SAYEH'S LITHE DIVING! 5 Apr 2011
The following blog entry is meant to be read while quietly playing Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” in the background.
Dear Fellow Lithers,
Welcome to the scariest thing I’ve ever decided to do--in public at least.
The idea: Dive into Lithe by taking 5 classes a week. Eat only Lithe Foods (50% raw, 100% vegan) Monday through Friday for the entire month of April and blog about it.
Does that make me crazy? Possibly.
Why: Hello! It’s almost bikini season!
In all honesty, while the results I imagine I’m going to experience by fully committing myself to the Lithe Spring Fitness Challenge and a diet of vegan, seasonal fare are probably going to be staggering, that’s not the entire reason I’m doing this.
It’s the full commitment part.
I’m the girl who took every possible type of lesson growing up, and quit. I begged for figure skating classes so I could wear cool sparkly leotards, but stopped going immediately after I realized that I had to wake up super early and miss the Muppet Babies. I did the same thing with piano lessons when I realized that apparently one doesn’t become Elton John overnight. Basically, I was a 9 year-old version of Allen Iverson. Practice? Uh, no. You name it, I tried it, and none of it stuck--much like my landings in the 3 short months I did gymnastics (again for the outfits).
This propensity of mine has manifested itself in my adulthood in the form of “kicks”. I’ve gone on yoga kicks. I’ve gone on vegetarian kicks. If I feel a little bloated one day, chances are I’ll decide I’m allergic to wheat and go on a gluten-free kick. I buy the books and cookbooks and go full speed into a dramatic lifestyle change. I’ll tell everyone I know that I’ve realized how important it is for all people on Earth to stop eating dairy, for example, but immediately break down when someone asks me if I’d like a little Parmesan on my quinoa pasta.
As a result, here I am a 30 year-old person, who’s tried every “ism” there is, with no actual lifestyle practice to speak of, athletic ability or particularly honed talent other than perhaps an above average wit--something which everyone knows doesn’t actually count.
So recently when I was hallucinating at the barre (usually around Sumo 19) during Sculpt, I had a little chat with my 9 year-old self. At first, it was just small talk--how great Anne’s feather extensions look, the weather, how my calf muscle may actually detach from my Achilles tendon if I stay in stiletto for one more second, etc., but then we got serious and talked about our commitment issues.
I realized that in the 2.5 years since I moved to Philadelphia, and all of the subsequent “kicks” I’ve been on since, Lithe has been the one thing that has remained constant, albeit patchy at times. So right there in the studio, staring into my own reflection (awkward), I decided it was high time to dive into something big--to fully commit to a major life change.
After 40 or 50 Plyos, however, my 9 year-old self and I decided that we’ll start with 30 days and see how it goes.
I hope you’ll join me through all the Curtsies, Fold Over Seatwork and my resulting musings throughout this month. Every Tuesday, I will share my measurements and a new set of photos of myself so you can track my progress. I truly look forward to sharing this experiment with all of you.
See you in class,
Sayeh
Image of Sayeh at Lithe Old City via Lauren
WHO says wit doesn't count?? Loved your first post and can't wait to hear more about your adventure!
Posted by: Krista | Apr 05, 2011 at 07:12 AM
you rock! can't wait to hear more about your lithe diving adventure. :)
Posted by: amanda | Apr 05, 2011 at 07:54 AM
I heart you Sayeh!
Posted by: lauren boggi goldenberg | Apr 05, 2011 at 08:03 AM
Practice? We talkin' about practice? No way - this is your game! I'm so excited for more. Good luck, Sayeh!
Posted by: Hannah | Apr 05, 2011 at 08:08 AM
So entertaining and honest! I loved it! Can't wait for next week!
Posted by: Paula G. | Apr 05, 2011 at 08:11 AM
Go Sayeh! Looking forward to your blog posts!
Posted by: carrie | Apr 05, 2011 at 08:26 AM
Sayeh - good luck and thanks for giving me something super fun to look forward to next Tuesday! Love that you're doing this - says a lot about you!
Posted by: Joanne B | Apr 05, 2011 at 08:29 AM
Sayeh - I love your humor and wit - in my opinion they are essential in life! If anything, I hope I can continue to provide you things to daydream about as you push yourself through those 10,000 sumos as well as any other support you need to make your April challenge more successful than your ever imagined!
Posted by: Anne | Apr 05, 2011 at 08:40 AM
Everyone knows that a sense of humour is one of the most important things in life... where would we be without it?! Keep it up girl!
Posted by: Anna G | Apr 05, 2011 at 08:54 AM
I enjoy reading this already :) Go girl!
Posted by: Dana | Apr 05, 2011 at 09:14 AM
I feel that we are the same person and it is such a relief to read your blog to know that I am not alone. I am actually working with a therapist to figure out why, oh why, I can be so gangbusters to begin with and then just quit after a few weeks. She says it is because I am a perfectionist. Ha! Thanks for taking us on this journey with you. I look forward to watching you learn a little about yourself, and maybe, just maybe, a little about me too!
Posted by: Jennifer Kligman | Apr 05, 2011 at 09:16 AM
I don't think I can wait a whole week to find out how you are doing! GOOD LUCK! and I love your toenail color
Posted by: Jessica P | Apr 05, 2011 at 09:18 AM
Awesome! Great luck!
Posted by: Erin | Apr 05, 2011 at 09:18 AM
Sayeh,
Love the Lithe Diving idea! And your blog is so much fun to read. :-) Good luck!
Posted by: Marina L. | Apr 05, 2011 at 09:26 AM
Thank you so much for the encouragement everyone! I'm so overwhelmed by the response. Jessica, you won't have to wait until next Tuesday. My next column is on Friday, Friday. Gotta down on Friday!
My measurements are only once a week, but the column is bi-weekly. I can't wait to keep you guys updated. Thanks again for all the support!
Posted by: Sayeh | Apr 05, 2011 at 09:55 AM
Yay! I can only hope you'll make Friday's post song recommendation Rebecca Black's song.
See you in class!
Posted by: Jessica P | Apr 05, 2011 at 10:53 AM
Your challenge and story is so close to my heart and it's very motivational to read about your challenge along with of course seeing all the amazing lithe instructors every week. Maybe in my own way I will follow your footsteps and keep a track of my measurements and progress. Thank you Sayeh for sharing this and all the very best to you.....remember you are not alone in this challenge.
Posted by: Shree Pathak | Apr 05, 2011 at 11:30 AM
Keep up the funny hard work!
Posted by: Ruth | Apr 05, 2011 at 12:16 PM
Thanks for doing this and blogging it! I am sure there are many of us who aren't great at keeping routine with things, I know I'm not! I've committed to 4 classes a week and I am in day 2 of Ali's spring detox. Here's to April!!!
Posted by: Julia | Apr 05, 2011 at 12:31 PM
You are the Oprah to my Gayle!
Posted by: JZ | Apr 05, 2011 at 12:43 PM