Feeling So Guilty About Food

Feeling So Guilty About Food

Hey guys!

Have you ever felt like being on a diet was like being grounded, and if you snuck out and had an “off limits” snack you would feel so bad as if you had ruined everything?

diet jail

I can guarantee that anyone that has been on any type of a restricted plan has felt this “food guilt.” So, I want to take the time today to talk a bit about this type of shame that hinders our progress and creates a backwards understanding of healthy living.

From personal experience, I know what it feels like to screw up a “perfect diet.” You’re on a low calorie no carb meal plan that allows no soda, fried things, or white things…all is going well and veggies with lean protein are your best friend…until you get invited to a friend’s birthday party and you HAVE TO GO. You’re afraid. It’s not that you don’t want to hang out with your gals…it’s just that the food that’ll be served will be too tempting. You’ve been so on track and you don’t want this to make you slip.

Oh goodness. What do you do? Maybe try to eat a salad before you go so that you’re full and will eat less. Drink more water so there’s no room for grilled burgers and fried appetizers.

You head to the party, telling yourself to stay strong. All is good until you open the door. And there it is…straight in front of you…that bowl of hot and sultry spinach dip with beautifully arranged crackers lining the plate. You look to the right and there’s alcohol and friends urging you to relax and have a drink with them. You look to the left and the girls just opened up a freshly delivered box of hot Hawaiian pizza. You see that luminous cheese stretch as someone grabs a slice for their plate. A piece of pineapple drops back into the box and all you wish is to just have a taste.

You keep thinking…ughh…they don’t understand what I have to go through. Seeing this food is torture. They’re so lucky that they can eat whatever they want and be skinny. Look at me, working so hard, suffering like this, all I want is a bite. But I can’t. I can’t ruin it now.

But like a fish attracted to a worm on a hook, you can’t stop the force that’s pulling you towards the pizza. You keep swimming and swimming closer. You grab it, bite it, OMG it’s amazing! But before you can even indulge fully, you feel a pit in your stomach. Almost immediately…that guilt settles in and taints your whole body with shame.

I messed up, you think. All that hard work. Gone. Screw it. I’m a failure. Let’s just stuff myself with whatever and start again tomorrow. No point in stopping now. Let the self destruction begin.

do-not-gain-weight-back-strategy-tip-advice-diet-spry

Being on a diet isn’t fun and sometimes it can feel like jail. But if done correctly…changing the way you eat to achieve a healthier lifestyle should be fulfilling, satisfying, and rewarding.

The reason why so many diets fail is because there are so many freaking rules. Too many restrictions and directions that it takes so much effort to stay on track. You know what the problem is? All of these “magic diets” are so focused on calories – grams of carbs – grams of protein – grams of fat – so focused on the mini details. Accounting class was my least favorite in college and I really don’t want to look at my food in terms of checks and balances too! Ahhh!!!

I want to look at food as fuel, not as the enemy. I want it to be something that I look forward to. Something that makes me happy. Something that not only fills my belly but also fills my soul. My body doesn’t run on numbers. It runs on good energy.

Here’s what you can do to break out of food jail and still eat well to lose weight (if that is your goal) or to embrace clean eating:

AVOID DIETS.

What?!

Yeah. The truth is that you are most likely going to gain weight on a diet because you aren’t used to the low calorie/low carb/low fat intake and will get super hungry. As a result, your stomach will secrete a hormone called greleen which will make you even more ravenous! If you like to stay up late and are getting less than 7 hours of sleep, you’re going to be prone to eating more as well. Not because you will have more time to think about food, but because chemically your body will make more leptin which will increase your appetite.

EMBRACE HEALTHY EATING.

Stop with the calorie counting obsession. Stop with the food fear. This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle. And it works. You will lose fat. You will shed any excess weight. Think about this as calibrating your diet and bringing normalcy back into your eating.

– Eat veggies. Lots of veggies. Steam them, bake them, boil them, sautee them. Let veggies rule the bulk of your plate. No veggies are off limits. Have it at every meal.

– Drink more water! This fills you up, helps your system flow better, and will make your skin brighter. You need water to function. HYDRATE.

Those are the two big ones. Now fill the rest of your stomach with lean proteins like chicken, fish, scallop, eggs, tofu, lentils, beans etc. If you’re craving carby things, do whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, buckwheat. And don’t be afraid of fruit! It is good!!! I’d rather you eat fruit than candy bars!!! Plus it has fiber! Fruit is nature’s candy.

Whole, natural foods are amazing. They taste so good. And are so filling in numerous ways.

Diets or meal plans are designed to give you guidance but eating should not make you go crazy! It should not be so complicated and should not be dictated by numbers. TRUST ME. If you eat more veggies and drink more water, everything will fall into place. Stop focusing and obsessing about food and dieting. Put your energy towards eating whole food and paying attention to when you’re hungry and when you’re full. Be conscious and allow your body to function the way it is supposed to.

As for working out, try to sweat daily. Do a workout that’s fun for you but still challenges your muscles. It should get your heart rate up. You should be sore if it’s something new. Switch it up to keep your body working hard. The workout calendars that I switch up every month are perfect.

So the next time you feel super guilty about eating something, step back and assess your situation. If you feel guilty it’s because you feel deprived. Your eating habits aren’t working for you. Also remember that every body is different. What helps someone lose weight may do the exact opposite for you. I ask that you start to be more aware of how your body reacts to certain foods. Eat more of what works and less of what doesn’t. At the end of the day, you will have to be the one to write your own “diet plan”. It takes time. There’s nothing wrong with following someone else’s published plan, but keep in mind that it is ok to alter it. It is ok to bend the rules to fit your needs.

What’s your current “diet” like? Do you struggle with food? I’d love to see your perspective in the comments!

<3 Cassey

 

193 thoughts on “Feeling So Guilty About Food”

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  1. Iwa says:

    I did carbs-limit lifestyle. I ate bread and milk in the morning, for lunch I ate 2 scoops of rice with lots of salad and tomatoes and eggs, sometimes chicken or fish, with spicy sriracha sauce or any gravy that you want and I use 2 eggs to eat omelets at night with some salads and tomatoes. These fills me up. I exercise for 30 – 40 minutes a day. I would have Mcd once a week to satisfy my cravings. Trust me guys, If you add more vegetables and drink more water, your body will change. What you consume, are what you become . Sorry for the bad grammar by the way 🙂

  2. Ivonne says:

    Right now, I’m eating tons of sugar and it’s spiraled out of control. Or at least it feels that way. Even fruit scares me. I dont want to eat bread even though its my favorite. You’re right though eat what is good for your body and soul.

  3. Cassandra says:

    I am recovering from atypical anorexia, so I guess you can say my relationship with food is kinda messed up… At my worst I was underweight, but not underweight enough to be diagnosed with anorexia (they said that I would have to have a BMI lower than 17.5 to meet the criteria – you are underweight at 18.5… So hearing that at BMI 17.9 wasn’t exactly helping). Yet, I have managed to recover a lot – used to walk/run for hours on an increasingly restrictive diet, now I can relax much more and eat more as well. I like doing blogilates for my strenght and I like walking, but running isn’t safe for me so I haven’t started that yet. So happy to be on the path I am, though!

  4. Rochelle Gomez says:

    I need to eat more veggies but its hard cassey . Ill admit , at home no one really eats veggies, but your right i need to do what’s good for my body. Fighting!

  5. Rochelle Gomez says:

    Oh yeah and I try to stay away from dairy cause that’s messes me up good. Lo l but pizza is a weakness 😍🍕

  6. Rochelle Gomez says:

    My diet plan is none really. I just cut back on junk , try to stay away from that evil high fructose corn syrup and red food dye. I try to work out everyday for at least thirty minutes. Honesty I need to eat more veggies and less rice. No soda for me, just water usually. Or tea. Yeah that’s about it

  7. Rochelle Gomez says:

    I know some day soon ill be perfect and be able to enjoy perfect wholesome food so i cut back on things now but still enjoy food. Carpe diem kind of vibes

  8. Rochelle Gomez says:

    Sometimes i feel guilty too but then I remember #Bts #Taehyung says if we just enjoy our food we’ll lose weight because we’re not constantly worrying. And I smile when I remember that and am encouraged to enjoy life

  9. Rochelle Gomez says:

    I love Ice cream and cake and sweets in general and I’m happy to admit it!

  10. Rochelle says:

    Not to sound creepy but your body looks great Cassey! It might not be ” perfect ” but it’s yours and you work hard for it

  11. Ajamjayousi says:

    Casey i did your reset and it felt amazing but i havent really lost weight -i know absolutely not the purpose and it wasnt for me until everyone started asking- but i feel like i still cant control the portions i eat, i eat waaaay too many fruits and waaay too many nuts and i can’t stop myself..

  12. Ro Smith says:

    I have never followed a diet plan, besides being vegetarian. Other than that, I try to eat healthy and as much whole foods as possible. My passion is food. I’m a professional baker, so I LOVE any sort of baked good made with real butter. However, when I bake at home, I substitute as much as I can to make a “naughty” treat a little more healthy using whole wheat flour or other flours like oat, almond, etc. Substitute a lot of fats with coconut oil, applesauce, mashed bananas, or yogurt. I may not be at my ideal weight, but I work on it every day and try not to beat myself up over it. My love of food won’t let me be a size under 7 and that’s okay with me. 🙂

  13. MisaChan93 says:

    I’m so guilty of this too! Although I don’t do diets anymore. I still feel pretty guilty after I have something “bad”. My diet is pretty clean so, I feel like I messed up when I don’t eat something “clean”. The brighter side is, I’m slowly allowing myself to have snacks and binge if I wanted or have 1/2 a pizza. I try to bear in mind that as long as I don’t pig out everyday + workout as hard as I can, everything will turn out fine ♡♡

  14. Naid says:

    I do exactly like you say . I don’t do diets anymore i just changed my habits in eating i eat a lot of boiled veggies with a piece if chicken and I don’t eat carbs anymore and I don’t mind because i’m not that fan of carbs. and i do workouts every day. and the beautiful thing is it affected my husband too and he lost 17 pounds just by eating my healthy cooking.
    I admit i cheat a lot i might eat a burrito and i would have a glass of wine with chips and nuts in Weekends after the kids are asleep but next day i go back and do my workout and fix my eating. And now i’m so happy and satisfied i even reached my goal (122 pounds) after i weighted 173 after my second baby ??

  15. Nicolesavelichev says:

    I do so well not overeating and eating healthy fruits and veggies during the morning and afternoon but once evening hits I go food crazy. I know I’m not hungry but I get cravings for sweets and everything. Then I overeat and feel awful but I have no idea why I feel the need to eat so much before bed!

  16. Jessie says:

    There is this one “diet” that I have tried and it actually is basically saying what your saying! It is called Trim Healthy Mamma and it had desserts, pizza, etc. And it was really good. All the ingredients are really good and it is really good! I don’t know if you have ever seen it or not. It also says if you “cheat” that is okay! Your body bounced back!

  17. Carrie Hirsch says:

    I couldn’t lose weight no matter how much I exercised until I stopped dieting! I stopped restricting calories completely and started just eating until I felt full. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and lean proteins, but I also enjoy desserts and treats whenever I want – which has been less often since I’m not hungry all the time anymore! I’m currently eating almost 3000 calories/day to meet my caloric needs and I’ve lost about 25lbs and I’m down a clothing size. It’s been a slow process, but I feel like it will stick with me for life…because why would I ever start starving myself again?

  18. Abbie Skaines says:

    So true. Food is not your enemy and I believe your body fights the negativity of restriction. I’ve never been successful with it! Finding what works for YOU and YOUR BODY is key!! It’s way too easy to get caught up in “what worked for her”. Learning to listen to your body is so important ???

  19. Flynn says:

    Hi!
    A friend told me about blogilates today and I already love it! I read this after eating way too much Easter chocolate and still having so so much left! I embraced a calorie counting diet/workout regime, which I’ve only managed for about 4 days. I was feeling bad about eating so much bad food! But after reading this I am excited to get back on the wagon and embrace healthy living!

  20. Sara says:

    I struggle with feelings of guilt when I eat. The thing is that I love food, I love both eating it and making it. And that makes me confused, because food is to me a pleasure but it is also my enemy because it makes me gain weight. And even though I am keeping from sugar and carbs plus exercising 5 days a week I am not losing as much weight as I was hoping I would. And that makes me unmotivated. But I guess if I keep up with this lifestyle I will have a breakthrough.

  21. A certain anon says:

    Yes i have trouble with this.. I follow a healthy diet where i eat organic food , only sometimes though (too expensive) , and here how it goes: every morning before breakfast i always drink my warm lemon water, then i wait like 30-35 min before eating breakfast. My breakfast consist of: fruit salad with plain yogurt, and some low carb cereal in it. For lunch i eat chicken salads , sometimes also fruit salad with extra muesli. And thrn dinner i eat like; boiled veggies, tofu, chicken, grilled fish, anything healthy, also less salt. So heres the thing, when im invited to an event like a party, theres always going to be alcohol.. And my its the same thing,! My friends would be like, yeah cmon drink , loosen up blablabla, and im just like. Sigh, its only one day, so i drink alcohol and eat certain food thats not on my diet! Then BAM. Thats when the guilt comes crashing down. In the morning, i get hung over, so i get reallly reallly hungry and crave for like fried stuff and burgers and stuff. (No i didnt get mcdonalds. I dont like mcdonalds. I deteste it. Im a healthy freak like that) anyways so i go to this restaurant where they sell this awesome burger and awesome french fries. And i ate it. For the first time . Yep. And guess what? I felt bad. In my head i was thinking, “why did i eat that? I shouldnt of eaten that. And i shouldnt of drank last night, blablabla” whyyy does this happen? Yes i do have certain cheat days, but those cheat days are like eating one banana cake for celebration. But this? This is bad . I want to be able to not feel guilty when i eat some thing like this after i go out to a party . Please helppp. And also. Do you guys sometimes break your diet when youre around your bestfriends? Because that happens to me alot. Im with my bestfriend and when threy go on a eating spree wheere they eat like everything, i lost it. My will breaks. Please help. I get really guilty and its getting worst 🙁 also, im saying it gets worst because i always have an emotional break down when i get guilty like this. I cry and adk my self, why is it happening and stuff. And i always look into the mirror, and just feel so bad. Pls help. I dont want to feel like this.

