Category Archives for "News and Notes"

Your coaches are always up to something. In July we're going to challenge you to drink a lot of water each day. Here's how we're going to help you do just that. It's going to be a competition. When you come into the gym you'll find one board covered in blue stickie notes. Our goal is simple, clear the board as fast as you can of these blue stickies. We should be able to do that in just about 3 days if we all drink up. 

Here's how you pull a stickie note off: Drink 100 ounces of water in one day. It's that simple - 100 ounces over the course of 1 day. Each of those 100 ounces is one stickie note removed. Your assignment is to drink 100 ounces in one day therefor earning one blue stickie note. As a group we'll be drinking almost 100 gallons a day. We can do that. 

Not convinced that you need to join our challenge?

 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. Are you like me?  I usually have a glass of water 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.)

Water are you waiting for? 

Get your glass filled to the brim and drink up.

To your best health,

Coach Nancy

1. 2757.6 miles and 44 hrs 42 minutes is a lot of driving in 9 days

2. I never knew the etymology of the word "bunk"...until now (unless this sign is just, well, bunk!)

3. Nancy is in way better cycling shape than me. 

4. North Carolina has the twistiest roads I have ever driven on. My motorcycle would have been preferable to the minivan. 🙂

5. One of my favorite authors is buried in Asheville

6. The Biltmore House is really stunning. The history is amazing, the architecture and engineering is incredible. 

7. George Vanderbilt was truly a visionary. He purchased over-used farmland and was instrumental in creating the first managed forests in the United States. After he died, his wife Edith sold the majority of the acreage to the US Government for what is now Pisgah National Forest. One of the most stunning things we were told was that at one time, when you stood on the back verandah everything you saw in every direction (over 15 miles out) was owned by the Vanderbilt's. 

8. Exercise equipment has been around for awhile. Check out the various "toys" in the Biltmore House gymnasium. Barbells, dumbbells, Indian clubs, a rowing machine, a cable pulley machine. Even one of the first massage showers, which they called a "needle bath". Really cool for this gym geek to see!

9. North Carolina is really beautiful.

10. It's good to be home - see y'all soon!

Coach Dean

Sizzlin Summer Slimdown 2019 is over. Once again S3, our six week get ready for summer challenge has created a noticeable loss of weight in over 200 people. We started in the beginning of May with 211 people signed up for six weeks of diving deep and focusing on their nutrition. Their goal was to lose weight. In losing weight our goal is always to become a healthier version of ourselves. We knocked it out of the park this year.

Check out these numbers. We started with 50 teams between the 211 people who signed up for the challenge. 190 of those 211 did the final weigh in. 90% of the people who started this challenge, finished it That is phenomenal numbers. From those 190 people we loss 1, 354.5 pounds over the course of the challenge. (1300 pounds is as much as a male polar bear or a quarter horse)

Out of those 50 teams, each person on 39 teams completed their final weigh in. Which by the way was the average number of teams who completed our weekly challenges as well. Each week, every team who completed the challenge had their name thrown in a drawing for real prizes. The prizes ranged from meals cooked and delivered to the team or food items they'd need during the challenge to kitchen tools to use while prepping. 

After the final numbers were in, 12 teams had over 4.99% of weight loss during the challenge. These teams were in it to win it. They took the challenge as a team and helped each other for six weeks. Working as a group, they achieved more than they could on their own.

High fives go out to these teams:

• Trans4mers
• The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
• The Naturals
• 8:30 Friends

• KECH us if you can
• Dan's Girls- Keeping up with the Jones
• Just do It
• Changing our Weighs
• KlLL
• Chafing the Dream
• Girl Power
• The Three Burritos and Refried Beans

Our team winners walked away with over $800 each. The secret to their team success? Daily check- ins amongst themselves. "Chafing the Dream" was made up of Katie Bean, Andria Collins, and Katrina Lebrecque. They trained each day together at 5am. They didn't miss one training time. They wrote each other in a group chat every day. I know they were snapping pictures of each meal and sending it to the group to keep themselves accountable. These ladies were tight knit in goals and how they were going to achieve them. They managed to lose 13.68% of their beginning weight during the challenge. Congratulations ladies.

