Cassey Ho's Blog, page 116

Does Eating At Night Actually Make You Fat?

Hey guys!

Did you grow up hearing that eating at night would make you fat? Remember when Oprah lost a ton of weight because she said she didn’t eat after 6 or 7 pm?

Well, I dare you to eat at night. And guess what? You won’t get “fat”. Don’t believe me? I’ll explain.

Somehow we have been given the idea that timing of meals will impact our weight – that eating after 6 or 7 pm automatically means you will gain weight. But real-life examples of people who eat “after dark” as well as research from scientists, have concluded that WHEN you eat your meals has no direct effect on weight gain!

Your body does not store more fat at certain times of the day than others!

Your body’s weight will change depending on WHAT and HOW MUCH you eat, and your activity level– not when you eat. Like I’ve said before, overall calorie consumption in an entire day will affect your weight. If you eat more calories than your body uses, then it will be stored as fat – no matter what time it is.

Now, I don’t want you to go crazy and eat less during the day knowing that you can go home at night and eat a bunch of food, because that will lead to binging and probably eating high calorie snacks. There are certain circumstances when eating at night WILL hinder your progress or weight loss goals. Let’s talk about the most common ones.

What are you eating?

Eating at night is okay, but just be mindful of WHAT you’re eating. Is it a “fluff” food that’s highly processed, high in calories, fat, salt, and sugar and will leave you feeling sluggish? Or is it a high quality, nutritiously dense food that’ll leave you feeling better?

Obviously if you snack on junk food every night, then you’re likely to gain weight. But that weight gain isn’t caused by the time you ate the food, it is caused by the extra calories consumed in the junk food. Get it? You’re less likely to prepare a nice salad or healthy meal at night, and more likely to opt for ice cream, chips and high-fat foods that are easy to grab because you’re tired and hungry. You’re more likely to fall into the cravings trap.

You’re also more likely to binge at night, which can cause you to go to bed with raised blood sugar levels. A raised blood sugar level is correlated with increased weight gain. A balanced blood sugar level is what we should all strive for as it is imperative for hormone regulation, metabolism function, and fat burn.

So, instead of eating highly processed and sugary foods, try your best to prepare healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, and nuts to munch on at night if you know you will get hungry at that time. Choose foods that are low on the Glycemic Index. They will satisfy your hunger and won’t raise your blood sugar compared to the other options.

 

Emotional and Routine Eating

If you’re someone who struggles with snacking (on not-so-healthy food) at night, think about WHY you’re eating it. Are you actually hungry, or are you eating because you’re bored, tired or stressed? If you’re actually hungry, then sure, eat! But if you can recognize that you’re snacking for other reasons, try to figure out what’s making you choose food to fulfill your emotions and try to change that habit. You may also be eating out of routine.

For example, when you’re relaxing in front of the TV after a long day, it’s easy to reach for snacks and eat without thinking. Next time you do this, ask yourself if you’re truly hungry, or if you’re doing it out of habit or emotions. The more you can recognize it, the better you will be able to make smarter snacking choices.

Hormones and Your Sleep Cycle

Eating at night can alter your hormones and sleep rhythm. What does this mean? Well insulin, the hormone in your body that controls sugar in your blood, runs along a circadian (24-hour) clock. At nighttime, when your body thinks you should be sleeping and fasting, your cells become more resistant to insulin. That means eating a large meal at night can cause high blood sugar, fat accumulation and insulin resistance over time. It can even put you at risk for Type 2 diabetes! But remember – this goes back to the food choices you’re making. If you’re eating highly processed and sugary foods, then your hormones are more likely to be affected. But if you’re eating healthier options, your blood sugar won’t rise as much and you won’t run into these problems.

Also, eating high fat meals and snacks at night can disrupt your sleeping patterns and even make you crave more food the next day! The best option is to stop eating 1.5 to 2 hours before going to bed. This will allow your body to digest food before lying down and decrease the risk of discomfort and hindered sleep.

Conclusion?

The myth that eating at night will make you fat is just another restriction that people put on themselves in order to reach their weight loss goals! Many of these restrictions are unnecessary and will actually cause more harm than good. No wonder people hate dieting! I mean, who doesn’t want to eat at night? Why put that limit on yourself when you don’t need to? No matter what, always listen to your body for hunger cues. If you’re truly hungry, then eat – just eat smart! Going to bed hungry will cause you to have low blood sugar levels and crazy cravings, which also isn’t healthy. The key is to choose a combo of healthy carbs and fats to satisfy your hunger throughout the night, without raising blood sugar. Apples with peanut butter, mashed avocado, or carrots and guac are perfect options. These snacks will stabilize your blood sugar, help you maintain a healthy weight and aid in a good night of sleep. What matters most is consistency, balance and finding an eating habit that you enjoy.

Do you eat a lot at night? Do you think it’s because you’re actually hungry or for some other reason like out of habit or boredom?

RESOURCES:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3263249.stm

http://time.com/3020266/you-asked-will-eating-before-bed-make-me-fat/

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/06/26/will-eating-at-night-really-make-you-gain-weight

Is “Metabolic Damage” a real thing?