    1. Paola Bonilla says:

      I understand your guilt about food. I try to first of all not think of it as a diet but a lifestyle change ( though the change is extreme). Our diets are pretty similar. To me it was initially labeled as a diet but i felt that it was such a bad name. To me a diet is being hungry and not eating because of calories. I’m not like that. If im hungry i eat, i just make better choices.

      Ok back to the guilt. Today for example this spicy pork was calling my name. It was super greasy but i really wanted it instead of my packed dinner at work. So I decided to serve myself maybe 4 big pieces and i ate them. My job feeds us but very greasy meat, so i had to stop eating that. BUT today I craving sugar, so i also had banana milk. I do feel guilty but i don’t want to limit myself too much. The portions were very small and they were enough to satisfy my craving. I went back to my dinner as normal. At the beginning i would feel so guilty to add something not instructed but i felt that it wasnt something realistic to follow. We crave food and sometimes we just have to give in. Just control your portions. The reason i dont have break downs was because i got two comments today at work. After i ate this junk food, two ladies at work told me my legs and face looked slimmer. They also said my skin was glowing. It made my day. I don’t see alot of results in form of pounds but i do see a better me forming. And thats still with my cheat snacks. Don’t feel guilty! I’m sure all the work you put in shows we are just used to seeing the same thing that we don’t notice the subtle differences.

      We fall of the diet well and you know what we do after? We get back on it and don’t regret it because health is important but so is being happy with food. You crave something well eat a little. As for your friends i had a friend visit me abroad and we went sight seeing. for 2 weeks i didn’t “diet” but if i lost the weight once i could do it again and i only gained 3-5 pounds BUT after she left and i went back to normal i dropped that weight in a week so fast i was super surprised. I thought “well i screwed myself over and now its going to be hard to go back” but guess what it wasnt. Plan dates with your friends and keep in mind that it will be a buffet day. After that just get back to normal. don’t give up!! it’s hard and we do get down on ourselves when we stop eating healthy but just keep at it. I noticed that during those 2 weeks i can’t eat certain things because now my body kinda rejects them but otherwise it was great to eat.

      Sorry if i wasnt helpful in the end. But hopefully i gave some hope and motivation. I’m still pushing through to lose more weight even after 2 glorious weeks of food but my weight is now lower than before and all because i kept at it.

  22. Ana says:

    I just found this article… made md feel better about the fact thag I just had one too many chocolate chip cookies. I ran a few sprints and jogged as well today. I workout every day; at least I try. I eat healthy practically every meal.but I’m still doing something wrong… I hate my muffin top and it’s all I think about when I eat something I should not have. I feel guilty and as if I need to go run 5 miles to burn it off. I need to learn seld control and learn to indulge when I deserve it. Right now, I do not deserve any of it, at all.
    Anyway, thank you for this article. I’ll be sleeping better tonight.
    Ana from Miami!

    1. Safia says:

      I totally understand what you’re going through. Just today, I are one more cookie than I wish I should have. It’s like, if I could go back in time and say no, I would. Hindsight is always 20-20, am I right? But who want to live in the past? Enjoy the PRESENT. Maintain a relatively consistent diet. But don’t deny yourself happiness, because let me tell you, it’s not worth it.

  23. ikram says:

    Good diet plan and workout everyday … I was doing pretty well ..
    Today after a HARD GOOD WORKOUT ! ~my mum baught a CHOCOLAT CAKE @.@
    AAAAAAAAAh i couldn’t fight it ..
    I’m feeling really guilty now :'(

  24. Jessie says:

    Hi! I’ve been having so many issues with eating recently. I know that I am not fat but I run track and am trying to stay in shape during winter break when there is no practice, and every time I eat I feel intense guilt. Usually I’m still starving afterwards and go on an eating spree, after which I feel even worse. I get these horrible cravings that won’t go away until I satisfy them and then they usually turn into a craving for something else. I don’t know what to do!!!!!! Will someone please help me?

    1. Naedyne says:

      before you eat, drink water and wait 5 mins. if ur still hungry or craving eat it but take smaller than average then when done drink more water so you wont be able to wat anymore. that is what i do. let me know if it works or not. hope it helps 🙂

    2. Sophie says:

      Read “brain over binge” x

  25. Star says:

    Hi Cassey!! First I wanted to say I love you and everything you do!! I’m a huge fan and have been following your calendars for the past 6 months! Just wanted to let you know there are was an error I noticed while reading your descriptions of leptin and ghrelin. Leptin doesn’t make you hungry, it actually increases satiety and inhibits feeding. Obese individuals are actually resistant to leptin and that is part of the reason why they over eat. Leptin levels drop during starvation or calorie restriction, so this can make it more likely for you to be hungry on a diet. Ghrelin causes the hunger signal, as you explained and it has been shown to be higher during dieting in studies. I just learned this in graduate school and thought you or other posters might be interested to know the correct mechanism of leptin. Just more proof that it’s really not all in your head!! Dieting is hard because of real hormonal changes taking place in the body. Thanks for bringing this to light! 🙂

    1. Star says:

      I meant popsters* hehe oops <3

  26. MimiLee says:

    Anyone else have trouble with food after drinking alcohol? Drinking seems to make me crave bad foods that night and the next day, why is that? Yeast/blood sugar? Hmmm…anyhoo, I really crave carbs, chips, cheese, or fatty foods when I’m drinking/hung over. And by hung over I mean just from a couple glasses of wine, so not huge amounts of alcohol. I eat a diet that is low in starch, even natural starches, because I find that they make me bloat and really gain weight. But this is really hard to maintain long term so I am always ‘failing’ lol. I don’t eat gluten or dairy either and it just gets really hard sometimes. But I look and feel great when I follow my ‘diet’, so I like to maintain it. I may add more beans back into my diet, I had omitted those for a while. Back on the wagon tomorrow! I DO allow myself some cheats/cheat days, and that feels balanced, just struggling with this alcohol issue.

  27. Aliya says:

    Hi Casey,
    Thank you so much for this post, it’s so nice to know other people feel the same way!!!
    You have motivated me so much, and it plan to make a whole lifestyle change with your help.

    It’s funny, but I literally LOVE eating fruit, and even vegetables (though I don’t have them often unfortunately). I would cook them moor but my BIGGEST problem if that not only would I eat this delicious healthy food, I then overheat by eating a full meal that my family makes even though I’m full! So what do I do?! If I eat veggies as well, I’m eating twice as much, and I can’t help it:(
    Sorry, just had to get my own experiences across, and maybe you can help. Thank you again!!!

  28. Juliane says:

    I am really glad that I have reading this. Sometimes I feel like not eating sweet things like chocolate makes me tired. And this is so bad because I feel tired very often. than i think ”something sweet will get you up”. yesterday i was on my friends house and there was this super nice looking chocolate cake. I worked out that day for about 2 hours and I was so tired! So I decided to eat one. At the end I eat 2. I felt so bad but I was so tired.
    But I think I learn everyday something new and I hope that someday I will find love in veggies and more healthy things, like I found love in drinking water.

  29. Ann says:

    Hi cassey! I recently discovered your youtube video and am in love with your workouts! Even though i can’t do most of them fully. I’ve been really struggling with ” guilt eating “…. Not to the point where i force myself to vomit what i just ate out, but whenever I snack on something or eat something delicious-but not that great for my body, i feel really guilty. Most of the time I do not even enjoy eating it anymore…. Which is ridiculous since I’m a food lover. I would love some advice from anybody on how to get over the guilt-eating. I’m 1.63m ( slightly more than 5ft4 ) and weigh 50.5 kg ( 111 1/3 pounds ) which is a good weight. I used to weigh 56 kg at one point but i managed to lose 6 kg just by eating healthier. Now i’m struggling to stop feeling so guilty whenever I eat. I’m worried that my situation may become more serious…. Thanks for the post I feel better now though:) cassey is so inspiring

    1. poli says:

      this is weird but you sound exactly like me – same weight, same height, same guilt – and i am a food lover too. I love to cook meals for my family, I love trying new cuisines. I know that actually I am healthy but I just can’t see myself as anything other than too fat. I haven’t been eating enoguh over the last few days and i know its bad but i feel guilty when i eat anything other than just fruit and vegetables during the day, and then a meal for dinner. I’m kind of scared that i might be developign an eating disorder and I hate feelign this way but I don’t know how to change it. Any advice?

  30. Carry says:

    I have always been thin and very athletic from a young age (i was a gymnast throughout childhood and my teen years). I never had anything close to a “clean” diet. In fact almost EVERYTHING i ate was frozen or processed. Recently I started working a desk job, and my daily activeness took a plummet. My diet finally started catching up to me! I increased my cardio and strength training but I wasn’t seeing real results. So i threw out the processed foods, and started buying fresh fruits, veggies, and produce. I still eat what I want when I have a craving, but my diet foundation is healthy unprocessed foods. This is what works for me, and I finally have my lean athletic body back and the energy to match it!

  31. Sara says:

    i have been on a diet for around 5 years!and not one of those crazy detox diets!all i do is try to avoid all kinds of junk food!bt sometimes it gets too hard to resist!! I used to be overweight bt with a good diet and sweating it out daily i lost a lot of weight!!But that didnt make me happyI luked like someone who had just recovered from a disease!! I know now what the reason was!The wrkout that i did included only cardio and although i thought my diet was proper i didnt include much fruits and veggies in it!!nywayz i managed 2 shed weight but i felt really empty!!and i started giving in to my cravings!!and slowly i started gaining weight again!!i am around 19 lbs overweight nw & i cudnt b sadder!! I am eating clean since forever now and working out 5-6 days a week since de last 2 months bt i dont see much change!!if anybody reads dis,i wud really appreciate some help!! 🙁

  32. Lonely Pinay says:

    Omg this article made me feel so much better.

  33. paving says:

    Good day! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be okay. I’m definitely enjoying your blog and
    look forward to new posts.

  34. Salma Ahmed says:

    Cassey…I Love your workouts sooo much and you always inspire me and make me wanna be healthier and exercise more 🙂 i’m almost 16. I Play Sports: Handball ..I’m not so tall xD 161 cm and between 51 & 52 pounds i tried diet and stuff then i lost about 7 kilos cuz was 58 in da summer ( I was just eating like a pig never been that fat b4 ) And i’mm trying to lose more weight in my legs and inner thighs but it isn’t working can you pleasee tell me what should i do ?? P.S I LOVE YOU SO MUCH !!! 😀

  35. Katrin says:

    Nice post, but I think you meant “ghrelin” instead of greleen, hon. Also, leptin is hunger-supressing and not stimulating. In fact, the body always produces ghrelin and when you’re full leptin is produced to supress the effects of ghrelin on your brain. So, your default state is “hungry” and when leptin is present that state is switched to “not hungry” until all the leptin is used up and you go back to default. Makes sense? Of course, consuming sugar messes with your homonal balance and bypasses your negative feedback loop. But I’m getting totally off topic here 🙂 Maybe you should do a post on the effects of sugar on your liver, pancreas and brain some time….?

  36. Marilou says:

    You have made some decent points there. I checked on the internet for more information
    about the issue and found most individuals will go along
    with your views on this website.

  37. Maria Iqbal says:

    I have struggles with food too. My biggest struggle was when I became anorexic a year ago. But the I got medication and I’m all better now. Today I had donuts for breakfast, but I did Zumba for an hour and felt good. Then I had bread, fruits, and veggies for lunch, and baked chicken and long grained rice for dinner. Healthy, right? My breakfast wasn’t healthy and I felt like I totally screwed up with healthy eating but I burned off all the calories and ate super healthy the rest of the day. And the last time before this morning I had donuts was some time in the winter. I only eat lots of crap once in a while. It’s ok to cheat sometimes. But you have to get right back on track!

    1. Victoria says:

      Awesome! Sounds like your in a better mind set now. 🙂 So proud that you recovered! This message really made me feel better about myself. Thank you. xx

  38. Silvia D says:

    I eat healthy, lots of veggies, and fruits. My average diet is suposed to be perfect, yet I’ve been eating correctly for so long and it doesn’t work anymore. I’m quite frustrated but I’m determined to improve my diet. I’m on a water challenge and I will focus on protein, hoping to boost my metamoblism!

  39. Brittany says:

    Wonderful post. I have been struggling with the same thing. I don’t count each calorie that goes into my mouth, but I do track it all and there are those days where after a particularly indulgent meal I feel like I have derailed all of my hard work. I am slowly learning to feel more comfortable with the balance between what I eat on a regular basis and allowing myself treats. I mean I am not on a diet I am just trying to live healthy, it can just be challenging to wrap your head around the difference sometimes I think.

  40. Alex T. says:

    I’ve started this workout last month. I really want to shrink down at least a little bit for Prom on the 27th (yes, April 27th). I honestly can’t convince myself to go run. Why? It bothers me that some of my best friends are track and cross country stars and I couldn’t even run the mile last month.
    my diet is more or less:
    Breakfast: Fruit Loops w/ Whole Milk or Honey Wheat Toast or Scrambled Egg.
    Lunch: I don’t eat school lunch which really bites me in the butt but I’ve been taking a few packets of fruit snacks which is probably better than nothing.
    When I get home(4:00)/Dinner: Fish Sticks or Macaroni or Ramen.
    I do drinks tons and tons of water all day long- have not drank a single can of soda my whole life. My family doesn’t tend to buy fruits and veggies that often. Its more or less sugary things which I’m trying to steer away from the most. This last holiday season made me gain about 20lbs. And that makes me feel bad since I’m only 5’2″ and weigh nearly 150lbs. My mid section makes me look even shorter and I feel really bad about that because of the way marketing is and how some of the girls at my high school look. My boyfriend is also pretty skinny which doesn’t help with my self-esteem at all. I just want to know how to actually introduce some better foods that I’ve never really eaten much of before.
    Anyone – please help.

