Baby steps are better than no steps at all.
I am that person that bugs others to come workout with me. It hasn’t happened yet. No, not all of my conversations end up being about CrossFit, but I throw it out there every now and then. I keep getting similar statements from people when I ask them to join me at the gym this summer…
“It’s too hard for me. I would be embarrassed if I went there. I am not ready for that. I need to lose weight before I can come. I am not strong enough.”
All of those statements are false. V E R Y false. CrossFit or any workout for that matter is as hard as you make it. If you scale down when it is not necessary, meaning you are capable of doing more weight and choose not to do the heavier weight, then you aren’t putting in much effort. If you scale down and are working at your maximum capacity, then you are putting in a lot of effort. Just because you scale down, doesn’t mean you aren’t putting in a lot effort. If you can’t do exactly what the workout of the day is intended to be, who cares? Why does it really matter in the grand scheme of things if you can’t do handstand push-ups and have to substitute dumbbell presses? It doesn’t matter. What does matter, is that you showed up regardless of what the workout was and you put in effort.
If getting your butt kicked in the gym isn’t what you are looking for, I promise you can still do CrossFit. If you just want to move your body and feel good about yourself, you can do CrossFit. It is what you make it.
Make sure you are doing good quality reps; squat below parallel, come to full extension on your push-ups, pull-ups, handstand push-ups, presses, etc. Do the reps. Don’t cheat. If you are going to do it, do it right; however, go at a speed and with a weight you are comfortable with.
A lot of people are intimidated because they envision the best of the best working out at CrossFit gyms. They think everyone is going to be looking at him/her while he/she works out. When in reality, it is just your average teacher, insurance salesman, doctor, etc. trying to stay in shape or get back into shape and they are far too consumed with themselves to be worried about if your pants are too tight or how much weight you are doing. There aren’t any USA Olympic Weightlifting Champions in our gym. Some of the members want to be, but they aren’t there just yet. Olympic lifters are not the norm in CrossFit gyms around the world.
Everyone is just trying to better themselves, make smart lifestyle choices, and surround themselves with like-minded individuals. Thinking about getting into shape will not get you very far. You have to actually take action to make changes. You don’t have to make huge sacrifices and changes, but you can’t expect physical change to occur without making some lifestyle changes. Baby steps are better than no steps at all. Don’t worry about what others might think of you. The biggest step you can make towards your goal is to just walk through the door. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
New Food Review
This recipe was not difficult at all to make and probably one of my new go-to sheet pan meals. It was not intended to be a sheet pan dinner, but I needed more than just meat and didn’t want to use the meat in tacos. I used the spices from the Pork Bowl that I have made the past few weeks, to roast the vegetables with. The pork bowl is supposed to be a chicken tacos, but I don’t like to waste any of the verde pineapple salsa, so I make it into a bowl. I let the steak marinate for a couple of hours while I cooked the rest of my food and threw the steak and vegetables in the oven at 425 degrees. I put the vegetables in first for about 10 minutes, so it would be done cooking at the same time. I will definitely be cooking this again.
Next week I will have lots of new food to review!
M E N U
Happy Memorial Day!
Salmon + Roasted Vegetables
Greek Orzo Stuffed Red Peppers
Saucy Pineapple BBQ Chicken Bowls
Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken and Garden Vegetables
Happy Memorial Day!
There is no meal planned for this day. Enjoy the time spent with your family on this holiday and remember to thank a Veteran.
Eat and drink responsibly. 😉 There’s nothing wrong with indulging every now and then, but don’t let it last all week long. Get back to your routine and move on, until next time.
Salmon + Roasted Vegetables
I am going to try and go into this recipe with an open mind. I am very hesitant to cook salmon any other way than with lemon slices, lemon zest, and our blend of spices. Josh suggested this recipe so I am going to roll with it. If the weather is just too miserable and hot to grill, we will roast the salmon and vegetables in the oven. I am going to pick a mix of good vegetables to roast with some spices we have at the house. Nothing too overpowering that would take away from the salmon.
