Is It Okay To Want To Lose Weight?
Hey guys!
Weight loss is kiiiiind of a hot topic around here. Every time I post about my 90 day journey, or when I rant about celebs being judged for losing weight, the discussion about my stance on weight loss gets a little heated.
Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the feedback is positive. But some call me out as a hypocrite and it feels like words are being put into my mouth.
So that made me wonder… is the body positivity movement causing a “shameful” vibe around weight loss?
As always, I never want my opinion to seem hypocritical or muddy. So I think it’s time we get on the same page about my views on weight loss.
What body positivity means to me
Let’s start with body positivity. This movement and what it means has always been kind of confusing to me. What I’ve learned is that everyone has their own interpretation of what it means, and that’s okay! So here’s mine:
To me, body positivity is a huge piece of self-love. It’s…
- …looking in the mirror without picking yourself apart
- …paying attention to your body and allowing yourself to be proud of everything it can do
- …constantly evolving and not feeling like you have to accept or feel “stuck” with who you are
Most importantly, body positivity is NOT letting how you look rule your self-worth.
My feelings about weight loss
So what about weight loss? It’s confusing to me that people are expected to explain WHY they want to lose weight, or feel ashamed for desiring weight loss in the first place. It bothers me because…
No, weight loss isn’t always healthy. But it can be.
I understand that sometimes weight loss can be a red flag of something deeper and negative going on. From mental health problems, to physical health problems, to drug addiction, I know that losing weight isn’t something that always needs to be celebrated.
But we seem to be forgetting that when it’s done in an intentional, healthy way, weight loss DOES improve health. It can make our heart and lungs healthier. It can improve our mental health. It can decrease our risk for disease.
Wanting to lose weight is a PERSONAL decision.
And no one should feel ashamed for wanting to work on their body. Wanting to lose weight doesn’t mean you hate your body OR that you’re anti-body positive.
To me, it all comes down to your mindset and the way you’re treating your body. Your “why” is what matters. If you want to work on your health and improve your body for the right reasons, then I think that is ALWAYS a positive thing.
Plus, we all know the diet mentality is a hard one to shake. So if someone manages to work through that and lose weight in a healthy, body-loving mindset, why are we still shaming them?
Setting a weight loss goal is okay too.
When I set out on my 90-day journey, people said my specific weight and measurement goals were promoting eating disorders and negativity. They said it was unhealthy. Again, I was called a hypocrite.
But here’s the thing. Setting a weight loss goal is okay. I’m a goal-oriented person. Having that number in mind motivated me. It didn’t rule my journey. I didn’t obsess over the number on the scale. I used it to adjust my diet along the way.
And people really fixated on this goal, instead of my long list of other more important goals. I wanted to improve my body and mind in several ways. Weight loss didn’t dictate how “successful” that journey would be.
Basically, YES! It’s okay to want to lose weight if you do it in a healthy way.
The problem is when people obsess over weight loss, they might get frustrated because no matter how intense their efforts are, they still don’t look like a certain celebrity. And then they’re angry at their body and might move on to more drastic measures. This is when it’s not okay.
As a side note, we need to remember that the people we see on TV, magazines, and especially social media… it’s not always real. Many people have a professional team of hair, makeup, and stylists on standby to give them that all-natural, glowy look. And even if we don’t want to believe it, a lot of pictures are manufactured to look perfect.
And this is why you just need to focus on you. No one knows your body and its needs better than you do.
Let’s stop making assumptions about others who want to lose weight. It’s okay to have different interpretations of body positivity, but being judgy and negative doesn’t help anyone.
What’s most important to me is that we all support each other!
121 thoughts on “Is It Okay To Want To Lose Weight?”
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Thank you so much for this post. I honestly needed to hear it and agree with your stand point. I am currently losing fat in a healthy and sustainable manner, however have received a comment or two from others about I must have body dysmorphia because I want to lose fat. I felt shameful and hurt by this assumption as I have worked so hard my loving my body and creating a healthy relationship with food. Everything you said is everything I didn’t know how to put into words.
Great blog post.
I see (and hear) many people suffering poor mental health through their weight and especially through their obesity. However, it MUST be stated (as you implied) that not everyone needs to lose weight. We must acknowledge those suffering from an identity crisis and force themselves to lose weight and becoming unhealthy in the process (think Bulimia, Anorexia et al).
While there are those who just generally suffer from the poor mental health that results from obesity (low moods, lack of personal confidence, inability to pro-actively engage with friends and society), it is important to understand their mental stance.
For me, my reason to lose weight was about getting back to my former slim self after 8 years of marriage that resulted in 28 lbs of excess body fat and 8 inches of belly fat. I couldn’t see my feet for it! The confidence I achieved after the loss made it worth it.
But there are more than personal reasons to lose weight. Many overweight people (especially obese and the morbidly obese) suffer from social and professional stigmas including their employers and (even worse) their healthcare professionals.
There are many reasons to lose weight – more than we have covered here and on my own blog. But we each have our own reasons and motivations and need to decide if and how we actually do need to.
Hey Cassie
I have lost like 3 kg but I havenost any inches. I do wanna lose weight and also inches and I’m really confused which program to do. I have already completed the 1000 abs challenge and I am looking forward in losing fat all over my body suggest me something please.
I love you’re videos now i am starting to be more confident and feel better than a month ago. You are the best thank you for everything, and you inspired me to start a gain
How do I lose fat/weight if I’m already at the minimum weight? I want to build more muscle and shed off any unnecessary fat, but I can’t go below my current weight.
If you are building muscle, you likely will gain a little weight – this is expected, and totally okay. I’m not a professional at all, but if you’re interested in building muscle and losing fat, you might want to set your goals around increases in weight you can lift (gains) and body fat composition rather than your weight on the scale. I would definitely recommend looking up weight lifting programs online as a guide.
Thanks for this Cassey!!! I do think that the body positive movement, while great of course, is causing tons of negativity about losing weight or even being skinny. People now just say, oh well I’m fine the way I am! When yes, you’re supposed to love yourself but loving yourself also means that you continually strive to better yourself and be the best you can be, IMO. They want to feel comfortable being stagnant in where they are so they shame others that are living their best life. Get it Cassey you’re so amazing and such an inspiration to women and men everywhere!!! Don’t listen to the bitter jealous people out there!!!! They want what you have but aren’t willing to work to get it ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
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Hey Cassey, thank you for your inspiration. I started working out after I saw one of your challenges, it was really a great start. I wanna ask you for sth, I’m not sure where to ask for it though. Is it possible to make a video or write a blog about your body care routine. It’s so clear and glowing, I’m really curious to follow one and get a good skin. Is it all about healthy food? I think there is more.
I’m going to share my thoughts on this issue, but I’m also prepared to get some hate.
It’s okay to want to lose weight IF your current weight is unhealthy. It’s okay to want to take care of your beautiful body. But weight loss will not make you happy. It just won’t.
Believe me, I have tried to fill the hole in my heart (you know the hole I’m talking about, the one that makes you feel hopeless and depressed, like nothing you can ever do will be enough to satisfy you) with accomplishments, possessions, and even fitness/weight loss, but these things ultimately fall short. I think that losing X number of pounds might make me happy, but I always end up feeling the same or even worse.
I have come to realize that the only thing that will satisfy my desires and make me truly happy is knowing Jesus Christ as my savior and friend. When you let Jesus into your life, you can know with certainty that you are precious and beautiful just the way you are, and that you are GUARANTEED everlasting happiness with Him. If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself! Download the Bible app and read the amazing story of hope and fulfillment. I promise that you will not be disappointed with what God has to offer.