    1. Anne says:

      Alex,
      Your diet sounds pretty typical for a girl your age. I definitely would try and eat more of the scrambled eggs for breakfast and try and avoid the frootloops, maybe save the fruitloops as a treat once a week or so. Eating regularly helps a lot. Aim for a small meal or snack every two to three hours. Try and keep it as healthy as possible. I see for dinner you are eating frozen and processed foods, these all contain high amounts of sodium, which is really not good for you. I would try and incorporate some different meal options in there. Maybe trying to get your family on board with eating healthier would help you reach some of your goals a bit easier. Fruits and veggies are important to have in a healthy diet and fruit is great to reach for in place of sweets. I would start making small changes weekly to your diet and not try to do it all at once. Like adding a piece of fruit or a fruit smoothie to your breakfast routine, and adding vegetables to your evening meals. That is a good start. There are frozen vegetables you can get at the grocery store in steam bags that would help make that easier for you to start adding some veggies in there.

  41. Akansha says:

    Thank you so much for this post Cassey. I re-read in as a reminder whenever I’m feeling guilty. It’s unnecessary!

  42. Niamh says:

    This couldn’t have come at a better time Cassey – I’m in a bit of a diet rut!! :/ I was eating VERY healthy (no refined sugars/grains, etc.) consistently from December through February…then I went on a school trip, found it IMPOSSIBLE to eat healthily and so accidentally ended up starving for 4 days (even most restaurant food was not up to scratch!!) As a result, when I returned home, I binged on all kinds of bad stuff – white bread, chocolate, you name it (though not REALLY sugary stuff because I just don’t like that stuff, *fortunately*). I gained 1 stone in about 2 weeks, and although I’m not now eating white bread and processed things, the (dark) chocolate and excessive PB are still tempting me 🙁 I eat ALL DAY and can’t stop, even though 95% of it is healthy. I’m still working out too, so I don’t feel *too* guilty, but it’s the first time I’ve ever been like this – eating for sheer fun/boredom – and it’s frightening!! It’s like I’m a bottomless pit!! Slooowly I’m transitioning into my healthy diet once more – and I LOVE your workout videos!! <3 (a recent discovery) – but it's taking some time. I just love food too much at the moment! 🙁

    1. Sara says:

      Oh I know that “school trip” feeling. It’s none of my buisness, i know, but I’d just like to say that I think you should remind yourself, whenever you have cravings, that food is not the enemy. You can have one meal a week off of your diet plan. And all the rest of the week, while your eating healthy, remind yourself that it will make you so much stronger and healthier, more beautiful form the *inside* and that’s what counts <3 Stay strong <3

  43. maribel says:

    That’s my problem! the only reason I don’t want to go over & eat at other people’s house is because Im going to eat something that I didn’t cook. I don’t know how much oil they used or if they prefer frying their stuff. I try not to let it get to me but it’s hard especially since I lose weight very slowly. Weekends are bad because for some reason I pig out & I think “it’s okay don’t panic, you’ll work 10 x harder this week” but is it really okay? Im glad to know that im not the only one cassey! love your videos. My legs are slimmer & toner & my butt more lifted! thank you & I wish to be like you someday <3

  44. Kimberly says:

    At this very moment I am still struggling with a nasty consequence of strict dieting. Part is psychological, the entire time I was banishing all the “bad foods” and then some (I was alloting myself only 1200 calories a day), I felt like I just couldn’t stop myself in those moments you described, with that environment filled with pizza and peer pressure, and of course worried people urging me to take care of myself because I was looking thin. Those days felt like I just started eating everything and didn’t stop! But somehow I still dropped all the pounds I needed to for the event. I tried to mentally prepare myself for the inevitable weight gain I would see after going back to regular eating. I knew it was unrealistic to maintain that number and size, and actually my goal was to increase my muscle mass a little bit for something in the spring and I strongly urged myself to stay calm and love myself no matter what. But when I saw the new number on the scale just a few weeks ago, I admit it’s been an uphill battle not to obsess over it. Going from waify to buff in such a short period isn’t for the weak lol.
    But worse than that, almost, is the physical effects. I have not been able to find a healthy balance again ever since I went off the diet, my appetite has been full force trying to satisfy every craving I denied myself for three months. I have been way out of control with junk and sugar, and lots of large portions! I convinced myself it was okay to slightly overat because I was trying to buld some muscle, and I have. The 5 extra pounds I’ve seen are all muscle so I don’t worry too much about the scale. My thing right now is just trying to get back off the sugar horse. I never used to want so much and it isn’t like me so just restoring that healthy balance feels like a lot of work to me.

  45. Amber says:

    Thank you for this post Cassie. It’s so easy to get caught up in the “I am sabotaging my health!” With the occasional cupcake, BBQ, or outing. I am saving this post to read on days I am feeling food guilt.

  46. Natalie says:

    I am so in love with your videos/blog!! They are such a blessing to me. I have been in pretty good shape for the last year and a half or so, but I had no sense of direction. I ate what I thought was healthy, when it so obviously wasn’t. I fell for the whole Skinny Cow trap. I did 100 crunches a day and that’s it as far as exercise. I had alright abs, but even that started fading when I became way too obsessed with calories/carbs/fat. I was borderline anorexic for 3 months or so. Then, over this winter, I ate pretty much whatever I wanted. I still don’t look too awful, but I can’t stand seeing that lower belly jiggle, the inner thigh fat, and the flab on my triceps.

    Now, though, I’ve been doing your workouts for the last week, and I feel great! I am SO in love with your Victoria’s Secret workout line. I do the ab one everyday along with at least one other one, and some sort of cardio. I did your VS arm one three day ago and my biceps and shoulders are still WAY sore! I absolutely love it! For cardio, I usually ride one of my horses for 30 minutes to an hour, run for 15 minutes, do 10 songs on Just Dance 4, or bike ride for 45 minutes or so. As far as eating, I’m a vegetarian, so it’s a little hard for me to find those nice, lean protein sources. I eat a LOT of eggs and Greek yogurt. I’m going to try eating some tofu, but I try to avoid too much soy. I also eat refried beans (I make them myself with beans that my mom canned), but they’re pretty carby……Annnnndd, I like to have loads of veggies and fruits with my meals. 🙂

    So, yeah. Thank you Cassey!! You got me out of the fitness rut I was stuck in! Now I can feel confident for swimsuit season and look great in Springtime dresses and my Daisy Dukes. 😉

    ~Natalie B. POPster forever!

  47. Polska Blondynka says:

    This is me. It’s so funny because I always wonder if Cassey feels this way and I look on your blog and you actually wrote a post about it — it made me feel better and human.

    I especially feel guilty on holidays. You know, the whole family gathering and lots of food that isn’t on the healthy side… yeah it happens to everyone. I always feel incredibly guilty eating that chicken Parmesan, or that Caribbean bread pudding for dessert — ugh so delicious but so unhealthy. I always tell myself that “this only happens a few days out of the year, relax!” It usually makes me feel better. Plus, I work extra hard in my workout the day after so I feel better about the day before.

    The thing is, you only live once — cliche but true. Why not enjoy yourself? Why not splurge every once in a while? Have a piece of candy a day — in moderation. It won’t kill you. If you take great care of your body, it’s okay to have the piece of candy.

    The moral of my post is that we shouldn’t feel so guilty. It is okay.

    1. maribel says:

      yes! metoo, im glad im not the only one that does this! never feel guilty, just work 100x harder 😀

  48. Kate says:

    This is a great post, especially now, when it’s Easter and there’s so much yummy food everywhere. I’ve been on a healthy eating clean diet for about 6 months now and I haven’t mess up very much yet, but today… it’s Easter. So much awesome food. And I can only watch all this food and my sister how she eats it. My sister eats all the time and she’s so skinny. I’m so jealous. And my mom made that delicious thing from puff pastry, whipped cream, puding and chocolate. At one moment, I just couldn’t only look at it anymore. I took a bite. It was sooo good. That’s the thing I miss through my diet. And I kept taking another pieces and eating it untill I felt really full. Then I took a few chips and one piece of a cake. Now I feel like a fat potato. I guess I’m gonna throw up and do the Food Baby HIIT Workout a few times and start again tomorrow…

    1. Nicole says:

      Never force yourself to throw up after eating! That’s a very serious eating disorder

  49. Jayne says:

    This is definitely me in a nut shell… Countless calorie counting, restricting and then ultimately binge eating. I hate it. I have been trying to make this a lifestyle but I feel I deprived myself for so long that I cannot stop eating food in general. This message was very inspiring and I thank you.

  50. Krystal says:

    this explains the exact situation i have been in with the diet that i convinced myself to try. Thanks so much for this post….it’s really helped me out

  51. Daisy says:

    I have had a battle with food for so long now, I was going crazy. I restricted myself things, and the more I told myself NOT to eat something, the more I craved it and eventually ate a lot of junk. Then I would tell myself: OK, this time is going to be different, really. It was a sort of pattern.
    But now, I’m so fine with the idea of eating healthy and I love to discover foods and crazy veggies. As for now I don’t eat milk products, food that has refined sugar and chemical crazy names in it, I don’t drink alcohol and don’t eat meat. And I’m totally fine with it, because the way clean food gives me is so good. If I would want to have an ice cream or so, I can. It is going to satisfy me at short term (really short term as the ice cream is gone within 10 minutes), but for the longer term it isn’t satisfying me at all. That in mind is a great way how I deal with cravings.

  52. Sarah says:

    I am thinking about food ALL THE TIME. I would say that i eat really healthy 90% of the time and i have treats 1-2 times a week, so that it doesn’t feel like a ”diet jail”. At first it was hard to live my new lifestyle, and I will say that I’ve had days where I have failed, but do you know what? If i didn’t fail, I wouldn’t be here, because I’ve learned from my mistakes, and this post just describes my recent diet so much. Now I am living a healthy lifestyle and I still loose weight!

  53. Clare M says:

    Today’s been a bad day for me. All those chocolate Easter eggs – I wasn’t able to resist. So I do feel pretty guilty at the moment. Still, tomorrows another day. Back on the bandwagon!

    1. Polska Blondynka says:

      I’m soooo happy to see that I’m not the only one who felt guilty about yesterday.

  54. Jelena says:

    You are so wise Cassey <3

  55. addie says:

    for the last few years i’ve been getting really bad indigestion and heartburn, which seemed weird because i don’t eat much acidic food. my mom suggested i try taking out gluten. i’ve been gluten free for about 2 weeks now, and as it was hard at first, i’m feeling so much better! i cheat every once in awhile, but i don’t beat myself up over it. i’m not suggesting gluten free diets, but if you’re experiencing any stomach issues or such, you may have gluten sensitivity and it’s worth a shot!

  56. Kristaaa says:

    Fist off I LOVE YOU!!!! Okkk now you have inspired me sooooo much!!! Your videos are my new addiction im so pumped for another work out tomorrow. Im still working on my better eating its just so hard when my husband lovessss junk food but i got him to do 2 of your ab work outs the other day and we had so much fun!! Once i reach my goal i will post before and after pics to prov how amazing you are! Well i just wanted thank you and tell you you are awesome!!!

  57. Lauren says:

    So glad I read this. I was working out and eating clean for months on end, and for the majority of the time really enjoying it for a large chunk of last year. In November, I left home to go backpacking around Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately in Asia I had no facilities to cook for myself and had to make the best choices I could each days. When I got to Australia, I found hostel living really difficult – fruit and veggies are on the whole really expensive and unfortunately I really stretched my budget and still couldn’t manage my diet. I ended up eating a lot of pasta and jars of sauce, which I didn’t enjoy. I am settled for a few months in New Zealand now at a relatives house – the problem now is I am craving junk even though I know it is bad for me and I usually feel like crap afterwards. I thought this was my big chance to lose the weight I’ve put on and start to get back in shape with more regular workouts, but I’m beating myself up after every day with food guilt and feeling deprived (Im following a clean eating suggestion menu sent to me by my boyfriends sister who is a personal trainer), struggling to re-condition my taste buds. I was feeling really down about it and am so glad I read your post, knowing my love of eating clean will come back to me in time.
    Thanks Cassey.

  58. Jane says:

    Hey Cassie,
    I always love your posts and you are so so inspiring, especially your positive attitude towards everything you are so passionate about. I just wanted to say though that I disagree with your statement ‘If you feel guilty it’s because you feel deprived’ as I think a lot of us who exercise and eat really well, don’t feel deprived. When we eat something and feel guilty (chips, pizza, crisps etc) I don’t think it is because we feel ‘deprived’ I think it is more because we know it is bad for us and that is why we feel guilty. We are undoing all our hard work – our ‘balanced’ healthy lifestyle has been disrupted and that is why we feel guilty. If we feel deprived surely then we don’t really understand that by choosing this healthy lifestyle we aren’t depriving our bodies, we are helping our bodies and that is where the underlying guilt comes from. You are right in stating that every person’s body is different and some people feel they need more of something than others – but I think everyone can agree that eating habits such as eating unhealthy things – readymeals, pizza, McDonald’s etc are bad for everyone – i suppose whether you choose to feel guilty due to the fact you think you are ‘deprived’ of that is your choice.

