I feel like body positivity is very confusing. I feel like it shouldn’t be “my weight is beautiful and healthy” (on both sides of the spectrum) but it should be “my weight does NOT effect whether or not you should treat me with respect and dignity as a human being.”
That is what it means...its the thin white people who corrupted what body positivity was meant for. It had nothing to do with health. It was about advocating for social justice for marginalized bodies. I wish Abby had educated herself on this social justice movement so she could have set people straight instead of continuing the misinformation fitness influencers spread
This is partly why I prefer body neutrality over body positivity. Sometimes there is a lot of pressure to feel like you love your body all the time. Especially when society only shows you a few types of bodies that aren't representative. Body neutrality is about just accepting your body and appreciating what it does for you. Sometimes you feel amazing in your skin and sometimes you feel a little crappy but rather than try to change anything or get upset about it, you just think about the things your body does for you and accept that it is what it is.
@@kellytelfer9960 If this demotivates you, think about how much you let others' opinions affect you and yourself. And also where you put your focus. Nothing wrong with wanting to be fit and still not caring whether you have one more ab here or a centimetre of fat less there. This is the wrong focus. I currently try to learn to skate, I know it's good exercise, but most importantly I want to learn a new skill. And yeah, I don't look stunning in a bikini, but I wear it beause I like to go to the beach and swim and sleep in the shadow and eat watermelons and stuff. I really could not care less if I was the right weight and size at this point. I mean, we can be really cruel to ourselves, obviously. But I choose to think about what I want to do and learn in a given day, not what I want to look like in a given day. That changed my entire otulook for me and the neutrality thing is totally working to that end. Sometimes I don't like my stomach, oh well, then I say to myself: "well done for focusing on something that's no one sissue except my crazy mind's, maybe I can now re-focus and help my neighbour carrying her groceries" and I forget about it. I don't know if I am making a hell lot of sense, but I really try to focus away from me a lot so I will not go back to being over-analyzing by body ever again.
@@kellytelfer9960 yes absolutely! Personally, I cannot try to lose weight, but many people feel that they have to for health reasons and overall well-being and I completely understand that. I think you can also still use techniques of body neutrality in this approach just in the sense of being patient with yourself and your body throughout the process :)
That's exactly what I've always thought! How about instead of trying to convince everyone that they're beautiful, we work on convincing them that their physical appearance doesn't define them? By constantly putting pressure on people to believe that they are beautiful, we're reinforcing the idea that their appearance matters a lot and is what defines them. Objectively, I believe that there are beautiful people who are physically more beautiful than others and I think that we should all work to accept that. For example, I think that Rihanna is stunning. When I say that Rihanna is much more beautiful than I am, it doesn't mean that I hate the way that I look- I think I look fine. By accepting my body for what it is, i am able to free myself from self hatred and put more energy towards making myself into a better person, which is what really matters in the long run.
"Body positive" is not shaming people for what they look like. It may not be "healthy" to be under or overweight, but that person does not deserve to be harassed just because they aren't a proper weight. Whether its a female bodybuilder, male ballet dancer, or anything considered a non-stereotypical bodytype. Your body is your body, and you shouldn't be harassed for who you are.
@@kellytelfer9960 totally true.... Its like, im a college graduate and im very proud of me but I want to get a master too, you can love yourself by who you are and also have new goals and dreams for you
@@kellytelfer9960 Yeah. I think "weightloss" should be considered a neutral term, the context is what really determines if it's unhealthy or not. Very gradual weightloss in a way that is sustainable isn't necessarily problematic or unhealthy unless there are very unrealistic goals or a lot of self-hatred involved. Women really can't win, huh? Either you're shamed for being above a healthy weight range, or you're shamed for trying to get there or stay there.
A Internet One would hope most everyone knows about the relationship between higher weight and the likelihood of developing this disease. Of course there are people who just don’t know. I think that’s one of the reasons people in larger bodies don’t appreciate being told these types of things, because it makes them feel like the person saying them must think they’re really ignorant. This post reads as quite negative, though I don’t mean any negativity whatsoever 🤗. Totally agree with you, Kelly Telfer, on the last post of yours.
"Sometimes we gather information that a particular food doesn't make us feel so good, but we choose to eat it anyways, because YOLO." - Abbey, you just described virtually all the lactose intolerant community. We know we'll pay for it, but cheese and ice cream are just too good.
I believe that being body positive and wanting to lose weight is definitely possible. I am considered morbidly obese and want to lose weight for my health. I feel sick all the time but I do feel beautiful still. I still look at myself and think, I am a beautiful person and my value as a human being doesn't go down as the weight on the scale went up. I just got out of hand overeating and not exercising properly. I think it is possible because part of truly loving yourself is wanting the best for your body, there are loads of people who struggle with gaining weight and they are still beautiful people. We just need to be a little less self critical and focus on just being mindful of our health and living longer. Starving and overeating won't accomplish those things.
Yes , I always try to explain this but fail spectacularly, you explained perfectly ! Good luck on your journey !!! Hope everything works out for you ♥️
I wish someon would talk about this subject for women over 60. It’s like we turn a certain age and the become totally irrelevant and no longer struggle with these issues. We do!!
I think that is such a good point. People of different ages and backgrounds have such different experiences of media and diet culture and learning more about those different experiences is really important. Diet culture and the obsession with youth are so tied up in one another and both are so damaging.
When Abbey said "many women will never have a flat stomach" i felt that. Even directly after marine corps boot camp I *still* had a liiiiiittle tiny belly. At the time, my warped body image said I was "fat" because of that tiny little pooch of belly. Hecc, you could see the top two rows of my abs at that time and I STILL had that lower belly. My body image is a WORLD better these days but still...Thank you for pointing this out and commenting on it
LONG COMMENT sorrynotsorry: I gained 45 lbs during my year of intuitive eating. My diet was 80% healthy (like, 8 - 10 servings of veg and fruit, lean meats, complex carbs, “healthy” fats) and I was working out daily in preparation for some major fitness competitions. Regardless, my resting heart rate increased by 18 BPM, I struggled with my cardio, and my energy levels tanked. My periods were terrible, and my confidence took a beating. But I was finally free of the obsessive calorie counting! I wasn’t restricting! I was eating intuitively! I couldn’t be “positive” about that body, because that body was underperforming, was always in pain, and had troubling health markers. After some deep reflection, I realized that for *me,* loving my body includes discipline. Not obsessive, weigh-myself-every-day discipline, but more discipline than was discussed in intuitive eating sessions with my dietician. It includes NOT watching WIEIAD or youtube cooking shows (because they mess with my intuition and lead me to eat more), it includes intermittent fasting, and it includes restricting sugar. This goes against some of the tenants of IE, but it works best for me. It’s where I perform best, it’s where my health markers are best, and it allows me to eat intuitively within a structured system that accommodates my culinary training, my genetic predispositions, and supports my long term health. However, I can love other people’s bodies and be relentlessly positive about their presence in the world no matter how I feel about myself. So to answer the underlying question here: yeah, I think someone can be body loving and also want to lose weight. When Cassey posted this video, I sort of understood where she was coming from. But I think she went about it too quickly. Cramming a journey like that in to 90 days creates quick results, but to get there she had to rely on old, destructive habits. It took me 30 years of slow trial-and-error to discover something that works for me. I can’t imagine trying to do it in 90 days. I wish that part of messaging around nutrition and fitness is that there’s no “one” way that’s best for everyone, and that finding the way that works for *you* takes time!! Anyhow. Thanks for the video, Abbey. I’m loving the discussion on this one! Also, I really appreciate the library of Ottolenghi cookbooks behind you. They’re the pride of my cookbook collection!
