August 10, 2015 by Farrah Berrou - 0 comments

El-Tanein Diet Week #4

Courtesy of Gratisography

Week #4 disclaimer: I got sick toward the second half and was incapacitated for 2 days followed by a Sunday with the fam. That left me with 4 days to be active so there’s my excuse for my mediocre performance.

Bi-weekly weigh-in: -1 kg. I’m not sure if that’s because of the workouts or the fever-induced dead appetite but there you have it!

Workout Tally

1 Boot Camp
1 Body Attack
1 20min Run
1 Taebo

Not as impressive as last week‘s tally but still better than week #2. Despite the gross heatwave, I did shift up to 4kg weights. I was optimistic that I would be hitting the mark this week as well but viruses don’t care what you want to do with your life.

Outdoor Activity

Although it wasn’t major movement, exploring Sawfar in the early afternoon sun during this week’s heatwave worked up a bit of a sweat. Read more about the two afternoons spent with the Sursock family here.

Fitbit Flex

3 days out of 7 were almost flatlined thanks to viral fun but at least the Fitbit is back to recording all my lack of movement. Check out the numbers next to my strongest week yet: one spent walking all over NYC. Even on my most active days with all the gym classes, I haven’t hit those kind of numbers since. This was not the best week to compare to but you get the point.

Cheat Meal

A friend’s dinner in Broumanna would qualify as the cheat meal since it was a home-cooked buffet pre-fever when I still had a decent appetite. Check out that spread:

I’d like to mention here that having a cheat meal once doesn’t mean I’m not eating carbs or having something sweet the rest of the week. I do have a little to curb the cravings and avoid bingeing/inhaling a whole bowl of cake batter. It’s all about portion sizes and choosing the right foods. My vegan sister, who has done in-depth research in nutrition, recommended that I “follow my hunger signals” in order to control my growing appetite. She didn’t mean eat whenever you get the urge; she meant avoid too many restrictions and skipped meals because you’ll end up overdoing it when you DO eat.

Other Highlights

Watched Paper Towns: I may have said that this movie is “the Breakfast Club of our generation” to a friend. That may have been an exaggeration but I did like it as a high school story in comparison to the crap that came out when I was pseudo-studying for SATs. It’s got the right dose of corny and its soundtrack introduced me to this track:

Ordering Salmon at Couqley: Feels like a crime to do so but I did not have steak frites and opted for the no-sauce-smothered no-fries-included salmon plate. It was great and light but I don’t feel like I went to Couqley because of it. That, and they were out of creme brulée. Bittersweet blessing?

Another Anti-Corruption Protest: The crowd has grown since the first protest that is focused on the garbage crisis here in Lebanon. There’s room for more people so I hope that more will be inspired to join in each session. The more people who show up, the more we may be able to prove that we want change and the active citizens outnumber the passive followers.

Discovering the Diaspora Museum: At the Lebanese Diaspora Energy conference this May, it was announced that 7 houses bought by the government would be converted into a Lebanese Diaspora Museum in Batroun. Yeah, I didn’t know about it either; I stumbled across the site while exploring the inner streets of the seaside city. It’s got something to do with Gebran Bassil so maybe I’ll shoot him an email.

Went looking for El Cartel: No amigos found. Last month, I read about two guys from Reno who set up a taco hut by LAU Byblos. Dad and I made it our summer mission to find them and test their skills. However, when we found their “Tacolicious” place, it was closed and up for rent. Does anyone know where these guys went?

We went to El Molino instead and split a plate of subpar enchiladas. Looks like nothing beats homemade tacos for now. When is Loca coming to Beirut? Please?

Workout Track of the Week

This track isn’t for intense workouts but it’ll do the job if you just need a tune to keep you company on a power walk or warm-up. The video is also a super violent spoof on the advertising world which I can totally appreciate. Headbutt your way through life, people.

Cheese of the Week

This week’s cheese comes from Junot Diaz’s book, This is How You Lose Her. In the last few pages, he writes a very simple line: “the half-life of love is forever.”

A “half-life” is a nuclear physics term that is used to describe the life span of unstable atoms. It describes radioactive decay. So the half-life is how long it takes for something to decay to half its original amount. My nerdy self feels all warm and fuzzy.

I’ll leave you with the best of my new idol, lumpy space princess. Never underestimate Cartoon Network’s ability to make disturbingly entertaining cartoons.

