« October 2010 | Main | December 2010 »
Yes, yes, it's true. We're putting the rumors to rest. Some think it's a bit crazy but we don't blame them! A group of California ladies have been making the monthly trek to Philadelphia to get their Lithe fix in. I'm sure we'll have a left-coast Lithe in the future. In the meantime...Welcome!
Image of Lauren Boggi via Dom & Philadelphia/San Fran images via Fashion Toast
Here's to the last month of the year! Stay strong and Lithe on!
Download LibertiesWalk December
Image of Lithe Instructors, Heather Burt & Liz Galbally in Hot Legs via Dominic Episcopo
Post-November elections, there are “Two Americas” and also “Two Holiday Seasons:” Fabulous Chic and Feeling Frumpy. One involves a cocktail dress, nibbling on exquisite appetizers and generally invoking Anna Mouglalis during any party scene in Coco and Igor. The other involves a black loose-fitting garment kissed with Lycra, and befriending every type of holiday appetizer and cookie.
How do you invoke “Coco at Christmas” instead of “Bridget at the Buffet” during the foodie fest that stretches from Thanksgiving to the New Year?
The key to preventing a holiday (or anytime) downward spiral, is maintaining a feeling of internal clean— that light and “thin” feeling that makes the best food for our health the natural choice. In contrast, a body that feels polluted and sluggish tells the mind to just finish the plate of holiday cookies or the remainder of the ice cream carton.
Puritanism is unnecessary. Slowly and carefully savoring a small amount of the most fabulous food is the height of holiday chic. You can maintain a chic stomach and attitude by following the 80/20 rule: 80% of the time do what’s best for your body, 20%, celebrate the season.
To support yourself and balance your occasional indulgences, have a drink! These mini-detox martinis can also help you reclaim your sense of internal cleanliness if you’ve fallen from the wellness wagon. These cocktails will help your body flush out the excess without fasting, juicing, or extremes. Why not have them at a nightime party in a fun glass with a bold attitude? You’ll miss the alcohol, not the spirit.
A toast to your health,
Ali
Ali Shapiro is a regular NBC 10! Show contributor and works with individuals and groups to show them how to design their food and life to experience waitless living™. To sign-up for her newsletter, click here. To learn more, visit alishapiro.com.
Maple syrup image via theurbangrocer & Image of Lither, Alison L. via Dominic Episcopo
Super-active Lithe Instructor, Liz Galbally shares her tips on going the extra mile:
80-20 rule. I aim to eat as healthy as possible during the week and allow myself to indulge with friends on the weekends.
Pack healthy snacks. I'm on the road for work everyday and I'm constantly in and out of my car visiting clients, so I try and keep myself full throughout the day. Apples, greek yogurt, chopped veggies, hard boiled eggs and peanut butter on wheat are my healthy main stays. They keep me from partaking and indulging in those unhealthy corporate/client lunches!
Soup, salad & salmon! I live alone and often cook dinner for myself. I stock up on soup, salad and fresh salmon from Whole Foods which is clean, quick and easy.
Consistency is key. I workout 6 days a week. It's a huge part of my life and I look forward to it. I rely on those endorphins EVERYDAY...I get cranky if I miss a workout!
Go the distance. In addition to Lithe, I try and get in a good, long distance run in at least 2-3 times a week. Make time to walk/run to Lithe (it's a tad under 4 miles round-trip from Old City to Lithe Rittenhouse) and watch the miles (and the calories) add up!
Step away from the scale. I never weigh myself. I go by how healthy I feel and how my clothes fit and that keeps me confident and happy.
Image of Lithe Instructor, Elizabeth Galbally via Dominic Episcopo. Salmon photograph via Sheeatsbears and Lentil soup image via honestfare.
Happy Friday! This week we're giving away a three class package-perfect for a Lithe newbie or veteran ($60 value)! For a chance to win, please visit our Facebook page, "Like us" and then leave a comment at the post. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow and the winner will be announced on Monday! Good luck!
Images of Lithe Instructors, Lauren Boggi and Krista DeNofa via Dominic Episcopo.
Hi Lauren,
I ran the Philly marathon this past Sunday. It was my second marathon after running one in Scotland in May. I planned on doing similar training, running 5-6 times a week and doing some core work on my own. Those plans changed when I was introduced to Lithe in July. I fell in love with the workouts at Lithe and I started going to them 5 times a week, while keeping up with my running. When I started working again at the end of August, it became difficult to find the time to continue to do both.
Not wanting to give up Lithe, I cut my running down to 3-4 times a week. I knew I was becoming stronger and my running was improving but I didn't realize just how much I was improving! Needless to say, less running and more Lithing help me improve my marathon from a 4.44.01 marathon to a 4.10.09 marathon. I cut 35 MINUTES off my time! Thank you Lithe Team for making that possible!!
xo, MC
Image via The Anthropologist
Lithe's first Fall Challenge brought out 57 women, all with the love of Lithe. The goals of our challenge are to encourage women to commit to their workout during the hectic holiday season, recognize that we don't have to be in competition with each other, that it's not always about the size of our thighs and that there is no better fun than our outdoor Hotstepper classes. It's a lot like the after school "practice" that you had in high school. It's the best.
