It’s Time To Clean Out Your Closet

You know the weather is getting nice and summer is almost here.  For many of us we have already dug out the lighter clothes and stored the winter ones, for a couple months at least.

Now might also be a good time to go through some of those clothes you have had stored for a while and try them on.

Why?

You might be pleasantly surprised!

Mae Lynn wrote this morning that she was going through her “summer” clothes and they didn’t fit – they are all too big. Now there is a nice surprise and a good problem to have! That’s a pretty good reason I would say. 🙂

Nancy and I were talking the other day if we had kept any of my pants from when I was at my fattest – size 46″ waist. I was pretty sure I didn’t, because mentally I knew I needed to get them out of the house and out of mind. There might be one pair back there, I just haven’t found it yet.

I actually think it is a good thing to donate those too loose clothes every time you need to buy new ones.

Why?

Because then there is no going back. If you put the weight back on you have to go get new clothes, and that gets expensive.

In fact every time you go down a size you  should invest in a new pair of jeans. Not the “relaxed” fit ones with the stretchy waist, but a pair that are just on the edge of comfortable.

I did that this weekend. Bought a pair of size 32″. In fact I am wearing them right now. And while the 34’s I was wearing made me feel pretty good about myself, these ones let me know I still have a bit of work to do – know what I mean?

It’s not good for me to get comfortable. I need to keep setting goals, or complacency sets in.

What about you?

Did S3 get you where you want to go? I know for me personally I reached some goals, but it is now spurring me on to some new ones. Constant and never ending improvement. Could be fast, could be slow, it just needs to be.

So celebrate your achievements, evaluate and plan to overcome your failures, perceived or real, and keep your eye on the prize.

And when you are out, go buy that pair of jeans.

Make It Happen!

Coach Dean

Enough Already! Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown Winners Here

The Buttercups, with Kai standing in for Carol!

679.2

I want you to mull that number in your head for a bit.

Because that is the number of pounds that were lost during 2013 Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown, and we don’t plan on ever seeing them again.

679.2

Sweet job everybody – keep on Making It Happen!

I want to also offer a huge thank-you to those companies that provided prizes for our winning team. Your generosity is much appreciated by us and the prize winners.

Here’s a list of the prize package our Top Team received.

• Nadine from Baked Downtown Cafe’ & Bakery: Gift card, t- shirt and assorted teas
• Susan from New Hampshire Motor Speedway:  Gift bags – hats, cooler, and 2 tickets to the July race
• Christen from Peace and Balance Body Therapies:  1 Hour Massage (and let it be noted that our good friend Amy over at Chichester Massage was in if an Epsom team had won)
• Heather from Nike: 2 Nike Sports Band and 3 ladies Nike running hats
• Mark from Hood Dairy: Product voucher coupons
• Get Fit NH: Concord Co-op $50 Gift Card to each winner & Team Designed Custom 2013 “Bragging Rights” Clothing

Shout Outs:

Just wanted to recognize some individual S3 participants as well. Everybody on this list lost at least 5% body mass over the 7 week period. Don’t get me wrong, we are proud of everyone who put forth the effort and changed their body. Had to cut it off somewhere! 🙂

(P.S. – Women DOMINATED the top of this list. Love It!)

Lori Boucher-Nichol    8.75%
Katie Jordan        8.73%
Barbara Olson        8.25%
Colleen Leung     7.80%
Greg Swain        7.08%
Laurie Rivet        6.91%
Millie Lafontaine    6.04%
Dawn Vosburgh        5.96%
Gretchen Wolfe        5.85%
Janine Roussean-Evans    5.65%
Martha Swasey        5.64%
Katie Bean        5.54%
Stacey Haggett        5.51%
Linda Bayrd        5.49%
Jere Smith        5.36%
Carol Hawkins        5.17%
Jack Dianis        5.11%
Matt Wolfe        5.07%
Doreen Mathison        5.06%
Kendra Frye       5.00%

And the Winner Is:

Here’s what you’ve been waiting for. It was a very close competition, but in the end, there can be only one.

