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SAYEH'S LIVING LITHE! 15 May 2013

Until very recently, I have been in a negative energy haze of craze. 

Reason 1: The Internet

Usually, I feel the internet is a wonderful place. I think back to when I was in high school and wonder how on earth I functioned without it. How did I ever find my way around? How did I discover new places to eat and if they were supposed to be any good? How did I find the answers to questions like: How tall is Fredrick Ecklund from Million Dollar Listing? What did I do when I wasn't spending hours watching Ryan Gosling refuse to eat his cereal?

But despite all of its amazing usefulness, the internet can also be an AWFUL place. It's where people, protected by their anonymity, can be just plain MEAN. It's the newest iteration of road rage. The information super highway is a place where people can speed by a blog and flip their verbal bird at anyone and everyone without consequences. Kitchen and food blogs are particularly awful about this. For example, recently, while on one of my favorite sites that features recipes, reviews of different kitchen equipment, and tours of unique kitchens around the country etc., I searched the term 'food mill.' (I'm currently registering for my upcoming wedding, and was using the site help me research a few things I might want to include.) My girl Ina Garten swears it is her essential tool for making amazing mashed potatoes, so I thought hmmm I wonder what else it's good for? 

Did I find that? Oh no. I found hate. How daaaaaaare you want a food mill?? Food mills are for Food-Network-watching IDIOTS! USE YOUR HEAD...they take up all the space in a drawer! Get over yourself for wanting a food mill! Who do you think you are? Julia Child? No food mills for the likes of YOU, you pathetic wannabe chef that only wants to milk your poor guests--who are already spending a fortune to attend your wedding--for something you don't need and will never use. You are going straight to hell! You can't peel the skins off your boiled tomatoes yourself?  You need a food mill to make sauce! You are a disappointment to the human race! Carrot Top would look down on you. 

This sent me into a self-judging shame spiral. What was I thinking? Will our friends and relatives think all of these things of me if I put this food mill on my registry? Will they hate me for even having a registry?? (Some blogs vehemently say guests feel frustrated without a registry and other blogs judgingly say it's SO wrong to tell people what to buy you.) So much judgment! Why are people so mad and opinionated on things like this on the internet? Why not say--hey, I got a food mill because I thought it would be great and useful, but turns out I never use it because it's heavy and clunky and it takes up too much room. I wouldn't recommend it. Have a lovely day, you beautiful, conscientious researcher of kitchen appliances! I mean, would that be so hard?

Reason 2: The Weather

It's May. I don't want to wear a sweater anymore. That's all. 

Reason 3: I've been Phillied

Lately everywhere I walk in the streets, someone is doing something borderline nuts! A man yelled a line at me that was a more profane version of: You are a handsome woman and I'd like to be responsible for the growth of a fetus in your uterus. A homeless man yelled at a woman walking near me for only dropping a quarter in his cup. Something about being cheap was a word I deciphered between obscenities. Other people are just sucking down cigarettes while walking extremely slowly and juggling a cup of coffee and texting on their cell phones between drags. So not only are they weaving from side to side so I can't get around them, but they are causing me to hack and cough AND be late. I've almost been run over several times by drivers who do not care that my light is green and they have to wait to turn until pedestrians clear the way. It's just too much! I learned later from a friend that what I've experience is called being Phillied--when sometimes the city just kicks your ass. and chews you up and spits you out.

Reason 4: I've been on an unintentional Lithe hiatus

I was sick. Then I was out of town. Then I just couldn't get my act together because I was all discombobulated. So naturally I was eating like I was going to the electric chair, and as a result I can feel my rolls as I sit here, and have unbuttoned the top button to my pants because naturally 2 weeks of not working out (and eating fried foods nonstop) negate my weeks and weeks of hard work and I just want to punch everyone in the face!! 

Is that SO wrong??

Yes. According to several laws, I believe it is. Unfortunately. 

So, this is where I was last Friday. I trudged in the door after being totally Phillied, having had a terrible day at work, having attempted to treat and relax myself to a pedicure which came completely off when I removed the plastic they had wrapped around my freshly dried toes to protect them from my shoes and just crumpled. I AM IN A HORRIBLE MOOD, I announce to my fiance. I hate EVERYONE. I hate this weather. I hate this city. I hate the smell of horse poo. I hate people that blow smoke in my face. I hate that man that wants to father my children. I hate EVERYTHING. 

He calmly handed me a beer, told me to take deep breaths and reminded me that we had dinner plans with another couple that evening that would make me feel better. I begrudgingly accompanied him to what would turn out to be my surprise birthday party. A giant group of all my favorite people convened by my wonderful fiance and all in one room...for me. My brain couldn't compute, and when it did, I felt pretty silly for being SUCH A HATER. NO better than the mean internet bullies on foodie websites. The party was a much needed reminder that my problems are first world problems that could be way worse, and to get over myself and put a food mill on my registry if I want to and who cares what other haters think and to GO TO CLASS. 

And I did! And I feel incredibly better. (Is there a connection between being irritable and not working out, ya think?) So, if you've been feeling like I have, grab a few of your closest girlfriends, go to class or take a good, brisk walk by the river, get those endorphins going, gossip and then get some drinks. Sit somewhere in a patch of sun and drink margaritas and eat some guacamole. Nothing resets us like time with people we love. No time? Maybe write down 10 things or friends you're grateful for...right now. It will help I promise. It's my new plan too. 

