SkiErg Sprints 1000m Trials Practice

This Saturday October 13th we will be having an open gym from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in both locations, as we prepare for the upcoming SkiErg Sprint World Championships.

Come on in and ski 1000m, check your time, and set your goal. We will be talking strategy, pacing and technique throughout the morning. You won’t have to be here the whole time, so stop by for a 15-20 minutes slot and get some work in.

See you there!

 

“Eat Your Way Right” starts October 15th. More Details Here!

Last week we discussed the PPW formula for success.

Planning + Preparation = Winning

You had an opportunity to get a head start as we revealed the PPW Shopping List, Part 1 and Part 2

Having the food you actually want to feed your body with on hand at all times is the only way to make sure it happens, regardless of your nutrition strategy.

If you are on the “Donut Diet” you need donuts on hand – makes sense, right? 🙂

(P.S. – Don’t be on the Donut Diet)

This week we are getting down to brass tacks and revealing what “Eat Your Way Right Through The Holidays” is all about.

As with our S3 Team Transformation Contest earlier in the year, “Eat Your Way Right” is Habit Based.

Why?

Because diets don’t work – at least in the long term.

The very word itself lends itself to a temporary fix rather than a permanent change.

It’s one of the reasons we don’t just hand you a menu plan and say “eat that”. What happens when you reach the end of the plan, or the one we gave you doesn’t work for you? You go back to your default eating, which is what got you where you were in the first place. And that just doesn’t make sense.

Short term thinking rarely leads to long term success. When we focus on the “outcome” rather than the behaviors we set ourselves up for failure.

Let’s say you want to lose 10 pounds in the next 2 months. Your whole focus is on that 10 pounds, and at the end of the 8 weeks you weigh yourself and you lost 8 1/2 pounds. Your mind immediately focuses on the 1 1/2 pounds you didn’t lose. I have seen it over and over again. You were wildly successful, and yet somehow you still are disappointed.

So how do we stop that?

We create and track measurable behaviors (or habits) that are supportive of our long term goals. The habit is something I can control and measure. If the habit I am developing is to eat breakfast every day, I either did it or I didn’t. When I do it consistently I know it will positively affect my desired outcome.

So while our outcome based goal for “Eat Your Way Right” is to positively affect your body composition, we are going to focus on the habits it takes for long term success.

Here They Are:

Habit 1: Eat 4-5 times per day or every 3-4 hours
Habit 2: Eat complete, lean protein with each eating opportunity.
Habit 3: Eat vegetables with each eating opportunity.
Habit 4: Eat veggies/fruits with any meal.  Eat “other carbs” only after exercise.
Habit 5: Eat healthy fats daily.
Habit 6: Don’t drink beverages (soda, beer, etc.) with more than 0 calories.
Habit 7: Eat whole foods whenever possible.

That’s where your shopping list comes in. Eating off that list gives you the least margin for error when it comes to being compliant with these habits.

Our goal is to be compliant 90% of the time. Anything less than that and you really aren’t making much of a habit of the habits, now are you?

Below is copy of the chart you will be provided with to track how well you are doing with the habits.

 

Filling out the chart is pretty simple.

An “x” means your meal was compliant to the 7 habits.

  • You had a lean protein
  • You had vegetable/fruit with the meal
  • You only ate “other carbs” (rice, oatmeal, potatoes, etc.) if it was the meal directly after you trained.
  • You drank only beverages with zero calories
  • You ate within 3 to 4 hours of the last time you ate
  • Additionally you need to make sure you get in your healthy fats at some point during the day, and you are focusing on whole food, not prepackaged junk.

An asterisk “*” means the meal was not compliant in some way. Could be you drank a beverage with more than zero calories, forgot your veggies, or decided to eat that donut after all.

A “0” means you missed a meal, plain and simple.

An “s” is a good thing. This denotes a “splurge”, which is defined as a planned non-compliant meal. Could be you are going to a party, or want to have pizza with the kids. The great thing is that you can have between 3 and 4 splurge meals a week and still be 90% compliant. Perfection is not necessary, warranted or even desirable.

At the end of every day and week you get to see how you did. Instant Feedback!

Take another look at the chart above.

It shows I was 74% compliant for the week – not terrible, but not what I need to do to make progress.