Congrats to Lori, Sue, Carol, Andrea and Colleen of Team Buttercups (as in “Suck It Up Buttercup”) for being the winners of the 2013 Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown. If you see them, please congratulate them on a job well done. They scored the most points and lost the highest percentage of body mass (A total of 51 pounds) during the transformation – WOW!

We all look forward to hearing from you ladies soon.

2013 S3 Top 10

The Buttercups        53.16
Katies Cuties        51.30
The D’Reem Team        48.95
S.W.A.T            48.21
5am and you        46.22
Flab-U-Loss        43.35
WJH            43.14
You don’t know Jack    42.33
NHMS            41.71
Flip Flop        41.71

S3 Results Are In: Cause and Effect!

Much thanks to Coaches Meagan and Nancy for compiling all the data we needed to see who actually won this thing!

And while I am not going to tell you until tomorrow (booooo!) I am going to share the results of my own number crunching.

You see it is very important to us to be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of our training and nutrition strategies through data and evidence, not just ask you take our word for it.

The 2013 Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown gave us the opportunity to get a large sample of data on our clients compliance with S3 and the ensuing results.

Would it surprise you that the teams with the highest compliance lost the most body mass?

While it didn’t surprise me, I was very pleased with the confirmation.

We often talk that no matter how great the nutrition plan, you actually have to DO IT to see results. We know that the habits instilled in S3 lead to both short term and long term results and body composition change.

If and when you actually do them consistently.

Our benchmark is 90% -as in – keep the plan at least 90% of the time to see the greatest results. The less you do the plan, the slower your results. Kinda makes sense!

I hope the following chart excites you as much as it excited me.

The plan works, if you work the plan.

There is no hiding and there is no denying what you know to be true.

There is a big difference between knowing and doing.

We all had the same information, at the same time.

It’s what we did with that information that made the difference.

It was the consistent application of the “knowing” that led to better results.

So my challenge to you is to stop looking for “something else”.

Get off the internet looking for the latest fad, pill or shake.

Forget the pseudo-science and marketing hype.

You know what to do.

1. Eat regular meals. Find a schedule that works for you and do it. All the time.
2. Eat Complete, Lean Protein – every time you eat
3. Eat Your Veggies – every time you eat
4. Eat “Other Carbs” only after you train
5. Eat Healthy Fats Daily
6. Don’t Drink your Calories.
7. Eat Whole Foods whenever possible.

Now Keep Making It Happen!

Coach Dean

You Won!

I am so proud of all those participating in S3 Sizzlin Summer Slimdown. I’ve seen and others are expressing what S3 has done for them.

On our Sizzlin Summer Slimdown Facebook page with 10 posts, there has been over 110 pounds reported lost in the 7 weeks of our challenge. That is the size of my two girls together with one of them holding a watermelon!

And that’s just from 10 of y’all, so we want to hear how you did too. Visit here to chime in!

With that said, weight loss was not our only goal. Healthy eating toward healthier living was and is even more important.

I asked those at Get Fit NH Epsom to write up some of the things they have gained in knowledge in order to encourage each other.

Here is what they said.

• Pants fit better
• Eating carrots
• Zero calorie drinks
• Most of the time, I tracked the food I was eating
• Awareness
• Eating Healthier causes me to eat slower
• 2 Belt Holes
• Eating more often
• Fewer carbs/ breads
• Getting my family to all eat PPW3
• Less carbs = flatter stomach
• Eating more veggies and drinking more water
• Weight loss and Awareness
• Creativity in eating veggies

Love it!

Winner!

I told you you won, and you did.

How?

If you are eating better than seven weeks ago – you won!

If you are healthier than seven weeks ago – you won!

If your family is reaping the benefits – you won!

If you continue with these seven habits – you will continue to win!

Make It Happen,

Coach Nancy

So Now What Do I Do?

