I made homemade breakfast sausage

Happy New Year blog friends!

What are you most looking forward to in 2016?

I’m looking forward to being more consistent this year. Small actions done consistently and repeatedly have big outcomes.

I saw a weight loss video of a guy that lost 300 lbs in 15 months from doing yoga every day. It was the small action done consistently over 15 months that gave him that big outcome.

I’ve been able to lose weight, but never keep it off, it always seems to come back. Why? Because of my lack of consistency. So I’m trying to find a lifestyle change that works.

I’m honestly motivated by overall health. Getting older is a reality and I want to be able to be the most active and alert as I continue into the last 2/3 of my life.  “Looking good” will just be a added benefit.

I love meat. So going vegetarian isn’t sustainable for me. Jess did Whole 30 for a while and it cured her sciatica because it takes away the inflammation in your body. It’s focus is on whole and natural foods. Clean meats, vegetables, fruits and nuts. On this plan you can eat all the meat and potatoes and vegetables and nuts you want, which sounds sustainable to me.

I’ve made a couple of amendments, I’m allowing oats, because I make my meatloaf with oats, I guess I could use potato. And I’m allowing butter. (Not margarine) You’re allowed ghee on whole 30 which is butter without the milk fat, but thats one extra step that might make me throw the towel in. I don’t want to heat up my butter and scrape off the milk fat.

I’ve realized that sometimes the difference between success and failure for me can be one tiny little step. If I can remove as many steps as possible between me and my goal I’m more poised for success.

So reducing steps between me and eating healthy means… take a day each week and cook up a bunch of food. So that if I’m having a bad day I’ve got something to easily heat up instead of prepping and cooking.  Thats one less step between me and a healthier option instead of one more step between me and the mcdonalds drive through.

So Sunday we went to kroger, costco and whole foods and did all of our shopping.  I took Monday to make a few things.

Here’s what I made.

I LOVE breakfast meat.  But I wanted to make my own so I knew what was in it.  I had helped Jess’ step dad make korv, which is a Swedish sausage, over the Christmas break so I thought I’d try my hand at making my own breakfast sausage.  I bought ground pork at whole foods and added some minced garlic, salt and pepper and sage.  Sage is what gives breakfast sausage it’s breakfast sausage flavor.  I mixed it up and made a small patty, it didn’t really taste like much, so I went back and added a ton more sage and that did the trick.

Next I made up a batch of kimchi.  Kimchi is a great way for me to eat more vegetables.  Plus it’s a fermented food which is suppose to have all kinds of health benefits, plus its all vegetables but it’s spicy, it’s a great addition to any meal that adds a satisfying CRUNCH.  Here’s the recipe I follow loosely.

I also made up a meatloaf, I don’t follow a recipe.  Pound of ground beef, some oats, whatever onion I had left chopped up, some salsa, minced garlic (I added way to much) some fish sauce (probably will omit this and the garlic next time) and then topped it with tomato paste.  An amazing topping is ketchup and maple syrup but I’m trying to avoid sugar so boring ol tomato paste it was.

I also threw a giant baked potato in the oven, but didn’t end up eating it.

I need to cook up some turkey burgers and some chicken breasts so they are ready to go.  Jess hardboiled a bunch of eggs.  I’ve got some brussel sprouts and asparagus in the fridge too as vegetables.  I’m having meatloaf and a potato and brussel sprouts for dinner when I get home tonight from Clarksville

Here’s to hoping having an intentional food buying and prepping day helps me be consistent with eating cleaner.

Do you have any tips to eating clean consistently?  Share with us in the comments.