“If we want our lives to change in a positive way, WE have to be the agent of change.”

Kind of a liberating quote isn’t it? I wish I knew who said this. 

Positive improvement knows no boundaries.  It doesn’t rely on social status, background, race, home life, our past, our friends, our family, our troubles; it lives within each of us.  

"If it is to be, it’s up to me." (another good quote I might add)

No one is going to wave a magic wand over us in order to improve us, improvement comes from within.  

I think about this and ways to constantly improve my own life.   

This is why Cr8 Fitness went from Coach Dean training outside on what is now the parking lot with 11 of his friends, his wife, and one paying client to training that rivals some of the best in the country.  

Why? 

Because he wasn’t satisfied with the training he could provide and he passed that passion onto me and therefore to our clients.       

I have seen numerous lives changed when they accepted responsibility for that change. It is within each of us to change.  

What do I mean?

When we take personal responsibility for who, what, and where we are in life, it changes our perspective on success.

We can now take control of our lives.

“Everything that happens to us—good and bad—is our personal responsibility. We can blame no one else. These are the choices we’ve made—this is the life we’re living. We will accept the consequences of our actions.” ~ Craig Ballantyne

Just saying this stuff is one thing, actually taking action is where the magic happens. 

Here are 5 systems I use to support this notion.  

1. Plan and Prep: Planning and preparation are 2 key things that we all must do to ensure success in any part of our lives.
2. Get a Coach: I know you have heard this before but wandering around aimlessly while you witness your life or your dreams disappear is not a good idea. All the most successful people in the world have someone to coach them. Experience is the best teacher.
3. Social Support/Accountability: Don't confuse this with so-called great friends that inhibit our progress and sabotage our goals. Surround yourself with people with like minds and goals and lift each other up.
4. Reward Yourself: Most of the people I deal with reward themselves for the wrong things; being tired, overworked, stressed, busy etc. How about waiting for a reward when you accomplish something big? I know kids are not rewarded continuously, but only when they do something good. How about you? Delayed gratification is a wonderful and life changing thing!
5. Set a Deadline: This is the most important. Most of us are big producers when we have a definitive deadline. Think of all the times you pushed it when you knew there was not another option. I like to call them action forcers. They make us do things when normally we might push them back.

I use these systems in most everything I do.  So, it's only natural I built each of these principles into our newest challenge Get Back on Track to ensure each participant’s success.    

• Plan and Prep:  The eating principles are laid out.  The meal ideas are there.  The shopping lists are created. You just have to put everything in motion.  
• Get a Coach:  This is what Cr8 Fitness is all about.  We have worked with hundreds of clients, seen successes and failures and know exactly what you need to do to be successful.  
• Social Support/Accountability:  A challenge surrounds you with other people all looking to make improvements in their lives.  We support this with a private Facebook group that is unequivocally positive and inclusive.  
• Reward Yourself:  Attaining better health is a long term reward that is hard to put a price on. I've decided for this challenge each week I make it through successfully I will spend $10 on myself. That is hard for me to spend money on me. You can decide how you want to reward yourself. 
• Set a Deadline:  The challenge starts January 19th, well, technically Monday, January 24th but the days before then are prep days so you can hit the ground running on Monday.

This is how we ensure success during our challenges.  

Questions?   Give me a call 603-340-7852 or email me nancy@cr8fitness.com

If you are ready to start taking care of you in 2022 click here! 

To Your Best Health,

Coach Nancy

The world waits for no one and rewards action takers.

P.S. If I can help in anyway please let me know.

I had a few thoughts over the weekend that I wanted to share with you!

1. Focus on the process not the outcomes. We don’t get healthy by stepping on the scale every morning. We get healthy by doing the daily work it takes to get healthy.
2. 9 out of 10 times, the biggest limiting factor is our own mind. You can be successful, you are just letting your mind get in the way,
3. The all or nothing approach doesn’t work. You are not on or off the wagon. Accept that improvement takes time and consistency.
4. Start small. The successful person works towards consistency before optimization.    
5. Examine your daily habits. Our daily habits make us who we are and have made us the person we are today. Are we where we want to be?
6. Bulk cook. Seriously, this is a lead domino to being healthier.
7. Eliminate excuses. Excuses don’t serve us. Make a decision. Do or do not, but do not try.
8. Stop waiting for Monday. What simple task can move you in the right direction today?
9. Take care of yourself. If you want to have the capacity to take care of others, you need to be selfish first.
10. Surround yourself with supportive people. This is one of the most powerful change agents.  Surround yourself with people that lift you up and challenge you to be better.
11. Move every day. Just 5-10 minutes of movement first thing in the morning can be magical.  
12. Automagic Happiness just doesn't happen. There is no magic pill. At the end of the day, you need to do the work.  