Yikes S3 is over and now I don’t know what to do.

“I’m going to continue on with all the S3 habits”

“I really like the progress I have made so far.”

“It was easy for me to complete habit 3 but habit 6 was a lot harder”

“Wow, I am more aware of what goes in my mouth for nutrition now.”

I have heard these comments with the final weigh in. The goal of S3 is not a contest as much as a teaching tool to help you slowly build healthy habits into your nutrition.

Now ask yourself.

Can you keep those habits?

How will you stay accountable?

After talking with many at Get Fit NH we’ve realized that some of you want more personal attention and accountability to help you reach your goals faster.

So with that in mind, we’ve decided to re-open our private accountability group to personally work with you to help you reach your goals.

The Fat Loss Accountability Group (F.L.A.G.) is specifically designed to make you more accountable, give you plenty of opportunity to work more closely with us to troubleshoot your lifestyle to accelerate your progress and ultimately help you lose fat faster than you are now.

This group is for those clients who have had challenges sticking with a nutrition plan beyond a few weeks in the past, and need regular accountability and group support to make sure their plan is being followed consistently.

As a member of the Fat Loss Accountability Group you will receive:

Members Only Coaching and Support Group: Having a healthy support system in place is crucial to staying on track. This is the place to share your challenges, get your questions answered, and find out what’s working for others.

Weekly Food Log Review & Coaching: According to a study by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, keeping a food journal can actually result in doubling your weight loss – it’s that important! Each week your coach will review a minimum of 3 days of your food log and provide coaching feedback.

Weekly Accountability Check-In: In addition to your food log, you will be responsible to tell us about your successes and challenges for the week, and outline your plan for next week.

The Fat Loss Accountability Group is the perfect complement to your current trainging at Get Fit NH and will keep you armed with all the knowledge and support you’ll ever need to reach your fitness and fat loss goals faster than ever before.

Please fill out the contact form indicating you are ready to enroll, and we will give you a call to get your account set up.

I look forward to having you take part in FLAG – Fat Loss Accountability Group.

To Your Best Health,

Coach Nancy

What others are saying about FLAG

Jayne says:

“Train hard and expect the weight should just drop off, right? Wrong.  After attending boot camp for four days a week for over a year, I was finally able to admit that my eating habits were keeping my weight up and my energy level down.   That is when I joined FLAG.  The program provides guidance, accountability and education to support a more healthier high protein way of eating that results in weightless and increased energy.  One of the great things about the program is that it does not involve calorie counting, so it isn’t like going on a ‘diet” but rather changing bad eating habits for the long haul. 
 
I did not join FLAG feeling entirely ready for it, I wanted the results but knew it would hard work getting them.  As I learned more and had a chance to meet and share struggles with others who were feeling the same way, little by little I evolved and the results followed.  I wouldn’t have imagined it before, but for the first time ever I feel good about my weight and have said goodbye to the daily mid-afternoon energy crash.  For me, FLAG was the additional tool I needed to get the results I’ve wanted since joining Get Fit NH a year and a half ago.” – Jayne Millerick

And here’s a word from Donna

“FLAG has taught me that nothing happens overnight.   Whether it is weight drop or the desire to eat properly.  It is teaching me patience.   It is teaching me that you can still eat out and make wise choices in what you eat. 

In the beginning it was rough.  The weight was not moving.  I didn’t think that I was ever going to drop a pound.  But then it started to go down.   It’s not going down quickly but it’s staying off and that is the whole idea.  I’m learning that it’s OK to splurge once in awhile as long as you get back on track.  This can’t be thought of as a “diet” but a “life style change”.  Life is full of ups and downs you just can’t let the downs keep you down.

Since starting FLAG I have lost almost 10 pounds.  That doesn’t seem like much but I have been able to go down two sizes in pants and that makes me really happy.  Still working on building up the muscle though.  Everything takes time.

