Refrigerator Nurse

You shouldn’t go into business for yourself or work for yourself because you don’t want a job; actually you should get 2 jobs (if necessary, in the beginning) to support why you want to work for yourself. Because you WILL need cash flow to start working for yourself. That’s what I am doing now, taking up some work, teaching summer school, to get my “refrigerator”, my cash flow. What’s your “refrigerator”?

I don’t hear this term as much as I did even 10 years ago. When nurses either got another part-time, temporary gig or went back to work because they needed a “new appliance” or “refrigerator”.

Once the nurse made the money necessary to cover the expenses of the “refrigerator” or (you can insert whatever), they were gone. I know it’s probably not very ethical to take a job knowing that you will quit, but I’ve done it. But most of the time I’ve done what I described in the first paragraph.

This animation has nothing to do with nurses; but I liked it because it's about carrying a refrigerator to the beach. Since it's "the season" here at the Jersey Shore, I know I will see a lot of this - "refrigerators" and "kitchen sinks" brought onto the beach for all day snacking from the hungers of being in the water and having fun!

Unlike per diem, where you have requirements monthly and “have to” work and follow company policy as long as you are “per diem”. Like you must work 1 weekend a month and on holidays, etc. Refrigerator nurses work more on a “contractual basis”.

Why am I bringing this up? Because this is what I want all you “recycled nurses” who want to become a Fix It! Certified Fitness Nurse to consider:

Try to “specialize in one “nursing thing” and master that so it becomes “easy” for you to “show up and do”.
Call this “nursing thing” your “side hustle” or “refrigerator money” to support your fitness nursing goals.
By doing this, and shifting your focus on becoming proficient in the skills you need to be self-employed as a Fix It! Fitness Nurse, it will be much easier for you to go to a job that you want out of. You know there will be an end and it’s (the job you want out of) is not forever.
You cannot just “wish it”, but you must live it too. In other words, when you actually set things up so that your main focus is fitness nursing and everything else supports that; then fitness nursing will come into your life in ways that you never imagined. Action and mind set makes it real. If you believe in the “Law of Attraction” then you will get this.

Here’s my example. I teach a state “specialized course” certifying nursing assistants. Because there are a few of us, I can command hourly rates from $40-$58 an hour for yes, teaching people to become nursing assistants. An entry level healthcare position.

I have taught this course on and off since 1994, so “I know it like the back of my hand”, you know what I mean. It’s easy in that it’s familiar and I am confident, which equals less stress. It’s only 90 hours (in state of NJ), at a time. So, I only am committed to 90 hours at a time. And I really don’t care what other people think. They’re not focused on the same prize that I am. All the things you do should be very focused with a desired outcome and not scattered all over. When people ask me what I do, I say:

“I am mentor for nurses who want to become fitness nurses and I train them to deliver my 2 blueprinted programs for pre-diabetes and osteoporosis. These programs promote natural weight loss and the results are reduced waist size, reduced puffiness in face and clearer skin, more energy, more independence and less or no medication.”

I don’t go into detail of what I do at this point. I just want to arouse curiosity and interest. This, by the way, is something we teach you how to do in our Fix It! Fitness Nurse certification program.

Notice I don’t even mention the CNA teaching, because I consider that work, my “side hustle” or do it when I need cash flow, to pay a lawyer for business stuff, buy something related to doing business, etc. Or when I need a new appliance, it’s my “refrigerator nurse” work.

What will be yours?

What is your means to your end or goal. Keep your “eye on the prize”, stay focused. Why are you getting that extra education or degree? Is it because the hospital says so? Then what are you telling the universe about what you want to do? Who are you being? Do you plan to stay in the job that you have? Do you have a scarcity mind set? What are you doing to get closer to becoming self-employed as a fitness nurse in a way that actually “puts a dent” in your dream?

Reading this blog post is a start.

If you need help with this please feel free to contact me, it may not be as difficult as you think.

Diabetes is NOT a disease

Diabetes (type 2) is not a disease.

This something I’ve heard before. But I just heard it recently (again) from Mike Adams, Founder of NaturalNews.com, and he explains it the best that I’ve heard:

“Diabetes is called a disease.

In the minds of most people, a disease would typically be associated with some type of infection, viral or bacterial disease or genetic mutation.

Type 2 diabetes is none of these things.

Diabetes is the physiological expression of a temporary imbalance of the body’s metabolism and the way it handles sugar intake/consumption at the cellular level.

He goes on to give the example of “huffing & puffing” after running up a hill. Your body has now gone into a different metabolic state. It needs to change it’s physiological behavior to provide more oxygen for what just temporarily happened. You wouldn’t call “huffing & puffing” a disease. It’s a physiological expression of the body’s need to try and restore homeostasis or balance within the body.

Type 2 diabetes is the same kind of thing.”

This is about the only time I’ll agree on “balance”. Within the body, not that work-life balance crap. But homeostasis is right on.

When you look at type 2 diabetes this way, it makes it easier to deal with and offer solution… I think.

In our “Sleep for Dinner” program for pre-diabetes, prevention of type 2 diabetes, this is how we will view diabetes, as a metabolic imbalance that can be corrected. And exercise is a tool that can assist in correcting the imbalance.