More gratitude. Less attitude. Now if I can only make that go viral. 

See you in class and here's hoping you don't get Phillied on the way!

SAYEH'S LIVING ROCK STEADY! 1 May 2013

Rock Steady!

What you need: Wrist Bands! The new Thinny bands no longer have a foam cushion to protect your wrists (sanitary reasons). BYO or purchase them at the front desk for $6. They keep the delicate skin around your wrists from chafing from all the sliding the bands do in this high energy class. I highly recommend them. They make a world of difference. 
Props: Lithe Thinny Bands
Clothing Considerations: Whatever you're comfortable in 
Sweat Factor: You'll look like you just pulled the chain to dump water on yourself during your dance performance on stage a la Flashdance. 

I was a cheerleader once, for exactly 1 year. The 8th grade. We were the Mustangs. Who rocks the house? The Mustangs rock the house. And when the Mustangs rock the house...they rock it all-the-way-DOWN! Picture butts in the air and slamming the ground on the word DOWN. We were awesome. Except that we weren't. We kind of sucked. I just loved the uniforms and was excited to learn synchronized dances, but wasn't into my squad leaders yelling and screaming at me and would usually skip practice to fake inhale cigarettes under a bridge behind my school with all the 'alternative' kids. Which meant I was wearing a pleated skirt and coughing up a storm while kids cooler than me listened to Nirvana on their discmans in their flannel shirts.  

Fast forward ten years, and I was a first-year high school teacher a few weeks into the job when my principal called me into his office to ask me if I would volunteer to be the cheerleading sponsor for the school. Now, as a first year teacher you are expected to take on extra-curricular activities and really lend a helping hand. Something I was prepared to do, but high school cheerleading in Texas is NO JOKE. You guys saw the Lifetime movie. They kill for that stuff down there. I just looked him dead in the eye and said: Cheerleading? Do I look spunky to you? He chuckled, said Good point. And I decided to head up our school's chapter of Crime Stoppers instead. We stopped mo' crime!

But deep down I've always been drawn to the sport despite acting too cool for it when I was coming up. I watched the competitions on ESPN, secretly loved pep rallies where I could see all the amazing stunts and high flyers. I had to admit--even if just to myself. Cheerleaders, despite their various stigmas, were TALENTED ATHLETES. 

Enter Rock Steady. A microcasm of my relationship with cheerleading. When I first saw the video that Lauren posted of one of its CCS sequences, I was slightly terrified. Then when I realized they actually shout things out and stomp and clap, my too-cool-for-school reflexes kicked in. HEll NO! I thought.  But then true to form, my nagging inner cheerleader kicked in too. She was saying: Rocky Steady might actually be FUN. You know you want to. 

And she was so right. First, it wasn't nearly as difficult to remember the CCS sequences and keep up as I thought it would be. If you've been taking classes like Higher Power, Twiggy, Pom and Weightless and have gotten a feel for CCS, you will pick up the Rock Steady sequences quickly. If not, I still say give it a shot. You repeat the sequences so many times that you will certainly pick it up by the end of a class or 2. 

Like the aforementioned CCS heavy classes, Rock Steady breaks up the CCS sequences into sets. In other words, you do 10, 20, 30 reps of each move before moving to the next. You do that a few times before you break them down by doing one of each all in a row. And the CCS sections themselves are further separated by scultpting segments where you doing standing sculpting work or down on the mat doing abs and sculpting yourself from hip to shoulder. 

Class flies by and you're done and soaking wet before you know it. It definitely brought out my secret love for remembering fun routines. It was so fun to see everyone doing them in unison while a great play list blared around me. It definitely beats hacking away at Viriginia Slims in a cheerleading uniform and dodging the dean of students under a gross, humid bridge. Rock Steady definitely rocks the house. All-the-way DOWN!

See you in class!

SAYEH'S LIVING LITHE! 17 Apr 2013

Up until Monday, I've been feeling pretty down on Philly. The never ending cold snaps, the rain, the countless people sauntering across intersections when I'm on my scooter with a green light, the mean mugs, attytood and litter have just been infuriating me to no end. And for the first time since I moved here 5 years ago, have made me feel like it's time to consider going home to Texas--where despite its intolerant reputation--the people smile at you, say please and thank you, hold doors open for you, apologize when they bump into you and where the sun manages to shine for an entire day...several days in a row. 

Then Monday's tragedy made me reconsider my woe is me ways--as tragedies tend to do. It's made me take another look at this city--the one I've been hating on--and try to remember why I was so excited to pack up and move to it half a decade ago. Because Philly has been good to me. I've made amazing friends. Found a workout that has changed my body and my outlook on fitness, a meaningful career I love and a soon to be husband to boot! What on Earth am I complaining about?

So, I made a list of all the things I want to do and see and eat (mostly eat) in this town to get myself out and about and back in love with Philly. And the process has made me feel a little better somehow. About everything that's happening. So instead of my usual ramblings--about myself--I'm sharing my list in hopes that it will inspire those of you who may also be feeling a little blue as we emerge from a long winter into a nascent spring time that's been marred by the events in Boston on Monday. 

