Recipes from our Christmas Party

We all had a great time celebrating the holidays with you this past Saturday and we hope it was just as fun for you! Thank you to everyone who came out and made it a great day. Many of you asked for the delicious recipes that Coach Nancy made with the help of her Master Chefs, Kim and Doreen. Well, you asked and you shall receive! Below are all the recipes that we enjoyed at the party.

Omelet Muffins Christmas Party Style

20 eggs scrambled
1 pound of browned pork breakfast sausage, drained
Veggies of choice – see the variations we enjoyed below

Grease 10×13 pan with coconut oil. See variations below for veggie choices and directions.

Onion, Pepper, Mushroom Omelet –
Use all frozen veggies and add those to the pan first. Next, add sausage and mix gently, then pour eggs on top and bake about an hour or until set.

Onion, Pepper, and Spinach Omelet –  
Use all frozen veggies and put those in the pan first. Then, add sausage, pour on eggs last and bake an hour or until set.

Onion, Mixed Peppers, Broccoli Omelet –
Love those frozen veggies – put one bag of each in pan, add in sausage and the 20 eggs you have scrambled. Bake for about an hour.

Onion, Mixed Peppers, Asparagus Omelet –
All the frozen veggies go on the bottom of the pan and then the sausage and eggs follow before you bake it for about an hour.

Individual Omelet Muffins

Coconut oil or paper muffin liners
8 eggs
1/8 cup water
1/2 lb chicken or sausage, cooked and cut or crumbled into small pieces
2 cups diced vegetables (1 red bell pepper, 1/4 lb asparagus or broccoli and 1/2 yellow onion recommended, but use whatever is on hand)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 muffin cups with coconut oil or line with paper baking cups. Fill any remaining muffin cups with 1″ of water so they do not scorch while baking.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, then add meat, vegetables, salt, ground pepper, and any other ingredients you wish to add. Pour mixture into the muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Chicken Salad with Cucumber and Melon

1 pound cooked chicken, chopped
½ cup diced cantaloupe or honeydew melon
½ cup finely chopped cucumber
½ cup finely chopped tomato
2 tablespoons lime juice
1½ teaspoons orange juice
1 teaspoon light olive oil
1 tablespoon cilantro
Pinch of pepper

Combine lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, cilantro and pepper in a jar and shake to combine. Mix everything else in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss ingredients to coat everything.

Sweet Potato Hash

2 tablespoons bacon fat or coconut oil
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 large onion, diced
1 pound ground breakfast sausage
2 medium apples, peeled and diced

In a large skillet, heat bacon fat or coconut oil. Sauté the sweet potatoes and onion stirring frequently until the potatoes are soft. Add the sausage and continue to stir until the sausage is browned. Add in the apple and cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Christmas Ham

1 cup brown mustard
½ cup homemade mayonnaise
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped fine
1 smoked ham

Preheat oven 300 degrees. Combine all ingredients except ham in a bowl and mix well. Place the ham in a roasting pan and generously put mustard mixture all over the ham. For each pound of ham, bake for 15 minutes.

January 30 Challenges in 30 Days

Instead of doing the “resolution thing”, we are going to be refocusing going into 2016 with “30 Challenge in 30 Days”.

Don’t go nuts with a resolution you may or may not keep (8% do, 92% don’t), set yourself up for success in the new year by taking some small steps on a daily basis that will add up to some big progress by the end of January.

Here’s how it works:

Each day starting on January 1st we will post a new challenge for you on our Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/getfitnh

After you complete the challenge post that you completed the challenge and if required how you made it happen.

Since some of the challenges require you a little preparation or forethought, we will post the next few days ahead of time here on the blog to help you out. I assure you that every single one of these things is something you can do, and when you do them your body will thank you that you did!

The first 7 days of challenges will be posted here on the blog on Monday December 28th, so you have plenty of time to prepare.

Let’s Make It Happen!

One more spotlight for the year

The spotlight is shining bright on the one and only Mama B! That’s right- Coach Meagan’s mom- Lisa Baron! Since joining Get Fit NH just over a year ago I have had the opportunity to watch my mother’s body, mood, and health change drastically. She is leaner than I have ever remembered, stronger than I have ever seen her and HAPPY with her results. I am so proud of my mom and I am so glad she took a leap of faith and walked through the doors. Here is what she has to say about her journey.