One of the tools in our a”natural arsenal” is exercise. But NOT primarily for burning calories. Here’s how we utilize exercise MOST:

As a way to “trick” the primal mind, subconscious mind, that we need to “be leaner” to save our life, under stressful conditions. (low-level constant stressors/environment makes many people, not all, gain weight)
Force our body to use stored glycogen in our muscles/liver when timed with when we intermittently eat
Exercise stimulates mental clarity and the lymph, therefore improves immunity and mental energy to even “want” to exercise more
To burn calories (because exercise does do this)

Now of course there is a certain way to exercise, when to exercise and type of exercise. All of this information is what you will discover during your Fix It! FN assessment.

Example:

Even though I may not use a stationary bike, if my client has one, I will make it work with what they have. The objective is to “lower” the barrier to start exercise… don’t make it hard for the client to start.

Fat-Burning Foods, Other Oxymorons, Hippocrates’ Wisdom

I really, really like doctors like David Agus, MD.

He’s kind of a renegade in his field. I don’t agree with everything he says. But I really admire him for stating what he knows to be true, from experience and science and is passionate about it. I will listen to him any chance I get… why? ’Cause he makes sense and sees the craziest around us.

Dr. Agus wrote the book, “The End of Illness” which I read in almost a day, it was that good. (But you may fall asleep reading it. Different strokes for different folks.) His latest wonder book, “A Short List for a Long Life” is a continuation or “list” of information from “The End of Illness” and is just as good. In it, he immediately quotes and gives credit to Michael Pollan… so I knew I was in good company when he did that. I love Michael Pollan too.

I subscribe to a “Fat-burning” foods newsletter because I’m curious to what this young writer is writing about. Here’s where we differ – I know that the public is attracted to titles like, “Fat-burning foods”, but it’s really an oxymoron. ANd even though I can appreciate getting the attention of my target market – I just can’t lie about biochemistry. No food is fat-burning. What I learned in biochemistry is that “No food” as in “not eating” is fat burning. And Dr. Agus mentions this early in his writing too.

He also warns of other great-sounding ploys to get your attention but are false – some even harmful like:

“Super foods” – sure some food have more nutrients per calories than others, but putting them into a “super category” without telling the whole story about them is not fair.

Besides, I feel that liver is a super food, but because it from something that has eyeballs/face and is an organ (animal fat), it’s never listed. Liver has more vitamins and minerals than many vegetables and fruit. Bias is everywhere.

“Immune boosting” is another one. Eat well (I’ll leave my opinion out for now), move and rest will best the best things for your immune system. Moving actually stimulates the immune system via the lymph. (Natural – no pills required)

“Detoxing or Cleansing” is just one more I’ll mention. I know it sounds great and people swear by them. I just never could do one. I’d rather just fast intermittently than sh*t all the time. One of my other favorite books is “Fiber Menace” by Konstantin Monastrysky. He’s a trip on how he explains that too much cleansing and fiber may actually be the cause of constipation.

Go figure.

Exercise also relieves constipation naturally by increasing peristalsis. (sorry too lazy to write definition of it… you know what it is right?) Again, like cleansing, detoxifying and flushing… your body does these things naturally. If you are having problems with this, you may have gone too far in the other direction and now must rely on outside sources to help you. See a health-conscious doctor.

What I liked most about Dr. Agus was that he quoted Hippocrates (who lived over 2,000 years ago) and reminded us and his medical colleagues that even 2,000 years ago, the answers are within the patient, the individual to take control over their health. As doctors, healthcare professionals, we can only guide them (patients/clients) along various paths to live well and avoid sickness. He says we are like “air traffic controllers” – we are crucial in helping the plane get to its destination, but we don’t know how to fly the plane. The individual is the pilot of their own habits and only they can make the changes that matter most.

Here’s some of Hippocrates’ quotes:

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” (most people leave off the second half of that quote)

“Walking is man’s best medicine”

“Primum non nocerum” (First, do no harm)

“It is far more important to know what person the disease has; than what disease the person has”

“If I could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health”

“Everything in excess is opposed to nature”

“To do nothing is also a good remedy”

“A wise man should consider that health is the greatest human blessing and learn by his own thought to drive benefit from his illnesses”

~Hippocrates 460 BC – 370 BC

Thank you David Agus, MD – “A Short List for a Long Life”, Simon & Schuster, NY, NY; 2014. Great book!

Please consider signing up for our list and join our tribe of recycled nurses today! More info on Fix It! Fitness Nurse Certification HERE!

Preventative Nursing

Nurses in Prevention: Natural Change in a Healthier Direction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I decided to post this here, even though it is my new page information about “Preventative Nursing”. That it is immediately current when you click on the blog site this week.

“People don’t decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures”
~F.M. Alexander

I remember when I signed up to take a month long “stress management” class offered by a hospital. My immediate thinking was, “I know I can teach this better than the instructor”, for the simple fact that stress can’t be “managed”- only avoided and/or build a resistance to it. (Like time management you can’t manage the rotation of the earth, you can only manage yourself), but I digress, I was a lot more arrogant then than I am now. My objective was to find out “how” I could do this type of work for this department.