 

Hey guys!

Most people start off on an innocent health and fitness journey wanting to lose some weight and tone up a little bit. You start changing your diet, eating less food, and exercising more. You start to see results! Weight loss! It gets exciting. You feel “happier” and you get motivated to keep going! And you think you can keep going forever.

BUT, did you know that after you restrict calories for so long, your body becomes tired, you’re hungrier, you’re crankier, and you’re more likely to plateau?

It’s frustrating to hit a plateau because the thing that once motivated you to push harder (the constant leaning out of your physique) is no longer happening. So what’s the normal reaction? You start cutting even MORE calories an exercising harder and longer. I mean, it worked before right? So why can’t it work now? Then the cycle begins again. You lose a pound or two and you’re happy. But then…it stalls. AGAIN.

This time you’re hungrier than ever and your energy levels plummet drastically. UGH! What’s going on?! You’re doing everything “right”. Dieting, exercising. WHY does this keep happening? Why isn’t my body changing?

Then, you start to realize that something isn’t right. You aren’t fueling your body with enough nutrients to function properly. I mean, you’re HUNGRY and tired all the time – so that’s not a good sign! So, you start eating “normal-healthy” again. It’s not like you’re eating junk food all day erry day. But you’re not eating 1000 calories a day of just vegetables and protein. You find that you’re reacting weird to food. You become bloated. Gassy even. You may become irritable, constipated, and your sleeping habits are unnatural.

Why is all this happening? Well, when you push your body so far through diet and exercise, you experience something called adaptive thermogenesis, the fancy term for “metabolic damage”. Basically, this means that your body is adjusting to the low calories that you have been feeding it. As a result, you can’t expend as much energy because your body is holding onto those calories. The reason why your body does this is because it is a human survival reaction. Back in the day, our ancestors had to hunt and gather food. A meal was not guaranteed. So in order to survive, they could not spend more energy than they consumed. This means that they could not keep burning excessive calories if they could not find something to eat! If they kept doing this, they would shrivel away and die. Our ancestors were NOT worried about weight loss. They ate to live!

Because there are too many debating schools of thought on what “damage” actually means, I am going to now refer to this condition as “metabolic disruption” for the sake of clarity in our conversation. In my personal experience, metabolic disruption exists. I endured it and eventually, I healed from it. It took me 3 years, but I dug myself out.

 Here’s a vlog I just filmed sharing my metabolic disruption story with you.

This all happened to me while I was preparing for my bikini competition. Advised by my trainer, I was put on this crazy diet – only eating about 1000-1200 calories a day and working out for about 4 HOURS every single day. 1000-1200 calories is NOT enough energy to sustain such an intense workout routine – I was weight lifting, doing cardio, HIIT, and teaching POP Pilates classes. My calories came from vegetables and protein mainly. I wasn’t allowed fruit, grains, or fat sources. I became SO tired and irritable. Some days I literally had no energy to do anything. I would just fall asleep. My mind was foggy and I couldn’t concentrate. So, for 8 to 10 weeks I endured this crazy plan, I did the bikini competition with my new, lean body, and then I decided to go back to “normal-healthy.”

I decided to introduce a variety of foods back into my diet, like brown rice, quinoa and different types of protein – not just chicken breast and tilapia. I’m talking salmon people! Salmon.

Well let me tell you, my body did NOT like that. My body acted like a sponge. SOAKING EVERYTHING UP.

For the next 3 years, I gradually gained weight. And there was nothing I could do to stop it. During this time, I was STILL working out really hard for about 1 hr a day like a normal healthy person! But my body just didn’t respond. It backfired and rebelled instead! It was seriously so frustrating because in my mind, I was doing everything right. Diet + exercise should = weight loss or at least maintenance. But because of the damage and stress that I put on my body during that bikini prep, my hormones changed…in a bad way.

Cortisol, the stress hormone, increases when you significantly lower your calories, over-exercise and/or don’t have enough sleep. And cortisol plays a role in increasing abdominal fat! Even more specifically, LOWER BELLY FAT. AHH. This stress also decreases leptin, the hormone that controls your appetite. So, you feel EXTRA hungry all the time and it’s likely that you may crave those carby, high-fat foods. That’s EXACTLY what happened to me!

Beyond the scientific reasons for my weight gain, it was very much a psychological game. When I was dieting like crazy, I was labelling food as “good” and “bad”. I felt like I was trapped in food jail.

But you know what happens when you start labelling food as bad? You start craving everything you CAN’T HAVE, even if you never liked it to begin with! All I wanted for some reason was cereal and bread! I honestly never cared too much for those things before. And now, they were controlling me.

It even got so bad that I would look at a banana and think “OMG, it’s going to make me so fat.” I feared bananas for crying out loud.

Metabolic damage doesn’t just happen to people who do bikini competitions. It happens to anyone who puts themselves through extreme dieting and exercise routines. Now listen up, I don’t want to scare you. Just because you see a plateau in weight loss and experience increased hunger, THIS DOES NOT MEAN you have metabolic disruption or adaptive thermogenesis.

