Kettlebody Tip #58: Put a stereo in the kitchen

One surefire way to eat healthier is to cook your own healthy food. But it can be downright boring to spend so much time in the kitchen, especially by yourself…and don’t get me started about the clean-up!

The solution? Put a stereo in there!

Mine is a simple portable speaker system that I can plug my iPod right into.

It is a small change that will make a big difference in how you feel about cooking!

Now I don’t dread spending some time in the kitchen making food that will help me continue to look and 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.

Kettlebody Tip #57: Eat like a skinny musician

Why are so many male musicians skinny?

Hordes of rockers, from Mick Jagger to Beck, are very slim. But do they count calories, spend hours (or even minutes) at the gym, or avoid dessert?

NO!

I know the secret to their slimness. The best part is that you can channel it to get just as slim yourself!

Passion! Rockers live very passionate lives. They have passion for their songs, their instruments, their parties, and every other aspect of their lives.

They put so much energy into their endeavors, that eating is usually very low on their list of priorities. In fact, they are often so engrossed in their pursuits that they forget to eat or only eat just enough to tide them over so that they can get back to work.

Now, imagine that is you! Imagine you are really excited about everything you have to do and feel stimulated and engrossed most of the time. Do you think you would feel the need to eat excessive amounts of food? Do you think a cupcake would sound as appealing as it would if your life was ho-hum?

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.

Kettlebody Tip #56: Let yourself eat cake

I don’t know why the French revolutionaries were so pissed off when Marie Antoinette suggested they eat cake instead of their precious baguettes.

Maybe they were all on strict diets limiting their refined sugar intake!

Quelle horreur!

Well, I’m here to say that the subsequently beheaded queen was on the right track…at least for getting slim.

You should let yourself eat cake or whatever favorite food that has always been on the top of your “Do Not Eat” list!

Disclaimer: I don’t mean you should eat A cake. But, some cake, sure!

Some cake won’t sabotage your weight loss. In fact, it will help keep you on track.

It makes it easier to stay on track with the majority of your eating choices if you let yourself indulge here and there. That’s how to stay slim for the long term. Take me, for example. Now that I let myself eat cake when I feel like it, I often don’t finish the entire piece. And I’ve been able to maintain my weight for a while now.

Imagine how wonderful it will be when you are able to eat some cake and still be thin!

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.

Kettlebody Tip #55: Work out with class

You don’t need a personal trainer to get in shape. You don’t need one-on-one training to be motivated to work hard.

If you are like me and hate working out alone, I suggest joining a class!

I have been an exercise class junkie since kickboxing class at the Y when I was in high school. Since then I’ve taken exercise classes in Yoga, Pilates, spinning, cardio hip-hop, step and even striptease, belly dancing, and treadmill. Some I only tried once (treadmill) while others I continued for weeks (belly dancing), months (spinning), and years (hip-hop). Currently I take kettlebell group classes regularly and dabble in Bosu, Bikram Yoga, and dance.

There are so many benefits to group exercise that I have to make a list:

1. Extra motivation from classmates.
2. Accountability both to show up and to work hard.
3. Ability to make friends, meet people, and create community.
4. Sense of being part of a team.
5. Chance to share the experience with a spouse, friends, or family.
6. Guidance and program design from an experienced trainer.
7. Opportunity to try out a new kind of exercise.
8. Fun music.
9. Affordability, especially in comparison to personal training.

While I love group exercise, I’m very picky about my classes. I have to mesh with each class and instructor. Most classes will let you do the first session free or you can drop in for a small fee and see if it is for you.

If you want to try kettlebells, here’s a quick reminder that my next Kettlebody Small Group Training Camps begin on September 29 at Trolley Barn Park in University Heights. You can try the first session risk-free before you commit to the four-week camp.

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.

Kettlebody Tip #54: Get help from the waiter

A lot of people think it is hard to eat out a lot and lose weight.

Au contraire!

All you gotta do is get your server to take the plate away before you overeat.

Even if you’ve only eaten half of your meal.

When you are satisfied, you are DONE. When you start to feel the food sitting in your stomach, you are DONE. When you notice that the last few bites don’t taste as good as the first ones, you are DONE.

Then, when the waiter comes to refill your water glass or to check on the table, say “You can take this away now.”

If your waiter is nowhere to be found, you may need to beckon a busboy or a different server to clear your dish.

I like to do this without announcing to my table that I am done. I find that when I do, I am met with annoying comments like “you’re done already? you’ve hardly eaten! aren’t you going to finish? didn’t you like it?” Instead, the plate is gone before anyone can open their mouths. And if someone has something to say about it after, well it’s too late. I usually just say that I wasn’t that hungry or I had a late lunch or something that can’t be argued, and then I change the subject.

One thing to keep in mind is that restaurant food is often very rich. Chefs add extra oil, salt, butter, cheese, etc, to make the foods more flavorful, so a small amount may be all you need to be satisfied. Don’t be afraid of eating only a little bit of your food.

And remember, say no to doggie bags!

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.

Kettlebody Tip #53: Don’t let yourself get too hungry

Today I was locked in my house. I couldn’t leave. And I was hungry.

Well, I could have left. But there were back-to-back 2-hour episodes of Trading Spouses on TV, and I just couldn’t miss a moment of it.

The worst part was that I hardly had any food at home. I had planned to run out and grab some lunch, but I couldn’t tear myself away from the boob tube (yes, I am fit and a couch potato!).

