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Why does fiber help you lose weight? 1. Fiber keeps you full for a longer period of time because it takes longer to digest so that you are less likely to snack before the next meal 2. Fiber rich foods are usually lower in calories than refined foods 3. Fiber acts like a sponge in your digestive tract absorbing some carbs, fat, and sugars 4. For every 1g of fiber ingested your body extracts 7 cals in your stool…this means that if you ate 35g of fiber a day you’d excrete 245 cals in your stool! 5. Double your fiber intake from 12 to 24g/day and you’ll cut your caloric absorption by 90 cals (according to the US Dept. of Agriculture’s study)…this means 9.4 lbs lost in a year for the avg. woman. This of course only applies if you REPLACE your refined foods for fiber-rich foods. You can’t just eat what you’re eating PLUS fibrous foods and expect a weight loss. You must swap.

Why does fiber help you lose weight?

1. Fiber keeps you full for a longer period of time because it takes longer to digest so that you are less likely to snack before the next meal

2. Fiber rich foods are usually lower in calories than refined foods

3. Fiber acts like a sponge in your digestive tract absorbing some carbs, fat, and sugars

4. For every 1g of fiber ingested your body extracts 7 cals in your stool…this means that if you ate 35g of fiber a day you’d excrete 245 cals in your stool!

5. Double your fiber intake from 12 to 24g/day and you’ll cut your caloric absorption by 90 cals (according to the US Dept. of Agriculture’s study)…this means 9.4 lbs lost in a year for the avg. woman. This of course only applies if you REPLACE your refined foods for fiber-rich foods. You can’t just eat what you’re eating PLUS fibrous foods and expect a weight loss. You must swap.

BLOGILATES MEAL PLAN & 90 DAY CHALLENGE WORKOUT CALENDAR  REVEALED  Hello POPsters! I need to get to bed soon, so I’m gonna make this quick. I just finished the meal plan. Those of you that signed up for my newsletter have received it by now and I hope you are as excited as I am to get started!!! There’s a bunch of guidelines in the plan, but here are some key things I want you to remember: 1. Print the meal plan out and stick it on your fridge. This will allow you to stay FOCUSED. 2. Prepare your meals the night before or even the Sunday before, for the whole week, if you’re super busy and don’t have time to cook. 3. You must drink 3-4L of water EVERY DAY. 4. You will eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day. 5. You will workout 1 hr a day 5-6x a week for quickest results. 6. Our challenge starts today Oct 24, 2011 and ends Jan 22, 2012. Here’s your weekly POP workout calendar: Monday: Total Body.  Begin the week with an awesome full body routine! (If there’s a new vid, do that first though!) Pick 50 minutes worth of POP Pilates Total Body videos to sculpt and end with 2 rounds of POP Cardio or POP HIITS to melt fat. Tuesday: Upper Body & Back.  Focus on your arms, chest, and back. Pick 50 minutes worth of POP Pilates Arm & Upper Body and POP Pilates Backvideos and end with 2 rounds of POP Cardio or POP HIITS to let those guns out! Wednesday: Abs & Obliques! Perfect mid week pick-me-up with core strengthening moves! Pick 50 minutes of POP Pilates Abs and POP Pilates Oblique & Muffintop videos to flatten that belly and end with 2 rounds of POP Cardio or POP HIITS  to let those defined abs of yours peak through. Thursday: Lower Body. Time to tighten the legs and tone up your booty! Pick 50 minutes of POP Pilates Legs & Thighs and POP Pilates Butt videos for an amazing lower body shaper and end with 2 rounds of POP Cardio or POP HIITS  to get those sexy runner’s legs. Friday: Mix it up! POPster’s choice. Pick 1 hour of anything POP. Try looking under POP Pilates with Equipment and Song Workouts. Saturday: Fun cardio day! Give me 1 hr of running, swimming, kickboxing, or salsa dancing! If you can’t decide, doing 4 rounds of POP Cardio or POP HIITS is fine by me. Sunday: Rest! Spend time with friends and fam and get your meals ready for the week. THAT IS IT!!! Simple enough right? Make sure to log EVERYTHING you are doing on your blogs so that your fellow POPsters can be inspired by how hard you push yourself. Tell us what you’re eating, how you feel, what videos you did, and most importantly…how sore you are!!! (Oh don’t forget to take a “before” pic of your front, back, and sides in a bikini or in your bra and underwear. No need to post. This is for self reflection later on.) Also, I noticed that when I sent out the plan, not everyone got it. Can you guys check your settings and make sure you’re not just following my blog, but are allowing me to email you? Because this is  your first time and the challenge has already started, I’m gonna be nice and just share the meal plan link right here. But please, try to fix your Google Friend Connect account settings for future mailings! <3 Cassey YA READY!!??

BLOGILATES MEAL PLAN & 90 DAY CHALLENGE WORKOUT CALENDAR  REVEALED 

Hello POPsters!

I need to get to bed soon, so I’m gonna make this quick.

I just finished the meal plan. Those of you that signed up for my newsletter have received it by now and I hope you are as excited as I am to get started!!!

There’s a bunch of guidelines in the plan, but here are some key things I want you to remember:

1. Print the meal plan out and stick it on your fridge. This will allow you to stay FOCUSED.

2. Prepare your meals the night before or even the Sunday before, for the whole week, if you’re super busy and don’t have time to cook.

3. You must drink 3-4L of water EVERY DAY.

4. You will eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day.

5. You will workout 1 hr a day 5-6x a week for quickest results.

6. Our challenge starts today Oct 24, 2011 and ends Jan 22, 2012.

Here’s your weekly POP workout calendar:

Monday: Total Body. 

Begin the week with an awesome full body routine! (If there’s a new vid, do that first though!) Pick 50 minutes worth of POP Pilates Total Body videos to sculpt and end with 2 rounds of POP Cardio or POP HIITS to melt fat.

Tuesday: Upper Body & Back. 

Focus on your arms, chest, and back. Pick 50 minutes worth of POP Pilates Arm & Upper Body and POP Pilates Backvideos and end with 2 rounds of POP Cardio or POP HIITS to let those guns out!

Wednesday: Abs & Obliques!

Perfect mid week pick-me-up with core strengthening moves! Pick 50 minutes of POP Pilates Abs and POP Pilates Oblique & Muffintop videos to flatten that belly and end with 2 rounds of POP Cardio or POP HIITS  to let those defined abs of yours peak through.

Thursday: Lower Body.

Time to tighten the legs and tone up your booty! Pick 50 minutes of POP Pilates Legs & Thighs and POP Pilates Butt videos for an amazing lower body shaper and end with 2 rounds of POP Cardio or POP HIITS  to get those sexy runner’s legs.

Friday: Mix it up!

POPster’s choice. Pick 1 hour of anything POP. Try looking under POP Pilates with Equipment and Song Workouts.

Saturday:

Fun cardio day! Give me 1 hr of running, swimming, kickboxing, or salsa dancing! If you can’t decide, doing 4 rounds of POP Cardio or POP HIITS is fine by me.

Sunday:

Rest! Spend time with friends and fam and get your meals ready for the week.

THAT IS IT!!! Simple enough right? Make sure to log EVERYTHING you are doing on your blogs so that your fellow POPsters can be inspired by how hard you push yourself. Tell us what you’re eating, how you feel, what videos you did, and most importantly…how sore you are!!! (Oh don’t forget to take a “before” pic of your front, back, and sides in a bikini or in your bra and underwear. No need to post. This is for self reflection later on.)

Also, I noticed that when I sent out the plan, not everyone got it. Can you guys check your settings and make sure you’re not just following my blog, but are allowing me to email you? Because this is  your first time and the challenge has already started, I’m gonna be nice and just share the meal plan link right here. But please, try to fix your Google Friend Connect account settings for future mailings!

<3 Cassey

YA READY!!??

NEW VIDEO! POP Pilates for Weight Loss (by blogilates)

Do this 3-4x in a row…3-4x a week :) For sure you will begin seeing changes within 1.5-2 weeks for sure.

