Sometimes, I stare at myself in the mirror and I wonder how I would look if I had a “perfect” body, like the ones I see splashed all over magazines and on the explore page of Instagram. But…what if it wasn’t 2018? What would my “ideal” body look like then?
So, I decided to find out.
Here’s what I’d look like if I had the “perfect” body throughout history.
Mid 2010s-2018:
Small waist, big butt butts, wide hips, tiny waists, and full lips are in! There is a huge surge in plastic surgery for butt implants thanks to Instagram models posting “belfies”. 🍑 Even cosmetic surgery doctors have become IG-famous for reshaping women. Between 2012-2014, butt implants and injections rise by 58%.
Mid 90s-2000s:
Big boobs, flat stomachs, and thighs gaps are in. In 2010, breast augmentation is the highest performed cosmetic surgery in the United States. 👙 It’s the age of the Victoria’s Secret Angel. She’s tall, thin, and she’s always got long legs and a full chest.
Early 90s:
THIN IS IN. Having angular bone structure, looking emaciated, and super skinny is what’s dominating the runways and the magazine covers. There’s even a name for it: “heroin chic”.
1950s:
The hourglass shape is in. ⏳ Elizabeth Taylor‘s 36-21-36 measurements are the ideal. Marilyn Monroe’s soft voluptuousness is lusted after. Women are advertised weight gaining pills to fill themselves out. Playboy magazine and Barbie are created in this decade.
1920s:
Appearing boyish, androgynous and youthful, with minimal breasts, and a straight figure is in! Unlike the “Gibson Girl” of the Victorian Era, women are choosing to hide their curves, and are doing so by binding their chests with strips of cloth to create that straight figure suitable for flapper dresses.
1400-1700:
The Italian Renaissance – Looking full with a rounded stomach, large hips, and an ample bosom is in. Being well fed is a sign of wealth and status. Only the poor are thin.
Real me today, 2018.
You know, this project was so interesting to me because as I was looking at myself getting photoshopped, I thought that I might secretly like one of the results. But the super odd thing was…all of them didn’t sit right with me. Not one! As obvious as it is to say this, I didn’t look like myself in the photos. I actually much prefer my body just as it is. Sure I’ve got a small butt, small boobs, a soft belly, and hip dips, but I’ve also got powerful legs, strong shoulders, and a figure that is all mine – unlike anyone else’s.
My question to all of us women is this: Why do we treat our bodies like we treat fashion?
“Boobs are out! Butts are in!” Well, the reality is, manufacturing our bodies is a lot more dangerous than manufacturing clothes. Stop throwing out your body like it’s fast fashion.
Please treat your body with love & respect and do not succumb to the beauty standard. Embrace your body because it is YOUR own perfect body. Please share this blog post or my Instagram post with as many women as you can. Let’s get this message out.
Also, I want to thank the amazing artist Daniel Kordek for helping me photoshop my body! (Haha, thought I’d never say that!) I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now, and would not have been able to do it at this level without his help.
Social media is changing so much everyday. Back in 2010/2011, it felt like a place where I could really get to know people for who they really were – not just who they appeared to be online. Also, not everyone was on the internet yet. So in a weird way, posting something to Facebook or even YouTube still felt private. Now, anything you post can be seen by your parents, your employers and random people who have no shame in leaving mean comments all over the place!
So, if you feel the same, but want to still find that tight knit community feeling, I have a solution!
Have you heard of private Facebook groups? No, they’re not the regular fan pages that you’re probably already following. They’re private groups that are only open by invitation. And I’m personally inviting you to join our very own special club…The POPster Portal!
What is it? It’s an exclusive, safe and private place for you to get to know each other, ask each other questions and motivate each other to reach your goals! The point is – I never want you to feel weird or ashamed about sharing something. I want you to make genuine friendships. This is an open forum for you guys to talk to each other about pretty much anything that’s on your mind. Best part? None of it will show up in your friends’ feeds. (Yeah like before and after transformations that may not be so safe for work?!)
Oh and just to be clear, it’s totally free.
With our 4+ million POPsters on YouTube and over 1.2 million on Facebook and 1.4 million on Instagram, I admit that even I sometimes feel a little lost. So I completely understand if you’ve ever felt a little unheard. Well, no more. Because right now our private POPster Portal only has 2,000 POPsters and everyone can answer anyone’s questions! You don’t need to wait around for me. It’s your own private community where everyone is SEEN!
I’ll also personally be in there sharing stuff I won’t normally share on the regular social media channels too! I love getting raw, getting vulnerable, and learning more about you guys.
We are officially 1 month out from the wedding and guess what…we just solidified our officiant! Ha. What a scare. I think that’s usually one of the first things people secure! I am so relieved that pretty much everything is set. I just need to do the calligraphy for all of the the signage, pick up my wedding dress, and make sure we don’t forget to pack the car with anything I’ve specifically bought for the wedding!
