Rectifying my past + reclaiming my bikini | Day 0 of 90

Hey guys,

Today is my birthday. I am turning 35. WOW that’s like the age my mom was when I was in kindergarten. And here I am, no kids (yet), but I AM a mom to a very demanding child. No, it’s not Sir…

It’s

THE BUSINESS.

🙂

This past week, I realized that it’s actually the 10 year anniversary of my Bikini Competition! The decision to enter that competition changed me forever. You can read all about it in my IG post:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cassey Ho (@blogilates)

I remember this so clearly: 10 years go, deciding to embark on a journey that I knew NOTHING about but was so excited to throw myself into fully – to test my limits and push my body to places it’s never been. I listened to my coach like it was the law and got results like I had never seen before. I mean, it was REALLY cool.

But I had no idea that competing would lead me down a path of disordered eating and body dysmorphia.

Recovery took several years. I threw away my scale. I didn’t count calories. I ate whatever I wanted. I did workouts that weren’t as intense but made me happy. I will be honest with you – I STRUGGLED seeing myself gain weight during this time, because it wasn’t just me trying to accept my new body. I was posting workout videos this whole recovery period, so people (and prominent video creators) were negatively commenting on my bigger body and questioning my expertise in the fitness space because of the weight gain. Externally, the body shaming was eating away at my confidence as a fitness instructor, and internally, I was surrounded by a toxic team at work, and that ate away at my confidence as a CEO. I was left with no backbone, no sense of self, suffered panic attacks, and could barely breathe anytime I walked into MY OWN office. I was breaking a part and felt like I had nothing left. I wanted to shut down POPFLEX and Blogilates forever.

But Sam told me to just give it one more chance.

After a weekend at a retreat, I realized how unhappy I was and knew I needed to make a change. That’s when I announced my 90 Day Journey. I decided to get in the best shape of my life mentally, physically, and emotionally REGARDLESS of what anyone else thought. I needed to find me again.

For 90 days, I allowed myself the flexibility and freedom to fail (meaning I gave myself the space to try things, and tweak if it wasn’t working) and honestly, that’s what made it so successful. From the heaviest I had ever been, I ended up losing around 20 lbs and shed all of the excess weight off of my body and the toxicity out of my life. The confidence I gained during my 90 day Journey leaked into all areas of my life. I attribute a lot of the success I have with my business today because of it.

So…

Last week, when I put on that bikini again, it triggered something inside me.

I tried suppressing it, but it won’t go away. It’s this “unfinished business” feeling.

This feeling that even though I did my 8 weeks of hardcore training and made it on stage, I didn’t do it right for myself. Yes, I pushed my body and tested my limits, but to a point where I broke.

So here it is guys. Today, on my birthday, and on the 10 year anniversary of my bikini competition year, I am going to RECLAIM and RECTIFY my past.

Instead of training for a bikini and the judgement of others, I am going to train for strength and the judgement of myself.

Beginning tomorrow, January 17th, 2022 and ending on April 14th, 2022…

I am going to embark on a 90 Day Journey to Muscle.

My Why:

I am going on a 90 Day Journey to Muscle to rectify my unhealthy past and get in the strongest shape of my life on MY terms.

My How:

Physically: I will focus on doing workouts and eating meals that will help me gain muscle and get stronger.

Mentally: I will focus on sleeping more to help decrease my stress levels.

Emotionally: I will journal my entire 90 Day Journey to Muscle and allow myself the freedom to fail, tweak, and try again.

My Starting Stats:

I decided to book an appointment for a Dexa Scan so I could get an accurate measurement of my starting stats. Muscle mass and body fat percentage are too hard to measure accurately at home. I will also scan again at Day 60 and for the final time at Day 90.

By the way, the last time I did this was 8 years ago, so you can see how my body has changed since then. My body fat is lower and my lean tissue has increased (mainly due to my first 90 Day Journey).

Currently my lean tissue is at 86 lbs and that is the MAIN number I plan to increase.

It is not about weight loss. It is about muscle gain!