It also shows me that the 3rd meal of the day is a challenge spot for me. It shows that most of the time I am either missing that meal or non-compliant, and it gives me an opportunity to evaluate why. Is it a planning challenge? Am I just not taking the time to eat? Once I nail down the “why” I can figure out how to overcome that particular challenge.

This tool not only helps you, it helps your coaches help you. If you are consistently 90% compliant and making little progress then we need to refine your strategy.

“Eat Your Way Right”  is pretty simple.

On October 15th you will step on the scale and your coach will record your weight.

You will pick up your first “Success Checklist” and start recording your compliance.

On October 29th we will collect your completed compliance checklist for the first 2 weeks. When you hand it in you will be given another checklist card for the next 2 weeks.

At the end of 4 weeks (November 9th) we will have you step on the scale again.

Simple.Straightforward.Accountability.

Look guys, we all need to take a look in the mirror once in awhile and ask ourselves if we are really doing what it takes to reach our goals.

This is not magic. It still involves taking action which is the key to everything we do. Reading this blog post isn’t going to make you drop a pant size or fit into that little black dress.

You gotta DO IT!

Shoot me your questions below.

Make It Happen!

Dean

 

 

Eat Your Way Right Through The Holidays – Head Start!

Plan to NOT eat this stuff!

I was reading the paper yesterday and came across Dr. Oz’s column in the paper. Now I know how much some of you love Dr. Oz (right Betty?) so I figured I’d give him a shout out.

Anyway in the article he refers to the “Five Food Felons”

  • Added Sugars
  • Added Syrups
  • Most Saturated Fat
  • All Trans-fats
  • Grains that are not 100% whole grain

The list got me to thinking about a crucial part of our nutrition plan.

The actual planning!

Because there are some foods (like in the list above) you need to plan to avoid. Added sugars for example. You have to read the label and see what’s in there, which is another good reason to purchase as much “label free” whole foods as possible.

Well if we are going to “Eat Our Way RIGHT Through The Holidays” we are going to have to implement the other PPW…

Planning + Preparation = Winning.

We’ve talked about it before. You can’t go into the grocery store and wing it. From the moment you walk through the door you are being set up to buy more, and the choices ain’t all good.

To that end we have created “The PPW Kitchen Shopping List”.

We are getting some of these printed up for the contest, but here’s the first part of our challenge to you.

The next time you go shopping buy only items on this list.

Should really simplify the process, and you will be feeding your body what it needs.

Plus you’ll have a head start stocking your kitchen with “EYWRTTH” friendly fare, and you will be setting yourself for success.

Make It Happen!

The PPW Kitchen Shopping List Part 1

The PPW Kitchen Shopping List Part 2

 

Peace and Balance Is Moving

I hope y’all have taken advantage of our friend and professional massage therapists introductory offer of 25% off your first visit to Peace & Balance Body Therapies – it’s not too late!

Christen sent me a note to let you know that her location has changed (a little suddenly due to circumstances beyond her control) to 19 South State St. in Concord, just a hop, skip and jump from where she was.

Now is the perfect time to get in, get some body work done, and check out the new location.

Thanks Christen!

 

Solving Your Biochemistry Mystery with Dr. Laura Jones

At Get Fit NH it is our goal that our clients achieve their best health – that’s no big mystery. But sometimes there is something going on inside of us that makes achieving optimal health more challenging.

And that’s where Dr. Detectives like Dr. Laura Jones from Whole Health Concord come in.When a patient is having a difficult time dropping bodyfat, even if they have been compliant with their nutrition plan (this is key), it is appropriate to investigate further, and that’s what this seminar is all about.

We have been talking to Dr. Jones for sometime about setting up a program where our clients could be tested to make sure their hormone profiles, thyroid, cardiac markers, etc. are where they should be and the body is ready from a biochemical standpoint to make maximum progress.

To that end Nancy and I had ourselves tested for the profiles Dr. Jones thought appropriate for each of us, and she is going to be using our results as an example during her seminar.

I am a little anxious about it, because I haven’t even seen them yet!

Now I know we aren’t all science geeks out there, but I assure you Dr. Jones is a can’t miss! She is a talented and dynamic speaker who makes challenging concepts easy to understand. No geek speak!

Mark your calendars now – this seminar is sure to be packed.