August 3, 2015 by Farrah Berrou - 2 Comments

El-Tanein Diet Week #3

Week #3 has me feeling like less of a fitness fraud after last week’s debauchery. It’s gotten to the point where having a weekend without gym-time or activity just feels wrong. I can’t go two days without getting workout drenched, it’s an endorphin addiction.

Workout Tally

2 Boot Camp
2 Body Attack
1 5K Run
1 Taebo

5 classes and a run! Nothing like a bumpy week to make you move your bum during the one that follows. The trick is keeping the momentum going and not eating the entire ocean like week #2. The hardest side-effect that accompanies this endorphin addiction is constant hunger mode. This week, I’ve learned that with a lot of activity comes a lot of appetite so self-control becomes more important than ever and that’s something I’ve got to work on.

Outdoor Activity

I decided to go for a 5K interval run on the AUB track which would’ve been a fine idea on a regular day…in February. Of course, I went at 3:30pm when it 36ºC in July. In all fairness, it is not the 40s and 50s of the GCC but it can feel quite damp when you have to do 15 laps by the sea. Running around sunset would be a better idea but I doubt it’ll get that much cooler before November.

• New goal to add to the original list: 5K run in 35 min or less

Fitbit Flex

The Fitbit has returned! Well, almost. It recorded the entire week except for Monday. My highest count this week was on Friday thanks to 2 classes followed by Decks on the Beach. Since the parties run late and we were dancing past midnight, the dance-steps counted all the way into Saturday giving me 8K total for that day even though I spent most of it leading a sedentary life behind my computer screen. Looks like Decks is another cardio class. Win!

I hope the Fitbit will be back to 100% next week.

Cheat Meal

Thursday dinner at Acoté, Mar Mikhael
Bab el Wad Merguez Sandwich with Fries

I waited for this sandwich all week and, it seems, my expectations were set too high. It wasn’t as good as I remembered and I felt like I had been cheated out of my cheat meal. The whole point of having a cheat meal is anticipation and reward so when you miss the mark, your brain is shrieking, “WASTED CALORIES!” The aches and sore muscles of my 5K run were mad at me for ingesting calories that didn’t make me happy, just guilty. I started calculating how many classes I sacrificed for that sandwich. The fear of disappointment from a meal is actually causing anxiety – WHO AM I?

I should’ve gone with my gut and had a slice of cake instead. Week #4 will be dessert-oriented.

Other Highlights

Arrival of the First Maktoub 3 Loubnan Postcards: I returned from a few hours at the beach in Batroun to find two postcards in my mailbox. Now that’s a good Monday. Check them out up close here. If you’re Lebanese abroad and haven’t sent a postcard already, get to it!

Workout Track of the Week

I didn’t have my iPhone playlist updated for the 5K run so I used Soundcloud, where I also had not created a workout playlist. Thus, I just let it play remix upon remix of this track. It did the trick but my earphones didn’t do the bass justice. The track seemed appropriate given that he was in Beirut this week. My conscience wouldn’t let me go to his concert though.

Cheese of the Week

Literal cheese: rkakat mi’leh ma’a basterma, or fried cheese rolls with Anatolian pastrami. Delicious. Just two of these suddenly made me feel better about having a dud of a cheat meal. Considering it was the only fatty item on the table, I’m reminded that our Lebanese mezza is a colorful variety of dishes that are healthy choices full of greens, legumes, and olive oil. It’s not hard to OD on mezza though; a dozen meat pies and a full plate of spicy potatoes with cilantro will still go straight to your thighs so it’s best to stay leafy. Our cuisine is a blessing, when you eat in moderation.

Time for week #4!
Warning: video below has profanity. OH SNAP.

July 27, 2015 by Farrah Berrou - 2 Comments

El-Tanein Diet Week #2

Week #2 of El-Tanein Diet was a disaster. Fitness level was pathetic, my Fitbit was dead, and the coastal feasting was at an all-time high. For being a fitness series, this post is loaded with food. That means that Week #3 is going to have to make up for it. BRING IT.

Bi-weekly weigh-in: 0. No change. Better than gaining, I guess.
Next weigh-in will be at the end of Week #4.

Workout Tally

1 Hike
1 Taebo

That’s ONE class along with the outdoor activity. Very, very poor performance this week due to various events and commitments (wedding season, after all). However, it has shown me that I can’t rely on late afternoon classes anymore. I’m going to have to start waking up early for morning classes, doing some random 5K runs, and hoping that the electricity at home will support my treadmill days for when I don’t make it to the gym or the track.