TARGETS: cardio, abs, low back, triceps, shoulders, hamstrings, butt, obliques

SONGS:

“Turn Me On” David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj
“You Make me Feel” Cobra Starship feat. Sabi
“Without You” David Guetta feat. Usher

Have fun!

<3 Cassey

Motivation - losing it. Then getting it back!

Motivation is a weird thing. It can make us go crazy hyper for hours or it can make us lazy and self destructive beyond control. 

I’ve noticed in increase in lack of motivation comments on facebook and on here. Not sure why though - is it a back to school/getting too busy/seasonal change thing? Just want you guys to know that everyone goes through an “I give up-I hate my body-I don’t see results why even try” phase. It happens every once in a while. I had this type of week last week! I was telling myself it was ok to have an egg roll here and a tortilla chip there, but you know what? My body was retaliating. I bloated up, felt lethargic, and even began developing acne! It was horrendous! Oh and get this…my bad food choices affected my energy so much that when I did my burpees I felt like a zombie from Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. Slow. Immobile. Limbs stuff and dead.

But you just gotta trust that these phases fade. And you will get back on your feet again. If you can’t get back up today, take a shower, and get back up tomorrow. The key thing is to be RESILIENT. That is one of my fave words ever. You fall, you rise up again. Every time it happens, you know yourself better and you get stronger.

So how do I keep myself motivated when it comes to working out? It’s all about having a vision, seeing it clearly, and making the journey there enjoyable.

1. HAVING A VISION: Clearly see your dream body or dream state of fitness & health. Maybe even cut out a picture of a celeb with a similar body type to yours and paste it on the wall. Look at it every day and know that it is possible. You have the resources.

2. WEARING CUTE CLOTHES: Ok sounds vain, but seriously, I workout a billion times harder when I feel like I look good. I make sure to have my colorful Nikes, my bottom-hugging Body Language pants, and a waist cinching cami from UpVibe on. I also love love love wearing my lifting gloves - they’re super cute and make me look “serious”.

3. PRETEND YOU’RE PERFORMING: Hmm, this might only work for on-stage people…but I love thinking that everyone’s watching me and that in this performance, the audience wants to see me working out MY HARDEST with PERFECT FORM. Ha, sounds stressful. How about this analogy…pretend your crush just walked by. Yup, I bet you just straightened your back and stuck your chest out a little. You may even stop thinking about how hard the workout is because you’re too concentrated on impressing someone.

4. SEEING RESULTS: The number one thing that keeps me going is seeing results. It makes me want to go harder and harder every time. Here’s a little secret…I am an obsessive mirror checker!!! Some people say, don’t check your progress til the end of the week. NO WAY!!! I love seeing even the teeniest bit of difference on my body. I even have self-created “pinch tests” for areas where I can “feel” my fat percentage increase and decrease. (That would be my hips and my face FYI.) You can also see results with a measuring tape or by weighing yourself. Just remember that with the latter, try to weigh yourself at the same time everyday so that you don’t think you gained 5 lbs outta nowhere. Also, if you’re lucky, get your fat percentage checked at the gym for even more accurate physical results!

Those are the 4 things that keep me going. So when you feel like you just wanna eat cookies and cakes and fried everything on a bad day, just stop for a sec and ask yourself not to. Do not be self destructive. Do not hate your body. Be good to it and it will be good to you. Eat clean. Exercise often. And envision the end goal! You want it bad and you will prevail!

<3 Cassey

How you can EAT MORE to BURN MORE

Yesterday, I got a question from one of my followers on twitter asking me the following regarding weight loss and calorie deficits:

1. “If you reduce the calories you eat [to lose weight], how are you supposed to have energy for workouts?”

I answered that you should increase your caloric intake to fuel a good workout but then got asked this:

2. “How do you create a shortage from increased calorie intake [to lose weight]?”

Simple questions but the answers are complicated. I actually researched for a couple hours to see if someone could explain this thoroughly. I couldn’t really find anything sufficient so I will do my best to explain this as best as I can without making your heads blow off.

So let’s attack question #1…”If you reduce the calories you eat [to lose weight], how are you supposed to have energy for workouts?”

We need to be talking about reducing calories from WHAT. If you’re reducing calories from your daily energy requirement (amt of cals it takes to function as a human at your daily activity level - ie. sleep, eat, walk around, go to work, go to school, etc.) then NO you will not have energy to workout. It takes a certain number of calories to function at a certain activity level. If you’re going to add more activity then you need to add more calories.

Analogy:

Think about calories as money and your activity level as paying bills. Right now say you make $3000/mo and you spend $3000/mo to pay rent, the phone bill, buy groceries, and go out once in a while. You are not in debt but you are not saving up either. What comes in also comes out. You are simply SURVIVING.

Now say you want to buy a new bag for a wedding you’re going to, it’s $500. How are you going to afford it? You can’t just buy the bag out of nowhere. You have to make $500 more to spend $500 on the bag.

Reality: 

To basically function in your day to day activities, say you require 1400 calories. You aren’t losing weight or gaining weight so 1400 is perfect for maintenance.

Now you want to workout to tone up for your friend’s wedding. It will take extra energy to add this into your daily lifestyle. The workout will burn 500 calories. You can’t just eat 1400 cals and just suddenly tack on a madwoman workout. You don’t have available energy - where does the energy come to fuel a workout that will burn 500 calories?

The FINAL answer to question #1:

To fuel energy for workouts, do not decrease calories - in fact, eat more. No this does not mean you are at maintenance again but just at a higher level. Strength training will help build lean muscle mass so that each time you workout, you will burn more calories at rest. Lean muscle mass does that. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn in general. The 500 calories that you torched in that 1 hr at the gym actually equals a surplus of calories burned throughout the day on top of your basal metabolic rate. Let me say this again, YOU WILL BURN EVEN MORE CALORIES THROUGHOUT THE DAY THANKS TO YOUR WORKOUT. That’s why it is ok to eat more.

Now then comes question #2…“How do you create a shortage from increased calorie intake [to lose weight]?”

Remember, you have increased calorie intake but with the PURPOSE of fueling a workout. If you simply increased to increase, you will gain weight from the excess if you do not figure out a way to utilize your extra energy. Because this increased calorie intake is now appropriate for your new activity level - this is your base - and you can create a deficit from this new number. Do not look at your old daily energy requirement. Yes it is higher but you are a different person now, you do different things. You are no longer just living a sedentary life, you have a new activity level and a new daily energy requirement to function as a human being who works out. 

Analogy: 

You got promoted and now are making $5000/mo instead of $3000/mo. How do you create a shortage from an increased paycheck? You can now afford to buy a new phone, a new computer, that bag and a pair of Louboutins. Oops, you’re in debt now.

Reality: 

So now you feed your body 1800 calories of nutritious foods - an increase from your 1400 previously. Because of your increase of 400 calories, you can finish a crazy workout and torch 500 calories in 1 session AND burn extra calories throughout the day (on top of your basal metabolic rate) because of your increased metabolism and increase in lean muscle mass. You are in a caloric debt now and on your way to fat loss.

The FINAL answer to question #2:

Yes you can create a deficit from increased caloric intake because this new number is just your new daily energy requirement. You don’t need to compare it to what you consumed in the past unless you are comparing similar activity levels. A more intense activity level requires a higher caloric intake for proper human function and optimal performance.

Umm, I hope that all made sense? OMG if not…here are the take-away points:

-When looking at calories in and calories out, a 500 calorie meal does not fuel a 500 calorie burning workout. Sometimes you wake up and all you need is a 110 calorie yogurt or 200 calorie bowl of oatmeal to get you through that morning spin class.

-A calorie is not a calorie is not a calorie. Not all calories are created equally.

-If you are looking to lose weight, choose to fill yourself up with nutritious and filling calories full of fiber and protein. You’ll notice that a 350 calorie sweet potato, chicken breast, and broccoli meal will fill you up longer than an 800 calorie hamburger and fries combo.