You better collect that data, Kate! I'm still on my journey with finding what works for my body and hearing your story gives me hope that I'll find my mix one of these days
You took the thoughts right out of my head and put in such an eloquent comment! This is exactly what I do, because I know that if I do IE I'm going to ultimately feel worst about myself. I follow a structured fasting ~2-3xs a week for 14-16 and it helps me feel energized but at the same time isn't as risky for my young body if I fasted 16 hrs everyday like I used to (this was something I did for a few months to see how it would work, and I read that for young women this may be really unhealthy long-term and lead to PCOS). I approach everything with a ton of discipline anyway, so for me this also feels like the most comfortable and reliable way for me to maintain my healthy weight and pursue my fitness goals.
Hi! I love your comment! If you find time could you write about your day of eating? Is it low carb, or just reduced sugar intake? I eat healthy, organic food (we have our own meat, eggs, milk and cheese), and still I am overweight. I struggle with diets, but also with IE concept. Thank you! Best wishes!
Thank you for sharing your story. It's relieving to know that there are others who don't do well with IE. I tried it but I was always so angry at my body for feeling not hungry after a couple bites and not becoming hungry again until hours later. I lost a lot of weight but I was so unhappy. I thought something was wrong with me because IE is supposed to be the optimal lifestyle to promote wellness. I gave up IE and discovered calorie counting. A lot of people say that counting calories is restrictive, but for me, it's the exact kind of discipline I need. It's a great way of balancing the physical satiety and emotional aspect of hunger while making sure that I'm not overeating. And of course, I'm flexible by allowing myself to eat more on days that I run or during the holidays. Honestly, people need to do what works best for them.
In my beloved Abby style: "I wanna flag" when you discussed the thin friend commenting on her celluclite. As one of the "fat" friends, I've been working on allowing skinny women to complain just like anyone else. I always redirect the conversation by discussing the strength and awesomeness of our bodies, but I want to say that it's okay for skinny people to feel insecurities! Not saying you were wrong in her sort of tone-deafness, but just want to point that out. Thanks for always bringing us awesome content!
This is a great mindset to have! I’ve struggled with an eating disorder for years and have always been thin bc genetics. My best friend is bigger than me, and I feel like I can never say anything to her about the negative feelings I have about my body. Redirecting the conversation like that is the perfect response, that’s how I try to talk to myself but hearing it from someone else helps a lot. Tldr you seem really nice and I wanna be your friend.
Body positivity is for everyone, including thin people. All body insecurities are valid especially in this world! It’s impossible not to have them. What I meant was that it’s about reading the room and understanding the hierarchy of bodies in our society. She has a HUGE audience of women and I think there’s a big responsibility as a youtuber to understand our thin privilege when we address the 99% who do not have that privilege, even if we are struggling inside. It’s totally normal for all of us to be struggling though, it’s simply about how you sensitively communicate that struggle. I believe a simple acknowledgement of that privilege or even a little trigger warning would have gone a long way.
Yep - also, as one of the “slim” friends, I have cellulite on my thighs, and stretch marks on my thighs and butt. These are just human body things, not size-related things!!
@@AbbeysKitchen Thank you for saying this! I was feeling so uncomfortable with her content around dieting and food and I felt bad that I might be one of those people unhappy with her weight loss journey, which I don't actually have any feelings about one way or the other. It's that she never acknowledges her thing privilege or add trigger warnings to a following of people who probably also diet. Bullying someone for being fat is so much different than bullying someone for being thin, because of privilege that comes with it.
Thank you SO much for taking the time to say that Cassie is on a journey and those are rarely linear. Just beacuse she isn't perfect doesn't mean she deserves to be "cancelled."
You can totally be body positive and be on a weight loss journey. It’s about the intention and headspace. I accept my body, I am grateful for my body, I love how it cares for me, and I am returning that love, care, and gratitude by making intentional choices to help me long term be healthier. I am happy regardless of what size I am; I am more focused on science-based indicators of long-term issues and preventing them to serve this body the best I can. Yes, I will Inevitably lose weight, but it’s a health journey and honoring my body. I did not set a goal other than improving bloodwork every six months and moving my body in a way that honors it every day. That’s body positive weight loss from my (by societal definition plus sized) perspective.
I actually only found blogilates at the beginning of quarantine, and I have to say that I am obsessed with her workouts. I feel stronger than ever and just have so much more fun doing her videos rather than the stressful stuff I used to do. I feel very positive because working out feels more fun instead of something I’m doing to meet an internal expectation
She is totally awesome with the working out aspect! She's positive and helps push you. It's mainly her dietary advice that is cringe and a bit problematic.
When I read the title "Dietitian reviews Blogilates." I thought it would be about Cassey's meal plan etc. You are basically reviewing Cassey herself, her choices and her lifestyle. Much more than her diet, I thought. And almost everybody's comments are criticizing her for being too fat or too skinny, eating too much or not enough, or that her food doesn't look good etc. I think we just forget one very important thing, which is how Cassey is feeling, and that she has the right to feel "fat" even if she is not. Or to want to improve her body, which is also her "working material". Also, do men get this kind of comment? Or just women? I am not sure I have seen comments on men's videos, like "Wow, he must have a serious food disorder eating all those proteins." I feel like the "Can You Be Body Positive & Want to Lose Weight?" problem went a little too far recently. I don't even get the point of it, like "yes, of course, you can." For me, it is like if you were asking "Can you love your brain and still want to learn new things?" Also, she is not just losing weight, getting skinnier and skinnier, from what I saw her muscles got bigger, particularly in her back. Also, her feeling a certain way does not define how people watching her videos should feel. If you watch her videos, and you are mad because she is already thin and wants to get thinner of fitter, be honest with yourself and admit that the problem doesn't come from her. The way people feel about themselves and show their body on Instagram or TikTok etc shouldn't define the way YOU feel about yourself. As long as she is not forcing her followers to eat the same thing as her, to look like the way she wants to look like, I don't really see where is the problem. I assume we already know that everybody is different and there is no universal miracle diet that fits every single person. Sorry for the very long comment, I just wanted to say that people should have the right to be happy with fat or fit, hairy or shaved or whatever body AND be able to feel guilt-free for that. Anyway, I love the part about the "anti-bloating foods", I learned a lot from it. (⌒-⌒; ) I just wanted to promote a little self-love, and freedom, for the potential haters that may comment: I won't reply, I'll be busy doing some yoga. Thank you for taking the time to read.
Agreed! 5 minutes in and I realize that she wasn't going to talk about Cassey's meal plan except criticizing and kind of putting her down. So, I'm over this and the comments. I glad to have found this though!
About calorie counting. I do get that it is sth that can trigger EDs but as someone who has struggled a few years ago with starving myself my hunger cues are fully messed up. After calculating my actual target intake I realized that I needed to double the amount I usually eat and it has really helped me stop undereating. Of course this will not work for everyone but that is the main reason why I don't think it should be necessarily be demonized. If it is done in a positive way instead of making sure that you restrict enough I don't see that much wrong with it🤷🏻 (ofc it is important to not go around telling ppl how many calories you are eating bc it can be triggering for some. But not everyone can eat intuitively)
My friend with an ED and I literally have no idea how much we need to eat. Calorie counting can be really helpful sometimes if you aren't eating enough!
Absolutely there is a difference! Emotional eating can be normal, as long as it’s not your only coping mechanism and doesn’t lead to a cycle of uncontrollable eating
Hailey Elianna I get that but when I was out of hand it was more of an addiction. It can happen. Of course not to everybody, but for some people it can be emotional or a learned behavior (specifically with processed foods) or even both. I love Abbey’s content when she brings restrictive disorders to light, but it rubs me just a little wrong when it is never said that treat foods can be super detrimental and controlling during the consumption. It’s not that they should be detrimental or controlling, I’d never wish that on anyone, it’s just a reality some people face. Donuts for some people can be the enemy because it is taking their life away. It’s why tv shows like My 600 Pound Life exist. Eating disorders aren’t only restrictive, they can very well be about eating too much. And both suck like hell.