Metabolic disruption includes many more severe symptoms:

-You literally cannot lose weight

-You become extremely bloated and “puffy” when you eat certain foods

-You become depressed and irritable

-You experience many digestive issues

-Exhaustion

-Difficulty concentrating

-Hormonal dysfunction – lower levels of leptin and higher levels of cortisol

-Loss of motivation

-Problems sleeping

-Loss of libido

-Amenorrhea (women will stop menstruating)

-You are cold all the time

So, what do you do if you feel like something’s not right?

It’s the simplest answer. REST. RELAX.

You need to sleep. Strive for about 8 hrs a day, so that you body an recalibrate itself.

You need to stop restricting calories.

You need to stop over-exercising.

Look, I know this sounds weird. I know you won’t want to do it. And I know you may think that you’ll turn into a lump of a potato if you do this, but you won’t. Because that’s what I did, and it worked for me. Unfortunately, I resisted for 2 years as I slowly gained weight. It was a torturous time for me mentally. But in the 3rd year, I decided to just eat whatever I wanted and not work out as much and my body started to recalibrate. I allowed myself to relax.

Then a mind shift happened.

I realized, why the heck am I so concerned about my physique when really, I should be concentrating on working out because it makes me happy! And eating food because it makes me energized!

When I stop focusing on the skinny and started focusing on the strong, I started to see results again. This was the inspiration that propelled the birth of PIIT28 – the Pilates Intense Interval Training program that I do every single day. It’s what I look forward to because it makes me a happier, healthier, sharper and more invinceable person. And why wouldn’t I want to do something that makes me feel that way?? And the best part is, it’s only 28 min and 40 sec a day.

If you want to hear more details of my personal story, please watch my video above!

I hope you learned a lot from this post. I used to get mad that I wasted a few years of my life worrying about weight gain. But now, I understand why it happened. It happened for a reason. I am meant to share my story with you to help you find your joy in health again.

 

 

RESOURCES

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673773/

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/88/4/906.full

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v34/n1s/full/ijo2010184a.html

Is “Metabolic Damage” is real thing?

Hey guys!

Most people start off on an innocent health and fitness journey wanting to lose some weight and tone up a little bit. You start changing your diet, eating less food, and exercising more. You start to see results! Weight loss! It gets exciting. You feel “happier” and you get motivated to keep going! And you think you can keep going forever.

BUT, did you know that after you restrict calories for so long, your body becomes tired, you’re hungrier, you’re crankier, and you’re more likely to plateau?

It’s frustrating to hit a plateau because the thing that once motivated you to push harder (the constant leaning out of your physique) is no longer happening. So what’s the normal reaction? You start cutting even MORE calories an exercising harder and longer. I mean, it worked before right? So why can’t it work now? Then the cycle begins again. You lose a pound or two and you’re happy. But then…it stalls. AGAIN.

This time you’re hungrier than ever and your energy levels plummet drastically. UGH! What’s going on?! You’re doing everything “right”. Dieting, exercising. WHY does this keep happening? Why isn’t my body changing?

Then, you start to realize that something isn’t right. You aren’t fueling your body with enough nutrients to function properly. I mean, you’re HUNGRY and tired all the time – so that’s not a good sign! So, you start eating “normal-healthy” again. It’s not like you’re eating junk food all day erry day. But you’re not eating 1000 calories a day of just vegetables and protein. You find that you’re reacting weird to food. You become bloated. Gassy even. You may become irritable, constipated, and your sleeping habits are unnatural.

Why is all this happening? Well, when you push your body so far through diet and exercise, you experience something called adaptive thermogenesis, the fancy term for “metabolic damage”. Basically, this means that your body is adjusting to the low calories that you have been feeding it. As a result, you can’t expend as much energy because your body is holding onto those calories. The reason why your body does this is because it is a human survival reaction. Back in the day, our ancestors had to hunt and gather food. A meal was not guaranteed. So in order to survive, they could not spend more energy than they consumed. This means that they could not keep burning excessive calories if they could not find something to eat! If they kept doing this, they would shrivel away and die. Our ancestors were NOT worried about weight loss. They ate to live!

Because their are too many debating schools of thought on what “damage” actually means, I am going to now refer to this condition as “metabolic disruption” for the sake of clarity in our conversation. In my personal experience, metabolic disruption exists. I endured it and eventually, I healed from it. It took me 3 years, but I dug myself out.

 Here’s a vlog I just filmed sharing my metabolic disruption story with you.

This all happened to me while I was preparing for my bikini competition. Advised by my trainer, I was put on this crazy diet – only eating about 1000-1200 calories a day and working out for about 4 HOURS every single day. 1000-1200 calories is NOT enough energy to sustain such an intense workout routine – I was weight lifting, doing cardio, HIIT, and teaching POP Pilates classes. My calories came from vegetables and protein mainly. I wasn’t allowed fruit, grains, or fat sources. I became SO tired and irritable. Some days I literally had no energy to do anything. I would just fall asleep. My mind was foggy and I couldn’t concentrate. So, for 8 to 10 weeks I endured this crazy plan, I did the bikini competition with my new, lean body, and then I decided to go back to “normal-healthy.”

