Category Archives for "Healthy Habits"

Life Is Not A Hobby

Those people who know me well know I don't tend to do things halfway. When I commit to something I try to give my best effort and steer toward excellence. Even when I don't hit it, I don't want to have to tell myself I didn't try hard enough. Failure isn't the end, just one more way to learn, but giving up or giving in without giving it your best builds habits I'd rather not build. And yes, sometimes I take it too far, or take it too hard when it doesn't work out like I want. I'm still working on not taking myself so seriously Coach Nancy. 

One of the things I do take seriously is trying to stay fit and healthy. I don't always hit that mark either, which is why I am really glad to have the focus of our current "Sizzlin' Summer Slimdown" challenge. Me and the InBody had some words the other day, and unfortunately I had to take it's word over what I wanted to believe.

Which brings me to this quote from one of my favorite authors and quote genius, James Clear:

Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having a hobby. I have enjoyed woodworking since my dad and Paul Davis taught me some basic skill in 4-H. Creating something with my hands is something I very much enjoy. But I don't do it all the time, in fact I can literally go months between picking up my tools. But that's not going to kill me.

On the other hand, there are some things you just can't pick up and put down any time you feel like, or get "too busy", or just aren't in the mood.

Your Health and Fitness is one (two?) of them.

Your health isn't like riding a bicycle. You can't put it on the shed for 6 months or a year and get right back on and start riding. It takes awhile to get back in the groove.

When it comes to the health and fitness habit, momentum is everything.

And as we all know, momentum works both ways.

If you don't like starting over, stop stopping.

You get one life. There are no "do-overs". You can't hit reset and buy another one. 

You have been given a gift. You can take care of it like you would a new Ferrari, or you can treat it like a beat up 66 Plymouth. Vintage 66, that's me. A little dinged up, the hardtop is fading a bit, but I am still taking care of it the best I can.

Don't make your health a hobby.

Live life to the fullest full-time, all the time.

Make It Happen!

- DC

Let it RIP – Sizzlin Summer Slimdown 2020!

Guess What? It's Summer!

(Like, no kidding, Coach Nancy.)

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To Skip All The Reading and Just Sign Up Already, Click Here

As your Coach I am loving the job I get to do each day. I work the most fabulous people around. My primary focus is to help each of you get better.

  • Get Healthier
  • Get Moving
  • Get Stronger
  • Get Leaner
  • Better Nutrition
  • Better Body Composition
  • Better Flexibility
  • Better Looking (We'll leave that one alone)

I know that if you become Healthier you Automagically become Happier, and the world needs a Whole Lot More Happy right now. 

Which brings me back to It Summer. Cr8 Fitness has always done S3 Sizzlin Summer Slimdown. With Covid hitting out country nothing has been normal, and we are rolling it out later than normal. Whatever. It's just about time we put as much normal into our life as possible. 

If you are anything like me, you probably know more people who have lost weight and gained it all back then those who have lost it and KEPT it off.

Why is that?

It's simple really; dieting works, until you don't diet anymore. If you go "off" your diet and go back to the way you were eating, you can't expect to keep it off. You know that, I know that, and yet we try to do it anyway. It's short term thinking, and it doesn't work.

Creating permanent change is not easy, but it IS possible.

Face it, we don't like change, we don't want to change, and dad gum (strong language alert) you can't MAKE me change! 

You're right. I can't.

But YOU can adopt new habits and practice new skills that lead you to change, pretty much automagically. 

Here's How:

Sizzlin Summer Slimdown is:

  1. A Six Week program designed to help you lose weight and body fat. 
  2. Habit based so you can keep off the weight.
  3. Done with a group of like minded peeps that want to lose weight too.
  4. Has the support of a fantastic, amazing, really wonderful, super, awesome coach (seriously? - editor)
  5. Uses a score sheet to allow you to keep track of your daily progress
  6. Daily lessons to keep you focused.

Ok, let's do a little whining:

"But It's Summer Coach Nancy...... I have so many day trips planned and company is coming over for a picnic outside and my nephew has a birthday party and there is a graduation celebration I need to attend and I usually have a few drinks on the weekend and I tend to grill more and my family likes......... (that's a run on sentence that you have to say all in one breath - practice, you'll get it)

If you want to sign up for S3 - sign up for S3. If all those things are really going to prevent you from tackling the program, don't sign up. 

