Category Archives for "Mindset"

Take the quiz below to find out the best way to start better nutritional habits for life.

What one food item do 75% of Americans not get enough of daily?

• Twinkies
• Dark chocolate
• Ice cream Sundaes
• Water

What is one system of your body that typically feels like hunger even if you know you are not?

• The emotional heart break
• The Mind games that are played at work
• Stress after looking at our bank statement
• Thirst. Instead of drinking you tend to eat

The number one cause of daytime fatigue is?

• Not taking a break at work
• Eating too much at your lunch hour
• Having to sit at a desk all day
• Lack of hydration, you need to drink more water

What can you consume to ease back and joint pain for 80% of people?

• Bacon, (Hint: not everything is better with bacon)
• Ketchup, (another hint: you can’t cover up pain, it’s inside you)
• Sprinkles or Jimmies, (rainbows and sparkles roll right off your back and don’t stick to your joints)
• Water (hint: water aids in lubricating our joints)

5 Glasses of water a day can decrease the risk of?

• Colon Cancer by 45%
• Breast Cancer by 79%
• Bladder Cancer by 50%
• All of the Above

If you are just 3% dehydrated, what starts to slow down?

• Short term memory- Ever walk upstairs and wonder why you did?
• Our intestinal tract
• Metabolism
• All of the Above

By now you might have guessed that the last answer was the correct answer to each question.

 Water is the most important nutrient we can feed our bodies. Let’s face it we all know we can survive a lot longer without food than without water but we certainly don't act like it. If you are like me, I sometimes feel like I am starving (like every few hours) and yet I rarely say I am dying of thirst. If I truly believed that water is the most important nutrient I would be drinking water all the time. Again I usually drink with my meals and rarely in between. To me that looks like I am giving just as much focus on the food I eat as the water I drink. Science tells us that the body would die without water in just a few days and yet we could survive 3-4 times that without food. Some of us could go even longer. What do we need so much water for?

· 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world pop.)

· In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

· Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

· One glass of water deters hunger pangs for 98% of the dieters observed in a University of Washington study.

· The biggest trigger of daytime fatigue is lack of water.

· Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

· A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

· Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79%, and develop bladder cancer by 50%.

· Water serves as a lubricant

· Water forms the base for saliva

· Water forms the fluids that surround the joints.

· Water regulates the body temperature, as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.

· Water helps to alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste- the best detox agent.

· Regulates metabolism

Did you see that last one? That is how our bodies use the fuel we give it.

This list is not exhaustive but it only touches the surface. Our bodies are 98% water so we need to replenish it and renew it.

So how much water does all this take? Researchers say to take half of your body weight and drink that in ounces. So if you weigh 150 pounds that is 75 ounces of water a day. Remember the 8-10 glasses that your doctor told you to drink. If there are 8 ounces of water in each glass you are not getting enough. (10 glasses times 8 ounces is only 80 ounces of water, so make it 16 ounces of water or two cups in each glass and you are there.)

Drink up,

Coach Nancy

No fluff in this introduction. In order to be at your healthiest this should define your eating habits.