After being the “teacher’s pet” and staying after class to help put up supplies and walk her to her car, etc. We actually started to ‘hit it off’. Soon the question came that I had hoped for? “Lori, have you ever spoke on fitness to the public before?” Without hesitation, I said “Yes!” See, the instructor of this class was also the manager of the Health Resources dept. of the hospital.

I eventually was hired on staff…my title, an “RN Health Educator”. I was finally in a role as a nurse in PREVENTION! For almost 14 years and it was great, but I always had side jobs and ventures going… good thing… because in that 14th year… we were all laid off. Replaced by “wet behind-the-ears” marketing grads and physicians all speaking on new procedures, treatments and surgeries. Why did this happen? Simply, our department didn’t make any money.

We (RN Health Educators) spoke to packed rooms anywhere and everywhere. But most of our “prevention” programs were FREE or nominal costs (and offered food/snacks). The hospital paid for the event supplies, staffing and all the marketing (often thousands of dollars for each event) and they finally had enough. No more “We’re doing this for the good of the community”, our department became expendable. Prevention (education in health and disease avoidance) wasn’t worth it.

We also kept stats on who visited physicians and the hospital(s) after attending or because of a health promotion event we gave.

Turns out people only visit doctors or hospitals when they have a problem or think they have a problem

- either way -

the key word is problem. And usually they are having signs/symptoms.

It’s not surprising, because according to research, it’s human nature. It’s called, “hyperbolic discounting”.

The farther away a reward is in the future, the smaller the immediate motivation to achieve it.

And it’s immediate motivation that’s needed to get someone started in changing their habits. Especially when you are in business to help people make that change, (like prevention in a fitness nursing practice?) and you need motivated buyers.

If not – this is what happens when you’ve just delivered your wonderful, no fluff, benefits driven program and then hear the excuses like:

“I’ll get back to you”

“After the holidays”

“I have to check with my spouse” or even

“I can’t afford it”

I’ve had people tell me they can’t afford it, and forgot that I was offering the session for free. HA!

Most of the time, it’s NOT money. People are overwhelmed today – and BALANCE is NOT going to happen. So “can’t afford” can mean their precious time and energy.

There is no urgency in prevention, there’s only “It would be nice to have or do” and the only people who buy into that are those 3%, who are competitive athletes or very health conscious and consider themselves ‘in training’ already.

If you want to “train athletes”, then – go into that highly competitive market. I’m done with that. Be careful because they really can and do know as much (or more) as you do. They are walking the talk.

Fortunately, this is not the majority of the public.

So what’s a nurse interested in prevention to do?

First, recognize this point in human nature that exists.

Second, think about all the people who are already sick (aware of it or not) and offer a natural solution that will immediately work (within a short time), easy to implement and access.

Third, help them get started and give credit to them for things that they are already doing right (I know what you’re thinking… but find something!)

Research also shows that when people feel that they are already doing some of the things necessary to reap the reward, they will be more motivated to “continue” instead of start cold.

Before I get to what we do here about prevention at Fix It Fitness Nurse Consulting™, I have some more bad news about prevention and our healthcare system.

According to Jack Challem’s book, “Stop Prediabetes Now”, in a study done with 4 prominent NYC hospitals, they established programs to help diabetics manage their disease through diet, exercise and blood sugar monitoring. The program was a great success and had a high rate of patients participating. But the 3 of the 4 hospitals shut down the program before the study was completed. Why? The hospitals made more money from treating the complications of diabetes than by preventing the disease. The hospitals actually LOST money when it came to prevention. Should I go on?

…Like I’ve always said, in part, to nurses who tell me they want to work in the preventative side of nursing or healthcare, I’ll write here:

“I know that you’ve had enough of what you are doing and want to help people avoid getting into the situation that you are now caring for them – but answer this – with all that we hear about how better nutrition, increased exercise and vitamin supplements could save the U.S. billions of dollars in health care costs, have you ever wondered why couldn’t they make money? It’s simple.

To save 15 billion dollars in healthcare costs, someone would lose 15 billion in revenues. This includes, but not limited to, food companies, drug companies, surgical instrument companies, labs, hospitals and physicians. Yes physicians. Most know that they are in the “sick care” business because that’s why people go to see them. They’re sick or hurt. Don’t be upset with that. That’s just what MOST doctors do, it’s how they are trained and they are good at it.

Let’s look at surgery, it helps and cures many people. In the case of a bariatric type of surgery, it can earn a hospital $50,000; but there’s little financial incentive to pay a nutritionist $100 an hour to provide regular nutritional counseling.

Please don’t be fooled by the “non-profit” in your hospitals tag line. They are still very interested in earning a profit instead of taking a loss. Success in healthcare is based on revenues, profits and large numbers of patients.

Let’s not forget insurance companies either – They may hesitate to pay $150 for a visit to podiatrist, who can detect early signs of a diabetes-related foot problem; but pay $30,000 for an amputation without question.*

So I’ll stop there. After saying all that, you can see why I just smile to myself when I hear a well-intention nurse say to me, “I want to be in the preventative side of healthcare”… it really doesn’t exist, not within the hospital or the ‘system’.”