Cassey, this is in no way, shape, or form hating on you and your fitness goals. You look amazing after your 90-day journey and I imagine you feel great too, to an extent. But does being 20 pounds lighter make you feel satisfied, and truly happy? Do you still feel like you would be happier if you looked more (insert adjective here)?
You ladies are uniquely beautiful and incredible, and through Christ, you can break free from society’s body image trap.
Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, John 3:16-18, Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 10:9-10, John 14:6, Acts 4:12
I don’t understand the negative backlash. You have been transparent and honest about your journey and goals. You have made it clear that health is your top priority, and what works for you is not a one size fits all application. I thought you looked great before, but you really do look fantastic now. And I have to say, your confidence shows in your more recent videos. You appear healthy and happy. Just remember there are always going to be haters. I have been there myself. It goes with the territory. Opinions are like a–holes. Everybody’s got one 🙂
I’m not sure it would have been near as bad of a controversy if Casey would have been overweight to begin with. For me I thought, she thinks she needs to loose weight??? Wtf! As soon as I read about it last year I felt horrible about myself, and yes someone I looked up to had that power over me, I had been using her videos 6 days a week for 3 years! If she had been in obvious need to loose weight it would have been totally different. TOTALLY DIFFERENT. I think it triggers people when skinny people think they are overweight. Perhaps the journey could have been titled “my 90 fitness journey” and not focused on weight loss at all even if that was her personal goal. This is a woman who is a leader, showing people what is healthy and how to get in better shape. She affects us all differently. Is it really a personal journey if it’s all over the blog ? With a comment section? Who knows anymore. The internet can be so helpful and yet so toxic.
Hi Casey ,
I hear you . Your body is your own and I am sure you know how to take care of it best . I am sorry to say that I was one of those who looked at your daily food and thought “ oh wow . That’s all ??” . It took me a while to think and realise who am I kidding you must know what works for you better than me . To be honest I would be too full with your daily meals and I may skip a snack and dessert of it.
However I do feel that since you have such a huge group of audience you may need to be a tad bit careful on the wordings or may be even add a disclaimer . You found what works for your body after a long journey , it may or may not be what others need.
That said , I believe you are amazing to be openly highlighting your ownership of yourself and your body and no one should take that from anybody. If only people can be a a bit more kinder to one another and not have an opinion on everyone else’s life .
Cassey you look amazing and should be so proud of your accomplishments. I am almost double your age and wish you were around when I was younger. You push me and make me want to be a stronger version of myself. The menopausal pooch is tough to get of and I know you are so far away from thinking of menopause but any way you can help with this would be wonderful. You and Sam are so cute watched your Instagram video trying some new products. Love you Cassey and you should continue to love your amazing self!!
Hi Cassey,
I think it is wonderful that you’re feeling great.
For me the difficulty comes in considering the demographic of your audience, many are young impressionable girls. You yourself know that weight loss is just one aspect of your fitness but for many people it can become an unhealthy fixation. When viewing content about weight loss not everyone can recognise when their own weight fixation begins and that in itself is concerning. Take daily weighing for instance, for some people this can lead to an unhealthy fixation and in these cases attributing it to data collection is masking the issue.
Whether you personally would like to lose weight is, of course, down to your own preference but please take into consideration how broadcasting this can have a very negative impact on your more impressionable or vulnerable followers.
It feels like it is more important for impressionable young girls to learn about weight loss in a healthy way. There are many influences out there teaching young people about weight fixations and eating disorders. Anytime that someone can demonstrate a healthy alternative to that is good, because some people need to realize that weight loss is a multifaceted idea. People with a following, like Cassey, NEED to show positive relationships with weight and weightloss, because it no one shows what it should look like, all those impressionable girls see is the people who are trying to convince them dropping 5 pounds over the weekend is healthy.
But she took a measured, factual, scientific approach ie food journaling. Weight gain can also be from adverse effects of food on our bodies. Grains and breads don’t sit well with some of us (no pun intended) and considering all the chemicals and what not in food marked as being “healthy” it leads many of us down the wrong path, wasting money and spinning our wheels. Also many of us fail at weight loss not because we are terrible at working out or are awful, unworthy people, but it is our relationship with food. What do they say … a healthy body is 20 percent working out but 80 percent nutrition. THAT is the main focus of Cassey’s journey – finding what fuels and nourishes her body in order to lead and maintain a healthy lifestyle. What Cassey has shown all of us is that there is a right way to accomplish wright loss. The fact that she has been able to sustain this lifestyle (for a year) while adding lean muscle to her frame is proof that healthy choices are working. Emphasis on the word WORK – she worked at this – her food journal was nothing short of the scientific method. She wasn’t drinking detox tea and hoping it would work … that’s for certain.
With that being said, I understand your concern. However I could think of a handful of other people/brands/products that are a significant cause for concern for our younger and /or more vulnerable audiences. Plus, history has shown that Cassey calls those products out on the regular. I have read many comments about how others were inspired and were motivated to undergo a similar journey. Yet those who are triggered by scales didn’t use them. Completely understandable and a mentally healthy work around. Therefore I think sharing her journey wasn’t meant to broadcast and trigger people but share her information/knowledge to empower people to make healthy choices in relation to their own personal journey. I think Cassey sends a healthy message when a fitness professional shares his/her/their struggles. I see so many of them avoid this topic.
Thank you for addressing this! In recent years I’ve been feeling alienated because I’m being made to feel it’s not okay to want to lose weight. I’m close to 100 lbs overweight – that’s not healthy and frankly, it’s not comfortable or fun in anyway, so while I do love myself, I’m not going to love or accept this body. I’m going to change it. You’re literally the first positive voice I’ve heard that reinforces my own feelings that it’s okay to want to change your body in a way that makes you feel stronger and better.
Since the beginning of february and i have been working from home in programming and because i sit for long times and because of the disease i stay at home,i gained my weight a lot and tried to search for many ways and i followed a lot. I am looking for a diet that helps me.I get a lot of dvice, including this book from a friends(https://bit.ly/3f4M1Dy), and i want to know what do you think about that becaus i like your healthy methods.
Yay!! I love reading through your blog because it just makes sense. I had a major diet change about a year ago now (from medicine :() right as you started your 90 day journey and this article makes me feel better about how my weight fluctuates and the sometimes funny looks I get from usually strangers when I maneuver around certain foods because they aren’t worth the fight with my stomach. But it is nice to hear that body positive can mean doing what’s best for me (or at least what my body tells me is best)
Ofcourse it’s okay to lose weight. It’s kind of insane that you are getting so much back lash about this again!
It is absolutely healthy to lose weight if your situation demands it. The struggle is in the sustainable and safe way to lose weight because there’s too much information out there and not one shoe fits all. I truly have been enjoying and appreciating the 90 day journal because it’s helping me stay more conscious of my meals and activities.
#thisisnotsponsored #honestreview
Nice article. Any weight loss should be done in a sustainable way and should not have a detrimental impact on overall health. It bothers me that certain people are always looking for shortcuts when it comes to weight loss and are willing to damage their health for vanity purposes. It’s nice to look good for sure but it should be earned! No shortcuts to any place worth going.
Just be you Cassey! I’m 14 but still act like a kid. So I kinda sound younger when I say I want to be like you when I grow up! Strong, Flexible, and smart! Keep doing what you do!
Courtney you are wise beyond your years. Cassey is the perfect role model!!