I decided to introduce a variety of foods back into my diet, like brown rice, quinoa and different types of protein – not just chicken breast and tilapia. I’m talking salmon people! Salmon.

Well let me tell you, my body did NOT like that. My body acted like a sponge. SOAKING EVERYTHING UP.

For the next 3 years, I gradually gained weight. And there was nothing I could do to stop it. During this time, I was STILL working out really hard for about 1 hr a day like a normal healthy person! But my body just didn’t respond. It backfired and rebelled instead! It was seriously so frustrating because in my mind, I was doing everything right. Diet + exercise should = weight loss or at least maintenance. But because of the damage and stress that I put on my body during that bikini prep, my hormones changed…in a bad way.

Cortisol, the stress hormone, increases when you significantly lower your calories, over-exercise and/or don’t have enough sleep. And cortisol plays a role in increasing abdominal fat! Even more specifically, LOWER BELLY FAT. AHH. This stress also decreases leptin, the hormone that controls your appetite. So, you feel EXTRA hungry all the time and it’s likely that you may crave those carby, high-fat foods. That’s EXACTLY what happened to me!

Beyond the scientific reasons for my weight gain, it was very much a psychological game. When I was dieting like crazy, I was labelling food as “good” and “bad”. I felt like I was trapped in food jail.

But you know what happens when you start labelling food as bad? You start craving everything you CAN’T HAVE, even if you never liked it to begin with! All I wanted for some reason was cereal and bread! I honestly never cared too much for those things before. And now, they were controlling me.

It even got so bad that I would look at a banana and think “OMG, it’s going to make me so fat.” I feared bananas for crying out loud.

Metabolic damage doesn’t just happen to people who do bikini competitions. It happens to anyone who puts themselves through extreme dieting and exercise routines. Now listen up, I don’t want to scare you. Just because you see a plateau in weight loss and experience increased hunger, THIS DOES NOT MEAN you have metabolic disruption or adaptive thermogenesis.

Metabolic disruption includes many more severe symptoms:

-You literally cannot lose weight

-You become extremely bloated and “puffy” when you eat certain foods

-You become depressed and irritable

-You experience many digestive issues

-Exhaustion

-Difficulty concentrating

-Hormonal dysfunction – lower levels of leptin and higher levels of cortisol

-Loss of motivation

-Problems sleeping

-Loss of libido

-Amenorrhea (women will stop menstruating)

-You are cold all the time

So, what do you do if you feel like something’s not right?

It’s the simplest answer. REST. RELAX.

You need to sleep. Strive for about 8 hrs a day, so that you body an recalibrate itself.

You need to stop restricting calories.

You need to stop over-exercising.

Look, I know this sounds weird. I know you won’t want to do it. And I know you may think that you’ll turn into a lump of a potato if you do this, but you won’t. Because that’s what I did, and it worked for me. Unfortunately, I resisted for 2 years as I slowly gained weight. It was a torturous time for me mentally. But in the 3rd year, I decided to just eat whatever I wanted and not work out as much and my body started to recalibrate. I allowed myself to relax.

Then a mind shift happened.

I realized, why the heck am I so concerned about my physique when really, I should be concentrating on working out because it makes me happy! And eating food because it makes me energized!

When I stop focusing on the skinny and started focusing on the strong, I started to see results again. This was the inspiration that propelled the birth of PIIT28 – the Pilates Intense Interval Training program that I do every single day. It’s what I look forward to because it makes me a happier, healthier, sharper and more invinceable person. And why wouldn’t I want to do something that makes me feel that way?? And the best part is, it’s only 28 min and 40 sec a day.

If you want to hear more details of my personal story, please watch my video above!

I hope you learned a lot from this post. I used to get mad that I wasted a few years of my life worrying about weight gain. But now, I understand why it happened. It happened for a reason. I am meant to share my story with you to help you find your joy in health again.

 

 

RESOURCES

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673773/

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/88/4/906.full

http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v34/n1s/full/ijo2010184a.html

April 2016 Workout Calendar!

Click to print!

Hey guys!

Here is your new April 2016 Workout Calendar!

This month is going to be exciting for a couple reasons…

It’s the anniversary of Hot Body Year Round! WHATTTTT!!!! I cannot believe it’s been a year since the book tour. And guess what? Now the book comes in 3 languages! English, French and German! So crazy! Thank you guys for your support….from all around the world!

The original cover!

The French cover!

The German cover!

The new exclusive App video is a bit crazy. It’s called Tricep Trifecta and basically, in just 3 movements, your triceps will die. You can get this video when you sign up for the calendar subscription in the Blogilates Official App.

Download for iPhone (free) | Download for Android (free)

SOMETHING BIG IS COMING APRIL 19th. OOOOOOOH yes. I want you to follow @blogilatesdesigns to find out. We will be dropping hints all the way to the big day!

So there you go guys! I hope you love the new calendar – the flower background is actually a pic from some bougainvilleas in my backyard. We had a good time playing around with colors to make it look edgy. Have a fantastic month of April! See you on YouTube!

