I have always tried to be more mindful of my mental state in the gym. I am naturally very competitive and this can lead me down a rabbit hole if I am not careful. I believe in mental toughness to get you to the gym and keep you going in a workout, and staying in your own lane (a.k.a. not looking at the white board).
In our gym, like probably every other CrossFit gym, there is a white board. On this board are the names of all the people that attended the workout that day. Beside the names are letters, numbers, and/or a time depending on the workout. I have made it a habit to not check the white board anymore.
I used to workout at 5:30 p.m. class and would constantly look at the board. I was working out at one of the last classes of the day, so I got to see how everyone else did and compare myself to them before the workout even started. Now that I go to the 5:00 a.m. class, it is a lot easier not to look back on what I did yesterday and how I compared to someone else.
When I used to check the board it was nice to have an idea of what weight I should do, how fast to go, or what movements to do, etc., but even that is skewed. There are certain people in the gym, you just know are similar to your athletic ability and others that you know are way above/below your level.
Even those people that are on the same ability level as you, can have bad days or don’t push themselves as hard as they should. If you are basing your workout on what they are doing, then you might not be putting in 100% either. That person could be having a PR kind of day and you are just lucky to be showing up. If you are trying to compete with their “high-light reel” then you are going to be sorely disappointed.
I have a few physical limitations that really forced me to stop looking at the board. I was getting too caught up in comparing myself to someone else, that did not really compare to me. As corny as it sounds, you are unique. No one truly compares to you. You are unique in your strengths and weaknesses. Where I am weak, others are strong. Where they lack ability, I might thrive. I can’t base what I am capable of doing off of someone else’s score on the board. I wish that I could do things that other girls/guys in the gym can do, but physically I am just not there. Yet.
Continuing my workouts through my pregnancies, really showed me that you can’t compare yourself to others. I had been doing CrossFit for around a year before I got pregnant with Anderson. Prior to CrossFit I was working out at conventional gyms with a few boot camps here and there since I started college. I fell in love with functional fitness and just because I got pregnant, did not mean that I was going to stop working out.
I actually competed in my first local competition when I was pregnant with Anderson. It was a partner competition and I did not even tell my partner. I was so nervous she would have backed out on me. Working out pregnant is so frowned upon, especially by those that don’t workout, but for me I would not have it any other way. Working out pregnant taught me so many things. One major lesson has been that modifying workouts is not a shameful thing. I busted my tail even on the modified workouts. Just because I couldn’t do a full burpee or had to do step-ups instead of box jumps, did not mean I wasn’t pushing myself.
If you have to modify your workouts due to injury, sickness, ability, etc. that does not mean that you aren’t pushing yourself. If you don’t see the fastest time by your name, that doesn’t mean your intensity was any less than the fastest time on the board. That person might be in better shape than you or more skilled at certain movements, but you are showing up and putting in 100% according to your abilities.
Keep pushing and doing your best. Don’t slow down and work at half speed, just because you know you aren’t as fast as the fastest person in the gym. You will really be doing yourself a disservice by not giving it your all. If you’re going to do something, you might as well do it 100%!
M E N U
Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken + Garden Veggies
Roasted Chicken with Lemon + Oregano
Apple Butter and Sage Pork Chops
This chicken salad is not like your local chicken salad sandwich with mayo, pecans, and grapes. Honestly, it is boring. You MUST season this dish like there is no tomorrow and add some sauce to the wrap as well. I like to drizzle sriracha on my chicken salad once I have it wrapped up in a low carb, high fiber tortilla shell.
I always boil chicken breasts, just because it is easier when meal prepping. If you aren’t worried about macros or meal prepping, a whole rotisserie chicken would be much easier. Since my chicken is pretty bland from boiling I have to season it a lot more than if I was using a rotisserie chicken. I love that this meal doesn’t have any actual mayo. You make your own with egg, lemon juice, and dijon mustard. I don’t use any oil in this mayo and it makes it extra lean and cut friendly.
