was very humbling. ~ Lori

I was expecting to have to eat like a bird or a rabbit. Even though I knew the challenge was about inches lost off waist and hips in my mind I still felt like it was a weight loss challenge because that's what people are always trying to think of losing weight not losing inches.~Evelyn

When issues hit, where did you turn?

I turned to Coach Meagan when I was struggling with what I could eat on the fast plan. She re-explained it to me so it made sense. I turned to my partner for constant moral support and encouragement. ~ Lori

My partner was always there!! But there were times that we both turned coach Meagan! Whenever she or I had something that was confusing or we didn't understand we would bring it to class and talk it out with Meagan. It was definitely super helpful to have somebody to actually talk in person too. the myCoach app was good to ask questions or emails to ask questions or even the Facebook page but sometimes you need a face to face person just to talk something out with. ~Evelyn

What one tool helped you the most?

The My Coach app helped with the daily lesson and accountability. Also, food prepping is key!! I tried to prep everything on a Sunday night. Helped so much every morning!

I printed out the handout book and I referred to it for the recipes. I used those recipes to go and base my shopping list off of which made weekly food planning easier. I also kept track what everybody was saying on the Facebook page that helped a lot just hearing how everybody was doing and getting new ideas. ~Evelyn

Moving forward what will be easy to keep in your nutrition?

Ironically, I am continuing to eat frittata or hard boiled eggs with veggies for breakfast and black coffee with a scoop of Ump. For lunch, I'm still eating lettuce wraps with turkey and cheese or a salad. Dinner varies but it's basically what I've been eating during S3. I have cheat meals but I am very aware of my portion sizes. ~ Lori

Overall I think just eating better foods will be easy to continue. We no longer use milk in our house this is not just helped me but it's also helped my husband and his diabetes. Adding more vegetables is something I've continued to do after S3. It's easy to add more broccoli! 🙂 ~ Evelyn

What would you say to those who are considering doing S3 next year?

I would recommend that people go into S3 with an open mind. Try to make small changes to your nutrition 1-2 weeks prior to the official start of S3. That helped me realize what I needed to do and eat everyday. Once S3 started, it wasn't such a shock to my body when I completely cut out the added sugar and carbs that I was used to eating.Be willing to try new foods, especially veggies. Drink a lot of water. Reach out to your coaches, they are here to help us succeed. Work with your partner, they might be struggling just like you. Take it one day at a time. Realize that we are human and if you fall off track, pick yourself up at the next meal and keep going. Finish strong!! ~ Lori

First if you're in it for the competition like I initially was because I love a good competition don't think you can't win because you're a smaller person my sister-in-law actually goes to the gym as well and she was in the same competition and she truly didn't think that a smaller person could win because in her head,she was thinking "weight loss challenge " like I was. it really touched me when she told me how happy she was to find out that a "smaller" size person could win because it's not all about the weight loss! I really didn't think. I would come in first but I'm not going to lie I was hoping for top 10 at least!!

The nutrition part to me sounded scary at first but when you really stop to think about it and look at all the different recipes that are out there that you can make and try new things it really didn't get boring and I wasn't just eating salads. I challenged myself to try new vegetables that I would not have normally just gone out and tried on my own and surprisingly I actually like some!All in all, it was worth every penny, as I'm worth it!.... so I'd tell them You're worth it! 🙂 ~Evelyn

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