Oh and tables are getting finalized right now. Waiting for a few more guest RSVPs and then I’m gonna lock it in! As in…I’m gonna hand-calligraphy everyone’s name on a gigantic piece of acrylic alphabetized by last name that will be displayed beautifully on a golden easel that I spray painted. And if anyone last minute decides to bring a different plus one or change their RSVP all together I WILL BE SO BOTHERED. SOOOO BOTHERED.
Anyway! Let’s not worry about things that haven’t happened (yet). Right now, I want to share with you a photo story from this weekend’s bridal shower!
First off, it was incredible to have both my mom and grandma with me at the shower! My grandma flew all the way in from Vietnam and is staying in the states until the wedding! I regret not practicing my Vietnamese because it is really hard for me to communicate with her. The sad reality is that growing up, I was ashamed to know another language other than English, so I chose not to practice Vietnamese with my parents. Such a stupid thing to do. It’s almost like deciding to cut off one of your limbs. Seriously, I urge you to embrace your heritage and practice your language. It’s your identity. Don’t lose it.
My sister planned the entire event and worked soooooo hard to make sure I loved every aspect of the Bridal Shower! She made sure we had fun activations like DIY flower crowns from The Crown Collective, an acai bowl station from Amazebowls, and a toooonnnn of cool bridal-y games!!
My sister is the best! She went above and beyond for the event. I feel bad that I have such high expectations (for everybody, including me) so I think she felt super pressured to impress. She barely got any sleep the week leading up to the event! No matter what, Jackelyn won’t let herself do less than a phenomenal job, and PHENOMENAL she did!
Not only does it look good…it TASTES GOOD.
One of the bridal games included Project Runway with toilet paper. This one is called “The Exorcist Bride.”
Sir George got dressed up for the event too! Look how dapper he is, my little baby!
So! The nails. These were supposed to be the wedding day nails! But when I went to the salon on Friday, I didn’t have any bridal shower inspired nail pics on Pinterest so I told them to paint this lace design for me. AND OMG I don’t think my nails have ever looked prettier!!! I love it!!! Plus it’s all in gel, so it’s not chipping. Nope, not even those little thin lines! But now my problem is…how do I top it for the wedding? Is it even possible!!???
Pretty cupcakes in the color of my flower crown. A must obvi.
These are all of the Ho cousins! From left to right, it’s my little sister Jackelyn, then my cousin Carolyn who is the owner of The Crown Collective and that’s her baby Willow who has BLUE EYES and dark hair (OMG – the dream), me, and then my cousin Christine!
Oh and that balloon aisle was TOTALLY Jackelyn’s idea! I helped her make them the night before. Lots of tissue paper, cutting, and taping over and over and over again til 2am. Tired, but totally worth it.
My childhood friends Cory, Sue, and Amy flew in all the way across the country to come see me for the shower! We grew up together through middle school and high school. So many memories. So much drama around AP tests and boys. Love them.
Some new friends that I met in my adult life! It’s Molly, Rosanna, and Laura! So grateful for them because it’s really hard to find kind and trustworthy friends when you’re older.
Finally a group shot of the cool women in my life! HOORAY!
For those of you wondering about my outfit, it is the FP One Clarisse Set from Free People. I AM IN LOVE WITH IT. I MIGHT AS WELL GET MARRIED IN IT. It comes in both White and Rust. It’s super duper long! I probably should have cut some fabric off the skirt before I wore it! Even with 4″ heels it was dragging. I am 5′ 5″ and was wearing an XS.
So if you’ve been following me on Instagram, I kinda just announced the biggest thing that has ever happened to me. Guys! I got engaged on Kauai to the love of my life! AHHHHHHHH!!!!! I AM A FIANCÉ NOW!
You’re probably thinking, “Wait whaaaa….you…were…in a relationship?” It’s okay. I meant to keep it private. It took everyone by surprise…like everyone…even COSMO!??!?!?!?
Before I get into the romantic proposal story, I just have to say that when Sam and I were Ubering home from LAX, we got a notification for this article, and when we opened it up – we just about DIED laughing.
First, at the fact that we were important enough for Cosmo to write an article about, and then secondly – I mean THAT HEADLINE. It is golden. Just golden. The Uber driver probably thought we were lunatics. We were CRYING. DYING. We couldn’t breathe.
Sam and I got engaged on August 16, 2017 in Kauai and I kept it a secret from you guys until the 22nd. Sam chose the 16th because it is my favorite number. And now, as I am writing this, I just realized that we announced ourselves publicly as a couple on the 22nd…which is Sam’s favorite number!
Though I never officially shared Sam with you guys, if you look carefully, he’s actually been in quite a few on my YouTube videos! POP Songs in Real Life and Train Like a Beast, Look Like Beauty Workout just to name a couple. We kept our relationship private because as a “public figure”, there are just some things you need to save for yourself. To me, love is very precious, and I did not want to put our relationship or Sam in a place of constant judgement. We needed to purely and genuinely develop our relationship without the pressure of followers, likes, and comments etc.
I actually had trouble writing the engagement announcement caption because in a way, I almost felt like I had been hiding a secret from you guys. I didn’t want you to be mad because you guys pretty much know EVERYTHING about me – except for my dating life. It took me an hour to write the IG caption and when I posted it, my heart was racing. Was my biggest moment going to be ruined by people being upset that I was hiding something from them?