What’s the answer?

You have to decide you will not stand for what is currently going on in “sickcare” and be prepared to stick with your decision to improve people’s health, regardless of how hard it gets – you have to step out on your own.

Do what you have to to pay your bills, but also create a plan to do what really wakes you up inside, keeps you alive and drives you to really help people get healthier; you can make a living doing it. It will be hard, you know the saying, if it was easy every nurse would be not just talking prevention, but would be making money doing it. You MUST learn marketing and sales and influence. You will likely give up your free time.

Is it worth is to you?

Yes! You know why?

Because you are already familiar with the “art of persuasion” and how to influence people to do things that need to be done for their best results and to get well. All the talk of sales and marketing may make you anxious and nervous; you just need someone to bring out what you already know how to do. We use proven scientific ways to influence people… your nursing training and experience fits right into this.

You’re here on this site. You’re not alone. You can be part of a movement of nurses who feel like you do and want to intervene earlier, when people are on the pathway to sickness through their lifestyle choices.

Since no one has yet registered the domain PreventativeNursing.com – I decided to do so. To get attention! If you don’t get attention, you have nothing when trying to grow a movement! As a group, grassroots, we can develop our own criteria and present to interested healthcare people who see our vision. We take our programs to our community and talk to healthcare people in those communities.

To me many nurses are all talk. No action. They have an opinion about what you may do or not do, but say the same old standard stuff that I heard back in the 1990′s about balance, stress reduction, finding your power and boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast, brown rice and broccoli.(Oh, don’t forget to eat it 6 times a day to ‘be stable’ or to ‘boost your metabolism’… really? Who ever thought of that wasn’t stable.)

We are sicker and fatter than ever!

That’s not working, say something else already!

Nurses are still miserable. The ones that aren’t… I won’t chastise you – good for you and I mean that. But if you’re so happy in your work; you wouldn’t be on this blog post, right?

No wonder these nurses are not happy or getting results in their “business or work”, no one cares about those things in the mundane way they present them mixed in with how wonderful they are. They’re afraid to step out; worry about what people will think. I’ve ask nurses in the past, “If you believe so much in prevention, why don’t you register the name and start a business promoting all prevention?” One said “maybe, I will”. Do I have to tell you what happened in that story. Nothing happened. She stayed safe and would rather complain about me and my political incorrectness.

I least I stand for something. You don’t have to agree and I just want you to make a decision.

Don’t you admire people who have an opinion; even if it’s different than your own? I have business friends who are vegans; but I don’t promote veganism – We do things together except eat (limited things to do).

I respect them, they have a tribe of followers who love them. I’m happy for them; but I’m not part of their tribe.

So, if you want to be a nurse in prevention, like a majority of nurses who want change do, we challenge you to get real, accept the facts and do something about it and “get dirty” in your community. We can do something in prevention, but in a way to help people who feel they have a current problem; that problem can be reversed with exercise and nutrition/diet.

And here’s what I do when working as a nurse in prevention and and many other nurses who have signed up for this movement, who think in similar ways, who can see the vision and want to be part of something that will have a positive impact in improving health:

We work with 2 specific lifestyle health problems.

Not all health problems on earth.

Not everybody.

We PREVENT them from getting worse.

We use the word HEALTHIER instead of health and we meet people where they are.

And we do it as naturally as possible (not always standard conventional, politically correct stuff) using lifestyle habit change and measure outcomes using reliable biomarkers.

We (nurses) usually work with people who are sick, yes that’s what the public perceives that nurses do. We use this in our favor – just because someone is sick doesn’t mean that they can’t exercise or even exercise hard (volitionally)- they can and they should.

We help them do it safely. We don’t take insurance. Yes this is an challenge; but when targeted properly and presented very juicy and obtainable – people will pay for your service.

We are a cash-based business.

We find certain (not all) physicians and advanced practice nurses and physician assistants who want to do more to prevent their patients from getting sicker, naturally first, but don’t have the time and/or resources to do so. We can, legally, help them do so. Lower their liability.

How? You have to get on the list (sign up top right box) a become part of the “real” prevention movement – where we actually take it to the people who we value and they really value us and the health care professionals who want to lower their liability while increasing their cash flow.

Certified Fix It! Fitness Nurses™ only work with targeted clients. For more about our certification program please CLICK HERE.

*Challem, J; Stop Prediabetes Now; 2007, pp. 72-73.

My Love Affair with Hard Manny (manual treadmill folks)

I asked my Fab5, if they have a piece of exercise equipment that they use regularly – You know, that was either garbage for someone else, you got it 10 cents on the dollar or is junk to anybody but you, that you have a love affair with. Well this is mine. I call it “Manny” the MANUAL treadmill. And he’s hard all the time…

Manny was made in the early 1980's and is not like a regular manual treadmill. His tread does not move unless you "dig" deep, like running on sand.

I do 4 intervals with Manny. I walk the first minute (but it’s hard walking, like manual steering from a parked position), the tread won’t easily move. I recover for a minute. Yes, recover. Remember YOU ARE THE MOTOR, there’s no “switch” to turn on. When you start, it starts… when you stop, it’s stops… no cool down.