Boutiques

Sometimes I find it really relaxing to walk around a cute boutique all by myself. No friends to chat with and distract me. No impatient significant other to worry about. Just walking around, picking things up, considering gifts, maybe trying something on myself is always very meditative for me. So I'd love to take a peek into places I haven't been to yet like: 

Aoki Boutique - a self proclaimed spot to find fun, funky, eclectic clothes and home goods on S. 22nd

Omoi Zakka Shop - a place to find thoughtful and useful things around the corner from the RH studio on Pine Street

Asia Crafts - a hidden gem in Chinatown that I hear has fun Hello Kitty gifts for the little ones (and big ones too)

Restaurants

Now, I know Philly has some serious eateries for some serious foodies, so please don't be outraged by my more unassuming picks, because while I hope to check out all those places, these are the spots that are tickling my fancy right now. 

Cheu Noodle Bar - I'm obsessed with packaged Maruchan ramen noodles. I never stopped eating them post-college. And with philly-centric additions like scrapple and probably still way less sodium than the silver flavor packet that I know and love, I can't wait to eat here. 

Hot Diggity Dog - Nothing says spring and summer to me like a hot dog. I'm obsessed with them. With the right toppings, I consider them the perfect food. 

Fountain Porter - Cuz frankly (not a hot dog pun), I need a drink. And a burger on the side. 

Out and About

The Franklin Institute is a stone's throw from my front door, yet I completely missed the Titanic exhibit which I was curious about. This goes for almost everything else that comes through this town. So this season, I'd like to check out:

Philadelphia Science Festival - Happening this week! Lithe's own Gerri Trooskin puts this together every year, and there are events all over town! Good job, Gerri!

Beyond Swastika & Jim Crow - The National Museum of American Jewish History has an exhibiton about Jewish scholars dismissed  from their positions during WWII who found refuge and new roles at black colleges & univerisities in the U.S. An aspect of that era I never knew, and would love to learn more about. 

Hidden City Festival - This festival that takes place at the end of May, if it gets the support it needs, hopes to host artists, installations, performances and talks in unusual and unknown sites of historical context in Philly. Perfect for rediscovering the city. 

What are some places you've never been to in this city that you've always wanted to check out? I'd love to add to my list! Anything from a BYOB you've heard buzz about, a boutique that's opened near your place you haven't stopped in yet, or an outdoor festival that could make you happy. Because we could all use a little more of that kind of stuff in the coming weeks. 

See you in class!

SAYEH'S LIVING LITHE! 10 Apr 2013

One thing I've never considered myself is a perfectionist. I'm usually satisfied with pretty good as far as most things go. I don't fret over the details (a good and bad thing), and I am pretty good at accepting the things I cannot change. So, when I took Weightless Monday afternoon, and Kim said: you guys know how to do the moves, now it's about trying to perfect your form, I had a bit of a light bulb moment. I also had a vein pulsing out of my forehead and was so sweating so much, my mat was a Slip n Slide, and I genuinely thought I was going to pass out if I had to do one more calf pump, so it's entirely possible that I was hallucinating altogether--but that's neither here nor there. 

I started thinking about perfection. Perfect form. Perfect Body. Perfect life. And started wondering if I'm indeed as easy going as I like to think I am. For example, sometimes, during class, I look around the studio when I'm at the barre, and I notice the 1 or 2 newbies immediately. I see them struggling to put all the cues together--keep their backs sliding down a wall, knees from going over toes, arms straight, feet high in stiletto--much like myself when I first started. And sometimes, I focus on them...to the detriment of my own form.

Why? I have no idea. 

Perhaps because when it comes to Lithe, as Kim pointed out, perfecting form is the name of the game, once you have been doing it for long enough. It's the reason why it never gets easier. Because you can always get lower in wide second. You can strive to never go flat footed at the bar. You can attempt to work through all the transitions. Perhaps because I have seen first hand, that when you Lithe correctly, the results are unparalleled. So when the instructor makes her way to the newbies, and helps them out, I feel a sense of relief. Like, phew ok. Now they will get the proper workout. Weird, I know. But true. 

But, although Lithe encourages us to perfect our form, it doesn't expect us to be perfect. But that's more than I can say for myself, I'm realizing. That despite my easy-going perception of myself, I certainly haven't reached a place with my body where I've thought: I look pretty good. I am really happy with myself just like this. It's always like: just a little more sculpting in my arms. A little less around my thighs. More waist focused classes so I can keep trimming my middle. 

It's neverending. 

I recently saw a Someecard (you know the old timey cards that were once really funny, but have now oversaturated Facebook), that was actually so on point: 

Hello! I have felt this way SO many times. I remember at the height of my Lithe Diving days, when I had lost a good amount of weight and was in the best shape I had been in years thinking, if I just keep this up, I'll be totally happy with my body (aka I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight) and Jackie, who was working the front desk at Old City, saying to me, you're going to look back on the size you are now and think to yourself, I wish I would've appreciated the shape I was in while I was in it. 

She was psychic. Although I should've known since I've done that numerous times in my life. Looked back at pics of myself in college or high school and thought...JEEZ, I can't believe I thought I was fat then. The scary realization being...am I just always going to think I'm slightly above a weight or size I should be? No matter what my weight and size?

And is there ever a time when I'll cut myself some slack? Pregnancy perhaps? 

