This is the last week to sign up for the 8-week macro class if you are interested! I did a round of consults on Monday and it has really gotten me so excited to see the excitement and nervousness of those that I met with. Some are new to counting and others this is their third time doing this with me. It makes me feel so good that people are trusting me to guide them through this journey.
Learning how to count macros effectively is a marathon, not a sprint. You can’t spring through learning what works best for your body. You can’t spring through a lifestyle. You can sprint through a fad-diet and likely gain all of the weight back. You can sprint through and starve your body, but that will negatively impact your relationship with food.
I love to eat and macros allow me to do just that. I get to eat all of the things that I love without any of the guilt. I don’t go around eating all the cupcakes and doughnuts because they aren’t all created equal. A tiny dollar cupcake from the grocery store is not worth messing up my flawless macro-day, but a specialty doughnut from the local bakery is another story. If I want the doughnut I am going to make room for it in my macros. I am going to track it and move along with my day.
Counting macros is great like that. I can have what I want, even though people think all I eat is twigs and grass, and keep on moving. Lately, I have gotten a lot of looks and comments while eating sweets. It honestly just drives me nuts. Mid-bite ‘that must be good’ or ‘you are devouring that’. I just reply with a yes it is good and continue eating. No one is going to shame me out of eating my piece of cake. I have indulged more than I normally would since I am breastfeeding, but there is no reason to go into all of that with onlookers.
With macros, you can fill your goal up with any food you like. If your thing is McDonald’s go ahead…you are probably going to find that you hit your goals very early and have a lot of one macro left over at the end of the day. My indulging moments are not an everyday occurrence, but I do not shame myself for having something that isn’t exactly healthy. Ideally, you meet your macro-goal with whole foods and very little processed foods. I have started to shift away from any kind of shakes unless I am very short on my protein at the end of the day. If I can meet my goal with whole foods that my body has to breakdown, it is much more beneficial to my micronutrient supply, as well as my calorie burn while my body digests the food I have eaten.
In a nutshell, counting macros is my jam. I don’t ever see myself diving into any type of diet that restricts a macronutrient. I feel they all play an important part in my “diet” and finding that ideal balance for each phase of my life is fun. Your macros won’t stay the same for the rest of your life. They will ebb and flow with your life and what goals you have set for yourself. There is no perfect formula because it is completely individualized and that is why I love it. At first, it is a guessing game but if you are consistent with tracking, it is easy to figure out what works for your body type.
Send me a message or contact E8 CrossFit if you are interested in signing up! I can’t wait to get started with everyone!
M E N U
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Lemon Parmesan Salmon+ Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Orange Vinaigrette Dressing
Pulled Pork Sandwich
30 Minute Chicken Fajitas with Roasted Pineapple Salsa Verde
Bourbon Burgers + Sweet Potato Fries
Lemon Parmesan Salmon+ Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Orange Vinaigrette Dressing
Oh my goodness, I didn’t think I would like salmon any other way than how we normally cook it, but this was great. High protein, low carb, low fat. This left all the room for some good snacks. This is probably one of my favorite meals to make. I love this salmon and this beet salad never disappoints.
Usually, I like salmon our way and try to never deviate from it, but this was too good not to try. Since purchasing a RecTec Grill, we don’t wrap the salmon in tin foil anymore with it being on a pellet grill. It does have a different taste to it, but I really loved it the last time we ate it. It is well worth the money in my opinion.
This recipe has oranges and uses orange juice in the dressing. I make sure to weigh out my orange juice and not to overdo it on the orange slices. The juice/dressing 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 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil *spray olive oil kosher salt and black pepper 4 (5-6 ounce) salmon fillets 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated zest of 1 lemon 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese *10 grams reduced fat parmesan per serving 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 Stone Ground 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 salad
Pulled Pork Sandwich
There is no link for this recipe because it is so simple that you don’t need anything to guide you. I love being able to get a pork butt to cook it one way and make two completely different meals. Usually, I will have a sandwich and tacos or a pork bowl on the menu.
I used to cook the meat in the crockpot for 8 hours on low. Now, we smoke the pork butt on the RecTec util it is to temperature and season with the honey bacon bbq seasoning from Meat Church. Delicious. If you can’t get that seasoning, what we used to put on our meat is a great go-to basic seasoning that can be used for any recipe.