I’ve had clients get on it and say, “O.K. what do I do?” I say, “Start walking… heel first…” It takes them a while to get the hang of it. Sometimes they push so hard, their shoe comes off. (I have to turn my head because I’m trying not to laugh and they’ll think I’m messing with them and I’m not!)

They have said, “I’ll work with you, if you DON’T make me get on THAT MACHINE!” That’s when you know it’s a good one (piece of equipment).

Back to my love affair – Then I run like a pit bull is after me for 30 seconds – recover 2 minutes. My heart rate is off the charts, I don’t even want to look at it until at least a minute into recovery. I repeat the 30 second sprint- recovery 2 minutes, for 2 more intervals. Then if I don’t throw up, (precisely why I exercise on a empty stomach, and so should you), I do some TRX moves, some thin thighs in 30 days moves, some hip flexor stretches with a small ball and chest and hamstring stretches and I’m done. 16 minutes.

I have a date every day with Manny except Mondays. No exercise on Mondays. A valuable lesson I’ll teach you if you stick with me.

What we want to teach you is to find a piece of equipment (your body will do also), that you can and will utilize and form a “love affair with it”. Talk dirty to it if necessary. Whatever it takes to get you in it’s presence and using it.

Every morning, I meet with Manny, I say “I’m only going one round (interval) with you today Manny… you wore me out yesterday.” Then I end up doing them all. It’s a love-hate relationship because some mornings I take a sneak a peak at myself in the mirror (you know, you pretend like you’re not looking at yourself) and my midsection is awesome. And I love Manny. When I have to run to catch a bus or after Pang Pang (my pug who thinks he can out run a kitty cat) and don’t feel like I’m going to die or lift babies or groceries and can eat more… I LOVE Manny.

At my age, I don’t want to teach 12 exercise classes a week or do endless cardio or body pump, or cross fit. I just want to “zip my pants” and have enough energy to enjoy my life. And to do that, I’ve figured out that I have to have my love affair with Manny until one of us says good bye.

Leave comments below and share your favorite piece of exercise equipment, even if it’s your own body. I’d love to know what it is. Can you develop a love affair with it? I hope you’ll try…

Welcome to Recycled Nurses! (Fix It Fitness Nurses)

We’re glad you found us. Are you a nurse who feels like she/he is tossed around like an empty water bottle with all your skills and experience? Do you still want to help and care for people ‘at-risk’? That’s what we are working on here…

We want to help you “be done” with the system of nursing, if that’s what you want. This nurse in the photo below, is it you? Probably not – this nurse has it good… she’s outside the hospital walls, or wherever you are imprisoned, on what looks like an actual break and is actually listening to what she wants, eating* and drinking… all while sitting. It’s nice to dream…

Back to reality… we know the only time you have to yourself (break) is on the toilet. I used to teach toilet exercises… no kidding… for a big nursing company! Please let us help you. Read “About Us” and you’ll understand better our message and passion to help you.

*Who cares if it’s pizza? It’s one slice and at least it’s not eating stale lemon meringue pie from a patient’s tray (that wasn’t unwrapped), while getting supplies in the closet. We’ll talk about the pizza another time.

Recycled nurses are the foundation that is Fix It! Fitness Nurse Consultants™. We train or “recycle” nurses and help them re-invent themselves and then train them to teach others what they just did for themselves… improve their outlook on life by improving their energy, looks and health… and income!

This blog is still being developed. For more information please go to www.fixitfitnessnurses.com

At Fix It! Fitness Nurse Consulting™, we help broken nurses fix themselves so that they can, in turn, fix others who live sedentary, ‘at risk’ lives. We, in a sense, recycle nurses from their old, miserable used up self to a happy, ready to spread the wealth new self. Recycled.

I realized that I was wrong about who I could help the most. Now I know and it looks like it’s only 5 nurses (me included). My audience is only 5 nurses? Well, not exactly, of course I’ll talk to other interested nurses… always. But these nurses are who I am directly speaking to ON A REGULAR BASIS and in turn they will teach other nurses. They will become my walking billboards… their success is truly my success and it’s a “win-win”. Oh, the third win… the clients of the newly certified nurses they taught our 2 programs to. So it’s actually a “win-win-win!”

Let’s talk our client base – what 2 exercise and diet programs you learn and then you will teach – Osteoporosis risk (Buffbones™) and Pre-diabetes (Sleep for Dinner™). (Not typical government stuff either, be warned) So, that’s it. Oh, and no children and no veganism. We have our reasons. Reasons that will be written about in upcoming blog posts. There are, of course, other demographics and psychographics that will be included in our targeted market. These choices are not up for discussion. More than personal feelings went to these areas/market, including but not limited to availability, accessibility, urgency, their decision making, how condition best responds to exercise, disposable income and safety.

(If you’d like to work with other groups, feel free to develop your own Signature Fitness Nursing Program, I’d be happy to assist you with your idea and getting it going by clicking here. Once there, click on “Start Fitness Nursing” link to the left and follow the instructions there.)