I agree. I was sick in the beginning of the year with gastro. I was not hunger at all and I couldn't eat. But I craved salt, I wanted the taste of it in my mouth. Because MacDonald's was the closest place to my campus I ate so many chips because they are salty. When I went to the doctor she said, without my telling her, that I need to increase my salts. I'm not good at eating enough but I was impressed that my body was sending me those signals.
Cassey has been so troubling for me in the past. She's so happy and positive. That's my brand! I love that! I like her as a person, and I'm glad to hear she actually wanted to interview people with larger bodies than hers, because I keep going back to her stuff because it's all ~my aesthetic~ and I want to like it, but - tw: workout talk, self-hatred talk, weight #s talk, clothing size talk One of the absolute lowest points in my relationship with my body was about two weeks into one of Cassie's fitness calendars, in which she gleefully flexed her concave stomach in a workout move that she boasted would be "easy peasy!" and I just burst into tears on a yoga mat in my parents' basement. I was attempting to get healthy after my body suffered during a prolonged mental break, and Cassie's workouts were free, but there were so many where she just seemed to have no grasp of how larger bodies work. Something that was "easy peasy" for her was impossible for me, and I don't think I've ever hated myself or felt more "wrong" than I did in that moment. Since then I've tried going back to her a few times. Free is free, right? And happy pink fun girl power, woo! Except...I always kind of felt excluded from the conversation. First, it was her clothing line - in which the extra large was initially a *fourteen* - and then these videos where she does a three day juice cleanse or talks with disdain about her own body when mine could never even dream of looking like hers. Like. I dunno. I don't hate her, but it's hard to go back to her workouts when she's always dropping hints that her own model-perfect body is deficient. It's kind of like...it seems that her worst fear is looking like me, and that's not a huge turn-on.
I also liked her positivity in the beginning but had the same experience with it eventually making me feel like shit because she’s already so thin and was still dieting so what hope did I have? But yea I ended up just unfollowing her because it didn’t really support me.
I had the same issue before, her workouts actually discouraged me from doing them because I felt anxious. Even the beginners calendar is hard, no shit. And I'm still not sure if she expects that people do all 2-3 workouts a day, but I doubt anyone does. In the end of the day, I got the trainer online and she gave amazing workouts, which were pleasant and effective and didn't make me feel not good enough. She also always stressed out that as long as you are trying to do the exercise - even if it is slower/ you are adapting easier version - it's all good. I think yoga and dancing are the best options to start off tbh
non of that is cassie's fault. She is an active athlete so of course she will be more capable than the normal person. You just have to modify exercises and diets that fit your level. And you can have body goals that you can work towards. You dont have to cry about not having your goal right now. You can work towards it. People are blaming others for their insecurities far too much. There is no way to behave in a way that doesn't trigger any person at all. Triggers are personal and anything could trigger anyone. Take responsibility
For me, counting calories was part of my intuitive eating process. Collecting this data allowed me to learn which foods made me feel best and were the most nutritionally dense while also leaving room for ocasional treats. Now I don’t need to use the app anymore and can rely on my body to tell me when I’m full. Body positivity for me, is loving your body where it’s at right at this moment (and supporting everyone else’s). Even though I’m working to lose weight for health reasons, by loving my body *right now* it’s easier to be okay with it being a longer process to lose weight and taking healthy, sustainable steps to get there. Most importantly, I’m trusting my body to give me hunger cues and listening to the messages it gives me.
Yes I loved how she didn’t get super angry at her or anyone else’s she reviews. She just changed her tone to support her professional tips and opinions!
love her workouts, but yeah her "advice" on food seems a little off, she's a certified pilates instructor, not a dietician... her youtube content is definitely better than her insta/tiktok videos
I adore her workouts, but her diet advice is not the best and her tiktok videos try too hard to be ¨funny¨... but they end up being awkward, and not in a good way.
@@gloriamargarita Yes, thank you. It's hard bc everyone on her YT and insta is like blindly in love with her, but she does end up being irritating at times. I hate that she releases her clothing lines in such limited batches and they're always off size-wise, like too small and tall to fit her body. She also has restrictive type food. She recently released a diet plan that you can buy and she apparently cut all grains out. Like, they're full of complex carbs, fiber, and protein. Just cause they make her bloated doesn't mean they make most people bloated and that they're worth eliminating?
I actively avoid her food videos because no way I can afford the fit instagram lifestyle. I'm obsessed with her workouts though; they're the only ones that work for me. I also really like her clothing line but again can't afford it.
Billie Ariel I think some of her food is affordable (but then again, can’t see your food budget so...) but for me it contains too much meat... and yeah her work out clothes look sooo comfy but how am i going to pay more for her clothing than i do at a nike outlet where i don’t have to pay so much for shipping...
I exercise and eat clean to be healthy inside and fight heart disease, diabetes and other ailments, that I do NOT want to happen to me. Why can’t that be the focus? I think all health, food and fitness videos should start with fighting diseases and health issues. When I choose my food or workout, I visualize how this will make me healthy INSIDE my body. This visualization helps me choose wisely.
That thinking was what led me to orthorexia and will not work for people with rigid thinking. I prefer everything in moderation and being able to appreciate my cultural cuisine that always obsessing about health. In the end, health is holistic and not attached to diet only.
I used to follow her with enthusiasm. But as I was getting orthorexic and suffered from body dysmorphophobia, I couldn't take the shift of focus on her channel. My problems aren't her fault, but the constant weight loss talk was just too much. I still miss her older work out videos, they were super positive and fun. I do hope she really is in a good place and can shrug a shoulder to people who tell her she should look different.
@@garicaruth ummmm, that's exactly what she said?! And why should she be ashamed of herself for being fat? Work on your grammar before you go around in the internet to hate on people, it just makes you seem ridiculous.
@Johku I think Cassey should look the way she feels the best and loves the most. She should please herself first and then the others. Regarding to the videos, I like all of her videos. I like all of her workout videos and from what I see, she's now happier than before but that's just my opinion. I'm sorry for what you went through, hope you are better now.
Are you conidering, that not everybody IS on a journey of body positivity or intuitive eating? I know so many people who 'diet'. So saying: 'everybody is at a different point in their journey' kind of presupposes that everybody at least agrees with your thesis or knows about that movement. My parents have no idea about any of these movements. Just pointing this out. I personally aim to one day eat 100% intuitively. But I also want to maintain my physique. Because I like how look right now. Call me crazy, but thats my life.
Johanna H. My comment specifically refers to something said in the video, as it relates to Cassey getting flack for being both body positive and going on a weight loss journey. Abby’s point is that the two are not mutually exclusive. I agree!
I’m so interested to hear your take on Cassie’s content. I feel like the way she speaks in her recent videos is sooo much different than the messaging of her Tik tok videos. She is so much more positive in her workout videos, her Tik toks about hunger vs craving and stuff really shocked and disappointed me when I saw them.
claire bueter I also feel like she does it because of the diet culture on Tik tok but I find it toxic because clearly there is a young audience on there getting promoted that shit
But for example I have problems with craving. Because of cravings I put on extra 10kilos in a year and were very unhappy with my body. I think it is completely normal to train yourself to know if you are actually hungry or just craving.
There's one thing that I disagree with and didn't see a comment about yet: I don't think it's necessarily a problem to want to look good, unless you take it too far. If I'm to be honest, I work out for both my looks and my health (although I think more about the looks, to be honest). It makes me feel happy and accomplished when I look into the mirror and see the desired results. I do see how it can get out of control, though. I have my fair share of insecurities and know that those can distort the process into something unhealthy. But if it brings you more happiness than grief to set weight-loss and toning goals to achieve your desired look (within a healthy parameter), then I really don't see the issue. I love that we have the power to shape our bodies to a certain extent. It gives me a feeling of agency. And I love esthetics as much as the next person. That being said, there's plenty of more important things for sure. When it comes down to it, beauty comes from a person's heart, so we all can be beautiful. This took a turn, but thank you if you actually read this rant to the end.
