❤ BLOGILATES ❤

Hey guys!

For me, I would say diet is tougher…I love to eat and my tastebuds want to experience all kinds of sensations and well, sometimes chicken breast, egg whites, and veggies just aren’t gonna cut it ya know?

Training on the other hand…it is where I can release energy, go crazy, and I feel amazing afterwards. Yea, it sucks and hurts sometimes, but I have learned to embrace the pain and cherish the results. I AM ADDICTED TO EXERCISE.

Lately diet has been getting tougher for me. I think my taste buds are changing. This past week I keep wanting sweet things and carby/bready things. Ha, I remember when I was younger, if offered cake or ice cream I’d reject it. I wasn’t skinny though - I was a chubby kid - but yeah, I preferred the salty.

So anyway, just letting you know that if you’re struggling with diet - you’re not the only one! I eat clean a majority of the time - so I think what needs to happen is that I need to figure out a way to add more FLAVOR into my clean meals. Usually I just season with sriracha and soy sauce. I saw a recipe today in Oxygen Mag using coconut flour and coconut flakes on chicken. I can’t wait to go home and try that. Sounds so good!!!!

Currently in Philly now. QVC tomorrow! Catch me 5-7pm EST - I’ll be talking about Miracle Noodles for 7 min on “Food Fest”! I don’t know my exact time slot yet, but when I do, I’ll letcha know!

So what’s tougher for u? Diet or exercise?

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So recently my Inner Thigh Gap printable workout was featured on the College Candy Body Blog. On Tumblr, this post got nearly 3,500 reblogs/likes which is pretty cool. I constantly get emailed about how to achieve the “inner thigh gap” so I thought it’d be a resourceful thing share with you guys. However, the positive reaction that this post received on Tumblr WAS NOT mirrored over at College Candy.

It all started with this comment:

Miss Anonymous (who was the only commenter who was anonymous btw) received a ton of feedback on her comment on how the Inner Thigh Gap workout promoted eating disorders. 40+ comments later we got people saying things like:

Courtney: “Oooh, I think I get it. Working out is “bad” because it means you aren’t happy with you. Forget that it might be healthy, give you energy, and boost endorphins (making you even more happy with you). No we just don’t want to upset the defeated people, so we’ll defeat the confident people and make it an even playing field.”

Leiahna: ”Dear ‘Anonymous’: If you really have enough time to sit around and look for ways to twist words and meanings to the total opposite of what they are actually saying, maybe you should first of all, do the workout cause someone so defensive about this subject obviously does not have the inner thigh gap, and then take your two cents to someone who really cares.”

Allison: “I love how every time a fit woman is shown, people are quick to call it an ‘eating disorder’. Seriously…some people are ridiculous. Stop trying to hide behind your laziness. I do yoga and I jog, and I’m in very good shape and I have this gap. I can assure you it has nothing to do with an eating disorder, and everything to do with taking care of myself. ;)”

Casey: “Since we come in all shapes and sizes, naturally big, naturally small, naturally in-the-middle, how is a picture of a skinny girl exercising promoting an unhealthy image? Or telling people how to tone their legs unhealthy? Why is a picture of a heavy girl eating a hamburger not promoting an unhealthy image? It is, but no one’s actually going to say it because you could damage her self esteem, (apparently skinny girls don’t have self esteem issues) If that picture was posted and someone said, “she needs to put that down and eat some celery” that person would be vehemently attacked. It’s the same thing as calling a skinny girl anorexic, or saying she needs to eat a cookie, but since they’re “skinny” that’s ok, because apparently they already have a leg up and we need to knock them down to size. You know you’ve seen it, we’ve all seen it, skinny girls get put down to raise larger peoples self esteem and it’s just as wrong as calling someone fat.”

Robyn: ”What is an inner thigh gap?? Just when you stand up with your feet hip distance apart and your thighs don’t touch? If that is it, that is so silly! I have curvy (but toned thighs, thank you hot yoga!) and guys love them!”

WOW.

I did not expect that much controversy on such a small workout post. There seems to be a very fine line between motivating people to look/feel their best and promoting an unhealthy body image.

Obviously, I did not make this workout to say “hey you need to workout to get an inner thigh gap because that’s the only way you can be beautiful.” I made this because I wanted to teach you something, I wanted you to learn something, I wanted you to have the tools to create change/gain strength if you wanted, and lastly…YOU ASKED FOR IT!!! :P

Plus…even if it’s just in the title, how is “How to get an inner thigh gap” any worse than “Muffintop Meltdown” or “6 pack Abs”? Remember…let’s be real here…the title is for catching your attention. What you do with it is up to you. My hope is that you do the workout to build strength.