I feel there is a strong movement here at Lithe. Female comraderie, which is hard to find in both movies and real life, is now strongly valued. There hasn't been any talk about instructors with bulky legs. In fact, there has been a huge shift-I see many of you celebrating your own body diversity, eating healthily and sharing recipes with each other.
It's so nice to hear all of you rooting for one another and developing such wonderful friendships. I love it and I feel that my mission is being accomplished. Congratulations, ladies...One week to go!
Image of Lithe Instructors, Amy Larkin & Heather Burt via Dominic Episcopo
Lithe Instructor & Cardiac Nurse, Paula Graff shares her tips on staying healthy and strong:
Start your day off right. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I have found that the best way to fuel my body (and get more nutrients than most people get in an ENTIRE DAY) is by consuming a Green Smoothie every morning. Raw greens stimulate the body (giving you a natural high, similar to the effects of caffeine). By consuming a green smoothie, you "predigest" the greens and release the important nutrients that are found inside of the plant cells. Blending the greens allow us to consume them with the fiber intact (the key difference between blending and juicing), so you feel full from the fiber and are able to absorb the maximum amount of nutrition from your greens!
Be active. Incorporate activity into your daily life. Instead of counting solely on your Lithe workout, continue that hard-earned calorie-burn throughout the day! Take the stairs, park farther away, and most importantly...WALK EVERYWHERE.
Make your home, gym, and life a "hate-free haven!" Stop the negative body talk and focus on the positive. Surround yourself with healthy, positive people, and start to decrease the negativity in your life. Find a friend/workout partner who will hold you accountable and support you in your journey towards eliminating negative self-talk.
Put yourself first. Make YOU a priority. Many of us are business women, wives, moms, and caregivers. It is easy to lose sight of our priorities and forget to take care of the most important person - ourselves! Make time for your workouts, make time to cook clean, process-free foods, and remember - you can't take care of others until you have taken care of yourself.
Get your daily does of Vitamin D. All it takes is a few minutes of natural sunlight directly on your skin. Follow tip #2 and walk to and from lunch, Lithe, or anything in between and soak up that Vitamin D! Vitamin D helps us to absorb calcium, helps build strong bones and teeth, and may even be helpful in preventing heart disease, IBS and rheumatoid arthritis.
Pass the "Sense Test." The sense test is a viewpoint of situations in which you ask yourself, "does this pass the sense test?" In other words, does this meet my minimal standards of common sense? For example, a vibrating abdominal band claiming that it can take 4 inches off your waist if you just buy the band and wear it for 30 days. If you interviewed 10 woman with smooth, defined, toned tummy's, how many do you think used the abdominal band? Probably zero. Your waist is a function of your body type, the amount and type of exercise that you do, and the amount and type of food that you eat. The vibrating abdominal band does not pass the sense test.
Image of Lithe Instructor, Paula Graff via Dominic Episcopo
Happy Friday! Going somewhere tropical and warm this holiday season? Lithe Escape? Need inspiration for spring? Show off your hard-earned figure in a new bikini from my favorite online swimwear company, Instyle Swimwear!
This week we're giving away one beautiful swimsuit from Instyle Swimwear (Thanks, Alla!)! Select from L*Space's eco-friendly Tropez Monokini made from the sustainable Sorona fiber ($127.00 value), or the beautiful Celebrity Envy Bikini by Vitamin A ($160 value!)
For a chance to win, please visit our Facebook page, "Like us" and then leave your style choice at the post. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow and the winner will be announced on Monday! Good luck!
Long time Lither, Kate M. recently tied the knot at the beautiful Lavrila Winery in NJ. Kate really kicked it up a notch about five months prior to her wedding with the Lithe '10' and continued to follow the meal plan along with Lithing 2-3 times a week. Kate, you look georgeous. What a beautiful bride! Kate writes:
"I can’t thank you and the Lithe team enough for all that Lithe has done for me: Both in general with feeling great about myself mentally and physically and specifically for the wedding by helping me make the push to get where I wanted to be to feel good in my dress.
My three year anniversary of Lithing is coming up! Lithe is definitely something I hope to do for the rest of my life and it has been so great watching its evolution and being a part of it! Thank you again!" Kate
Images via Rebecca Barger
All imagery and montages on this blog are created solely for Lithe Method® and the Fithiphealthy® blog. Our photos are not stock photos. The women that you see on our site are Lithe Instructors and Lithe clients. We ask that you do not copy or use our imagery or our montages without permission and all photos must also be credited and linked to our original post.
We love reader comments, but all inappropriate comments, self-promotional spam, or other items unrelated to the post will be deleted.
Lithe Method®, FitHipHealthy®, We Heart Your Heart®, Higher Power Band System®, Lithe Foods® and Lithe Wear® are registered trademarks of Lithe®, Inc. All rights reserved.
{ Recent Comments }