I am not even concerned about my total weight at all, especially since muscle weighs more than fat. I do not have a fat % goal, but I do plan on seeing a lower fat tissue number given the workouts that I will be doing and the food I will be eating. Additionally, the lower the fat % the more muscle definition can be seen.

Before Pics:

And before ANY journey, I love taking pics of exactly how I started so I can appreciate my progress. Here it is!

I am definitely starting at a more defined place than I was when I did my first bikini prep, and this time, I am giving myself 4 more weeks to do it. So, I am really curious to see where I will end up!

My Workouts:

I have written my own personal workout plan for Phase 1 (Month 1) and am posting it here for accountability. It was so fun revisiting old gym routines I used to do!

My Food:

I will be upping my protein intake to support muscle growth. Many sources, including my RD, Breanna, recommended around 1g of protein per lb of body weight for those looking to build muscle. Bodybuilding and physique competition sources recommended 1g – 1.5g per lb of body weight. At 122lbs, this puts me at 122g – 183g of protein intake daily. Knowing how my body reacted to excessive protein intake back in the day, I won’t go to the 183g level. But I also know that 122g will likely not be enough given that in the past, it’s been tough for me to build muscle. So, I’ll test out ~150g and about ~ 1,500 calories a day which keeps me full without feeling stuffed. I’ll tweak next week if I’m not feeling good.

Below is my meal plan for the first week of 12 weeks. Also posting here for accountability.

Note: This is my own personal meal plan based on my body, my needs, my taste preferences, my food intolerances and my goals. Do not follow this or any meal plan blindly without consulting your doctor or RD.

My Water:

I will drink 1 gallon of water a day to ensure I stay hydrated and that my digestion is healthy.

I’ll fill up 2 of these POPFLEX 64 oz bottles a day with water and fruit for flavoring! BTW this exact bottle is 25% off today only for my bday, use code CASSEY25 so we can match 🙂

My Sleep:

I will sleep 7-8 hours a day. And this is big for me – EVEN at the expense of working less. (I love what I do and am addicted to it!)

I met with my doctor to go over some of my labs last week, and it turns out that my lack of sleep is affecting my progesterone which is actually affecting my fertility too! That’s probably why Sam and I have been trying with no results!

Here’s a screenshot from one of my tests. The green is the healthy range of progesterone (6.0 ng/mL to 20.0 ng/mL) and I’m at the purple, at 0.4 ng/mL.

So, I vow to go upstairs and prepare for bed at 9pm, be in bed by 10pm, and be asleep by 10:30pm. I will rise at 6:30am which will give me 8 hours of sleep.

I will also try taking some sleep supplements like melatonin and/or magnesium to make me feel more rested. I don’t have bad sleep, but my issue is that my mind is always racing with so many ideas that it doesn’t want to go to sleep! This will be something totally new for me.

Oh and BONUS! Whenever I sleep more, I notice my digestion improving, so I am personally VERY excited about this.

My Journaling:

I promise to reflect daily in my 90 Day Journal and keep meticulous track of everything that’s working, not working, and tweak accordingly.

I’m excited to use the Super 90 Day Journal for this journey because of the new spacious layout that gives me more room to write daily. It’ll be my first time embarking on a journey with the super! Oh and this journal is also 25% off today only for my bday. Use code CASSEY25.

Last words before embarking:

This new 90 Day Journey is selfishly for me, and me only.

Repeat. Me only.

I want to reclaim my unhealthy past, build muscle in a healthy way and this is how I am going to do it. I love challenges because I love the feeling of being focused with a structured plan and measurable goals. Some people will be upset (as they were last time), some will unfollow, and others will diagnose me with illnesses even though they know nothing about my medical history. I already know this is going to happen and I am prepared to deal with the negativity because again, this journey is for me, and me only.

I’m so excited about my 90 Day Journey to Muscle because it’s been a while since I’ve been super focused on myself, and I can’t wait to see where I am at in 90 days.