A recent conversation with a friend of mine from home leads me to believe that no, probably not. She told me she is pregnant, and while she was happy about the blessing, she was really honest about her fears of gaining weight, and then losing the weight after the baby is born. And while I assured her that she would be beautiful and that she would bounce forward, as Lauren says, I could feel her pain. I've never been pregnant, but I have certainly thought about the prospect, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it makes me feel some type of way. I've worked so hard to get the body I have now, despite being hard on it. And I am afraid to give it up. As selfish and awful as that sounds.

Which got me thinking of Kim Kardashian (doesn't everything). I know I often write about her in a tongue- in-cheek way here on the blog, but the way the media has treated her during this pregnancy has made me feel so sad. Yes, she is a celebrity. Yes, she exposes her entire life to the media. Yes, scrutiny comes with the territory. But there's a difference between criticising her fashion choices and bf choices (both often questionable, for sure) to shaming her for gaining weight WHILE SHE'S PREGNANT. They did the same to Jessica Simpson. Speculating on their weight gain, and splashing their diet choices on the front page of Us Weekly (which I love to read, I admit and am starting to feel really bad about it). I just can't imagine how they must feel. How I would feel, if I were in their shoes. The Daily Beast said it really well, and so did Helena Christensen in her open letter to the Huffington Post.

The thing is, although I clearly don't know Kim Kardashian personally (sob), I have a feeling that she's probably harder on herself than the tabloids are. She is human after all. And if I am as hard on myself as I am when it comes to body image, and being hot and perfect isn't my JOB, what the hell must she be feeling? 

This is all certainly a vicious cycle of celebrities falling victim to the images of themselves that they artfully curate and which we then measure ourselves against. That I certainly realize. And this is a can of worms that's long been opened regarding women and body image, but I guess my hope is for myself...and for all of us, that we cut ourselves some slack and realize that perfecting our form is not the same as perfecting our bodies. That hopefully I, for one, can learn that taking my health and fitness seriously is in and of itself the goal. Not my version of a perfect body. Something that I don't ever achieve. Not because my diet isn't good enough, or because I don't Lithe enough. But because it just doesn't exist. 

That's certainly going to be a work-in-progress. Much like my form. 

See you in class!

SAYEH'S LIVING DUTCH! 3 Apr 2013

Dutch!

What you need: Just yourself! 
Props: Jump Ropes
Clothing Considerations: Cropped pants or tight leggings--flared pants will get caught in the rope, sneakers (tie your laces tight!), I wouldn't wear a hoodie as the hood will catch on the rope too 
Sweat Factor: Red-faced and sweat-tastic!

I must preface this post by informing everyone that I don't run. Can't run. Not even to my mailbox--and considering my mailbox is a slot in my front door, that gives you some concept of what I'm talking about. Growing up, every Thursday was "running day" in gym class. I LOATHED it. We had to run around these four orange cones placed way too far apart in a field. Everytime we finished a lap, our gym teacher would hand us a popsicle stick. The goal, obviously, was to collect as many popsicle sticks as possible during the 45 minute class period--but the minimum was four. Four laps around the cones. In 45 minutes. Easy right?

Wrong!

Every Thursday, without fail, boys and girls ran past me...two, three times carrying fists full of popsicle sticks. Not me. I could barely collect 4. During the last leg of the 4th lap, the coach would cheer me on/yell at me. My friends would urge me forward, "Chariots of Fire" would play, everything would go into slow motion, and I would collect my last stick before falling into a heap just shy of the last cone while everyone else was headed back inside. You get the idea. 

So, when I showed up for Dutch, and realized there would be running involved, I was slightly terrified. All I knew of Dutch was what I inferred from the picture of Melissa jumping rope posted on the blog last year. I guess I assumed we'd be skipping down the street with ropes--which in retrospect was silly considering we ran down Spruce (from the RH studio)--and people wouldn't appreciate a gang full of rope wielding, fitness crazed ladies taking over the sidewalks (or would they?)

Thankfully, we alternated between a light jog for 2 blocks and walking for 1 block until we reached the Schuylkill River Park, so I didn't have flashbacks to gym class. In fact, even though I was dead last in the line of ladies, I wasn't as miserable as I thought I would be. Turns out all of the up-tempo Lithe classes have paid off. I felt like my lungs were keeping up with me (on the way there anyway), and that my legs weren't going jello on me like they did back in the day. 

Once we got to the park, we started jumping rope, and something happened with the space-time continuum. Have you ever been having an incredible time with friends or an amazing moment with your significant other--where you just wish time would stand still so that you could live in that moment forever? Well, I've found the answer for you! Start jumping rope! That's right. Want that goodnight kiss to never end? Bust out your rope and get to skippin! Want the incredible dish you ordered at your favorite restaurant to last as long as possible? Get to jumpin! Why? BECAUSE TIME STANDS STILL WHEN YOU JUMP ROPE!!

For example, Catherine, our instructor, would say now jump on 1 leg for 30 seconds! Oh, 30 seconds? No sweat! YES, SWEAT! MAJOR SWEAT! And don't even think you can Lithe stall your way through any portion of those 30 seconds. I blew my nose. Adjusted my sweatshirt. Tied my shoes. Untangled myself from the rope, and Catherine would shout, while looking at her watch, 28 more seconds! This goes on for 3-minute intervals. Three minutes of nonstop rope jumping. You do it in a variety of ways for the interval, then you hit the ground for push-ups, burpees, etc. in between each. Get ready to really test your endurance. This isn't your school yard jump-rope sesh. Oh no. 