What would I say to someone that wants to join.  The biggest thing would be to not expect instant change.  Have patience.  Listen to all the encouragement from others.  We have all been there and are still there.  This is a learning process.  Knowledge takes time.  Use the tools that are given to you.  And most importantly, keep a positive attitude.  If you slip up and have a bad day, bad week it will pass.   But you have to have the mind set to really want it.” – Donna Weilnau

As promised, there is no hard sell, these ladies tell it like it is. Consistency, patience, accountability, attitude. Best fat burner out there! 🙂

Stay tuned for enrollment information coming in a few days. If you are ready, now is the time!

Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown – It’s Not Over

Because you still are eating, right?

And that is what S3 was all about – learning to eat, for life.

Last night I was reading a great book by a man and coach I respect and admire greatly – Dan John.

I had the pleasure of meeting Coach John a few years ago and he is just a great human being.

Dan has a way of simplifying things and his training philosophy reflects this.

But the book I am reading, “Intervention“, also crystallizes his thoughts on nutrition, and as we come to the end of the 7 week period we call “Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown” I want you to think about what he has to say.

First of all though I need to congratulate you for doing what for most of us is really hard – Change.

The “PPW” principles that S3 emphasizes are small changes in how to look at food and eat for some,  and radical change for others. Either way stepping out of your comfort zone and taking action is to something to be proud of.

But now is not the time to throw up your hands in relief and throw all that hard work out the window. I have seen that too many times. The “contest” is over so it’s time to go hog wild.

Really?

And that brings me back to Coach John. He doesn’t exactly hold back on this one.

“I sum my insight about all things diet, nutrition and supplements with the simple phrase –

Eat like an adult.

Honestly, seriously, you don’t know what to do about food? Here an idea: eat like an adult. Stop eating fast food, stop eating kids cereals, knock it off with the sweets and comfort foods whenever your favorite show is not on, ease up on the snacking and – don’t act like you don’t know this – eat more fruits and vegetables. Really how difficult is this? Stop the whining. Stop with the excuses, Act like an adult an stop eating like a television commercial. Grow up.”

Kind of hit me between the eyes, how about you?

And that brings me to something else he said that ties into the “end” of S3. Celebrating your achievements is healthy, wonderful and appropriate. Just stop doing it with food.

Here’s Coach John:

“Every time you succeed in life does not call for several extra rounds of beer, a salutary doughnut and high fives for everyone. I’ve always admired great athletes – Barry Sanders comes to mind – who scores a touchdown, goal or point, and just moves along. It’s your job, so get over it.”

It may not leave you warm and fuzzy, but it’s the truth.

What more important “job” do you have than taking care of yourself?

I mean you have to eat anyway, so you might as well fuel the machine with the good stuff. It’s not like this is something extra into your daily routine, you have been eating your whole life. Just work on doing it a little better, every day.

Because a body that is operating properly allows you to do everything better!

This is Day 2 of S3 week 8, which just so happens to be the first day of the rest of your life.

Extraordinary days lead to extraordinary lives.

Make It Happen!

Dean

S3 Week 6 Results – Holy Moley It’s Tight!

It’s the home stretch and it is crazy tight!

Success Story – Colleen Snow-Leung

I was very grateful to receive this heartfelt note from Colleen, and she was gracious enough to let me share it with the Get Fit NH family, and by extension the world! 🙂

“Hi Erin, Dean, Nancy and Megan,

Just wanted to say a huge thank you for all that Get Fit has done for me these past four months.

I loved Get Fit when I was there for a year before stopping due to personal life experiences, including the passing of my mom and then being pregnant. On the anniversary of my mom’s passing, I started boot camp again after taking just about a year off. I couldn’t think of anywhere she would rather I be on that day than starting to train again and feel good about myself.  

Through the S3 challenge, my husband and I have completely revamped what meal time looks like and have quit the snacking and no longer do I think about what to have for dessert after each meal.  I can’t say the same for Howie once he leaves the house but I am eternally grateful for his support in our home.  