  59. Josephine says:

    Ooh, thank you for the tips!!
    Haha, this is so helpful, especially since it’s Easter season… I’ll try not to indulge…. TOO much. ^W^

  60. erica says:

    thanks! you’re so right. unfortunately, why is it so hard to limit yourself to the fatty stuff. I have never been overweight, but for about 5 years now I’ve been pretty inactive, and it is hard to be a full time student and come home and want to exercise and make healthy choices. I have been doing the HCG diet for a month now and it really helps me, but honestly later on I gain it all back so I am really going to push myself fora life style change because I am short petite and only 20 yrs old! I never want to diet again, until I have kids! It is ridiculous and time to stop dieting and really do what works for you. It’s true, diets may work but MY GOD are they hard. Hcg is drops now and not injections, but it is very depriving, and I have had many breakdowns and migraines,but I am much happier that I have lost 10 pounds, but i would like to lose about 25 more without ” dieting”. So I am watching you Cassey 🙂 I am looking at all ur vids and ur videos are my new friends for the month of april and may. i am seiroulsy determined to not have to do HCG again.Thanks for all!:D

  61. chloe says:

    I struggled with food my all life! And as a result I gained more than 25 kilos! Now, I’ld like to find how to be with food and with my body. By chance, your advices help!

  62. Oriana says:

    AVOID DIETS. !!!! thanks for saying that… I absolutely agree with that.. And I’m so seek of people talking about tons of different diets “avoid carbs, avoid sweets, avoid this and avoid that” just eat healthy and if something you want to eat it’s not so healthy just eat only a little part of it 🙂 THANK YOU again 🙂 love you

  63. Heather says:

    Beautifully written! Thank you for the encouragment…I have been craving more veggies and I actually ate mushrooms the other day! But last night…after working a long long long flight…I just wanted something warm to eat, and slipped up. But hey…it was small and its ALL good. Onward…..Cheers. Keep it up peeps!

  64. Dena says:

    Love this. I’ve seen/tried so many diets and they just never make sense. I’m especially wary of any diet that requires me to omit a fruit or veggie (which I’ve actually been hearing more about lately b/c of low/no carb diets). Blah. I’ve decided that I’m just not going to let myself feel bad for having something. I try to aim for most of what I eat to be healthy (fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, beans and other sources of plant-based protein). I don’t do much dairy just because I’m lactose intolerant, but other than that, I don’t let myself get worked up over it. I feel so much better about what I eat now and I just feel good everyday.

    Last night I decided to have my cheat meal b/c my family went out to a diner-type place. I had cajun grilled chicken sandwich and cajun fries!! I ate so much, but I don’t feel at all bad about it, and now that I eat healthy on a regular basis I didn’t feel bloated or gross the way I used to feel when I’d have a big meal. That’s a good thing in my opinion 🙂 And I don’t feel deprived at all. I actually crave healthy fruits and veggies!

  65. Clau says:

    Hey Cassey!
    What you say is very true! I’ve been working on changing my way of eating. I’m still transitioning, but now I enjoy eating healthy, I enjoy veggies, fruits and new things such as chiken or turkey cooked in soy sauce instead of fried…is really nice to see how your body feels better and responds better to your demands,
    I must admit that even though whenever I go out with my friends for some drinks I can’t stop myself for eating junk food…and then I regret. But I only regret it because I phisically feel bad after eating all that super processed and unhealthy food. That’s why I said I was still transitioning…cause I’m working hard to embrace this new healthy lifestyle and I’m sure I’ll ahieve my goal.
    Thanks Cassey, your enthusiasm is really contagious!!
    Claudia 🙂

  66. Liz says:

    the hormone secreted is termed ghrelin, not “greelen” as you indicated

  67. Karen says:

    I struggle because at the time I don’t have a job and we don’t have much money to buy healthy food because its kind of pricey and they don’t rarely eat fruits and veggies so it just gets thrown out. But I’ve been trying really hard not to eat junk although I have denied pizza recently and I’m actually very proud of that! But I can’t wait until I get a job but I think that will be soon. And I will buy organic and fruits and veggies.

  68. Kasey says:

    Hi Cassey!
    My family is making eating clean difficult to the absolute extreme. It’s always deep fried foods, and bbq wings, and all this stuff and I tried talking to my mom about this. She said “It’s fine if you eat in moderation.” but we DON’T eat it in moderation, it’s pizza at LEAST once a week, and fried fat everywhere! I told her I started doing your calender and I said we should try going by your grocery list, because I am sick of not being able to wear the cute clothes like all the other girls, and she actually said to me “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.” She actually didn’t believe me! I told them that it isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle, but they’d just rather sit down and stuff themselves with crap and it’s driving me CRAZY. Whoever’s reading this, can you please help me? I’m over 150 pounds at 13, going on 14. I don’t want to be “the fat friend” anymore 🙁

    1. Karen says:

      I know how you feel. My family is the same way! But just try to let them know that they have to buy at least some healthy food. And if possible try to make your own money and I know that’s hard but try. Don’t let them bring you down.

    2. Angel says:

      Hi! I am so sorry to hear you are having this problem! I am 26 now, but I felt the same as you about the way my family ate growing up. I grew up in the country in Texas, and there was gravy on EVERYTHING (and that was after they fried it)! Sometimes I think we try to change everyone else around us, when we are just trying to be more healthy for ourselves. Try asking your parents to ADD something healthy, like a salad or a plate of roasted or steamed veggies, to their meal. Then, they won’t feel like you are asking them to give up what they want. Ask your Mom if you can buy a bag of apples next time you go grocery shopping, and choose to have one at breakfast or as a snack. Try to make little changes, instead of trying to change everything at once. I hope these ideas might help you!

    3. Dena says:

      That stinks 🙁 I understand because growing up my family always ate processed foods and unhealthy stuff. Could you possibly talk to your mom about maybe buying some fruits and veggies that you could add to your meals? That way it’s not like you’re asking them to change what they eat, but to just add some healthy stuff in with the unhealthy stuff.

      I was older when I started eating healthier, so sometimes I would buy my own foods after I had a job, but could you ask your mom if you could pick out some of your own foods? Sometimes (or a lot of times) I actually eat different food from what my family eats. Even if you can’t eat a lot of healthier food, at least you are conscious of what you’re eating and trying to be healthier, and working out will help too. Plus, I’ve found that the healthier I eat, the more my family tries to eat a little healthier too. Sometimes you just have to convince them that this isn’t just a fad or a phase you’re going through.

      You could also try getting them to watch a documentary (Food, Inc. is a great one on Netflix) or talk to a doctor about healthy eating so that it seems more legit. Good luck!

      1. Vivian says:

        I’m so sorry to here about this, I understand what you’re going through. It’s tough feeling like you have no options when it comes to eating. I’m a kid too, and eating healthy when you’re not the “boss” of your house isn’t easy. So:
        1) I suggest that you make it clear to your mom that she and the rest of your family should feel free to continue eating the way that they want to eat, but that this clean eating healthy lifestyle is what you want
        2) If you think you’re “the fat friend” (which is a destructive way of describing yourself btw, don’t do that to yourself!) tell your mom. express to her the fact that you’re unhappy with yourself and that you want to be healthy
        then she’ll probably say “oh honey you’re fine the way your are” or “what’s gotten into you, who are you trying to copy?” or “who called you fat and is making you act all crazy” but you have to let her know that no one said it to you, you’re not doing this for someone else or because of someone else, but just because you want to feel happy with yourself.
        3) this might seem kind of bad so don’t judge me, but guilt is an option. when explaining how you’re not as happy with yourself as you could be, you could tear up a little. Or when they’re eating something really unhealthy for dinner, say “no thank you” or that you don’t want to eat that, or that you’re not hungry. Or another option is to make them feel guilty about all the unhealthy junk that they eat by showing them articles and videos like these and more:
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9B7im8aQjo
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9B7im8aQjo
        http://guyism.com/lifestyle/food/disgusting-food-facts-you-didnt-know.html
        http://liquorstorebear.com/2013/01/03/8-nasty-fast-food-ingredients-and-how-you-can-avoid-them/
        4) worst comes to worst, you could maybe walk to the grocery store / go with a friend and buy stuff you want to eat just for yourself. or you could look up a clean delicious recipe (for a meal or even for dessert) and make it and if your family sees it, tries it and likes it they might see that your healthy decision isn’t so bad. (you can try eggplant brownies http://sugarplumgal.blogspot.com/2012/11/eggplant-brownie-guilt-free-pleasure.html#more clean chocolate cookies http://cleancuisineandmore.com/video-for-how-to-make-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies-a-clean-eating-recipe/ or frozen banana ice cream is a favorite of mine http://food52.com/blog/4308-one-ingredient-ice-cream-2-0-flavors-for-every-season or something simple like popping and deliciously seasoning organic popcorn kernels or making kale chips)
        IM SORRY THIS IS SO LONG BUT BEST OF LUCK TO YOU

      2. Vivian says:

        wow that reply was placed in the wrong spot

    4. Vivian says:

      I’m so sorry to here about this, I understand what you’re going through. It’s tough feeling like you have no options when it comes to eating. I’m a kid too, and eating healthy when you’re not the “boss” of your house isn’t easy. So:
      1) I suggest that you make it clear to your mom that she and the rest of your family should feel free to continue eating the way that they want to eat, but that this clean eating healthy lifestyle is what you want
      2) If you think you’re “the fat friend” (which is a destructive way of describing yourself btw, don’t do that to yourself!) tell your mom. express to her the fact that you’re unhappy with yourself and that you want to be healthy
      then she’ll probably say “oh honey you’re fine the way your are” or “what’s gotten into you, who are you trying to copy?” or “who called you fat and is making you act all crazy” but you have to let her know that no one said it to you, you’re not doing this for someone else or because of someone else, but just because you want to feel happy with yourself.
      3) this might seem kind of bad so don’t judge me, but guilt is an option. when explaining how you’re not as happy with yourself as you could be, you could tear up a little. Or when they’re eating something really unhealthy for dinner, say “no thank you” or that you don’t want to eat that, or that you’re not hungry. Or another option is to make them feel guilty about all the unhealthy junk that they eat by showing them articles and videos like these and more:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9B7im8aQjo
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9B7im8aQjo
      http://guyism.com/lifestyle/food/disgusting-food-facts-you-didnt-know.html
      http://liquorstorebear.com/2013/01/03/8-nasty-fast-food-ingredients-and-how-you-can-avoid-them/
      4) worst comes to worst, you could maybe walk to the grocery store / go with a friend and buy stuff you want to eat just for yourself. or you could look up a clean delicious recipe (for a meal or even for dessert) and make it and if your family sees it, tries it and likes it they might see that your healthy decision isn’t so bad. (you can try eggplant brownies http://sugarplumgal.blogspot.com/2012/11/eggplant-brownie-guilt-free-pleasure.html#more clean chocolate cookies http://cleancuisineandmore.com/video-for-how-to-make-gluten-free-chocolate-chip-cookies-a-clean-eating-recipe/ or frozen banana ice cream is a favorite of mine http://food52.com/blog/4308-one-ingredient-ice-cream-2-0-flavors-for-every-season or something simple like popping and deliciously seasoning organic popcorn kernels or making kale chips)
      IM SORRY THIS IS SO LONG BUT BEST OF LUCK TO YOU
      Read more at https://www.blogilates.com/diet-2/feeling-so-guilty-about-food#whz53plPKGCaszOj.99

  69. Mila says:

    Hey there everyone <3 Loving that post.
    could anyone help me with this one: I have been working out for more than 4 months now and my muscles are not getting any firmer. I've been eating clean and working out daily at least an hour. What am i doing wrong?

    1. Sarah says:

      Are you sure that you eat enough protein?

    2. Anne says:

      Are you eating enough throughout the day? Not getting adequate calories will cause the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve. Also I noticed you said working out an hour daily? That is not giving your body time to rest and heal so that may be an issue as well. It also depends on the type of working out that you are doing. There are many things that can be a factor, including not getting adequate sleep at night.

  70. Anne Anderson says:

    I have had years of struggling with my relationship with food. For the most part I don’t have as many issues with it as I used too. But I also find myself still feeling guilty some days. Last night I was hungry and my boyfriend and I were out and we did not have time to cook as I had a ton of school work to get done and he had things to do as well. First I was feeling guilty over not having enough clean food at home already prepared for the evening, then it was followed by me freaking out on the inside because he wanted Chinese takeout! It took me a little while to realize last night that sometimes I am way to obsessed with what I put into my mouth. I am currently in school for dietetics and also working on getting certified to be a personal trainer. So I am constantly taking in information on health and wellness, I also do a lot of reading and research on my own in my free time. I had some serious disordered eating issues for many years before I started to love my body and nourish it properly through nutrition and exercise. But I still find myself with the distorted thoughts and guilt now and then. Last night it really hit me that I am becoming so wrapped up in what I eat all the time that I just am not always having fun, I was going to just not eat which is really just unhealthy and not enjoy my evening with my boyfriend. I made the choice to eat it this time and just not feel bad about it. One meal is not going to kill me and I don’t eat the extra egg-roll or crab ragoon that goes with the meal anyway. I ordered a fairly healthy option and only ate half of it. A treat in moderation every now and then is not going to harm my body. Nor is it going to make me gain excessive weight. In the past I would have overindulged ate the entire meal and the appetizers and then kept going and binged because why not, I had thrown off my entire day of healthy eating. Instead I just ate some of it, felt satisfied, and did not go crazy and binge after. I had a protein shake and my vitamins before bed like normal. I think that we women are sometimes way to hard on ourselves and I often find myself feeling anxiety and guilt over food if I do have a treat. But one treat now and then is so much better than a binge..

