Troll on Instagram posts long enough and you’re bound to see #hwpo on more posts than not. This hashtag, in my humble opinion, was made popular by the amazing Matt Fraser. If you don’t know him, google him, YouTube him, stalk his Instagram, and then go check out #feedingthefrasers. You won’t regret it.
“His” hashtag means hard work pays off.
Hard work. Not your “skinny-fat” guys/gals or cosmetically transformed individuals. Good old fashioned putting in effort to get the results you want. There is nothing wrong with having a God-given high metabolism or having the funds available to cosmetically lose the pounds, but we need to really give credit to those that do it naturally. After all, that is the more difficult road to travel.
As with any sport or physical hobby, like CrossFit, there are going to be injuries, soreness, mental blocks, set-backs, holidays, vacations, etc. Sticking with the process and not giving in to the temptation to stop, is completely mental. It can be hard to stay motivated all the time and put in the hard work required. Maybe you ate too much or drank too much the night before and don’t quite feel up to going to the gym. Maybe you were up late binge watching Netflix and can’t drag yourself to the gym.
Hard work requires dedication even when you don’t want to do it.
People that aren’t honest about their hard work or their shortcuts, are falsely advertising their success. Somewhere, there is someone looking up to you, looking at you for inspiration and you are not being honest with them. There is no shame in working hard in the gym and eating healthy, yet people will only give credit to one of those. If you happen to go under the knife to improve your physical appearance, honestly that is your business and no one else’s…BUT if someone is looking up to, expecting to get results like you did so quickly, you might should let them in on your secret.
No shame in your game, right?
If you work hard in the gym and the kitchen, own it. Don’t give all the credit to that no-carb diet (eye roll). Diets plateau. If you do the same workout, with the same weight, you will plateau too. If you have surgery, but then continue the same eating habits it won’t last either. Hard work must be consistent. Eating a salad once a week and going to the gym once a week, won’t get you where you want to be.
Hard work is a lifestyle and honestly just isn’t for everyone. The majority of people are unhappy with their current situation, but aren’t willing to put in the work to change it. Yes, I am aware you have excuses/reasons that you can’t put in the effort, but you might as well be talking to a wall. Excuses won’t get you where you want to be. Hard work will. True effort. I have to make sacrifices and so will you. Someone will tell me they just don’t have any spare time to meal prep, but in the same breath say they refuse to wake up any sooner than they have to for work. There you go friend, you are holding yourself back.
You are the only thing holding yourself back from your goals.
Get out of your way.
M • E • N • U
BBQ Sandwich
Spaghetti
BBQ Tacos
Sweet Potato Turmeric Healing Bowl
BBQ Sandwich
I have been waiting for boston butt to go on sale so we could have barbecue and tacos. Anytime I get to use my crockpot to meal prep, it is win.
To cook the meat in the crockpot I rub it down with yellow mustard and season it with Pikes Peak seasoning or garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and onion powder. This seasoning has everything in it that you could ever want, We use it on our steaks and prime rib, every time. Put the meat in the crockpot fat side up. Pour vinegar based sauce in the bottom on the crockpot until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. I use a vinegar based barbecue sauce, when I do not have that on hand I add apple cider vinegar or white vinegar and 2-4 Tbsp of worcestershire sauce.
Cook the Boston butt on high for 4 hours, then on low for 4 hours. If you are leaving it all day and won’t be around to change the heat setting, leave it on low for 8 hours. Once the bone is easily removed and the internal temperature is 195 you can take it out of the crockpot to cool. Once the meat has cooled, separate the fat from the meat. This is important, please don’t leave the fat in with the meat.
For BBQ sandwiches I keep it simple. Before I put the meat into the sandwich I will weigh out the portion of meat I want to eat and then mix in my barbecue sauce. I don’t mix the sauce into all of the meat before hand because I just want to know what the meat weighs and I use the leftover meat for tacos. Not everyone in my house likes the same sauce either, so this makes everyone happy. I toast our favorite buns, only grams of carbs, and fill with the meat. Don’t forget the pickles too. You could make a slaw to go with this, but I just like to keep it easy and simple.