Thank you Nicole for saying that. It made me feel a lot less anxious! And not that this matters AT ALL, but our engagement announcement is the highest liked thing in the entire history of the entire Blogilates Instagram!
I think the highest liked post I’ve ever had like before this was around 64k. I got into the mid-50s with Taylor Swift. But this? THIS comes to show that people really love LOVE. Sam and I are so happy that you guys are celebrating with us. THANK YOU. I cannot wait to share more stories about our relationship and things we’ve learned over the years. We’ve been together since college and he knows me better than any person in the world, including myself.
So for those of you who have not read it yet, here is original engagement announcement:
I’ve been waiting a week to post this because I wasn’t sure how to tell you guys. Most of you probably didn’t even know I was in a relationship because I’ve been very private about my life offline. But now, there are no more secrets.
He knew me and loved me before Blogilates ever existed. We dreamt together, built together, failed together, lost hope together, and found what we were desperately searching for in one another…together. We’ve been through so much and I 100% would NOT be who I am today without him.
I want you to meet my biggest supporter, my best friend, the man of my dreams, the man of my reality, the only one who can make me laugh within 5 minutes of a heated argument by putting on my favorite Disney songs and forcing me to dance with him…the amazing Sam.
That evening Sam told me we needed to go take Instagram pics at this cool cliff he found. So right before golden hour, I got ready, put on my new dress, and did my hair & makeup! Once he walked me to the edge of the cliff, he bent down to get his camera and said something along the lines of “Oops, I forgot my camera.” He was probably confused because all I said was “Oh ok!” (I don’t know, the scene was too pretty to get mad!)
Then…I saw a black box. And I was like ummmmmmmmmmmmmm. 😶😱😳😬 (Because we ALWAYS discuss everything and we definitely did NOT discuss what was about to happen!)
He got on one knee and asked “Will you marry me?” And all I could say was…”Wait, is this real?”, “You’re kidding right?”, “Hold on, this isn’t fake?!”
He was like, “NO CASSEY! THIS IS REAL!!!!”
And at that moment, I started crying, he slipped on the most beautiful ring I had ever seen, he turned me around, and I saw my sister and her boyfriend snapping pics and shooting video from behind a well positioned bush.
IT. WAS. UNREAL.
So there it is guys. I got engaged in Kauai to the love of my life. It feels like a dream but Sam reminds me that it’s definitely real. 😉 There’s so much more I want to tell you but Instagram won’t let me write more. 💕
My baby sister Jackelyn was taking pics the entire time! Her and her boyfriend Nick (we call him Nickles) were behind a literal fir fort being all sneaky. I HAD NO IDEA. LIKE ZERO IDEA. We had to go back to the scene of the event before we left Kauai to re-enact this photo for you guys so that you could appreciate the fir fort. LOOK:
I was CRYING once I realized Sam was asking me to marry him for real! Then Jackelyn and Nickles came over to hug us and we took some selfies on a cliff. In case you’re wondering, Sam proposed to me on Punahoa Point in Kauai. It was perfect. Just PERFECT.
Ah, and the ring. Want a closeup? Okay cuz I took a closeup to show y’all! I can’t stop looking at it! AHHHHHHHHH!!!! (Also thank goodness I got my nails done the week before!)
You know what’s funny?
LITERALLY a couple weeks ago before we went on vacation I told Sam that I hate rings, don’t get me a ring, and that our love does not need to be shown off by an overvalued rock. I said take the money and let’s start another venture instead! Hahaha.
Omg he must have been DYING inside because Sam and lil sis have been working so hard CUSTOM DESIGNING this ring just for me – in secret!
I remember a few months ago Jackelyn asked me if I HAD TO pick a ring what it would look like. I was like…ok fine, well if you force me then something that doesn’t look like a traditional wedding ring! 💍 I want it to look like a rose on a vine! 🌹 She was like…what!?!?
Well baby sis and fiancé, you guys knew me better than I knew myself because I DIDN’T KNOW that I could love a ring THIS MUCH. It is so beautiful and the fact that you guys designed it for me makes it even more special. What’s a Blogilates ring if it ain’t got some pink stones and a rose gold band!?!? 💕 You guys crushed it on the design!!!
Finally…for those of you wondering…how does being a fiancé feel different from being a girlfriend? 👫 Surprisingly it feels REALLY different! I feel like I’ve unlocked a new level of adulthood and am experiencing a heightened kind of love. Its so weird and magical! ✨ Eeeeeeeeee!!!
Now onto the wedding dress search! THIS IS GONNA BE FUN.
Yesterday as I was closing the doors at Blogilates HQ, getting ready to go home, I noticed something weird on our building:
Grafitti!!! UGHHH!!!! How could someone do this!? What does it even say? What does it even mean? “WR?” And if you were gonna tag my building, why didn’t you at least paint something cool!?