The risk of focusing on weight-loss is that when it is achieved through restricting food intake, food becomes an enemy, and it can become an obsession. Weight-loss or weight-loss goals can become a frustration, self-punishing behaviour, competitive, un-realistic, un-achievable and a source of conflict. Diets and weight-changes affect metabolism on the short while we do not know what the long term effects are, and what it does to your brain and your body and your mental health.
We are fortunate when/if we have food and access to food. Rather than focusing on what we should or should not eat, what is supposed to be healthy or not healthy according to the latest hype, how much or how little we eat, what is it that we find it so hard to listen to our body and eat what we like and what out body tells us it needs? And pick what we want out of the abundance that is offered rather than just grabbing what is dangled in front of out eyes?
When you eat with attention, when you are conscious of what you eat, when you listen to your body and when you enjoy what you eat, you do not need a diet and you will not be at a weight that you will need to look at losing it.
There are so more many things to think about and to focus on in life other than food.
We need to eat to live but once we start living to eat, we miss out on a lot of good things in life.
Holy hell why can’t people keep there mouths shut when they have nothing good to say! That’s how I was raised and that’s something we should keep in mind when we are commenting. Cassey you just keep being you and to hell with everyone else. Keep sharing your knowledge and passion with us that appreciate what you do, and keep inspiring us to get off our buts. Much love and respect Cassey ♥️
Thx so much, Cassey!!! Everyone’s journey is just that…THEIR journey!!! And I am so grateful to have you guide me on mine!!! Thx for all the hard work you put into the workouts and so much more!!! You have changed my life in the best possible way!!! I’ll hit my goal weight one day, and in the meantime, I’ll just keep doing me!!! Hope y’all are staying safe and doing well!! Have a great day and an even better week!!! xoxoJJ
Hi Cassey!
Thank you for the blog post.
I guess this weight loss thing has a lot of opinions. With the whole body positivity thing I guess it’s not one to judge what another does with their body, whether it fits the trend of body shape today or not. If someone wants to lose weight its no ones business or must to give an opinion. If its healthy weight loss of course. If someone wants to lose weight, sometimes it’s not because they hate their body but they want to love it more, they want to avoid constant hospital trips, or whatever. So if its healthy weightloss encourage them.
Anyways thanks Cassey. Even though I don’t do your workout every time, I can’t forget you, you taught me so many fundamentals, helped me get onto this journey, with your fun and exercise can go hand in hand. So thank you for changing solo many peoples lives, while putting yourself on the line, accepting hate comments, yet you are strong for people like us so thank you, and please keep going! Keep changing many peoples’ lives. And keep your passion. 🤗🤍
It’s about damn time people mind their own business . You can’t define what’s healthy for someone else based on your own experiences and in all honesty as a person who has had to deal with being overweight all my life , a weight that has caused multiple health problems it irks me when people immediately try to stop you from changing yourself for the better . So thank you for this article ! I’ll be sending this to everyone who asks me why ? Next time . Lots of love !!
Has this all been about losing weight? I didn’t think it was. From looking at you, you probably gained a lot of weight, in muscle. I’ve been following you since the old days, way back when you first started putting out YT videos, and I’ve never seen this kind of muscle tone in you. You look stronger, your posture is somehow even taller. I commend you for your hard work and am thankful for you sharing the journey. No matter what you do, stay beautiful and true, not that you needed a reminder.
I always admire your honest tenacity Cassey!
1. Most of us know what it feels like when we have gained weight and we don’t feel right in our body. This happens regardless if we are already a “small” framed person. Cassey knows her body … trust in that fact.
2. For those of you that are worried about Cassey are you really just mad that she made a goal for herself and achieved it!?! Are you mad that she did it and you haven’t!?! Be honest with yourself.
3. Don’t mistake niceness/happiness/friendliness etc. for weakness … meaning stop posting hurtful comments about Cassey’s weight loss under the guise of concern because she achieved her goal and you haven’t – change your mindset into one of positive/possible.
4. Be nice … with all that is going on in the world THIS is what you are choosing to focus on? Would you want someone communicating with you in the way you are doing!?! If the answer is “no” then don’t post it … take a movement and really reflection what you are about to say/post.
Thank you for sharing Cassey!
First off, sending lots of love, I hope you’re not letting the negativity get to you and are staying your strong, wonderfully positive self.
With regard to weight loss, I personally feel it has no place as a fitness goal, particularly where it is not medically necessary to lose weight. Weight loss (or, more importantly, fat loss) should simply be seen as a side effect of improving fitness. Some people can so easily get caught up in the numbers and lose sight of the progress we’ve made in other ways. For example, since the start of lockdown, I’ve not lost much weight but I’m now lifting double what I started at and can run for half an hour without wanting to collapse. I also no longer dread when you have burpees in videos 😉 I feel amazing!
If I talk about losing fat, I get the negative ‘you don’t need to lose weight/ you’re so skinny…’ comments which make me feel a bit pants. If I talk about how far I ran yesterday or how much I can lift now I get more positive and encouraging responses.
However, I get that for some people having weight or body fat percentage goals is really helpful and keeps the focus. I just feel that perhaps it’s best to put those figures to one side when discussing the journey publicly so people can better understand that it’s about improving fitness, becoming stronger, feeling well mentally and so on. They can’t latch on to the weight goal if it’s not shared.
Ultimately though, the main point is that a personal fitness journey or weight loss journey is *personal*. It is not for strangers to make negative or hateful comments about. Anyone who’s followed your journey can see how it’s positively impacted your well-being. You’re an inspiration <3
Hi! It’s so nice to finally hear people talk about losing weight in the right way and a healthy way to build your confidence and make you feel happier in yourself. I want to work on my fitness and lose a bit of weight but am not on a journey to lose hugs amounts, what’s the best way to do that?
Thank you for a social media platform promoting positivity that is actually realistic! This is what we need more of xx
Hi Cassey, thank you for writing this blog post, it’s really nice to hear someone just say this honestly! It’s super frustrating when people judge you for wanting to work on your own body. If I want to lose weight, tone up, whatever it’s my own business! I’ve followed you since 2013 and your videos are still my favourite xx
You’re absolutely right about losing weight; it’s a personal thing. If your 90+ day journey resulted in improved health mentally and physically, it was worth it. And you’re not too skinny – the photo of your back shows well-developed muscles (💪👏) and I’m sure strength, too. Before the haters were saying to lose weight and now just the opposite. Please give me a break.
Hi Cassey
First I have to say, you look incredible and you are an inspiration to a lot of people to start their healthy journey, to be a better version of themself, physically and mentally. You shouldn’t be upset about the comment as you know exactly how the internet will react specifically to this topic. This is not the first time and it won’t be the last one. Creating drama about this is unfruitful and doesn’t help anyone here. You need to learn to disagree with people and that is it. I would like to add that your blogpilate comic doesn’t support for the message you stand for. And this is disturbing! You are kind of saying that it is ok to snack and lacking self-control, binge eating and it is not right. It goes in opposition to the lifestyle you are promoting. It is not ok to laugh about that either. A lot of people that are seeking your support, advice, videos, blogs, and merchandise and are “fighting” those issues and are trying to get better. Please take this comment into consideration. Carry on Cassey, you are such inspiration, so please be careful of the message you are promoting. Love you .
Hi Cassey!
I have really enjoyed reading your blog lately and it has helped me in my weight loses journey and body acceptance. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate all that you do and love watching your videos, so please don’t be discouraged by other people’s negative opinions. I think you’re doing wonderful and look forward to reading and watching your latest posts.