Then you head to the riverside to do some sculpting work, which is a nice break from the jumping (but still tough), then it's another light jog-walk back to the studio. I again, was bringing up the rear. So much so, that during the walking portions...I had to run anyway just to keep up with the pack. Needless to say, it was a killer workout. I can imagine adding this to my schedule once a week, and watching the lbs melt off. Seriously. I could barely walk the next day, and had to cancel my Tuesday Skinny Mini since I couldn't even make it down my stairs. Lithe still makes me sore, for sure, but this was like first-time Lithing type of sore. I'm still feeling it. 

If you like to run, I think this class will satisfy that running-itch I always hear runners talk about. If you're like me and my account of middle school gym class sent shivers down your spine, there's no way you are worse than me, and I could keep up...so don't let it scare you. It's nice to be outside in the world and out of the studio even though Philadelphia refuses to acknowledge that it is spring, and let up with this cold weather. In fact it seems to be giving spring the middle finger ever time she tries to pop in for a few hours. But, she'll win out in the end (I hope), and Dutch is the perfect way to take advantage as the temperatures rise.

See you in class!

SAYEH'S LIVING HIGH WAISTED! 27 Mar 2013

High Waisted!

What you need: Gloves! 
Props: Pom bands (the ones with handles), Calorie Trashers (if you got 'em)
Clothing Considerations: Cropped pants--lots of balancing, dont want to get tangled in too-long pants
Sweat Factor: Everyone in the room had a good sheen, but could also grab a drink after class without looking like they ran through a sprinkler a la Higher Power

If you've picked up a fashion magazine in the last couple of years, you've noticed the high waisted look is back, and I have to say that I've been wanting to get on board, but every time I eye a pair of high waisted jeans, images of poor Jessica Simpson flash before my eyes. You remember what I'm referring to, of course. The girl got skewered for wearing a pair of high waisted, so-called mom jeans. Now perhaps I have a soft spot for my fellow Texan, but I truly felt bad for her during that fiasco, and have no desire to repeat her fashion faux-pas. So, high waisted pencil skirts are more my speed. Although, every time I go to try one on, they present their own challenges too. Yes, they make me look little in the middle, but like I got much back...if you know what I'm saying. And highlight the saddlebag area to boot.

Enter, High Waisted the class. It works your entire body 360 degrees around your core down through your hips, saddle bags (not to mention full leg and arms and...wait that's your whole body). Most of the class is spent on one leg, balancing while lunging, raising up into liberty, arabesque, and folded over doing some pulses and kicks while using the pom bands for support and to keep your arms and back engaged. It requires some coordination, to be sure. Bari told us up front not to be discouraged if we felt a bit wobbly on one leg--that it takes about 3 classes to get the feel for the class--so that allowed me to relax and not pressure myself to feel like I needed to get it exactly right the first time. 

That said, the class was FUN, and actually not super crazy hard to get a hang of. It was definitely the first class that I really wished I had the Calorie Trashers because my range of motion is pretty crappy, and I could have really benefited from something to keep my muscles warm and increase my flexibility as I stood on one foot and folded over and kicked behind me. 

The class is upbeat, but not brutal in terms of cardio. It's the perfect combination of cardio and sculpting. At one point, a great song was blaring, we were combining all the moves we had just learned and I was in. the. zone. I woke up the next morning feeling sore in ways that I never have and eager to take the class again. A few more, and I'll be heading back to the racks for that pencil skirt minus the J. Simp flashbacks.

I highly recommend it. Let loose (literally) and have fun! 

And if you take High Waisted any time soon, I'll see you in class.

 

SAYEH'S LIVING LITHE! {REPOST} 20 Mar 2013

Hey guys, remember that time that I lithed 9 days in a row and was feeling all fit and fab and big uppping myself? Fast forward a week--5 of those days spent in Texas--and I'm feeling like a walking sour cream chicken enchilada. 5 bowls of chips and queso and tons of glasses of champagne later (I said yes to the dress while there. Woop! Woop!), I am a shadow of my former 9 day lithe self. So much so that I was pulling some classic Lithe Stalling today in Barlesque with Danielle. Go straight from 30 sumos to 30 curtsies without stopping? Nah, I'm going to take a really close look at my skin in the mirror instead. Butterfly kicks while in stiletto? Nope, there are a couple of unsightly hairs sprouting from my chin that I'd rather examine.

For those of you unfamiliar with Lithe stalling, I have pulled a classic from my Lithe Diving days (4 weeks where I only ate Lithe Foods during the week and went to class 5 times/wk) to accompany the classic technique. Are you guys still Lithe Stalling too?

This blog entry is meant to be read while jamming out to Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It.” 
(Ignore the sexual overtones; it really is relevant. Also, let’s say the heavy breathing in the song represents the Lithe breath.) 

Dear Fellow Lithers,

The first week is over, and there’s so much to report! The food, the workouts--where do I begin?

This week...wait! Hang on a sec. Let me readjust my ponytail. Typing can get a bit vigorous, and I can’t have hair just falling willy-nilly into my face. 

Okay, we’re good. So this week I took High Mini, Walk Star, Skinny Jeans, Thinny and tomorrow I’m taking...oh, hold on. Let me just take a quick sip of water. 