One of the best feelings we have about our program is that we can be nutritionally politically incorrect (with evidence and rationale, ie: Even when it was popular and pushed down our throats – I never stopped eating the egg yolk… I care too much about my beautiful skin, hair and nails). And to not follow the “What’s old is new again” hype typical from the vanity fitness industry, is so empowering. (For example, when did squat thrusts become burpees? The older you get the more you notice this – for the simple fact you’ve just lived longer in the industry. Experience is precious and cannot be replaced by new names of routines and/or exercises. Same concepts from books I still use from the 70′s and 80′s.)

We realize that vanity is important and fitness pros have to have an edge, be unique; we do some vanity stuff to get attention, but we have other great fun and pleasurable, positive results in store for our clients. The one thing we know about is disease… don’t be ashamed of it… there’s a lot of sick people out there who can exercise. And if they can’t do the “CrossFit” or the “Tabata” or the “Body Pump” class (people in the back are just swinging weights by the way; won’t be able to move in 2 days, probably won’t come back) or “finishers”, we’re there to assist them where they are, not where we want them to be. We’re not going after the 3%; but the 65% who need us most. Let’s solve a problem then sustain the solution.

I could go on and on. But I’ll stop here for now. There’s still work to do on this blog. I hope you’ll continue to grow with us. I urge you to leave a comment, it will be read. Vent if you’d like, we understand. Tell us how the “system of nursing” has made you sick and exhausted.

Fitness Nurse Heretic & Promoter meets Lisa Sasevich

This is an old entry of a couple of years ago.

But because of the new changes I have made I felt compelled to resurface it.

Why? Because it was from theis experience, from Lisa’s lips to my ears, the advice that I decided to take and ride:

“Lori, don’t change your act; change your audience.”

So instead of talking to nurses interested in fitness and self-employment; my new audience are broken, under-appreciated nurses who need and want to improve their own bodies/health and “fix” themselves; so they can better serve others in what they KNOW THEY CAN DO… “fix” other people “at-risk” too. (And they can make some income in the process, they are hungrier!)

—————————————————————

Yes, I met the great Lisa Sasevich. Those of you who are saying, “Who is Lisa Sasevich?” That’s coming.

First, I need your nursing assessment skills. Can you please tell me what you think this is? ( I know what it is now, just want you to put on your nursing cap)

These red, itchy bumps started to appear randomly, as soon as landed in Las Vegas...

If you thought, “hives” then you answered correctly my friend.

That morning before I left for the airport, I didn’t yet confirm with the ‘dog nanny’ to watch our beloved Pang Pang pug.
That morning before I left for the airport, I took an assignment to test some students in North Jersey (crazy traffic near Rutger’s U). I thought it would take a few hours. The very first student took an hour and 20 minutes to test… oh boy. Will I make my flight? Security at Newark is atrocious. What shoes should I wear? Can I take a bottle of aspirin, can I take my vitamins on the plane? Should I just check my bag to be safe? Too many questions rolling through my head!
That morning before I left for the airport, I was having trouble communicating with the driver of the car that was taking me to the airport, bad cell phone connection.
I wasn’t done packing.
I’m on a hormone rollercoaster. (lack of sleep, edgy, heart palpitations)
I’ve been to Las Vegas a couple of times before, but this time was different… I was going there to meet one of my mentors in a big way, by myself.
I thought of all the other reasons/ways I could spend this money on.
But underneath all this chaos going on internally… I knew that I had to do this for YOU… not just me. I had to get more and more clear and get this infomation and share it with you so you can further your gift of fitness nursing to your tribe (that I’ll show you how to develop).
After rushing through the airport, waiting in security lines and finally boarding our late plane, I exhaled as I sat down in my seat and realized that I was alone. Meaning the one person who I would’ve called at least 7-8 times by now, in my craziness, my mother, was gone… again. But I had to do this. Because I want to do this. I knew that it was going to be o.k., but I still had that ‘knot’ in my tummy that never really left until I got back in Jersey.
Back to the hives. All of this led up to me breaking out in hives. (luckily none on my face!) I’m still breaking out today as I write this, but much better. It was my nerves. I stepped way out of my comfort zone… so much so, I broke out in hives! But it didn’t kill me and I’d do it again, if the opportunity came up again. I know that I can handle it. What I did is what very few people do… ACT! And it was well worth it – I was so thrilled to meet Lisa Sasevich as you will see below. I also made some great connections from all the other ‘agents of change’ who were there… ‘doing’ instead of ‘wishing’. It was an awesome experience, hives and all!:

Lisa and Lori. She's "The Queen of Sales Conversion and The Invisible Close" and I'm, "The Promoter of Fix It! Fitness Nurses" See a trend here. Call yourself by what you do, so people can tell other people about you easily.

There’s so much to write about Lisa Sasevich. Please go to LisaSasevich.com to read, listen, watch her in action, you’ll be glad you did.

Visit www.Fixitfitnessnurses.com for more information.