Spaghetti
This is a “homemade” sauce, I don’t like buying a canned sauce but I don’t roast my tomatoes for my own sauce anymore either. I went from buying canned sauce in college, to making my own from scratch, to making a combination of the two now. I like this version the best, for now. It is adapted from a lasagna, so it is not your traditional thin pasta sauce. I like my sauce meaty and thick. I will say that I have made this with and without the whole milk and wine. Both ways are great, so don’t feel like you have to have the wine or whole milk to make this.
There is no link for this spaghetti but it is very simple to make. I use two pans. One skillet to brown the meat and a large pot to saute the vegetables and transfer the meat to.
Preheat your oven to 425. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, discard the seeds, and place on baking sheet cut side up. Generously cover the inside and rim of the cut spaghetti squash with olive oil and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until you can stick a fork completely through inside of the squash. Once the squash has cooled, scrape out the squash with a fork, creating thin spaghetti noodle like strands.
While the squash is cooking, brown your meat and drain it. While the meat browns, saute the chopped onion and yellow bell pepper until soft. Add in the rinsed and dried mushrooms. You can chop the mushrooms before putting them into the pot or wait until they get soft and break them apart with the spatula. Add in the tomatoes, 1 cup of whole milk or heavy whipping cream and about 2 ounces of red wine. Mix together well, then add the tomato paste. This will thicken the sauce up and add a more traditional tomato flavor. I put around 1 cup, but add this at your own discretion. Add in the meat and let simmer to mix the flavors well. Don’t forget your spices; salt, pepper, fresh basil or your favorite Italian seasoning.
This is the recipe I use to base my white chicken chili off of. I add in a few extra things, but nothing that compromises the macros of the dish. I use an entire jar of the green sauce, not just 2 cups. Depending on how many cans of beans you use, this is one of the healthiest and well balanced dishes I make.
I saute onion and garlic before adding in the beans and broth. While the garlic and onion cook down I usually boil my chicken, just because it is easier. You can grill the chicken or slice it up and cook it with the onion and garlic for more flavor. I am trying to do everything as quickly as I can with two small kids.
I top off my soup with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. If it is not spicy enough for you, add in a jalapeno!
BBQ Tacos
The great thing about the tacos is your meat is already cooked, if you decided to make BBQ sandwiches. If you aren’t making BBQ sandwiches, you will still cook your meat in the exact same way.
As stated above…
“To cook the meat in the crockpot I rub it down with yellow mustard and season it with Pikes Peak seasoning or garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and onion powder. This seasoning has everything in it that you could ever want, We use it on our steaks and prime rib, every time. Put the meat in the crockpot fat side up. Pour vinegar based sauce in the bottom on the crockpot until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. I use a vinegar based barbecue sauce, when I do not have that on hand I add apple cider vinegar or white vinegar and 2-4 Tbsp of worcestershire sauce.
Cook the Boston butt on high for 4 hours, then on low for 4 hours. If you are leaving it all day and won’t be around to change the heat setting, leave it on low for 8 hours. Once the bone is easily removed and the internal temperature is 195 you can take it out of the crockpot to cool. Once the meat has cooled, separate the fat from the meat. This is important, please don’t leave the fat in with the meat.”
With your leftover meat or freshly cooked meat, mix in one jar of green sauce. You can chop the onion and peppers prior to eating the tacos and even saute them. The vegetables do not need to be crisp, so reheating them will not change your dish.
Pick out a low carb, high fiber tortilla fill it with the green sauce meat, sauteed vegetables, and top with your favorite hot sauce!
Sweet Potato Turmeric Healing Bowl
I have missed cooking bowls. Chili and soup have seemed to replace the bowls in my life and that is only natural with the change of seasons.
This bowl is hearty, warming, and good for you. I could just eat the sweet potatoes alone as a meal. I do not use eggs or the oil in my dressing in my bowl. I like to add meat to mine and the lemon adds enough juice to the dish that I don’t need any oil. I typically use quinoa instead of brown rice, but whatever you have on hand or prefer to eat.
Since I am making white chicken chili, I am going to use chicken in my bowl. I have used pork loin chops before as well and that tastes great too. Slice your meat thin and top the bowl with it.
Don’t forget the list!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