Oh – I’ll be back here tomorrow recapping my first day of meals and then once more at the end of the week recapping week 1 and sharing my week 2 meal plan (for accountability). I won’t be blogging every day for 90 days because not much will be changing daily and I am trying to sleep earlier…so that’ll help a ton 🙂

71 thoughts on “Rectifying my past + reclaiming my bikini | Day 0 of 90”

There are 71 comments posted by our users.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Nate says:

    My name is Nate , I love you content and posts , I run a gym, and I am a trainer /nutritionist , I like reading your post and workouts, you can never stop learning new things , your articles are great and I definitely try out and use some of the routines myself. Keep up the amazing work. looking forward to more great tips on diet and training. And you look amazing by the way. Have a wonderful day, hope your business continues to grow and your success is overwhelming .

  2. Hannah says:

    What protein powder do you use??

  3. Alexa says:

    Ok so I’m too embarking on a new journey except in ur option is it okay to go from 600 calories a day to 1500 in order to meet
    This protoen demand? If our lifts are significant I wonder if increasing in such volume would negatively impact
    Me or if my body will catch up

    1. Romeo Romeo says:

      Please eat more than 600 calories a day! Maybe I’m misunderstanding your point, but if you are only eating 600 calories a day, this is just not enough! Please try working with a dietitian and perhaps even a therapist. But again maybe I’m misunderstanding your point. Best

  4. Jes says:

    I absolutely love that your sharing your workouts. I have been doing pilates with you for over a decade and in the last 5 years I started lifting. I’ve been a runner for 25 years though. So I’ve been really curious about your personal weight workouts after getting Bret Contreras’ book and doing his 12 week program. I’m excited to give this a try! Thanks for sharing your life with us!

  5. Julie says:

    Any chance you have videos of your workouts? Would love to see them live! Youre amazing!

  6. SH says:

    Please please watch Team ForNever Lean’s most recent video regarding this plan. Your limited calorie intake and the amount of cardio you are doing will not help you in your attempt to build muscle and the amount of exercises you’re doing every day is excessive. I’m not saying this to slate or troll you, its more that this could be potentially dangerous to your health (mental and physical) and there really could be a more efficient and less exhausting way for you to achieve what you want.

  7. sara says:

    Sorry but reclaiming your relationship with food while only eating 1500 kcal is not coherent. I’ve been there, I’ve been that disordered eating girl and this is the type of plan I’d do. The intention behind your journey is amazing, but you’re actually promoting unhealthy behaviour. Take care of you Cassey…

    1. Cassey says:

      Totally hear you, but everyone’s bodies react differently to intake changes! 1500 isn’t set in stone. Just a starting point that I know I can manage (this has me feeling full and I don’t want to force myself to eat past fullness). I’m monitoring my energy levels, progress etc. super closely and will increase as needed!

      1. Samantha says:

        Hi Cassey, I have been on my fitness journey for some time now and I’ve had the opportunity to get advice from leading trainers and watch the kind of diet they consume to build muscle (much more than 1,500 unless they are doing a competition “cut”, to build muscle you need to bulk).

        There is something called “reverse dieting” where you can teach your body to consume more calories. Every single macros/calculator and professional I know recommend much more calories at your activity level. Since you said you want to gain muscle, don’t you need to gain some weight as well? 1,500 puts you in a deficit. I know everyone’s body is different but I would definitely look into the concept of reverse dieting so you don’t feel like you are eating past fullness. I also ask a personal trainer and see what they say. You’re RD can tell you what to eat, but a personal trainer can help you with your gains.

        I wish you luck.

        1. Liz says:

          Hey Samantha! I saw that your comment didn’t receive a reply and thought I’d put in my 2 cents! I’m finishing up school to be an RDN and like Cassey has said before that ~1500 is a starting point for her! Based off of her weight and some quick and dirty calculations for caloric requirements, she’s actually well within range for energy needed for someone who strength trains! I know 1500 might not seem like a lot, but the food she’s choosing to eat is very nutritiously dense, so she’s probably feeling fuller for longer and she has stated if she needs to add in other foods, she will do so. I think it’s a good balance between having structure (which works really well for some people) but also giving the grace of knowing that your body will need/crave things that you can’t anticipate beforehand. I hope I didn’t come off in any negative way, I just love sharing my knowledge that I’ve paid so much for lol

  8. Su says:

    Thank you for continuing to share your journey and these resources!

