Trimming and Skimming the Fat

Recently, after having extensive dental work, my dentist suggested that I stick to a liquid diet. Being a girl from the south, I refused to drink only broth and water. Reluctantly, I went to the grocery store and bought the finest soup on the shelves. I got home, opened up the can and added my freshly grounded pepper. In between the drool from the Novocain and Motrin, I thought that the soup was quite tasty. After 2 days of soup, the soup began to taste bland. The third day, I added cayenne to spice it up. However, all I could taste was the cayenne in the bland soup. My little momma decided to make me some of her homemade chicken soup. In all my years, I could never recall my mom making homemade chicken soup. I guess it has been a while since I was home and had a chance to experience my momma’s home cooking.

She started with organic chicken, added spices and boiled the chicken. She let the broth from the boiled chicken chill overnight and skimmed the fat from the broth the next morning. Next, she added fresh corn that she cut from the cob and chopped carrots, onions, green onions, potatoes and chunks of chicken diced to perfection. It sounds time consuming, but hmm if you could taste it. After tasting my mother’s homemade soup, I could no longer tolerate the canned soup. The difference in the canned soup and homemade soup is inexplicable. For the next 3 days, my mom made fresh homemade soup. Did it take longer to prepare? Yes, it did. Was it worth the wait? I can give an unequivocal resounding YES.

Often our approach to fitness and any major change in life is a lot like the soup on the shelves. It is convenient to obtain and therefore becomes our source of comfort.

To get to a new destination or goals, TRIMMING and SKIMMING the fat is worth the preparation and additional time.

Trimming and Skimming the fat require:

1. Faith: Faith is a belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. You must have faith that you can and will reach whatever goal you set for yourself. See yourself as a happy, successful and healthy individual. Poor diet and nutrition is often a reflection of an area in our lives that suffers from neglect. The neglect begins to manifest itself into overeating, overdrinking, oversleeping, and habits that are not conducive for a better and healthier you.

2. Acceptance: Means that you are valuable just the way you are. Have you ever thought about the stages in the growth and development of a newborn baby? From conception, every element was pre-determined before birth. The color and shape of your eyes to the shape and angle of your toenails were pre-determined to make YOU. Examine yourself and design a plan to change in order to create the happiness that you deserve.

3. Patience: The definition of patience is being constant or the ability to endure delay without becoming upset or annoyed- to preserve calmly in the face of adversity – Being constant in the midst of a storm. In a fast pace environment where things can be obtained without work, we often get jaded in reaching our goals and ambitions.

4. Ability: Ability is the capacity to perform or do something successfully at a high degree of general skill or competency. If you are breathing and healthy, your abilities are infinite. The only disabilities that exist are the ones we place on ourselves.

5. Preparation: Procrastination is an assassination to your ultimate destination. Procrastination can be our worst enemy. It can stifle our progress and limit our possibilities. Start by planning every hour of each day in order to accomplish tasks.

6. Attitude: Your attitude can be a general opinion / feeling. Attitude is a choice. Every morning when you wake up you have a choice. You can choose to be happy or miserable. Being miserable and negative serves no purpose. Negativity brings others around you down and waste energy. Channel negative energy toward things that can change situations to a positive outcome.

7. Habit: Research shows that if you do anything consistently over 21 consecutive days it will become a habit. Today, start with assessing your good and bad habits. Evaluate the positive and negative inner dialogue. Make a list of the good and bad habits.

8. Healing: Letting go of the past and pressing towards the future. To heal physically and emotionally, you must first admit that there is a problem. Once you are ready to deal with the symptoms,

the healing process can start.

In order to make positive changes in your life began with an assessment of your daily life and goals. Trim and Skim the negative energy and people from your daily life. Know that each day will be different. And every new day you have an opportunity to make it better. Be your best…Everyday.