10 Nutrition Rules to Live by:

• You control the supply lines. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them. Adults decide which foods are regularly stocked in the house. If it's not available in the cupboard and fridge at home you are less likely to make a store run just for a craving.  If their favorite snack isn't all that nutritious, you can still buy it once in a while so they don't feel deprived.
• Plan. Plan your meals including snacks if needed. A meal plan will save you time, energy, and aggravation. Knowing ahead of time what is the menu selection will afford you the opportunity to shop only for the items needed that week. You’ll more likely not forget to take items out of the freezer as well. If you work off your meal plan when it comes time to make the meal, you’ll have everything needed to put the meal together. Don’t forget to also schedule times to eat your regular meal and snack times.
• Quit the "clean-plate club. Please stop eating when you feel you've had enough. Lots of us grew up under the clean-plate rule, but that approach doesn't allow you to listen to your body tell you when feel full or 80% full. When you respond to feelings of fullness, you're less likely to overeat.
• Try new foods/recipes. Food preferences are developed early in life, so offer variety. Likes and dislikes begin forming even when kids are babies. But that doesn’t mean you can’t develop different taste as you grow older. Try a new ‘old’ food. Prepare a food you didn’t care for in a different way. You never know it might just become a favorite.
• Rewrite the menu. Who says you have to prepare Tacos every Tuesday and Spaghetti on Wednesday with Fish on Friday? It might surprise you how willing your family is to try a new recipe next week.  
• Drink calories count. Soda and other sweetened drinks add extra calories and get in the way of good nutrition. I don’t know of an adult who thinks of them as nutritious. But many of us will not part with our coffee/ latte topped off with sugar and cream or our Gatorade during a hot day. Alcohol? Again, calories you need to count in your day.  
• Put sweets in their place. Occasional sweets are fine, but don't turn dessert into the main reason for eating dinner. When dessert is the prize for eating dinner, we naturally place more value on the cupcake than the broccoli. Try to stay neutral about foods. Remember moderation is not once a day or even every other day.
• Food is not love. Find better ways to say "I love you." When foods are used as a reward and to show affection, they start becoming a coping device for stress or other emotions. Enjoy time alone, listening to a favorite song, buy a new pair of sunglasses instead of food treats.
• Kids do as you do. Be a role model and eat healthy. When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example possible. Choose nutritious snacks, eat at the table, try different foods in a variety of ways, and don't skip meals.
• Limit TV and computer time. When you do, you'll avoid mindless snacking and encourage activity. With limited TV and computer time, you'll find more active things to do. And limiting "screen time" means you'll have more time to be active With those you love together.

I ran into this video AGAIN as I was looking for something totally different. It was a blast from the past in many different ways. (the best is at the end of the video) The message however is still true. 

So many of us need someone who will stand behind them no matter what. I know for a fact that Coach Dean has my back and will give it to me truthfully when I need it. In fact he is kind enough to let me know when my nutrition is showing in the great ways but also when my nutrition shows in the not so great ways. He says it in love but he is kind enough and loves me enough to know when I need to get back on track. I have a friend Jenn, who is like a sister. She can give it to me straight and then we cry and laugh together. 

As your coach, I want you to be successful in reaching your goals. As your friend I want you to be as healthy as you possibly can.

Here's how that might look:

• Stop me after training to chat about healthier options for meals
• Facebook message me to find a recipe to help you feed your family a healthier version of spaghetti. (or any other meal, I have over 1,000 recipes I trust and use)
• Text me if you are struggling with a craving and want to push it away instead of giving in this time
• email me with questions about "Just how much water should I be drinking each day?"
• Search our blogs, I've written a lot about food. Its one of my favorite subjects ever.
• Oh so many different ways to pick my brain and so many different aspects of health we could talk about. 

Don't be shy. I'll do my best to give you a straight answer and also provide you with any tools to make your journey easier. 

To your best health,

Coach Nancy

I get asked a lot of questions about nutrition. Nutrition and Fitness go hand and hand. Dean and I have both come from backgrounds of unhealthy living to a much healthier state. Dean has lost over 100 pounds. He stopped weighing in when he didn't want to see the number on the scale anymore. I was unfamiliar with 'real' foods for a very long time. I ate from boxes and cans and LIttle Debbie Snack Cakes were often a meal for me. Not so much anymore for either of us. 

Our biggest change was eating vegetables and lots of them. Here is why. 

• Low in Calorie
• Low in sugars
• high in fiber
• high in water content
• off the charts in vitamins and minerals

Just for the record, these are all great things. Actually, you can think of non-starchy vegetables as being (almost) "free" in terms of the calories they will add to your diet. Especially when you consider how much fiber, and how many vitamins and minerals they provide for your body. You can eat copious amounts of them every day without gaining weight. Yes, they are that magical. 

In fact, if you’re ever hungry - even after having already eaten an appropriate amount of food - choosing to eat more vegetables to fill yourself up is always going to be your best bet. Low in calories, high in fiber, high in water, it's a recipe for successful weight loss. 