Even though I was kind of surprised/appalled by the comment Anonymous left, I’m glad she did because it brought awareness to my responsibility as a fitness blogger. I get emails asking me for things ranging from lower belly pooch workouts to how to tone your face (yes really) and now I need to more carefully evaluate what’s right to post for our community. I have a responsibility to influence you as positively as I can.

Yes I do post a lot on food substitutions and exercises for so called “trouble zones”, but I am in no way trying to say “hey, you need to lose weight.” I want to be here to encourage you to live a clean and fit lifestyle. Fit to feel good. Fit to have confidence. Fit to be vibrant. Fit to live longer.

Anyway, tell me what you think? Should I be more careful in titling my workouts? Or who cares!!??

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• ed
• eating disorders
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• jackelyn ho
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• body image

In today’s world, women are constantly being told that we’re not skinny enough, tan enough, pretty enough, etc. I really try to not make this blog all about losing weight and looking good in a bikini. I don’t want you guys to get the impression that your weight is all you’re worth. NO!

For me, toning up (losing fat and gaining muscle) is all about pushing myself physically and mentally to another level. I love the challenge and I love that it is all about YOU taking control and making things happen. The results drive me. If any of you are looking for motivation, I say, don’t go looking for it, CREATE IT. My persistence and hard work come from seeing results, and you can’t see results if you don’t start. So get off your butts and do even 10 min of something, anything! Even if you don’t want to. In the process, you’ll begin to start loving the sweat and the soreness. Because you know why? It’s worth it.

Whether you work out to look good in a swimsuit or you work out to build self-confidence, we here all share a love for having fun while getting healthy. I’m all for getting high on life. Major endorphin rush after an amazing workout and big time smile/satisfaction after eating natural, fresh, and home cooked meals. The whole healthy living lifestyle is how I believe we can all get fit without feeling like you’re on a diet. Bleh!!! Torture.

Anyway! So the reason why I want to continue toning up is to find out where my limits are. I am also excited about getting stronger…increasing weights and holding poses longer. It’s not going to be an easy process, but I welcome the challenge. How much do I plan on losing you ask? The number is negligible but I do have a picture in my head of how I want to look in a sports bra and booty shorts. Haha, sorry for sounding so vain, but I believe in the power of visualizing your achievements ;P

So anyway, here are my top foods for leaning out that I will be including in the Blogilates meal plan. (And umm yes, I will email this out once I finish writing it! Sorry been traveling a lot!)

- egg whites

- zero calorie miracle noodles

- any greens (spinach, broccoli, kale, green beans, seaweed etc.)

- tomatoes

- edmamame

- mushrooms

- cottage cheese, non fat or low fat

- non fat plain greek yogort

- tofu

- quinoa

- vanilla whey protein powder

- fruits (bananas, berries, cantaloupe, honeydew etc.)

- tempeh

- raw or roasted unsalted almonds

- sweet potatoes

- oatmeal

- salsa

- almond milk

- water

When I was eating meat, chicken breasts and canned tuna in water were staple protein sources for my diet.

And here are some of my top workouts for blasting fat:

- HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts to keep your heart rate up and your body challenged at all times

- Running

- Weight lifting

- Pilates

- Kickboxing

- Dancing! Especially ballroom or latin. Plus you do it in heels, so even better for your legs and your posture!

You can workout 2x a day (cardio in morning and weight lifting in evening) if you’re on a tight schedule with an event coming up. But once a day 4-6 times a week is plenty. Remember to eat 5-6x a day to keep your body’s metabolism rate up. Although I did say in an old post that you will NOT go into starvation mode if you don’t eat for a few hours. Drink tons of water. Give your workouts 110%. I’d rather see you exercise hardcore for 45 min than fool around for 2 hours. And remember that diet is 80% of the journey.

Good luck! What are some of your fave fat blasting foods and slimming workouts?

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• slimming down
• diet
• top foods
• favorite workouts
• meal plan

I feel so VICTORIOUS RIGHT NOW.

For the longest time, the Tumblr Q & A thing has been bogging me down because I love getting questions from you guys but answering the same thing over and over again made me wanna avoid it all together. At first, I was going to create an FAQ page but then stumbled across the idea of making a community forum!!!