I was talking to Coach Dean this morning, He and I would like to get more focused. We both want to drop a few pounds. We know we need support. And we definitely need a plan. I need it SIMPLE. 

S3 IS Simple, which means...

S3 is Perfect for Us, which means...

​Just Maybe it'll be Perfect for You Too. 

There is a Perfectly Simple Way to Find Out.

Simply Sign Up! (pretty subtle, huh?)

Here's What You Need To Know

- Signup starts today and ends Sunday, July 19th.

- S3 2020 runs for 6 weeks. Monday July 20th through Sunday August 30th

- Initial InBody Scan is due by Tuesday, July 21

- Final InBody Scan is due by Friday, August 28

- There will be One Grand Prize: 25% of the registration pool for the highest percentage of body fat lost, and we are also donating 25% to local businesses impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

- When you sign up you will receive a welcome email that will have your downloadable, printable scoresheet. You will need one scorecard for each week (there are two to each page, so print 3 total copies). All the habits will be right on the scoresheet, so you will have plenty of time to prepare.

- We will focus on one habit per week, and build on all the habits from the previous week.

- Your daily lessons will be delivered through MyCoach.

- We'll have a Facebook Group setup for those of you who would like a place to hang out, swap recipes ideas and get some great support. P.S. No whining about the Facebook thing, we already had the whining section above.

Who Is S3 2020 For? Do I have to be a training client to sign up?

Nope! (see, that was simple)

You don't have much time to sign up so just do it right now.

Remember S3 is habit based, You use your own meal plans and foods to suit your tastes and style.  Your first week of lessons also covers meal planning from A - Z, and even includes our Super Simple Meal Plan. The beauty is that the whole program teaches you how to eat, not just what to eat. And If you need more help you can subscribe to Cr8 Your Plate for meal planning and grocery lists each and every month.

We're getting this show on the road very quickly. Don't think about it, don't hem and haw, if you want to join in on S3 -  Sign Up Now for Only $37 by Filling Out The Form Below! 

Golden Thumbs UP!

A month ago we were all giving each other Golden Thumbs Up on Zoom. I discovered them about a week before the government let NH gyms open back up. Some would say I discovered them too late while others were hoping I didn't find the "Reactions" button on Zoom. When you can't give high fives the Reaction button with clapping hands or the Golden Thumbs Up worked. 

I am excited that almost 85% of the Cr8 peeps have kept up their training on a consistent basis either on Zoom or in the gym. (We have more doing their training using the Cr8  Fitness Virtual Training Studio. It has been challenging to track attendance there.) 85% is far above the average. I already knew our crew was above average, I don't want you to forget it though. 

For the few that need a gentle nudge to get moving again or for those that have let Covid 19 become a reason to eat more watch this quick video. This virus smacked us all up side the head. It was a drastic change in lifestyle forced on us quickly. Our best defense is to stay on top of all we can control. 

Exercise Smart, Eat Well, Enjoy life! That's the Cr8 Fitness way. 

Coach Nancy

Cr8 Gardens Vlog 6/22/2020

I figured the happy occasion of harvesting the first Zucchini and Summer Squash would be a great time for some Cr8tive Garden updates! Two videos for your viewing pleasure; one of the goings on inside, and the other outside. Cool stuff happening!

How does your garden grow? 🙂

Inside: Microgreens and Hydroponics
Outside: From Cherry Trees to Cherry Tomatoes

Are You Antifragile?

Have you ever thought about what the opposite of "fragile" is? Being fragile is defined as:

fragile adjective
(of an object) easily broken or destroyed
(of a person) not strong or sturdy; delicate and vulnerable

So it stands to reason that the opposite of fragile is to not be those things, right? 

Author Nassim Nicholas Talib, in his 2012 book Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder takes it one (or more) steps beyond. Here's how he describes Anti-fragilty;

"Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it anti-fragile. Anti-fragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the anti-fragile gets better."

Now Mr. Talib and I don't agree on everything, who does? For instance he isn't a big fan of training in gyms, not random enough I guess.