-In the end willpower will get you through the workouts and closer to your goal.

Ok that was my attempt at answering the questions. I just read this over again and am thinking that I may have potentially lost some of you along the way. Can you tell me if this makes sense or not? HONESTLY. Any feedback or rebuttals would be appreciated. Or if you can find an article that explains this better, please share with me! I couldn’t find anything that would go beyond the usual 3500 calorie deficit per week = 1 lb loss thing. No one talked about the science of the calorie deficit and how it affects your will power.

Anyway, time for bed. 2:45am. Kinda late. Maybe when I wake up tomorrow to reread this post, it will not make any sense. Romena, hope that helped ;P

<3 Cassey

The 20/20 Workout

Looking for a new and simple workout today? Try this one! Just did it and am dying!

It’s 20 moves with 20 reps each. Enjoy!

1. 20 jumping jacks - cardio, warmup
2. 20 split squat jumps - cardio, butt, legs
3. 20 lunge pulses on right - butt, quads, thighs
4. 20 lunge pulses on left - butt, quads, thighs
5. 20 tuck jumps - lower body, cardio
6. 20 pushups - arms, chest
7. 20 sec superman - back
8. 20 butt ups - core
9. 20 tricep dips - triceps
10. 20 leg lifts - lower abs
11. 20 crunches - upper abs
12. 20 pelvic thrusts in bridge - butt
13. 20 butterflies in bridge (knees come in towards center and back out) - inner/outer thighs
14. 20 sec earthquake!!! - core
15. 20 burpees (sorry) - cardio
16. 20 calf raises - calves
17. 20 squats - butt, lower body
18. 20 sec knee highs - cardio
19. 20 elbow pushups or down down up ups - chest, arms
20. 20 sec plank - core

Good luck! Tell me how it goes! Are there any moves you don’t understand? Ask away. Want me to do a demo vid on it?

Blogger Spotlight: Eating Bird Food

So after having so much fun doing Fitness Expert spotlights on celeb trainers, fitness models, and activewear designers…I thought why not highlight some of my fave fellow blogger friends!!?? So here’s the first blogger spotlight! This week, I bring to you someone who has inspired my vegetarian creativity!

Name: Brittany

Location: Richmond, VA

Blog Name: Eating Bird Food

C: Hi Brittany!! So happy we connected over Twitter. Since becoming vegetarian a month ago, I’ve been using your recipe index as a guide for some delicious plant-based recipes! Can you tell us a little about yourself before we get this interview started?

 B: Hi Cassey, thank you for this opportunity! I’m Brittany - an online marketing professional and blogger who’s passionate about living a healthy, balanced life. I love eating and cooking and want to share with the world that being healthy doesn’t have to be difficult or boring. I’m also enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and will graduate as a Holistic Health Coach this fall!!

C: Why did you start your blog?

 B: I started Eating Bird Food in March 2008. I had been reading Self’s blog, Eat Like Me and realized there were other healthy food blogs out there. I soon decided I needed a space to share my own weight loss story and help to inspire others. Eating Bird Food started out as an online food journal, but it has definitely progressed since then. :)

C: Did you ever expect it to be such a widely read online “publication”?

 B: No, not at all.

C: I read about your weight loss/getting fit journey on your blog and am very proud of your accomplishments! What can you tell us about how someone can empower themselves with the decision to make a healthy lifestyle change?

B: Just like anything else, the decision to get healthy has to be for YOU and no one else. You have to make up your mind what you want for your life. I think setting small obtainable goals are the best way to get started. Overall, you need to make a lifestyle choice and incorporate healthy modifications that you can stick with for the long run, not a temporary diet.

Before:

Today:

C: Give us a snap shot of your daily diet/meal plan!

B: Typically I start my morning on a sweet note with something like protein overnight oats or oatmeal with nut butter. Some days I have coffee with almond milk, some days I don’t want or need it so I don’t have it. For lunch I normally throw together a salad with lots of veggies and a vegetarian protein source like quinoa, beans, tofu or tempeh. I almost always have a mid-afternoon snack. Lately I’ve been on a Greek Yogurt kick. I buy the plain 0%, sweeten it up with liquid stevia and add a little fruit or 1 T of nut butter. For dinner I try to have more veggies and protein as well as some sort of whole grain like brown rice or quinoa. Last but not least, I normally always need/want a night-time snack so I’ll snack on something like a small bowl of Kashi Go Lean cereal with almond milk, cottage cheese, yogurt or frozen fruit.

C: Now give us a snapshot of your weekly workout!

B: Recently I have been doing the Body for Life training plan so my weekly workouts look like this:

M- 45 min upper body strength training

T- 20 min HIIT, 10 min moderate paced cardio

W- 45 min lower body strength training

TH- 20 min HIIT, 10 min moderate paced cardio

F- 45 min upper body strength training

S - 20 min HIIT, 10 min moderate paced cardio

S - OFF

I also like to add in a few yoga sessions a week  - even if I just do them at home. I love using yogadownload.com to try out different types of yoga.

C: Fave healthy recipe?

B: That’s a tough one. Here are a few - Overnight Oats, Kale and Sweet Potato Brown Rice Bowl, Black Bean Burgers

C: Fave “bad food” ;)

B: Ice cream. And sweet potato fries, which I make “good” by baking them in the oven at home. :) Here’s my recipe for crispy sweet potato fries.

C: For aspiring healthy living bloggers, what is your best advice for “getting out there”?

B: The fastest way to get a larger readership is to tell everyone you know about your blog and to engage in the community. Leave (meaningful) comments on other healthy living blogs, connect with bloggers on twitter and reach out to bloggers that inspire you.

C: What’s the coolest thing that has happened to you or that you have experienced as a blogger?

There are a few cool things! One, I’ve meet so many wonderful people (including you!) and become quick friends with many of them. I won a trip to San Francisco as a Nature’s Pride bread ambassador for a veggie-stuffed hummus sandwich recipe I created.

I was also named one of Richmond’s Healthiest people and even got the chance to be a judge for a meatless gourmet Iron Chef competition.

C: Thank you Brittany for sharing with us your healthy living tips! You look fabulous!

I always love browsing through Brittany’s recipe page for vegetarian inspiration. So far, all of the people I’ve encountered in the healthy living community are so kind and generous in sharing their experience and their knowledge. That’s how I met Sarah from diet.com and sarahfit.com. We had coffee after a facebook comment I left her, then shortly after we began filming vids together!

The cool thing about bloggers and YouTubers is that we are all real people that you can relate to and “talk” to on a daily basis - whether that’s facebook comments, emails, or tweets. I love hearing from you guys and I already feel like I know some of you…so much so that if we ever met up, I could probably predict what you would say ;)

Want more Brit!?? Check her out here:

BLOG: http://www.eatingbirdfood.com

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/eatingbirdfood

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/eatingbirdfood

The Blogilates Meal Plan…and 10 Fad Diets you should NEVER try

After reading through a TON of diet books yesterday at Borders, I’ve come to the conclusion that I have enough knowledge to devise my own meal plan. Not that I think I’m a nutritionist or anything (cuz I’m not), but I do know what works for me and what doesn’t.

I’m looking burn some more fat and gain more muscle in the next couple of months, as I have noticed that I’ve gained a little weight since I’ve moved back. (Why do all homecoming celebrations have to be centered around cheesecake!!??) It’s ok, I know, enjoy life Cassey you’re saying! I did. And I made conscious decisions to eat what I did, maybe not the best decisions, but at least I was aware. And you know what, as much as I hate how fatty a REAL cheesecake is (not a cottage cheesecake), I can never hate how happy that bite makes me feel.

So anyway, I’ve been researching like a crazy woman on the best way to “slim down and tone up”. I liked and didn’t like some things in each book, but what resonated with me was the fact that this will have to be “80% diet, 10% workouts, and 10% genetics” according to Tosca Reno, author of The Eat-Clean Diet, healthy chef, and physique competitor.