Outdoor Activity

Unlike last week, this category is this week’s peak when it comes to getting the blood pumping. Some friends and I decided to go hiking by Nahr Ibrahim (Abraham River). We managed to GPS through a mountain and ask our way to the top until we ended up at a small church. There, you can leave the cars parked and take the “Lake Trail” of Jabal Moussa which leads to the Chouwen lake of the Yahchouch Valley.

Turns out the road up there is a lot easier than what Google Maps advised. If you’re coming from Beirut, continue on after Tabarja and take the right exit (the same one that leads to Okaibeh) under the bridge after Beit el Kataeb. Stay on the main road inward and there will be a left turn across from a gas station. It’s straight up after that till you get to the church. Worst case, stop and ask how to get to Chouwen. More info on hiking in Lebanon can be found here.

Fitbit Flex

This wearable went from being great to being an inconvenience very quickly. No further comment.

Cheat Meal

Thursday lunch at Classic Burger Joint in Hamra
A Classic Cheese with fries & coleslaw.

A Nutella chocolate chip cookie cupcake from Gustav I got as a thank-you for being an expat tour guide. What a tough job.

IMG_6944_2

Other Highlights

Having Grouper Fish (Likos) 3x this Week: Along with sushi as well, I feel I’ve become a human aquarium at this point. I’ve come a long way for someone who never liked seafood. I recommend O&C Fish Market for an affordable and fresh fish lunch. If you want some amazing octopus, make the drive out to Jammal in Batroun for a scrumptious lunch IN the water.

Finally going to a beach in Tyre: The water was the perfect temperature for a hot day and, luckily, there were no jellyfish, just some weird seaweed-like slug bugs. I still prefer Batroun’s beaches but it was a nice change from the rocky shores. There are still parts of Anfeh and Chekka that I’ve got to see before September!

Cards Against Humanity Nights: I’ve come to realize that if I keep attending this weekly gathering at my friend’s place, I will either have to count it as my cheat meal or duct tape my mouth shut. It’s quite the challenge to resist homemade rosé sangria and nachos.

Workout Track of the Week

I cannot understand why a megamix of Michael Jackson hits was the soundtrack for taebo this week but it was, at various tempos. Not that MJ isn’t perfect for basically anything, but I had to focus on the taebo moves instead of breaking out into dance. You can’t play this and expect me not to want to boogie instead of punch. Too many repressed shimmies and pelvic thrusts.

Cheese of the Week

While the country spent the last 6 days rolling in its own woebegone waste, it was a good week of seeing the beauty of our country’s beaches and natural greenery. You rarely get the chance to appreciate the outdoors and it made the environmental issue even more pressing after seeing what was at stake.

All I know is, after this marathon of seafood and celebrations, this last week of July is going to be a killer. Take it away, work it kitty.

July 20, 2015 by Farrah Berrou - 1 Comment

El-Tanein Diet Week #1

Courtesy of Death to Stock Photo

Week #1 of El-Tanein Diet is up. I’ll be doing weigh-ins every two weeks so 7 days to go. It seems having to write a weekly report is keeping me in check but I’ll admit that I still have to up the ante when it comes to gymming and avoiding the sugary goodness. Historically, Eid is never gentle on the digestive system but, enough excuses, here we go:

Workout Tally

1 Core
1 Boot Camp
1 Taebo

That’s a total of 3 classes which is satisfactory but not the minimum (which I’ve decided is 5/week, not including other cardio on machines). Starting El-Tanein Diet during the week of Eid may have been a bad move on my part. I ended up in the South for 2.5 days where you move from couch to couch just to keep things exciting. It’s either that or you camp out by the argileh and petit-fours. Not advised.

Outdoor Activity

This category is this week’s weak point. It seems the only thing that could qualify as an “outdoor activity” is the walk from Mar Mikhael to the Egg in Downtown which is pathetic when you think about the daily commutes on foot that occur in other cities. Next week will be better, promise. No really, the plan is set, stay tuned!

I did get to check out the structure from the inside though – that’s got to count for something.

It was a cinema in the 1960s before being partially destroyed during the civil war. It was briefly an exhibition space as well as a party venue (of course) up until recently. Now, its fate has been a debate for the last 10 years.

Fitbit Flex

The wearable failed me the week I decided to actually pay attention to it the most. It wasn’t counting my steps and has had the same calorie count every day since last Monday. Stage fright? This is the second fitness counter wearable that has gone haywire. My Nike Fuel band fell apart in the middle of a client meeting and Nike Support couldn’t help me since the product wasn’t distributed here. Better luck next week, Fitbit.