I on the other hand look at it this way; consistent resistance training using progressive overload absolutely fits the antifragile paradigm. You are breaking down muscle tissue in the gym, and when you use proper recovery methods - nutrition and proper rest among them - you then create a physiological response that makes your muscles stronger and more resilient to the same stress through supercompensation. 

In many circumstances our immune systems work the same way. Exposure creates resistance. Vaccines work this way. I am convinced that kids need to play in the dirt, run around, and take some bumps and bruises for the same reason. And we can all be big kids, right?

It also goes way beyond training in the gym. Nancy and I are looking at ways to make our business more antifragile. Covid-19 hit our industry hard. Being classified as "non-essential" hit our psyches pretty hard. In response we are creating a new division called Cr8tive Gardens and are building the infrastructure so that if something like this happens again we are able to provide additional essential services.

In my other life as a business coach focusing on finance and profitability, I have seen a very tangible outworking of antifragile in action. Individuals and businesses who have cash management strategies in place and were debt-free before the crises are the ones who are in position to take advantage of the rebound; not just survive but actually thrive and get stronger because they were actively preparing for worst case, even when there was no evidence anything was going to happen. 

Look, you don't become antifragile overnight. Robustness and Resiliency are worthy goals and achievements. I hurt my hand pretty seriously Friday (stupidity, don't ask) and I am amazed by how rapidly it appears to be healing. I try to stay in good shape and keep my immune system healthy for circumstances just like this. I don't quite have the healing powers of Wolverine, but it really does help.

So how can you work on being anti-fragile?

Practice good health habits. A anti-inflammatory diet rich in nourishing foods. Good sleep habits. Recreation that challenges the body and mind. And of course, regular exercise which includes resistance and weight bearing exercise. That's where we come in.

Covid-19 has pulled us into places we never thought we would go. Right now we have training options that are practically "excuse-free". We are back to training in the gym 5 classes a day following the state safety guidelines. We simulcast those via Zoom so you can train at home if you choose. That training is also recorded and posted so our members can do it later if needed. And we have added 2 outdoor classes a day. 

Robustness, Resiliency and Anti-Fragility don't just happen.

You gotta Make It Happen.

Start Here Now

Kindness, Respect and Love

And while you are at it....

Throw a little patience into that mix as well, please.

As we prepare to open our physical gym next Monday, there are no easy answers how to do it "right". Nancy has done an amazing job reaching out to you, seeing what your thoughts are, and then working to come up with a plan to get things rolling. 

We are doing everything within our power to do a number of things at the same time:

  1. Work within the guidelines the state has issued
  2. Provide a safe, healthy environment
  3. Serve you our amazing clients in the best way we know how

This is going to require some change, and we all know how much we human beings love change. I think most of us would just like to go back to the way things were, like right now. I am with you. That would be the easiest for everyone involved.

That just isn't going to happen. Not yet, and I don't have a timeline for "when".

I want to assure you. We are listening, we hear you, and we are responding. There are some things we are being required to do that we would rather not do - advance scheduling is one of them. It isn't convenient, it's hard to manage, and it can cause conflicts. I get it. 

But each of us as individuals have our own part to play. This is one we need you to get on board with.

Here's another.

When it comes right down to it, we all have our thoughts and opinions on the crisis and how it was handled. Yours and mine may be different. 

Can that be OK?

No doubt as we first start gathering together some of those thoughts will be shared. Here's my ask.

Do it kindly, with respect.

Your value as a human being is not altered because you don't agree on issues. There is a lot of very unnecessary nastiness "out there". Can we really preach love and tolerance for all and then publically blast certain individuals we don't like and wish harm on them? Can I have a different opinion than you without you thinking I am a moron? If not. I would suggest that says more about you than me.

And I am not talking about anybody in particular. There is plenty of embarrassing rhetoric going around no matter where you stand on issues.

Cr8 Fitness has always been a safe space to come and be who you are. Training here comes with rights AND responsibilities.

Kindness. Respect. Patience. And yes, showing a little bit of love wouldn't hurt either.

Can't wait to see you all soon!

- DC

P.S. Please be kind to Nancy too. She has done an amazing job serving you in very difficult circumstances over the last 10 weeks. You have an extraordinary coach. Don't take it for granted. Or else. Just kidding. Maybe. 

What’s the Scoop with Protein Shakes?