Solving Your Biochemical Mystery: What’s preventing you from achieving optimal health?
Dr. Laura Jones
Wednesday, October 17th
6:00pm – 7:30pm
Get Fit NH Concord (Click for Directions)

 

Wicked FIT Run – Chasing Away Homelessness

We love the fact that our clients are so involved in their communities, and always want to lend a helping hand when they can.

We want to make you aware of one of the many community organizations that are making a difference to those who currently need a helping hand.

FIT (Families in Transition) is holding a 5k run/walk, the proceeds which will go towards Families in Transition’s housing and services for homeless families and individuals. We know many of you love to run, so here’s a way to get that run in while supporting a great cause.

Wicked Fit Run
Where: Rollins Park Concord, NH
When: Saturday October 27th, 2012
Race Start: 9:00 am

As this event is very close to Halloween, you can test out that costume during the race.  In fact prizes will be awarded for best costume, individually and as a team. There is also a ‘Kids Fun Run’ for those under 12.

A ‘wicked’ Fun time encouraging you to Be Fit, while helping FIT (Families in Transition), what could be better?

Register today at Wicked Fit Run

 

Beet It – Linda D’s “Beets and Bean” Side Dish

When someone tells me a recipe is their family’s “Go To” side dish, I listen and take notes.

A “Go To” dish is a recipe everyone in the family loves, including the cook. If the cook loves to make it and the family loves to eat it, we should listen up.

Linda D. of 8:30am Concord fame sent in this recipe. She didn’t just tell me that the contrast in color is delightful and the taste is really excellent, she told me this was her family’s “Go To” dish. Guess who wrote it down to make? You should too.

 Beets and Beans

  • 1 thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • pinch of fresh ground pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 pound green beans, trimmed
  • 1 large beet

1.Scrub and quarter beet; wrap in foil and roast at 450 for about 30 mins. Cook until tender.

2. Place onion in a bowl, cover with boiling water, let stand 15 mins.

3. Blanch green beans in boiling water for about 3-4 mins.; plunge into cold water.

4. Drain onions, toss with salt, pepper and vinegar; set aside.

5. Skin and slice cooled beets.

6. Whisk together:

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 small clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

7. Now: drain onions and squeeze dry. Toss half with beets, other half with beans. Arrange the beets and beans on a serving platter–very lovely, the contrast! Pour dressing over veggies, let stand 15 mins before serving. This will serve 4.

Give this recipe a try – you’ll be glad you did!

To your best health,

Nancy

 

 

Eat Your Way Right Through The Holidays

There are two ways you can read that one.

“Eat Your Way Right Through The Holidays” – such as, eat everything in sight from Halloween to New Year’s and ensure yourself 10 new pounds of belly blubber for the new year.

OR

“Eat Your Way RIGHT Through The Holidays”, as in eat correctly and supportively over the next few months, enjoying the seasonal treats in a planned and controlled way, continuing to focus on good habits and making progress.

Big Difference! (no pun intended)

Starting Monday October 15th we will be starting Phase 1 of our “Surviving the Season” transformation contest and seminar series.

Each “Phase” will be 4 weeks in length – long enough to make progress, short enough to keep us from being overwhelmed. Yes you’ll have some “stuff” you gotta do – but not so much that you will go crazy trying to keep up with “one more thing”.

Along the way we will be hosting nutrition and planning seminars to help give you the tools you need to succeed.

More info coming in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!

 

 

Save The Date: 2012 SkiErg World Sprints

Mark your calendars: the 4th Annual SkiErg World Sprints will be held November 9–11, 2012.

This 1000-meter race allows you to compare your time against others worldwide in a one-weekend showdown of speed.

How it works: Race 1000 meters on the Concept2 SkiErg between November 9–11, 2012. Post your time to the Concept2 logbook by 5 p.m. Monday, November 12, 2012. The worldwide winners of each age group will receive a special prize; prizes will also be awarded for the top three times in each age group.

Get Fit NH is proud to be a host for this event, so don’t miss out. We are sure to offer up our own prize package for our local winners, so you’ll want to get it on it. We will also record and submit all athletes times, so we have that part covered for you.

Stay tuned for more info and dates before the event where we can get some extra training and practice runs in.

It’ll be a blast!