That's it. Thanks for reading.  

To Your Best Health,

Coach Nancy

P.S. If you haven't signed up to GET Back on Track, check it out here. 

"I don't know about you but I do know I need to lose weight" Actually I do know about you, and health is on your mind. Body weight is a part of health, a big part of health. One of the biggest concerns in our world is Covid. The research is showing extra body weight and obesity are a dangerous combination with Covid. Scare tactics are not what I am doing, but since you are thinking health, body weight is a factor. Even before the pandemic our January Nutrition Challenge has always been about health. This challenge is no different. 

Get Back On Track in 2022 is designed to help you (and me) regain the information about how particular foods effect our body. We know eating too much of any food or all foods add body weight but do you know how one particular food effects you? 

While we give you everything you need to succeed, you still play a part in choosing your own adventure. We are going to tackle the "Three Big Tickets" - Sugar, Grains, and Dairy, by temporarily removing them from your eating plan and replacing them with healthy, whole food alternatives. You can take it one (four?) steps further by investigating how caffeine, alcohol, legumes and soy affect how you feel. Then you can put your newfound knowledge into action every day.

I'm excited to be challenged in this way. I know with accountability and help, I can stay away from the BIG 3 Tickets of Sugar, Dairy, and Grains. Just like getting a daily check mark for perfect attendance, I enjoy the extra challenge of seeing how long and how I feel when I also take away coffee. When you see me with my mug in hand during this challenge, it won't be coffee inside. I know it will be a healthier version of me to avoid caffeine too. What about you? 

In your "Back On Track 2022" 21+ Day Nutrition Challenge Guide and File Folder, we’ve given you all the tools you need to succeed:

• The 21+ Day Nutrition Challenge program designed to change your perspective on foods
• The 21+ Day Nutrition Big Ticket Review and optional Add Ons
• A guide for choosing the healthiest foods to put in your cart (and mouth)
• A Meal Planning Template and Sample Meal Plan
• Your 21-Day Habit Tracker
• The "Symptom Spreadsheet" to help you identify potential food allergens
• A bonus meal planning recipe book stock full of everything you’ll need for the 21+ Day Challenge
• An additional bonus section on traveling tips, quick meals made easy, eating out and moving beyond the 21+ Day Nutrition Challenge

Join me and Coach Dean in this challenge, 

Learn more and then sign up by clicking Here.

I'm ready to be Back On Track,

Coach Nancy

Registration Ends: Monday, January 17, 2022

Initial Weigh-in Due: Monday January 24, 2022  Challenge Start Dates: Prep Week: January 19, 22 Challenge: January 24, 22  Reintroduction Week: February 14, 22  Final Weigh-in Due: Friday February 26, 22  Last MyCoach Question: Monday, February 21, 22

Join us

Naughty or Nice, Its a decision for Santa but you don't have to worry what list you'll be on with these treats. Chris shared her Bon Bon recipe with us in the Fall. My girls have made their protein balls for as long as I can remember. At Christmas this year, I wanted to share them both with you.

Chris' Bon Bons

• 2 scoops Rocky Road UMP (protein powder from Beverly International)
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 10 Mejoul Dates
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 Tablespoon flax seed
• 2 Tablespoon cacoa nibs
• Water as needed
• Coconut for rolling

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a food processor. Combine until all ingredients are blended smooth. I had to add 1/4 cup of water but go slow when adding so you get a very sticky mixture. Roll in grated coconut. This makes about 30 small bon bons. 

Amy and K's Protein Balls

• 1 cup graham cracker protein powder (from Beverly International)
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup honey

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Stir until they are incorporated well. You could do this by hand, it just takes patience. Add in water if needed. Roll in cocoa powder or enjoy plain. 

These treats can be enjoyed at Christmastime and any other time you need a healthy snack.

Enjoy good food,

Coach Nancy

This is one of my favorite posts. If you've read it before then enjoy the read again. It is that good. We've had so much talk about food lately I thought this would help to set us all straight on the matter of holiday eating. 

Before we get to the Christmas Cheer I want to remind you of the schedule going on in December. 