  71. misosouper says:

    This post could not have come at a more perfect time – I had a craving for greasy, all-consuming chinese food yesterday and I gave in 🙁 not just a bite but more like a binge… not only did i feel guilty about it but it actually made my stomach upset so i won’t be doing that again! Thanks for this last post – we’re all human, and if anything, it made me work out like a maniac today

  72. Naj says:

    Loved this post, really hit home for me.
    I’ve been on and the paleo diet for the last 2-3 years. I really love the principle of heating real/clean food and cutting out processed foods. The difficulty I seem to have is a boyfriend that still has his junk food in the house. It’s fine that he does, it just really makes it hard for me to cut those foods out. But reading this post really gave me a new motivation. I’m going to do what you said. Focus on veggies then fill up with protein ! I will also stop saying no to fruits and allowing those fruits when I’m having a hard time resisting the chocolate chip cookies my boyfriend keeps. Thanks for the great post !
    Keep it up everyone !!! 🙂

  73. Dilys says:

    I have lost 30 lbs and kept it off & how I did it was counting calories basically. I also workout 4-5 times per week. When I don’t count calories I know what to eat that is healthy it’s true, but I just want to say that it’s been more than a year and I have kept the weight off and will never put it on again so I just want to let everyone know diets with rules can work. Another tip is every day you don’t put added sugar into your diet it gets easier not to eat it. So don’t start your day off with sugary cereal or toast with jam. Also if I drink hot tea after my meals preferably green or something else with caffeine I am less likely to eat. I almost never feel complete after dinner unless I have had “dessert” and now dessert is my tea USUALLY. I usually have one day a week where I screw up but it really doesn’t affect my weight or how I look unless I let it keep going. Now I am thinking about fitness modeling so I am really trying to eat healthy but if I wasn’t I would be completely happy with myself. Also if you go vegetarian you can’t eat a lot of unhealthy foods, not that everyone who is vegetarian is healthy but just think about it because then your family/friends can’t make you eat burgers and pizza

  74. ilkana says:

    yeah i struggle
    i’m recovering from an eating disorder, so…. the ‘diet’ got really bad!!!

    i know veggies are good for you but they’re not good for you if that’s all you eat 🙂

    also i think it’s perfectly fine to eat anything you want so long as it’s in moderation
    i don’t really crave carbohydrates like rice and pasta and bread, but if i do want some, i’ll have some. same thing goes for red meat, and any processed foods. because i allow myself to eat it if i want it, i want it less.

    i also don’t let anyone let me feel guilty for eating when i want, what i want, however i want, even if i haven’t exercised that day. my ED gave me enough grief!!! i never count calories because if i do i relapse.

    so.

  75. Lilly says:

    Hey Cassey,
    I really want to eat very healthy, but i can’t because i don’t like vegetables. I only like fruits and sweets 😀 like every one. I started on the 2nd February to do every day 1h sport expect on wednesday and on this day I can eat what i want. Not to much but a little. It is so hard to see that my schoolmates eat so much unhealthy food like choclate muffins. I so often want to throw out the whole, because it is so hard not to eat unhealthy and the sports sometimes make me cry because the sets that i have compiled are very hard. In these days i sinned much, now it is very hard not to sinn again.(because of eastern) I see that my body is getting stronger but i also see that my weight increase. I know muscles are heavier than fat but I don’t like that. At the beginning I was 51 kg, now i am 52,5kg.
    Oh yes i like it to eat healthy but it isnt easy all the time.
    Can you make a Workout that is about 20 min for the thigs?

    Thank you

    Lilly from Germany

  76. Sunny says:

    ghrelin* not greleen

  77. Moglee says:

    I am this person exactly. I literally just went ham on a donut, peanut m and m’s, jelly beans, and candy corn. After eating a filling salad!!! I go crazy with eating unhealthy things then kill my intestines right after by throwing up and then exercise like a crazy woman. I have taken so many nutrition classes, you think I would know to not do these things, but honestly I have become weak. I am truly wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, but first need to drop my sweet cravings and learn to not midnight snack. The only ‘diet’ thing I plan on doing is stopping myself from eating past 8pm and then maybe 10pm on a weekend day. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me! Thank you 🙂

  78. Janalee says:

    Hey Cassie! One thing i love reading that you almost always mention is that our bodies will get rid of EXCESS fat. as woman, we need fat to maintain healthy menstrual cycles, to keep hormones in check and to generally be balanced, beautiful young women. our bodies, when treated right, will get rid of the fat that’s the fatty yucky kind, and will keep the minimum fat it needs to do it’s thing — which will look different for different girls.

    thanks for your message and it’s always appreciated
    xoxoxo

  79. Natascha says:

    But I promise Casey, I’m trying! Thanks for the advice!!!!!

  80. Natascha says:

    If we eat well can we still have a few junky things every once in a while like a little cookie dough or hot choclate? It’s hard to eat that healthy when your so busy and can’t always buy all of that. I know I am always busy, I don’t have time to go buy broccoli all the time or gill up a chicken for lunch. Sometimes the only options avaible are stuff like pasta or pizza. And also I hate going to birthday parties and watch everyone eat what they want while I have to be a picky person sitting in the corner saying “either it veggies or nothing because I can’t have fun and pig out with you guys and I can’t eat any of that fun stuff”. What do I do about all of this?

  81. Jennifer says:

    You are SO right- food wasn’t meant to be a fearful thing. When you let go of that and rules, at least for myself, I actually crave and enjoy healthy eating- because I deprive myself of nothing. Very freeing!!

  82. Keiona says:

    I’m actually on a “diet” now. I’m following weight watchers ^^ I really love this because it really does help you eat better and realize what you’re putting in your mouth. It doesn’t restrict what you eat necessarily. You may eat what you want, however that is if its in your point range. And if its not,that’s okay because you have some flex points as well! And if you used those up? Well its okay. You can have those days where you go over. Or you can gain some points back by exercising! And cassey’s videos are perfect! 🙂 on this plan, I have lost 12 lbs. Im the lightest I have been in over 6 years. Cassey has inspired me to continue to better my body so I can be healthy.

  83. Yeng says:

    Hi Cassy,

    I started out my diet using the GM Diet which is a 7 days program of detoxification. It’s healthy eating really. After that i don’t crave much for junk food and rice. Been eating right after that. Plus i do Crossfit 2-4 times a week. When i don’t, i do your blogilates. I just want to tell you that your enthusiasm towards healthy living is very contagious. I sure wish i can do the same around my family and friends. More power Cassy! 🙂

  84. Edo says:

    Thanks, Cassey! That was just what I needed! I kinda fell back to that calorie counting thing & i felt like I’m goin crazy haha & almost forgot about veggies but this post has motivated me so much to keep the healthier lifestyle 🙂 greetings from Germany!

  85. Kristlaug says:

    I have to get this off my chest.. she is right.. you should never go on a diet.. because it might work for some time while you are on it.. but then you have to adjust to eating normal again… and then those kilos are just gonna start piling up again. I am actually taking a class where you learn about nutrients. And there learn how to eat right. And believe it or not. If you eat home cooked food. That has the ratio one third meat, one third potato or rice and then one third vegetables or fruits on your plate. And have only one plate with each meal.. YOU WILL GET LIGHTER… I’m not kidding. I started doing that when I got back from my exchange year I had gotten around 10 kilos heavier.. and I have never gotten that fat in my life. But I started eating one plate per meal and eating right. Like no hamburgers, hot dogs or pizzas except once every month or so. And they are all gone now after half a year… and that is basically the only thing I did. So you don’t have to go on a died to lose those extra kilos (I still have a couple to go btw). You just have to make a real change in your diet. You have to choose a “diet” that you are comfortable with. Something you are willing to stick with. Because if you stick with it. Even if you skip a day or two out of your normal exercise you won’t get fat again… it’s amazing how much the food has to do with it.
    btw. If you do that. You can allow yourself the occasional slice of cake. Have some cookies or ice cream. Because if your normal eating habits consist of food that isn’t too fat. the occasional slice won’t make a big difference. Especially if you are doing Casseys workouts. 🙂

  86. Tess says:

    I admit that I have been eating like crap lately but I’m working on getting back on track. I keep a mental note of each food group (proteins, veggies, fruit, grains and dairy). I’m one of those people that don’t believe in diets because they don’t work. I believe in moderation…you CAN eat whatever you want, just in moderation 🙂 Thank you Cassey for not being one of those crazy people saying ‘this diet will make you lose weight’ or ‘you only drink this and lose tons of weight’ 🙂

  87. Jas says:

    I feel guilty whenever I eat. I have since I was about 11 (I’m 19 now). The reason I’m here is to try and break that cycle, to try and see food as a form of nourishment instead of something that I ‘cannot’ have. People make me feel guilty for eating, and then make me feel guilty for not eating, and food has always been the enemy; it is something that is so delicious but I shouldn’t have it. This post changed my outlook. It made me see that food and guilt should never be connected! Now it’s time to finally try and put that into practice. Thanks Cassey!

  88. Elisa says:

    Cassie! You just made me crave a slice of Pizza! 😀 Thank god it’s in the middle of the night and I had a very healthy and filling dinner. 😉

  89. Rebecca says:

    It’s so good to hear this from you, Cassey! I’m trying to lose weight for the first time in my life (I used to always stay at a healthy weight easily, but last year I started taking a necessary medication that caused me to gain fifty pounds), but I’m doing it the healthy way even though I know it’ll take longer. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you can’t eat 700 calories a day and never touch fat! It’ll just hurt your body instead of helping it. And severe restrictions and rules don’t make you feel good, either. I’m keeping track of my calories and eating lots of whole, healthy foods (tons of veggies! eggs! salmon! avocado! chicken! Greek yogurt! etc.), but every once in a while I have less healthy things. On my mother’s birthday, I had a small piece of cake and a scoop of banana ice cream (my favorite) – but that was all. I understood that having sweets one day won’t mess up all the good work I’m doing, so I enjoyed them, had just a little bit, and that was that. I’ve come a long way from when I used to eat a cookie, feel guilty, and then eat three more cookies because what was the point? I’m so glad to be where I am now, and I hope others can find this kind of happiness and balance, too. (P.S. I haven’t weighed myself since I started the March Makeover workout calendar, but I can tell I’ve made changes in my body. You’re amazing! Thank you!)

  90. Merry Mary says:

    My problem is…i love drinking, work at a restaurant bar, where they serve delicious yummy food 24/6. My boyfriend makes craft beer, my favorite bar tender is my roommate. The owner of my workplace is my friend and owns the 3 bars next to the restaurant, and aaallll my friends love to come to the bar n drink…a lot. I’m trying to only drink once or twice a week, but there’s always great shows and great bands performing almost every night n then the shots start pouring ugh! so much fun. I do try to workout every day, sometimes i can’t ’cause im obviously tired :/ i try to eat as healthy as i can, i have lost weight, and fast with your tips and videos, but it’s hard, very hard in this scene, almost imposible to be healthy n fit. U have helped a lot tho, i hate cardio and u make it so fun i don’t dread it that much anymore.
    But if there’s more tips for drinkers to be fit lemme hear ’em and no, i don’t need to drink, i like to drink
    Thanks Cassie, u rock! 🙂

  91. Kandi says:

    I have absolutely no problem with working out! Especially with your videos and plans, Cassey, working out is fun and a great way to release my negative energy and help me feel positive and upbeat. When it comes to eating, I really have trouble with it. I always tend to get late night snack or just unhleahty food in general. I’m going to try not to diet, and just try to eat clean and whole foods without wanting to ALWAYS binge.

  92. lenelein says:

    “As a result, your stomach will secrete a hormone called greleen which will make you even more ravenous!
    Read more at https://www.blogilates.com/diet-2/feeling-so-guilty-about-food#mvkTjmCl5jRhpg8w.99

    The name of the satiety hormone is Ghrelin. Same sound, other letters! ^^

    source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghrelin

  93. Blessing says:

    Since its easter and i’ve been eating chocolate [guilty] AND i didn’t do the workouts on thusday and friday [guilty] but today on sat i’m gonna do both today to burn off that fat.

  94. Katie Y. says:

    I think it’s important to tell yourself that it’s totally OKAY if you cheat once in a while. Don’t beat yourself up over it if you have a slice of pizza or an unhealthy snack. As long as you’re not having unhealthy snacks every single day, it’s fine! If you find yourself “cheating” once in a while, don’t fret! Just tell yourself that maybe you’ll work out a little harder that day, or maybe no more unhealthy snacks for the next week!

    1. Blessing says:

      thanx

  95. Amy says:

    Thanks so much for this post! You’re so right about the self destruction! It’s like when you give in you confirm all your worst expectations about being greedy and unable to loose weight, and feel like you don’t deserve the body you’ve been working for – so punish yourself with all the extra calories!

  96. Doris says:

    Thanks Cassey! You are always thinking for the female population. I have been on “diets” for 18 years now. It is tiring. However, after I had my 2 boys, I learned to eat better and exercise is a part of my life. I can not live without it. I get my heart rate up 3-4 times a week. I understand that we can’t always eat right but like you said it is a lifestyle. When I drink more water, my body and mind feel better. You will also notice skin feeling softer. I need to work on my sleeping patterns and then I’m all set!

  97. Jessica says:

    @ Ali: I work in a bar, too, and for me, the alcohol is the hardest as well.. also when it’s late, you’re hungry, and all that’s around is fatty fried carby things. I have taken to packing a healthy snack that I like before I go to work so I’ll have something “safe” to eat. And you’ve inspired me about the booze- I don’t want a hangover and a wine gut, hello! Plus it dries the hell out of your skin. I’m heading to work now, gonna pick up something fun on the way to drink later- maybe a little pomegranate juice to add to club soda, or some cucumber slices, lemon and mint for water! You’ve inspired me to take more action against a habit that sabotages my lifestyle and leaves me trapped in a guilty cycle. Good luck!!

  98. Dana says:

    Thank u so much for this post. I remember I used to count calories of everything I ate and it was completely exhausting!! But the calorie deficit worked. I did manage to lose weight. But u r right, once I lost weight from my strict calorie counting, by the time it was holiday season, I gaine the weight back. I think it was from my cravings. So what I do now is eat clean but not at clean as u think- I still munch mindlessly on snacks that my parents buy from chocolate bars to cakes to ice cream and deep fried meats. I always think to myself, if I can have a little bit then it won’t count. But then I realize that throughout the week, these bits of cream covered biscuits and a few fries add up. And I noticed weight gain. I just can’t curb my cravings :/ but I really hope to try again now that u have given me the inspiration 🙂

  99. Maren says:

    Hey! I want to find someone to share motivation with, support eachother and just getting to know someone that is in “not so good shape”, and wants to get in better shape, to slim down, and most importantly to be healthy.. i’m not going on a diet, just making small healthy chages in my life, if you want the same things, just E-mail me on (marenstenhjem(at)hotmail.com) telling me what you’re “starting out” with, and what you want to acheve! hope to hear from someone soon! 🙂

    1. Elisa says:

      I just started a Blog to document my lifestyle changes. And I’d be super happy to have someone to share experience with!