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PIIT28 1.0 ROUND 1 Transformations!

Hey guys!

Soooo to celebrate the conclusion of PIIT28 1.0 and The 28 Day Reset, round 1…I am posting a mirror selfie in a sports bra! *GASP* I rarely ever wear clothes that show off my mid section because, to be honest, I’m very self-conscious of it! Growing up chubby, then losing a ton of weight for my Bikini Competition back in 2012, then gaining all of it back the few years following the competition put my body in a very bad stage of metabolic disruption. (I was eating close to 1000 cals a day and working out 4+ hrs a day during the comp prep.) You can watch my video on “Why I Will NEVER Diet Again” here. No matter what I ate or how I worked out, I would gain weight constantly. I’m talking eating a salad and doing HIIT vs eating a pizza and watching TV. Same results. In fact, sometimes, the pizza would make me lose weight. It was weird and incredibly frustrating. My body just wasn’t working for me anymore. I felt like it was working against me.

So, a year and a half ago, I started developing the beginnings of what would eventually become PIIT28. Tired from all of my travels and strapped for time, I put working out as a last priority. It sounds crazy (especially as a fitness instructor) but I was just so upset! I wanted to stop it all! Nothing I did seemed to work, so it was incredibly unmotivating. But…I noticed that I was also unhappier.

And that’s something I can’t accept – whether or not I have abs showing through.

I was determined to find a solution to find my JOY in exercise again. I paired together my 2 loves, Pilates and HIIT and created PIIT – Pilates Intense Interval Training. It was so intense that I knew under half an hour would do it if I went full max effort.

Slowly but surely, my body started changing. Tiny tiny things that only I could see, but it was SO SATISFYING to be able to dig myself out of this 3 year plateau. I personally tested all moves and routines over and over to make sure they would be safe, fun, and of course, effective for myself and for you guys. The truth is, I needed PIIT28 more than anyone. And I am SO HAPPY and SO PROUD that I gave my body time to heal. Because now, everything is working again :) But more importantly, I am HAPPY and I am STRONG.

So many POPsters (or shall I say PIITsters!?) dared to endure the fury of PIIT28 1.0 with me when I released my program in March. And now, I have some REALLY COOL results to share with you guys after just 28 days of working out 28 min and 40 sec a day! I am so impressed by everyone’s dedication! Some girls did PIIT28 1.0 alone and some did The 28 Day Reset too, which was co-written with the Blogilates Exec Chef and Head of Nutrition, Erin Woodbury.

Now…get ready for some serious inspiration before we head off into Round 2 of PIIT28 1.0 on April 1st!

Meet Ilinca, @frostykitten

“Final day of #PIIT28 and #PIITSTAGRAM! Wow what a trip it’s been!

I never thought I’d be able to shed all this weight that’s accumulated from all the bad eating and lack of cardio, but here we are. I’ve lost weight before, but I’ve never had so many people tell me they notice a big change in my appearance. I’ve never had people go out of their way to compliment my body. I always thought I’d just be a bit chubby and that was OK. I learned to accept that.

I started this workout series not because I wanted to lose weight, but because I wanted to support Cassey and her hard work and improve my health. I truly never expected such big change and I can honestly say I look forward to round 2…and 3 and 4 and however many rounds there will be!

I love looking in the mirror and seeing myself as a strong person. I see muscles I never thought I’d see and definition I never knew was possible for my body.

But most importantly, piit taught me that there’s always time and energy for a 30 min workout and that to me is the biggest success because if I don’t workout consistently I have to endure health issues that so far have only been prevented or avoided by working out.

Thank you Cassey for such an amazing workout plan and not to mention amazing meal plan! I’m always well fed and my cravings are nonexistent. #piitprincess for life!”

Meet Brina, @fitbribri

“Last day of #piit28 is here! I’ve noticed huge changes in my body. My abs are tighter, my waist is smaller, my arms are stronger, and my confidence has improved! In terms of abs, mine were probably looking better last week since I’ve been a bit bloated recently, but looking at these two pictures side-by-side is so encouraging! I can’t believe that I’ve improved so much in only 28 days! I’ve lost around 10 lbs since I first starting working out in January and I’m down maybe 5 lbs from Cassey’s program. Now it’s time to gain it all back in muscle!”

Meet Jordan, @popster_jordan

Day 28: The last day of PIIT. How bittersweet. I have accomplished so much in these last 28 days and my journey is far from over, this is only the beginning. I can see a difference in myself. I have lost 13 lbs and 15.5 total inches, but I have gained much more than that. I have gained better posture, a happier mood, huge confidence in myself, a new found love of my body and deep appreciation for what I am capable of doing. I know I have a ways to go but PIIT gave me the tools and the courage to keep going. PIIT gave me my life back! I finished #PIIT28 and I am a #piitprincess!

Meet Katie, @katie.piit28

“Today is the final day of the challenge! This past month really has flown by. I’m so surprised by my results, especially since I wasn’t following a meal plan or counting macros or anything. I tried to mostly eat clean, but I would have a couple treat meals a week (still all vegan though). I feel so much stronger and am able to do better at each workout. I plan to restart the program from the beginning. Who else is restarting the program? .