Examples of non-starchy vegetables include:

• Salad – Spinach, kale, arugula, bok choy, beet greens, collard greens, radicchio, watercress
• Vegetables – Asparagus, artichoke, bean sprouts, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, green beans, green onions, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions, radishes, rutabaga, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, zucchini

This is by no means is an exhaustive list, but it's a good start to get the wheels turning at the grocery store. Eat these freely; we typically don't put a cap on how many non-starchy vegetables you can eat because the calorie content is so low.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes to help you get veggies in at every meal.

Mini Quiche

• 2 cups Spinach
•  ¼ cup Red pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup Onion, chopped
• 8 eggs
• ¼ cup Swiss cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 5 ounces ham

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add all the ingredients to a blender, blend on low. Lightly coat a muffin tray with peanut. Fill each cup ½ way, bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool. Freeze until ready to use. Serve with salsa. Feta or cheddar can be substituted for the cheese. (Recipe from Gourmet Nutition by John Beradi.)

Tropical Tacos with Slaw

Slaw:

• 2 large carrots, grated

• 1 small jicama, grated

• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 large head butter lettuce

Taco meat:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 pound ground turkey, pork or chicken

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
• 1 mango, cored, peeled, and diced

 In a large bowl, mix carrots, jicama, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste, set aside. Separate lettuce head into individual leaves, wash, and set aside. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then sauté the onion and jalapeño until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, and as soon as it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds, crumble the ground turkey into the pan. Cook until the turkey is no longer pink. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, allspice, salt, and pepper. Add to the pan, and stir until fragrant, then add the coconut aminos and mango. Sauté until combined and the mango is warm, about 2 minutes. Spoon turkey into individual lettuce leaves and top with carrot-jicama slaw.

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Pie - all time favorite with my kids. I haven't met a person who doesn't like this.

• 1 large spaghetti squash 
• 1 lb. Italian sausage or breakfast sausage
• ½ medium yellow onion, diced 
• 1 red pepper, diced 
• 1 green pepper, diced 
• 1 cup pizza sauce (no sugar added) 
• 1 tsp. dried basil 
• Sea salt and pepper to taste 
• 3 eggs, whisked

 Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Place spaghetti squash cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a fork easier goes into it. Then reduce oven hear to 350 degrees. While squash is cooking, place a skillet over medium heat. Add Italian sausage, onion, and peppers. Cook until meat is no longer pink and veggies are soft. Once squash is done cooking, remove the seeds and shred. Place into a greased 9x13 glass baking dish. Add sausage and vegetable mixture to squash and combine. Add pizza sauce, dried basil, and salt and pepper to the baking dish and mix well. Last add whisked eggs to the baking dish and mix thoroughly. Bake for 1 hour.

Broccoli Pecan Salad

• 1-1/2 pound broccoli washed
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/2 fresh lemon, optional

Dressing

• 2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

 Cut broccoli into bite size pieces and add them to a pot of boiling water. Return to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until tender-crisp. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well. Gently mix in raisins and pecan pieces. Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing. Pour over the broccoli mixture. Mix gently, adding one or two squeezes of fresh lemon juice, if desired. Serve chilled.

Beets and Beans  - This recipe is really excellent

• 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

Scrub and quarter beet; wrap in foil and roast at 450 for about 30 minutes until tender. Place onion in a bowl, cover with boiling water, let stand 15 minutes. Blanch green beans in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes.; plunge into cold water. Drain onions, toss with salt, pepper and vinegar; set aside. Skin and slice cooled beets.

Whisk together: 

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon Truvia
• 2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 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 minutes before serving.

Greek Summer Salad

• 1/2 red onion, cut into small rings
• 1 tomato, diced (I use cherry tomatoes, cut in half)
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Pepper to taste

 In a glass bowl combine the onion, tomato, zucchini, and feta cheese. Add in vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir and then refrigerate to allow the flavors to develop. Every time I make this recipe someone ask me to send it along to them. Give it a try. But don't say I didn't warn you when  you have to retype this out for others.