Thanks for saying this. I believe each individual has the right to decide how he/she wants their body to look like. Unless you crash dieting or overeating for mukbangs, it is perfectly okay to desire a toned body and work hard for it through proper food and workouts.
Yes! I think one things people are afraid to talk about is that a lot of the markers for beauty (clear skin, not over or underweight) are also indications of health. It makes sense for these goals to be intertwined imo.
Oooo I’ve watched blogilates since I’ve grown up and have followed all her workouts but I don’t necessarily follow her diet / nutrition advice! I think she makes great workout videos though!
Omg i love what you said - so so so accurate. The new way to say “I feel fat” is “I am bloated”. I didn’t equate it until you said it and now I am able to crack the diet culture code even better. Great work Abbey!!
Body positivity includes taking care of yourself, and that can involve losing weight. If your weight is having a detrimental effect on your health, losing or gaining will help you feel better physically and mentally. Why is that being looked down upon?
In this context? Because Cassey's weight *wasn't* having a detrimental effect on her health. It was about shape and numbers, not her body's functions and abilities.
I thought this a burger is not equivalent to a banana, maybe I need protein so that’s what I’m craving. I eat a banana as a snack and a cookie as a desert
My mum used a version of this at meal times: you had to have seconds of vegetables first. If you didn’t want more broccoli you weren’t actually hungry you were just interested in cheese or pasta. I didn’t really even note this post from Cassie because I’ve heard versions of it so many times. It never occurred to me how weird this would be in the context of a snack verses a meal.
Hey Abbey, I don't think people give you the recognition you deserve for all of these. You put so much effort and valuable information into each and every video and I am so grateful someone is on these platforms calling people out. As a physiotherapist, it pains me knowing the influence these people have on the 'perfect body' when for 99% of our population, it is not just mentally, but anatomically impossible too! Thank you again, love from Northumberland in North East England, UK!
I'm one week down of trying to beat my eating disorder and I attribute it to your videos. Thank you so much. I really try to think about each meal or snack as to how it makes me feel, how does it fuel my body, and is it satisfying.
I am torn on this and would say I am aiming for body neutrality. I feel society puts so much pressure of us to love or hate our bodies and both of these can be too consuming...
True, I don't understand how appreciating my body and wanting to change it makes me hypocritical. Do I have to hate my body to make my want to lose weight valid? Sounds exhausting
I follow a lot of blogilates exercise routines, but I've never really tracked her diet (but I've agreed with her that veggies and fruits and water are important).
I was a pop pilates/blogilates follower that developed an eating disorder in my early teens and I have struggled ever since. Her advice and general stance was so harmful back then, but I didn't know about the most recent things. That truly breaks my heart-- she and I are both still struggling.
Cassey is the queen of saying body positive things, but acting differently for herself. I had stopped watching her videos some months back and finally saw a newer one recently and was shocked at how much weight she had lost. It seems like the pressure to look a certain way as a fitness instructor got to her. But with the weight loss, she doesn't look as strong now, in my opinion. I hope she can come out the other end of this actually listening to her own advice to be proud of what her body can do more than what it looks like.
I was just so confused because I’ve been watching her for YEARS and I remember her saying that her body type just doesn’t get abs and that’s okay and that people say how can she be a fitness guru if she doesn’t have abs but she doesn’t care because she feels good. Now I see her on my tiktok wayyyyy skinnier than she’s ever been with the flat abs and toned arms and legs and I just can’t help but think she is cutting a LOT of calories to make her muscles pop.
Neonlgihts Agreed. She has to be doing some serious unrecommended cutting. She was already at a healthy weight And working out all the time. I’d like to know her real daily caloric intake/output
@@vyloznik That's what it takes sometimes, some people are gifted with good genetics and some are not. Im a dude and I could never get below 15% bf, only until I cut my calories to sub 1000 did I get to 10%.
CW: Abuse, neglect, binge eating This a personal experience, but I would like to state there have been people like me who grew up in a food environment that stripped away any natural instinct of intuitive eating (outside of medication conflicts which I will explain in a bit). My mother thrives in diet culture rhetoric + penny pinching, and growing up when she bought food it was with the rhetoric in mind not caring to take in the consideration that I had memory issues and would forget my lunches. This with my father's unwillingness to bring me lunches if I forgot , my middle school eventually took notice and helped me out by letting me work in the cafeteria since my parents didn't qualify for meal tickets (and shouldn't have in all honesty). However when I started high school + sports my mother thought 2 slimfasts a day would be more than enough food for a cross country athlete. It got to a point where I just never got hungry even when I got home and had food around me to eat. They also didn't teach nutrition I school, my health class in high school mostly focusing on drug/sex education. This with added the fact that the medication I take for ADHD I take now has a side effect of appetite suppression means that if I don't track I end up binge eating severely. I only use it to concentrate on macros and my knowledge has increased since then, but I think it's important to remember not everyone grows up with good eating habits or can have intuitive eating, so calorie counting in moderation can help those who didn't grow up with that information. Though I do hate that most apps are all weight loss instead of just healthy eating apps. There needs to be an app to help reign that in somehow. It felt extremely disappointing when you kinda waved off even people using it in healthy ways.
To me she seems just like the typical ‘woke’ person in fitness or modeling - trying her hardest to promote things that are good (and let’s admit it, have become popular) like being body positive and healthy, while still looking a certain way. I have a lot of empathy for her because she is clearly smart and thoughtful but is still dealing with the demons of this image-driven culture.
She is actually the first person in fitness talking about body positivity. Plus how does looking a certain way prevents you to be body positive. U must necessarily look fat?
It’s SO hard to balance wanting to accept your body and wanting to look good (we love internalized fatphobia and messaging that women are only valuable with perfect bodies) but yeah I feel bad for her, I also won’t support her bc I don’t like her messaging
@@marour2160 No, you definitely don't have to be fat to be body positive. No matter what size you are, being at peace with yourself is something we all need to hear. But she's still clearly concerned a lot about what she looks like- which isn't in line with body acceptance. Imo, someone who REALLY embodies body positivity but still looks like your 'typical lean fitness influencer' is Natacha Oceane.
Everything Cassey does is triggering to me now because she did her “90 day journey” or whatever she called it. I wasn’t mad that she lost weight, but I was mad that she went from liking herself to fighting for the Instagram body. I was mad that she talks about food as if she’s a dietician and sensitivities like she’s an allergist, she’s not qualified to do either. I couldn’t stand that she started preaching diets and got obsessed with bloating. Oh my god her obsession with bloating is so irritating, and kind of sad. Sweetie you have organs, they take up room. Bloating happens just chill. Having a journey like hers is also extremely privileged! Most people can’t afford the kind of food she eats and a lot of people can’t afford to pay for the lessons or training or gym memberships that she likely used. I’m a graduate student, poor as crap, and cannot afford a gym membership outside the school gym which is included in my tuition. I can’t afford to eat highly specialized diets. They barely pay us enough to make ends meet. I know this was a long comment but I have had a problem with Cassey for awhile and I needed to say what’s on my mind.
This video is awesome! It’s refreshing to hear and see people just show they are figuring out life. Most influencers had to ask for permission to use the bathroom 5 years ago and we act like they have all the answers or cancel them for slipping up or just having a difference of opinion. I ignore most mental health aspects of nutrition because my issues have been with being overweight early on. But it’s changed my thinking a lot since I first saw this video.