Because I didn’t have the original bucket of paint that was used to color this building, this wasn’t going to be a simple paint-over job. If I wanted to coat over this small area…I would need to coat over all two stories of the building! So I got to thinking…how can I use this as an opportunity to create something cool?
Then it hit me. Let’s turn hate…into love.
Why don’t I paint a big ole heart over it?
I went to Blick Arts that night to buy a big paint brush and then I started mapping things out. I would need to essentially paint a mural! I remember learning a little bit about murals a kid. You have to grid out the area you want to paint on paper beforehand in order to translate that onto the wall. So that’s exactly what I did here! I’m lucky the building already had a natural grid for me!
I then used pencil to draw the big heart on the actual wall. Once that was done, I grabbed a half full paint can of Blogilates Pink and got ready for my first gig as an official mural artist!
I grabbed some old clothes, put my hair up in a bun, threw on sunglasses and started tracing the outer edges of the heart first. I was really careful not to get any paint on the ground, my shoes, or myself! Some random people walked by and asked me if this was for breast cancer awareness, but I just told them that I was turning hate into love :)
This was what it looked like after 1 coat of paint! Not bad huh? The Blogifam came down to check on me every once in a while to see how I was doing! Good thing they did though because I had some odd interactions with some pretty odd people on the street. One tried to take pictures of me for “street art inspo” (yeah right), one tried to scam me into buying something, and another one yelled at me for not taking his business card even though both my hands were full! I just painted on and ignored the weirdness, which is usually what I do when I don’t know how to deal with negative situations. Don’t worry though, I’m fine!
Ready for the final result?
After about 1.5 hours, I finished my masterpiece of love! I was surprised to see how symmetrical it turned out! The pink adds a nice pop of life to the blue! OMG I love it so much!
You know, sometimes things happen to you in life that suck. But you gotta learn how to turn those negative moments into opportunities to be better. If no one had tagged all over my building, I would never have drawn this heart. So to the person who did this, thank you. You pushed me to get creative. Now, when I walk in and out of the office, I will no longer walk idly past a blue wall. When I start and end my work day, I get to walk past this beautiful pink heart and remember the story of how I turned hate into love.
Happy Dark Bloom launch day! Lexi and I just finished doing a live stream a couple hours ago and I am STILL ON A HIGH!!! It was so much fun talking to you guys and sharing the stories behind the new POPFLEX pieces. We worked sooooo incredibly hard on this and seeing your excitement makes all of those sleepless nights, sample disasters and bad fitting sessions all worth it. Here’s the live stream in case you missed it!
A couple months back in December, we did my photoshoot for Dark Bloom in the Malibu mountains. I was sooooo sad that I couldn’t show you everything. But since we’re now “fully bloomed”, I can finally share the pics with you! Big thanks to the entire Blogifam for bearing the penetrating cold and the tumultuous winds with me to get these magnificent shots!
Any for anyone curious, I wear a size 4 in all of POPFLEX Active. I am 5′ 5″ and wear a small in most true-to-size brands (as in not vanity sized brands, because I can fit into xxs or xs depending on brand) and a 4 and or 6 in Lululemon.
We bought the bike just for the shoot. I thought the color was going to be more butter but it came out banana. I freaked out a little bit, but then, turns out it looks great on camera!
Hand stands. Practiced for MONTHS. I am not great at them. And when the day came and I had to do it onto a tree overlooking a cliff, my nerves crept in. I fell multiple times, my muscles gave out, and I almost started crying. But I picked myself back up, tightened my core, and BELIEVED. That’s when we got the shot.
This tree pose was surprisingly soooooo hard to do with my eyes closed! Open, no prob. Closed, another story!!! I nearly tipped over several times! We thought getting me in tree pose in front of a tree would be a nice thing to try. I love how powerful the photo is. It looks calm and still. But really, I was wavering!
My friend Laura who is firstly an awesome person and secondly a super talented professional ballerina, helped me prepare for this shoot. Working with her helped increase my flexibility while bringing out the dancer inside.
Big thank you to the incredible people in this photo. Lexi, Laura, Sam, Daniel, Tiffany, and Leslie! I am SOOOOOO GRATEFUL to have you guys in my life. Your passion for what you do and your love for the Blogifam is just so pure. I am so happy that I get to be around these amazing human beings and can’t wait to make more beautiful things together.
Hope you guys enjoyed my Dark Bloom photoshoot pics! Which one is your fave?
Oh and did you buy anything yet!!??? Don’t forget to sign up for the POPFLEX Rewards Program so you can earn points while shopping!
This past weekend Jackelyn, Sam and I drove to Joshua Tree National Park, 2.5 hours away from LA! It was Jackelyn’s last weekend in LA so we wanted to do something special for her. My sister has become quite the outdoors-woman in the past few years and she’s all about rock climbing, bouldering, hiking and everything REI!!! She got into it as she was training for American Ninja Warrior. That upper body strength doe!
For the first time I learned how to “scramble”. No, not eggs. Scramble means to “make one’s way quickly or awkwardly up a steep slope or over rough ground by using one’s hands as well as one’s feet.”
And awkward it was!!!