“I chose to check out Get Fit NH. because I was desperate to work out again- but NOT get hurt again. I needed real coaching plus I was encouraged by a certain daughter/coach! After my first two weeks I learned how much I missed group training. I found both the coaches and the clients to be so supportive. I had done kickboxing when my kids were younger and tried working with a trainer at Planet Fitness a few years ago, but both lead me to injury. My main concern was protecting my back. I had tried a whole year of seeing a chiropractor religiously and had no luck. Massage therapy was incredibly helpful, but unrealistic to keep up with treatment financially. I love Get Fit NH because I have had great results. I feel great. Even when my shoulder was “frozen” I never missed a training session. I was very grateful for all of the modifications that the coaches provided. Since starting Get Fit NH I have lost over 25 pounds and have successfully kept it off. The results were slow at first, but after my first 21 day detox and changing my eating habits the results came quick! After years of Prilosec and Tums I have not had to take either since the first detox- what a discovery that was! My one regret is that I did not keep track of inches- I know I have lost there because I am definitely down a few sizes”

There you have it. Another story of real life results. Here is my tip for you- it took me a couple of years to talk my mom into walking through the doors of Get Fit NH. She had a lot of excuses NOT to join (time, money, distance…) I didn’t give up, because I am confident that what we do here actively creates happy and healthy! What more could I want for the people I love? Who have you given up on? Spread the word. Help us create happy and healthy- together we can save lives!

-Coach Meagan

Are You an Apple or a Pear?

What I mean is are you shaped like an apple or a pear?

Do you have a round belly (apple) which is more common in men, or do you carry your weight around your hips and thighs (pear), which you see more in women, or a combination of the the two?

Long term studies have shown that “abdominal obesity” is strongly associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and death. (1,2)

Two ways to measure abdominal obesity are by measuring waist circumference, and also waist-to-hip ratio. Following are some of the health risk guidelines from different health organizations (3):

According to the Harvard School of Public Health (3), even if you are not overweight having a large waist may mean you have a higher risk of health problems than someone with a trim waist.

You can measure your waist and hips with a cloth tape or a MyoTape, and then calculate your hip-to-waist ratio to find out where you are at.

But I have a better idea!

When you are get a scan done with the Fit3D, your waist measurement as well as your hip-to-waist measurement is automatically recorded and the data saved to your record.

Here are some screen shots of what those charts, as well as your full measurement chart will look like:

The Fit3D scanner is not just about appearance, but an important tool in assessing health risk. We have been rolling the Fit3D out on a limited basis until we are at full staffing again, but if you just can’t wait, let a coach know and we will do our best to schedule you in.

Thanks for your patience, and see you on the scanner soon!

Dean

1. Ohlson LO, Larsson B, Svardsudd K, et al. The influence of body fat distribution on the incidence of diabetes mellitus. 13.5 years of follow-up of the participants in the study of men born in 1913. Diabetes. 1985;34:1055-8.

2. Larsson B, Svardsudd K, Welin L, Wilhelmsen L, Bjorntorp P, Tibblin G. Abdominal adipose tissue distribution, obesity, and risk of cardiovascular disease and death: 13 year follow up of participants in the study of men born in 1913. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1984;288:1401-4.

3. “Waist Size Matters” http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-definition/abdominal-obesity/

Why A Chest Strap Monitor?

There is no doubt wearable fitness trackers are hot items these days. From FitBit, to Phone Apps, even the Apple Watch is in on the action. I think that is a good thing, because anything that helps keep us accountable and motivated is a step in the right direction.

But that doesn’t mean they are the best or most accurate way to measure fitness or more importantly, improvement.

The most important question before making a purchase is “What do I want to track?”

We use heart rate monitors in our gyms because they allow us to track effort, intensity, and recovery through one simple to use tool. Put the chest strap on and you are done. In real time you are able to look up and see how your body is working. The accuracy of a heart rate monitor is unparalleled – it is still the gold standard of fitness tracking. If you want to see if you are improving, using your heart rate monitor is a must. Otherwise you are just guessing.

But what about the other tools out on the market? Our friends at MyZone (who obviously are biased toward heart rate monitors, especially their own) break down four of the major types of wearables.