Olympics in Beijing, The Big Movies included The Dark Knight and Iron Man, Minimum Wage was $6.55, the Phillies won the World Series and the Celtics took home the NBA Championship, Wall-E toys and Elmo Live were big Christmas gift buys. 

All those things made the headlines in 2008.

What didn’t make any headlines is that Dean Carlson started Get Fit NH (now Cr8 Fitness) on May 8, 2008.

11 years later and he's grown a physical training business that is well known in the Capital area and far beyond. In fact Dean sold Get Fit NH- Concord to Coach Meagan Sbat last year so he could slow down just a bit. (The slowing down piece hasn't happened much as he is a 'wanted' speaker and teacher along with his desire to help more individuals succeed) Cr8 Fitness is thriving under his direction and guidance. Here is Dean's passion: "My life is better because of all the people who have walked through our doors over these last eleven years, and for that I am grateful. It is what drives me to serve you to the best of my ability, every day. Thank-you for being a part of our lives. Thank-you for the effort you put in to making yourself better so you can serve those special people in your life better. The world needs more of you. I am privileged that you call me “Coach”."

When we started out under the halogen light attached to the basketball hoop in the backyard (true story) at 5:00am on that crisp May morning, I always knew Dean could make this happen. Drew was 5 years old, and now he is going to driver's ed. KJ was 3 and Amy was 1 – and look at them now. We have 3 grandchildren for crying out loud! Dean and I are working toward 3 1/2 decades of marriage – my time flies. 

Coach Dean wears his heart on his sleeve for all to see; "So when the junk is flying around you and it seems like life is about to crush you, know that you have a family that is here for you. We laugh together, cry together and love together. If that’s too mushy for you, too bad. I don’t say it enough, but you all mean the world to me. My challenge to you today is to hug someone just a little harder, smile just a little wider, and remember that you make a bigger impact on the world then you can ever imagine."

So thank-you. For putting your trust in us for these many years. For putting in the hard work to get better. For choosing every day to be extraordinary, to go out of your comfort zone, to make your health and fitness a priority.

Here’s to many more years…

of Making It Happen!

Coach Nancy side by side with Coach Dean

​

With May being the month Cr8 Fitness celebrates its anniversary I often find myself thinking back to the many students we have had the opportunity to serve, some from the very beginning. One common thread that shines brightly as a fitness family is our desire to give back. Many of you train in order to give back to your own family the best version of you that you can. You give yourself and your time during challenges to encourage and help those around you. And each time we have some sort of a fundraiser you give more than we thought possible. 

This year we started a new chapter in our Referral Reward program, designed to let us say thank you to you, as well as well as giving back to the community we all live in. Your Referrals Make a Difference.

For many years we have had a Referral Rewards program as a small token of appreciation for sending your friends, family and co-workers to us. And an interesting thing happened along the way. We had clients tell us "Why don't you donate that money to a local charity instead? So we are. This year every time we get a referral who becomes a client, we are honored to donate $100 to an amazing local non-profit, Catamount Womenaid.

Deb Shore from Catamount Womenaid gave us insight into this group. "Catamount Womanaid is a nonprofit organization that was formed in 2011 and provides emergency financial assistance to men, women and children living in the towns of Deerfield, Epsom, Northwood, Pittsfield and Strafford. We are neighbors helping neighbors. In the last 18 months, Catamount Womenaid has received 65 requests for financial assistance and has provided over $20,000 for expenses such as housing, medical, heating and utilities, home repair, transportation and even funeral expenses. We started a new initiative last year: School Essentials Fund. Through this fund, we have provided money to guidance counselors in all of the schools in our five towns. These replenish-able funds are being used to provide supplies, such as clothing, boots, eyeglasses, etc. to schoolchildren in need. Please check out our webpage for additional details of the work we do and to find out how you can help. catamountwomenaid.org "

We've come up with another way to help support this great organization as it helps our community. Dean designed these great bracelets. They come in two colors (don't worry guys- they are not all girly colors). Simply purchase one of these bracelets for $5 and we'll donate the proceeds to Catamount Womanaid. How cool is that? 