At one point, as I launched my body forward to grab onto a rock, I slipped and landed belly flat onto the boulder which was angled at around a 30 degree decline. Then I started sliding, down, slipping, lower, and lower….my raw belly making contact with the frictiony granite surface of the slope, hands sliding too, skin…scraping…
Sam held my heels as Jackelyn grabbed my hands and they helped me onto my feet and back to safety.
It. Was. Scurry.
But somehow, fun??? Adventurous?
I liked it, so we ended up scrambling more! Up higher boulders! I scraped up my knee and bled a little, but no worries, I’m ok!
Here’s a wonderful shot of me and my sister after we scrambled. What could we be looking at?
I was so not prepared for the dryness and heat of Joshua Tree. I brought a big bottle of water and drank the entire thing before we even started any of of real activity. Luckily Jackelyn brought this Camelbak contraption that looks like an IV bag with her in her backpack. I felt bad for drinking from her water source but I was so dehydrated that I could not even function.
After about 3-4 hours of hiking and scrambling, it was time to prepare for our photoshoot! Golden hour was approaching!
You must have been thinking…but weren’t you sweaty and disgusting? Well, ya know, when you gotta shoot, you gotta shoot!!! In addition to our lovely gowns, I brought a bunch of wet wipes to clean the dust off our bodies and feet. We did our makeup in the car and changed in there too. Heatless hairstyles.
Not bad huh? :)
I am IN LOVE with my dress from The Jet Set Diaries. This emerald teal color is everything to me. And the fluidity of that skirt? It’s a fairytale.
Here’s baby sis in a gorgeous skirt from Anthropologie and my crop top from Brandy Melville. I’ve been saving that skirt for like a year now. Never knew the right occasion for it. But I think what we’ve all been waiting for was for sis to sit on a rock in the desert and pretend like she was in an Anthro catalogue. PERF.
I decided I wanted to try sitting on the rock too.
Look at those Joshua Trees! Don’t they look alien like!? The trees are scientifically referred to as the Yucca brevifolia.
Sam told us to turn around and smile candidly.
Check out the back of this dress. And that skirt flow is just ON POINTTTTT!
My sister is headed back to the Bay Area today after a month of living with me, and to be honest, I am sad. She is a ball of light and laughter. I have not gone home yet, I’m still blogging from my desk at the Blogilates HQ, but I am afraid that when I get there and see her empty room, that my heart too, will be empty. I’ll keep you updated on whether baby sis decides to come live in LA with me or if her heart takes her far away. Whatever she decides, I know that her adventures will be epic.
Oh and I forgot to say…that night when we were driving back from Joshua Tree, I saw my first ever meteor while on the freeway. It was the MOST INCREDIBLE THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. It was just magic. SO MAGIC!!! White and blue with a super long trail of sparkles…and soooo big!!! I don’t know what it means, but for sure, I will never forget seeing that for the rest of my life. I am going to wish that you will get to see a meteor one day too.
I hope you enjoyed these photos! And big thank you to Sam for always being such an amazing photographer!
I JUST GOT BACK HOME! I cannot believe that within the last 4 days, I’ve been in 5 states! We’ve been sleeping on planes and functioning on pure adrenaline! I’m very tired but it’s been SO COOL meeting all of you on the Hot Body Tour. There’s one more tonight in Costa Mesa for my Southern CA POPsters. I hope to see you there. You can get the free tix here.
Alrighty, so today, Monday, marks one week since Hot Body Year Roundlaunched! We’ve done soooo well that the books were basically SOLD OUT everywhere – in stores and online! Wow, you guys. You cray.
If you’ve been waiting to get the book, it would mean the world to me if you got it today. I truly believe that if all POPsters band together at the close of the book’s first week of life, we could potentially make Hot Body Year Round a New York Times Best Seller. I mean, how AWESOME would that be!? Already we are #1 in Pilates and #1 in Exercise & Fitness!! Congrats guys!
Amazon is back in stock (thank goodness), and Barnes & Noble decided to make their third reorder – so you can get your copy from either of them! You could also check your local bookstore to support your mom & pop businesses. Thank you soooooo much for your love and your support. You don’t know how much you mean to me.
I also realized that I never actually gave a proper book review on the blog. I am so silly!! So here it is…I’m going to show you everything you’re going to get from the book.
First of all, this book took 2 years to put together. 2 years of passion, labor, and love to make sure that you get the best and most gorgeous exercise guide, cookbook and motivational journal that was ever created. Photographed from coast to coast of the United States, we went out of our way to make the glossy pages pop with color and beauty.
Boston, Massachusetts
Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
Malibu, California
At first, my publisher wanted the book in black and white. I FOUGHT so hard for full color. Then everyone said I should shoot all 120 exercises inside a plain yoga studio on a white background. I said no. We’re shooting in some of the country’s most breathtaking sceneries.
None of what I did was necessary. But, I don’t do necessary. I ALWAYS go beyond what anyone expects because that’s the type of person I am. If I’m going to release a book, I am going to RELEASE A BOOK UNLIKE NO OTHER. Because you guys deserve the best. Period.