Hi Cassie, I weigh in between 121-123 but I have a roll of fat on my waist. I need to lose about 3-5 pounds to get rid of that fat. Most people would criticize me for wanting to lose weight when I am not overweight. But I know what I need to do for my body just as you know what you need for yours. You’re a fitness expert and you have a vision for your body. Your body is your instrument. If people are critical of you, it’s because they don’t understand. So, just ignore them and keep going. You have many followers that do understand and support you in attaining your goals. Thank you for your fantastic blog. I’ve been a follower for about 6 years.
I agree with what you said about people being critical of you, but I think it also is bigger than that. Most people are critical of others because they are critical of themselves. Its something they don’t want to admit they aren’t doing (even if they are doing some things) so they criticize your efforts as a way to make them feel better \ continue excuses they make \ avoid addressing their inner beliefs that hold them back.
I am similar! Due to a supplement my nutritionist has me taking for hormone issues, I have developed bloating around my middle that most people would say is nothing, but I know it’s there and can feel it. Love Cassey’s videos and how she makes it so applicable to every type and encourages you to just try your best! I think that’s what this whole debate really comes down to – are you trying your best while respecting your body type? I do think it’s important for women who are prone to anxiety, for example, to watch that their fat intake doesn’t go too low. I know this from experience and from working with my nutritionist. I could be focused on losing weight when that is really not the best thing for me, and I think some women who tend towards anxiety have to be really careful when they start talking about weight loss goals – could turn into anorexia if they don’t understand respecting their bodies and brains by understanding they need some extra fats for healthy functioning. But to judge someone without knowing their motives is wrong.
Thank you, Cassey! Well said! As someone who is in a currently weightloss journey myself, setting a goal and documenting my progress has been extremely helpful. Additionally, your 90-day-journey gave me some important tools, such as weighing myself everyday (data!), logging what I was eating, and I even wrote notes the types of workouts and exercises I enjoyed and felt I was improving on. Thank you for centering around health and sharing your opinion. We all have opinions and are entitled to them. <3
Cassey, you are constantly showing LOVE to others.
Building healthy habits is NOT always easy (in fact, it’s pretty hard)! I find it helpful to ask myself this question when people say negative things about someone else’s successes: “wow, they must have had a bad experience with ______, to make them say those things.”
I think many of the people who “shame” do it from their own place of shame. I don’t think it’s a reflection of you, ever.
Keep up your amazing work and keep sharing the love. Next time someone has a negative comment for you, try to ask yourself, “what did that person go through that made them think about and say something like that?” Then keep moving on knowing that the comment was a reflection of that person’s experience and not really a criticism of you or your accomplishments!
Thank you for sharing these thoughts Cassey! I think your point about people’s reasons to lose weight are really important! I am a Type 1 Diabetic, and I find I use less insulin and my body is able to use insulin more efficiently when I keep my weight lower. But no one would guess that just from looking at me! They’d probably say I look “normal”, and ask why I need to lose weight. Well, I have my reasons and I should not be judged before I am understood!
It used to be ” fat shaming” was not politically correct now skinny shaming is in ? Were suppose to believe being over weight is good ? I see commercials w/heavy girls dancing eating ice cream and we’re suppose to believe it’s the new normal ? I want yo be healthy and if I tell someone I’m fasting for 24 hrs they look at me like I’m freaking crazy. At 50 something I’m not nearly as thin as I use to be but I work out and am vegan and at a healthy weight. And I look damn good in a bikini at age 58
The waters have certainly been muddied with this topic. I think we should all be striving for health and loving ourselves on the journey.
The attitude that the only kind of body positivity is that if we try to change anything about our bodies it’s proof that we don’t love ourselves and are giving a bad example to everyone else is very counter productive. Yes we should absolutely love ourselves despite our physical appearance and yes we should not judge others on the way they look. Yes fitness comes in all shapes and sizes too so being slim doesn’t mean fit or even that you don’t have excess body fat and being large doesn’t mean you are not strong and fit. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t wish to be different. The idea that wanting to loose weight for any reason is now considered fat-shaming and unhealthy does a disservice to all of us. When all the controversy came out about the 90-day challenge many people protested that even though Cassy was not planning to loose the weight faster than was healthy, not planning to do it with excessive calorie restrictions, purges or appetite suppressing pills etc. The fact that she already fell within the range of what was considered healthy for her body type made it a bad thing to do. Just because one is within the healthy range doesn’t mean you can’t want to be at a different place int he range. If an Olympic Athlete who is already extremely fit works hard to get even more fit to become more competitive for their sport no one bats an eye why shouldn’t a fitness instructor work hard to be the most fit for her career. And why can’t anyone of us do the same. Suggesting otherwise is telling us we should settle for less than our best. Everyone’s body is different and everyone’s goals are different. For some people the top of the range is the right place for other’s it’s not either because they have goals to be stronger or faster or something. It’s not fair to suggest that wanting to be slimmer means you only care about appearance. Carrying 20lbs can make a huge difference in how you feel, how tired you are how easy it is to do activity so even if that is technically a healthy weight it can be very freeing to loose it.
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Dear Cassey,
troppo difficile per me scrivere ciò che provo in inglese, magari troverai qualcuno disposto a tradurtelo.
“Ti conosco” da un anno e mezzo. Ti ho scoperta per caso e mi sei subito piaciuta. Il tuo modo di spiegare gli esercizi, il tuo sorriso, le tue parole per incitare ad andare avanti per raggiungere il proprio obiettivo mi hanno subito coinvolta. Sembrava di averti davvero davanti, sembrava che tu parlassi con me. Non mi sono allenata in modo continuativo perchè con due bambini piccoli non sempre trovo la forza di farlo, ma nei periodi in cui ci sono riuscita, non solo io ho notato i progressi del mio allenamento e a tutti quelli che mi chiedevano se andassi in palestra rispondevo: – No! Ho trovato la soluzione perfetta, la personal trainer perfetta, si chiama Cassey, è bravissima, bella, solare, i suoi schemi adatti ad ogni esigenza, livello o età. Provate!
Ad un certo punto però ti ho vista trasformata e non ti ho riconosciuta. Sul momento ho fatto fatica ad accettare la nuova Cassey. Ho sempre combattuto con il mio aspetto fisico e mentre prima del tuo viaggio di 90 giorni mi sembravi una ragazza come me, improvvisamente mi sei sembrata un’estranea, perfetta in modo maniacale, fastidioso e non sapevo come fare perchè avevo bisogno di te, di quella Cassey che mi diceva che anche con quei pochi minuti al giorno sarei diventata una ME più forte, più in forma, più sicura.
Ti ho seguita a distanza, non mi sono più allenata, ma non mi sono mai permessa di commentare, ritengo che ognuno di noi sia libero di trasformarsi come e quando vuole.
Mi chiedevo se mi sarei abituata al tuo nuovo aspetto, ti analizzavo, ti guardavo, anche il sorriso non era più lo stesso. Mi chiedevo cosa mi desse fastidio del tuo atteggiamento, forse era solo invidia la mia? Un corpo stupendo, una donna di successo.. o forse era la felicità che sembravi aver raggiunto?
Ho ricominciato ad allenarmi, ma con più distacco e non in modo costante. Quasi non ascoltavo la te di oggi, ero invece contenta quando i video erano quelli più vecchi e c’era la Cassey a cui mi ero affezionata a sorridermi.