• Recovery week = December 23 - January 2, 2022. You can read the ins and outs of why recovery week is important right here. Enjoy family and friends during this time.
• December 20, 21 and Wednesday the 22nd. All regular training times will be happening. You don't want to miss the last day to train in 2021. You never know when the 12 Days Pains of Christmas will happen and a brand new training for the final week of 2022.
• January 3rd.  First training time of the year always proves to be one remembered all year long.

There you have it the schedule you'll need to know to finish the year strong and start the year right. 

Now to enjoy some Christmas Cheer: It's from Coach Dean's Dad. He's my Dad too at least that is how I feel about him. He is fantastic. His sense of humor is second to none. 

So anyway he sent this list on holiday eating tips, I figured I would share them with you too.

Thanks Dad!

• Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a Christmas buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit.. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

• Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

• If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

• As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

• Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

• Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

• If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

• Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

• Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards. Unless it’s been soaked in rum for a year. (My mother’s recipe)

One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Have a great holiday season!!
Merry Christmas,

Coach Nancy

All I really want is a cup of coffee.

Yet every time I drive into my local coffee shop (you know who you are) it's staring me in the face. A Peppermint Mocha, Eggnog, or Gingerbread Latte.

SOOOO good, but also enough sugar to put me into a coma.

​But there's gotta be a way to get that holiday taste AND get some good nutrition in, right?

Oh Yeah!

A few years our favorite protein supplement provider, Beverly International, put out some recipes they called "The 12 Mugs of Christmas", using their absolutely delicious "Ultimate Muscle Protein".

We decided it was time for an update, so we tweaked a couple of the recipes, gave an option to use one of their newest flavors - Graham Cracker, and compiled it into a full color downloadable .pdf you can have for absolutely free.

With a selection of both hot and cold drinks,​ coffee based and ​not, this recipe booklet is sure to please your taste buds this holiday season. Check out the names of these recipes:

• Peppermint Peace
• Santa's Gingerbread
• Wings of an Angel
• Silent Night
• J​oy to the World
• Mid-Winter
• Home for the Holidays
• Naughty or Nice
• Candy Cane Delight
• Angels Sing
• Christmas in a Cup
• Santa's Cup of UMP
• Rudolph's Applesnack
  

​A Baker's Dozen!

Not convinced Mr. Scrooge? 🙂

Here's a sample of just one of these delicious recipes.

Candy Cane Delight

1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk
1 scoop UMP Chocolate
1 tbsp Sugar Free Peppermint Mocha Creamer
¼ tsp Peppermint extract
8-10 ice cubes
Blend all ingredients for 1 minute​​​

Want to turn it into a hot drink? Substitute hot coffee for the almond milk and ditch the ice! 

A tip from the head elf: Use a blender for your hot drinks too. It ensures the protein is fully mixed and adds a wonderful froth to the top!

Just enter your info below for your FREE instant download. Grab it before it goes away!

We've had our first dose of snow for the season. There is a new attendance challenge starting. InBody scans need to done for the month. The gym is sparkling and decorated. Someone hid the "Elf on the Shelf". (you need to find him) And FUN Friday's are getting a boost through the whole month. Every Friday after training you'll be able to create a Protein Smoothie to help speed you along to a healthier you.

Let's take that one at a time, please!

           Snow has fallen. The first snows melt rather quickly but always be careful as you travel in and out of the gym. Safety first everyone. As a reminder if there is a question about whether or not to make the commute to the gym, check your email, facebook or your phone. I will post a notice for some reason we can't have training by 4am for the morning groups and 3pm for the afternoon. BUT remember we have this amazing thing called Zoom. We'll use Zoom if there is ice and lots of it where we can't keep up with the parking lot. If you con't have power, the gym might not either so check your device for a notice when the weather is bad. 

December's attendance challenge is a group effort. Each time you are in for training grab a sticker and add it to your training time's tree. As the month goes on, each tree will get filled and overloaded with decor. I can't wait to see if we can even see the trees by the end of the month. 

Every month you are stepping on the InBody scan in order to keep on eye on your weight, body fat, and hydration levels. December is no exception. If you're also participating in the NO Holiday Weight Gain Challenge, you'll do an InBody once a week. 🙂

Cr8 Fitness is decorated for the season. A little more sparkly and shiny. It makes it a bit more of family space when you can smell pine and see lights glittering. 