  100. Preet says:

    Thanks Cassey! I always seem to be doing so well with my diet and exercise plan but after a week or so, i eat a piece of chocolate and everything starts going downhill ! I really need to learn how to stop that !

    Thanks for your help, you’re an inspiration 🙂

  101. Carrie says:

    Hey Cassie,

    I love your videos and the inspiration you provide to be healthy!
    As I was reading this blog though, I noticed some discrepancies in the hormones you mentioned. You mentioned that the stomach secretes “greleen”, but do you mean “grehlin”? This hormone is secreted by your stomach and makes you hungry. Also, I know that leptin is secreted by your fat cells to reduce hunger, not increase it. Just thought that I would point those out.

    Keep up your positive attitude! I love you!
    Carrie
    (Neuroscience specialist)

  102. To remain healthy its very important to have an healthy diet and one who is very much dedicated towards it feels very guilty if eats something which he/she should not.

  103. Lorena says:

    Thank you so much Cassey for reminding me that food is not my enemy! I’ve had an eating disorder for a couple of years and i think that. I will never completely ge over it. Anyways … You helped me so much ! You and your workout videos and your blog made me believe in myself again! I slowly learn to love myself or at least don’t hate myself anymore. THANK YOU Cassey ! <3

  104. Sophie says:

    Just in time for easter! I have a 160g 70% dark chocolate egg, but I’m scared I’ll either binge or feel guilty for eating it!

    1. Michelle says:

      Dark chocolate is fine! It contains no dairy and very little sugar, if any! Plus, the antioxidants are nothing to sneeze at.

  105. Ali says:

    Hi Cassey,

    I try and eat very healthy drinking vegetable juice drinks twice a day and only eat meals with vegetables and whole grain foods. I incorporate my diet with exercise at least 4 times a week ( classes at the gym or your videos 🙂 ) Sounds great, right? But I just cant seem to shed the few pounds I want to lose or if i do lose them I put them straight back on.
    My problem lies with my job.. I am a waitress in a late night cocktail bar. As soon as it hits 12am I find myself necking back the coffees and munching on chocolate and sugar to keep me energized. Sometimes our manager will even offer us shots of jagermiester to keep morale among the staff. Its also very common for us all to have a pint when our shift finishes at 4am. I try my best not to do any of this but its so hard when Im surrounded by people that don’t understand why I want to eat healthy. Whenever I refuse a chocolate or a shot of alcohol, Im constantly greeted with the response ‘You’re already thin why do you want to diet?’… thats when I cave.

    Its really bugging me and wish I could just have stronger will power and not give in to the pressure my colleagues put me under.

    Do you have any advice?

    Thanks
    Ali xx

    1. Elisa says:

      I know exactly what that’s like. I tend to eat unhealthy when I’m with other people too. If they react like this just tell them that it’s your life and that you get to decide what goes into your body. And just remind yourself how proud you’ll be if you refused. That’s what works for me. Most of the time. 😉

  106. Rachel Schwartz says:

    o my goodness cassey you are so extremely amazing at being able to explain things in the simplest of terms!! I tend to be a sugar addict at times, but I don’t feel so guilty about it. I just think of the desserts i may indulge in at times as yolo moments… but I try hard not to indulge too frequently. Which is why I looove fruit. It tricks me into thinking that I’ve had my sweetness satisfaction, there’s no need for any more. And I honestly think because of you, i have been able to expand my palate and really just try new foods and veggies and YOU KNOW WHAT>>@?@?@?!?!?!? I ABSOLUTELY LOOOOVE THEM. No joke I am in love with eating and nourishing my body with awesome stuff and for real, I have you to thank. You’re amazing and one my biggest inspirations, and that’s all I can say! =)

  107. Elisa says:

    Cassey thanks for this post, I found it really interesting and the first part reminded me of what I did before, but now I work all day and do 5 meals a day and thanks to your workout in a few days I saw the first results =)
    a great big kiss
    Elisa =)

  108. Yukiko says:

    Thanks for the reminder. I think we all KNOW this but then forget – then feel guilty and it’s such a horrible feeling. I will have to keep this post in mind and come back to it once in a while. Really appreciate it!
    Jasmine, I feel you!! I binged on chocolates yesterday !

  109. brie says:

    hi posters! please take 2 seconds for me at the below link. click NUMBER 3 and help me win a trip to coachella so i can show off my festival style and pilates body!

    http://www.fabsugar.com/Whos-Got-Best-Festival-Style-Vote-Your-Favorite-Help-Us-Choose-Winner-28372592?slide=6

  110. Thanks for this post today! I’ve been thinking about this same concept a lot lately and actually posted earlier on my blog. (The post is titled “Food for Fuel”)

    We can only be successful (long-term) with our food choices when we focus on the mentality of providing our bodies with what they need. I loved your approach to the topic.

    http://kariannesali.blogspot.com/2013/03/food-for-fuel.html

  111. grace says:

    Thank you for this post!! This is something that I CONSTANTLY struggle with. I still can’t wrap my mind about making healthy eating a lifestyle change; I still see it as a diet that I have to endure until I reach my goal weight and then I can relax. My biggest challenge is eating in moderation because whenever I eat “normally,” I feel like a failure and binge the rest of the day even if I don’t crave anything.

  112. Anna says:

    Great post! I think a little bit of guilt can be helpful, but too much is never good either! Everyone should allow themselves a little splurge now and then, and not consider themselves a ‘failure’ and let it derail their whole healthy regimen.

    For the past month and a bit Ive been focusing on eating clean (and doing the March calendar) , and it has improved my relationship with food so much! When I used to go on a little ‘health kick’ I would be hungry half the time, feel guilty after eating anything, and of course always end up ‘failing’. But through focusing on clean eating Ive started to look at food with a whole new perspective and eating feels like a good thing, not something to feel guilty about! It gives me energy to give my workouts my all!

    A typical day includes about 3 meals, with 3 snacks. Oatmeal with banana or berries for breakfast, nuts and fruits for snacks, some baked veggies for lunch, a fruit smoothie as a snack, lean protein and veggies with some whole wheat carbs for dinner, and maybe some cottage cheese and mango sauce in the evening if I feel hungry.

    Ive realized that fruit is essential for me! My blood sugar can become low very easily and I become shaky and weak, so I try to have a little bit of fruit all throughout the day, and it keeps me feeling energized.

    Thanks again for the great post, and for helping me create this new positive relationship with food 🙂

  113. Kim says:

    I’m not a fan of any of the fad diets – I don’t think cutting out an entire food group (or more) is ever a good thing. I usually don’t even restrict myself from anything – I just try to practice moderation. (with the exception of giving up potato chips recently because they were becoming a major problem)
    I’ve seen many people struggle with some of the issues you brought out – the guilt…Easier just to try and eat healthy most of the time and roll with it the rest of the time!

  114. Ann says:

    Thank you Cassey, this came up just Art the right moment! I’m trying to eat clean and healthy because you inspire me and it just Fels so good! But after all I still love cookies, cakes and choclate so much… I managed Tod eat no sugary sweet things for 1 week (that’s pretty much for me) and I felt amazing and so good! But today I had dispute with my mum and i felt so bad that just went and got myself LOTS of cookies… and what you wrote is just so true! The problem is not, that I now could gain weight, because I’m like the ones that can eat what they want, but I’m just feeling so bad. I feel sick and even worse is, that I feel not a bit proud anymore. I felt so proud when I was walking past the choclate and cookies without even wanting them. But I will stay strong and just continue doing your workout plan and give it another try Tod live without sweet things! It’s really good to know that I’m not the only one struggling!

  115. s6milerun says:

    Hi Cassey,

    Love your blogs. In my work environment, I am daily surrounded by the processed foods that of course come with labels (unlike real food – doesn’t need labels): cookies, cakes, chips, doughnuts. My thought is that anyone who is on track with fitness will build up immunity to the tempting treats. Maybe it is because I run a lot, maybe it is because I train like a crazy, lunatic, nut, I have come to see food as nutrition-dense or garbage. Health begets healthful, from my p.o.v.

    But because of your wit, you have shown us the way. Make food at home that we’d rather eat and bring that to the party or to the workplace.

    Oh, and congrats on beinging a “Shorty Awards” recipient. I am very proud of you for representing all that is good.

    Rock on!

  116. Jasmine says:

    I love this post cause, I hate to admit, but, I binged yesterday. Started off with bananas, guilt came on, then handfuls and handfuls of salted pistachios, then pieces of pork jerky, a dab of almond butter, and more pistachios. Finally finished it off with three apples. I felt horrible. I’ve been denying myself from fruits and nuts and I haven’t had anything really salty in so many months. It’s a great post Cassey! 🙂 I think I should just let me have fruits regularly…getting back on track!

    1. Anna says:

      Definitely allow yourself to have some fruit! And this is so not a bad binge, nuts and fruits are so much better than binging on candies or chips (which are my guilty binges). A binge on fruits and nuts might show that your body is really craving/needing them in your diet, so if you allow yourself some on a regular basis I’m sure you will avoid an all out binge 🙂

  117. Lena says:

    Are you watching me?! Haha, no, but seriously: The last 3 days I’ve been eating sooo much. Before I was so proud of myself, because I was able to eat quite little (not talking about starving myself, but so I could lose weigth). I got sooooo very moody. It was quite scary as I felt like I had no controle whatsoever about my feelings AND my eating. I didn’t “bad” things though but I ended up eating the whole day. I’m not being dramatic here, my meal lasted for the whole day and I felt like I just couldn’t get full. Just to give you an idea of how much I ate, I consumed about 5000 calories from whole wheats, fruits, eggs and veg. I felt like a monster and couldn’t understand how a person my size (BMI 22) could just possibly eat this amount of food.
    Eversince I’ve been eating and eating because I just feel like there’s no point in me trying to structure my eating. Today i ate a lot again and on top had a bag of chocolate covered nuts(1250calories). I just feel weak and my selfesteem is at an all time low. PLEASE HELP!

  118. Amy says:

    Lately I’ve been obsessing calorie counting and it wasn’t until this last week that I knew I could not sustain thinking about food calories, and counting the numbers in my head every time I sit down to eat. Its stressful! Plus, I was hungry and I started feeling like if I ate then I’d be a quitter. I know that sounds crazy, because it IS crazy! I would deprive myself all week and then on my cheat day I would go crazy and eat everything in the house (even if I didn’t really want it) because I knew I’d have to eat clean for a week afterwards. I’ve stopping my calorie counting, and I’ve switched up my meals everyday, and I’m so much more happier. So thank you for this post, it makes me feel like I’ve made the right choice for me.

  119. Sammy says:

    Cassey i cannot thank you enough for this post. It really spoke to me, as i struggle with a very strange relationship with food. I am working everyday to be more healthy and happy! Im so glad to be a part of the amazing blogilates community (:

  120. Amanda says:

    Hi Cassey,

    I just want to let you know that you are so incredibly inspiring! I just found you this month and in addition to myself, I’ve already got two of my best friends hooked. Thank you so much!

  121. Kristen says:

    Hi Cassey,
    I study endocrinology at Cornell University and was excited to see you writing about hormones and hunger, something that has always interested me. You said, however, that leptin increases appetite, which is not the case. Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells that actually signals to the brain (hypothalamus) to decrease appetite. In a normal weight person, this is how energy reserve and consumption are kept in balance. If your body has enough fat, the tissue will signal to the brain, via leptin, that it doesn’t need to eat to increase its energy (fat) stores. Ghrelin is produced by the stomach to signal the brain to increase appetite, like you said.

    It’s a pretty neat system, huh?

    Thanks for all you do for this community.

    Kristen

  122. Stephanie D says:

    Thank you so much for posting this Cassey! This was exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve been struggling with how I look for years and I’m finally at a point where I am okay with how I look, but I want to be better (I realize that magazine models aren’t realistic, but I still feel like that is how I SHOULD look. Stupid.). Knowing that someone as amazing as you can slip up and that YOLO meals are okay really makes me feel more confident. Even though I feel guilty over every sweet or snack I eat, I am consciously telling myself that it is okay.

  123. miki says:

    Thank you so much for make the calendars for us and for give us information of clean eating
    I do everything you say in this post ToT but since I discovered your blog and videos i’m trying to chance my lifestyle in the rigth way, so thank you again c: !!

  124. Elena says:

    Cassey this was a super good and mind opening post! I’m 16 and I struggle with food A LOT. I’m normal weight, I have a sporty, and quite skinny body. But the problem is that I’va always hated my body. Last year I realized that I could do something about it, and started working out hard and eating less and less. I would eat probably three times a day, and I would eat less than my little sister who was six and ate like a little bird. At some point it changed, and I gained most of my losed weight back. But about half year ago, everything came back. I know that I’m the same size as everyone else in our school or smaller, but when I look in the mirror all I see is hate and it disgusses me. I’m happy with my arms, my legs and my butt, but my belly is huge compared to my boobs 😀 I’m afraid of losing weight because I fear that my boobs won’t grow if I do so, but I kinda feel like I don’t have a choice. Every meal is a struggle, because I’m just SO HUNGRY. Every time I skip a meal or eat very little amount of food I feel pleased with myself, like my own little secret or game or something. Most of the time losing weight in feeks amazing, but at times,where I eat too much I feel caged and I just wan to break free. I have to admit that I haven’t told this whole story for anyone before. And that in my mind I secretly know that I’m ED’d. And it feels like crap 🙁 I know that my situation is not the worst, but it’s shitty enough to me.

