The Healthy Kitchen

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It all starts here. Nutrition is not half the battle, it is the battle! What we eat is the single most important factor when it comes to how we look and feel. With today’s busy lifestyles, it is more important than ever that we learn to make the best choices to support our healthy goals.

The choices we make when feeding our bodies have both short and long term consequences. Did you know it’s possible to eat too much food and be undernourished? Not only do we become overweight, but are also more susceptible to disease because we are not receiving the nutrients we need for optimal health. It is important to remember that the primary reason we eat is to give our body what it needs to function optimally. A growing number of studies show that Americans do not receive the nutrients they need from their dietary intake.

There are a number of reasons for this. Our crops themselves are not as nutritious as in the past, probably due to soil depletion and the overuse of fertilizers. Fast food restaurants and prepackage foods in our supermarket shelves make it all too easy to consume a large amount of calories with nearly no nutritive value. While such food choices may be fast and convenient, there is no doubt they contribute to obesity and disease.

Over-consumption of grains, particularly refined wheat (eg. white flour) and corn, has also contributed to our growing problem with obesity. Too many grains and not enough variety of vegetables in our diet leads to excess calories and nutrient deficiencies.

While fruit has many critical nutrients and should be enjoyed, it may be helpful to think of it as “nature’s candy” because of the high sugar content. Refined grains and fruit juices can also make controlling blood sugar difficult.

It does take more work to prepare healthy meals, there is no doubt about it. Doing so is a small price to pay when you consider the negative health consequences of eating poorly. Most people do not think about the future, only the here and now, but the cost is greater to fight disease than to prevent disease. Eating for optimal health is the foundation of living well.

Recently we unveiled Fitgoal. Take advantage of all it offers.

• Daily food log so you know exactly what you are feeding yourself.

• Reports so you can monitor your fitness progress after each “Test Day”

• Visuals like charts and graphs for your food intake

• Write out personal goals so you know where you want to go and how you plan on getting there

• A journaling section to list important factors that give insight into your well being.

• The ability to directly contact your trainer through Fitgoal.

We are here to help you reach your goals,

Coach Nancy

Everything Goes Like A Yard Sale!

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The last two hours of a yard sale are boring. All the good stuff is gone and you are dreading what to do with all the things left on your lawn. I sort of feel like that right now. I’m over forty, I’ve had six children, and the body is not quite the same as in my twenties. It all goes like a yard sale. The good stuff is gone and what is left is not quite what I was hoping to see.

junkpile2Woe is me. Now is the time to make some drastic resolutions, right? I don’t think so!

Resolutions based on emotions will change like the wind. Here today and gone tomorrow, up one day and the next, down in the dumps.

The New Years will find most people making some sort of resolutions. Most of these people will fail. They are thinking on a whim. So take some action but sit down to do it.

Write out your goals for the year. Take the next step and break apart your goals into what you are going to do monthly, weekly, and daily to help you reach them. Mark your calendar with dates you wish to reach your goals. Finally post your goals. Keep them in a prominent place. Who cares if others see your goals? In fact invite people to read them. This will be a huge factor in reaching your goals.

So don’t feel like everything is going like a yard sale. Take charge of your life. So the yard sale has happened. Now you have a clean slate.

Go to work and make it happen.

Coach Nancy

Rocking The Referral Rewards!

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Today we are talking about the BIG GREEN, and I don’t mean Dartmouth!

We absolutely love it when our happy members tell others about Get Fit NH Bootcamp, and we love passing out the cash to those who do!

Donna Check

I want to go over our Referral Rewards program again so you can get in on the action too!

Here’s Donna happily holding a check for $25 she earned for sending Mark our way.  Donna told Mark about Bootcamp, Mark signed up – and we get to write Donna a check! Outstanding!

But wait – It Gets Better!

Last Week we introduced you to these babies – Bootcamp Referral Rewards 2.0!

Referral Card

And here’s where it get’s really cool -

When we get one of these cards back from one of your friends, family, neighbor, co-workers, postman , whomever – and they sign up for our fat-blasting, body sculpting, energy boosting Bootcamps – Not only do they get $50 off their first month, but we hand YOU a $50 bill as well!

