“You don’t believe that fat meat is greasy” If you grew up in a southern rooted family like mine, then you have undoubtedly heard the quote- “You don’t believe that fat meat is greasy”. It is a generational expression that is used most commonly when somebody has to find out the difference the hard way about something especially after they have been warned or understand the consequences of their actions. Like most teenagers, I thought that I knew more than my mother. I would ask her for advice, she would explain the process, in my mind I didn’t want to do it “HER” way and I often did it “MY” way only to find out that fat meat is greasy literally and figuratively. Just to give a little history “fat meat” is referring to “fatback” which is a cut of pork taken, as its name might suggest, from a pig’s back or spinal region. Most pigs do not use their back muscles very much, so this area is made up almost entirely of dense fatty tissue. Butchers carve the fat out into blocks or chunks that can be used as a food or cooking additive. It can be sliced and cooked as a sort of bacon or fried up into crispy snacks (pork skins); it can also be used as lunch meat or flavorful addition to various meat and cheese platters. Cooks also frequently grind it up and add it to sausages, and it can be used as a cooking or frying fat as well. So think about when you cook pork bacon. You place a few slices into a skillet and once done the skillet is filled with lots of grease. This grease is then poured into an old Crisco container, like my grandmother used or more modern a container that said “grease” like my mother had. The reason they disposed of the grease this way is that if you poured the grease down the sink it would clog up your drains. However, we don’t mind putting that same grease into our bodies clogging up our arteries, increasing our cholesterol but that’s another topic for another day. Today is the midpoint of our six-week Bootcamp, I can’t believe how fast time flies. Midpoint means you are halfway there, but where is there? In life, the midpoint is a point in time halfway between the beginning and the end of an event or process. I love the midpoint process because it gives you a chance to reevaluate what you have done thus far, make changes, and continue on this Like Preferences fitness journey refocused on your goals. Sounds simple right? Most adults go into an experience like a bootcamp with great intentions to better themselves. They buy all the necessary equipment and cute workout apparel. They meal prep the first couple of weeks. They post on social media with excitement. Then once reality sets in that true and lasting results come from permanently changing their lifestyle, being consistent, lots of hard work, and sacrificing. Many people slack off, quit, or start doing things “THEIR” way. If they make it to the midpoint day they either feel excited or disappointed. As a trainer, it is always a tough day for me because as I am celebrating one person and then I have another person crying that I am encouraging. I’ve learned to balance the two and here are my words of advice for both. 1. Don’t Give Up: You did not get this way overnight, it’s going to take time and patience. If you saw great results at the midpoint, don’t take that as a sign to slack off or go back to your old habits. If you are disappointed, refocus, get inspired by classmates because if they can do so can you. 2. Get over yourself: We must be completely honest with ourselves. Did you do it the trainer's way or your way? Did you follow the meal plan, give 110% in all the workouts, do your homework assignments? If you did then you should see improvements if not that’s a great opportunity to improve in those areas. 3. Cancel the pity party: Don’t beat yourself up, no one is perfect. You fall, get back up, and try again. 4. Practice your Weakness: You want flat abs, you can’t wish for them, you have to work for them. Practice abdominal exercise at home daily. Be committed. I hated doing pushups however I wanted to win the top achiever award and pushups were my weakness. So I practiced my pushups every day. I would even go to where my chest would almost touch the ground because I figured if I practiced going lower than the target when it was time to do the test, I would kill it. And I did! I still hold that record for the most pushups done by a woman military style. I did 56 of them. 5. Take the Advice: I specialize in group fitness and weight loss. I have a proven track record of people losing over 30+ pounds in a 6-week period or 100 pounds in a year. I’ve prepared hundreds of people for professional events such as marathons and other competitions. With all of my accolades and “Wall of Famers” no trainer including myself can make you take their advice. I recently got a personal trainer because I am venturing into an area of fitness I am unfamiliar with. I come to him with a lot of medical and fitness knowledge however “He” is the expert in this field and so I listen, learn, and execute. If you act a fool and eat crazy, you will learn the hard way. If you slack off in your workouts you will learn the hard way. Learn it now or continue to learn it the hard way. It usually takes years and experiences to completely understand that fat meat is really greasy. Each year, we get wiser and wiser. It took time for us to learn the simple things the hard way! So learning something as complex as health and fitness will take some time to grasp. Thank goodness we're never too old to learn or to change. Can I Get It? No Mess