  125. Medallion says:

    I felt like you were reading my mind Cassey O.O
    I used to struggle much more with food before…I went through a freak calorie-counting phase just as I had entered the tennis team @ school, so it was a double-whammy…and bad double-whammy. I lost too much weight too fast and I wasn’t eating healthily, I was eating scantily. I was upset and stressed and I would have that “guilt” feeling all the time and I wouldn’t eat the good food my mom prepared but instead those microwave meals simply because I “knew how many calories” were in ’em. But starting from several months ago, a few months after I discovered your videos, I started to realize that healthy eating and good exercise are probably the best way to get the body and mind that I want. My current diet consists of 1700 calories per day, although I don’t count scrupulously anymore; I approximate when it comes to eating my mom’s delicious home cooking. But I substitute brown for white carbs, eat far more fruits, and essentially am trying to follow your suggestion: eat clean 6 days, eat YOLO one day. I still get that horrible gut-tightening feeling when I end up in a situation where I”m eating a yolo meal without planning it, but it’s not as terrible. And sometimes I’ll give myself a mini-yolo once a day…for ex, SkinnyCow ice cream; I had it three times this week.

    Now I think I really appreciate and savor every bite and see it as a blessing and source of energy, not something to throw in my throat and regret.
    Thanks for everything Cassey 😉

  126. Chane says:

    Well as I’m 16 I still eat bad things a lot, since this is when my body will be able to handle them most easily and I want to take advantage of that. That said, I have veggies and fruits every day and berries quite often. I try to fill up on those first before going onto the pizza, or cake, or mac n cheese!

  127. kimia says:

    i used to be anorexic like 6 months ago and then i felt very bad and frustrated to i started eating as HELL so naturally i gained shit load of weight and became FAT. its about 2 weeks that im eating clean and i LOVE it. i just love cooking and eating clean lets me cook my own food which uses a lot of creativity and makes me love food and i’ve already lost 6 pounds which is great for a healthy lifestyle.

  128. Brianna says:

    I love this post, Cassey! I’ve been having trouble sticking to my diet. I’ll have a cookie, then feel guilty and grab like 10 more and think, “well, I’ve already messed up for the day might as well eat anything.”
    Then I just pig out on junk food. This post made me even more motivated to stick to it, though. Thank you!

  129. Sam says:

    Thanks so much for posting this. I was severely overweight in elementary middle school (almost 200 pounds) and my parents tried to put me on weight watchers and other, more intense diets to control my eating habits. It wasn’t until they left me alone and I started making small changes (cutting portion sizes and exercising regularly) that I lost a ton of weight. “Dieting” is very personal and very intuitive. Thanks for supporting a healthy, balanced lifestyle!

  130. Yasmina says:

    you just spoke what lingers in my mind.
    but you are right, my friend did a diet of hardly eating, but losing absolutely little.
    I continue to eat a lot of veggies and drink lots of water and I lost like 4kilo’s in a week, and i’m not even lying, with the exercises in your video’s and eating clean, helps! even quicker than I had ever imagined!
    thank you so much <33

  131. croissant says:

    Hi Cassey!
    first comment ever! first, I would like to say thank you Cassey. Thanks for being such a genius! Thanks for the amazing idea of making videos! of course there are lots of workout videos, but on my point of view you are seriously the best. Why no one had this idea before? I’ve been following your Calendar workout for 2 weeks only now and I already feel much better. I discovered all of this with the “call me maybe challenge” (which is getting too easy for me now woop woop). You make the workouts exciting every day! I used to run a lot, like 10K 5x a week and I think my body didn’t like at the end and I was depressed about the idea I had to stop running because I didn’t want to practice an other sport, too complicated, no time… but then you arrived! so now I run less, but when I do, I have the feeling that my body loves it more, because I’m stronger! And I thought running was one of the hardest sport, hell nooo here is popilates! And I love it!
    I heard that you want to develop an app yeeahh!! Could you maybe do sth for people to be able to see where the other popsters are from? like a map or something, because I’m from France and I’m sure there’s not a lot of people following you because it’s in english hahaha they don’t know what they miss! but who knows? maybe my neighbour is doing it also. and I love the idea that I’m doing a workout that maybe someone in India is doing too.
    Again, thank you genius Cassey, keep going! And come more often in Europe so I can have a chance to see you and check if you’re real 🙂

  132. Liz says:

    I’m so glad you posted this! There are so many exercise blogs out there that encourage unhealthy eating and depriving yourself of your favorite foods, it makes me sick. When I was around 14 I use to starve myself because I didnt want to be “fat” now the “thinspo” scene wasn’t huge on the internet yet (or at least I didnt see any of it if it was) but I know seeing all the “nothing taste as good as skinny feels” junk would have made me so much worse.

    I’m a lot better now. I eat what ever I want and exercise. I hope that young girls (or anyone having “diet” problems) see this blog. I’m sure it will help many people!

  133. celeste maes says:

    Hello,

    I am 2-weeks out from my first NPC bikini competition, so I feel like you’re reading my mind. I’m looking forward to life after competition, but I’ve felt so comfortable knowing the amount cups and ounces of things that I’m eating that I know it will be a transition. I know that being this lean all year round is near impossible, but I like the stress you’re putting on eating clean whole foods that I will prepare myself. Could you tell me a little bit about how you transitioned from a competition diet to more ‘normal’ habits. Do you still supplement with protein shakes right after workouts to maintain muscle? How many days a week do you lift/vs how many days do you do cardio to maintain a leaner body? Sorry for the mass of questions, I’m not fearful of the transition, just want to make sure I take a healthy approach and don’t lose all the muscle I’ve worked so hard for.

    Thank you!

    Celeste

  134. Jayde Atkinson says:

    I used to be just like this. As soon as I would cave for some junk food, my whole diet would crash. Now I don’t do diets. I just eat healthy. I’ve learned to love eating veggies and prepping my own meals. It’s actually fun! I wake up every morning energized to workout and make a nourishing breakfast. And it’s all thanks to you Cassey! This year I got really serious about taking care of my body; and I feel like I’ve accomplished that. Love ya! <3

  135. Rinki says:

    Hi Cassey,
    I’ve had my fair struggles with food. I don’t think I’ve had a really good relationship with food since I was maybe 13-14 years old and now I’m 25. I haven’t really embraced any diets really, but I’ve tried to eat better and less sweets and stuff like that on and off for years. Sometimes I’ve tried to cut down on food too, dropped a lot of weight but ultimately ended up gaining it all back whenever I started eating properly again.

    Since I found you online, I’ve tried to follow your diet plan and I have tweaked it occasionally but it seems to suit me. I also Love your calendar it has helped me with what to do, what to train and I’m eternally grateful. For the first time since I was like 9-10 years old I’m staring to sort of like my body again. I’m proud to say that I’ve kept up with your calendar for 3 weeks this Saturday and I love it. Unfortunately, I’ve started to count calories again since I started with the lean meal plan, it sort of comes with the whole weighing of foods, since I’m supposed to eat about 4 oz lean protein/meal. But I’m trying to to let the numbers take over. Also, during these 2 weeks I’ve had my 25th birthday when I didn’t eat all that healthy, but at least I managed not to increase my carb intake too much. And tomorrow I’m having a party with my friends celebrating my birthday and reading this post, well I could relate a lot. I am a little scared of the party seeing as there will be some unhealthy stuff around. Drinks, some snacks etc. But I guess I’ll just have to go with it, I don’t want food to run my life as it has for these past couple of years, I want to be able to enjoy life too and since I’m really trying to eat clean and whole foods normally – I guess I’ll be okay. I’ve stopped eating chips like once a week and I’ve basically refrained from carbs…I think I’m doing quite well. I have noticed changes with my body already but haven’t dropped that much weight maybe 1kg since I started this. I’m hoping to keep it up and your posts, videos are so encouraging.

    Thank you SO much! <3

    /Rinki

  136. Elin says:

    Hi Cassey!
    I totally agree and i can really relate to this. I have had ups and downs with my healthy life but right now I’m back on track and really feeling great! I try to eat as healthy as possible, a looot of veggies and water, more protein like fish, chicken & eggs and more whole grain carbs and skip the white ones. I don’t fear sweets but i do really feel this guilt afterwards. I’m telling myself that it’s okay to eat it sometimes, but very little and stay healthy most of the time. This make me feel so much healthy, bright, energized and beautiful! Thank you for alla your help with your amazing videos, you’re awesome!
    I’m a proud POPster!!

  137. Samaa says:

    This is a wonderful post, Cassey. It’s so important to have a healthy relationship with food. I like to think of it as you’re “dating” your food. So to keep it healthy, eat the good things in life, maybe compromise a little here and there but never to the point where you start to feel straight up heartache! It’s good to be spontaneous once in a while and just eat whatever is brought onto your plate that day.
    I am a weird amalgam of vegan, vegetarian, and pescetarian, and all that means is that I LIKE eating veggies and whole grains because it feels so good but when I’m out at a restaurant with my dear parents and they order fries, sure I’ll eat them (and enjoy them!) because I LIKE being with my parents and having a good time. Never put restrictions on yourself, just eat what makes you feel good (as Cassey said, listen to your body!) and your body will automatically adjust to your set weight, the weight you were meant to be.
    PS Watch Hungry for Change if available to you (I found it on Netflix), it set me on the right path.

  138. Caroline says:

    Hey Cassie,
    Thanks for the great post. You are absolutely right that we should not stress about calories. When you eat good healthy food and treat your body with respect everything falls into place. I want to point out that leptin does not increase appetite when it is secreted but it actually does the contrary, it is an appetite suppressant (I just learned that in class).
    thanks again for all your positive posts!
    Caro

  139. Aoife M says:

    I’m a student. When I’m at University I cook for myself and love it, I can cook whatever I want and I eat healthily. My struggle is when I come home, I have no control over the food cooked for me and mothers being mothers, tend to give HUGE portions because y’know, I can’t feed myself when I’m away. It has gotten better now though, my mother has realised that there a certain foods I don’t eat any more. I used to binge when I got home too. I do still have the odd slip up, but I never really feel guilty any more. If I have that sneaky chocolate, I try to remember the last time I had it, if it was over a month since my last one, I figured I’ve earned it. A piece of chocolate won’t ruin ALL the hard work.
    Don’t try to get rid of ALL snacks at first. You can use them as a treat. Or your “YOLO” thing of the week! 😀 But, like Cassey says, try to fill up on water and veggies! When I’m Uni the urge to get a Latte or those pre-packed sandwiches can be HUGE, but I usually pack my own lunch now. AND My Uni gets the fantastic little Farmer’s Market every Tuesday, so I can tempt myself with fresh veggies and fruit there 😀
    I love this post, it reminds me that I’m not alone when the cravings hit. 🙂

  140. aliva says:

    Hi Cassey,

    the first “diet” I ever tried was eating clean!!! And I never imagined that dieting can be so easy and so tasty at the same time! And will allow me to actually eat sooo much 🙂 And all that is thanks to you and blogilates! I still struggle with colorful creamy cakes at parties and celebrations, and sometimes I give in with the excuse that It’s my YOLO meal 🙂

  141. Hl3n3 says:

    I just can’t live without chocolate 🙁 // I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and I manage to drink 3-4l a day but a life without chocolate is just not possible for me. without it I always feel empty and I Need to eat some when because it makes me happy. So I finally decided on allowing myself a liitle Portion of chocolate every day. Haha

  142. Merdle says:

    My diet plan is to simply eat healthy and clean while still low cal. I am happy with this 99% of the time but when my family goes out to eat (I’m 16 and thus it is sometimes not my choice what I eat or where I go) I look at the menu and see nothing healthy and then I end up ordering something I wouldn’t normally want. Then I get depressed about the fact that its not healthy, it had butter, there’s probably a ton of calories in this and then I can’t eat. It’s something I’ve been working on improving for a while now actually

  143. Emily says:

    I have recently struggled with food, and even if its clean and healthy, i still feel guilty about eating even only a little more than i think i should. I just needed a good pep talk about food and how its not the enemy! Lately ive been a beast in the kitchen, cooking up new and healthy things for my twin sister and the rest of my family. But i’d always feel bad about eating it unless it was just plain veggies 🙁 i started a food and exercise journal about 3 weeks ago and i write down all of my goals for my health and fitness, but for some reason istill get off track and binge a little. From now on i pledge to crack down on my clean eating, but let go of all the guilt 🙂 thank you Cassey, your my inspiration for this amazing and rewarding lifestyle <3

  144. Katie says:

    I love this 🙂
    Although, does this mean you suggest its okay to do a “cheat meal” sort of thing? I know I try to aim for just a generally healthy lifestyle, and since I am in college and an athlete I typically do not beat myself up too hard for eating junk once in a while, but it can get to be a problem. If I don’t monitor myself I will have only eaten carbs for all three meals and then I feel like crap! What I have found that works best for me is that I have to focus on eating the things that make me feel good and give me energy (like you said) If i eat too much dairy, meat, and particularly carbs, my body just hates me and I feel very sluggish. So if I let myself go for a week or so and start to feel awful I then try to rein it in by limiting those foods that really get to me for a little while. Currently I am coming back from spring break so it’s time for a more restricted plan.
    Overall great post! Feel how your body responds, food is fuel 🙂

  145. teilzeitDAU says:

    Hey Cassey (and all you POPsters out there)!
    thanks so much for this post. It’s a funny coincidence, but about two weeks ago I came across this podcast/book/website by Jonathan Bailor called “The Smarter Science of Slim” and it pretty much ties in with what you said above.

    I can’t even explain how revealing this book is. He offers so much information about why it’s so hard to lose fat for some people while others are just naturally skinny (and even more importantly: what the less blessed ones can do about it, heh)

    i can’t go into much detail here or else I’ll be filling pages and pages of text here, but i really encourage all of you to at least visit his website (thesmarterscienceofslim.com) or his podcast (search for “smarter science of slim” on itunes).
    it’s so informative and fun, AND: it’s all based on scientific studies, so there’s no fad guru thing going on there.