  9. Adrianna says:

    Cassey, how did you decide which exercises to do in your workouts? I’m looking to do something similar- gain muscle and strengthen, while developing a better relationship with my body and fitness. I swam in high school and was a much lower body fat than I am now (though I am still slim and muscle). But I lost some of my tone and strength and definition. I am excited to follow your journey, as I figure out my own! We’re in this fitness thing together!

    1. Traci says:

      Like Adrianna above, I would like to know how you picked these exercises. I am looking to revamp my weight training routine. I notice there is a lot of leg work but very little bicep/tricep/shoulder work and I would love to learn your thoughts and insights in choosing your routine.

  10. Janice Mitchell says:

    Thank you so much for your vulnerability because I can relate with what happens when doing a challenge. 3 1/2 yrs ago I did and completed my first bikini challenge to look my hottest for my 55 birthday. I became obsessed with 2 workouts a day and would lash out if I couldn’t get them in. I would freak out on my family & friends for have fatty foods or too many carbs around.

    Not only did my toxic behavior came to the surface but that of my so-called circle of friends. In July 2022 it’ll be 4 yrs since I’ve seen any of them and 4 years of not completing any challenge iv joined including yours because o don’t want to have the same toxic behaviors to come up.

    Your story has helped me see that it is possible for me to take the leap into a healthier more compassionate way of eating, exercise and self care. I need to do it for ME! Not for anyone else.

    I’m stuck in perimenopause and know that if I can gain control over my eating habits and sleep pattern, my body, mind and spirit will respond in a positive way.

    Again thank for you being you! 💜

    1. Cassey says:

      I love this so much! You’ve got this ❤️

  11. AnchaT says:

    High fives and claps. Do what you feel you need to. *^-^*
    Ps: I have heard that yarrow tea is good for women and their hormone balance. Well it has a quite “unique” taste. ><

  12. Christine D says:

    Cassie, I’m actually really excited to see this new work out plan! This is similar to my work out plan before I had my baby (he’s 2 yo now!). I try your blogilates too and it’s killer!

    1. Christine D says:

      Also, I also have fertility issues. I hope you get to see more specialists and do tests to pinpoint the issues. I’m 36 too.

  13. Sandra says:

    Really cool to see your journey! You are not eating plantbased anymore? It would be interesting to see if you would grow muscle on plants (since you said being plantbased made you feel good)

    1. Kim says:

      There is a documentary on Netflix called Game Changers about vegan athletes, including a UFC fighter. It’s definitely possible to gain muscle as a vegan. The documentary is really interesting and worth checking out!

  14. Maelisa Hall says:

    Get it, girl!!!! Personally, I’ve found that increased protein has shown soooo many benefits. I hope it does the same for you and I’m excited to follow your journey. Thank you for always sharing with us!

  15. Suu says:

    Drinking a gallon a day is not healthy for most women, including active ones. For many it will lead to bloating, headaches, digestion issues and worst case scenario, electrolyte imbalance/kidney problems. 2-3 liters is a healthy amount for most females and that’s including liquids from foods. Overhydration is a real and common issue because of the “health” movement spreading this recommendation with absolutely no scientific backing. Women end up in the hospital with overhydration much more often than underhydration. To anyone considering doing this because Cassey does, please do google the recommendations first and reconsider!

    1. Samyukta says:

      Everyone’s bodies are different, so maybe this works for Cassey! I agree with you for many that drinking a gallon is too much. I personally have experienced this electrolyte imbalance from drinking too much and my muscles were constantly cramping as a result. Like you said, for me, drinking about two liters plus eating fruits with higher water content has given the best results. So make sure that you are drinking and eating what is right for you!

  16. Sage says:

    This is awesome. Good for you!

  17. Alie says:

    I’m so excited to watch as you go on this journey. Your first 90 day journey was so transformative and I love that the changes you made obviously work for you.
    Please make videos of your workouts so we can sweat along with you!

  18. Laura S. says:

    It’s great AND healthy to do something for yourself every now and then.