Ahhhh. Refreshing. Tomorrow, I’m taking Cinch.

The classes have been rigorous, and the food has been incredible. Blissful Breakfast Quinoa is exactly what its name suggests, and...oh you know what? I should fill up my water bottle real quick in case I get thirsty again while I write this. Blogging makes me really parched. 

OK, I apologize for all the interruptions. I know you’re patiently waiting to hear how delicious the Moroccan Body Stew tastes. How the sweet potatoes and carrots have subtly taken on the flavor of the tender apricots and floral ginger, and I’m over here Lithe Stalling. 

What’s Lithe Stalling? 

You know when you’re taking a class and you want to double over and clutch your chest after just 30 seconds of sprinting in High Mini? You look around in a panic, hoping to lock eyes with someone equally distressed, and are only met with serene faces seamlessly transitioning into the next series?  Well this is when my ponytail, my water bottle, and something on my left big toe all of a sudden captivate and require my immediate attention. A quick readjustment of some kind gives me that split second to catch my breath without looking like a complete wuss. 

Lithe Stalling. I’m a pro, but before I began this week, I told myself: no Lithe Stalling. It’s time to push it! No ponytails, no paper towels for sweat dabbing, no stopping to wipe all the spit my forceful breathing has projectiled onto the mirrors. Nothin. Just non-stop Lithe action.

How’d that work out for me? How do you think.

I took High Mini with Liz on Monday, and after 30 Burpies, all bets were off. I took so many sips of water in an effort to get a tiny break, that by the end my stomach was sloshing like the inside of a Slurpee machine.  In Walk Star, I didn’t want to be bringing up the rear of the group, but my stubby legs (I’m 5’2” after an adjustment at the chiropractor) wouldn’t cooperate with me. Everyone was crossing the street while I was stuck at a red light huffing and puffing. I felt like a wiener dog struggling to keep up with her owner. Or maybe a Corgi. Corgis are the ones with short legs and big butts right?

To be clear, I’m not trying to cheat. Tif always tells us, You came all the way here. You might as well do the work. Don’t cheat yourself. And she’s absolutely right. I mean, she’s Tif. Even if she wasn’t, I would say she was because I’m scared of her.

The truth is, I’ve always been flummoxed by this idea of pushing myself. I look at marathon runners and Lithers that buy the Lithe Premium Monthly Unlimited pass* in awe. I wish I could be as motivated. I tell myself: Sayeh, you will get through this ENTIRE lunge series in stiletto. You know how often that pep talk works? I’ve done it exactly one time, on one leg. When it came time to do the other side, I was so tired that I had to keep my foot flat the entire time. If I kept that up, I’d be walking around the world with one super calf and the other one looking like I just got a cast removed. 

*I must say I’m not sure Premium Monthly Unlimited Pass people exist. Clamoring to take two classes in a row on the same day? If that’s you, please say hi if you see me in the studio. Because right now, as far as I’m concerned, you’re like unicorns. I want to believe you exist, but also feel like you just really look like someone who takes a class right after you. 

When I sat down to write this blog though, something happened. What should have been a simple movement--sitting--instead took five minutes and made my face contort in such pain, that I’m sure passersby thought I was in desperate need of Preparation H. Turns out, I am pushing myself. It wouldn’t hurt to move my pinkie over to the shift button if I wasn’t pushing myself. 

So maybe I’m not like the girl in Thinny who didn’t Lithe Stall once. And maybe I’ll never be able to fold myself in half like Melissa, but that doesn’t mean I’m not pushing myself. Week 1 has made me realize that I need to stop looking around the room, and start listening to my own body. What I’ve accomplished this week is definitely pushing it, and if I need to adjust my ponytail or curse under my breath after a particularly grueling series, I’m going to give myself that room. I hope you will too. 

See you in class,

Sayeh

SAYEH'S LIVING LITHE! 13 Mar 2013

Very recently, my mind was blown. And I mean blown. I was in class, and the instructor (I think it was Joellyn), said for everyone to lean back on their sitz bones and spelled it out. S-I-T-Z.  SITZ bones. WHAT? SitZ with a Z?? Not SITS bones with an S at the end? Mind. Blown. Throughout all these years of Lithing, and the intermittent yoga classes in the years before, I’ve thought the teachers are saying SITS bones. The bones you know…you …SIT on. Don’t get me wrong, I always thought this was a funny term—sits bones. Why didn’t they just say butt? Lean back on your…butt. Too gauche? So, I would just shrug it off and think I guess those ARE the bones we sit on. But then why the plural? SitS bones. Why not just sit bones? And I would chuckle to myself—oh you crazy fitness people and your jargon. SITS bones! HA!

Seems that the joke’s on me. It’s indeed sitz with a z, and unless who ever named these bones also called their high school CD compilations things like Summer JamZ ‘98 (guilty), then they have nothing to do with sitting. Although, come on. This is all very confusing! Who’s with me?? After a bit of google-izing, I found that sitz bones is the common name for the ischial tuberosity—the lowest of the three major bones that make up the pelvis. Which begs the question: If sitz is the COMMON name, then why isn’t it actually SITS?? Ok, I’m going to stop.