*- changes I make to fit my macros
Ingredients:
1 whole roasted chicken or 2 pounds of chicken
* I use chicken breasts
½ cup finely chopped celery
Juice from 1 lemon (about 2-3 Tablespoons)
⅓ - ½ cup Paleo mayonnaise (see recipe below)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning *LOTS of seasoning, plus a hot sauce
Mayo
1 large egg, at room temperature (very important to be at room temperature)
2 teaspoons lemon juice, at room temperature
1 cup light olive oil (or 1/2 cup olive oil + 1/2 cup avocado oil)
* I omit the oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard, optional
Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken + Garden Veggies
I think I probably cook this meal every other week.
Sorry, not sorry.
I love this dish. I did mess it up the first time I made it. I put way too much seasoning, which made it super spicy. To compensate we added some jasmine rice and it was just what this dish needed. I like to make sure I have all 3 macros in my meals, so I don’t end up too short on one at the end of the day. Since I keep my fat low, I need the carbs to make sure I stay full for several hours. Good snacks help with this too.
I have skipped out on the wine the past few times, just because I forget to add it to the grocery list. I am not a fan of white wine, so I only have it in the house to cook with. I also don’t use very much oil. I like to spray my pan with olive oil to minimize the invisible fats. If I use feta, I always make sure to get non-fat feta.
*- changes I make to fit my macros
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
* I spray my pan with olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
kosher salt and pepper
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 zucchini or yellow summer squash, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup white wine, Such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
* I have omitted the wine before
4 ounces feta cheese, cubed
* I use nonfat feta
This salad has so much flavor and is so simple and macro friendly. It has it all. Protein, carbs, and fat. This dressing is similar to the dressing for the chicken salad, as with that dressing and this one, I do not use the olive oil. Olive oil does not have a pleasant taste to me, so I don’t use it in my dressings. It has a lot of useless calories. If I need more liquid, I will add more lemon juice or vinaigrette.
I usually skip the green beans in this and monitor my in take of potatoes closely. I weigh and count everything, but the eggs, potatoes, and tuna are the key players in this meal. If you like this salad, you really should try the toast version. IT. IS. HEAVENLY.
*- changes I make to fit my macros
Ingredients:
• For the dressing:
2 tablespoons champagne vinaigrette
* White Wine Vinegar is fine too
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
* I omit the oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper
• For the salad:
4 ounces green beans
* I omit the green beans
½ pound small new potatoes
2 eggs
* one egg on my salad, two eggs on Josh’s salad
2 small heads of jem lettuce (or 1 head romaine), cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
¼ cup assorted olives
* I use about 1 Tablespoon per salad
7 ounce jar Italian tuna packed in olive oil, drained
* I use pouch tuna in water
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
Roasted Chicken with Lemon + Oregano
I used to make this dish when Josh and I were “newly” weds. I mean we have only been married for 4 years, how long does the “newly”-honeymoon stage last? Well, during this honeymoon, newly-wed phase Josh packed on a few pounds. My food was to blame. Maybe it was the heavy craft beer, maybe it was chicken thighs and legs…no one will ever know for sure.
I always made this with chicken thighs, but now I make it with chicken breasts. It is not as exciting, but if you keep a close eye on your chicken breasts, they won’t dry out and it will be just as delicious. I am going to add a side of rice and roasted zucchini to this dish for some added micronutrients and carbs.
*- changes I make to fit my macros
Ingredients:
1 lemon
4 large or 8 small skin-on, boneless chicken thighs
* Chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
* spray pan and chicken with olive oil
3 sprigs oregano
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Apple Butter and Sage Pork Chops
I love using pork chops, but I must say I never use them in a very creative way. Typically, I am using chicken in all my creative dishes, but I am excited to try this one!
I first saw this on #feedingthefrasers and followed the link to none other than Half Baked Harvest. Go figure. Her recipes are everywhere! I am going to have to be mindful of my carb intake on this day so I can fully enjoy this meal. I hate making too many changes that might completely change the recipe. With the oil and butter, I am going to have to pick which one I really want to use fully. I’ve never had apple butter and am super excited to give it a try.
*- changes I make to fit my macros
Ingredients:
2 bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* spray pan with oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons salted butter
* 1 Tablespoon butter
12 fresh sage leaves
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons apple butter
* 36 grams for 4 servings
1-2 honeycrisp apples, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
E N J O Y!
