At the poshest fitness studios (including the Kettlebody Kove), you will find the most luxurious of luxuries.
Scented Towels!
Whether lavender, rose, mint, eucalyptus, citrus or any other natural fragrance, the scent invigorates your workout. It also elevates the experience from drudgery to indulgence.
Why not make your workout an indulgent experience?
You will work a little harder, enjoy it a little more, and find greater satisfaction just by making this small effort.
In my studio, I alternate between rose water and “Alpine Fresh” linen spray from Lavish in Mission Hills.
Can you think of other ways to make your workout a more luxurious experience?
By Charlie Fields of kettlebody.com. Charlie is a San Diego personal trainer known for his pleasure-enhancing approach to exercise and eating. For more tips like this or to learn about Charlie’s bootcamps, eating workshops and coaching, or personal training, visit kettlebody.com.
I have had it up to HERE with people talking smack about gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgery.
“All you have to do is change your lifestyle!”
What people who say things like that don’t understand is that anyone who considers weight-loss surgery has probably tried every diet under the sun.
They have tried exercise, too.
Mostly, they have lived probably their whole life hating themselves because of their size. And they have tried desperately to get smaller without surgery, to no avail.
So why do so many people talk about weight-loss surgery as if it is a cop-out?
I’m here to say that it’s not a cop-out. It is a great solution for many people who have struggled with their weight and do it with the right intentions, education, and plan for after.
My sister had it five years ago, and her results were incredible. I saw how hard she worked to get thin for most of her life. It was so painful to see her teased, humiliated, and treated poorly because of her size, all the while knowing how desperately she was trying to not be that size. The surgery was the first and only thing that worked long-term for her. I’m proud of her for having the courage to do it.
Of course, there are complications and risks involved. For example, I saw an Oprah show that said patients have a high likelihood of developing alcoholism because of the way the surgery changes their body. Plus digestive issues, nutritional deficiencies, and the serious complications that accompany any major surgery.
I’m not saying it is the best solution for everyone, but it is a great solution for some. And you are ignorant and wrong to think that a person who chooses it is lazy, unmotivated, or undeserving of weight loss.
By Charlie Fields of kettlebody.com. Charlie is a San Diego personal trainer known for his pleasure-enhancing approach to exercise and eating. For more tips like this or to learn about Charlie’s bootcamps, eating workshops and coaching, or personal training, visit kettlebody.com.
Healthy doesn’t mean expensive!
The most healthful foods you can eat, greens, are actually super-cheap!
Even if you buy them organic.
The key is to buy them in bunches instead of in the little pre-packaged bags. There’s nothing wrong with the bagged greens if you have more money than time. But if you are trying to save cash, it only takes a few minutes to wash and chop.
By Charlie Fields of kettlebody.com. Charlie is a San Diego personal trainer known for his pleasure-enhancing approach to exercise and eating. For more tips like this or to learn about Charlie’s bootcamps, eating workshops and coaching, or personal training, visit kettlebody.com.
Stop climbing stairs if you don’t have to!
And, for God’s sake, please don’t walk on an escalator. Stand. Relax. You’re going to have to walk when you get to the top anyway. What’s the rush?
The more stairs you climb, the more you think you are being “active.”
Here’s what happens, though. You skip the gym, so you take the stairs at work. Or you take the stairs, then when you eventually do go to the gym, you don’t work very hard.
Be lazy during the day. Work out when you are working out.
My cluddies never take the stairs. That’s because they work out so hard that their legs are too sore!
Are you working out that hard? Or are you taking the stairs?
By Charlie Fields of kettlebody.com. Charlie is a San Diego personal trainer known for his pleasure-enhancing approach to exercise and eating. For more tips like this or to learn about Charlie’s bootcamps, eating workshops and coaching, or personal training, visit kettlebody.com.
Riding bikes sucks.
Especially when there are hills.
I don’t believe that anyone really enjoys riding bikes.
If you actually do like it, whoop-dee-doo for you!
If you pretend to like it because you think it impresses others, please stop.
If you pretend to like it because you like wearing spandex, that is legitimate in my book.
If you do it because you think it is good for you, really stop. There are many safer and more pleasant ways to get fit.
If you are with me and think riding bikes sucks, HOORAY!
If you are wondering who am I to say this, I’ll tell you. For over a year before I got my car, I used to bike to work and school here in San Diego, going up hills aplenty. I was in horrible shape the whole time. Those many miles didn’t get me fit at all. All they got me was tired, cold, late, harassed and I fell a few times. It sucked.
By Charlie Fields of kettlebody.com. Charlie is a San Diego personal trainer known for his pleasure-enhancing approach to exercise and eating. For more tips like this or to learn about Charlie’s bootcamps, eating workshops and coaching, or personal training, visit kettlebody.com.
Everyone is talking about cleanses these days. As far as I am concerned, a cleanse is just another word for a diet.
Imagine going on a cleanse, let’s say it is made up of juices, shakes, and bars for five days.
The minute you wake up on the first day of your cleanse, what do you think about? Of course, your mind is filled with visions of all of the foods that you WON’T be able to eat for the next five days. But, the juices, shakes and bars, are delicious, too, so you focus on that and move forward.
Day two comes, and you wake up thinking even more about the foods you can’t have. You picture the first real meal you have once the cleanse is over.
Day three, you wake up remembering a dream you had in which you ate food. (It only took me one day of a cleanse to have a dream about eating food, but I’ll assume you don’t like food as much as I do.)
Day four arrives, and you can’t stand the thought of another shake.