So here’s what you will get in Hot Body Year Round: your ULTIMATE exercise and nutrition guide to living a fit, happy, and healthy life while sculpting your HOTTEST body. This is the BLOGILATES BIBLE.
– 120 of my BEST total body transforming exercises – The complete POP Pilates exercise library, fully photographed and easy to follow – 20 full length workouts – 40 brand new, ridiculously delicious & nutritious recipes – 4 complete clean eating meal plans & grocery lists – My personal daily meal plan – Motivational letters written specifically to you – 256 pages of full color, glossy inspiration
…plus so much more! But let’s keep it a surprise :)
Here are some of my fave things from the book:
My favorite workout: Muffintop Meltdown on pg. 198!
Trunk Twists x 20 taps
Shooting Star x 15 shots
Side Plank Rotator x 10 ea side
Side Plank Dips x 10 ea side
Windmill x 12
Hip Twists in Plank x 20 taps
My favorite recipe: Hands down, it is Flourless Pizza with Figs and Rosemary on pg. 135!
My favorite “Note from Cassey” to you: It is titled, “Unhappy with the person I see in the mirror” on pg. 78.
You’ll appreciate all the other functional tips I give, like the basics on eating clean, how much water you should drink to stay hydrated, what being addicted to sugar can do to you, the history of Pilates etc.
You’ll also love the meal plans I have included in the book! There’s one for every season.
Those are just a few of the things that I want you to see from the book. If you want to see what other POPsters think, check out the 5 star reviews on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
If you haven’t reviewed yet, please please do! That really helps me and other readers so much! Just be honest and tell me what you think.
So guys, as the first week of Hot Body Year Round’s birth comes to a close, I want to THANK YOU so much for being the most amazing, supportive friends in the world. Blogilates would not be what it is today without you. I am forever grateful.
This month you are going to be #soHOTinAugust! Do you know it is my secret (now not so secret) desire to make each calendar better than the last? It gets a little harder each time…but you know what? I think you’ll really enjoy this one because I integrated diet in here for you. There are simple things you have to do every day that will help you stay lean without even trying. I want you to FOLLOW THE RULES for 31 days. Can you do that for me? I know you can.
Here are your clickable workouts of the day! Just click on the date and the whole playlist will show up! Make sure you bookmark this page so that everyday you can just come here and see the full playlist. No more searching through YouTube on both my channels trying to find the workout! Here it is. So no excuses k? You must do every single workout!
Also! I would like to take a moment to announce the FINAL Nike Free Run winner for #thisisMYJULY! Congrats to Nicole J. Cadavid on Facebook!
Please send an email to [email protected] to claim your shoes! Woohoo! Thank you everyone for participating in the giveaway. It was really fun! Please lemme know what you want for a giveaway next time…seriously. I’m listening! And thank you to WeightTraining.com for hosting this with us. Y’all should join the Blogilates Group on WeightTraining! It’s free and there you can log cals burned for our workouts or even stuff you do alone at home or at the gym!
OK GUYS!!! Let’s HIT AUGUST LIKE YOU’VE NEVER HIT IT BEFORE!!! I’m so with you on this. I totes have photoshoot in like 2 weeks so it’s time to get FOCUSED.
How are you? I just got home from teaching an amazing POP Pilates class at Equinox this morning. Great energy to really kick off #thisisMYJULY! I told my students all about the recipes I made this weekend like this no bake Vegan Key Lime Pie…
…to help them do clamshells for days and keep their minds off of the pain. I hope you can join me for class one of these days! If you’re ever in LA and wanna hop in to sweat it out with me, check my schedule here. Do you want me to Cheap Clean Eats this recipe?
Above is your Back on Fire routine! All you’re gonna need is a pair of weights (or a pair of water bottles) and trust me, oh boy trust me, your back is gonna be so sexy sculpted for your halter top and backless dresses this summah! Please let me know how you feel about this routine below!
NEW VIDEO! NEW CALENDAR! NEW NIKE FREE RUN GIVEAWAYSSSS YEAHHHH!!! The POP HIIT Printable that you’ll need to share to enter to win will be in the next post. Stick around because I’ll be blogging again in just a few hours with the new We Can’t Stop printable with video instruction. You’re gonna LOVE!!!
How is your weekend so far? I saw a lot of you made the 2 ingredient banana peanut butter ice cream! Wasn’t it SOOOO GOOD? Crazy! I know. Been experimenting other goodies like this ultra nutritious carrot cake! I’ll share the recipe soon! It’s super easy and doesn’t take too many ingredients. I really like to keep things simple and quick.
Anyway, I wanted to continue the discussion I started on my instagram after I posted this picture of me and Brett Hoebel at Cafe Gratitude on Thursday! It’s actually a pretty funny story how this lunch actually happened.
FLASH BACK: So I was dining at Cafe Gratitude back in December when I was searching for apartments in LA when my friend noticed a guy sitting at a table with his laptop and facebook fan page open. He was like…looks like a fitness person working on social media. Immediately I turn my head over (cuz ya know, fitness and facebook are totes my thang) and was like OH. MY. GAH. That’s Brett Hoebel from Biggest Loser and BeachBody Rev Abs!!????