Win the Day has become the new saying around Cr8 Fitness. Win the First Hour - Win the Day. Many in our community need a helping hand to win the day, and you can help them. 

I love how Deb put it, 'We are neighbors helping neighbors'. That is what Cr8 Fitness has become known for. We help each other and now we can reach farther out to our community. 

Purchasing one of these bracelets is truly a "Win-Win". You remind yourself to set yourself up for success, and Catamount Womenaid gets more of the help it deserves. Please buy one (or more) of these sweet bracelet for only $5 today. Thanks!

Thank you for choosing to train with us, 

Coach Nancy

For many years I've participated and encouraged you to join in on the Rock N Race 5K. This year again I am encouraging you to join this great event as a fundraiser for the Payson Center in Concord. They do a great job making this event for everyone. You can walk or run or do some of both. There are bands playing, people dancing, and many that come out along the street to applaud you as one actively participating. They even feed you at the end of the race. And yet this year, I am choosing not to be there. My heart is just too heavy this year. 

I of all people should lead the charge on May 16th. As you know last September I asked each of you in the gym to help me as my Dad battles pancreatic cancer. He is in his 10th month of chemo and treatments. The treatments alone are taking a toll on his health. At this moment in time, I am hating the word 'cancer'. It is a knife that strikes the heart each time I hear it. My sister is still recovering from all the treatments she endured for her throat cancer. I know many of you can relate. 

This year I am a chicken (an emotional basket case) and I don't choose to put myself in a place that is a sea of T- shirts reminding me of all the pain so many endure and have endured with cancer. I will be back to this fundraiser. I am asking for your help in two ways.

1. Support the Rock N Race. Join a team. Cr8 Fitness's very own Hall of Fame member Jenn is team captain of the Davis & Towle team. She'd love to have you join them that night. If you can't get there on May 16th, you can support the Payson Center or other cancer centers. 
2. In September when I let you know about my dad I asked you for a head nod every once in awhile to let me know your behind me in this. I am thankful for those nods. They are more important than you know. 

Cancer is a word that makes me angry. That word alone stirs up the fighting spirit inside of me. I will be there to fight against this terrible disease, I will battle it to the end. Today I need your help in holding strong for me. 

Coach Nancy 

Can you believe it's that time of year already? Spring is around the corner, and you know what Spring leads to?

SUMMER!!!

And it also means we are getting ready to ramp up for our annual challenge... 

The Sizzlin' Summer Slimdown!

We are stoked to be getting the whole gang back together from the the two best gyms in New Hampshire, Get Fit NH in Concord and Cr8 Fitness in Epsom, for what has traditionally been our biggest challenge of the year.

The goal?

Getting healthier and shedding some unwanted pounds and inches as we head into the summer season.

 Remember this from last year?

All the details are coming soon, but here's just a little snippet to be thinking about. This year the brain power behind the two gyms (Coaches Nancy and Meagan) brought back one of our favorite challenge formats -

Teams of Four! (happy dance ensues)

Why teams? Because we all need someone to lift us up on the down days, and kick us in the pants when we are slacking off. And the truth is we are more motivated to do our best by not letting others down...it's a fact. 

More details are on the way, so really all you need to be doing right now is to be thinking of who you want to team up with, and be brainstorming a team name. Your team could be from your own gym, a mix of peeps from both gyms, or even friends and family (framily?) who don't train with us - yet! 

And don't worry, we'll be flexible with team sizes (from 3-5), and if you need help finding a team, we will assist you with that too!

Cant' Wait!

- DC

March is typically known for crazy weather, a leprechaun's pot of gold, and College Basketball playoffs (March Madness). It seems to me that March is deemed to be the time of reaching high fetched dreams. That sounds perfect for our group challenge. 

Let me tell you a story first. 