I spent all afternoon trying to figure out how to make one and I just finished creating it just a few minutes ago. Here it is:

http://www.blogilates.com/forum

You can ask me questions there and the search button actually works so you can find if others have already asked the same thing. Best part is, you can also chime in and answer other people’s questions if you have any experience regarding the topic.

I am so excited! Start posting your questions now. Start with the Meet & Greet page to get warmed up. You’ll need to create an account but that takes 2 seconds.

Yay!!!!!!!!!!! (Jumping up in air, clicking heels!)

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1. Sauté—the skinny way! Did you know that a couple of tablespoons of  low-sodium vegetable broth can be used instead of oil or butter in your stir fry or as the basis for a sauce? This method will add a nice flavor to your dish as well as a little moisture—and you’ll save calories to use elsewhere! Amazing.

2. Say no to skin. I haven’t eaten skin-on meat since I can remember, so this is a duh for me. Three ounces of chicken breast meat with skin has almost 150 calories; three ounces of chicken without the skin has 50 fewer calories. Yes, skin tastes good but the fat that’s tucked underneath it contains heart-unhealthy saturated fat. You can cook with the skin on to retain moisture  (add fresh herbs or citrus zest underneath it to really bake in some flavor), but be sure to remove the skin before you enjoy your meal to save on calories and saturated fat.

3. Squeeze on the citrus. To add a powerful flavor punch with minimal added calories, use citrus on steamed veggies instead of butter or over a salad instead of a dressing. It’s even great on fruit salad in place of sugar and adds some zip when squeezed onto a pasta salad. Don’t forget to use the flavorful zest of citrus fruits as well! Wash a lemon, orange or lime, then use a zester or grater to add the zest to dishes such as baked seafood.

4. Be choosy about cheese. When using a mildly flavored cheese, such as Monterey Jack, you need more cheese to taste it. But when you choose a cheese with intense flavor, you can use less and still get the desired effect. Try a reduced-sodium feta, sharp Cheddar or aged Parmesan next time. Light cheese wedges such as The Laughing Cow brand are useful when you’re watching fat and calories, too. Try mixing one of these soft cheeses into your scrambled eggs or noodle dishes instead of loading on the shredded mozzarella.

5. Go Greek. Tangy, fat-free Greek yogurt is a healthful replacement for sour cream. Try this switch in herbed and spiced dips, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, or throw it in a cooked dish as a thickening agent. You’ll save 45 calories for each 2-tablespoon serving. Whoa!!!

6. Puree your produce. Add body to soups and sauces with pureed vegetables instead of heavy cream, evaporated milk, butter or cheese. This move will also add fiber and nutrients to your dish for very few calories. A puree of carrots will add texture to meatless spaghetti sauce, and mixing a blend of beans into a chili or soup will add flavor and thicken it—all with very few added calories.

7. Get cozy with cottage cheese. When a recipe calls for a significant amount of a crumbled cheese, such as feta or ricotta, substitute half the amount with reduced-fat cottage cheese. This will retain taste, texture, protein, and calcium while ditching some of the fat and calories. This works well for stuffed peppers and most baked pasta dishes.

8. Pump up the veggies! You can easily reach the recommended five servings of fruits and veggies when you’re cooking at home. Veggies can compliment any dish on your menu, adding nutrient-packed bulk to the meal for few calories. Add chopped asparagus and mushrooms to your next omelet, red peppers (or a frozen stir fry mix) to baked casseroles, or any kind of beans to a pasta salad. Include fresh or frozen spinach in pasta sauces and soups, and broccoli in your casseroles. One of my fave things to do is make hamburgers that are literally made 1/3 lean ground turkey and 2/3 celery, onions, and whatever else I have on hand!

9. Cut the cream. When making cream-based soups, sub fat-free half-and-half for any heavy cream. The switch gives the soups a creamy taste and velvety texture without all the saturated fat of heavy cream. This works great in pasta sauces as well.

10. Make your own marinade. Marinate lean meats in vinegar and citrus combos (with a bit of oil added) rather than a pre-made oil-based dressing. You can also try a fruit juice or wine. These agents will still tenderize and flavor the meat, and a mix of herbs and spices will bring out the flavor! (You’ll also save sodium by not using the store-bought varieties!) A really good flavor tip is to try cutting the meat in strips before dousing it to really let the marinade take effect.

Good luck!

<3 Cassey

Article from: SparkPeople

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