Yes you can. I did not watch this video, only responding to your title. You can love yourself and still want to be more fit. Wanting to change or becoming more fit/lose weight does not mean a person hates themselves. The big problem is, that most people do it the unhealthy way or do develop unhealthy relationships with food. That’s why, you first have to have a healthy relationship with food and then you can work on your goals - whatever they may be. Wanting to change is not a bad thing and I honestly don’t like the picture society has drawn that you only happy if you accept they way you are. Speaking out of experience here. Of course that’s only my personal opinion, but I tell you what made me very happy. Two things: 1. overcoming an extremely unhealthy relationship with food (heavily restrictive & binge cycle) & 2. feeling the best in my body (with weight loss). Guilt is bad and no one should feel it, people shouldn’t feel guilty that want to keep their current figure nor people who want to change their current figure ✌🏽
Love your new, unbiased thoughts on tracking food intake! In the past I have felt like you let your own past/mindset affect your view. Love that you listened and re-evaluated
I'm technically "overweight" so one would think my goal would be to lose weight, but my mental health is never in a good place when I do lose weight and ever since I realized that about myself, I may not LOVE my body all the time, but I am a lot better at accepting my body for what it is. Also ever since then my weight has fluctuated a lot less, which in turn has left me a lot less stressed.
I used to love her but at some point I just couldn’t watch her anymore? Unfollowed her after her weight loss journey because she (her posing, her foods) just were very “tumblr thinspo” to me and very triggering.
I found your channel yesterday, and I have been binging it. I am so grateful for you that words fall short. I would really like to talk with you because I’ve noticed that there’s a topic you haven’t discussed on your channel yet. I became orthorexic because of the advice of functional medicine doctors. They pushed me to become incredibly thin on unbelievably restrictive diet‘s with the promise that it would cure various chronic illnesses I had. It’s destroyed my health mentally and physically for a long time and I’m still recovering. I’m praying you will consider doing a series on this very serious topic because it’s widespread and the fact that it’s medical doctors, who people of course tend to trust, telling you to do it, it’s incredibly dangerous. I’d love to talk to you more about this if my experience could be helpful for you and making videos about raising awareness on this topic. The sanity, love, and compassion you approach your videos with is like stepping out into the sunshine after being trapped in a dark room.
Thank you so much for continually sharing and reiterating the message of do what feels good to you. I am someone who tragically suffered from an eating disorder for over 15 years this Thanksgiving was enjoyable. I ate turkey ham stuffing green beans sweet potatoes cranberries etc etc. Today my body felt like it needed something fresh and I ate a salad and it felt great. I went for a walk yesterday after lunch, and a walk tonight. At this time of my life counting calories is no longer important, it is about doing and listening to what my body needs. maybe I didn't have a full breakfast or full dinner, but overall I didn't stress, I didn't count, I did what my body told me to do, and it felt free. That's how I know I am finally free from my eating disorder, and from disordered eating in my brain.
Hmmmm so what does “body positivity” mean to me...gosh, I don’t know. It’s a little different for everyone and that should be okay. I lost weight last year not because I hated how my body looked (okay I was not entirely happy with the size I was but I did not HATE myself), but because I had zero energy, was out of breath after climbing the stairs, and got sick all the time. I changed the way I ate and all of those things improved, and I lost weight too. Looking back, it was restrictive and I don’t want to do exactly that again. I’m working on finding my happy place with how I’m eating, and it’s a journey. I care about fueling my body (I am working towards my black belt in karate), and I also want to sometimes enjoy a burger and a beer. It’s a process and I’m not perfect. But in all of it, I approach myself from a place of love and kindness. Sometimes I weigh myself regularly, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I measure my portions, sometimes I don’t. But at every step I am compassionate towards myself. If something isn’t working or it’s making me feel stressed or anxious, I stop doing it and move on. I remind myself that I am the one in charge. It’s empowering.
Ella Y Therapy on the regular! 🙌 I didn’t always have my sh!t together, I went through a really awful time with depression and anxiety a few years ago. Since then I’ve come to terms with the fact that it will never just be “easy” for me, I will have to be mindful and intentional about it every single day. And go to therapy. 😁 I had video chat sessions with my therapist during shutdown!
I used to like Blogilates back in the day when she made that video „perfect body“ but I stopped following her when she started to promote juice cleanses, extreme dieting and counting calories. She‘s got lots of mixed messages and I got the impression that she is really not at peace with herself. But I get that it is hard to have a healthy body confidence when you are putting your body constantly on display and when you are continuously publicly scrutinized by online trolls. Having said that, I‘ve got nothing but love and compassion for everyone dealing with body image issues (including Cassey) but I prefer to follow influencers who promote different messages and focus on other things than weight and perfecting their (already quite perfect) physical appearance as such messages resonate more with me.
i finally unfollowed her after the juice cleanse, it was so triggering for me and she never said anything about it being unhealthy if I recall? I don't trust anything called a "cleanse" tbh, that's what my liver and kidneys are for...
@@crystalthomas819 I don't feel like she's slamming, she's just pointing out some problematic claims Cassey makes. I'm not a follower of Cassey, but I've been seeing her Tiktok-content and for me, she seems a bit triggering when she talks about food.
@@crystalthomas819 This video isn't slamming, it's actually pretty fair. I actually have a more compassionate view of Cassey than when I started it, and I did not have a wholly positive opinion of her before I watched this.
Yeah it’s pretty fair. I love Cassey Ho as well, but that doesn’t make her a perfect human being with 0 flaws. She’s been a part of the TH-cam fitness community and a popular influencer for over 10 years. That’s gotta translate to some unhealthy ideas about weight and health that Cassey may not even realize are unhealthy anymore. It’s important for nutritionists like Abbey Sharp and other professionals to share their views on her advice, and analyse which of Cassey’s advice to take and which to leave
I want to say thank you, Abbey, for making me feel safe here. I started lifting a year ago, and I find myself restricting w/o realizing it often even though I need to eat more than before to be stronger. Thanks for talking about food in this joyful and informative way, I feel understood and proud to have overcome binge eating, something that I've told only my closest friends. I have lots of room to improve but thanks to people like you I don't ever feel guilty eating anything anymore. You are amazing! Stay safe xo
When Abbey was really getting into the question can you be body positive and still want to lose weight, I had some thoughts. First, weight loss is not always about how you look. Heart disease is a real problem in my family, and weight loss is a way to be healthier and less at risk for cardiac arrest. My dad was in the best shape of his life when he had his first heart attack. The doctors said if he hasn't lost weight and been in shape, he wouldn't have lived. If you were to watch Cassie's videos you would see that she is constantly reminding you that health should be your number one reason for weight loss. It is important to note though, that losing weight is only the first step in fitness. It is also important to gain muscle and being happy, which can mean eating that cookie or donut. Second, You need all things in moderation, including fat. Fat is something our bodies were built with for a reason. It gives us energy so that we are not 100% reliant on out next meal. Finally, I was struggling a lot with the way I felt when I started using Blogilaties. It helped me release stress and feel more energized. If you made it this far, please tell me if I missed an important detail!
I appreciated this fair and thorough discussion, while also acknowledging being on your own learning experience. However, the one thing in this video that I believe was unfair, was to say she was “tone deaf” for talking about feeling like she’s an outlier in the fitness space because of her body. Just because she is thinner than average does not mean she can’t also feel like she doesn’t fit the mold, especially for someone in the public eye and open to a great deal of criticism. The mentality that “someone could have it ‘worse’ than you, so you are out of line to complain” is one that I have always found insensitive.