"Once upon a time there was a man on a mission. This man's name was Dan. His mission was to complete a million meters of skiing in a year. He laid out his plan. He thought it well through. In order to achieve his goal he would complete 20,000 meters each week. He'd ski 1,500m before each training and 1,500m after each training session. At home he would work on the remaining 8,000m for the week. He even planned in rest weeks from his schedule. Before long those in his training time got word of Dan's Million Meter Mission. They were there with encouraging words and spent time skiing next to Dan to keep him going. Then the word spread far and wide and soon others were joining in on the skiing fun." 

..... Oh Wait, this is not a fairy tale. Dan trains at 6:15 and he really has a Million Meter Mission this year!

In March as a team we are going to match Dan's Million. He is going to take a year. With over 100 of us at Cr8 Fitness, we're going to accomplish our Million Meter's in a month. "It's March Madness- Baby!"

I did some number crunching. With everyone skiing this month, each person will need to ski 10,000m in March. I know some of you can do that in one taking. For the rest of us: Each day as you come in, ski 313m meters before training and another 313m afterwards. Now I know some of you will take this challenge very seriously and do more than your fair share. I'm counting on that. There are those that will need a boost with their numbers as they train 2 days a week.  I built in a bit of cushion room as we have 113 people in the Cr8 Fitness Family. I'll join in and I know Coach Dean loves a good challenge too. 

We'll be marking our meters on the board so everyone can see the progress we're making towards our Million Meter Match Mission in March. (I just had to write out all those M words one More time)

I can't wait to blow your mind as we take home the pot of gold because no matter what the weather is like outside, we can ski inside. March Madness begins Friday. 

This is the BEST Challenge Ever,

Coach Nancy

My favorite meals are those that are easy to fix, don't have me in the kitchen for hours at a time, and taste fantastic. One of my favorite tools to help make that happen is the crockpot. What's better than one meal that is easy to fix, fast to put together, and that the whole family loves? Five Crockpot meals! 

About three years ago, I found a process for Crockpot Freezer Meals. It was one of those moments when I thought: "I wish I would have thought of that, It's brilliant!".

Imagine this you trek to the grocery store, spend an hour or more shopping for the week and then come home and prepare all your dinner meals within the next hour. How cool would that be? When you're ready to leave the house each morning, you place one meal in the crockpot and when you arrive back home- Voila, dinner is done. Repeat that for a total of five days. (You'll probably have leftovers for lunch too. Win/Win) That is a picture of how it will feel after you participate in the Crockpot Workshop. And yet there is one small difference. You can take out the grocery shopping because I already will do that for you.

At the crockpot workshop you'll walk away after an hour with five meals ready to place in the freezer until you are ready to cook them in your crockpot (or Instant Pot). It might not actually take you an hour to put these meals together. It goes that fast. 

Here's what you get at this workshop:

• Every Ingredient is provided to make 5 meals that feeds 4-6 people
• I do all the shopping for you
• I set up and clean up for you
• You walk out with 5 meals ready to cook in your crockpot (or instant pot). 
• These meals can also be thrown in the freezer until you need them.
• Use these meals when you want or need them most.
• I often give one or more of these meals away to someone who is sick, had a baby, going through a rough time etc. Then they have an option when they need it most. 

What you don't get:

• Long lines at the grocery store
• Figuring out which recipes are Coach Nancy approved 🙂
• Forgetting an ingredient at the store so you have to make a second trip
• Being alone as you prepare your meals. Friends make this workshop even more fun.
• A messy kitchen. These meals go from Ziploc bag to Crockpot. BAM you're done.

The Crockpot Freezer Meal workshop is:

Saturday, March 23rd.

9-10am 

At Cr8 Fitness in Epsom

The cost for this workshop is only $105. That is $21 for a meal that feeds 4-6 (most likely with leftovers).

Want Proof?

Here is what others have said after they finished the workshop.

