Changing Lanes
Life is never stagnant. It is constantly changing and you either change with it or get lost along the way. This can mean many things for different people. We all grow in our relationships and we either grow together in the same direction or grow apart. Seasons of transition can be especially difficult to grow through. Some people will drown during this time emotionally, spiritually, physically, etc. Without knowing how to cope with transitions one can only fall behind.
When learning a new skill or trying to create a healthy lifestyle, there will come sacrifices. These moments that you find yourself having to sacrifice are transitions. Later you will no longer see them as sacrifices, yet they will just be apart of life. I do not see not going to Dairy Queen every Sunday after lunch as a sacrifice anymore, but I did. When I started giving up my weekly dipped cone, I was not happy, but I was willing to make the sacrifice towards a healthier lifestyle. Now, I don’t think twice about a dipped cone. I am past that transition period. If I do have a dipped cone, I log in and move on without any guilt.
My coach told me this week that I am in a period of transition in the gym and he was right in so many ways. We had a workout in which I could utilize my new skill, even though I knew this would slow me down. I am not used to not finishing workouts. I am not used to the timer going off before I am done. I beat the clock, the clock doesn’t beat me, but this week the clock beat me and it was humbling. I should have been proud of myself because I stuck with it and didn’t scale down and kept going, but I wasn’t satisfied with my performance.
In CrossFit, ALL workouts are do-able if you scale down correctly. That is the beauty of CrossFit to me, it really is for everyone. For example, if you can’t do muscle-ups, you can do chest-to-bar. If you can’t do chest-to-bar, you can do pull-ups. If you can’t do pull-ups, you can do banded pull-ups, jumping pull-ups, ring rows, etc. the list of modifications is endless and EVERYONE utilizes them. I just learned how to do muscle-ups and I am not very efficient at them. I did my fair share of chest-to-bar in the workout which should have been muscle-ups, but I didn’t give up. I went until the timer went off.
I asked my coach before I started how many failed attempts I got before I got to move on to the next movement and he said none. What…where is the sympathetic coach that will let me have 3 attempts then just finish with chest-to-bar? So I did what he said. I stuck to it. I got the 3 I needed per round and then moved on. I tried and tried and tried, failed and failed and failed, but I did not give up on it. I got through 11 of the 18 needed. Two months ago I could not do this movement and I was doing them in a workout this week. That is something to be proud of whether or not I was able to 100% do the workout.
Small victories deserve to be relished in during this period of transition just as much as the PRs. In fact, I had yet to get a muscle-up at the 5 a.m. class, something about throwing my body on top of that bar just wasn’t clicking that early in the morning until this week. So I am going to let that count as a PR too. When I don’t feel like I do well in the gym my day is kinda thrown for a loop. It is how I start my day out and I want it to be a great start. Struggling through my workout produced growth. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone and I got some much-needed practice. There is no way to grow without that awkward transition period.
Though not all can relate to a muscle-up or a fitness transition, we can all relate to seasons of transitions in some form or another. We get married and have babies, which completely changes the dynamic of your once carefree relationship. We add another child and then another and nothing seems to be the same anymore. During those moments of transition where you are learning how to live life in a new fashion, is where you grow, that is where you get stronger. Giving up and becoming frustrated does not produce growth, it breeds negativity. Keep pushing through those transition periods and embrace the process.
New Food Review:
Lemon Ricotta & Spinach Pasta I loved this dish and will 100% be making this again! Next time I’ll be using carbs-nada instead of spaghetti squash. It was great with spaghetti squash but I really missed the pasta texture. This was such a great, simple sauce to make and right at 300 calories is hard to beat. So good!
M E N U
Sheet Pan Korean Chicken Bowls + Sweet Potatoes + Yum Yum Sauce
Black Bean Tacos + Avocado Cilantro-Lime Sauce
Salmon + Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Orange Vinaigrette Dressing
Sheet Pan Korean Chicken Bowls + Sweet Potatoes + Yum Yum Sauce
I am honestly making this for the sweet potatoes. I love roasted sweet potatoes. They are easy and really only need a little bit of salt and pepper to make them great. I cringe when I see someone reach for the butter to put on their sweet potato. I am going to adjust the different oils and sauces to make this more macro-friendly for my needs. If you don’t track, then use the recipe as it is written.
* Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes *3-4 ounces per serving 3 tablespoon toasted sesame or extra virgin olive oil *1 tablespoon 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 3-4 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste) 2 tablespoons honey *0.5 ounce 1 inch fresh ginger, grated 2 cloves garlic, grated 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds *omit 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch cubes kosher salt and black pepper 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or olive oil mayo *non fat plain Greek yogurt 2-3 cups kale, roughly torn juice from 1 lime 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped 3 cups steamed white or brown rice *jasmine rice kimichi, avocado, shredded carrots, green onions, sliced cucumbers, and radishes, for serving
Black Bean Tacos + Avocado Cilantro-Lime Sauce
This is dish is originally intended to be meatless, but I need more protein than what the black beans provide. I used to use tilapia with this dish, but there was a huge tilapia scare about 3 years ago, so we stopped using it altogether. It was only “safe” to buy the fish from one certain place, so I quit making these and haven’t thought about them until Josh brought them up this past week. I had to scroll to the very bottom of my Pinterest board to find these.