Want Proof? Well here you go!

Dana and Jenn

That’s Jenn on the left with her card and Dana on the right sporting a brand new $50 Bill!

Rumor has it Dana has big plans for that 50 – if it’s not gone already :)

Dana didn’t keep bootcamp to herself – she shared with Jenn how much she loved it and EVERYBODY wins!

And never forget, we appreciate each and every one of our members and how you have helped us grow! We WANT to hand out those $50′s, so grab yourself some more cards – Don’t Keep It A Secret!

If you have any questions, let us know!

Make It Happen!

Dean and Nancy

Dana



6 Pack 6 – Halfway Home!

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Chrissy and Lisa tied again this week – it’s getting sorta hot in here!

Please take note: Due by Tuesday March 17th – Your training log for this week (March 8-15) needs to be turned in with your score sheet. It should include day, date, activity and time of workout at a minimum.


Everything works, but nothing works forever!

We are halfway through 6 Pack 6, and we are seeing some great results. I am proud of the effort you are putting in! This is the time to keep your focus, be consistent, persistent, and determined!

What brought that up?

Well I want to address a question that has been coming up lately.

It goes something like this “I was going along great, losing weight and inches, and all of a sudden this week it stopped. What am I doing wrong?”

Well unless you started visiting KFC 7 times a week, probably nothing.

It may just mean you have hit a plateau.

Following is an article taken directly from our “Weight Management 101″ series. It addresses common challenges and strategies for overcoming plateau’s – a period where you don’t seem to making any more progress.

Please take time to read it, as you will gain good insight to what is happening, why, and how to blast through it!

Good Food Choice Scale


Here are the main points I want to emphasize:

Don’t drop your calories to unhealthy levels.

Do keep your body well nourished with healthy foods.

Do get the rest and recovery we recommend. 7 days off every 8-12 weeks. Our scheduled rest week is March 30 to April 5.

Do read the rest of this article and find out why!



Hitting a plateau is a common experience. It can be one of the most de-motivating things to happen.  Plateaus are the number one reason why people abandon exercise.  They bring on feelings of discouragement, confusion, and utter frustration. Thankfully, overcoming it is easy… all you need to do is prepare for it to happen and know the steps to take to overcome it.

What is a plateau?
The human body has a regulatory mechanism that works to keep the amount of energy you consume in balance with the amount of energy you use. In other words, the body does not like to lose weight, thus the slowing or halt of fat/weight loss in spite of exercise consistency and consistent, proper food intake.

Look at the experience of a plateau as a good thing!  Your body telling you “I am ready for the next stage”- “I have conquered this current routine” – “Give me something new!!”  This is when fitness gets fun and you can add creativity to your routine.

The human body is amazingly adaptable for a variety of reasons.  What you first need to do is identify the reason for the adaptation and make then proceed with the proper changes.  

Plateaus: The Reasons & The Solutions

Lowering calories too far…
“It takes calories to burn calories,” which is true both internally and externally.  Internally, the body simply slows its metabolic rate (burns fewer calories) when it senses a decrease in food intake.  The body still functions correctly, but requires fewer calories, creating hunger and preventing fat loss.  Externally, the body is tricked into doing less,(i.e., you get lazy, tired and therefore, move less and more economically).

What to do…
To prevent a plateau, keep your calories slightly below the amount recommended for maintenance to keep your metabolism and energy levels high during exercise and daily activities.  A deficit greater than 500 to 700 calories makes it much more difficult to maintain lean muscle.

Loss of lean body mass
Lean body mass uses up to eight times the calories as fat does. Therefore, loss of enough of this fat burning commodity (muscle) dramatically lowers metabolism and brings fat loss to a screeching halt.

What to do…
Keep your body nourished with supportive foods and a quality multivitamin. Follow your exercise recommendations; resistance training at least 3 times a week, no more than 20-30 minutes of cardio.

Net weight loss
The less you weigh the fewer calories it takes to move your body, even during exercise.

What to do…
Concentrate on increasing lean muscle through resistance training. This is an ideal way to compensate for the fat loss of calories, due to net weight loss, and enhance your look.