Yours in Fitness & Nursing,

Lori

LoriRadcliffecfn@gmail.com

(732) 620-2193

Trusted Authority as a “_________ Fitness Nurse”

Over the past 7-8 months I’ve been listening to Greg Habstritt. He has a program called, “Become the Trusted Authority in Your Market”. While listening to him and reading his blog, he kept saying the same things over and over again. He mentioned people like Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins, etc. Too many to list, who either dropped out of university or weren’t very good in their field when they started. This is what he said…

“You only need 3 things to be the trusted authority in your market”

Call yourself by what you provide and
You need to demonstrate a core competency and
You need to be authentic and committed to serving others and connect with your clients.

I’ve talked to so many nurses who want to start a fitness nursing business and many want to ‘jump in’. Enthusiasm is great but what is most important is that you realize that you are entering a business and you are attempting to serve a market, a target market. Saying that… this means that you, are for the most part, serving the public (even if you serve the physician as a client and get referrals that way, they appreciate the clarity, not so much the alphabet soup) as nurses we have to separate our ‘initials’, credentials, all of that “years of experience” that we hold so dear from what is needed, wanted and understood by the market you want to serve.

When I read nursing publications, some of the initials behind the names are 2 lines long. This is a marketing disaster if you want to compete in the business world (especially with personal trainers and other fitness professionals). That segment of professionals learned a long time ago that all they have to do is produce results and viola!… they’re in business. If someone finds a trainer that they like, gets results and they have questions about nutrition, do you think they (the client) is going to go find a R.D., even with a Ph.D; when they can ask Joe trainer, who they are already with, about their nutritional needs. They know, like and trust Joe trainer, even though he just has a weekend certification and less than 3 years working as a personal trainer (and he probably looks good too, but not necessarily). People pay for what they want and what they understand and who they trust. Initials, no matter how savvy and credible, don’t entitle you to the sale within a market. (Maybe within a stuffy nursing education function) Remember, if you don’t have any sales, you don’t have a business.

Naploeon Hill said it best, “General knowledge, no matter how great in quantity or variety, it may be of little use in the accumulation of money”. All successful people have/ had at least 2 things needed (above) to become a trusted authority in their market, not necessarily degrees and years of experience in a particular field.

It’s not to say that college and training is not necessary, it can be part of your core competence. But when I talk to nurses who have so much education and years of experience and then tell them that they should call their self a “Diabetic Fitness Nurse”, instead of “Jane Smith, RN, CPT, CCRN, Zumba Instructor”, their immediate response is, “But I want people to know my credentials”. Ready here it is… I had to learn the hard way too…

People don’t care about your credentials.

In business and the marketplace, they care about results and solving their problem that’s keeping them up at night. Caring about your credentials is all about you, not your client. If you want to compete in the market place in a very competitive area (health & fitness), you have to learn to communicate what you do easily and what transformation will result after working with you in all of your marketing (talking to people and in print)

Now before you get upset and write me back with an air of ‘how dare you’, in future e-mails… I do believe and understand that the correspondence within the nursing world of credentialing, it’s fine to put your earned degrees and titles behind your name. But to somebody’s ‘Aunt Mary’ who’s prediabetic, wanting to exercise but needs to be assessed, she just wants to know that you care, you’re competent and you’re going to solve her problem. She will pay you for that. Period.

Have a quiet, yet strong inner confidence that you know your shit. Remember you’re marketing to the public; not other nurses in academia. Don’t use your credentials as a reason to NOT move forward and get training on starting/building your business that’s not taught in a lecture hall.

Yours in Fitness & Nursing,

Lori
info@FitnessNursing.com
(732) 620-2193

Sample exercise video, Body by Science

Hi all,
Sample Exercise Video

I just completed my 12-week fitness nursing program called “WeightlossPRN”. This program follows the Certified Fitness Nurse™Coaching course model. (This program is offered at No Cost at that link.) The one thing that I didn’t do was have most of the participants come from physicians. Most were previous clients, 4 were from physicians. In the next session, beginning in January, I will have more clients directly from physicians. I wanted to share with you an example of the videos that I sent my clients. I film them in my basement with a Flip camera, usually, and I keep them short. I also work out with my pug, PangPang, and all my clients look forward to seeing him in the videos:

This video I used early in my program where I had my clients do only 60-90 second exercises during a fasted-state in the morning. This is delivered via the internet to a group of ‘ideal clients’ who qualify to do this with my coaching and on their own.

Body by Science

There are only 4 things that I teach to my ideal clients:

Intermittent Eating (IE)
Calorie Restriction (CR)
Resistance Training (RT)
Occasional Bingeing (OB)

These 4 principles all have to delivered under the 3 Rights of the Certified Fitness NurseCoach. As I wrote this program, one of the books I came across, amazed me… I new in the first 3 pages, that I had to finish it in one day. They were talking the same principles as I was and to my pleasant surprise one of the authors was a M.D. I have read Dr. McGuff”s writings before, very technical, but this time I just like the way the writing flowed.
The book is called: “Body by Science”

It just can't be argued anymore. To help people heal, reduce their waists and turn around pre-diabetes, and inflammation, you only need to exercise for ~15 minutes once, maybe twice a week overloading your muscles through strength training.