That’s a good point. And you’re right. This industry is so hard bc you can never be “enough”. And I actually empathize with Cassey and her experience and that’s why I didn’t tear her down for wanting to lose weight / change her body. I think it’s very hard not to want that in this world. It’s not that someone could have it worse that you, so you shouldn’t complain. I agree that’s a horrible toxic mentality that I also have been victim to especially in the infertility world (I have felt enormous guilt even having any poor me thoughts in my struggles bc I know I am one of the “lucky ones”). It was more that I had a LOT of people DM me telling me how that content made them feel really inadequate in their own body. So I think when you’re a public youtuber, it’s about reading the room and knowing who you can confide in about these thoughts and who might be triggered. I know I do a lot more “accommodation” on my channel than the average TH-camr, but this just felt like a big proportion of the population to not consider and I think that’s part of the reason why she got push back. I was simply trying to explain that, no judgement from me. Like I said the pressure in this industry is intense, so I get it.
tw: Eating disorder. i started watching blogilates when i was 15 and it was at that time where i wanted to lose weight bc i gained weight (for BEING A GROWING TEENAGER) and was getting picked on by my family. she has good workout videos but i will say watching her food videos were very triggering and i don’t want to completely blame her for it, but those videos did influence me to spiral me into an eating disorder. i’m 20 and have recovered since then, but she’s clearly not at peace with herself and i see every year she has a different message. not to mention i looked at her 90 day journey briefly and saw she was eating very little. i had to unsubscribe from her, she seems to glorify being skinny now and glorifies low carb/keto and i can’t stand that. it hurts to see this type of content.
I’ve been a junk food vegan for the past few years. I overeat and have very poor ability to stop eating even though I know I’m full. I’m talking eating a large pizza by myself in one sitting and being uncomfortable the rest of the night. I decided to overhaul my diet and use/eat processed foods only occasionally. I use my fitness pal to make sure I’m eating enough and getting adequate nutrition since I’m eating a whole foods plant-based diet. I also use it to help myself control my portions when I choose to eat less healthy foods, by confronting myself with numbers. This allows me to have moderation. I’ll have a few pieces of pizza and a salad to fill myself, rather than overeating the pizza to the point of being sick. I also like the “apple” test for myself. Except I say “Am I willing to prepare and eat a healthy meal or snack right now, or am I just desperate for the ramen in my cupboard because I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I brought it home?” If it’s the latter, I’ll wait for a time when I feel that I’m eating the ramen by my own free will, and not because my cravings are controlling me. So using the app gives me a sense of control over my emotional attachment to food and binge eating. I’m healthier and happier than I’ve been in a long time. Tl;dr: My fitness pal stops me from binge eating and allows me practice moderation by putting the numbers in front of me.
This also works for me. Keeping track of my eating helps control my attachment to food and helps me be accountable for what I eat. It makes me so happy to know that I am in control of my body and not that my emotions and cravings control me.
She is preaching that she’s healthy and she really isn’t. I loved her and supported her but I had to get her off my feed. It was toxic and triggering my eating disorder
Completely agree, her message is so confusing. If she wants to cater to people who want to loose weight then that’s fine but it’s the fact that she passes it off as “loving her body” that draws in people trying to recover or suffering from disordered eating and can be incredibly triggering.
I think if losing weight to be healthy that's the best thing you can do for yourself. I accept I am very overweight at this moment but I want my body not to have diabetes, hearthproblems, jointpains and feel tired all the time and so I am taking care of myself so my body can be healthy. I love my body so much I want the best for it. For me striving to be the healthiest you can be is the ultimate form of body positivity.
I want to add that cassey is basically yoyo dieting, always steadily gaining back her weight, then freaking out, then losing it through another diet. It’s her constantly fighting her own set weight point. It’s sad to watch publicly because she preaches completely opposing messages depending on how she feels in her own body in a given time. One of her videos is “why I will NEVER diet again” and another video is how she went on a water diet, or how she went on a keto diet, etc. it’s an issue because I see this as essentially, orthorexia. I think she hasn’t handled a LOT of her personal/psychological/emotional issues and prejudices, which ED recovery goes into a LOT, even after weight is restored. Her mental fears and anxieties around her body and around food are really apparent in her videos. Everything is exterior/image/“health” (unfounded) based and I think although she may have more or less physically recovered from her competitive days she never went through the psychological ED recovery process which is honestly the most difficult and lengthy part... Edit also add to this which was the thing that made me unsubscribe was her stubborn defensiveness about this. She is setting an example to hundreds of thousands of girls who are now going to see this as behavior normal and in fact, healthy. I got pulled into disordered eating behaviors back when I used her app with the diet plans at 19...I’m really glad you used your platform to point this out because honesty it’s just really important for people to see. I recommend the book “Anti-Diet” for anyone who wants to learn more on diet culture and it’s many sneaky forms.
your views about Cassey aligned exactly with mine. When i was in college, I was getting concerned over my weight because of the infamous “freshman 15”. I came across Cassey’s 90 day challenge and saw her results (from a body type like mine to a muscular, thigh gap insta model body type). I was envious of her numbers and unconsciously compared myself to her because she had once had a body that looked like mine. In addition, she looked so happy with how she looks and I wanted the same confidence for myself. I tried her diet plan she shared to her audience on google slides, and did 50 min of workouts everyday for 2 weeks. I found myself starving and weak every single day and was gaining weight faster than I did before. I eventually realized that what I was doing was messing up my hormones and hunger signals so I summoned the courage to stop before I did anymore damage, sacrificing my goal of having a model body. Weeks after my diet failure, I felt hungry all the time and felt like I could eat 2-3 times what I used to eat. Looking back, I can’t believe Cassey was able to pull this off for so long and allegedly not experience concerning symptoms. I should’ve educated myself on Cassey’s credentials in nutrition and exercise instead of focusing on her results. I’ve never had an eating disorder before, but I think, judging from my vulnerability back then, if I had continued the diet and ignored my body’s needs, I would have been on the path to one. I understand that Cassey never wanted to be a “body positive” role model in the first place. but I think she needs to realize that with TH-cam fame comes great responsibility. Whether she likes it or not, her continuation of her FITNESS AND HEALTH channel will influence vulnerable, young minded people. it’s in her power to protect her audience from accidentally becoming orthorexic from her problematic tips. I get she’s coming from a good place in her heart with her videos and blogs, but I just wish she was more careful in what she’s putting out there to the world. And for all these reasons, I unfollowed her channel and blocked out all of her other social medias because I can’t help but remember what I did to myself trying to copy her low calorie and high intense exercise routine whenever I see her. Since then, I discovered a new role model, Stephanie Buttermore, a woman who is not only physically strong, but is honest on her channel. Through Stephanie's advice on her videos, I am slowly learning to accept how my body is the way it is.
I'm so sorry you had to go through this! I used to watch her "cheap, clean eats" uploads and it's very clear in retrospect that they were very restrictive and "diety". Her newer foods seem a little bit more well-rounded but they're still pretty restrictive and low-carb etc. It's just odd.
This is why there's a big difference between body positivity and body acceptance. Body positivity can still come from a toxic place, and it gives the pressure of "I have to love myself or else...".
Yeah... I'm really not sure about Cassie. I struggled with eating disorders for years but I'm much better now, but I now have this feeling when someone's attitude towards food is ambiguous, and to me Cassie's definitely is. If you want to feel the best you've ever felt, and decide to eat clean and exercise to feel good, it's great . But when you do it to reach a specific number, with the firm intention to see numbers go down on the scale, and if you are ready to suppress certain foods in order to do it, I think you're no longer listening to your body, your needs, and striving to be healthy. When you're fighting against "plateaus" because you want to see the numbers go down, when you were not that big to begin with and when your weight isn't a threat to your health, there's an issue. Plus I don't think Cassie has ever been body positive. I remember this video she made years ago about women guessing each others weight and when she was telling them "you're obese","you're overweight" according to BMI index, that was definitely not cool.