To add protein to this dish we are going to use shrimp instead of fish. Fish is a great add-in, but we have been on a shrimp kick lately. I am going to use the same spices as I did on the zesty shrimp salad with the shrimp. It is the easiest little spice mix and tastes amazing.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: Two 15 oz. cans black beans *1 can 1 cup salsa *Fresh salsa in the produce section 1 tsp. cumin Corn tortillas *high fiber/low carb tortilla TOPPINGS OF CHOICE Lettuce, tomato, onion, roasted red peppers, corn, avocado, cilantro, dairy-free cheese, etc. *cilantro, lime FOR THE CREAMY AVOCADO SAUCE 1/2 ripe avocado *3 ounces 3/4 cup cilantro (stems removed) Juice from 1 lime 1 clove garlic 1 Tbsp. olive oil (omit for oil-free) *omit 1 tsp. agave (or other sweetener) *1/2 ounce honey 1/8 tsp. salt 2 pounds shrimp Zest of one lime and one lemon 1/2 ounce honey *zero calorie olive oil spray 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Warm Asparagus Salad
I tried my best to find this Warm Asparagus Salad off of my Pinterest board but kept coming up empty-handed. I went back to my original post and somehow that linked worked. In my process of looking for the original recipe, I found some that were very similar that I could combine with this one and make a full meal!
I love this salad. It is so easy to make and of course meal prep friendly. I usually skip the dressing because the runny egg and the bacon together make such a great flavor. If you don’t like a runny egg then I would suggest skipping the egg altogether and making the dressing. Since I am going to add some additional ingredients, I am going to make the dressing this time. Make sure you check out the additions I am making to make this one complete meal instead of a side dish.
I would cook all of this salad ahead of time and go ahead and peel my eggs too. You can always heat the asparagus back up in the oven on hi, broil. I have to reheat mine in the microwave at work for lunch the following day and am never displeased with the texture. Just don’t overcook the eggs when you are reheating them. Typically, I will leave those cold so I don’t risk losing the runniness.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredietnts: About 30 medium spears (3 bunches) *10 spears per salad Olive oil *omit 6 rashers smoked bacon or pancetta *bacon (0.5-1.0 ounce cooked per salad 4 free-range eggs *1 egg per salad 50g hazelnuts, toasted, chopped *omit For the dressing 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil *omit 2 tablespoons olive oil *omit 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons smooth French mustard *rosemary, salt, pepper *add-in cherry tomatoes arugula cooked chicken breast
Steak Fajita Bowl
I loved this marinade when I made steak skewers a while back. The last time I made this I turned it into a bowl and it was perfect. It was the right amount of spicy and sweet! I made sure to let the steak sit overnight in the marinade after cutting the sirloin into strips. I choose to eat sirloin steak because it is the leanest cut and cheapest (bonus).
I plan to let the steak sit in the marinade overnight again and cook it on the stove in my cast-iron pan. I will sear the vegetables with olive oil spray, salt, and pepper. I don’t want the vegetables to get super soft since they will be reheated to eat later, so I will give them a good char and take them up.
Make sure you check to see the changes I am making to the marinade and to the amounts used of other ingredients!
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: about 8 metal skewers (or wooden skewers, soaked in water for 10 minutes) *omit skewers and cook pieces in a cast iron skillet *1/2 cup prepared rice per bowl 1/3 cup soy sauce 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil *omit oil 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar *4 tablespoons 1 to 2 tablespoons honey *1 ounce *smoked paprika, cayene, lemon zest, lime zest, salt, pepper 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper about 1.5 pounds boneless top sirloin steak center cut, diced into bite-sized pieces 1 red bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces 1 red onion, diced into bite-sized pieces *2 green bell peppers, 1 red bell pepper 1 large zucchini, diced into bite-sized pieces *1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash about 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, diced into bite-sized pieces *1/2 cup per bowl salt and pepper, for seasoning to taste, if desired 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil for garnishing; optional *cilantro *rice
Salmon + Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Orange Vinaigrette Dressing
I love, love, love when Josh cooks salmon for me. Salmon is by far my favorite fish and he knows exactly how to cook it. I prefer to grill our salmon, but if it is cold, the oven works just fine. We use lemon zest, lemon slices, garlic powder, onion powder, and Tony Chachere’s seasoning. Rub or spray the fish down with olive oil, season, and wrap in tin foil.
I have not made a beet salad in a long, long, long time and this one is my favorite one! I used to use beets fairly regularly but just stopped for some reason. I really should have them every week.
This recipe has oranges and uses orange juice in the dressing. I make sure to weigh out my orange juice and don’t overdo it on the orange slices. The juice is where you will really get a lot of calories if you are not mindful. To track your dressing, make sure you are weighing every ingredient. Get the total weight of the dressing and then divide it into equal servings.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: Salmon: Salmon (skin on or off) 1 lemon (zest and slices) Tony Chachere’s seasoning Garlic powder Onion powder Vinaigrette: 1/4 Cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice 1/4 Cup Olive Oil *omit oil 2 Tablespoons Honey * 1 Tablespoon Honey 1/2 teaspoon Stone Ground Mustard * 1 Tablespoon Mustard Pinch Salt/Pepper Salad: Fresh Baby Romaine or a Peppery Greens Salad Blend Micro Greens 4-5 Cooked Beets - cut into chunks Goat Cheese Crumbles *1 serving per salad 1 Orange - segmented *1/4th of an orange per sala