You all know I can workout like there’s no tomorrow, but I feel like the food is my downfall sometimes. I’m a bottomless pit! When I was doing the 8 Week Bikini Challenge, I monitored my food intake EXTREMELY carefully and I saw results. After the 8 weeks I stopped measuring and eating specific meals and I could tell there was stagnation. Or I guess you could call it maintenance. This time, food scale is coming back out.

I also want to touch on the 10% genetics part. This is true. Some girls just can’t gain weight no matter how much food they eat. Other girls will puff up immediately after a bite of McDonalds. Did you guys know that Jillian Michaels use to be fat in high school?

She says the even today if she strays from healthy eating, she can very easily gain weight. I relate 100%. So, sometimes I get mad that I need to work extra hard to maintain a certain body fat % when some girls are just born with very quick metabolisms. Then again, there are things that I absolutely love about my body that genetics has gifted me with. I love my legs, my hands, my feet, my lips, and my hourglass figure. I don’t have to work very hard to keep those guys in check. But my abs…oh my abs. Those babies are stubborn and will hold onto fat as if I were hibernating through winter.

What do you love and “hate” about your body?

Anyway, this week I will be developing my own diet plan. I’m thinking of sharing it with you all via newsletter so sign up if you haven’t already. Obviously my plan will be plant based but I will add options for meat eaters too. Kind of excited to be taking my diet (and my life) back in my hands. It’s empowering you know?

So as a kickoff for the development of the Blogilates meal plan…I’m going to share with you 10 FAD Diets that you should never ever ever ever try! These diets are boring, starve you, leave you with no energy to workout, and worst off all - they are unsustainable! They are NOT LIFESTYLES!

DO NOT TRY THESE FAD DIETS (wait til you get to #10)

1. The Cabbage Soup Diet: Eat only fruits, veggies, and cabbage soup for 7 days.

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What the female body looks like at different body fat percentages Wow take a look at that! Where do you stand? As you can see, as the levels of body fat begin to increase, loss of definition becomes more and more apparent. Don&#8217;t take this too close to heart though, because 2 people with the same body fat percent can actually look totally different. See below: Will 2 people with the same body fat % look the same? No. It isn&#8217;t all about body fat percent, it&#8217;s about lean muscle mass too. If these 2 women were the same height, let&#8217;s say 5&#8217; 5&#8221;, I bet the girl on the left weighs around 118 and the one on the right, 95 lbs. How you build muscle (or not) will determine the your physique. Left girl obviously lifts weights and right girl does not, but the layer of fat from their muscle to skin is the same. Does this make sense? Body fat is just the thickness of the fat you have. Your overall shape is determined by your musculature. What&#8217;s your body fat %? Above is a great chart that matches up your body fat % with fitness level. The people in &#8220;essential fat&#8221; are usually Olympic athletes or serious fitness competitors. At this low of a body fat % women will lose their periods completely! I hear that most bikini models are around 14-15%, so that would put them in the &#8220;athlete&#8221; level. How to find your body fat percent? 1. Skinfold Measurement (Skin Pinch) 2. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (Handheld/Scale Deviced) 3. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (Dexa Scan) 4. Height and circumference methods (Measurement Collections) 5. Hydrostatic Testing (Underwater Density Test) The skin fold test is what I used to determine by body fat percent. You will need a personal trainer or someone who knows how to use calipers to do that for you because he or she will have to pinch your fat and measure the mm of fat thickness in 7 different areas, some of which you will not be able to reach for yourself, like your back. I know a lot of you may not have access to calipers, a personal trainer, or a gym, so here&#8217;s a quick and semi accurate way to see where you stand. This is #4, the height and circumference method - use this online calculator, a scale, and a measuring tape to see where you fall: http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bodyfat/ [Edit 7/20/2011: A lot of girls were telling me that they got bf%&#8217;s in the low 30s when they knew they were around the 20s. Thanks for the call out. For whatever reason that calc seems to be very off. Try this one instead? Although, this is not as accurate as a caliper measurement by a fitness professional!] http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/ Remember, this will not be completely accurate so proceed with caution! What am I? In the picture above, I am 17.5% body fat and 118.4 lbs. I&#8217;m 5&#8217;5&#8221;. Finding a balance&#8230; Don&#8217;t get too sucked in by the numbers. What matters is how you look and feel at the end of the day. I know a lot of young girls just want to be 105 lbs and will do anything to get there. (I get so many emails about this&#8230;) But remember, if you want to get thin, take into consideration your health as a whole. Think of it as getting FIT not as getting skinny. I love that through my workouts, not only have I achieved a more toned body, but I also have gotten so much stronger! Some of us want the skinny actress look, others want bigger butts or bigger boobs, while a select few fancy looking like body builders on steroids (see 1st photo). Whatever it is you want, I encourage you to follow through with you goals as long as you feel strong and healthy doing it. Okay? Also, remember to be happy with the journey too. Because what happens when you get to your goal weight and you don&#8217;t experience an instant burst of joy like you had always dreamed? Well, that&#8217;s why you gotta embrace your healthy lifestyle. Keyword: lifestyle. It doesn&#8217;t end when you reach your goal&#8230;it becomes your life. So love it now.

What the female body looks like at different body fat percentages

Wow take a look at that! Where do you stand? As you can see, as the levels of body fat begin to increase, loss of definition becomes more and more apparent. Don’t take this too close to heart though, because 2 people with the same body fat percent can actually look totally different. See below:

Will 2 people with the same body fat % look the same?

No. It isn’t all about body fat percent, it’s about lean muscle mass too. If these 2 women were the same height, let’s say 5’ 5”, I bet the girl on the left weighs around 118 and the one on the right, 95 lbs. How you build muscle (or not) will determine the your physique. Left girl obviously lifts weights and right girl does not, but the layer of fat from their muscle to skin is the same. Does this make sense? Body fat is just the thickness of the fat you have. Your overall shape is determined by your musculature.

What’s your body fat %?

Above is a great chart that matches up your body fat % with fitness level. The people in “essential fat” are usually Olympic athletes or serious fitness competitors. At this low of a body fat % women will lose their periods completely! I hear that most bikini models are around 14-15%, so that would put them in the “athlete” level.

How to find your body fat percent?

1. Skinfold Measurement (Skin Pinch)
2. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (Handheld/Scale Deviced)
3. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (Dexa Scan)
4. Height and circumference methods (Measurement Collections)
5. Hydrostatic Testing (Underwater Density Test)

The skin fold test is what I used to determine by body fat percent. You will need a personal trainer or someone who knows how to use calipers to do that for you because he or she will have to pinch your fat and measure the mm of fat thickness in 7 different areas, some of which you will not be able to reach for yourself, like your back.

I know a lot of you may not have access to calipers, a personal trainer, or a gym, so here’s a quick and semi accurate way to see where you stand. This is #4, the height and circumference method - use this online calculator, a scale, and a measuring tape to see where you fall:

http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bodyfat/

[Edit 7/20/2011: A lot of girls were telling me that they got bf%’s in the low 30s when they knew they were around the 20s. Thanks for the call out. For whatever reason that calc seems to be very off. Try this one instead? Although, this is not as accurate as a caliper measurement by a fitness professional!]

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/

Remember, this will not be completely accurate so proceed with caution!

What am I?

In the picture above, I am 17.5% body fat and 118.4 lbs. I’m 5’5”.

Finding a balance…

Don’t get too sucked in by the numbers. What matters is how you look and feel at the end of the day. I know a lot of young girls just want to be 105 lbs and will do anything to get there. (I get so many emails about this…) But remember, if you want to get thin, take into consideration your health as a whole. Think of it as getting FIT not as getting skinny. I love that through my workouts, not only have I achieved a more toned body, but I also have gotten so much stronger!