I will write a review on this recipe next week! In the meantime, I am going to make adjustments to the original recipe so that it does not bust my macros.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 1 (2 pounds) wild caught salmon (skin on) 2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil *spray olive oil on salmon and lemon juice with spices 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 2 teaspoons cumin 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes kosher salt and black pepper 1/4 cup dijon mustard 1/4 cup honey 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper AVOCADO BASIL SAUCE 1 avocado, halved 1/2 cup fresh basil, plus more for serving 1 jalapeño, halved and seeded juice from 1 lime BASIL TOMATOES 2 cups cherry tomatoes 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil *lemon juice Side Note: I do not flip my salmon Vegetables: 3 Zucchini 1 Onion 2 Bell peppers (red & green)
Greek Orzo Stuffed Red Peppers
I think this is a Half Baked Harvest week of recipes. This is a new recipe, but I am going to make some adjustments to make it work for my macros. Make sure you look below to see what I change if you are wanting to make some adjustments to make it healthier too.
Just because school is out, doesn’t mean that I am going to stop meal prepping and watching my macros. Summer time can be just as busy as school time, so I don’t stop meal prepping. Certainly, no one wants to gain weight in the summer hanging out in their bathing suits, so I still count my macros too.
This dish is meant to be a vegetarian dish. I am going to add in chopped cooked chicken breast to ensure that I do not miss out on any protein. One whole pepper will be one serving for us.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 3 red bell peppers, halved *4 peppers 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil *spray olive oil 3 sprigs fresh oregano kosher salt and pepper 1 cup dry orzo or quinoa 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olive 2 pepperoncini, chopped 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, chopped *Omit 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese *non fat feta Lemony Basil Tomatoes: 1 cup fresh basil, chopped 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil *lemon juice crushed red pepper flakes zest from 1 lemon kosher salt *add cooked chicken breast to peppers
Saucy Pineapple BBQ Chicken Bowls
This bowl is very similar to others we have had, minus the BBQ sauce. Usually there isn’t much extra sauce and it isn’t so bad on the macros. With the extra sauce comes extra calories and macros. I’m not excited about that, so if I can’t find a low calorie/low carb sauce at the store I am going to make a vinegar-base sauce at the house. There aren’t many vegetables in this dish, so make sure you get your veggies in with your snacks or other meals that day.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 cups BBQ sauce, homemade or store-bought (if using store-bought, I like Primal Kitchens BBQ Sauce) *low carb-BBQ sauce or make your own 2 tablespoon pineapple juice juice from 2 limes 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks 2 jalapeños, chopped, and seeded if desired 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped kosher salt and pepper 3 cups cooked quinoa or rice *1/2 cup cooked rice per bowl 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved *1 pint 1/2 cup fresh basil, and or cilantro leaves, roughly chopped 5 cups shredded romaine lettuce *spinach 1 avocado, sliced *1/4th avocado per bowl 4 fresh chives, chopped fried garlic for serving (optional)
Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken and Garden Vegetables
This dish is on constant rotation around here. Half Baked Harvest is my go-to chef/blogger/recipe-maker to find a good, tasty meal. This recipe can be low carbohydrate or high carbohydrate depending on how much rice you decide to add. You can add in different vegetables or keep it exactly as the recipe states.
The last time I cooked this meal I used 13 ounces of bell peppers, 0.5 tablespoons of olive oil, 19.4 ounces of squash/zucchini, and 50 grape tomatoes. I divided my recipe into 4 servings and it came out to be 102 calories, 3.6 grams of protein, 17.8 grams of carbohydrates, and 1.8 grams of fat. This was without the chicken and without any rice. I like to add in the chicken and rice separately so it is tailored to exactly what I need.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil *Omit oil, spray olive oil if necessary 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 green, 1 red 1 zucchini or yellow summer squash, chopped *2 large 1 cup cherry tomatoes *2 pints 3/4 cup white wine, Such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc *4 ounces 4 ounces feta cheese, cubed *Non-fat feta or Omit
E N J O Y !