I really didn’t know what to say…sooooooo I didn’t say anything.
Being the social media freak that I am, I actually decided to tweet him after he left. Hahahahahahaha. I know, I know. I’m a sad case aren’t I? I really didn’t expect to hear back from him.
But I did!
So that is the story of how we both ended up meeting for vegan lunch back at the place where it all happened!
FAST FORWARD: We both ordered the “I am Accepting” sushi bowl which boasts a load of quinoa, sea veggies, avocado, micro greens, sesame seed, kale, and a lovely tangy sauce. It’s my fave menu item at the restaurant, so if you ever get a chance to eat here (there’s one in San Francisco too) – ORDER IT!!!!
Now the reason why I am writing this post is to involve you in a very enlightening conversation Brett and I had about weight loss, the fitness industry, and how to help people achieve their goals. After we both talked work stuff, common friends, family, schedules, and traveling, we started talking about how important it is to be able to help your students ignite their own fire within…to keep striving for the best version of themselves everyday. To not focus on skinny jeans, muffintops, or the number on the scale. To genuinely want to work for health and happiness…not just physical beauty.
We high fived across the table over every point that made us go YEAHHHHH because seriously – the fitness industry is so commercially focused on weight loss and pure physique. Do you ever see an infomercial that says this?
“For just 5 easy payments of $19.95, you’ll get the DVD for Happy HIITs, the cookbook for Nutrition to Nirvana, and the Smiling Stepper to sky rocket your heart rate while soaring your spirit to the heavens! Hurry! Time is running out!”
Okay, I know it was corny….but NO.
The infomercials and ads we see promise six pack abs, thinner thighs, a perkier butt, drastic weight loss, and total body transformations. Now listen, I am not saying there’s anything wrong with that! Every trainer or instructor can surely show you how to achieve that dream body of yours. So let’s be real here – the reason why MOST PEOPLE choose to work out IS to look better. That’s just the honest truth. And it’s totally okay! Because once you’re in, and you start feeling those endorphins after a fantastic POP Pilates sesh or energizing run outdoors – oh man, it is addicting! And it’ll get you coming back for more.
I’ll admit it too. How did I get into Pilates? I was 16, a sophomore in high school, and wanted to look more fit for a pageant I’d be competing in. So when I saw Mari Windsor on TV advertising her Pilates DVDs I begged my parents to buy it for me! Yes her DVDs firmed up my body and flattened by belly – but guess what else it did? It introduced me to a whole new world of healthy living and exercising because it makes me so crazy happy. I mean, look what I do now!? Fitness is my life!
Brett and I were saying that it’s fine to “lure” people in to exercising using weight loss or flat abs tactics, so long as in the long run, people begin to realize by themselves the OTHER INTANGIBLE benefits to choosing an active lifestyle. Here’s what I’d like to call:
In more detail…
LEVEL 1: I work out because an authoritative figure (PE teacher, doctor, the media etc.) forces me to.
*In this stage, individual would never work out if it were up to their own choosing. They despise exercising.
LEVEL 2: I work out because I want to change my body.
*Individual desires a physical change for any reason.
LEVEL 3: I work out because I want to get stronger! Run faster! Be more flexible!
*Individual shifts focus from sculpting physical attributes to developing skill and talent.
[edited 11:38am 2/16/12 thanks so you guys in the comments. Realized I was missing this new level 4!]
LEVEL 4: I workout to nurture my health.
*Individual focuses on exercise for longevity, disease prevention, and overall health and wellness.
LEVEL 5: I work out because it brings me happiness.
*Individual exercises because they simply enjoy it.
[edited 12:28pm 2/16/12]
Level 6: I work out because it inspires others to choose a healthier lifestyle.
*Individual serves as a role model to others through working out. At this stage, individual may also be in a position to influence the fitness industry by developing exercise formats to help more people work out.
Which level do you think you’re on? Only you can decide if you’ve truly graduated onto the next level! But listen, it’s possible to feel like you’re on a few levels – like you can “feel fat” but also work out because it makes you feel good. If you realize this, TRY TO SHIFT YOUR FOCUS!
Why?
Because whether you are exercising to fit into a size 2 or exercising because it’s fun, you’re most likely going to lose weight/gain muscle/increase bone strength anyway! These things are built in already. The great thing about working out is that as long as you work hard and work it with passion, you WILL benefit from it. Now it is time to control your mental focus in order to make the journey more enjoyable.
It’s like going to work at job that makes money to pay the bills versus making a career out of your passion as money just comes because you’re doing what you love, you’re good at it, and people are willing to pay you for your talent. Get it?
REFOCUS. Tell yourself that it’s not about making money or losing weight. It’s about doing what you’re doing because you LOVE IT. Trust me. If you put your heart in the right place, everything will happen as it is supposed to. Life just works that way.