Some of us want the skinny actress look, others want bigger butts or bigger boobs, while a select few fancy looking like body builders on steroids (see 1st photo). Whatever it is you want, I encourage you to follow through with you goals as long as you feel strong and healthy doing it. Okay? Also, remember to be happy with the journey too. Because what happens when you get to your goal weight and you don’t experience an instant burst of joy like you had always dreamed? Well, that’s why you gotta embrace your healthy lifestyle. Keyword: lifestyle. It doesn’t end when you reach your goal…it becomes your life. So love it now.

Anonymous asked: Hi! I am curious, do you have fitness or nutrition role models?? Who are your favorite celebs and athletes?? Cassey: Oh wow! A new type of question. I love it! For nutrition, I really like my Nutrition Diva podcasts. The woman&#8217;s name is Monica Reinagel and she is board-certified Licensed Nutritionist and a professionally-trained chef. She delivers quick tips on hot foodie topics that are clear and easy to understand. I am actually going to do a giveaway of her latest book Nutrition Diva&#8217;s Secrets for a Healthy Diet: What to Eat, What to Avoid, and What to Stop Worrying About. More on this later! Fitness role models that I admire are the instructors that are able to create a community and a loyal following with their passion for their format. The creators of formats like BODYPUMP, TurboJam, Hot Hula etc. were made by instructors who had a vision of sharing their workouts on a larger scale. They helped hundreds of thousands of people change their lives, and they did it in a fun and creative way. They had a vision and they made it happen. They impacted lives. These are the people I look up to. Creatives. Entrepreneurs. Doers. Risk takers. I hope to one day share Pop Pilates with many more people as well. My favorite athlete is Apolo Anton Ohno. He is an Olympic speed skater and I&#8217;ve had a crush on him since high school! Haha. I also got to meet him at a Dancing with the Stars taping, and we hugged. Twice! I don&#8217;t really have favorite celebrities, but in terms of who I think is gorgeous&#8230;the list includes Halle Barry, Mila Kunis, Sofia Vergara, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Hudgens, Kim Kardashian (sorry! I have to!), Eva Longoria, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Megan Fox. For males, Zac Efron is pretty cute. Mark Zuckerberg is pretty inspirational. Oh and this is shameless but I really like Jake Pavelka from the Bachelor! He is hot and that is all. Anonymous asked: Hi Cassey! You really are the best. I&#8217;ve been doing your videos for over half a year now and have gotten my little brother (12) and sister (14) hooked too! Whenever people ask me how I keep so fit, I tell them about my little secret: Pop Pilates! It&#8217;s obvious that you&#8217;re super passionate about what you do, and I love that! I&#8217;m curious about what other things in your life keep you happy and balanced. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working out and eating healthy? Are you dating anyone or do you have any pets? Sorry, maybe you think these questions are too personal or irrelevant, but we&#8217;re all friends here, right? Plus I think it&#8217;s necessary to emphasize the importance of a full and balanced lifestyle&#160;; ) Thanks for all you do! It&#8217;s amazing that you&#8217;ve made these videos accessible to people of all ages and to people who may not be able to afford workout videos or a gym membership. Cheers, Ella Cassey: Oh a Q&amp;A session about me! How fun! Ok here it goes: Q - What are your hobbies and interests outside of working out and eating healthy? A - I love dancing, esp. ballroom and salsa dancing. There was a point right after college when Arthur Murray hired me to be a ballroom dance teacher. Then I decided I didn&#8217;t want to be in a studio for like 11 hours a day! But I still love dancing. I also love drawing. Especially fashion sketching and fashion design. I&#8217;ve been drawing since forever. Back in elementary school, the group of girls that I used to hang out with during recess and lunch would always ask me to draw pictures of them in the latest outfits. The kids thought I was going to be a artist when I grew up. At least that&#8217;s what they put on my Valentines Day cards! Haha. Oh and I also like trivia&#8230;I&#8217;m not that great but I love a good mind boggler or two. Q - Are you dating anyone? A - I guess the best way to answer this right now is&#8230;not really ;P Q - Do you have any pets? A - I have one pet. His name is Turtle. Yes. And he is a turtle. A red-eared slider that I&#8217;ve had for over a decade! My parents bought him for me in Chinatown when he used to be about the size of a quarter. Now he is as big as a notebook! thatsweetedge asked: You&#8217;re butt blasters video worked wonders for me. I&#8217;m finally almost completely content with my body now the only part that I still want to tone is my thighs. No matter how much a run on the treadmill, how much I diet, and how much I do squats and lunges, I cant tone my thighs. They&#8217;re thinner but not where I want to be. My calves are so tiny and my legs are strong so I don&#8217;t think simple squats and lunges will do anything for me anymore. Pleaseeeee help me. I would be so grateful if you could make a high intensity thigh blaster pop pilates video. I have tried everything and your butt blaster video worked so well for me I know you can come up with something incredible! Please help me reach my goal in time for summer! I will finally have achieved the body I always wanted. I think alot of other girls can benefit from the video too! Cassey: Thanks for the thigh video suggestion. Have you tried my Legs &amp; Thighs 10 min video yet? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHfe0rG_THk Anonymous asked: Hi Cassey, my name is selmed and I want to ask a favours, can&#8217;t the videos be made downloadable so that those of us who have no constant access to internet take them on our computers for use? I really enjoy your videos, keep it up. Cassey: I am currently looking into making a DVD&#8230;but this won&#8217;t be for a while. I need to figure out music copyright laws. So, I&#8217;m sorry, but right now I cannot make them downloadable. salmoomah asked: Hey Cassey! I&#8217;ve never done Pilates before, but I discovered your Pop Pilates videos recently and I am absolutely loving them! I think that what you&#8217;re doing is a great way to motivate people to get fit and have fun at the same time :) I just have a question about your leg workout though&#8230; I&#8217;m not looking to tone or reduce any area of my legs in particular (although that would be a welcome side-effect), but I just want a good all-around leg workout. Would using your Legs and Thighs workout be sufficient for that, or would I also need to combine that with Slimmer Inner Thighs and Runner&#8217;s Calves? And once my body adjusts to the workout, what would I have to do to make it more intense? Feel free to answer this in my ask. I really appreciate your help! Keep doing what you&#8217;re doing because it&#8217;s awesome! &lt;3 Cassey: If you are serious about toning your legs, do all of the leg workouts. And once your body adjusts to the workout, I will have more workouts :) Anonymous asked: Dear Cassey, I love your recipes. Where do you take them from/do you know any websites with low calorie + healthy food and recipes? xoxo Cassey: I scour the internet for recipes of foods that I just happen to buy that weekend at the farmer&#8217;s market. I always link the recipe source at the bottom of each article. The sites that I love are: http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/ http://www.hungry-girl.com/ http://www.skinnytaste.com/ Anonymous asked: Dear Cassey, You have inspired me so much! Basically, I was in a procrastination rut, always delaying my diet+workout start but now I do your videos 6 time per week and I&#8217;m startin to gain confidence (I&#8217;ve lost about 12 pounds so far&#8230;). I would really like to start to running to gain even more resistance but I&#8217;m not sure of how many miles I should start with (bear in mind that I am NOT used to running!). How many do you think? P.S.: You are beautiful! Cassey: Thank you for your kind comments. First of all you can&#8217;t &#8220;gain resistance&#8221;. I think you mean improve your cardiovascular endurance. Start with jogging. If you have access to a treadmill, start around 5mph and go for a mile. Then try to go faster every week. Maybe 5.2. then 5.4. Once you get faster, try going for even longer distances! Good luck. justbeingjess asked: Hi Cassey, I have a question about &#8220;shins to the air&#8221;. During that I have tons of trouble keeping my shoulders relaxed, they always tighten up and lift off of the floor. How can I prevent this? Cassey: So when you&#8217;re in table top position or &#8220;shins to the air&#8221;, if your abs are weak, then you&#8217;re going to try to compensate my pushing your hands into the mat and tensing your neck/shoulders. Try to press your low back into the mat and leave you shins up as long as possible WITHOUT tensing your upper body. Once you start tensing, then release your toes to the floor. Then try again, you&#8217;ll get stronger each time. You could also place a rolled towel or pillow under your neck for support. Good luck! Anonymous asked: Hey Cassey! I LOVE your vids but wanted to ask that seeing as you&#8217;re doing focus videos like pilates for beginners etc could you possibly do an &#8216;Overcoming a Plateau&#8217; one? Just a suggestion! I like a challenge! Much love, Regina Cassey: That&#8217;s a great idea. That would probably just be a talking video though because everyone&#8217;s plateau will be different. If you&#8217;re trying to overcome a stagnant phase, you need to start changing your workout. That&#8217;s it. Add new moves that you&#8217;ve never done before and the body will get surprised. It will start burning calories faster until it gets more efficient again, at which point you will need to do something new again! Anonymous asked: Can Pilates actually make you taller? Cassey: In a sense, yes, because it will help with your posture so that you won&#8217;t walk around slumping anymore. But no it will not lengthen your bones. Anonymous asked: Hi Cassey, I suffer with bad lower back pain and I was wondering if you can recommend any exercises to help ease it? Cassey: Try &#8220;cat-cow&#8221;. You&#8217;re on all fours, palms down, knees down. Then you want to make a dip in your low back (like you&#8217;re holding a cup of soup on your low back) and stick your butt up. Now contrast that pose with a perching of the upper back - push the upper back high up into the air so that now your low back is arching in the other direction.  This should feel good. letsfocusonbeingthin asked: Hey Cassey! I discovered your videos and let me tell you&#8230;THANK YOU!!!!! When I first tried your videos I stopped and just watched the video and everyday it just kept getting easier! But one question, Pilates and Yoga are different, but which one is better to lose weight? I know it&#8217;s like DUH PILATES because you&#8217;re doing more physical work&#8230;but I&#8217;ve asked a few friends and they all said Yoga is very effective to so I dunno(: Cassey: Have you read my post on Pilates versus Yoga? Here is the link: http://www.blogilates.com/post/3696273044/pilates-versus-yoga-whats-the-diff-read Both are effective, just make sure you&#8217;re pushing yourself to the limit in each exercise and you will see results. Anonymous asked: Hey Cassey! My question is this, I work two different jobs: One is coaching gymnastics/tumbling 4 hours a day and involves alot of walking, catching, lifting and constant movement. The other is working at Subway, which involves constant walking at a pace of about 2-2.5 mph. The only time I&#8217;m sitting down is during the 20 minute lunch break. Can I count this as exercise? Should I add up the calories burned towards my calorie deficit? I feel like I&#8217;m clueless! Help? Mary Cassey: Hi Mary! Great question. Yes you can. But if you&#8217;re not seeing the results you want, it means that even with your constant movement, you&#8217;re still eating enough calories wipe out chances for weight loss. Does this make sense? Eat more calories than you burn and you will gain weight. Eat less calories than your burn and you will lose weight. Read my post on how to lose weight and find out your basal metabolic rate and your daily energy requirement. http://www.blogilates.com/post/3697883302/figure-out-exactly-how-many-calories-you-need-to Anonymous asked: Hey Cassey! Yipeee! You answered my question! Anyways, I think you should become a nutritionist since you&#8217;re a great role model for exercise + health. I would totally support you! I&#8217;m working on some Pop Pilates designs/slogans, and it&#8217;s really fun[: I wanted to know if there were exercises for building up quadriceps. Any ideas? Have a great week! Love, Lena Cassey: Cool Lena! I might consider looking more into nutrition. It is so interesting! Have you uploaded your design to the facebook page yet? And yes there are so many exercises for quads! Squats are amazing. Lunges too! rednblue asked: Cassey, your workout videos are SO awesome! I love that you incorporate your personality into them. I seriously feel like im working out with one of my friends. Thanks for keeping me motivated! p.s. I can&#8217;t wait to have toned awesome legs like you! =) Cassey: You know, I appreciate you telling me that you feel like you&#8217;re working out with one of your friends. I never really thought about it, but I guess I keep it pretty light and informal when I do the videos. But informal lets the personality shine through from my mat to your mat! So that&#8217;s pretty cool. Thanks for letting me know! Anonymous asked: i heard that no ab xercises are good for ur abs bc it will just built muscle on top of ur fat, thus making ur tummy fatter. PLEASE HELP!! Cassey: Okay, first of all this is so not true. #1. Ab exercises ARE good because they strengthen your core. If you don&#8217;t do ab exercises, how will you tone your midsection? #2. Muscle does NOT lay on top of fat. Muscle is attached to your bone, fat lays on top of muscle. I think what you may have heard is that doing a million crunches won&#8217;t get you a six pack. This is true. But you will get a stronger core. Underneath. You have to melt the fat off with cardio. shyskylark asked: Hey Cassey I love the move in the beginning of the butt blaster vid, it feels like I&#8217;m doing ballet on the floor. Having been a professional dancer I think it&#8217;s great. Do you have any more dancer like exercise moves for pilates?!!! Cassey: I love that move too! Check out The Bar Method. They are also very ballet and pilates-esque. I can do a video on dance-y moves. That&#8217;d be fun. Anonymous asked: I love your exercise, you&#8217;re an excellent instructor! I lost weight with your exercise and proper diet aid. I workout several times a week after your exercise. You&#8217;re the coolest! Alice from Romania Cassey: Congratulations! This is great news!