Day five, you are so excited to finally be almost done. Meanwhile everyone you regularly interact with has by now learned to steer clear of you until this thing is over.
Here’s where things get hairy: Day six.
You can finally EAT! You get your first plate of food ready. Seemingly out of your control, you notice the fork is flying at your face. You barely have time to chew before another piece of food gets thrust into your mouth. Before you know it, you’ve eaten everything in sight and feel horrible.
Then it happens again at your next meal. And again and again. You feel out of control. Any weight you lost during the cleanse has come back.
The worst thing is that you have fallen out of touch with your own hunger. You have denied body food when it wanted it. Now you are giving it more than it wants because your head hunger has overpowered your real physical hunger. You feel out of control around food. And you will probably continue to overfeed yourself, until you decide to go on another cleanse.
And the cycle continues.
By Charlie Fields of kettlebody.com. Charlie is a San Diego personal trainer known for his pleasure-enhancing approach to exercise and eating. For more tips like this or to learn about Charlie’s bootcamps, eating workshops and coaching, or personal training, visit kettlebody.com.
Here’s a taste of what goes on at the Indoor Kettlebody Bootcamp in North Park.
By Charlie Fields of kettlebody.com. Charlie is a San Diego personal trainer known for his pleasure-enhancing approach to exercise and eating. For more tips like this or to learn about Charlie’s bootcamps, eating workshops and coaching, or personal training, visit kettlebody.com.
How did an already thin and fit personal trainer lose 15 pounds over the course of a year without even trying?
So last week I weighed myself for the first time in almost a year, and I was shocked to learn that i had lost 15 pounds!
I hadn’t been trying to lose weight. In fact, I have been enjoying my favorite foods whenever I want them. Plus, I have been working out a little less lately than I used to.
The only thing that changed in me is my relationship with my body, all thanks to the Am I Hungry?(R) Workshop and Facilitator Training I took last fall.
The workshop helped me get in tune with my body’s signals of hunger and fullness. It helped me learn to break free from overeating. It helped me find more enjoyment out of eating.
Most importantly, the workshop taught me to be honest with myself.
You might think that Am I Hungry?(R) Workshop tells you to only eat when you are hungry. Not so. Instead, it teaches you to figure out whether you are hungry or not, and then make your own choice to eat or not.
At first, I would often notice that I wasn’t hungry, but decide to eat anyway. After a while, I found myself choosing instead to wait until I was hungry.
As I look back on these fifteen pounds, I can see that I was just being honest with myself. Before I would try to convince myself that I needed to eat at a given time even if deep down I knew my body wasn’t asking for food. Now if I eat when I am not hungry, I do so with full knowledge and acceptance. As a result, I don’t do this nearly as often as I used to. And when I do, I eat much less than I used to.
It is very easy to eat without thinking. It is even easier to lie to yourself to justify eating more than your body wants or needs. However, with a little practice, it can be just as easy to be honest with yourself, and take charge of your eating.
By Charlie Fields of kettlebody.com. Charlie is a San Diego personal trainer known for his pleasure-enhancing approach to exercise and eating. For more tips like this or to learn about Charlie’s bootcamps, eating workshops and coaching, or personal training, visit kettlebody.com.
I just ate the most delicious mini-meal. And it was packed with protein!
A lot of people don’t eat enough protein, especially vegetarians like me, so it’s always great to find very convenient ways to get it.
It was canned bean curd (tofu) skins that I got at the Asian market (99 Ranch, on Clairemont Mesa Blvd). They also sell canned fake meats that are also full of protein.
What is great about them is that they don’t need to be cooked. And they are already seasoned!
I just drained the water, put them in a bowl, added a little hot sauce, and BAM!
Deliciousness, protein, satiety…now I feel great!
By Charlie Fields of kettlebody.com. Charlie is a San Diego personal trainer known for his pleasure-enhancing approach to exercise and eating. For more tips like this or to learn about Charlie’s bootcamps, eating workshops and coaching, or personal training, visit kettlebody.com.
Yesterday I was at a shopping mall food court which is actually one of my favorite places to eat. It brings me back to my childhood when I spent lots of time at the mall.
So I noticed a woman eating alone at a table nearby. She was eating a waffle. (I know, I know…where do you get a waffle in the mall??) But she wasn’t just eating that waffle…she was making love to it!
I mean, she looked at that thing with passion in her eyes. Then she slowly brought it up to her lips, opened wide, and took a mouth-filling bite. Her eyes rolled back as she chewed and chewed, savoring every bit of deliciousness that she could. Once she finished that bite, she paused and got ready for another one.
After a little while, she put it down and moved on to her little bowl of soup (I know, who eats soup and a waffle??). I was trying hard not to let her catch me staring. Again, that come-hither look covered her face as she brought up a spoonful of soup to taste.
I had never seen anyone seem to enjoy their food so much. It was amazing!
This woman was slim, and I bet that the way she savors her food is directly responsible for that.
Think about it, if you are taking the time to really taste and enjoy each and every bite that you eat, you will also be more connected to how it feels in your body. Then you will be able to easily know when your body doesn’t need anymore.
Many of us say we love food, but we scarf it down so quickly that we don’t give ourselves a chance to taste the flavor.
We don’t let ourselves truly enjoy our food.
If you are looking for a great New Year’s Resolution that will really change your life, here it is:
Make love to your food
By Charlie Fields of kettlebody.com. Charlie is a San Diego personal trainer known for his pleasure-enhancing approach to exercise and eating. For more tips like this or to learn about Charlie’s bootcamps, eating workshops and coaching, or personal training, visit kettlebody.com.