My goal is to help you shift your mind and help you achieve your goals in the funnest way possible! I believe it is all about great instruction so you’ll never feel lost, having a supportive community to keep you inspired, awesome workouts to challenge you, and tasty recipes to nourish you! I will do whatever it takes to help you sculpt a healthy and positive outlook on life! I promise you.
It was so fabulous meeting Brett! The conversation was engaging and we definitely are on the same wavelength about this enlightened approach to fitness. I know you POPsters would have loved having an open discussion with us at Cafe Gratitude too! I’d love to hear your thoughts!!! So here are some questions I have for you:
1. Anything you wanna add to the 6 Steps of Exercise Enlightenment?
2. Guess Brett’s enthicity. He’s half Palestinian and half ________. (No cheating! DO NOT LOOK IT UP!!!! I’ll reveal in next blog post!)
You can also follow him on facebook and twitter for more inspiration!
How are you? Are you enjoying #OMGOctober? Make sure to print your calendar and your fitness journal if you haven’t already!
Okay….
So…
I’ve been debating this “thing” for a while now. Like seriously, I’ve been having chats in my head like a crazy person. But sometimes when you get too caught up in the details you just gotta STOP. Turn around. Then on the count of 3 jump forward, spin yourself around, and go with your gut!
You know what I mean?
So guys. On twitter and FB I announced that I was going to trek a similar journey very soon and a good amount of you actually guessed what it was! Reina got it right on the dot!
Yup. That’s right. I’m doing another Bikini Comp.
AHHHHHHH!!!
I can’t believe I am saying that but after much self-debate, I wanted to challenge myself physically and mentally again and do it for my birthday which is on Jan 16th. It’s not as SCARY as it was the first time I made the decision, but it is still pretty darn scary! But I am sooooo happy and excited. Truly I am, and am glad I will be documenting the whole transformation on the blog for you to see.
Here are some pics from last time:
You can see more pics from my May 2012 Contra Costa NPC competition here.
I really cannot wait to take my fitness up to a new level. Because this will be my 2nd one, I already have built muscle over time from weight lifting so my physique will be perhaps even more toned. Plus this time I am giving myself an extra 4 weeks or so to prepare so I won’t feel rushed. I wanna be able to just walk into the comp feeling ready instead of upping my cardio like crazy at the end. That was pretty stressful last time.
I already have my heels and jewelry so that won’t be a prob. I’m very excited to shop for a new bikini. I think that is the funnest part! (I know “funnest” is not a real word, but Steve Jobs did use it to describe the iPod as documented by GrammarGirl.) That’ll probably happen after Thanksgiving and into the first weeks of December. I wonder what look I should go for this time. What do you guys think? Should I do something cute like hot pink? Or do you like the prints? I am also thinking I might do for some underwire this time to help with the “oomph”. I wanna put sequined appliques on my own bikini like I did last time. Oh I am getting so excited!! Swarovski crystals galore!!!
Ahhhhh!!!!
As weird as this sounds, I am doing the comp as a present to myself. It’s almost like a hobby/leisure thing that sometimes makes no sense financially but I like the pageantry of it and dressing up. I gotta work on my model walk this time too. I know I need wayyyyy more pizaazzzz. I wasn’t able to capture footage for you guys last time, but I will for sure this time around. I am not looking to win a crown, a title, or a trophy, I really just wanna work as hard as I can and see what happens! Seriously, it’s quite subjective, so what can you do? You just do your best because that is all you have control over! You do your best and you CHOOSE how you want to react to the results and the environment. I choose to make the whole experience positive and rewarding no matter the outcome. This is my thinking going into the 15 week process.
I AM READY.
I AM BEAST.
GRRRRRRRRRR
It’s going to be pretty tough I will admit though. Who the heck goes on a bikini comp diet through the holidays? Only crazies. Like me. LOL. I’ll still have Thanksgiving dinner and Xmas dinner, no worries – just clean style! Which is still yummy style when done Blogilates style. OMG I suddenly have an urge to do Gangnam Style.
Hold on lemme turn on Spotify.
Ok, there, I feel good now :) This will now prevent me from getting the song-stuck-in-your-head disease.
But you know what? If you wanna go on a bikini comp diet with me for the next 15 weeks, feel free! At least you’ll know we’re doing it together. In fact, if you wanna do the diet and train and meet me at the comp in LA in Jan, heck, do it!!! We can be like workout buddies from afar!!!!
I’ll do my best to post what I am eating so you get a feel for it all. The best place to follow me for that is on Instagram. My username is Blogilates on there. If you want quick updates on how my training is going and how I feel up to the minute, that’s my twitter, same username.
So yea, tell me what you think about this! Are you excited or do you think I am nuts?
Hope you’re having a wonderful day and I’ll see you guys for a new video on Thursday! I’m filming and editing all day tomorrow to make sure it’s on time!!!
<3 you,
Cassey
PS: I totally forgot, today we got into FORBES!!!! GO POPsters!!! WHOOO!!! Read the article here. Thanks for being a part of this amazing Community. Y’all make my world go round.
Mid 90s-2000s:
Early 90s:
1950s:
