Ten years from now you will wish you started TODAY

Ever heard that saying? I think it is so powerful. It is so easy to feel derailed and discouraged today. There are temptations everywhere and “quick fixes” offered left and right that sound so great and maybe work for a little while, until they don’t and they leave you worse off than before.

Here is my simple encouragement. There is no quick fix. Accept that. There are lifestyle choices. There are lifestyle changes. I am not saying it is easy to just pick up and make all of these changes, but you do have a slew of people and a team of coaches behind you who can help you. Don’t buy into the pills, lotions and potions and fads that say you can lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks, because while that may be true you need to realize what happens when you realize that is not a sustainable lifestyle change.

Start today. One habit at a time. Eat veggies with each meal. Cut out the added sugars daily.  Give yourself a day off, but stay on track the rest of the time. If you don’t know what it means to stay on track or how to get results then you will want to talk to be about the free (virtual) accountability group. Your health, your results, YOU matter and by biggest fear for you is that in ten years you look in the mirror and say, “I wish I started when I read Meagan’s blog!”

Let’s make it happen TOGETHER

Coach Meagan

• Write it down

• Put it on the fridge so every time you open the fridge you are encouraged to make a great choice

• Put it on the cabinet to give you the strength to stay out of the crackers

• Put in on your dashboard to remind you to drive by Dunkin Donuts

• #2: Celebrate your progress! It is easy to focus on our flaws, I would challenge you to focus on what you did great and what changed

• Celebrate it on the family Facebook page – it encourages others more than you know

• Tell your coach! We care more than you know

• Add it to the accomplishment board- that is what it is there for!

• Find fun ways to keep yourself encouraged-  we once had a client who wanted to lose 50 pounds. So she took a bunch of post its and spread 5 pounds across a mirror. Each time she lost 5 pounds down she took a post it off of the mirror until eventually she was able to see more and more of her reflection. That is my absolute favorite story to share about how someone celebrated their success. I would love to hear your creative stories

• #3: Buy a veggie platter tray – like the kind that you see at parties- and fill it weekly! Take that out before dinner and when you are wanting a snack. Picking from that is a safer way to keep your calories intake down!

• #4: Buy a water bottle with a straw. I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but when you have a water bottle with a straw you will likely drink more water. You know how quick you can suck down that DD iced coffee? Yeah, imagine if you didn’t have to take the lid off of a water bottle- oh the possibilities!

• #5: Keep a journal

• Studies show that keeping a food log keeps you more aware of what you are eating. I don’t know about you, but I am dangerously guilty of mindless eating. Writing it down helps you be more aware and it helps me help you if you are struggling

• In that journal I would encourage you to track how you felt for the day, how you slept, what your stress was like. This will help you discover trends and see if you can make some adjustments in your life

• Finally, in that journal, I would encourage you to write down what you did great that day, what you could have done better and what your goal is for the next day

• For example: I didn’t drink any wine when I went out to dinner tonight! I hardly drank any water today. Tomorrow I am going to drink 80 ounces. BOOM!

• #7: Recognize things you could have done better, accept them and move on. Dwelling is dangerous and leads us down a dangerous path of self-destruction. You are not a bad person for eating a cookie! You get to make choices every day. There are choices that support your goals and choices that don’t support your goals. Own it and move on

• #8: If you can’t eat it in moderation then don’t bring it into the house!

• If you are the type of person that buys a bag of chips and know that it will call on you and haunt you until you crush the entire bag then don’t bring it into your house. OR buy a small bag that can satisfy a craving.

• I realize that most of us do not live alone. If you live with someone who eats a different way it is not unreasonable or ridiculous to ask them to keep it in a different cabinet. Have a cabinet just for them and stay out of it! Or ask them to keep it at their work or heck in a safe! If you struggle with self-control it is ok to ask for help from your support team!

• #9: Guilt is a toxic feeling. Replace that feeling by celebrating what you did well and accepting and owning what you could have done better. Choices are choices and you are not a bad person for it.

• #10: Make a plan

• Plan your week

• Make lists

• Plan the meals that you can

• Prep what you can

Make it Happen

Coach Meagan

I believe that everyone has goals.  Your goal may be related to strength, nutrition, weight loss or overall health.  While goals may differ, one major road block to achieving a goal can be the quest for perfection.  

If our actions fall short of our expectations, then it is easy to spiral into negative thinking.  If your goal is to make it to training 4 days a week and you miss the first day or two, you might feel that it is a waste of time to do the remaining two days. Two days was not the perfection you wanted to achieve, but two days is better and closer to your goal than zero days. 

Another possibility is that you are focused on a certain exercise, but you aren’t quite getting it the way you would like or think you should. You may think you will never get it. I know many women are working on pushups and become frustrated with their lack of progress.  