I'm currently counting macros because I've been lifting for years with very little results. so I finally found a dietician to help me and wow. after 4-5 months my body has changed so much, and the only thing I changed was counting my macros. nothing crazy either. moderate carbs and higher fat to keep me satisfied cause I have binging tendencies. and I have had issues in the past with food and body image. I totally agree that counting has actually taken the pressure off of food for me. It seems weird to some people and its hard to explain but it feels like I don't have to obsess and stress over what I'm eating. its helping me for the time being :) but I can see how for others it wouldn't be healthy. and the goal is to be better with intuitive eating in the future
Just commenting my opinion on the title: Yes you can be body positivity and lose weight because body positivity is subjective. You can totally love yourself and strive to lose weight if that’s you think YOUR body needs regardless of other people’s opinions 😬
The part about not necessarily experiencing metabolic damage during the diet but after is SO true. You really don't know how much you effed up your digestive system and hormones until you start to live normally again. I wish this info was more widespread. Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you for bringing up FODMAP's and those of us who are medically diagnosed with a bloating problem that interferes severely with our daily lives (IBS, SIBO, etc.). I really love Cassey but when I saw her "de-bloat" video I realized that those foods were actually foods that could be triggering for a lot of people, myself included. I also think there is a big difference between "bloating" and "distension" that often isn't talked about, and people use the term bloating interchangeably with distension when they aren't the same thing.
Seriously Abbey- thank you for these videos!!! You helped me develop a healthy relationship with food after years of disordered eating and an inpatient program. Thank you for the work you do!!!:)
Cassey is the most wonderful TH-cam trainer I've ever seen. I love her to death. She makes people happy and even more motivated. She's like a best friend.
@@AbbeysKitchen thanks so much! I'm interested in purchasing her nutrition and training guides but I wanted a second opinion on her nutrition and I trust your nutrition advice :)
I would love this too. And she seems to go back and forth on what she says works and then updates those same videos with something else that actually works. I had to unsubscribe bc the mixed messages aren’t helpful to me.
i just feel like no matter which way you slice it you can't win. i can love and celebrate many body types on different people and not love that on myself. i don't want to look like a stick thin model, i don't want to be overweight, i want to be the healthiest and best version of myself that i can be. why is that not ok?
for me, I find that calorie counting is necessary because I have ADHD, and my self-regulation as far as food goes can get pretty interesting at times. once I started counting calories everything calmed down and I was able to start getting all of the nutrition that I was lacking.
I've been following her for years and I really love her but there have definitely been moments I've cringed on her social media. I kind of wish she didn't mention food at all honestly because what works for her doesn't work for all of her followers and it feels implied sometimes that if you want to look like her you should not only workout with her but eat like her. A few years ago she sold her workout plans with meal plans including grocery lists etc. I know she means well, but man every time I start really following her workouts again, while I love them, I find myself getting really flustered about food and eating way more restrictively than I normally would.
yeah i definitely know the feeling :| if you haven’t heard of her already, you should definitely check out natacha océane! she’s such a strong and inspiring woman and she eats intuitively! her relaxed and healthy attitude towards food, exercise and her own body have had such a positive impact on my daily life and habits :) and she really motivates me to get stronger and more active just for fun instead of focusing solely on appearance! x
I definitely feel this too! I thought I was alone on this, but it really does feel like I have to be extra careful, no matter how much I like those workout videos.
I also agree with this and sadly had to unsub her as I was just sick of the diet foods and captions of all her TH-cam community posts surrounding food. I loved her workouts but found the later too triggering and annoying
She recently restarted her sold diet plans! It's like seeing former ED Cassey all over again and it's sad :( Plus it's just not a good idea. Like they're pretty low-carb and cut out all legumes and grains... like what? Just because they make her bloated doesn't mean she should promote that eating for others. Those don't ever make me bloated and they're amazing sources of fiber, protein, and complex carbs.
For me personally, I am on a weight loss journey to make my body feel healthier and happier. I've found that my body appreciation and acceptance is a slippery slope and it would be much more detrimental to my health if I followed a really restrictive diet and weight cycle that I will loose my body appreciation. So I try to follow a diet plan that is satisfying and works for me that I think I could keep up for my whole life. It means I may not loose weight overnight but I will do it in a healthy way that works for me
((TW; eating disorder)) I've been a fan of Cassies for about a year or so but recently, I've been looking at some of her content a little bit more and while I like her workouts, im not really into her messaging. my ED has made a resurgence in a different way than before (right now its food guilt and symptoms of orthorexia) and her content hasn't really helped in any way. I find myself getting more frustrated with her content even though I know her heart is in the right place, and I hope she finds a way to get her message across in a more efficient and helpful way :)
Same here. Been following her on and off since 2015 , leaving for the same reasons but coming back because she is really inviting and encouraging. I like her but in small doses for the sake of my ongoing Ed recovery. Her messages can be a little mixed sometimes- perhaps not mixed for everyone! but for perfectionist brains that are usually affiliated with eds, it can be a slippery slope
@@chloep4500 I love how you said "in doses" because that's just what personally supports your recovery journey. I've personally chosen to follow a particular personal trainer in doses because her calorie counting emphasis doesn't quite support my predisposition to orthorexic tendencies. I always love to say that, "loving myself doesn't have to be an act of violence against others." So disagreeing with a particular person's approach and taking care of myself doesn't have to mean they're "bad/evil" people out to ruin me. Just wanted to thank you and share a little bit.
The body positivity movement is really ironic. Because the entire message is: "my weight and body does not define me. it does not change how you should treat me". But, the entire community seems to be specifically focused on peoples weight, body shape, and relationship with food. As oppose to not commenting on it like they often encourage.
I’m so glad you covered this and how perfectly timed for myself! I have followed Casey for years and even in my younger days bought her meal plan for weight loss a shirt too I think! However, I found myself getting more and more frustrated and triggered at each community post on her TH-cam surrounding food, I just felt such a disconnect between her workout videos which made me feel good, and her food posts which causes a lot of panic etc. Really sad but such is life! Thanks for covering this, I always look forward to your videos!!
it might sound crazy but calorie counting was probably the main thing that helped me recover from my eating disorder after 8 years... literally saved my life; however I am well aware that it does not work for everyone but for me it made me feel EXTREMELY less obsessive.In my case, I NEEDED to be in control of my own recovery and I have never been happier with my relationship with food.
I have always been very chubby since I was a child, but I had to go on a diet and I was told the quick intermittent. I follow the tips from this channel and have been on the diet for almost 4 months and lost 73.9 lbs. Thanks for the videos!
The issue I have with Cassie’s content is language like “waist whittling”, “tank top arms”, or “thigh slimming” in her workout videos. It seems like she uses these buzzwords to attract views even though it completely betrays her body positive claims. I’m sorry, I can very well wear a tank top whether or not my arms are “toned” and to say that only an arm that looks like hers is allowed to wear a tank top is the complete opposite of body positivity.
I'm not saying it's not problematic language, but she has often addressed the reason for these titles during her mid-workout chats. She says that titles with words like "sexy" and "bikini body" generate more clicks and get way more views. From there, she says that she can try to convince people to appreciate themselves a bit more, once they hear the content of the video (though this is debatable). It's just a reflection of how TH-camrs have to take advantage of the algorithm and what people type into the search engine.
I’ve never watched her but she sounds like she uses clickbait for fitness. After seeing this I know I’ll never watch her bc it’d only trigger negativity I work so hard to avoid.
Calorie counting has been helping me a lot as I'm trying to gain weight. I didn't realize how much my medication was messing with my appetite, so calorie tracking gives me a better idea of how much I'm eating.
I love how you approach everything with such respect, kindness and balance while being educational at the same time! Could you please do a video on prolonged fasting (24hours - 72 hours)?
I wish she didn’t do diet content. She could just be what she is which is a Pilates instructor. She’s not a dietitian, she doesn’t eat enough, and I honestly think she looks for validation in her followers. She wants everyone to be aware that she’s skinny while they may not be...