    I’ve been following his suggestions for about a week now (i’m following his nutrition tips & workout routine, but I combine it with Cassey’s workout calendar bc I love both of you guys equally, lol) and I already feel a difference: more energy, no hunger, no cravings (aah!!), more happiness,… just yay!

    btw: just to be clear here, i have not been paid to say this 🙂

    <3 ya!

  146. Leila Camui says:

    Hi, Cassie 🙂

    Well, I don’t usually struggle with food. I have always been in my weight (sometimes less, sometimes more, but I have never been overweight).
    When I was living at home, I always ate a lot of processed things, sodas, sweets, white bread, and also a lot of water, but many few fruits and veggies. I was not “fat”, and even I was skinnier than friends who eat better, but I always felt tired, lethargic, and very hungry. And also, my skin was very bad, I had celullite, and I hadn’t any muscles. Also, I never worked out, except walking.

    Now, I eat a lot better: lots of fruit everyday, plenty of water, any sodas (maybe one per month or less), any fried things, whole foods, nuts, fish, meat, grains, veggies, etc. and do workout 6 days a week 🙂
    And damn! I feel better than never, I am full of energý, my skin is way better, also my hair, I hace more muscles, so my curves are better 🙂 And cellulite is almost gone. So, I can say my body is better now, when I’m 27 years old than when I was 20 hahahaha.

    I never count calories, I eat what I want (healthily of course) when I am hungry (I eat every 3 hours, if not, I feel like dying). For me calories are energy, if you don’t get enough of them, you can’ workout, and you can’t do your daily activities. Every person has it’s own needs, of course, we are not all the same, but I don’t think restricting is good.
    Personally, I love black chocolate, and eat a piece every day, that’s my only indulge, hahaha.

    So, thanks for your advice, Cassey, I think all kind of people can take advantage of them, the most important thing in life is being healthy, not a number on a scale (I don’t know how much I weight, and I don’t care because I feel good). Thank you!

    PS: Sorry for my English, I’m Spanish xD

  147. Stella says:

    I’ve learned to listen to my body and trust what it’s telling me to determine the way I eat. I feel great when I eat lots of whole foods, and I feel gross and sluggish when I eat a lot of processed foods. It’s easier to workout when my intake is cleaner and more wholesome, but I still give in to burgers, pizza, and the such when I’m in a hurry or just when the craving hits me (I’m pregnant, by the way, so cravings are frequent).
    Your post really caught my attention because I have friends who are doing the HCG diet, and they swear by it. I love my friends, but this diet scares the crap out of me with it’s load days and then super-restrictive days. I’ve done some research on it – or I’ve tried anyway – but it seems like most of the info I’ve found is in support of the diet, though I found most of the “articles” or testimonials have the same sources. This diet can’t be safe!
    It took me a long time to grasp the concept of getting away from restrictive diets – they just don’t work for me. I love to cook and love to eat and I’m much happier and healthier when I find ways to turn “bad” foods “good. Paleo recipes and clean recipes have become a regular part of our daily meals, though we’re far from “perfect” – again, if I want pizza, I’m going to have it! BUT, I’m having a hard time convincing my friend that there is a safer, more effective way to eat and lose. The HCG diet results in really rapid weight loss, which my friends find more desirable than slow and steady. Cassey, what info do you have about the HCG? I’m really worried the long term effects of getting on and off of it are dangerous.

  148. Strala says:

    I think something worth mentioning is the fact that all foods have their place in a healthy diet. I’m not perfect. I’m a student and I’m busy and I weigh more than I would like but there a times when there are family meals and EXPERIENCES that involve food. I think the saddest thing in the world would be to obsess over my diet and miss something great because of it. Stuff like pizza has its room in a balanced diet but if you just have one slice and acknowledge it, you’ll feel physically and emotionally satisfied with the one slice. this is something that took me a while to learn as I have also struggled with disordered eating. 200 calories of pizza is the same as 200 calories of something else in terms of weight. Of course my body will process pizza and smoothie very differently, but its not like one YOLO thing made anyone fat.

  149. Léanna says:

    Well right now I eat lots of veggies and fruits, whole grains and lean protein ! But I don’t deprive myself, my body needs lots of carbs to function so I have whole wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa and stuff. I tried once to go on a low-carb “diet” I did it for a month and I was so weak ! No energy at all, I had a low blood sugar level everyday. So to everyone : don’t feel guilty if you need a slice of bread at every meal just to feel full, satisfied and to keep your energy up ! It’s normal, just make sure it’s whole wheat, healthy and full of fiber 🙂 xx

  150. kel says:

    *ghrelin (greleen).
    Sorry, not to be a prick or anything, just thought it should be corrected for everyone. Thanks for this great post!

  151. Rebekah C says:

    Girl I am with you on the chocolate! I Don’t know if you have tried dark chocolate yet or not? I worked my taste up to it and now the darker the better! I eat one small square of 85% dark chocolate when I get a craving and it zaps it! 🙂 I try and go the healthiest I can go when I buy dark chocolate. There is a brand, I believe it’s called Alter ego organic dark chocolate, this chocolate only has a 4 ingredients! So good for you! Also helps burn fat 😉 give it a shot.

    And keep up the great work!

  152. Florence Schmid says:

    I keep on feeling guilty after eating – even though doing a lot of sports and organising my life in a healthy way (eating a lot of veggies and proteins as cottage cheese, chicken etc.). No idea why: I have a fix idea, how much and when I should eat. If I don’t follow the plan (which happens often in form of snacking in between while studying) my bad consciousness will be there suddendly. Consequence: Even more sports – and even more being hungry. Frustrating.
    That’s why I am beginning to try not letting this feel of guilt coming up any more: Thinking that I MAY EAT – healthy and when I am hungry – never mind if in between or late in the night. It is really really difficult but I get used to ENJOY having a nice meal (and a snack – for example a piece of dark chocolate) in between. Since I am at least trying this I feel a lot less stressed. But – as mentioned – the little devil of feeling guilty tries to come up again and again: I really have to push it down.

  153. Kristin says:

    I can so see myself in this post. 5 years ago (I was 14) I lost 20 lbs when I started running and eating clean (back then I didn’t know that term but looking back I can say this is what I did.) And it was so easy, I started to really love cooking and eating healthy and feeling good about myself. But my mum who eats very unhealthy but is still skinny thought I was overdoing it, I would get myself into anorexia etc (which wasn’t true, I never ate too little and at no point in my life have I ever been underweight). So at some point I got sick of arguing with her over whether I had to eat gravy with my vegetables or not and I started thinking “Well, I lost most of the weight I wanted to lose, maybe I can start eating “normally” again so that nobody would bug me anymore.” And I did. I kept my main meals mostly healthy, but I started eating candy as a snack. A lot of candy. Especially in the evenings. I gained back every pound I had lost. And I felt so horrible. Not only because of my weight, I had some other major issues in my life at that time and I started to binge. It became a vicious cycle. I would eat a healthy breakfast, healthy lunch, work out and then something happens and I eat a bad meal. That would make me give up for that day, “just screw it”, and stuff my face with literally everything until I felt sick. I’d even eat stuff I usually don’t really like just for the sake of eating. Of course I wanted to lose the extra weight again and I started over. And relapsed. And started over. Sometimes I lost up to 5 or 6 pounds, sometimes only 1. But I gained it back. My relationship with food any myself had become totally unhealthy. Then, not so long ago, I joined tumblr and discovered the Call Me Maybe Squat Challenge and thus, Blogilates. And it changed my life! Cassey, because of you and your positivity towards life I got back on track! And this time it’s for good, I know it! I have so much fun following the calendar, trying out your recipes and just generally feeling good about myself and the results start showing too. I still have a long way ahead of me but I know I can and will make it! Thank you, Cassey you’re my biggest inspiration and role model, I love you! 🙂 (And sorry for the long comment, but maybe my story could be a help for others too…)

  154. Kathy says:

    My downfault is wine. I love wine. It has so many calories. And it’s dark red wine that I like, so there’s no mixing it with soda water to stretch it out. I just need to drink a glass of water before every glass of wine. Maybe two glasses of water. Thanks for the article, Cassey.

  155. Kristyne says:

    I agree with you! Diets never worked for me… It was always “ooooooooooh I can’t have that, or that, or.. that..” so it seemed hopeless. Now I enjoy oatmeal with blueberries and flaxseed in the morning. veggies for lunch & dinner with some form of protein ( chicken or shrimp ) and I eat lots of almonds. I am a major chocolate fan and so trying to keep it out of my diet completely was insane. I enjoy a small taste of chocolate every day and I don’t feel guilty about it anymore.

  156. Irene says:

    Thank you so much Cassey, I though I was reading my own life in this post. I will keep trying my best to live a healthy lifestyle and be less concern regarding dieting.

  157. Danielle says:

    I just finished a solid workout where I kept thinking “this is pointless. No amount of cardio is going to undo the damage you did blowing your diet last night.” You have no idea how important this post just was to me!! I know all these things already, I know it can’t be all about the numbers, and i know this jas to e a longterm lifestyle, not a quick fix…. buttttttttt sometimes I need that reminder… And sometimes I need to know I’m not alone. Because while everyone else around me is doing their thing, I feel like I’m the only one who struggles to be healthy.
    Thank you for sharing, and thank you for giving me the energy to start today fresh. <3
    Love your workouts! (But we need more stretching videos!! I've been loving the stretch lately!!! Feels sooooo dang relaxing!)

  158. Chavonne says:

    I struggle with food, its a battle every day, of wanting to be healthy and over come my disordered eating but I still slip into bad habits and find it hard to motivate myself, I’m determined to complete one of your workout calendars I always miss workouts maybe April will be better.

  159. Vanessa says:

    i struggle with snacking…. no matter what i eat… i have a bad habit of just going into the kitchen and just picking up food and eat it and im always snacking on PB :p and then im like “well how many points did i eat!?” (im on weight watchers). i struggle with it everyday and some are better then others.. but i was stuck on 132 so i desided to watch my carbs… and most days i try to stay at atleast 70..but some days i dont but then i think it as, im changing it up. But i really have to stop just snacking like the way i do. :p

  160. Carole says:

    This is soo true. Thank you for putting words on what we already know (at some point), it’s always a good thing to read such a good reminder. I’m actually trying since 2 months to have a healthy alimentation, with veggies, fruits, and water (and tea !) + exercise (almost) on a daily basis and I already feel my body healthier and stronger. But yeah, sometimes I just would love to eat half a huge pizza, or a big piece of this delicious cake or or or… so many temptations everywhere ! Most of the time I resist and dont’ eat it, but here is the point : even if i’m happy with my ”new” alimentation, and I really want to turn it into my ”normal” eating without feeling it like a diet or something, do you think in such an alimentation we still can eat some ”guilty pleasures” like twice a week without ruining our efforts and still lose weight ? I’d love th think that eating candies or pizza or whatever else SOMETIMES and reasonably isnt’ a failure. … but I guess it’s also you’re point, even if you don’t say it clearly. 🙂 Thank you Cassey for such articles.

  161. miriam says:

    I struggle with food as well. To be honest all i can think about is food, losing weight and living healthy but i cant seem to live it and actual stick to it. I always fall back into bad habits and feel guilty about it. But im not giving up. Someday i will have the strength to live a healthy life!

  162. Djulia says:

    Hiii Cassey! Thank you again for this stimulating and giving faith in me writing. Well, I have understooden aboput myself, personally, that bread and all these plain flour things make me bad feeling and looking, so I am trying to avoid them as possible as I can. I am trying to eat a lot of veggies and proteins. But I have to admit that It is no shame or guilt if someone sometimes eats his really favourite and “forbidden ” food like chocolate or ice cream or pizza for example. This could be the tiny relax or refresh which gives you energy an satisfaction to go on. So, Do not be afraid to have your favourite foods one day a week or twice in month for example, friends!!! And always smile and be happy!! Life is worth everything!! THANK YOU Cassey, again!!!

  163. Lottie says:

    I’m currently between clean eating and eating what I want. Basically I eat clean most of the time, but if I want I’ll add a tiny bit of cheese, or mayonnaise, or whatever. If I’m craving chocolate and there’s some in the house, I’ll eat a little chocolate. It’s taken me so long to find a balance but I really do find moderation is the way to go. It’s so difficult to all of a sudden think “right, I’m gonna stop eating all these ‘bad’ foods that I’ve been eating for the majority of my life” which I tried so many times, going on restrictive ‘diets’ and ending up caving and eating every unhealthy food I could get my hands on… So I’ve mixed it up a little. And actually, since I started eating clean, I don’t even crave ‘bad’ stuff any more and I love the way I feel when eating clean. I’ve lost 8lbs (without even intending to!) and kept it off by doing this. Moderation, in my opinion, is what health is about. Eating healthily is amazing, but at the same time we only get one life – there’s no point depriving yourself of foods you love from time to time! 🙂

  164. Ivori Rose says:

    Great positive post Cassey !
    Yes, I do still struggle with food ; even after having lost 145 pounds and have kept it off for 6 years. I love eating veggies and fruit, but there are times when I have a massive craving for fried spring rolls, queso, and chocolate…OH CHOCOLATE, my ultimate kryptonite !
    When these insane food cravings hit, I actually stop and take a deep breath, then go to Hungry Girl’s website to find a low sugar, high fiber option. Lisa (aka Hungry Girl) has help me a lot with being able to conquer my food cravings, by being able to give into them with healthier options ; like fried onion rings made from sliced fresh onion, Fiber One cereal and being baked instead of fried !

  165. Tanya says:

    This is the perfect post. I can relate to this in so many ways. Thanks, Cassey!

  166. Allison says:

    I can totally 100% relate to this. Thanks for reminding me that I’m not alone and giving me some encouragement <3