Yesterday I went shopping and bought things two sizes smaller than what I had been wearing at the beginning of S3 and am fitting into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes.

Through learning the seven habits of S3 I now understand the saying, “You can’t out train bad nutrition.” I remained at the same weight the first three months of boot camp and then have lost a good amount of body fat (I think and hope) throughout the past six weeks.  

My goal for S3 was to lose weight, build muscle, feel good in clothes, especially a bathing suit this summer with my daughter, and run the Color Vibe 5K. While I wanted to skip my last goal this morning when it was raining and gross out, I didn’t mostly because of fellow boot campers who encouraged me, especially Lori and Kelly. I felt so incredibly accomplished at the end of the race.  

Thank you guys for your constant emails, Facebook messages and being there four mornings a week ready to make training fun and new every single day.  I am very thankful!” – Colleen

And we are very thankful for amazing clients like Colleen.

Keep Making It Happen!

Spring Seminar Series Finale – Optimal Body Weight & Composition

Don’t miss the finale of our Spring Seminar Series, Tuesday June 4th at 7:00pm.

Once again we will be meeting at Get Fit NH Concord with Drs. Laura Jones and Amanda Hegnauer from Whole Health Concord.

Body weight and composition have a significant influence on our current health and our risk of developing some of our nation’s most common diseases including Diabetes and Cancer.  The purpose of this lecture is to provide you with an overview of current research regarding naturopathic tools and approaches that can help you attain the weight and health you are striving for.  Come learn about the most promising and well-studied vitamins, minerals, and herbs for optimal wellness and healthy weight loss.

Optimal Body Weight & Composition
Tuesday June 4th, 2013
7:00pm to 8:30pm
Get Fit NH Concord

It’s Memorial Day. Remember.

I was blessed to be raised by parents who instilled into me a love of country and an appreciation that freedom is not free.

That the freedoms we enjoy and the rights that  have been bestowed by the Creator and recognized by our founders have been protected by blood and sweat over centuries.

And while we may or may not agree with current or past administration and policies, we should not take it lightly we have the right to do so, and we should not so quickly dismiss any attempts to infringe those rights. At the least we owe it to the women and men who gave “the last full measure of their devotion”.

I like to think that I have instilled in my children the same love and respect for country that was nurtured in me. In fact I know that to be true. But this year it hits a little closer to home.

My son Tim resigned his job as a Vermont State Trooper last month and is pursuing something he has wanted to do for a while now, Army Special Forces. He is currently at my old stomping grounds of Fort Benning, GA. Kind of ironic that he is back where he spent the first few years of his life when I was stationed there.

When he first told me he was enlisting I responded kind of poorly. Something like “What are you doing that for?” He was leaving a stable job, his home, and his (very supportive wife) and pursuing a path that there is no 100% guarantee he would even complete. I know he wasn’t very happy with me, but we’ll get past it. I have always been proud of him for his accomplishments, but this was a hard one. I think maybe as a veteran I realize the potential consequences of his decision, and while it might be ok for me to make it, this is my son.

But then I was reminded in a recent conversation about men like Tim who make such decisions. Decisions to leave the comfort of home, and relative safety and ease. Men and women like this are why I can sit here at this keyboard in my office, drinking a cup of coffee, doing a job I love to do. Men and women like this who leave home and family so I can be here with mine.

Men and women like Steve Veinotte, Justin and Raechel Strevig, Ken Jones, Justin and Meagan Sbat, Spencer Wilbur, Brad Lepelley, Dan Parker, Taylor Anne Frazoa, Michael Gilbert and many more that I could name that have and continue to honorably serve their country, and understood the decisions and consequences. Men and women who sweat in the desert in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan so I can sleep on my Select Comfort.

So today as you celebrate, I ask you to remember who and what you are celebrating. Today there are wives without husbands and children without a mom or dad to whom this day brings back floods of memories you and I cannot understand.

Remember them.

Never, ever forget.

I love you Tim.