  19. Laura S. says:

    How do I go about the 90 Day Journey for mainly my MENTAL health?

    1. Cassey says:

      I would just make small exercise and nutrition goals and focus on how they’re making me feel mentally, instead of physically. For example, joyful movement X times per week – walking, yoga, dancing, lifting – whatever you enjoy! Or a goal to eat a nourishing breakfast every day add a veggie to every meal, etc. Then journal how you feel and go from there!

  20. LeAnn Davis says:

    I am happy for you to embrace this journey.

  21. Nursen says:

    So excited for you Cassey! I know you have a background in biology, so I’m curious, are you adapting your workouts at all to try to keep your cortisol levels lower so it doesn’t exacerbate the low progesterone issue? Also have you ever tried cycle syncing your workouts? It seems like something you would experiment with while being conscious of your fertility. Come to think of it, you mentioned your mom also had trouble conceiving, and with the hardships she faced when she was younger, I wonder if cortisol had something to do with her fertility challenges too…. would love to hear your thoughts on this!

    1. Kammie says:

      This is a great point! I studied nutrition and exercise’s effects on fertility and hormones in my master’s and found that many women are exercising at too high intensities and limiting carbs/fat which can cause infertility. After looking at Cassie’s meal and exercise plan, I would highly adjust and account for more rest if she is wanting to prioritize her fertility. Working out at such a high intensity for 6 days a week can definitely damage hormone levels…

      1. Natasha says:

        I am currently trying to recover my hormone imbalances which were a result of not fueling properly for my intense exercise regime (similar to this, cardio and strength everyday) and I was eating about 1600 which now I cannot even imagine. I was totally under-fuelling.
        This doesn’t seem healthy to me- basing it on the nutritional help I have received and intervention from following a very similar routine which got me in trouble health wise. Even 2000 kcal on this amount of exercise (and I’m sure including the YouTube workouts) cannot be enough. I don’t know how one would gain any muscle on this plan. The amount of fat is very low which is a key nutrient for women’s hormones. I find it very conflicting

  22. Carmen says:

    People are always going to find something to be upset about, and it’s so great that you continue to be true to yourself on your own platform. You really inspired me to get into fitness many years ago and I’m so excited to follow you on this new journey!

  23. Alyssa says:

    Good luck Cassey! Excited for this new journey that you’re going on. I remember following you way back in 2011 and saw your Bikini fitness competition journey, so it’s really awesome to see you reclaiming it all and making it your own. You got this!

  24. Renee says:

    Hi Casey, I have been following you forever and love your positive energy. Will you be posting your workout plan each month?
    Also, have you left parts blank on the spreadsheet to write timings?

  25. Sarah Grace says:

    Hey Cassey!

    Ive been following you for years, and currently am in the middle of “The Glow up Challenge” Thanks for helping me find the joy in fitness! One of my main fitness goals has been to get stronger and gain muscle, so this came along at the PERFECT time. My main workout regime in the past year, has been pilates and light weight training. I plan to follow the 90 Day muscle challenge, but since I am new to a lot of the exercises, I was wondering, if maybe you can do a video or a blog post for month one, explaining technique and form, and all that. Also are you planning on posting the rest of the 90 Day challenge? Thanks so much Cassey!

  26. Denisse says:

    Hello Cassey! You have always inspired me to love my body and see workout as a way to honor my body.
    Today I started with you my 90 day journey, and I couldn’t finish the exercises but I did my best and pushed myself as far as I could( my legs won’t stop trembling) so, I feel very proud of myself, thanks for the motivation you always bring me

  27. Monika says:

    I’m curious to see your results. I’m curious to see if your lean mass increases a lit or if it will be the percentage changing more cause your muscle will increase a bit but your fat will drop. Looks like it will be the latter.