The Elf on the Shelf tradition continues. He's changed appearances over the years but the game is the same. As you train be on the look out for a hidden elf. It looks more like a gnome from Travelocity but green. Whoever finds him gets to hide them for the next training time. A small piece of him has to be visible and he hides only in the main gym area. The creativity and genius behind some of his hiding place astounds me. Keep an eye out. 

I love you of my Cr8 Fitness Family. I'd like to show just a smidge of how much I appreciate you by offering you a Smoothie Bar every Friday in December. You'll be able to create a protein smoothie using a variety of ingredients after you train on Fridays. I'll have some recipe guidelines available to help you along the way. Enjoy and Thank you.

Check out the video on did on Facebook about December's happenings. 

Let's have the Best December Ever,

Coach Nancy

P.S. Recovery Week begins on December 23rd and goes through January 2nd. Let's train hard until then. 

Every year on Thanksgiving we load up our plate with all the wonderful foods we love. Next time you hit the gym load up your training plate in much the same way. 

Here's what I mean. At Cr8 Fitness we've designed your training program so that your body can get strong all over. 

What if you come in one day and your shoulders are tender from all the leaf raking you did over the weekend. Maybe your knee is bit swollen from a spill you took when you tripped on a small rut in the parking lot while grocery shopping last week. Since many of us at Cr8 Fitness are not spring chickens we tend to have stuff going on. 

That stuff doesn't have to stop us from training and training hard. We want to train smart. That is where Thanksgiving comes into the picture. Imagine for a moment that you come in on Tuesday with a slight "ick' in your shoulder. Everything else about you feels great. You just have a little something something and want to take it easy. Taking it easy is that 'polite portion' we usually take to please the hostess. Your polite portion of training might be stretching, foam rolling, or going without heavy weights for that day. BUT that polite portion doesn't apply to all of your training. As your coach, I can help you determine which exercise is your polite portion while the rest of your 'Thanksgiving' Training plate can be loaded right up. 

Next time you train, use your 'Thanksgiving' Training plate. Load up your plate on everything that your body is ready for you and work with me to know what needs to just have a polite portion. 

Enjoy Thanksgiving and always enjoy Thanksgiving at Cr8 Fitness's training. 

To your best Health,

Coach Nancy

Gratefulness does not come naturally to most of us.

It’s kind of like exercise.

We know it’s something we should practice, but we just don’t feel like it.

Seems like it’s easier to find something to gripe about than something to be thankful for.

But just like exercise, when you practice gratitude it becomes easier, and just like exercise an attitude of gratitude just makes life better.

I need more practice.

So here goes:

I am grateful for my hard working hubby who works long hours, can do anything he sets his mind to, and  loves me and his family. I love you Dean.

I am grateful for my 6 kids. The joy and enthusiasm they bring to me each day is priceless. To think I am a Gigi (grandmother) to 4 amazing little ones is more than I can fathom. 

I am grateful for my parents, and siblings. I will never understand why God gave me such a wonderful experience growing up.

I am grateful for Cr8 Fitness. I am grateful to every person who has walked through our doors. You allow me to do what I love to do. By allowing me to help you be better, you make me better. Thank-You!

I am grateful for the daily blessings the Creator bestows every day that is all too often overlooked. The sun that lights our way, the air we breathe, and the beauty of this world.

Practice makes perfect, so even when it’s hard I challenge you to practice a little gratitude each and every day. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Coach Nancy

My kids like it when I make them breakfast before school. Who wouldn't want to have your meal served to you? The challenge is that I am in the gym with a wild 6:15 crew so making food for my kids is impossible, right? I've found I can still get a gold star from my kids and give them a great start to their day while being in the gym at the same time. Today I made Pumpkin Chia Pudding for them. The best thing is I made it at noon time for them to have tomorrow and there is enough for Dean and I to have too. Win win for all of us. And you can win too as this was so yummy and easy. (I licked the spoon after I dished it into serving bowls. Definitely yummy)

Pumpkin Chia Pudding

• 1.5 cups almond milk, I used apple juice as I didn't have any almond milk. 
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 scoop protein powder, vanilla  I used Graham Cracker
• 2 TB almond butter
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• Sea Salt, a pinch

Blend all ingredients, except chia seeds, until smooth. Place the blended mixture into a reseal-able large jar (smaller jars) then add chia seeds. Seal jar and shake.

Place in refrigerator overnight or for at least 3+ hours. Breakfast, snack or post workout recovery is served!

Did you see the recipes you Cr8-ed with protein powder? Check them out here. 

Enjoy Good Food,

Coach Nancy