Anonymous asked:

Hi!

I am curious, do you have fitness or nutrition role models?? Who are your favorite celebs and athletes??

Cassey: Oh wow! A new type of question. I love it!

For nutrition, I really like my Nutrition Diva podcasts. The woman’s name is Monica Reinagel and she is board-certified Licensed Nutritionist and a professionally-trained chef. She delivers quick tips on hot foodie topics that are clear and easy to understand. I am actually going to do a giveaway of her latest book Nutrition Diva’s Secrets for a Healthy Diet: What to Eat, What to Avoid, and What to Stop Worrying About. More on this later!

Fitness role models that I admire are the instructors that are able to create a community and a loyal following with their passion for their format. The creators of formats like BODYPUMP, TurboJam, Hot Hula etc. were made by instructors who had a vision of sharing their workouts on a larger scale. They helped hundreds of thousands of people change their lives, and they did it in a fun and creative way. They had a vision and they made it happen. They impacted lives. These are the people I look up to. Creatives. Entrepreneurs. Doers. Risk takers. I hope to one day share Pop Pilates with many more people as well.

My favorite athlete is Apolo Anton Ohno. He is an Olympic speed skater and I’ve had a crush on him since high school! Haha. I also got to meet him at a Dancing with the Stars taping, and we hugged. Twice!

I don’t really have favorite celebrities, but in terms of who I think is gorgeous…the list includes Halle Barry, Mila Kunis, Sofia Vergara, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Hudgens, Kim Kardashian (sorry! I have to!), Eva Longoria, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Megan Fox. For males, Zac Efron is pretty cute. Mark Zuckerberg is pretty inspirational. Oh and this is shameless but I really like Jake Pavelka from the Bachelor! He is hot and that is all.

Anonymous asked:

Hi Cassey!

You really are the best. I’ve been doing your videos for over half a year now and have gotten my little brother (12) and sister (14) hooked too! Whenever people ask me how I keep so fit, I tell them about my little secret: Pop Pilates!

It’s obvious that you’re super passionate about what you do, and I love that! I’m curious about what other things in your life keep you happy and balanced. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working out and eating healthy?

Are you dating anyone or do you have any pets?

Sorry, maybe you think these questions are too personal or irrelevant, but we’re all friends here, right? Plus I think it’s necessary to emphasize the importance of a full and balanced lifestyle ; )

Thanks for all you do! It’s amazing that you’ve made these videos accessible to people of all ages and to people who may not be able to afford workout videos or a gym membership.

Cheers,

Ella

Cassey: Oh a Q&A session about me! How fun! Ok here it goes:

Q - What are your hobbies and interests outside of working out and eating healthy?