Body becomes Efficient
The body is required to make hundreds of internal changes to adjust to different workloads. Each of these reactions consumes calories. Therefore, once the body stops repairing muscle from exercise or adding new cellular machinery, the calories burned to make these changes are no longer spent and the amount of energy your body uses decreases.

What to do…
Never let your body get used to exercise.  Keep it guessing by changing frequency, intensity, type or time of exercise.

Overtraining

OH Press Pink Dumbells

More exercise is not always better. Just as in under-eating, overtraining may decrease the amount of calories you burn. This is partially due to adaptive thermogenesis, (a survival mechanism). In other words, there may be a point of diminishing returns, when an increase in exercise energy expenditure is negated by an equal decrease in non-exercise energy expenditure.  This negates the additional work, at least until expenditure is dramatically increased and/or calories decreased. By the way, the girl to your right is in no imminent danger of overtraining!

What to do…

Take at least seven days off from your regular exercise routine (this should be done every 12 weeks, regardless).  Start back with less and a different type of work and increase only as necessary (e.g., the least amount of specific work to initiate change).  Your metabolism and daily activities will reset and increase again.

Enhanced physical condition
When you are in overall better shape, your system is more efficient – burns fewer calories to operate. The primary benefit of exercise is to improve health through an

appropriate regime.  Improved health can cause a slower resting metabolic rate.  In other words, fewer calories are burned during normal daily activities.  This is partially due to an increase in cardiopulmonary efficiency (e.g., lower resting heart rate).

What to do…
Stick with your goal of staying healthy.  Concentrate on exercise intensity and type changes for a longer “after-burn” (calories burned above the normal resting metabolic rate after exercise).

Just as a well-tuned car gets better fuel economy, a well-tuned body can also thrive on less fuel (calories) when consistently challenged.  By making a few changes, you can jumpstart your routine and see positive results in no time.

Remember, the best ways to stave off a weight loss plateau involve boosting your metabolism, not decreasing your calories. Consider the following Plateau Busters:

  • Reassess exercise time and intensity. If you’ve walked 30 minutes, three times a week for a few weeks, that’s great! But it’s time to add small bouts of extra intensity so 20 minutes now feels challenging. Do the extra rep or two, increase your range of motion, and increase resistance as you get stronger.
  • Reassess exercise activities. Try new activities to cause muscles to be challenged and burn more calories.
  • Consistency. Improvement and change occur when you do things often. Stopping and starting all the time will kill any momentum you need to succeed. You must find ways to stay in the game. Moderate forms of exercise, done consistently, provide far better results than the occasional full-body pummeling. A lifestyle that includes multiple forms of exercise five to six days a week guarantees results.
  • Avoid the scale. Focus on inches lost and the leaner you are becoming.  Your body fat percentage will decrease significantly over time.

Measure Don't Weigh

  • Make sure you are eating smaller, more frequent meals. Every time you eat the right amount and type of foods, you give your metabolism a small boost.
  • Reassess the short-term goals that you made in Session Two to be sure you’ve selected the right strategies. Perhaps you need to re-evaluate the goals you made and come up with new solutions.
  • Use your Fitness Journal to track and view how far you’ve come and how well you’ve done. This positive feedback will hold you accountable and help you stay motivated.


6 Pack 6 Results

Week 6 Top Ten

Lisa A.
 72 Points
Chrissy S.
 72 Points
Robin S.
 71 Points
Evelyn P.
 71 Points
Judy S.
 68 Points
Angela D.
 67 Points
Julie D.
 65 Points
Joanne R.
 62 Points
Nadia K.
 62 Points
Gretchen W.
 62 Points


Overall Top Ten

Lisa A.
 430 Points
Chrissy S.
 428 Points
Evelyn P. 420 Points
Julie D.
 395 Points
Judy S.
 395 Points
Robin S.
 384 Points
Joanne R.
 372 Points
Greg S.
 366 Points
Karyn M.
 358 Points
Gretchen W.
 329 Points


Make It Happen!