The wrist tracker – Wrist trackers count your steps then estimate your calories burned. More recently, these devices attempt to measure your pulse. They shine a light into the blood vessels in your wrist to detect the changes in blood volume that occur each time your heart beats. Two of the major problems found in this method are 1) wrist trackers are not skin-tight, thus movement of the band up or down the arm result in inconsistent readings and 2) ambient light is able to leak in between the tracker and your wrist to throw off its light-based readings.

The fingertip monitor – These types of monitors are most often used in the hospital setting. While typically spot-on when measuring the BPM of the body at rest, many have been unable to accurately keep up with the BPM of the body in motion. So a fingertip monitor can not accurately track your heart rate during a triathlon, a Crossfit class, or a HIIT bootcamp.

The phone app – While a good first step in the right direction, a simple step counter is an antiquated (an not incredibly accurate) means of physical activity measurement. Step counting alone can not push you to meet your fitness goals. Some new phones feature heart rate detection by placing your finger on a sensor near the camera. Though this method can only be used to measure the heart rate while at rest, it was not made to track your BPM during physical activity.

The chest strap – A chest strap heart rate monitor is able to closely emulate an actual EKG machine by measuring the electrical pulses emitted by the heart–during almost all forms of exercise! Studies have shown the chest strap monitor to be among the most accurate wearable tracking devices during a wide variety of intense exercises.

A chest strap monitors your heart rate so that you are able to maintain the intensity required to meet your fitness goals. And it helps to strengthen that life-sustaining muscle located in your chest. A wrist tracker nor a phone app is able to accurately take into account the number of pushups and squats you did, or how many kettle bell swings you churned out. But with a chest strap heart rate measurement, you can know when to push yourself harder or when to slow down based on the real-time feedback coming straight from your heart. If you want an accurate reading during traditional and non-traditional exercise, the chest strap is the clear choice. (source: MyZone.org)

The message is clear: Wearing a heart rate monitor while training is an important part of making sure you are training appropriately, effectively, and getting great results.

And why wouldn’t you want that?

Heart Rate Monitoring During Exercise. What’s The Big Deal?

A December To Remember!

There is a lot going on in December for all of us, so we wanted to make sure we let you know what is happening around here so you can plan.

The first thing on the docket is our Client Appreciation and Christmas Party Brunch on Saturday December 12th. If you haven’t signed up yet, please click here for details and to let us know you are coming – we don’t want to run out of food! 🙂

Also a reminder that our next recovery week is coming up the week of Christmas. The gym will be closed for regular training from December 20th through the 27th. We are going to keep the schedule pretty light that weeks as far as re-screens and assessments. I think you will agree that the Get Fit NH team has earned a little time off.

We will start back up bright and early on Monday the 28th, and then because of New Years day the end of the week will be a little different as well. On December 31st (New Years Eve) we will run the full schedule in the morning, and then an abbreviated afternoon schedule, with Epsom running the 4:00pm only and Concord the 4:15pm and 5:30pm only. On New Years Day we will be holding our annual “New Years at Noon” all family training in Concord.

I know this is a busy time of year and can be stressful, but let’s stick together and stay on track with our training and nutrition. Then it really will be a “December to Remember!”

Make It Happen,
Coach Dean

December Dates to Remember

Christmas and Holiday Party Brunch
Date: Saturday December 12, 2015
Time: 10:00am to however long you want to stay 🙂
Place: Get Fit NH Concord

Recovery Week
December 20th – 27th

New Years Week Training Schedule
Monday and Tuesday:
Regular Schedule

Thursday:
Regular Morning Schedule
Afternoon Schedule
Epsom: 4:00pm only
Concord: 4:15 and 5:30pm only

Friday:
“New Years at Noon”
Get Fit NH Concord

Who Can You Thank Today?

Seems really hard to believe that another holiday season is upon us, but I am glad it is. I think Thanksgiving might be my very favorite holiday. Not because Christmas isn’t fun, (not to mention central to the whole story and purpose of history) but because it is generally pretty laid back and relaxing.

Now before you throw that turkey pan at me, I understand that if you are entertaining on Thursday you have a lot to do. But here is an idea for you, one I have had to learn myself. Don’t be a martyr about it, ask for help if you need it, and no matter what happens remember some people just want to be miserable, so don’t let one grouch ruin it for you!