How to Make a Happy Bowl!

Hey guys!

I am super excited to share with you a recipe that I have been making for YEARS now ever since I moved down to LA. It’s my Happy Bowl! This is a version of a macrobiotic bowl which follows the macrobiotic diet. So…what does that mean?

Macrobiotics is about balancing yourself with the natural world so that you can bring peace, a healthy well-being and balance to your own life! Believers of the Macrobiotic way of eating boast that it can make you live longer and help you avoid illnesses. Whether or not this has been scientifically proven, I CAN tell you from personal experience that I rarely ever get sick – maybe once every few years if there’s someone sick in the office – and it’s because of the way I eat.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates

Ready to make your own Happy Bowl? Here are the percentages that you should follow:

Veggies should make up about 60% of the bowl. 

Whole grains should make up about 30% of the bowl.

Beans, soy protein or sea vegetables should make up about 10% of the bowl.

Fermented food (for the probiotics) should also be added on top.

 

Yield: 1

Serving Size: 1 big bowl

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 cup cauliflower florets (round element)

Pinch sea salt

1/4 cup black beans or garbanzo beans, drained

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1 large handful of kale leaves (leafy element)

1/2 small yellow onion

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pinch sea salt

2 tablespoons sauerkraut (fermented element)

Handful of spring greens

1 carrot, peeled into ribbons

1/4 cup red bell pepper

1 green onion, chopped

Dressing:

3 tablespoons coconut milk

1 tablespoon roasted, salted almond butter (or tahini)

1-2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or soy sauce alternative)

1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Pinch stevia

Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay out potatoes and spray the tops. Sprinkle with salt. Place in oven for 10 minutes.

2. Pull the baking sheet out and add the cauliflower to the baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt, and return to oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven.

3. Massage kale leaves with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt until tender.

4. Coat a small nonstick pan with cooking spray and add the onions. Sauté for 5-6 minutes or until caramelized. Deglaze the pan with drops of water as needed.

5. Assemble the bowl by filling the bottom of a medium-sized bowl with spring lettuce. Lay down the beans, kale, quinoa, sweet potato cubes, cauliflower, onions, and sauerkraut. Garnish with carrot, bell pepper and green onion.

6. In a small glass bowl, stir together the dressing ingredients. Microwave for 25 seconds and stir, or prepare stovetop. Drizzle on top and serve.

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 522 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 79g | Fiber: 17g | Net Carbs: 62g

Why I Don’t Step on Scales

Hey guys!

I’ve told you before that I don’t weigh myself because the number on the scale doesn’t hold that much value to me. Plus, there are other more reliable ways to measure my progress!

For some people, stepping on the scale can be a healthy way to stay motivated and on track in the weight loss journey. But for others it can become a problem.

An obsession.

Think about it, are you someone who steps on the scale, and the number dictates your mood for the day? (In fact, I admit that I’ve been that person for years.) THAT IS NOT GOOD. Why?

Well, for one, a number should not determine how you feel about yourself! And secondly, did you know that your weight naturally fluctuates due to many reasons that have NOTHING to do with ACTUALLY gaining unhealthy weight?

For example…

How long ago you last ate  – Did you finish eating yesterday around 7pm or did you have a later dinner at 10pm? This can cause a change in your weight the next morning, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you GAINED unhealthy weight overall.
The time you weigh yourself – most of us are much lighter in the morning versus at night after we’ve eaten breakfast, lunch, and dinner! So if you want an accurate reading, weigh yourself at the same time each day. It’s just food weight!
Water retention – Maybe you consumed a little more sodium than normal and that’s causing your body to hold water weight (which will go away over time).
Dehydration – When you don’t drink water, you are omitting extra potential weight from your body. But purposefully taking out water from your diet just to make the scale move down is a bad idea. You will begin to feel thirsty, weak, and unfocused quickly before it becomes a larger medical problem.
Illness – When you’re sick, you tend to eat less because it’s hard to hold down food, therefore making you weigh less.

Is it really necessary to weigh yourself so much? Really what we should be concerned with is the accumulation of body FAT. Not just body weight. ‘Cuz…

More realistic ways to measure your progress after starting a workout program:

1. How are your energy levels?

Assess yourself. Tune into your body. Do you have more energy? Not only with your workouts, but also in daily life? Do you notice daily chores becoming easier? Walking up those stairs becomes a breeze. Being physically active actually INCREASES your energy levels and leaves you feeling motivated in all aspects of life. There is no way the scale can measure that!

2. How do you feel emotionally?

Are you happier? More confident? Higher self-esteem? You’ve been working hard for your goals, and because of that you will notice an increase in happiness and becoming more comfortable in your own skin. There’s no greater satisfaction than FEELING amazing.