Ho letto in questi giorni le tue riflessioni e ho ritrovato me nella tua fragilità. Tu sei sempre tu. Non capisco perchè le persone debbano decidere cos’è meglio e cosa non lo è per gli altri, commentare negativamente, buttare giù. E mi sono arrabbiata. Ti chiedo scusa, perchè anche le mie riflessioni, anche se me le ero tenute per me, non sempre erano positive come ti ho raccontato.
Ti ho ritrovata, ti sei aperta e ti ho ritrovata, ti ringrazio Cassey. E ti auguro di continuare ad essere the strogest YOU, fisicamente e mentalmente come tu stessa desideri da te stessa.
Con affetto,
Cecilia
Weight control should be the main focus since people are built different. Bone structure, organs, water retention, and other things can vary from person to person. Being happy with who you are while maintaining a healthy lifestyle will go a long way towards keeping your weight in the range that you want. By not feeling good about yourself can lead to depression and frustration which could cause one to overeat.
I followed you and your workouts for years but recently I’ve I followed all your pages (I came across this on my YouTube home page). I unfollowed because I don’t agree with you giving out diet/food intake recommendations. You have every right to do your 90 day journey to lose weight but I don’t believe it’s something you should document for other people beyond your workouts. I also don’t agree with the names you give a lot of your videos – Ab Flattener, Lean Arms, Body Slimming and I didn’t have to hunt hard for those at all. So for my own person body “positivity” I unfollowed. I’m bummed, because I enjoy your workouts, but I can’t support the message you’re sending out. But I wish you all the best in your journey and thank you for helping me get physically stronger.
I get the YouTube names because they generate the most views so is a… Necessary evil? But I do agree about the 90 day journal, marketing this as a weightless tool is concerning, daily weighing and calorie restrictions can cause disordered eating for many people.
This is my fave post so far. Thank you!! 🙂
Weight loss is totally a personal decision and no one else gets a say except yourself ^^
I agree with having the right mindset around weight. And I hate it when people comment on other people’s weight. I happen to be small. But I wasnt feelong healthy. So I changed the way I ate, and as a result, lost a lot of weight! I think I look amazing, because I feel amazing, but I find myself trying to hide my amazing small bidy under chunky clothes, because I dont feel like explaining to people why I lost weight and them looking all concerned. I AM eating enough, I DID stop losing weight when everything settled, and I FEEL healthy. Why should I be ashamed of that? Why can’t other people just mind their own business?
I see weight loss going hand in hand with body positivity. When we physically see how we look, it impacts how we feel. This hits deeper as we age and enter different phases in our lives. My metabolism is not what it used to be 2 years ago- I’m approaching my early 30’s. So weight loss is a form of continual discipline for me. It helps me adjust with my age and lifestyle and I feel good knowing I can control and change my body.
I agree with everything that you said down to last word. I like your energy I love everything that you do.
You can definitely love yourself but want to lose weight. And body positivity is personal and different for every person. So if she finds that to be her best self she wants to lose weight that’s not our place to judge.
I think having a fitness goal, whatever that is, is the key to success. I too set myself a goal weight when I started because otherwise it felt rudderless and random. Not only did I reach that number but surpassed it! And not on purpose I just loved the way I felt loved what I was doing! Then I did it again, just to see if I could and I DID! I started my journey because I couldn’t stand the way I looked and felt, I hated the pictures of me, and was not confident in my body at all. All in all I am so happy now, and I want to continue, I want to get stronger. That’s when you know that you did it right, because you want to continue and it’s EASY to do so. I am so happy to have found Blogilates, you have changed my fitness journey for the better, provided me a way to strengthen my body and continue to be healthy and make healthy choices! You are an inspiration!
I love your videos. I’ve been watching them for many years, and I plan on watching some later today to work out. I am a huge fan, which is why I feel compelled to comment here now.
Yeah, it’s unfair that your personal choices are scrutinized because people follow you, but the point is, people follow you. There are thousands of comments across all of your posts that say some version of, “I wish I looked like you,” and many of those girls will adopt unhealthy body-hating behaviors so they can look like you. You’ve often talked about how it’s impossible for you to look a certain way because of your genetics. Well, there are many girls who can’t look like you because of their genetics, but they’re going to try, anyway. You can say that your weight loss is your personal choice until you’re blue in the face, but that doesn’t matter as long as you don’t address your role in all of the body-hating messaging out there. Young, impressionable girls will try to emulate you, just as they do any other celebrity. If you care about those girls, it is so, so important to take responsibility for the influence that you have over them.
In this post, you never really explained how your weight loss and the body positivity movement don’t contradict each other. You just said that they don’t. Maybe you had some sort of obesity related health risk, but you can imagine how many of us find it hard to believe that you needed to lose weight for health reasons. From the outside, your weight loss seems to be purely driven by aesthetics. Regardless of your personal reasons or whatever message you intended to send, the message everyone received was, “you have to look a certain way to feel a certain way.” I’m not going to presume to understand your reasons, but as your fan, I want you to know, if it were the case that you lost weight to raise your self-esteem, I would not fault you. I would understand. I don’t expect you to be perfect. You were raised in the same society as the rest of us, after all, and that message has been relentlessly sent to women for so long, that it’s very, very hard to separate self-worth from beauty.
I hope what I’m saying here connects with you. Much love to you. Thank you for many years of fun, uplifting, and generally positive videos.
She did say she wanted to feel better. That’s not just about aesthetics. If you are not taking care of yourself with your physical activity and what you eat, you can definitely feel a difference in your body and what it’s able to do. That’s not just about how you feel about yourself. She wanted to get into her best shape possible and for her that was losing some pounds.
I hope she reads this and responds to your comment, because I was also feeling the same way.
Amy, this could have been written by me. I’m a fan of Cassey because I like her bubbly personality, her workouts and the many beautiful things she has said in ther videos. I’ve also have copied some of her recipes because they are yummy, but for me, personally, I’m not interested in changing my diet or changing my weight. But when I see certain posts of her, I also definitely see the danger in how things are shared and how this has an influence over how content can be perceived.
The only thing that does make me a bit uncomfortable is the language of ‘improvement’ around weight loss. It’s not a big stretch to think that by saying the way you’re improving your body is by losing weight, that a fatter body is a worse body.
THAT SAID I think you’ve made your stance on that extremely clear across on YouTube, through blogging, and — crucially — with the size inclusivity of popflex. You have created a culture within your platform of almost aggressive positivity that is REALLY helpful for me in trying to connect with my body as someone who has always been labelled overweight, as someone who is transgender, and as someone who has debilitating chronic pain.
For me, body positivity simply emphasizes developing a positive relationship with your body that is as divorced as it can be from societal pressures. That can look like a million different things, and it’s usually more complicated than loving or hating it. But wanting to lose weight does not automatically mean you hate your body, and no one should really have to explain their reasons for such a personal decision to begin with.
Hey! I love that you did this, good for you!!! I’m so sorry you get so much hate, I know the feeling (not on such a large scale ofc because I’m not an influencer) but still from friends and family when I’m trying to eat healthy and exercise a lot. They say I shouldn’t complain and that I’m already perfectly skinny. But it’s not about that, I am still skinny because I exercised a lot and well, was still just a teen. But that’s something that changed, and I want to maintain my looks and my healthy life style, especially when I’m growing. In height and in whidt. I don’t see why I can’t do that without judgment. And especially when you already made the goal (like you did) it must be more frustrating. I think you did great! Much love!
hey tough but trying!!! (great name:)) ur doing so well. i too am a teenager who cut out sugar and im glad it worked for you too! YOU GOT THIS GURL!!!! sending luv and support<3
Thank you for this. I’ve on and off told people that I’d like to lose a bit of weight, and even though they don’t say anything negative about it, I feel like a sell-out as someone who’s extremely body positive (and anti-fad diet). I believe that the desire to lose weight in a mentally AND physically healthy way can co-exist with body positivity and self-love. It’s just a tougher line to walk, that’s all.