THEN I was sitting at my computer typing an email, and the little red squiggly line indicating a misspelled word crawled under something I just typed. I went to right click on it to pull up the list of correctly-spelled substitutions, and I have no idea what I did, but my screen split in half and all of this code came up. CODE. It was like something out of the Terminator’s field of vision. I guess it was the html code of what I was typing in my email? (Is that even possible?) I did recognize words like ‘font’ and ‘format,’ but like…WHAT? I exed out of it by clicking on the mouse as fast as I could and jerking my hand back even faster. As if touching the mouse for more than a split second would cause the computer to explode or something. (You never know.)

The code went away, but I was left feeling a little bewildered. I felt like I had encountered a strange fancy machine of the future. I just kept looking at my screen like…I don’t even KNOW you. You do so many things that I have NO CLUE about. Who ARE you?? What is this CODE? What are these SHORTCUTS? What are you HIDING FROM ME?? It gave me a little more respect for my rundown, POS comp. It was like that moment where you realize the guy you’ve been dating (and complaining to all your friends that he's super uninteresting and kind of dumb and a terrible kisser), takes you to his apartment for the first time and shows you all of his (really good) short stories (he’s working on a compilation), and the beautiful teak desk he’s built with his bare hands for his father’s 60^th  birthday, and the pictures of him in traditional garb from a country where he’s established a small nonprofit for starving children. And you’re like Oh, SH*T. I should be nicer to you. You're kind of a catch! (Can I get an amen! No? Just me?) Needless to say… Mind. Blown. 

Equally mind blowing and confusing is what has happened to me fitness-wise over the last week. After my post about eating 2 weeks ago, and per the advice so many of you left in the comments, I really have been cooking well, preparing lunches and snagging Lithe Foods when I'm in a pinch, instead of some other hugely portioned food truck option near my office (lamb and rice, I still love you). To boot, I have recently gone to class 7 out of the last 8 days. Which I've never done before. 5 times a week has been my recent routine (M-F) and 6 times my max, if I get my act together on a Saturday morning (which is rare). And while I was certainly seeing the difference in my body in the last couple of months with that routine (which has been a real commitment itself), the combination of this marathon Lithe sesh and healthy eating (no skimping, just better choices), has slimmed and toned me in a way that has kind of shocked me. Kind of like with this combination I've hit a button on my body's computer that I didn't know existed and it's rewriting my chubby code.

Turns out, I'm not onto some new magical formula. I was in the elevator at Rittenhouse the other day, and I overheard one girl saying to another, "Lauren says if you Lithe for 9 days in a row, magical things will happen to your body. So I'm going for it." I thought OHHHH. So she knows about this phenomenon! It's crazy to think how going 5 days taking a 2-day break and then going 5 days is different than going 9 days straight. So I emailed Lauren to corroborate this elevator hearsay, and sure enough...she said it was true, but that the eating part was a deal breaker. Going 9 days and eating whatever you want isn't the same thing. You have to go 9 days in a row AND eat well.

Now, I'm not saying I'm going to go to Lithe 9 days in a row every 10 days. In the words of Asa's mother from Shahs of Sunset. Not only NO, but HELL NO. I have to be realistic with myself and keep it civil. BUT, it is just encouraging to know that eating well and working out DOES work. Because sometimes it just feels like it DOESN'T. It's so easy to become discouraged when I work out a ton and make what I think are relatively good food choices to not see the results I'm hoping for--not just on the scale but in strength and stamina. So shaking up my routine has really opened up my eyes to see that really committing and reprioritizing a bit can jump start things in a visible way. Like my SITZ bones are actually feeling a little more...boney...when i sits on them. And with my butt, that's truly mind blowing.

See you in classs!

SAYEH'S LIVING PEELED! 6 Mar 2013

Peeled!

What you need: Peeled Sleeves! (These are optional. You can bring your own, or order them at any studio. Once you pay for them ($10 or $12) they will arrive within 30 days.)
Props: 3lb, 5lb, 8lb weights, Hipster box, gliders (purple pads from Short Shorts for those not wearing arm warmers) Grapefruit essential oil spray
Clothing Considerations: Whatever you’re comfortable in
Sweat Factor: Pretty good sweat (but you should be presentable public after)

Recently, I was treated to a very sweet V-day gift of a facial. Growing up with a mom in the beauty industry, I got facials regularly. My mother would spy a blackhead on my nose and send me marching to the esthetician in her salon. (Tough life, I know.) But, as an adult, I can rarely justify the expense or make time for them, so this was a wonderful relaxing treat...until the peel. 

If you've never had a facial before, typically you lay on a massage table face up with your hair in a wrap away from your face, under a sheet with your shoulders and decollete exposed. The esthetician then cleanses your face of any makeup, dirt and oil. All the while, a neat device sprays gentle steam onto your face to loosen your pores and make your skin more pliable. Your skin is then examined under a giant magnifier with lights (your eyes are protected of course) and depending on your esthetician's style, she'll go to work cleaning you out--removing black heads and squeezing zits with various tools and sanitary techniques that minimize damage and scarring to the skin. After which, she usually applies masks and gels and lotions and peels...depending on what you request and are hoping to achieve. 