3. How are your clothes fitting?

Are your clothes getting a little bit looser? Or maybe your jeans are fitting a little bit better from those squat gains? Do you feel more confident in your favorite dress? Even if the number on the scale doesn’t change (or even goes up) your body is still changing in a good way! Remember that the scale doesn’t know the difference between fat and muscle. You may be leaning out AND building muscle at the same time, and the scale can’t recognize that.

Take a look at the pic below. I’m holding 5 lbs of muscle and 5 lbs of fat. Muscle does not weigh more than fat. 5 lbs is 5 lbs. Muscle just takes up a lot less space for the same weight!

4. Progress Pics!

Progress pics are one of my favorite ways to assess physical changes. Before you start a new workout routine or change in diet, take a pic of yourself. A full-body picture – you don’t have to show anyone. It may be uncomfortable at that time, but just think about how amazing it will feel to look back at the old picture and compare it to where you’re at today. There’s nothing more motivating than your own before and after picture!

Read Veen’s Transformation Story

5. Body Fat Percentages!

If you’re the type that likes numbers, then paying attention to your body fat percentage is a much more reliable way to measure progress towards a lean body. Here are some accurate ways to measure your body fat:

Bod Pod – Uses air displacement to measure your body mass, volume, and density. About $75 a session.
DEXA Scan – Takes a full X-ray of your body composition and gives you a bunch of cool numbers. I did this once and my body fat % turned out to be about higher than what I thought it was. About $50-$150 a session.

What does body fat say about you? Well here’s a chart from The American Council of Exercise (ACE) that explains this to us:

Not sure what that looks like? This may help:

I consistently stay around the “Fitness” range, but have gotten down to the mid “Athlete” level before. These pictures are fairly accurate in my experience. Do you think you could pick your body fat percentage by looking at these pics? Of course, body fat can look so different on everyone just based on how it is distributed on you!

Personally, I don’t really like calipers or those scales with the body fat calculators on them because they really can be so inaccurate. But also keep in mind that the 2 methods I listed above can also fluctuate between one another. So if you’re trying to rely on it, then just use one type of way throughout your progression.

Also…be cautious and don’t let body fat percentage rule your life either. Sure, it’s a more reliable number for leanness, but leanness isn’t everything!! A number should never ever control your mood. If you have enough self confidence to understand that, then good, you can handle scales, Bod Pods, and measuring tape. But if you know those things even have a chance at controlling you, don’t let them. Dismiss those tools from your life and focus on what matters…how you FEEL!

 

Keep training hard, eating clean, and being happy! That’s the biggest reward of all.

Does Eating Fat make you…Fat?

Hey guys!

The world of nutrition changes every single day…and it seems that what our moms once taught us about how to eat healthy no longer rings true! They grew up in a world where low fat foods, bread and cereal, and tons of cardio were promises for a healthier, sexier body. This was the food pyramid many of us were taught in elementary school:

Look familiar? Just recently, that entire 90’s pyramid has been turned on it’s head. In fact…the USDA no longer advises Americans to eat 6-11 servings of bread, cereal, rice and pasta a day. According to the new 2015-2020 dietary guidelines, we should be making HALF our plate fruits and veggies and half of our grains, WHOLE GRAINS!

choosemyplate.gov

The old pyramid also taught us to avoid fat and oil as much as we could in order to be “healthy”. But is that true?

Recently, I’ve been adding in more healthy fats into my diet and have been feeling full, energized, and happy. I haven’t gained any extra weight, in fact, I think I’ve lost some, but I don’t step on the scale anymore.

Talking with Erin, the new Head of the Blogilates Nutrition Team & our Executive Chef, she totally agrees that fat shouldn’t be getting the bad PR it’s been getting all these years! Phew – glad I’m not the only one who feels this way! So let’s get down to it then…what’s the deal with fat and does fat (the macronutrient) make us fat (around the middle)?

Obviously the extra fat we carry is not healthy and contributes to a whole host of medical issues such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and depression. But fat, the kind we eat as part of our trio of macronutrients (the others being protein and carbs) is a necessary part of our diet. Fat is structurally essential in every single cell in our bodies, not just our booties and thighs! So to begin this discussion, let’s take a look at fat’s highlight reel:

Fats are required in order to properly digest and absorb our fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K.
Fat is a smooth burning type of energy that keeps us fuller longer and it slows food absorption.
You need fat to properly utilize protein, so don’t be afraid to eat that egg yolk with those egg whites.
High quality fat is responsible for managing inflammation in the body. Inflammation can lead to everything from disease to joint pain, so the less you have, the better.
Digesting fat triggers your satiation (fullness) mechanism. This is why low-fat diets never work. Your body is never satisfied without fat, despite the number of calories you ingest.
For the last two decades or so, we were sold a bill of goods that had us believing fat made us fat. It’s part of what still scares some people today. Fat-free foods lined grocery store shelves, and we ate up those skinny-branded cream-filled cookies and BBQ chips with wild abandon because the USDA told us to eat fats sparingly.

The big problem with that logic was that in order to make things taste good without the fat, manufacturer’s had to add sugar, corn syrups and extra carbs into these products, creating highly addictive Franken-foods that ended up making Americans fatter than ever! Why? Because…SPOILER ALERT…fat does not make you fat!! Refined carbs and sugar make you fat and tired and are the culprits for disease.