A - I love dancing, esp. ballroom and salsa dancing. There was a point right after college when Arthur Murray hired me to be a ballroom dance teacher. Then I decided I didn’t want to be in a studio for like 11 hours a day! But I still love dancing. I also love drawing. Especially fashion sketching and fashion design. I’ve been drawing since forever. Back in elementary school, the group of girls that I used to hang out with during recess and lunch would always ask me to draw pictures of them in the latest outfits. The kids thought I was going to be a artist when I grew up. At least that’s what they put on my Valentines Day cards! Haha. Oh and I also like trivia…I’m not that great but I love a good mind boggler or two.

Q - Are you dating anyone?

A - I guess the best way to answer this right now is…not really ;P

Q - Do you have any pets?

A - I have one pet. His name is Turtle. Yes. And he is a turtle. A red-eared slider that I’ve had for over a decade! My parents bought him for me in Chinatown when he used to be about the size of a quarter. Now he is as big as a notebook!

thatsweetedge asked:

You’re butt blasters video worked wonders for me. I’m finally almost completely content with my body now the only part that I still want to tone is my thighs. No matter how much a run on the treadmill, how much I diet, and how much I do squats and lunges, I cant tone my thighs. They’re thinner but not where I want to be. My calves are so tiny and my legs are strong so I don’t think simple squats and lunges will do anything for me anymore. Pleaseeeee help me. I would be so grateful if you could make a high intensity thigh blaster pop pilates video. I have tried everything and your butt blaster video worked so well for me I know you can come up with something incredible! Please help me reach my goal in time for summer! I will finally have achieved the body I always wanted. I think alot of other girls can benefit from the video too!

Cassey: Thanks for the thigh video suggestion. Have you tried my Legs & Thighs 10 min video yet? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHfe0rG_THk

Anonymous asked:

Hi Cassey, my name is selmed and I want to ask a favours, can’t the videos be made downloadable so that those of us who have no constant access to internet take them on our computers for use? I really enjoy your videos, keep it up.

Cassey: I am currently looking into making a DVD…but this won’t be for a while. I need to figure out music copyright laws. So, I’m sorry, but right now I cannot make them downloadable.

salmoomah asked:

Hey Cassey! I’ve never done Pilates before, but I discovered your Pop Pilates videos recently and I am absolutely loving them! I think that what you’re doing is a great way to motivate people to get fit and have fun at the same time :) I just have a question about your leg workout though… I’m not looking to tone or reduce any area of my legs in particular (although that would be a welcome side-effect), but I just want a good all-around leg workout. Would using your Legs and Thighs workout be sufficient for that, or would I also need to combine that with Slimmer Inner Thighs and Runner’s Calves? And once my body adjusts to the workout, what would I have to do to make it more intense? Feel free to answer this in my ask. I really appreciate your help! Keep doing what you’re doing because it’s awesome! <3

Cassey: If you are serious about toning your legs, do all of the leg workouts. And once your body adjusts to the workout, I will have more workouts :)

Anonymous asked:

Dear Cassey,

I love your recipes. Where do you take them from/do you know any websites with low calorie + healthy food and recipes?

xoxo

Cassey: I scour the internet for recipes of foods that I just happen to buy that weekend at the farmer’s market. I always link the recipe source at the bottom of each article. The sites that I love are:

http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/

http://www.hungry-girl.com/

http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Anonymous asked:

Dear Cassey,

You have inspired me so much! Basically, I was in a procrastination rut, always delaying my diet+workout start but now I do your videos 6 time per week and I’m startin to gain confidence (I’ve lost about 12 pounds so far…). I would really like to start to running to gain even more resistance but I’m not sure of how many miles I should start with (bear in mind that I am NOT used to running!). How many do you think?

P.S.: You are beautiful!

Cassey: Thank you for your kind comments. First of all you can’t “gain resistance”. I think you mean improve your cardiovascular endurance. Start with jogging. If you have access to a treadmill, start around 5mph and go for a mile. Then try to go faster every week. Maybe 5.2. then 5.4. Once you get faster, try going for even longer distances! Good luck.

justbeingjess asked:

Hi Cassey,

I have a question about “shins to the air”. During that I have tons of trouble keeping my shoulders relaxed, they always tighten up and lift off of the floor. How can I prevent this?

Cassey: So when you’re in table top position or “shins to the air”, if your abs are weak, then you’re going to try to compensate my pushing your hands into the mat and tensing your neck/shoulders. Try to press your low back into the mat and leave you shins up as long as possible WITHOUT tensing your upper body. Once you start tensing, then release your toes to the floor. Then try again, you’ll get stronger each time. You could also place a rolled towel or pillow under your neck for support. Good luck!

Anonymous asked:

Hey Cassey!

I LOVE your vids but wanted to ask that seeing as you’re doing focus videos like pilates for beginners etc could you possibly do an ‘Overcoming a Plateau’ one? Just a suggestion! I like a challenge! Much love, Regina

Cassey: That’s a great idea. That would probably just be a talking video though because everyone’s plateau will be different. If you’re trying to overcome a stagnant phase, you need to start changing your workout. That’s it. Add new moves that you’ve never done before and the body will get surprised. It will start burning calories faster until it gets more efficient again, at which point you will need to do something new again!

Anonymous asked:

Can Pilates actually make you taller?

Cassey: In a sense, yes, because it will help with your posture so that you won’t walk around slumping anymore. But no it will not lengthen your bones.

Anonymous asked:

Hi Cassey, I suffer with bad lower back pain and I was wondering if you can recommend any exercises to help ease it?

Cassey: Try “cat-cow”. You’re on all fours, palms down, knees down. Then you want to make a dip in your low back (like you’re holding a cup of soup on your low back) and stick your butt up. Now contrast that pose with a perching of the upper back - push the upper back high up into the air so that now your low back is arching in the other direction.  This should feel good.

letsfocusonbeingthin asked:

Hey Cassey! I discovered your videos and let me tell you…THANK YOU!!!!! When I first tried your videos I stopped and just watched the video and everyday it just kept getting easier! But one question, Pilates and Yoga are different, but which one is better to lose weight? I know it’s like DUH PILATES because you’re doing more physical work…but I’ve asked a few friends and they all said Yoga is very effective to so I dunno(:

Cassey: Have you read my post on Pilates versus Yoga? Here is the link: http://www.blogilates.com/post/3696273044/pilates-versus-yoga-whats-the-diff-read Both are effective, just make sure you’re pushing yourself to the limit in each exercise and you will see results.

Anonymous asked:

Hey Cassey!

My question is this, I work two different jobs: One is coaching gymnastics/tumbling 4 hours a day and involves alot of walking, catching, lifting and constant movement. The other is working at Subway, which involves constant walking at a pace of about 2-2.5 mph. The only time I’m sitting down is during the 20 minute lunch break. Can I count this as exercise? Should I add up the calories burned towards my calorie deficit? I feel like I’m clueless! Help?

Mary

Cassey: Hi Mary! Great question. Yes you can. But if you’re not seeing the results you want, it means that even with your constant movement, you’re still eating enough calories wipe out chances for weight loss. Does this make sense? Eat more calories than you burn and you will gain weight. Eat less calories than your burn and you will lose weight. Read my post on how to lose weight and find out your basal metabolic rate and your daily energy requirement. http://www.blogilates.com/post/3697883302/figure-out-exactly-how-many-calories-you-need-to

Anonymous asked:

Hey Cassey! Yipeee! You answered my question! Anyways, I think you should become a nutritionist since you’re a great role model for exercise + health. I would totally support you! I’m working on some Pop Pilates designs/slogans, and it’s really fun[: I wanted to know if there were exercises for building up quadriceps. Any ideas? Have a great week!