Have you given yourself credit that your form has improved or that you are able to control the lowering phase just a little more than last time?  If we have just introduced a new exercise to training or you are doing something for the first time, please don’t expect to be a master at it right away.  It takes time! We all need to focus on our progress, not perfection.  Focusing on the lack of perfection leads to negativity, discouragement, giving up or quitting. Acknowledging, and celebrating progress focuses on the positive changes that will keep us moving forward toward achieving our goals!

-Coach Erin

During a recent training, a song was playing, and the lyrics really struck a nerve with me.

The song is called “The Light” by Disturbed. One of the lines says: 

“Sometimes darkness can show you the light”.  

That line almost made me cry as I reflected on it.  I have personally been through some very dark times in the past and right now there is darkness for some people I love dearly.  Maybe you have experienced your own periods of darkness.  I know many of you have shared your struggles with me.

It is often challenging to see any light when you are in the dark. You have probably heard the proverbial saying about “seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”  In a tunnel all you are focused on is the darkness that surrounds you as you proceed forward to end where there will be light once again.  It is those times that it is crucial to have a support system to show you the light.  We need energy (physical, emotional and mental) from others to help us move forward. 

When I have experienced my own darkness, I have also been blessed with people who care about me to bring me through to see light.  I have learned that through the darkness I have been able to grow in ways I would not have otherwise.  My greatest hope is that if you are experiencing any sort of darkness (injury, loss of a loved one, mental health issues, etc.) that you would know that your family at Get Fit NH is here for you!

-Coach Erin

 On Saturday, May 11, 2019 we will host a charity training to support our Rock n' Race Team, Get Fit NH & Beat Cancer. Proceeds from this event go to the Payson Center right here in Concord. To read extensively on where the money from the Rock n' Race goes check out this link.

We have all been impacted by cancer and this cause deserves our support. If you can't get out there and walk or run with us then come on down to our charity training on May 11th at 8AM. Your friends and family are more than welcome to join us. The cost for this event is $10 and we will put all funds toward our team. The Rock n' Race is Thursday, May 16th at 6PM. If you have not joined our team yet you can do so right here (Get Fit NH & Beat Cancer is our team name)

Mark your calendar for these events and the changes to our schedule! 

We will be CLOSED for training that night. We will be open for training in the morning on Thursday, May 16th. We will be OPEN Wednesday, May 15th for all EVENING trainings ONLY so that those who are unable to participate in the event do not miss a night of training 

Thank you for understanding and for your support. Let's make it happen,

Coach Meagan

What is self-care?

One definition from psychologist Raphailia Michael is “any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health.” Self-care is often neglected because we are so focused on other people or responsibilities. How often do we skip training or eat food that is not the best for us because we are so tired from the demands of life? Self-care does not have to be complicated. Last week I was suffering from a migraine but got a call to go visit a dear friend in the hospital. I had not eaten lunch yet and was faced with a choice. I could go through some fast food drive-thru on my way to the hospital or I could pack something healthy from home to eat on the way. Fortunately, I had some cooked chicken in my refrigerator. I grabbed it to go and ate it on my way to the hospital. I also made sure I was doing my best to drink plenty of water. Sometimes it is the small things that add up to help us to do self-care. Here are some self-care suggestions:

-Exercise!!! It is a proven fact that exercise greatly benefits both physical and emotional health

-Drink plenty of water

-Fuel your body with the proper food

-Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night

-Try relaxation techniques: deep breathing, yoga, meditation

Unfortunately, self-care just doesn’t happen. It takes planning and scheduling, making self-care a priority. Just like the airline instructions to place your air mask on first before assisting others. The more you take care of yourself, the better you will be able to handle life’s demands and care for those who are important to you.

-Coach Erin

We are going to be giving away one of those things on June 1st! Your chance to win is pretty easy. Talk to your friends, family, co-workers about Get Fit NH. Share our Facebook video on your page. If you refer someone to us in April or May and they sign up we will put your name into a drawing to win and when you win you will get to choose what you want us to buy you....pretty cool, huh?

It is April 4th, so we are a little late to posting this idea (it came to me in the middle of the night last night, always keep a notebook next to your bed!) so with that being said anyone who currently has friends or family in trial and have not signed up yet we will absolutely include your name in the drawing! 

But the prizes go even deeper than this! We will also put whoever you referred into a drawing and pick that name on June 1st as well. They will have an opportunity to win a new pair of training shoes or a $50 gift card to Under Armor. EVERYBODY WINS!

So if you have Facebook and you haven't liked our public Get Fit NH page then start there by clicking here and share our video! Start checking in so your friends can fully understand just why you are so awesome! I am super excited to buy you and your friends stuff!

Let the games begin,

Coach Meagan