Yes and no, i agree you can be body positive and still want to change your body, but, you were already a very small woman. You lost 20 pounds in 90 days, just over a pound and a half a week. Thats like 5300 calories per week you had to give up and you were already small. Like i have a hard time believing this is true or done in a way that was body positive and healthy. I have no problem with weightloss, its this kind of weightloss that brings your methods and beliefs into question.
I wasn’t following her at the time, but I’ve read some of her posts about it and apparently she noticed how miserable and bloated she felt all the time, didn’t like the restrictive diets and the way they messed with her “food relationship” (my words lol), and decided to figure it out her way. She wasn’t tryna lose weight, she was just tryna figure out what her body was saying. She started eating healthier, being more active, and yeah she went hard with herself, but the goal wasn’t sm weight loss as much as answering questions and living a healthier life. And that made her lose a ton of weight, but I think of it as she just reached the healthiest weight for herself – you put healthy foods in your body, and your weight will figure itself out, to be what is healthiest for you (whether that’s 100, 120, 150, 200 lbs, etc). I think that’s what happened with her. But like I said, I want following her closely at the time so I’m not saying this from an “I was there” kind of view, and I could be all wrong.
You’re right that she said that she wanted to feel better, but losing weight and obtain a very specific weight, was her goal from the beginning. When you read through her Blogpost of the 90 day journey, it’s all about how she was losing weight, then stagnated, then counted calories etc. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it just portrays the fact that weight loss was very essential for her. Unfortunately, it’s also not so easy to just it “healthy” and having your weight affected, it also has a lot to do with the amount one’s eating 😉
Thank you for these balanced and inspiring articles. It’s so true that you have to do what’s best for you, because you can’t make everyone happy! As much as I wanted to watch your 90 day journey video I didn’t because of what you said in the beginning about being triggered by numbers. After losing weight than gaining a lot of it back(for no rhyme or reason) I noticed that the number on the scale set my mood for the entire day. I decided to not weigh myself but focus on eating good food and doing the kind of exercises I love, and it’s worked! I feel really fantastic, but at the same time I feel like I’m cutting myself short by not embarking on a 90 day journey like you did. I guess I’m afraid that at the end I won’t see any changes in my weight or inches and it will send me into a downward spiral. My question for you is, what advice would you give someone who is triggered by numbers? And what are some signs that a person like that is ready to embark on a 90 day journey? I’d really love to hear your advice!
p.s. I’m sorry if this comment is riddled with grammatical errors!
Don’t know if this will help at all, especially since you seem to have it all pretty figured out (amazing story, btw, that is super encouraging and motivational!!) but just keep reminding yourself (no matter what the number on the scale is!) that 1) the important thing is that you know you’re putting healthy foods into your body, so it’s not a bad sign that you’re, say, 250lbs. and 2) if you put healthy foods in, your weight will slowly settle into the healthiest weight for you, whether that’s 100lbs or 300. Maybe you’re someone tall, so you’re going to have more fat because it has to cover more (sounds weird haha). Or maybe you’re short, but you’re a girl and girls need more fat than guys. That kind of thing. I used to struggle with the number on the scale and now I don’t care who knows what I weigh, bc ik that since I’m making healthy choices, even if I do weigh more than I want, I know it’s all coming from a healthy place, and I’m at a weight that is good for me! (And I also remind myself that it could be muscle mass, not fat, and I’m just seeing haha). I’m sure you already know all this, but in case you needed encouragement, or someone else does, just throwing that out there 😊 your story really comforted and encouraged me, though, so thank you for sharing!!
*strong, not seeing 🙄 my phone is whack
I think some people are at the “learn to accept yourself” stage and some are at the “learn to change your habits” stage. Both can be used (or misused?) for good or evil.. Both can be used to better ourselves or make excuses, both can become stepping stones or make us stay stuck. People who arent ready to do one or the other will spend a lot of energy defending the reasons.. even though it’s possible to do these things in a healthy way, people who only look at them as attacks on their self worth or as disordered toxic habits rob themselves of the possibility of healthy change because they aren’t ready to go against their own grain. It’s a lot easier not to work out or take an honest look at how your lifestyle contributes to your physical and mental health when you immediately write off all attempts at change as toxic threats to your identity.
For me personally, you have been a super positive and healthy influence for like 10 years! I am stronger and more confident and more self disciplined and part of that is my strength training. It isn’t about my weight – it’s about how good it feels to eat clean, control and feel my own muscles while I go about my day, how much better I sleep, and how exercise is my foundation for good mental health.. I didn’t believe it until a hard physical labor job changed my life. I mean, it destroyed my resume, but it did wonders for my health! Lol. Your workouts just feel so good because you are so encouraging and glowy and real with us. And I hope to be as strong as you someday. Anyone who says it’s only about the weight has no idea how much muscle and flexibility it takes to do what you do. Your popsters know what you’re about <3 the rest are just eating popcorn and slinging hate and projecting their own feelings onto you about toxicity being inevitable. We know there are better things to do with that energy. Like oil riggers and burpees. Lol. Xoxoxo
You are perfect and you always inspire me. Thanks for the lovely, inspirational, intelligent words.
Was it just me or someone else also heard Cassey’s voice while reading this? Haha
Also thank you for talking about it. It was I’m my mind for some time now. I battle depression and it was always on my mind because I felt that if I will start to work out and loose weight this would mean I didn’t improve my mental health because I don’t love myself. I was torn, I didn’t understand how I should learn to love myself while trying to change my body at the same time.
I don’t understand how you can be “body positive” and shame other people for doing something for themselves. I think it’s important to love yourself and every stage your body goes through and it’s okay to want to improve on yourself. If that means loosing a little weight or gaining weight or adding muscle mass. Just because you want to see improvement in your physical does not mean you’re not “body positive”. I dont understand how weight loss and “body positive” have to exist separately.
And women shaming each other for loosing weight or gaining weight is not “body positive “ the movement was to celebrate every body no matter how they look like. So shaming someone for loosing weight is not “body positive “ or being inclusive. I don’t understand how someone striving to be better or challenge themselves is suddenly “anti-body positive” .
Body positivity is all about love, not about hate. There is no room for calling someone hypocrite for wanting to lose or gain wait or make a hundred tattoos.
I soooo agree! I like to set goals too. Having no goals means literally failure for me as well. What you highlighted in your post clearly shows how this discussion can be really one-sided for most people, they don’t even check the circumstances. And those are important because there is a BIG different between losing weight in a healthy and in an unhealthy way.
Before this, checking the scale was the standard. Now, checking the scale and trying to lose a certain amount of weight is considered unhealthy. Why isn’t there a middle ground?
Well said.
As long as the number of pounds we weigh doesn’t define our worth or that number is unrealistic and unhealthy, I think setting a weight loss goal is completely fine! Earlier this month, I set a half-year goal for me to lose ten kilograms, but I won’t hate myself for not being able to do it. As long as our goals are healthy, I think it can be rewarding and motivating to set a certain number and work towards it. It’s amazing that you lost 20 pounds, but the main thing for me is that you’re healthy and happy! Way to go!