To season, I evenly coat all sides with yellow mustard, then season with preferred seasoning. Once the meat is in the crockpot I add soy sauce and apple cider vinegar so the meat does not dry out and soaks up some extra flavor. Once the meat is cooked thoroughly, let it cool and then separate the meat from the fat. It really does defeat the purpose of healthy tacos and sandwiches if you leave the fat in there. Plus it is just gross.
I do not add the BBQ sauce until I am ready to eat each serving. I make sure to weigh out my sauce for every sandwich before I put it on the bun. I make sure to get a low carbohydrate sauce, so I don’t over waste too many of my carbs on the sauce. Simply put the bowl on the scale, weigh out the meat and the sauce in grams or ounces, depending on the nutritional label. Toast your bun, top with the meat, and pickles, and enjoy!
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 1 Boston Butt honey bacon bbq spice OR Paprika Salt Pepper Yellow Mustard Onion Powder Chili Powder Garlic Powder 1/4 cup Soy Sauce 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar Brioche Bun Pickles Low Carbohydrate BBQ Sauce
30 Minute Chicken Fajitas with Roasted Pineapple Salsa Verde
This recipe is pretty identical to the 20-minute shrimp tacos I have made, which are delicious. If you haven’t made them yet and you have some shrimp on hand, run and go make them now! Seriously, one of my favorite salsas yet. The shrimp version had more ingredients in the salsa, but I like that this recipe is a bit more simple. This is my go-to bowl when I want to use pulled pork in a taco or rice bowl.
The only thing to really track in the salsa is the pineapple and tomatillos. The tomatillos are awesome roasted with the other ingredients. If you can’t find tomatillos, you can use a jar of premade Verde. Add the Verde, garlic, jalapeno, and spices to a mixer pulse together until blended well.
These fajitas always turn into rice bowls for me instead of tacos. I love this salsa so much and the macros are so great that I can have a lot of it. If you are going low carbohydrate, then skip the rice and just eat in the tortilla or alone. Some fresh cilantro, lime, and maybe avocado to top it off and you are set!
I interchange pork and chicken breast in this recipe often. Since I am making pork sandwiches this week, I will have extra pork on hand. Pork is probably my favorite way to eat this bowl, so I am really looking forward to this meal.
*Changes I make to fit my macros
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips *chicken breast or pulled pork 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil *Spray with oil 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder kosher salt and black pepper 2 bell peppers, sliced 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced 6-8 small flour tortillas, warmed *High fiber/Low carb tortilla or rice crumbled cotija or shredded cheddar cheese mashed avocado and limes *Omit cheese OR avocado ROASTED PINEAPPLE SALSA VERDE: 6 small tomatillos, husked *verde if you can’t find tomatillos 1 jalapeño 4 green onions juice of 1 lime 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped 1-2 cup diced pineapple *1/4 -1/3rd cup per serving
Bourbon Burgers + Sweet Potato Fries
B E S T burgers I have ever had are from Liam’s in Thomasville and from the Pool Hall in Moultrie. These are some stacked juicy hamburgers. Josh and I have been known to split 3 double cheeseburgers and not pat an eye. I love that he doesn’t judge me for how much food I consume. Usually, we don’t eat cheeseburgers and try to keep it super healthy, but every now and then we will splurge on one from Liam’s or the Pool Hall.
Josh started adding bourbon to the burgers, because he is a bourbon lover, and he wanted to switch things up. Literally, the best burgers he has ever cooked.
If you don’t smother them in cheese, bacon, and mayonnaise hamburgers can be healthy. When I track my hamburger I weigh out my meat after it has cooked. This is controversial in the world of tracking food, but I think that it makes sense. The fat is going to cook out of the meat, so I don’t actually end up eating all of the fat that was originally in the raw meat.
I am going to add some sweet potato fries with the hamburgers for the kids. I will eat them as a snack later on, but not with this meal. You can always mix a packet of ranch seasoning with non-fat Greek yogurt to dip the sweet potato fries in for a healthy snack.
Hamburgers have your fats, protein, and carbs (if you eat a bun). The only thing I do is eat a second hamburger patty without a bun to get in more protein. Macro-wise there is no reason to add a side dish. I know everyone loves fries with their hamburger but you are doing some major calorie intake if you do that.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients Hamburgers: 80/20 meat- onion powder, garlic powder, season all, chili powder, 1-2 tablespoons burbon, pepper Brioche buns Heirloom tomatoes Lettuce Onion Yellow mustard Ketchup Pickles Fries: 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled 2 tablespoons olive oil *spray olive oil 2 tablespoons cornstarch *omit 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper fine sea salt, to taste