"Nancy, Thank you so much, I felt like I was on a game show. Can't wait to put the Crock -Pot into action!!" -Anne

"Last night was a lot of fun! It was totally worth it to be a repeat participant. You do an amazing job with the shopping and having everything so easy to assemble. Walking out with five delicious crockpot meals makes meal planning easier for the upcoming weeks. The fact that I got a chance to socialize on a Wednesday night was an added bonus." - Tracy

"I loved the crockpot seminar. It was fun and has been feeding my family for the past several weeks. We loved the cashew chicken and beef stew the best! I liked how we were able to leave with the meal completed and participate. Thank you for putting this on!"  -Christine 

If you're curious if your family will like the meals we prepare, here's the five meals we'll fix in less than an hour.

1. ​Queso Chicken Chili
2. Scrumptious Coconut Chicken Curry
3. Easy Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
4. Yummy Italian Chicken
5. Slow Cooker Taco Chicken

All these recipes are Carlson Kid tested and approved. 🙂

Sign up quickly, because although I'd love to have everyone there, I only have room for 20 Crockpot Chefs!

To your best health,

Coach Nancy

I am a Patriots fan. I'll be watching in just over a week as they play again for a Super Bowl title. The consequences of watching the game is a late night. I am usually like a toddler when it comes to bedtime- 8:00pm and lights out. But it's hard not to watch the Big Game - there is a high amount of energy as the whole house loves football. So I'm not going to bed early, I'll be up late watching the game! 

So what? Here's What. You asked for it, you got it!

Turns out I'm not the only Patriots fan around here (who knew?) 🙂 There are plenty of us at the 5:00am and 6:15am training that are fans of the game. Good News! The post game celebrations won't need to be shortened this year because of an early morning training schedule. 

Here's how we are going to celebrate the Super Bowl.

On Monday February 4th we will not be opening until the ladies class at 9:00am. The crew at 4:00 and 6:00pm will train just like normal. We're going to push the 5:00am and the 6:15am that day to 5:00am and 6:15 on Wednesday, February 6th. 

Here's the deal for that time; the training on Wednesday morning will be the same training as everyone else will have already enjoyed on Monday. (So try to keep the training a surprise, don't tell them how much FUN they will have). Remember; It's ONLY the first two training hours that will be affected on Monday. Everyone else has the same schedule the whole week. 

Yeah, I am the coolest coach ever. 🙂

Since you aren't going to be stressing about staying up late, you'll have more time to prepare some awesome food for the Big Game. Here's is on of my family's absolute favorites. These take a while to make but are delicious. I’m excited to have them as a special treat while watching the Patriots win the Super Bowl this year.

Avocado Chorizo Sweet Potato Skins

Ingredients:

• 1lb chorizo
• 3 sweet potatoes
• ½ red onion, diced
• 2 ripe avocados, halved and seeds removed
• ½ lime, juiced
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon almond flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Use a fork to poke some holes in your sweet potatoes. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft when you poke them. (Time will range depending on how fat they are. I used thin ones)

While your sweet potatoes are baking, pull out a large skillet, place over medium heat and add your chorizo to it. Use a wooden spoon to break up your chorizo while it cooks.

When chorizo is halfway done cooking, add your onions to sweat it out.

When your chorizo is cooked completely through, put your chorizo mixture on a plate with a paper towel to soak up some of the excess fat and to cool.

Now pull out your handy dandy food processor. Use a spoon to scoop out the inside of your two avocados and place in the food processor. Mix until you get a smooth paste.

Add your lime, lemon, cumin and a bit of salt. Pulse until mixed thoroughly.

Place your chorizo and ¾ of your avocado mixtures in a large bowl to incorporate. Leave the other ¼ of avocado mixture for toppings.

When your sweet potatoes are done cooking, let cool, cut in half, scoop out insides (leaving about ½-1 inch of sweet potato still inside) of sweet potato, and use a pastry brush to brush on coconut oil on the inside and all around the sweet potato.

Place back on cooking sheet and in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until crispy.

Once potatoes are crispy, add your avocado and chorizo mixture into your sweet potato, top off with a little sprinkle of almond flour, and place back in the oven for around 5 minutes.

Happy Super Bowl Watching- Go Pats!