Protein, it’s a word we throw around when we talk about food. I thought you might enjoy some Facts about Protein. It is one of my favorite food subjects - protein!

Why is protein so important?

The simple answer is without an adequate supply of all the things protein supplies in our bloodstream, our bodies don't function well.

Our bodies use proteins to produce enzymes, hormones and antibodies. Protein is the "building blocks" of our cells and without it we can not replace worn out cells or repair muscle tissue from training.

Do I eat enough Protein at each meal?

Adequate protein is crucial to giving your body what it needs to manufacture enzymes, hormones and antibodies. Protein is needed to replace worn out cells and build new cells. You can't be your best without enough protein. Here is where that delightful help comes from Protein shakes. It can help fill in a serving of protein with each scoop (20-24 grams) when our eating habits of work schedule makes it challenging. 

You can add a serving of protein powder to so many drinks. Protein is especially good for those who exercise hard. The most important thing to remember is to use a high-quality protein. The cheapest is not always the best.

Now getting back to shakes. The most wonderful thing about shakes is that you really can't mess them up. Using a variety of protein flavors, adding in a base liquid, a tablespoon of nuts or seeds, a serving of fruit and of course a handful of spinach you can create a shake blend you enjoy having it over and over.

Not sure you're the creative type when it comes to food? I'll start you off and then you can take it from there.

Cherry Vanilla Smoothie

  • 3/4 cup Frozen Cherries,
  • 1 serving Vanilla Protein Powder,
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1 cup Water,
  • 1 Tbsp. Chia Seeds

Blend the water and spinach FIRST, then add the rest of the ingredients

Chocolate Covered Blueberry Smoothie

  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk,
  • 2 cups spinach,
  • ½ cup frozen blueberries,
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder

Blend and Enjoy!

Protein shakes come in seasonal flavors as well with Pumpkin Pie and Apple Cinnamon for the Fall. Chocolate mint and Green Pistachio for the Winter, and then a cool Strawberry Cream and Tropical Nirvana round out the summer taste buds. 

Get your copy of "Smoothies 101" today, with step by step instructions and over 25 amazing recipes, including "Tropical Nirvana", "Almond Joy" and "Maple Sugar Hot Chocolate". Yummm!  

Remember you can use Cr8 Take Out to purchase your favorite flavor of Protein Powders. 

To Your Best Health,

Coach Nancy


The Mission (Not) Impossible Challenge Is Here!

I don't know about you, but this whole "stay-at-home" thing has got me itching for a challenge I can actually DO something about!

That's why Nancy and I came up with the "Mission (Not) Impossible" Challenge.

For the month of May we are going to get our keisters out of chair, turn off the PC for a few minutes, and do some sweating - preferably for a few minutes every day.

It's a super simple challenge. When you sign up you'll be sent a scoresheet with some super secret exercises (at least until you sign up). The scoresheet will have 4 columns with a boatload of exercises (I seriously can't remember how many and I don't feel like looking) 🙂

Every time you complete an exercise for the prescribed amount of reps, you cross it off the sheet. Every time you complete all the exercises in a column, your earn a ticket for one of 3 fabulous prizes. The more columns you complete the more tickets you earn the more chances you have to win some swag. If you finish all 4 columns on one sheet, you can print another one and keep going if you want - booyah!

That IS Simple!

Here's some tips:

  1. If you stay consistent, you’ll likely win. 
  2. If you don’t you’ll likely lose
  3. Cool prizes up for grabs. Like your favorite tub of protein with some brussels sprouts (just seeing if you are paying attention)

The challenge is aimed at...

Accelerating your overall results & getting you ​burning some extra calories

  • Keeping you focused and super fit away from the sessions
  • Accelerating your overall results & getting you burning some extra calories

We'll even set you up with daily reminders on MyCoach so you don't forget!

And there are just a few simple rules:

1. Don't start before May 4th you cheater

2. Last day to complete your columns is Sunday May 31st

3. Scorecards have to be turned in by Friday June 5th

How much for all this amazing wonderfulness you ask?

$5?

$50?

One MILLION Dollars?

No. It's Just Free.

Except the sweating and getting your butt kicked part.

Invite your friends and enemies, it's gonna be a party!

Sign Up Below. 

- DC

Enter your name and email here and you are good to go!

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