How To Use Your Thanksgiving Turkey To Create Healthy, Fat Blasting Meals

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It’s time to dust off the big roasting pan, heat up the oven, and get down to business. That’s right, I’m talking Turkey! Although most of us associate Thanksgiving with bloated bellies and after dinner coma’s on the sofa, don’t you dare blame it on turkey. Heap your scorn on sweet potatoes, put a smack down on stuffing, and pummel all those pies – but leave Terrific Tom Turkey out of it! After all, turkey is jam packed with powerful protein, which simultaneously elevates metabolism and promotes fat burning and lean muscle growth. Turkey is also lean protein source as long as you remove the skin, which makes it twice as nice!

So what’s so important about protein? Protein is the only macronutrient (the others being fat and carbohydrates) responsible for building and repairing your body’s tissue stores. More specifically, adequate, regular protein intake is critical to repair muscle damage from high intensity activities such as strength training and high intensity cardio. If you are not taking in enough protein every two to four hours, you are going to have a challenge maintaining your current muscle, never mind enough for growth and repair.

Why is this important? For the simple fact that the more lean tissue (muscle) you have, the bigger “metabolic engine” you have, which enables you to burn more calories (and fat) on a daily basis. Protein is also the least likely macronutrient to be stored as bodyfat, and it takes your body twice as much energy to digest protein than carbohydrates and dietary fat. Sounds like a win-win to me. If you are going to choose to overeat anything this holiday season and get away with it, turkey is probably going to be it.

Another bonus in adding turkey to your menu is that it easy to prepare and one turkey goes a long way. You can save a ton of time in food preparation by roasting a turkey. You’ll have tons of meal option all week! To inspire your turkey consumption efforts we’ve put together some awesome better body recipes that you can create with turkey as your lean protein foundation. Enjoy!

Turkey Salad

Ingredients:

- 6-8 oz. Turkey Breast chopped into small cubes
– 1/4 red bell pepper
– 1/4 green bell pepper
– 1/4 red onion
– 2 Tbsp canola or olive oil mayo

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy over a bed of greens.

Makes one male serving and two female servings.


Turkey Cranberry Cream Cheese Roll-up

Ingredients:

- 6-8 oz. Sliced Turkey
– 1 Tbsp Fat Free Cream Cheese
– 1 Tbsp Dried Cranberries 1?2 Clove of Roasted Garlic Salt and Pepper to taste
– 2 Whole Grain Tortillas

Directions:

Soak cranberries in water for 20 minutes or microwave until soft if you are short on time. Mash the 1/2 clove of garlic. Mix cranberries, garlic, and cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture into the inside of the tortilla(s). Add turkey breast. Fold up sides, roll up, and enjoy!

Makes one male serving and two female servings.


Turkey Medallions With Cranberry Glaze

Turkey Medallions:
– 6-8 oz. Turkey
– Non-stick spray Turkey Seasoning

Cut Turkey Breasts into small medallions, sprinkle lightly with seasoning. Reheat in a pan sprayed with non-stick oil on medium heat until lightly browned on both sides. Drip Cranberry glaze (below) over the medallions.

Cranberry Glaze:
– 1 Cups Dry white wine
– Turkey or chicken stock, as needed
– 1 1/2 Cups Dried cranberries
– 1/4 Cup of Pine nuts, toasted
– Pinch of Salt

Add 1/2 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of turkey stock to pan. Add other 1/2 cup of turkey stock, cranberries, pine nuts and pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until reduced in volume by half, about 4 cups.

Makes one male serving and two female servings.


Turkey Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:

- 2 cups cubed cooked turkey
– 3/4 cup turkey gravy
– 1 small can whole kernel corn
– drained 1 cup of chicken stock
– 1 cup of water
– 3 cups steamed cauliflower
– 2 cups celery, chopped 2 carrots
– chopped 1 onion chopped 2 cloves garlic
– minced 1 bell pepper, any color
– chopped Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. First you must make the gravy. Take the garlic, 1 cup of celery, carrots, onion, bell pepper, chicken stock, water, vegetables, salt and pepper to taste. Add to a pot, boil until vegetables are soft and blend in a blender or food processor.

Next, you will take the steamed cauliflower and mash it, or place it in a food processor until the consistency is like that of mashed potatoes.

Next, in a baking dish, layer the turkey, gravy, corn, remaining celery and mashed cauliflower. Bake, uncovered at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Makes 2 male servings and one female serving.


