Eat like a climber
To many Americans, summertime in the great outdoors is associated with food. Giant grill-fests where everyone brings a dish to pass. People tend to focus more on the spread than the outdoor activities. I just spent this past weekend climbing and hiking with a local mountaineering club, where I had the chance to quietly observe the general eating habits of rock climbers. I felt a bit like Jane Goodall.For a majority of the climbers, eating was simply a means to climb. Oatmeal or whole-grain cereal with fruit was a common breakfast favorite, as it provided decent energy for the morning ahead. I never saw a box of donuts or a slice of danish. After hiking and setting ropes for a couple hours, I had to remind myself to grab a handful of trail mix before scaling the wall -- I had already burned through my small breakfast. At lunch time, climbers rummaged through their pack to locate a modest sandwich, a can of protein-rich sardines or a pack of ready-to-eat tuna. I never saw a bag of chips, a soda or a candy bar. Water was the main hydration of choice.
Emotional eating expert Geneen Roth says, "Our relationship to food is a perfect reflection of our relationship to life itself." For the handful of climbers I observed on this trip, eating and hydrating was secondary -- it was a tool to fuel their love of climbing. When you start thinking about food in this way, it's hardly the superstar in your life anymore. I'm guessing it's one reason climbers on the trip were fit. This was my kind of picnic.
Climbers tend to stick together. If you like to rock climb, mountaineer or hike, a great way to find like-minded trail friends is through your local mountaineering club. The United Kingdom's CHAmois Mountaineering Club offers a 
Got an inground pool and $8,000 laying around? Then you can have an aquatic climbing wall! I must admit this 
As many people are, I'm heading out of town for the holiday weekend. Keeping up with my fitness routine while on the road is a concern. Since my weekend is jam-packed, my exercise routine will probably be limited to the treadmill in the hotel's fitness room. But, when looking for other activities in the area, I ran across 
Summer Slimdown Guide: Instant self-confidence boosters
When do calories really count?_thumbnail.jpg)
Summer Slimdown Guide: Calorie-free foods (or close to it)