At one point, about two hours in, I decided to check my cupboards for something to eat. I knew if I waited until the end of the show, I would binge uncontrollably like a starving cat. All I could find were corn tortillas and coconut milk. Luckily, that’s all I need to make my soon-to-be famous coconut chilaquiles!

I whipped it up during the commercial breaks, and was comfortably satisfied after eating it.

The moral of the story: don’t let yourself get too hungry…it’ll often lead to unhealthy foods in unhealthy amounts!

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.

Kettlebody Tip #52: Buy healthy groceries on Amazon

Sometimes getting healthy foods is inconvenient. If you have to drive across town to get quinoa flakes, as I do, it gets old fast! Health food stores are notorious for running out of or discontinuing my favorite products which is an additional frustration.

And is it just me or are Whole Foods patrons the worst parkers in the world? I fear for my life and my Civic’s fenders whenever I have to go there!

The solution? Amazon grocery!

I just did the math and found out that my beloved quinoa flakes are $1.60/pound LESS from amazon than from the bins at People’s Grocery. Add the gas I’ll save from driving all the way to Ocean Beach (which is not on the way to anything) and the time saved, and it’s a no-brainer for me.

Also, you save an extra 15 percent if you subscribe to a product. That means they’ll automatically ship it to you periodically (as infrequently as every six months).

I went in with a few people to join Amazon Prime which gives me free two-day shipping on most items  for a small flat fee, so it’s been really great for me.

The drawback is that you usually have to get a large quantity of an item so it’s not so great for trying new things. But if you know you like it and it makes you feel good, order it from amazon and it’ll make healthy eating a little easier to do!

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.

Kettlebody Tip #51: Be nice to your waiter

I’ll never forget the waiter at a fancy Provincetown restaurant who tried to talk me out of getting my salad dressing on the side (giving me a healthy serving of attitude in the process). The chef there had very strong feelings against that simple and common request. I just smiled and repeated my request with as much sweetness as I could muster! And guess who left the Cape a few pounds lighter than when he arrived…ME!

At brunch the other day, I really wanted some potatoes, but I also wanted something more substantial and protein-rich. So I got a side of potatoes and a side of beans. I felt great after eating it! For me, it was just enough food and a nice ratio of protein/carbs.

And it wasn’t on the menu. I just asked the server pretty please.

My point is that there is no need to worry about inconveniencing the server. The bottom line is that the restaurant and the server want you to get what you want, and if you are nice about it, they are happy to accommodate any reasonable request.

I believe the menu is a starting point from which you can put together your meal. You get to determine what you eat. The menu is not the word of God.

Check it out: A Smurf Waiter!

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.

Kettlebody Tip #50: Brake for flakes (quinoa flakes)

I don’t often write about specific foods. An item has to be pretty special to warrant its own Homobody Tip.

Today I give you: quinoa flakes!

You may have tried or heard of quinoa. Similar to couscous, it is a grain-like seed that has recently gained recognition as the next brown rice. What makes it so healthful is that it contains all of the amino acids necessary to form a complete protein (and lots of protein, too). It is also a rich source of minerals like iron and magnesium. Quinoa with some vegetables or whatever can be your entire meal, no separate protein source required!

That’s great, but quinoa in its whole form (as it is normally served) can be a pain in the ass to chew. I don’t know about you, but I am a ‘mo on the go and I don’t always have all day to be chewing my food.

That’s what makes quinoa flakes so great! They have all the benefits of quinoa but in a mushy form that is somewhere in between oatmeal and mashed potatoes (like cream of wheat).

Raw, they look like mini-oatmeal flakes and cook up in a few minutes (just boil and simmer: two parts water to one part quinoa flake). When making whole quinoa, you have to rinse it before cooking (a very annoying step). With quinoa flakes, rinse no more! They are already rinsed during the flake-ification process. Easy, beezy, one-two-threezy!

Then, just flavor however you like, sweet or savory. I like it with jelly or hot sauce (not both).

I get mine from the bins at People’s Grocery in Ocean Beach, but you can also get it from amazon.

Try it, you’ll love it!

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.

Kettlebody Tip #49: Don’t count calories (or points)

Yesterday I happened upon an article on MSN called “How the Elite Eat: Dara Torres.” Now I have loved Dara Torres ever since she hosted the Taebo infomercial with Billy Blanks back in the late 90’s, so I was very interested to learn how she eats.

What did I learn?

She doesn’t count calories.

Her reason?

She had an eating disorder (bulimia) in college.

This is why I don’t recommend specific diets or diets in general.

Calorie-counting (and point-counting) diets are the first step on the road to eating disorders. You begin by calculating the number of calories you ate in a day, then you plan how many you’ll eat in the coming week, and it’s not long before every bite of food you put in your mouth paralyzes you with guilt. It’s not long before numbers and grams and percentages are all you can think about. And then how do you stop?

People who are “successful” at diets often develop mild eating disorders. A few years ago, when I was losing two to five pounds a week on my diet, many people lauded my willpower and commitment. However, inside all I could think about was food. I’m lucky that I found help before I developed serious health problems.

This is why I approach eating in a different way.

Instead of letting a number on a box determine how much you should eat, how about letting your body tell you when you are full? Instead of giving a best-selling book the power to plan your meals, how about finding what foods make you feel strong and healthy?

That’s what I’m talking about!

P.S. For more info about Dara and other elite swimmers with eating disorders, check out this article.

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.