This time of year there are a lot of ideas out there about gratitude and thankfulness. An “attitude of gratitude” is much more productive than being a selfish, self-centered, well, whatever (this is a family blog – no bad words allowed) 🙂

But don’t keep it to yourself. Open your mouth and express gratitude too.

All the 12 year olds out there reading this might be surprised, but the world doesn’t revolve around you. Your mom loves you, but she probably isn’t laying her head on the pillow at night thinking “Oh goody, I get to do more laundry tomorrow, and I sure hope little Jimmy doesn’t volunteer to put the dishes in the dishwasher, because then I will get to do it instead!”

But do we adults act any different? I know I don’t all the time. I often find myself taking a lot of what happens around me for granted. I drive on well maintained roads to work every day. Heck I drive a car to work every day. I drive from my heated home, from which I woke up in a nice bed next to my incredible wife. My three kids are safe and sound when I leave, and I food in the house so they can eat breakfast. I have it better than 99.9% of the world, and yet if someone cuts me off in traffic am I more likely to let it roll, or try to roll over him? Do I take half a millisecond to consider what he might be going through, or that people make mistakes, or do I just go off? Kinda silly to think so little can get us so worked up, isn’t it?

I have also found that a little more kindness and a little more gratitude, and a little less “gotta have my way” goes a long way. You know the old saying “familiarity breeds contempt”? Does that ever creep into your life like it does mine? What is it if not contempt to walk by someone every day and not acknowledge they exist? To grab that cup of coffee your spouse made for you and not say thank-you? To shush your daughter when she wants to tell you about what she learned in school, or about the birthday party she got invited too? Guilty.

Being kind is free. It doesn’t cost money to smile. It doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to say “thank-you” to the barista. Yeah I know they are getting paid to do a job, but so what? Don’t we all need a little more appreciation? Talk to the check-out person. Nicely. You might be the only person who does so all day.

Don’t keep your gratitude to yourself. You have incredible power. You might change someone’s life by telling them how much you appreciate them.

But even better you might change your own life.

And that’s something to be thankful for.

So Thank-You.

If you are reading this in some way, shape or form you are part of the Get Fit NH family.

Of my family.

And for that I am blessed indeed.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Coach Dean

Introducing Coach Maxx

Join me in welcoming Coach Maxx! (last name Savage – which makes him “Maxx Savage” – how sweet is that?)

One thing I already appreciate about Maxx is his incredible work ethic as well as his daily pursuit of getting better. Sounds like a winning combo to me!

Get to know Maxx a little better:

“When I was 17, I joined the United States Army Reserves. During my time in the service, personal fitness became a core value of mine. I began to remove “I can’t” out of my vocabulary. This made me realize that one I stopped saying “I can’t,” I began to find ways to make my goals happen.

I have always felt that when something was wrong, I could turn to the gym. Going to the gym helped me find focus and made the worst of days not seem so bad. When I have the time I enjoy spending time woodworking, building benches, tables and anything that I might need around the house. I also enjoy working on cars and doing jeep restorations. If I am looking to really just relax I will break out my guitar.

I have always held a desire to help people reach their goals and continually challenge themselves, showing people different ways to challenge themselves and push past the obstacles that occur in day to day life. I am currently enrolled in school for Exercise Science at Manchester Community College. Everyday I continue to grow and challenge myself to be better and achieve my goals. – Maxx”

Welcome Coach Maxx!

Get Fit NH Client Appreciation & Christmas Party Signup

We can’t believe it’s already time for Thanksgiving – and do you know what that means?

Christmas is next! We’re hosting a Christmas brunch for you and your family on Saturday, December 12th at 10am. Mark your calendars, you won’t want to miss it! Our awesome coaches will be preparing delicious food for you to enjoy. We are looking forward to spending some quality family time together at our Concord location.

Here are some highlights of the party that you can expect:
•    Delicious food (of course)
•    Get Fit’s twist on the Yankee Swap – if you wish to participate, please bring something
•    Prize Raffle to benefit Operation Hat Trick- Pampered Chef and “31” Gift Items
•    Superlative awards for our students
•    And a jolly good time! 🙂

We look forward to celebrating with you! Can’t wait to see you there!

Get Fit NH “We Love the GFNH Family” Christmas & Holiday Celebration
Date: Saturday December 12, 2015
Time: 10:00am until we kick you out!
Place: Get Fit NH Concord