  28. K says:

    Woo excited for you and to see your progress unveil! As an “average” woman I really appreciate seeing another woman’s muscle gain journey, ESP in a methodical manner.
    Best of luck on your pregnancy journey, too. You can do whatever you set your mind to and we’re all rooting for ya 🙂

  29. Katie says:

    You can do it! Good luck and have fun! I know you’ll totally rock this challenge. You always do. ❤️❤️

  30. I love this, Cassey! It’s great to see a strength gaining program rather than a weight loss program!❤️ Thank you!

  31. Grace says:

    Good luck to you, Cassey! I will be joining 90 days challenge with you. I will follow your exercise plan but not meal plan (because I can’t survive without Korean food for 90 days). Thank you for sharing your workout plan. Look forward to reading your daily posting! Go girl!

  32. Sigrid says:

    Hey! I love that you are doing a new challenge for YOU. Like some other comments says, 1500 calories a days seems way too little in my perspective, but obviously we don’t know how much or little you need for your body <3 However, I hope that on your next challenge, your focus will be to help out your hormones! There are a lot of ways to do this and I can recommend https://hormonesbalance.com – I learned a lot on a free course there. I can also recommend the book "Taking charge of your fertility" on ways to increase progesterone levels for optimizing the chances of getting a baby 😉

  33. Hannah says:

    I am way more excited for this journey then last time. Because I too am trying to build muscle! Excited to see the ups, downs and everything

  34. Meg Stowe says:

    So excited for you!

  35. Amanda says:

    I’m so excited for your journey and I’m sending you positive encouragement! I’m very curious how the results will turn out! I’m working on my own fitness journey starting the 17th too and I feel like watching you go on another 90 day journey will inspire me to keep going. Let’s crush it!

  36. H says:

    Hi Cassey!

    I say this with all love, but I think 1500 calories is more of a deficit calories and a little low to be building muscle, which is strange that your RD didn’t say anything about this! You should start from your maintain calories and add 100-200 calories to crest a slight surplus. If you are in deficit calories your body will be less prone to building muscle.

    1. Jes says:

      Thank you for mentioning this (in a pleasant and caring manner)!

      1500 kcal is very close to the BMR for a person weight ~122lbs (or around 55kgs) and sounds like something suitable for a 7 year old…

      Another thing is that the fat intake is very low. The DRI is 20-35% and you’d still need essential fats to be healthy.

      Take care Cassey!

    2. K says:

      She has a trusted, proven, registered dietician helping her out with this. She’ll be totally fine. ❤️

    3. Tarah says:

      This might be what her R&D suggested for her body weight and type. What would be a healthy requirement for you why not necessarily be what is a healthy requirement for her, everyones needs are independent and unique to them

      1. tada says:

        you’d have to be like 3 feet tall or something to need this few calories with this much exercise volume to actually build muscle. Assuming Cassey is 165cm and weighs around 55kg +/- some she’d need 2,148 cals daily just to maintain, given she does intensive exercise 6-7 times a week. And even if the weight is off, the rest fits (height is publicly known; her regime is written down in this post) so her needed calories would still be in the 1800-2200 region for maintaining.

    4. Cassey says:

      We did discuss this! For me, this made sense as the most sustainable place to start without feeling uncomfortable (I have been so stuffed!). I’m monitoring my appetite, energy levels, and workout progress and will increase accordingly! Going to update with more info in my next post too.

  37. Ashley Shaunte says:

    You’re a January baby like me 🤗. Happy birthday! I’m rooting for you on this journey. I’m excited that you’re doing it for you and no one else.

  38. Rya says:

    Hey Casey! I’ve been paleo for almost 4 years now, lost a lot of body fat but started going to the gym a couple of months ago to try to gain muscle as well! So looking forward to any tips.
    As a nutrition health coach, I know fasting can really boost HGH but if your hormones are unbalanced that may not be the best option. sleep also helps which you already have a plan for so you should be set! Another HGH aid are amino acids, i like to check my protein powders and make sure it has a good amino acid profile! Thought, you will be getting a good amount through you quality protein and eggs you have on your meal plan!!!
    For balance hormone levels, eat more cruciferous veggies. They contain a compound called DIM which supports healthy estrogen levels and helps to balance out the estrogen : progesterone ratio. Also seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, ground flax and fresh ground sesame all aid in balance hormone levels.

    Gook luck! And looking forward to watching your progress!!