Turkey Florentine

Ingredients:

- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
– 2 tablespoons smart butter
– 1 cup cooked whole grain fettuccine
– 2 cups diced, cooked turkey
– 1 cup turkey or chicken stock 1
– (8 ounce) package fat free sour cream and onion dip
– 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
– 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
– Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Cook spinach according to package directions; drain. Stir in smart butter. Place noodles in a non-stick sprayed baking dish; top with spinach. Combine turkey, stock, onion dip and onion salt and spoon over spinach. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes or until bubbly.


Turkey Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

- 1 bag of frozen green beans
– 6-8 oz. of cubed cooked turkey breast
– 1 can of organic cream of mushroom soup
– 2 cups Kraft all natural fat free cheese
– Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients into a casserole dish and bake for about 30 minutes or until completely hot. Makes one male serving and two female servings.


Fat Loss Forever,

Nancy Carlson

http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com


Killer Exercises for Rapid Fat Loss and Lean Muscle Gain

As a former fat kid and a current real world fat loss specialist who has helped tons of people lose the pounds, I know a thing or two about exercise selection. Because of this I am often asked what the best exercises are to lose fat AND gain muscle fast.

Let’s keep it simple. The most effective exercises for fat loss are also the most effective exercises for muscle gain and visa versa. These exercises all have one thing in common: they provide a UNIQUE challenge to your body AND involve as many muscles in your body as possible.

Both the scientific research and the real world case studies have shown that total body workouts are superior for maximal fat loss and muscle gain. But that’s not all…

We can dramatically accelerate results by preferentially selecting TOTAL BODY EXERCISES within each TOTAL BODY WORKOUT! For example, squats are well known for being one of the best muscle-builders with a serious a fat-shredding effect. However, the squat goes from great to UNSTOPPABLE for changing your body for the better when you make it a combination movement by adding a row or press to each repetition. You can absolutely reap more benefits this way since you have now involved your upper body into the king of lower body exercises.

It’s as simple as the Best Body Equation below:

Performing Total Body Exercises Within Each Total Body Workout:

More Muscles Involved =

More Calories Burnt + Greater Muscle-Building Stimulus =

Greater Fat Lost + Greater Muscle Gain

I must be honest in that I have a true love-hate relationship with the following movements I am about to share with you. Love because of the unparalleled fat-melting, muscle-building results they provide to help get that lean, strong body. Hate because they break me every single workout by leaving me in tears while in a pool of my own sweat. In other words, these are not for the weak of mind, body, or soul!

Alright, enough jabbering already! Here is the official top 10 list of my favorite exercises in the world for fat loss and lean muscle gain:

Exercise#1- Any Squatting Combination Exercise- Squat Thrust/Burpee Variations, Squat to Overhead Press, Squat to Row, Squat to Chest Press, Braced Core Squat, Single-Leg Squat plus Curl to Press, etc.

Exercise#2- The Swing- Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, or Sandbags

Exercise#3- Any Lunge Combination Exercise- Alternating Lunge plus Curl to Press, Alternating Lunge plus Twist, Alternating Lunge plus Chest Press, Alternating Reverse Lunge plus Row, Split Jump plus Jerk, Split Jump plus Curl etc.

Exercise#4- Any Push-Up Combination Exercise- Push-ups plus Knee-Ins, Push-up Rows, T-Push-Ups, Spiderman Push-ups, Squat Thrust Push-Ups, Four-Way Push-up Crawl, etc.

Exercise#5- The Chop- Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Med Balls, Bands, or Sandbags

Exercise#6- Olympic Lifting Variations: Dumbbell or Kettlebell Cleans, Snatches, High Pulls

Exercise#7- Dynamic Back Pillar plus 1-Arm Dumbbell Chest Press

Exercise#8- Rear Foot Elevated Deadlift plus Curl to Press

Exercise#9- Med Ball Snatch-Slam Combo

Exercise#10- Dumbbell or Kettlebell Single-Leg RDL plus Row

I’ll be sharing some more great exercises for those specific trouble spot areas (e.g. legs, butt, abs, chest, arms, etc.) in the days to come.

To your best health,
Dean

http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com