Since we didn't get to celebrate with them in May, I asked each of them to let me know what their favorite training times were or a list of some of their favorite exercises. We're all enjoying the celebration now. I'm sure you remember the recent round of Tabata? That was a favorite of Brians. Donna enjoys games so we've played cards and will soon enjoy Teaming with Toys. Dan....... Well we'll just have to hold you in suspense.

Soon others will join them in reaching a status of training with us for 12 years. Gretchen, Amy, and Mark are right around that corner.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being in my fitness family. The Cr8 Family is kind of special don't you think?

Coach Nancy

As a kid I didn't eat many veggies. I always had a reason, most of them had to do with color. Yes, to my embarrassment, I often turned my nose up at a food because I didn't like the color of it. While I love the color purple and red, I didn't think you should eat a vegetable grown underground that was any color but orange. Which means I didn't try beets, turnip, rutabaga, parsnips, radish until I was an adult. Sadly I didn't even consider where potatoes came from since french fries didn't remind me of a veggie in any way.

Here is what I like to do now, I like to introduce those I know to try a new food. I've tried many new foods, new ways to prepare them, or new recipes to find that I love them. I've tried a few that I didn't. I wouldn't know unless I tried. 

I've heard it often that you should give everything a try once. (at least when it comes to foods). While I was as stubborn kid, I don't want to classify myself as a stubborn adult. 

Delicious Roasted Turnip- Even a Kid will Eat

• 2-3 turnip, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Place the cut turnip on a pan, drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. (could be longer if you cut your pieces large) Simple but sooooo soooo sooo good. 

Here is my challenge. Send me proof that you tried some new food this week. It could be a food you like but prepared in a new way. I always love new recipes that you've tried for me. Take me up on my challenge. Hit comment below to show me proof. 

To Your Best Health,

Coach Nancy

As a side note. I cut up the turnip and Coach Dean cooked them up for me. He makes dinner each night so every once in a while I help out. 

I'm on my deck soaking in the sounds of a peaceful waterfall while yards from me, my house of over 30 years is being torn down. Calamity or Calm? I'm choosing calm for many reasons. 

I've got encouraging peeps surrounding me. I snapped a picture of the house as it was being demolished and sent it off to a training group in the morning through a texts. Instantly there was music on my phone as replies to my picture poured in. 

Friends, you gotta love them. While I am not sure what the future holds. It could be ice cream, or a pool, or tennis courts, or a greenhouse.  I am sitting outside listening to a relaxing waterfall as the house falls down. 

Thank you for being peeps I can count on in any situation.

Coach Nancy

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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. 

I am confident that we will be opening soon. Our Cr8 Family has been wonderful and you are so amazing. You've supported us beyond what this pandemic has brought. Keep Making It Happen.

Where is your mind at right now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? Have you given up? Has your nutrition and exercise gone to the dogs?

There's a buzz in fitness circles that while all this is going on it's actually a good thing to turn to comfort food, eat more than you should, and relax on the exercising. After all, it's a stressful time and you don't need to stress out over those things.

NO, NO, NO. And Yes.

It's true that you don't need more stress (when do you ever?) and you don't need to stress out over what you eat and your exercise program.

But you know what? You should never be stressing out about those things. What good does that do?

And NO. You shouldn't just let everything you know to be true go to the wayside during these unusual and unsettled times.

Because no matter what happens, what the new normal is, you still need to be practicing the habits that build a healthy immune system, a strong body, and a resilient mindset. 

Or maybe that's the issue. The habit part I mean. 

You see during times of stress we fall back to what is easy for us to do. If it's easier to eat crap food we are going to do it. If it's easier to binge watch TV, we are going to do it.

You may not believe this, but you really can build habits that are supportive and healthy, even in stressful times.

When you are in the habit of putting veggies on your plate ALL the time, why would you stop now? When you are in the habit of reading, studying, meditating or praying, why would you stop now? When you are in the habit of getting daily vigorous activity in, why would you stop now?

Lean In to those things, don't run away from them.

You may not be able to change all your circumstances right now, but in reality, that is almost always the case. If those things didn't stop you before, why are they stopping you now?

And if those circumstances did stop you before, is this the wake up call you need to get off your butt and get working on them? YOU are in control of that. Not a virus. Not the government. 

YOU!