Green Salad with Celery, Walnuts and Cranberries (this was my favorite, but that is probably because I love cranberries, the celery made this fantastic)

Salad:

• In a large bowl, toss together:
• 10 cups mixed greens
• 1 ½ cups sliced celery
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted

 Dressing:  Whisk together

• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup olive oil 
• ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper

 Toss salad with just enough dressing to lightly coat. Good news is that I now have this fabulous dressing for other salads! It made a ton

Apple Romaine Salad with Apple Vinaigrette - This is one our Fall favorites.

• Romaine lettuce (recipe says 2 bags? I just dump romaine into a bowl since I don’t use bags….)
• 3 medium apples, cut into wedges
• Lemon juice
• ½ cup green onions, chopped
• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds, optional

 Apple vinaigrette (makes 1 ½ cups – you’ll have extra):

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 4 tsp. minced white onions
• ½ tsp. ground mustard
• ¼ tsp. sea salt 
• ¼ cup olive oil

 Put lettuce in large bowl. Toss apple wedges with lemon juice to keep from browning. Blend vinegar, onion, mustard, and salt. Pour dressing over romaine just before serving and toss. Top with apple wedges, chopped green onions and sunflower seeds (optional).

Mashed Cauliflower

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• ¼ cup cashews
• ¼ cup water or coconut milk

 In a large pot with a tight fitting lid, steam the cauliflower and cashews in water until cauliflower is tender. Transfer cauliflower mixture to a food processor or blender. Puree in small batches. Top with butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Cauliflower and Sausage Hash

• 3/4 lb. cauliflower, chopped into small pieces;
• Ground sausage, browned
• 1 medium onion, diced;
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika;
• 3 tbsp. water;
• 1 clove garlic, minced;
• Juice from half a lemon;
• 2 tsp. fresh parsley, minced;
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 4 eggs, fried; (optional)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

 Cook the sausage in a skillet over a medium-high heat until crispy (about 10 minutes). Remove the bacon from the skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, add the cauliflower, garlic, and onion. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until it starts to golden. Add the smoked paprika and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the water. Cover the skillet and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet. Add the lemon juice and cook for another 2 minutes; then remove from the heat and sprinkle fresh parsley on top. Serve with eggs, or as a side for any meal.

Cauliflower Rice

• 1/2 head of cauliflower, grated (I run it through a food processor)
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and start to sauté the grated cauliflower over medium heat. Add the chicken stock. Continue sautéing, stirring, until the cauliflower is al dente. Don’t cook it too long or it will turn to mush. I estimate this takes 5-7 minutes, but just taste it as you go and pull it off the heat when it’s done.

Spanish Roasted Cauliflower                  

• 5 1/2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 pound)
• 24 green Spanish olives, pitted and halved
• 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

 Preheat the oven to 450°. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small roasting pan. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with pepper and salt. Toss well to coat. Bake at 450° for 22 minutes or until cauliflower is browned and crisp-tender, stirring after 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Cauliflower Buffalo Bites  These are another Carlson family favorite, football and these go hand in hand. 

• 1 small head cauliflower, separated into bite-sized florets (about 5 cups)
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 5 tablespoons Frank’s Hot Sauce (or similar hot sauce of your choice)
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt & black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups almond flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a backing sheet lined with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, hot sauce, white vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Put the almond flour in a small shallow bowl. Make an assembly line with the cauliflower florets, the sauce and the almond flour.

Use one hand to dip a floret into the sauce and then drop it into the almond flour. Using the other hand, coat the floret well with the almond flour and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat this process until all cauliflower florets are coated and on baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden brown. Remove from oven and enjoy! 

I overloaded you with recipes but that is for you to sort through. If you don't like them don't eat them.

I'm here to get you going and then keep you moving forward in your healthy nutrition plan. A healthy eating plan will promote a healthier body. A healthier body is a happier you. 

Coach Nancy

“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. 

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