  39. Marti says:

    Wow! Amazing sweetie, I remember your journey 10 years ago and the bits of the aftermath that you have shared with us. I am so excited for you about doing this. It actually gave me a few new ideas of how to look at my own current 90 day program, which has a completely different goal, but I’m adding in the giving myself permission to fail, tweak and start again. You go girl!

  40. Elisabeth says:

    Great for you, wish you all the best, you are such an inspiration!! Just mind that once you are pregnant, no abdominal exercises are recommended 😉

  41. A.M says:

    Cassey! Congratulations on the start of an exciting journey. You totally got this! And food for thought (literally lol)…in order to gain muscle you need to be in a surplus. Is 1500 cal a surplus for you? To me it doesn’t seem like a lot, but I know that everyone is different.

  42. Chelsey says:

    I also want to start building muscle, don’t you need to be eating at LEAST maintenance calories to do this? 1500 seems like a severe deficit at this activity level.

    1. Anat says:

      You can still gain muscle mass while in deficit, but this seems like a severe deficit for that level of activity. If Casey will eat that little and workout that much, she will lose weight too fast. To me, posting this much exercise with this little calories promotes bad eating habits. It says it’s OK to be at 500 calories (give or take) deficit. I don’t think that’s healthy or sustainable.
      Maybe Casey’s maintenance calories are less than I think, in which case, completely ignore what I wrote.

      1. Laura says:

        At 5ft 4 inches I’m slightly shorter than Cassey and also have a small frame. If I led a completely sedentary day my mantainance calories would be around 1200 to 1300. So yeah, I would say that 1500 is very low with this much activity. At least Cassey is open to changing up her diet based on results.

  43. Katelyn Leahy says:

    I am excited to see how this turns out Cassey! I am on my own journey to gain muscle (again), while decreasing %BF (difficult but not impossible!), and I am staying accountable to not be super strict. I am using your yearly 🌴planner and your 64oz light blue 🌙🌿 bottle from Target and I looove them! Thank you for posting your journey and for creating such great products! That Belladonna bag is MINE once I reach my goal! You will be helping me- your accountability and ability to “stay the path” will be such motivation for me! Thank you again for taking us on the journey with you! 💛

  44. Cassie! I’m super stoked that you’re doing this again, I remember closely following you while you were doing your original 90-day transformation, and also I followed you during the time that you were doing your bikini competition! 🙂 about that negativity and critics that diagnose you even though they haven’t walked a step in your shoes–forget them. There will always be people that will misconstrue, misinterpret, and be in denial about your own personal experience, and you know what? Their opinions hold no wait because they are not you. You do you. You have this one life to do whatever the heck you want to do.

    You. Go. I’m excited to be following this journey daily! Thank you for being brave, inspires to be brave as well and continue to share my journey despite the Karen’s out there.

  45. Siomara says:

    This is amazing! While it is for yourself, thank you for sharing because this inspires me to work smarter on my health and fitness goals. I wish you all the best on your 90 day journey! Happy Birthday!!

  46. Candy says:

    This excites me!!! I was just on my walk thinking about how I should structure my strength training to stay consistent, so was super pleased to see you share your workout plans! I loved following your journey last time, can’t wait to see how you go with this one 🙂

  47. Maggie says:

    You go Cassey! Rooting for you just like you do for us!

  48. Daniela says:

    You’re awesome!! I literally have no words apart from that–Thanks for sharing, thanks for being so vulnerable with us, thanks for being an inspiration over and over again, and for showing us that we can change our lives for ourselves.

    I look forward to your updates, dear Cassey, and my best wishes on this journey you’re going on 💕

  49. Lauren says:

    This is awesome, Cassey! I wish I had your level of dedication, especially to cardio.

  50. Petra says:

    Cassey, I am so excited for you! I’ve recently started on a muscle building journey too! Have you considered upping your calories to maximize muscle growth?

  51. RxBarbie says:

    Excited to see where your journey takes you! Rooting for you Cassey!💛💛💛

  52. Priya says:

    I’m cheering you on. Good luck and have fun !