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👨🍳 The MF Kitchen #24 - war prediction?
Hey Reader!
In the 24th edition of The MF Kitchen, you’ll slice into the details of:
If you are looking for a delicious low-calorie lunch that requires zero cooking and takes less than 2 minutes to make, this Avocado Tuna Salad is IT!
It packs 16g per English muffin half too 😎
You read that right!
45 seconds to make a delicious Protein Lava Cookie that’s only 285 calories with 27g protein!
The Macro Friendly Ramen Series continues to be a fan favorite!
This week we have the Orange Chicken Ramen!
Macros for 1/4th of the recipe:
513 Cals, 52g Carbs, 13g Fat, 47g Protein
Here’s the link to the recipe:
👉 https://www.instagram.com/theflexibledietinglifestyle/reel/Cw244Cbuks4/
They can predict the future 🔮
Let’s start with the iconic double-decker burger, featuring two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun, satisfying cravings since 1968.
If only it was as good today as I just made it seem 😭
No matter how mediocre it is today, the Big Mac is one of the few foods that you can get worldwide since McDonalds are everywhere.
And since you can get it in pretty much any country, the Big Mac has become a pretty accurate way of tracking country-to-country inflation.
This is through what’s called “The Big Mac Index.”
Instead of worrying about using the exact exchange rate from country to country, you can use the cost of a Big Mac to truly see how far your dollar goes.
And the cost of a Big Mac tends to correlate with the cost of everything else in the country.
Next up, we have:
Pizza that’s able to predict war…
But how?
Enter Monica Lewinsky.
Lol just kidding. But kinda not.
Let me explain…
So in 1983, just before the invasions of Grenada, Domino’s Pizza noticed a massive uptick in pizza sales delivered to the White House.
Then this happened again in 1989 right before the invasion of Panama.
In 1995 (enter Monica Lewinsky) during the first of the 1995 government shutdowns.
She was an unpaid intern working there because of the shutdown. We all know how that played out haha.
Anyways, the pizza meter has proved right many many times over the years in predicting something major has happened due to the ordering of pizza meaning the staff at the White House/Pentagon would need to work late through the night.
This is obviously a national security issue if our enemies can track this.
So it’s said to not be as effective because the White House now staggers out the orders but there are still people who still track it with success 😅
And lastly, we have:
The legendary Waffle House
As someone who grew up on the east coast of Florida, I know this theory to be true.
The Waffle House Index is a way to measure how bad a storm or disaster is based on whether Waffle House restaurants are open or not.
Waffle House has a reputation for staying open no matter what, so if a Waffle House is closed, it means the situation is really serious.
There are three levels:
- green if the restaurant is open with a full menu
- yellow if it’s open with a limited menu
- red if it’s closed
This index helps emergency workers understand how much damage has been done and how severe the situation is.
Question from Lauren (Sarasota, FL) – “Hey Zach. I wish I was sending you this email because I have had tons of success. But unfortunately, I have not. I set a goal to lose 50lbs in 2024 and I find myself exactly where I started at the beginning of the year. Just for context, I am 5’4” 196lbs, 34 years old and married with 2 kids. And the biggest issue is, I have a hard time not putting my family’s health in front of my own. I know what I need to do but I just don’t do it. I justify over and over again my decisions to not lose this weight, giving myself grace for how hard I work already (work/family). What is your best advice to finally get over this hump and make it happen?”
Answer: Hey Lauren. I just want to say I appreciate you being vulnerable and sending over this question. I will do my very best to help.
I think the first place to start is not a place you’ll want me to go.
Instead of focusing on what’s wrong, let’s do the opposite.
Let’s focus on a win.
From what you told me, it seems like you have not gained any more weight so far this year.
That’s a win! You stopped the momentum of your weight going up. Be proud of yourself!
Trust me, I am an idealist at heart so celebrating small little wins like that seems like the most pointless shit ever.
BUT ever since I started adopting that mindset, the small teeny tiny wins have added up to life-changing changes in so many aspects of my life.
So now let’s get tactical…
Your goal is weight loss.
Thus you need to be in a caloric deficit (aka eating fewer calories than what you burn).
Think of your body fat as debt.
And the difference between what you burn vs what you eat is you paying off that debt.
OR adding to it if you eat over what you burn.
I am not going to give you a calorie goal. I just want you to try and hit 130g-150g protein per day.
I think that’ll take care of everything else since protein keeps you satiated.
And it’ll be hard to overeat on everything else when you think protein first with each meal.
So how will you create that deficit?
Idk about you but when I wake up each morning, I am my most optimistic/motivated.
And as the day goes on, I get fatigued and lose some of that motivation.
So starting the healthy momentum of the day (aka breakfast) by making the best decisions possible is a great start.
If you make a concession to fall off plan early in the day, then it’s only going to get worse as the day goes on.
You’ve created the momentum in the wrong direction.
Make what you do early in the day sacred (aka a non-negotiable).
Here’s what that looks like in two simple steps:
- plenty of water (hydrate before you caffeinate)
- high-protein breakfast (think 400-500 calories with at least 35g protein)
Not a big fan of fasting (especially females) because it creates a slippery slope of hunger amongst other things.
So now after breakfast, you have positive momentum leading into lunch.
And then it’s the same mindset with lunch and dinner.
Think protein first and then fill in the gaps with carbs and fats.
Lunch is where things could get tricky.
This will take you being proactive.
Ideally you pack your own healthy lunch so you don’t have to make more decisions than you have to throughout your day.
Because as the day goes on, motivation tends to subside.
So when you pack a lunch at breakfast (when motivation is high), lunch is already accounted for.
Now for dinner.
That’s ideally where I come into play.
Making a high-protein meal for the family where you guys can all eat the same meal would be amazing.
My recipes are specialized for that (aka kiddo and hubby-approved lol).
But regardless, think protein first and then fill in the gaps with the carbs and fats.
And here’s another really important tip:
Be mindful of the “few bites” here and there of the kid’s food.
It can add up big time and be the difference between you being in a caloric deficit or not.
I KNOW that’s annoying! But it’s the truth.
And so to summarize your game plan Lauren:
- Protein first with each meal.
- Act when motivation is high.
- Breakfast as momentum for the day.
- Be mindful of handfuls of kiddos food.
Notice I didn’t mention any exercise.
Ideally, I’d LOVE for you to hit the gym a couple of times per week or even just set a step goal of 6k steps per day.
But the nutrition is what matters most.
The exercise will come with time.
You are doing better than you think you are Lauren.
Sending you all the good vibes!
100 Calories of Watermelon 🍉
There are not many things I love more than Watermelon lol.
And so this is how I feel buying my first Watermelon of the season!
It’s actually insane how much watermelon you can eat for 100 calories.
Once a week I cut one up and keep it in the fridge as a quick grab-and-go snack.
This is what half the watermelon cut-up looks like.
So this is your sign to go and get your first watermelon of the season!
And if you’ve ever struggled with knowing how to pick an amazing one, use this chart!
You want:
- Uniform Size
- Orange Field Spot
- Large Webbing
- Dark/Dull Color
It’s finally June!
On June 1st, I always take some time to reflect on my goals.
I’m almost halfway through the year (5 full months), am I nearly halfway to hitting my goals?
If not, why? And what can I change to make sure I’m making progress toward them?
Might be something good to think about.
I know I will be 😁
Much love and happy cooking,
Zach
I’ve spent the last 10 years showing you the how, now I want to teach you the why. Learn more about macro-friendly cooking, get recipes not seen anywhere else, and so much more when you join 71,557+ others by entering your email below!