According to Dr. Mark Hyman, internationally renowned physician and NYT best-selling author, 75% of people who end up in the E.R. with a heart attack actually have NORMAL overall cholesterol levels. What they DO have is pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, which is actually caused by diet and lack of exercise! So…we should be fearing sugar and refined carbs – not fat!

Ok, I know you’re thinking “But which fats are the good fats?” – great question.

We know that getting our food from the earth is a good idea, so let’s start there. The whole food train isn’t going anywhere, and it’s the ride that produces the least amount of controversy, provided it’s organic…but I digress. The fats that come from mother nature will serve us better than those that are processed. Highly processed oils, for example, actually create inflammation in the body. So even though vegetable oils sound healthy (I mean, the word vegetable is right on them), they are anything but!

Steer clear of soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil. The process by which they’re produced, and their chemical makeup, makes them very unhealthy. Avoid trans fats at all cost, but I think that little tidbit is universally understood by now. It’s also not necessary to eliminate all saturated fat either. I know-scary thought right?! We’ve been told that saturated fat leads to heart disease for years and years. But yes, doctors and the government CAN be wrong, which is why it’s all changing, and we need to climb aboard.

Here are the best of the best fats and why you need them ASAP!

Avocado: higher in potassium than bananas, loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, high in fiber and they can DECREASE your bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the good (HDL).
Nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans & macadamia): Helps blood sugar control plus they contain a little protein, fiber, Omega 3’s and 6’s.
Seeds (pumpkin, hemp, chia, flax, sesame): Protein, fiber, anti-inflammatory, vitamins, calcium plus Omegas.
Olive oil: Lowers risk of heart disease, benefits insulin levels, anti-inflammatory.
Coconut (oil, butter and dried): Can increase calorie expenditure, kills hunger, boosts brain function.
Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel): These are rich in Omega 3’s, which many people are deficient in. It’s recommended we get 250-500 mg of combined EPA and DHA per day.
Organic meats: less inflammatory than regularly raised meats.

So…I challenge you to give fat a try and see how you feel! Comment below if you used to be a fat-phobic like so many of us, me included! Let me know if adding in some nuts on your salads, avocado in your wraps, eating the whole egg and cooking in coconut oil instead of cooking spray leaves you feeling fuller longer. You might even notice a boost in mood, a trimmer tummy and more glowing skin. Because YESSSSS, those are even more of the scientifically proven happy side effects of our friend, fat :)

 

 

 

RESOURCES:

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/dietary-guidelines

https://authoritynutrition.com/top-13-nutrition-lies-that-made-the-world-sick-and-fat/

http://drhyman.com/blog/2016/01/29/why-oil-is-bad-for-you/

http://drhyman.com/blog/2016/01/08/why-fat-doesnt-make-you-fat/

Happy Hard Core Abs, Nightmares, and a new website!?

Hey guys!

Happy Monday! Hope you had a lovely weekend. I decided to take the weekend to ACTUALLY rest this time. I cooked a bunch…made some healthy chicken pho (I used shredded cabbage and sauteed onions instead of vermicelli noodles so that it would still work within my 28 Day Reset meal plan), I made chili, and also curried chicken salad! It felt sooooo good to just listen to podcasts and cook. Been getting my PIIT28 on daily, feeling strong, and feeling very refreshed and relaxed.

The only thing that has been bothering me lately are my dreams. I have no idea why but I’ve been having nightmares every night and then I wake up at 4am consistently. They are very dark dreams too – I’m usually fighting for my life or trying to escape from predators or something. It’s odd too because I would say I’ve been more relaxed than usual and I have been getting more sleep than usual. I don’t feel stressed at work at all…so it’s peculiar. Anyone have an inkling as to why this may be happening?

Anyway, here is your new Monday video! I decided it was time to switch things up and hit you with some never before seen abdominal exercises! You ready for Happy Hard Core Abs? It may make you a little unhappy to begin with…but promise you will be smiling when you’re done!

Also! Did you have a chance to try Quick Cardio Booty Blast yet? This one is a KILLER that only takes a few minutes to complete. Give it a shot and challenge yourself! It’s kind of like a PIIT dance on the mat. You’ll love it.

 

Also guys…there will be a huge update coming to this blog soon. A whole new look and a whole new way of navigating! We’ve been working on the design for over a year now and we cannot wait to debut it to you! I am hoping to release the new look sometime this month. Not sure when…but soon!

Ah, and speaking of updates…there is a new Blogilates App update! You can now SAVE YOUR WORKOUTS in the Workout Timer! For those of you who do HIIT or PIIT28 workouts, you know that this feature is LIFE.

And if you don’t have the app yet, well what’s holding you back? It’s free to download!!! (The timer is a one time in-app purchase though!) Go download the Blogilates App on the Apple App Store or in the Google Play Store!

To everyone working hard and killing it – whether you’re doing PIIT28 1.0 or the Blogilates Workout Calendar – super proud of you for taking it way past January. You’re showing me that you’re motivated and in it for life.