I recently decided to lose some weight as my body and I have been in a battle for years. But this time I’m doing it for a different reason, I’m doing it because I love my body and it is so strong, it deserves a health temple. So if that means I should make better food choices and exercise a bit more then that’s what I’m going to do.
You do it to be healthier, but if you do it for other reasons… So what! It’s your temple, do with it what you will but just be safe while doing it 😊
Sooo true…. At the end of the day you need be happy whenever you look yourself and if weight-loss brings happiness so why not…. Body positivity means to be happy with your body…. You are doing amazing….
All I have got to say is ,it is okay to want to lose weight the same way it is okay to want to gain weight. Period.
I agree! I personally actually need to lose weight and change my diet to lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, etc, and I know that my fat% and visceral fat is high. But whenever I tell people outside of my family that I want to lose weight, they always say “Why? You’re not fat! Love yourself!” and it’s hard to then open up about the struggles of eating healthy of keeping to a workout schedule. Consequently, I’ve only found one work out buddy. 🙁
Dun bother with those noises…life’s too short to waste it in pleasing every1…post or do watever u like n ignore the different-viewers.
Thank you so much for writing about this! I was just talking to my therapist about weight loss the other day. As someone who has had troubles with restrictive eating/over-exercising in the past, it can be a bit of a tricky situation. We don’t like hearing “weight loss.” My therapist said it might make it easier to just say “I want to get stronger. I want to be healthy.” If only we could get rid of the negative stigma.
If the patriarchal oppressive culture was about big bodies, not little, you know Cassie would be giving us tips on how to fatten up in a healthy way. Chill, haters. We’re getting what we want.
This is such a logical fallacy. It’s like saying that a woman who chooses to change her last name when she gets married is subject to the patriarchy. Feminism is about CHOICE. Women can choose to lose weight, get toned, get stronger, or not and be content with how they are. Cassey chooses to challenge herself to get stronger and healthier, and that’s feminist as hell. Especially if you consider all the years that women were shamed away from working out because it was “un-ladylike.” The patriarchy likes its women weak, unable to fight back. If exercise isn’t your thing, that’s cool – you have the choice to not participate. But shaming or leaving snarky comments about those who do choose to exercise for whatever their reason is, not cool.
I actually love the way you wanted to see yourself. It’s ok to love yourself and self love is very important as well. Seeing you i really want biceps like yours and your body is wow. People will keep saying even if we do right so just let it be. Just stay positive as you are and enjoy life. Love you Cassey.
It’s positive and healthy to want to be fit. There’s nothing wrong with that! Some people are just miserable. You look great!
I think everyone has a weight/body shape they feel their best at and it’s totally okay to aim for it. I know I feel better when I’m in a certain range and when I go over it, I also know it’s because I’m being lazy with my eating and cooking habits. It’s not like something to obsess over cause obviously life gets busy sometimes but there’s nothing wrong with aiming for your ideal.
I think the weight loss plus your lean muscle tone looks healthy. Your weight loss does not make you look emaciated it makes you look strong!
Cassey, I really appreciate that you’re blogging again, and not being afraid to share your opinions with the public. It is not an easy thing to do, and the fact that you’re doing it is a huge inspiration to me. Hooray to being our genuine selves and being proud of it!
I feel like your not fully understanding where the body positive specific movement came from language is important and what you refer to is important. The body positive movement came to support people in marginalized bodies that were not even able to receive the proper care from doctors because all they saw were overweight people so every problem they had was because they were overweight. You wanting to love yourself is great and also encourage but skinny conventionally pretty and acceptable bodies from society are coming in and taking over this movement that was never meant for them. If you want to promote self love and body acceptance that’s awesome but if you are wanting to try to take over the body positive space you then need to be shedding like and passing the mic to those who the movement was actually made for.
She’s mentioned in the past that she did not intentionally become part of the body positive movement, she was pulled into it because she was not seen as conventionally thin for the fitness industry. She doesn’t want to take it over, she just wants people to stop hounding her. Ya know?
I was under the impression that body positivity was a movement to embrace all bodies regardless of size. If a thin person is being criticized for her weight, does she not also deserve to be a part of a community where she can feel loved and accepted? If that is not the purpose of the body positivity movement, then maybe something which truly stands for the acceptance of ALL healthy (or striving to be healthy) bodies should be created.
It seems to be with body positivity there are two trains of thought. If you lose weight, want to, or encourage others to if they are trying to, it is seen as body positive/a hypocrite for it OR it is not okay to be be bigger and it is not body positive to embrace someone who is bigger because it is saying it is okay to be obese (of course the person talking knows the other person’s life/exercise routine) .
I have been 250 lbs and I have been 154 lbs. I wasn’t okay in my skin at either weight. At 250 lbs. I didn’t really look in the mirror because I didn’t like looking at anything other than my face. It was how I had been since high school. I finally had to lose the weight because of health stuff. I worked hard and the harder I worked and calorie counted the weight came off. I looked in the mirror more, but I didn’t like all the extra attention. I couldn’t hide anymore. Anyone who has suffered abuse especially as a kid will tell you all we want to do is hide…even on the inside trying to find ways. The weight came off…in my head I was still fat. If I had gotten down to my goal weight of 125 in my head I would have still been fat. I could physically see it but mentally I couldn’t. Body positivity isn’t about weight loss at all or celebrating being fat. Body positivity is being able to look at yourself in the mirror and accept your body as is if you can’t just yet love it. You are not a hypocrite. You just made it so you could accept your body for what it was or knew it could be. I gained the weight back but working on losing it, this time with a childhood trauma specialist, hopefully it sticks. I don’t like metformin.
Yes! I agree with you! I feel like the body positivity movement implies that if you want to lose weight you hate your body and that is not the case for everyone. Thanks for putting this out there, it’s so nice to know that I’m not alone in my believe that there is such a thing as healthy weight loss.
I think for many women in society it’s the opposite, people are always telling them they need to lose weight. I saw pictures of me from three years ago and I remember during that time I thought I was big and now that I have gotten bigger I realize how ridiculous that notion was. I was beautiful and so much more in shape than I am now. But it was the mindset and people telling me I needed to lose weight. Its our culture that does this. So when people see you as someone smaller they question why you would want to lose weight because you’re already goals for many people. I personally move my body to feel good and always work towards what my body can do and feel like rather than numbers or what it looks like. It’s a conscious effort because I tend to fall into that negative mind space of I need to lose weight to look a certain way. I think when we want to look a certain way its a slippery slope to devaluing ourselves. I see body positivity as radically loving your body as it looks and what it does for you now but I agree that that doesn’t preclude you from improving it to be better and healthier and live a much longer happier life.
You are an inspiration to us all.Here is a great way i found to lose weight.
I hope it helps some others. >> https://bit.ly/3eJNUFx
Absolutely love this! I never correlated myself to the body positive movement because, I feel like the common definition is being happy with how your body is. Which doesnt really invite change. I love your definition of body positivity and will use it to explain my stance on body positivity as well!
I agree completely with what you say. People sometimes dont understand that weight loss is healthy and can still be about positive about your own body.
Body positivity is loving yourself. It doesnt mean you have to throw out all efforts for improvement.
YES. It’s like saying that if you like your house, you should never clean it, remodel it or redecorate. Change absolutely can and should come from a loving place.
I think that sometimes when people react negatively when they hear someone is on a weight loss journey, it is more about how that critical person feels about themselves and their own body.
You are being positive and sharing.