Love, Lena

Cassey: Cool Lena! I might consider looking more into nutrition. It is so interesting! Have you uploaded your design to the facebook page yet? And yes there are so many exercises for quads! Squats are amazing. Lunges too!

rednblue asked:

Cassey, your workout videos are SO awesome! I love that you incorporate your personality into them. I seriously feel like im working out with one of my friends. Thanks for keeping me motivated! p.s. I can’t wait to have toned awesome legs like you! =)

Cassey: You know, I appreciate you telling me that you feel like you’re working out with one of your friends. I never really thought about it, but I guess I keep it pretty light and informal when I do the videos. But informal lets the personality shine through from my mat to your mat! So that’s pretty cool. Thanks for letting me know!

Anonymous asked:

i heard that no ab xercises are good for ur abs bc it will just built muscle on top of ur fat, thus making ur tummy fatter. PLEASE HELP!!

Cassey: Okay, first of all this is so not true. #1. Ab exercises ARE good because they strengthen your core. If you don’t do ab exercises, how will you tone your midsection? #2. Muscle does NOT lay on top of fat. Muscle is attached to your bone, fat lays on top of muscle. I think what you may have heard is that doing a million crunches won’t get you a six pack. This is true. But you will get a stronger core. Underneath. You have to melt the fat off with cardio.

shyskylark asked:

Hey Cassey

I love the move in the beginning of the butt blaster vid, it feels like I’m doing ballet on the floor. Having been a professional dancer I think it’s great. Do you have any more dancer like exercise moves for pilates?!!!

Cassey: I love that move too! Check out The Bar Method. They are also very ballet and pilates-esque. I can do a video on dance-y moves. That’d be fun.

Anonymous asked:

I love your exercise, you’re an excellent instructor! I lost weight with your exercise and proper diet aid. I workout several times a week after your exercise. You’re the coolest! Alice from Romania

Cassey: Congratulations! This is great news!

And now…the official release of Pop Pilates - LOWER BELLY POOCH ATTACK!!!

If you want to get rid of that “pooch” on your lower abs, then do this workout. It targets your lower abs like none other. It is ALL SUPER FOCUSED lower ab exercises.

There is also a secret song in the middle of the workout around 8:10, comment when you figure out what song it is.

Here are the mashup song names by Norwegian Recycling

“9 Songs to Save the World”
“Ben is Chasing Beautiful Girls”
“How 6 Songs Collide”

Good luck and have fun!

Love,

Cassey

Ok so some funny things while making this video. I have NEVER done so many takes ever! There was so much info and I didn’t wanna miss anything. POP Pilates (and even POP Cardio) filming is so much easier!

Also, I didn’t think it’d be so long! I guess I just like to be really thorough with all that I do so I wanted to pack in as much info as I could on the topic. Man, there’s gonna be more episodes…I can see it coming.

I did a TON of research before making the segment. I felt like I was in school again! It was great learning and solidifying what I already knew with some academic expert readings.

Umm and my intro and outro. Haha. I had fun doing that…but I think it needs some work. Kinda weird. Oh well! I thought it was a good idea before I uploaded!

K, well there you go guys! My first nutrition video. Read the transcript below for an EVEN MORE detailed understanding of what to eat before and after you workout.

Love love and keep the suggestions coming!

Cassey

What to eat before and after a workout to lose weight and tone up!

Hey guys!

Here was my transcript outline when I filmed the FOOD Bites video on pre and post workout meals. In case you didn’t catch what I said, you can read it.

Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0POjup6fOY

Love ya!

Cassey

THE BASIC FACTS:

  • A workout may last an hour or two, however dieting is 24 hours a day.
  • Eat 4 or 5 meals per day. A good breakfast, lunch and dinner, with one to two snacks.
  • Don’t starve! Not giving your body the nutrients it needs is going to cause your body to start shutting down, and this will cause it to stop burning fat b/c it thinks it is in survival mode.
  • Eating before working out: settles the stomach, reduces hunger, gives your muscles the energy needed to exercise
  • Eating after exercising and drinking plenty of fluid can help to replace glycogen (energy to workout) that is lost during exercise. Glycogen is comprised of sugars that come from the protein and carbohydrates in your diet.

WHAT IS A CARB? WHAT IS A PROTEIN?

They are macronutrients! Nutrients that your body needs a lot of. This includes carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals.

CARBS: USDA recommends that 45% - 65% of our calories should come from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel. Carbohydrates are easily used by the body for energy. They are mainly found in starchy foods (like grain and potatoes), fruits, milk, and yogurt.

PROTEIN: USDA recommends that 10% - 35% of our calories should come from protein. Most Americans get plenty of protein, and easily meet this need by consuming a balanced diet. We need protein for growth (especially important for children, teens, and pregnant women), tissue repair, energy when carbohydrate is not available, preserving lean muscle mass. Protein is found in meats, poultry, fish, meat substitutes, cheese, milk, nuts, legumes

PRE WORKOUT MEAL:

  • Glucose is the preferred energy source for exercise, so eat something high in carbs and that’s easy to digest.
  • In general, the closer you get to your workout start time, the fewer calories you should eat. It’s important to winnow down the protein and fat content of your meal or snack as you get closer to exercise.
  • The nutrients that make up those calories should also shift. Because it takes the body: 4-6 hrs to digest fat, 3 hrs to digest protein, and 2 hrs  to digest carbohydrates.
  • You’re not going to want to eat a plate of french fries two hours before working out, because the blood is going to rush to your stomach to digest that while it’s also trying to rush to your exercising muscles.

Example Pre Workout Foods…

  • Bananas and apples. These are good choices for an energizing snack. Bananas are packed with potassium, which aids in maintaining proper nerve and muscle function aka no cramps.
  • Oatmeal. Oats are full of fiber and therefore the carbohydrates from them are released into your bloodstream gradually, keeping your energy levels constant during your workout.
  • Cereal
  • Yogurt & fruit
  • Trail mix/unsalted nuts
  • Fruit & yogurt smoothie
  • Sweet potato, yam

POST WORKOUT MEAL:

  • This meal is probably the most important meal you can eat. (And breakfast of course)
  • Your post-workout meal serves to give you the energy to recover from your workout and replace what was lost as result of training.
  • After you train your natural metabolism is burning red hot and can take much more nutrients at once and still not store it as fat.
  • The first nutritional priority after exercise is to replace any fluid lost during exercise.
  • Research is clear that eating carbs and protein within 15-60 minutes of your workout will help speed up your recovery time by replenishing glycogen stores and increasing protein synthesis (aka building lean muscle).

Example Post Workout Meal…

Chobani strawberry greek yogurt: 14 g protein, 20 g carbs. Yogurt is also EASILY DIGESTABLE so your body will soak up the nutrients immediately.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T EAT BEFORE AND AFTER YOU WORKOUT?

You’ll burn fat. But be very fatigued.

PRE-MEAL: If you exercise for a long time without eating, you’ll limit your ability to burn calories and maintain intensity. You won’t burn more of anything if you can’t muster the enthusiasm to master your toughest sets.

POST-MEAL: And if you don’t feed your muscles and replenish your energy stores after exercise, you won’t have the necessary building blocks for recovery.

SAMPLE MEAL PLAN:

Breakfast…

  • cereal w/ nonfat plain soymilk
  • oatmeal with apple & raisins
  • veggie omelet (egg white or whole)

Pre-workout meal…

  • Sweet potato

Post workout meal…

  • Chobani greek yogurt w/ fruit

Lunch…

  • Deli sliced turkey with hummus and baby carrots
  • Chicken salad with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, spinach, lettuce. Rasp. vinagrette dressing

Dinner…

  • Baked salmon w/ steamed asparagus or green beans
  • Tofu with mushrooms and broccoli
  • Any veggie and a lean protein (like chicken or fish)

CITATIONS:

Macronutrients: the Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat. http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/Handouts/macronutrients.htm

Eating to Win. http://www.womenfitness.net/eating_towin.htm

Figure Competition Diet. http://www.modelsobserver.com/training.html

Bikini Diet: http://dustinmaherfitness.com/tag/bikini-diet/

What to eat before and after workouts to lose weight? http://www.livestrong.com/article/195384-what-to-eat-before-and-after-work-outs-to-lose-weight/#ixzz1C1V7D5O1