Well, I guess it can be argued, but I’m not interested in arguing. I also know you can find any research to support your position. What you have to decide is does it make sense to you. I love to see any M.D. write and preach anything that is somewhat unconventional and just simply makes sense (to me and hopefully you). The medical establishment is usually the last to accept new ideas, even when they make common sense. Probably because they have the most to lose.

I know it’s hard to swallow after being taught that you MUST exercise 5-6 days a week doing hours of ‘cardio’ and then 2-3 days of multiple sets of weight lifting. Hey, I wasn’t immune to teaching this to clients over the years.

People exercise way too much. People eat way too much. It’s all too much. My soap box: I really HATE IT when people waste their time in the gym or anywhere else from endless, repetitive ‘steady-state’ movement. (In my program I don’t consider walking exercise, it’s physical activity that can be done daily. In my world, exercise is focused and it ain’t fun, it has purpose and then it’s done with.) Because these people ‘show up’, which is the hardest part, but then they don’t get the results they expected or they get hurt, so they drop out or even worse for you, can’t justify paying you again for more sessions or classes.

You simply cannot run, jog, take butt-blasting body pump classes for hours, 5-6 times a week and expect to NOT cause harm to your body. Your body is breaking down. What happens when that calorie burn disappears and you’re too hurt or burned out to continue? I’m the first to say to someone that athletes are not the healthiest people. They perform. Then they live like the rest of us, in pain, in their 40′s, 50′s and beyond. (some sooner)

If you are on that ‘overuse bandwagon’ and refuse to budge, well then the Certified Fitness Nurse Coaching course is probably not for you. Actually it’s designed with the client in mind to simplify the process and to end the exercise mind clutter and to empower the client to do this on their own. I know you may think a lot of people would be out of work if they (potential clients) only exercised for 15 minutes twice a week. But there are so many people who believe the “2 aspirin are good, 6 are better” philosophy in everything they do. So there still will be plenty of money to be made in that world of excess, anxiety and in my opinion, borderline insanity. Isn’t there a program sold on t.v. called “Insanity”?

But again, I am concerned with the pre-diabetic client and will continue to focus most of my energy with other nurses enthusiastic about fitness, who get this position of minimum effective dosing, sustainability and empowerment. (Which is NOT a popular position in a fitness setting, of course. Not only is “more is better” taught there, the people who go there, expect it.)

Well, off my soapbox. Do you have one? If not, you should.

Doctor asks WIIFM?

David, used to work on Wall Street and the companies he researched in the market were health and wellness companies. After he made his money, he decided to help his father, a physician and his father’s colleagues, to make recurring, passive income while promoting health and wellness with their patients. So what’s the leverage? Once David saw my presentation and researched my company and my mission, he could put me in front of hundreds of preventative-minded physicians, GLOBALLY.

I was quite nervous with my presentation, but David liked it. Whew! He gave me some constructive criticism but what he said next floored me…

“How does the physician make money?”, David asked.
“Huh?” I uttered.
He said, “Lori there will be some physicians who will like your presentation and help you because they want their patients to improve their health through your methods. But more physicians would be open to helping you and other FNC’s knowing that there is a monetary benefit for them because they are tuned into that radio station, WIIFM, just like anybody else.”

WIIFM means, “What’s In It For Me”.

I actually did think that I was a little “light” on the benefit to physician part. But it’s that “nurse-mindset” that kept creeping into my mind. You know that mind-set that nurses, teachers, social workers, homemakers, etc. have. That people should do things out of the “goodness of their hearts” and that making money, lots of money means that your heart is not in the right place.

I realized that I was still holding on to that ‘limited belief’, even though I thought I accepted that making money is necessary to carry on my mission. Nothing like a successful Wall Street investment broker to set you straight about human behavior and money.

So on Wednesday, I have to give him my presentation again with the changes he suggested. David has coached me over these past 3 weeks. When I asked him “Why? Why are you helping me?”, he answered, “I like building things. I can see your vision and potential. I just spoke to 3 physicians today and when I asked them what do they say when patients ask for alternatives to medication, they said, ‘Oh, I send them to Weight Watchers or I tell them to ‘cut back’ on food or I give them a 1200 calorie diet and tell them to walk.’ Your Fitness Nurse Consulting™ program is just what they need. If you show them the benefit (financial) vs. risk (lower risk working with a nurse) ratio, lower liability, they are on board.”

Of course not every physician is going to buy into the FNC program. But I am excited to let you know that I am trying very hard to establish Fitness Nurse Consulting™ among preventative-minded physicians and other healthcare professionals and also provide a distinction between the FNC and the fitness professional. I want to make that difference so distinct that when a physician wants to offer an exercise and diet alternative to their pre-diabetic, hypertensive patients, they automatically think Fitness Nurse Consultant™ and the benefits of working with one.

So you may be thinking ‘WIIFM’, for yourself…

You can work from home, part-time
You can make full time money working part-time
You can reach more people, globally in a group setting through the computer, easy video and phone
You get that autonomy that you so desperately need and deserve
You can be part of a unique tribe who really cares about empowering people and sustainable waist management, improved bone health and independence, through the fitness nursing assessment
People like the “new and shiny” object. You will be that “object”
You will discover that you don’t have to “get” people, your own personal tribe, once defined, will come to you and will look forward to working with you!