Cheat Meal

Wednesday late lunch at Butcher’s BBQ Joint in Mar Mikhael
A brisket sandwich with fries and special dips.

Other Highlights

Going solo to the John Legend Concert in Byblos: I was considering flying to Dubai in February just to see him so I was thrilled when he was announced as the front-runner for the Byblos Festival. By the time Monday rolled around, I wasn’t going because I couldn’t find a John Legend fan in my circle and I wasn’t a fan of going alone to a sappy concert. My friend managed to convince me to just do it since you don’t need company if the performer is someone you really want to see. His live version of “The Beginning” was so much better than the recorded track. Worth it!

Finding a pair of Nike Pro shorts for 39 thou: Thank you Nike Outlet by Galaxy Mall! Instead of waiting a month for Amazon orders or going to Niketown, I found a discounted new pair of black Nike Pros to wear once I reach the goal I set last week.

Workout Track of the Week

Not because it’s my favorite tune. It’s because it’s played during the taebo class and now I can’t stop myself from throwing rhythmic 8-count punches when it comes on in the car. Pavlov strikes again.

Cheese of the Week

The fund for Georges El-Rif’s family has reached almost $20K in two days. Although this all happened because of a horrendous crime, the way that the community came together to stand by Georges’ loved ones has really restored my faith in the Lebanese people. There are those who want to stand up to the status quo and make sure that justice will prevail, even when it seems like the authorities are nowhere to be found.

Instead of saying “this is Lebanon” and cursing the existence of such a corrupt society, the people took action. Even though it revolved around sadness, I am proud that we are slowly moving away from being passive victims. Let’s keep fighting for ourselves and for each other.

I’ll leave you with this gem until next Monday…

July 12, 2015 by Farrah Berrou - 3 Comments

El-Tanein Diet

I don’t do diets, not the ones that are temporary fixes at least. Your diet should refer to what you are ingesting on a daily basis, not the starvation fads that cut out entire food groups. It is essentially what you’re putting in your system’s fuel tank and is your primary source of energy. I pride myself on being someone who has a lot of self-control and discipline but that is catapulted out the window when it comes to food and all things cheese. Unfortunately, munching on a box of Cheez-its while vegetating on the couch does not go unpunished when trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

And so comes the challenge: how to make better eating choices while sticking to a regular active routine. How painfully boring and trendy this quinoa-loving way of life has become but becoming a chia cheerleader is not the point. It’s about being fit.

After spending a few years behind an iMac screen for hours on end and my metabolism turning the ripe age of 27, my physical fitness is not at its peak. Ever since I started boosting my hours at the gym, I’ve been feeling stronger and tighter. Even though I do more reps now, have a Fitbit, and use 3kg baby-weights instead of the 1.5kg I started with, I still can’t tell if it’s really working. I have yet to really keep track of my progress and when you don’t keep track, you may not be pushing hard enough. Your body adapts and you have to shake things up again.

TOOLS

Gym: Membership that includes various classes, home treadmill
Wearables: Fitbit Flex, iPhone 5S
Apps: Fitbit, Nike+ Training Club, Nike+ Running

GOALS

Do regular push-ups (I currently do modified bent-knee)
Plank for 2 minutes straight post-cardio
Lose 12kg by January 12, 2016 (2kg/month for ~6 months)
Work my way up to 6kg weights
Wear shorts to the gym without feeling the jiggles

Accountability is an effective tactic when it comes to motivating someone to change their behavior. It’s the main reason I can’t do DVD workouts. Besides the fact that a group’s energy is contagious, I need the public shaming to keep me going when I start to slow to a stop. El-Tanein Diet* is going to be my weekly post about my fitness journey. Every Monday, I’ll post about my week’s activities, total steps, weight loss, cheat meal and cheesy inspirational lesson. I’ll also try to throw in one outdoor activity to share. You don’t have to follow or read it but putting it out there will make me feel bound to an invisible contract (and audience) that will keep me in check. I’m not Serena, but whatever effort I put in, I’m #betterforit.

*a Lebanese phrase that roughly translates to “Diet on Monday” and is said out of guilt after hoovering an entire table of mezze over the weekend. However, the diet never comes and is always a Monday away.

Bambi's Soapbox

Category Archives: El-Tanein Diet

El-Tanein Diet Week #4

El-Tanein Diet Week #3

El-Tanein Diet Week #2

El-Tanein Diet Week #1

El-Tanein Diet