Here's what you need to do next:

1. If you are a member of the little training gym in the woods, Cr8 Fitness, then take advantage of the training and camaraderie that is still going on here, every training day. Get on our live ZOOM trainings, or the Facebook Live trainings, which are recorded so you can do them anytime.
2. If you don't train with us yet, get started today. Here's How.
3. To work on those healthy nutrition habits and build the "stress busting skills" you need to thrive all the time, you have got to get on board with world-class nutrition coaching with ProCoach Here Now

I really don't get this "time to slack off" thing, and I don't want to. I have been unhealthy, sick all the time, and 100 pounds overweight.

It really sucks! Why do the things that drag me back that way?

Remember Moses from the Bible? You know Egypt, plagues, the Red Sea? Wandering in the desert for 40 years with a bunch of ingrates? That dude put up with some serious stuff in his life! He is an inspiring character in many ways, and I have always been motivated by what is written about his death.

"Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone."

You and I are probably not going to live to 120, but what about the second part? We may not be able to control that outcome, but you can bet your bottom dollar you can do something about the behaviors, habits, and skills that will make it more likely.

Make It Happen.

- DC

Planning meals has been proven to help you in your health journey. It's right up there with stepping on the scale if your goal is weight loss. On top of that there are other side benefits that you'll love. Meal planning saves time, relieves stress, and keeps money in your wallet. And yet, it stills feels like the one thing that holds us back. Let's look at meal planning with a slightly different twist. 

I don't think it's any secret that stress levels are running a little high right now. 

If you are anything like me, someone who likes to plan, the unknown is what is the most stressful. But when it comes down to it, the current situation, with all it's lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, and social distancing is just circumstance, and an in-your-face reminder that some things are not in our control. 

But many things still are. ​

While we may not control the cause of our stress, we can control our response.

When I get stressed I reach for food. It's not even always the sweets and crap either. Sometimes it's just eating plain too much of whatever is in front of me. That's a stress response, and over a very short period of time it has unintended consequences. Like 10 extra pounds.

One of my other responses is a really short fuse. Things that normally would roll now build up and can explode in a torrent of hurtful words. I am not proud of it, in fact it makes me want to crawl into a hole. 

And this isn't just a matter of negative emotions either. Your healthy is seriously impacted when stress is not recognized and steps taken to manage it. Chronic stress wreaks havoc on your hormones, cause harmful inflammation by raising cortisol levels, causes weight gain and many other pathologies we are just learning about.

So what can we do about it?

The first step to dealing with stress is actually noticing you are getting stressed before it reaches the "poor decision making" point. What is causing it? Can you step away from the "trigger" for awhile? If not, what are some good ways to deal with it?

I would encourage you to download your "Beat the Stress" guide, which contains 24 ways to reduce stress not only in the midst of Covid-19, but all the time. 

Get your FREE copy, and then put one "stress buster" into action today.

Your body, and maybe those you are quarantine with, will thank you for it. 

Make It Happen!

Coach Dean

In Zulu, the traditional greeting is Sawubona — I see you. The traditional response is, Yebo, sawubona — Yes, I see you, too. It's more than just physically seeing you. It is more like I see into you. I get you. I know who you are and I still want to hang out together.

Sawubona is, in a sense, a covenant: I pledge to try to see your essence; I pledge to look at you wholly and not just at the parts of you that grab my attention; I pledge to see your entire humanity, to look until I know what makes you tick.

This “Stay at Home” self - quarantine atmosphere we are living in feels like no one is sees each other. That you and your family are unique and lonely and muddling through all of this stuff far far far away from others.

Let’s take a pledge to Sawubona. To really see each other.

When we pledge to truly see each other, we step into the middle of others’ lives with a deeply powerful intention — the intention to be there without judging. The intention to help each other bring all of who we are as individuals back into a group.

In moments of self - quarantine, seeing someone takes on a whole new meaning. Here are some ideas of how people saw and were seen over the weekend. Delivering Easter baskets to neighbors with the sole purpose to enjoy the conversation that happened from open door to those on the bottom porch step. A Zoom chat as a family, extended family and friends. Although one lady couldn’t enjoy Easter dinner in person, their family enjoy dinner via Zoom. I saw an ATV parade this weekend. 3-4 family’s got together and created a parade down my very rural street. It made me smile as they waved big parade waves to me. ‘Seeing’ each other is difficult. The difficulty of it doesn’t mean we should abandon the quest; indeed, it means we should try harder.

I am challenging myself to bring the spirit of sawubona with me to they gym and into my life. Perhaps you would like to challenge yourself to do the same. Here is a question I’d like you to answer: How can I do a better job of seeing you right now?”

Sawubona.

Coach Nancy

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