Now you may recall a certain episode of Sex and the City where Samantha gets a chemical peel right before a big PR event and ends up with a crazy blueberry face forcing her to wear a veil like Lydia from Beetlejuice to hide the damage. The peel I got was nothing like that. (Although I hear those peels can do wonders!) It was a slightly acidic concoction that my facialist made and applied to my face to help slough off the dull outer layer of my face to make room for a bright new, shiny glowy me. Sounds like a great plan right? After having your skin poked and prodded, it felt like she was applying lemon juice and salt onto my raw and tender skin. "Is it burning?" she asked. I replied that it stung a little to which she casually responded: "It will get more intense, so let me know if you can't take it anymore." 

What is this? I thought. A spa or Guantanamo Bay? After a few minutes of wiggling my toes and gripping the sheets in discomfort, she came to my rescue and removed the peel with gentle pads soaked in...something. SWEET RELIEF. She then massaged my face and neck into a blissful oblivion. I emerged from this appointment feeling an odd combination of relaxed and slightly abused. It wasn't until I saw my skin in the mirror that I realized it was all worth it. It looked SO CLEAN, and fresh and glowing. Literally. It was incredible. The results were SO immediate, I couldn't believe. Totally worth the few minutes of the total discomfort. 

This is exaclty how I would describe Peeled the class. Incredibly painful, while being kind of fun, and leaving you feeling sore in ways you never knew you could be sore, but also emerging with immediate results like definition in your arms that you KNOW wasn't there the day before. It's crazy. 

You begin the class by spraying Grapefruit oil on your arms for beneficial toning, circulation and diuretic effects and slide on your arm warmers, if you have them. Then you grab your 3lb weights and do a series of standing arm work which incorporates the lower half of your body too. This portion left me wanting to suck my thumb on the mat until it was over. Then you bump it up to 5lbs for another series of arm, chest and back killers which will have you wondering how you are still able to get your limbs to cooperate. From there you take a quick "break" from the weights and so some sliding ab and arm work using either your arm warmers to help you slide on the wood floor or the gliders if you don't have any. After that, you pick up the 8lb weights, throw them onto your shoulders and do various squats using the Hipster box to guide you (you never step up onto it). This part was my favorite because I could give my arms a break, which at this point were telling me to go F myself, and use my legs and butt instead. 

I walked out feeling incredibly sore right away, and am still feeling it in my shoulders chest and back 3 days later. BUT, my boyfriend went to touch me on the arm yesterday and said, "Whoa Schartzenegger! Take it easy!" and couldn't stop gripping my biceps and feeling them in disbelief. So was it kind of agonizing? YES. Was it worth it and did I see results basically 5 minutes later? YES. 

You know what they say. Beauty is pain. But, Peeled definitely qualifies as the good kind. 

See you in class!

SAYEH'S LIVING LITHE! 27 Feb 2013

Lauren's goal this week reminded me of something I'm trying to forget on this new journey to wedding dress wow time--the eating part matters. A lot. Like 80% matters as she always says. I've been doing pretty well at the going to classes part, but not so much on my diet. Last night, for instance, I ate a grilled chicken sandwich...smothered in ranch dressing and topped with bacon...and a side of fries. (What is it with fries? Why are they so good? Why is it impossible to be sick of French fries? Think of how many times in your life you've had french fries...and yet still ALWAYS want fries. What IS IT?)

Every week I tell myself I'm going to grocery shop and cook, and while I do that to an extent...I end up making pasta and breading chicken--less than healthy meals even if they are homecooked. They say that if you build the right pantry, then you can buy fresh ingredients throughout the week and whip up easy, delicious meals. What are the ingredients in this elusive pantry?? Why am I always feeling like I have NOTHING I need to cook any of the recipes I want to tackle? 

And then the grocery store? HELP! Most people in the know say...go to the market and see what produce looks the most fresh and buy that. Don't go to the store telling yourself you'll buy salmon for some recipe you've predetermined you will cook. Instead, see what fish looks the most vibrant, and buy that. HELP! I have a mom that can sniff and squeeze her way through a store and get nothing but the best in her basket. She can look at a fish's eye (should be clear and shiny, not dull and dark) and tell how fresh it is. She can look at the color of meat in the butcher case and determine if it's at its best. Pas moi. I will wander around the produce section looking at things like fennel and celery root and think...should I buy that? And if you do this buy what's fresh thing...what do you do with all the random things you brought home? Somehow whip them all together into a delicious, healthy, nutritionally balanced meal? HELP! 

Of course, I've decided that a Vita-Mix is the answer to all my problems. I imagine that I'll bring home all the things I never buy like chard and kale and beets (they're bulky and take a lot of prep) and put them into the Vita Mix and make delicious smoothies, soups and sauces and...other liquid forms of fruits and veggies for my consumption. But at 600+ bucks, that's a future investment and also clearly doesn't solve all my shopping and cooking woes. 

But when I think about the time I looked and felt my best, it was when I was going to 5 classes a week and eating tons of Lithe foods. I was doing all my push ups on my toes and feeling strong and energetic from beginning to end of class. With my diet now, I can tell I'm dragging in class even though I'm over the hump of just getting back into the workout. No more denying it. It's time to clean up my act!

HELP!

In addition to reading the blog and getting great ideas from Lauren's recipes, I'd love to know any tips, advice and tricks of the trade to shop and gather ingredients for making easy, tasty and healthy foods. Tall order, I know. There's a multi billion dollar business based on this very thing. But it can't really be this hard can it? I'm all ears. 

In the meantime...see you in class! That much I can figure out.