Nothing wrong with taking pride in accomplishing goals
Thank you so much Cassey! I used to struggle a lot with self love and body positivity but I’m working every day to grow as a person for myself and not for what others think of me. I find physical health is key to mental health and that is why I follow your morning and night stretch routines every day as well as your exercise videos. I used to struggle with an eating disorder but I find your videos in no way triggering, actually you are an inspiration to me for finding health, peace, and positivity inside and out. Thank you so much for everything you do and don’t listen to the haters! Keep being you! 😊
You inspired me, Cassey! I have been able to meet & exceed my original goal of losing 20 lbs. I’ve lost 25, and 5 more to go! At close to 50 years old, I have dropped from my all time heaviest of 140 lbs to 115 lbs (January- July) and I feel so strong and energetic! The “change of life” had zapped my energy coupled with our frenetic pace of life with 3 kids in sports had me making unhealthy food choices. I have been working out 6 days a week and eating healthy to support building muscle/losing fat and my body has more definition than it has in my entire life. So thank you Cassey for inspiring me to priortize my health so that I can be the best for my family! You look amazing!!!
I think somebody may want to loose weight BECAUSE they love their body.
Very wise words! Xx ⭐ 👏
love that you’re writing about this! It makes me think in regards to body positivity, what is love? I don’t know about you, but my deepest experiences of love have been being known, seen, accepted and delighted in for who I am- and being cared for so much that I’m encouraged and challenged to grow! When I am taking care of/spending time with a child, I try to love them exactly as they are- showing them how good they are in and of themselves, and out of that love can’t help but want to help them become healthier and happier, whether that means teaching them skills and allowing them the dignity of struggling with it before they’re strong enough and have practiced enough to get it right (and celebrating with them that they worked hard enough to get there!), teaching them to accept the word ‘no’ (accepting boundaries) as well as hold their ground and stand up for themselves (expressing limits and creating healthy boundaries- and as long as they’re not unreasonable, listening to and respecting their ‘no’!), and allowing them to fail while teaching them to have the courage and confidence to get back up.
My goal is to love myself and my body in the same way- Accepting it, seeing it as beautiful and amazing as it is, and loving it so much that I choose to challenge it, strengthen it, and feeding it healthy foods instead of always giving into cravings (but not without a ‘cheat’ meal or snack on occasion as you prescribe, Cassey 🙂 !). Not perfectionistic, not permissive/indulgent, but genuinely loving. I think that’s what love towards ourselves/our bodies can look like- if I’m truly positive towards my body and love it for what it is and what it can do, I’ll want to nourish it and challenge it. If losing weight is a part of helping my body become more happy and healthy, then I think IT IS body positivity.
Hey Cassey,
I’ve been trying to lose weight for about a month now and nothing seems to work! But I just wanted to thank you for always encouring us to be healthy and love our bodies as they are. I’m going into college so my life is about to get really hectic…just hoping I can shed some of this weight! Thanks again!
alright, here’s what I think.
ur so right. I mean scrolling thru ur comments can definitely prove it for you: there’s a lot of shaming when deciding to lose weight. from my personal journey I hid from my friends that I was on “dieting” bec I knew they would judge me but now that they kinda figured out my new lifestyle the say I’m not healthy after all I hid it from em. so ye, don’t hide it from your loved ones they are meant to support u! and cassey keep sharing<3
I had been doing really good with eating clean and working out for a few months. But then I got a stomach bug for a few weeks and I wasnt working out and just wanted to eat whatever when I was sick. I told myself that when I was better I would go back to eating clean. But it’s been almost a month since I got better, and I’ve been working out, but I keep telling myself “next week I’ll be good about what I eat.” It’s hard tho, because I had a sugar addiction before I started eating healthy, and I almost completely cut it out because I knew that if I indulged too often I wouldnt be able to stop. And now that has happened. I was feeling so good about myself, but now I just feel “bleh.” It doesn’t help that my family doesnt eat the healthiest, and they try to buy me healthy snacks and stuff, but it’s hard to say no when everyone else is eating cake. I dont know what to do! Do you have any tips to starting back up again? Healthy dinners are kinda out of the question bc, well I’m only a teenager and I live at home, but everything else I can eat healthy. I mainly have trouble with snacks and desserts.
Anything helps,
Tough but Trying
If I wrote the above comment as a reply, I’m sorry, i think i hit the wrong button
Gaining back momentum can be difficult, especially when it was lost out of your control! I had a similar situation with my family. I just went grocery shopping with my mom every week and cooked for myself. It’s not difficult to follow a recipe 🙂 But, finding a good recipe requires a lot of time and effort. When looking for a recipe, think about what you like instead of what society deems “healthy”, because what you’re cooking will have wholesome ingredients! For example, I refuse to buy into the “coconut oil” craze; olive, vegetable, and canola oil are all nutritious and each serve different purposes! Also, I am curious whether you are cutting out sugar because you want to or because you feel you have to. There is a huge difference between just not wanting it and depriving yourself. I don’t keep bread at home and the only dessert food I have is ice cream (which my fiancé hooked me on), because that’s what I’m ok with not eating for the rest of my life, unless it is offered at a restaurant or another person’s home. The ice cream is AMAZING, and as long as I only have a couple spoonfuls a day, I’m satisfied. But I’m not depriving myself of it and I’m not going to force my fiancé, who has better “control” than I do, to not buy it anymore. Christa DiPaolo (Boxing & Bubbles) did a 21-day sugar challenge, where everyone cut out one food they enjoy that isn’t the “healthiest” for 21 days. The results were shocking! Most people, even Christa, “caved in” and ate/drank their item a few days in to the challenge. This changed the momentum of the challenge from “cutting out” food/drinks to “mindful eating”. Check out her website–the challenge is public and free! This will also help you determine your “why” behind why you can’t get back your momentum and your motivation for what you are and aren’t eating. Good luck!
Thanks for the support! One of the reasons I cut out sugar was because, even tho it tastes good in the moment, I feel like crud afterwards. I loved that my skin was more clear, I felt less sluggish (after I got used to it of course, those first few days were hard) and I just generally felt better about myself. I’m trying again and its hard, but I believe in myself.
Hello! Please dont despair even though you might seem far from your goal. Life is never about travelling a straight path so instead of beating yourself up, remind yourself that you took the first step to being healthy, which is working out! Second, remind yourself that have had the habit of eating clean and working out – its encouraging to remind yourself of a great accomplishment. I find that reminding myself of my achievements (like hey, i did the full body piit workout without gasping for breath! Or.. I did ONE tricep pushup!) makes me feel good, and it makes me eager to want to experience that good feeling again. That naturally motivates me.
It is really hard to kick some less-than-ideal habits when our environment has so many tempting things. How i got over it is 1. I bought all the healthy food i wanted to eat using my own money. Trust me i feel the pinch when i buy healthy food. That reminds me to stay on track with the healthy eating. I dont want my money to go to waste!! 2. I snack. Seriously!! But I only have 1/4 of whatever serving everyone else is having/the serving i originally planned to have. Keeps me happy, sane, and i dont feel FOMO. Hope these tips help you. All the best!!
Thanks! Ya, what’s kinda kept me going is that I know what it’s feels like to eat clean and I know that I CAN do it. I just need to get in the mindset of actually doing it and not eating an entire row of double stuffed oreos (true story). I want to buy my own healthy foods… but I have no money. That might have to wait till I’m able to get a job. But I’m going to try eating clean again, and this time I’m gonna stick to it. Thanks for the support!