As someone who is in the process of becoming a Pilates instructor and works part time at a studio, Pilates has completely reframed the way I view exercise because it’s not driven my aesthetics, at least in my experience it hasn’t been. It’s about using the exercise to support your body as it moves through daily life. Her videos are SO focused on “targeting” certain parts of the body, weight loss, etc. Some people like it but it’s inconsistent with the way I’ve always viewed Pilates :(
@@ellay2715 If I remember correctly, she did start her videos out of pure enjoyment of pilates. She was going through a rough time and exercise was her escape. Slowly, she started to focus more and more on food and nutrition and it didn't sit right with me. Then, she seemed obsessed with losing weight and that's when I completely lost track of her channel. I used to like her precisely because she wasn't crazy about calories or weighing herself. idk she was body goals for me back then.
Cassey definitely aided me in the eating disorder several years ago. Her message did not work for me. I've found a balance now with influence from Natacha Oceane and Whitney Simmons. 1300 calories are just not enough for me to function!
Same! I think she is shares some responsibility for creating disordered eating for a LOT of people. She used to have a meal plan on her website that amounted to 1200 calories (which she has deleted now). But as a teenager it made me think that was normal. She never apologized.
I liked this video because you broke down and explored the facts. You didn't try to assume or guess at what was really going on behind the scenes with Cassey. You were objective and neutral. Everything you said made sense, and you made very good points. I wish more people would handle their evaluations of others like this. Good job!
It is so comforting to hear you say how your opinion may evolve as you are learning and being exposed to new information, this if such a growth positive idea, we are all growing and learning and it needs to be normalized/socially accepted
All bodies are worthy bodies! I need that on a tee or something because I remember there being backlash for loving a smaller body when I had one and now struggle with my body at a larger size due to psych meds
Body positivity is working with my body to be happy and healthy instead of battling it to do something/look different. My body is an ally not an obstacle.
I remember a video Cassey made years ago about what I eat in a day , it was so little food, I was so confused, I was myself starting with my ED and I felt bad because I was eating "too much" and I even said to myself that if I wanted to be skinny I should cut more and more calories and eat like her. HUGE MISTAKE. That was the beginning of one of the most horrendous years of my life. She was the one who motivated me to move more I love her exercises and ,she was the one who makes me smile during training. I mean, I love her and I don't know what's on her mind right now. I've followed her for years and I know she's been struggling as well, I really hope she gets to a better place where she makes peace with food and her self image. I don't listen to her advices anymore, but I keep exercising with her. Thanks fo the video, Abbey.
This is such a great and thorough analysis of the topic, Abbey. It shows how our understanding of the concept is evolving. I'm sure the pressure is way more on influencers/public figures but I hope with the attention that they get, they can educate themselves and their followers too (of course, we should all be supportive on their journey too). Body positivity & health at every size is so important but it will take some time to unlearn all the toxic messages from diet culture. Love your videos, as always!
On the topic of daily weigh ins and tracking calories/tracking data in general - I have actually suffered from body dismorphia and mild bulemia in the past. I needed a lot of time to grow and find my way around food and body positivity, but I am currently the happiest/least stressed out I have ever been in my entire life, and I am tracking macros and weighing in daily for the first time in my entire life. It's actually so freeing for me to do this now, and I've never felt more balanced. Because now, I see that especially for females, weight literally fluctuates SO MUCH. Weighing myself every day has been such a useful tool in tracking my cycles, my fertility, and just being in tune with my own biology. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone by any means, but I also think that if we stop being a slave to numbers, the numbers can be super duper helpful. Just my own experience.
I went through a spell of daily weighing and it served its purpose but the SECOND I started getting frustrated with the fluctuations, I scaled back. (Lol, see what I did there?)
I feel like body positivity is very confusing. I feel like it shouldn’t be “my weight is beautiful and healthy” (on both sides of the spectrum) but it should be “my weight does NOT effect whether or not you should treat me with respect and dignity as a human being.”
👍👍
Yes. ❤️
I feel like it should be “I take care of my body and I am worthy of respect regardless of my size”
That is what it means...its the thin white people who corrupted what body positivity was meant for. It had nothing to do with health. It was about advocating for social justice for marginalized bodies. I wish Abby had educated herself on this social justice movement so she could have set people straight instead of continuing the misinformation fitness influencers spread
@@xosecox12 EXACTLY!!!!
This is partly why I prefer body neutrality over body positivity. Sometimes there is a lot of pressure to feel like you love your body all the time. Especially when society only shows you a few types of bodies that aren't representative. Body neutrality is about just accepting your body and appreciating what it does for you. Sometimes you feel amazing in your skin and sometimes you feel a little crappy but rather than try to change anything or get upset about it, you just think about the things your body does for you and accept that it is what it is.
I really like that! 🙌🏽
@@kellytelfer9960 If this demotivates you, think about how much you let others' opinions affect you and yourself. And also where you put your focus. Nothing wrong with wanting to be fit and still not caring whether you have one more ab here or a centimetre of fat less there. This is the wrong focus. I currently try to learn to skate, I know it's good exercise, but most importantly I want to learn a new skill. And yeah, I don't look stunning in a bikini, but I wear it beause I like to go to the beach and swim and sleep in the shadow and eat watermelons and stuff. I really could not care less if I was the right weight and size at this point. I mean, we can be really cruel to ourselves, obviously. But I choose to think about what I want to do and learn in a given day, not what I want to look like in a given day. That changed my entire otulook for me and the neutrality thing is totally working to that end. Sometimes I don't like my stomach, oh well, then I say to myself: "well done for focusing on something that's no one sissue except my crazy mind's, maybe I can now re-focus and help my neighbour carrying her groceries" and I forget about it. I don't know if I am making a hell lot of sense, but I really try to focus away from me a lot so I will not go back to being over-analyzing by body ever again.
@@kellytelfer9960 yes absolutely! Personally, I cannot try to lose weight, but many people feel that they have to for health reasons and overall well-being and I completely understand that. I think you can also still use techniques of body neutrality in this approach just in the sense of being patient with yourself and your body throughout the process :)
That's exactly what I've always thought! How about instead of trying to convince everyone that they're beautiful, we work on convincing them that their physical appearance doesn't define them? By constantly putting pressure on people to believe that they are beautiful, we're reinforcing the idea that their appearance matters a lot and is what defines them. Objectively, I believe that there are beautiful people who are physically more beautiful than others and I think that we should all work to accept that. For example, I think that Rihanna is stunning. When I say that Rihanna is much more beautiful than I am, it doesn't mean that I hate the way that I look- I think I look fine. By accepting my body for what it is, i am able to free myself from self hatred and put more energy towards making myself into a better person, which is what really matters in the long run.
@@ej8358 amen!!
"Body positive" is not shaming people for what they look like. It may not be "healthy" to be under or overweight, but that person does not deserve to be harassed just because they aren't a proper weight. Whether its a female bodybuilder, male ballet dancer, or anything considered a non-stereotypical bodytype. Your body is your body, and you shouldn't be harassed for who you are.
Agreed
@@kellytelfer9960 totally true.... Its like, im a college graduate and im very proud of me but I want to get a master too, you can love yourself by who you are and also have new goals and dreams for you
@@kellytelfer9960 Yeah. I think "weightloss" should be considered a neutral term, the context is what really determines if it's unhealthy or not. Very gradual weightloss in a way that is sustainable isn't necessarily problematic or unhealthy unless there are very unrealistic goals or a lot of self-hatred involved. Women really can't win, huh? Either you're shamed for being above a healthy weight range, or you're shamed for trying to get there or stay there.
Is it body shaming to advise someone they'll develop type 2 diabetes if they maintain their current weight?
A Internet One would hope most everyone knows about the relationship between higher weight and the likelihood of developing this disease. Of course there are people who just don’t know.
I think that’s one of the reasons people in larger bodies don’t appreciate being told these types of things, because it makes them feel like the person saying them must think they’re really ignorant. This post reads as quite negative, though I don’t mean any negativity whatsoever 🤗. Totally agree with you, Kelly Telfer, on the last post of yours.
"Sometimes we gather information that a particular food doesn't make us feel so good, but we choose to eat it anyways, because YOLO." - Abbey, you just described virtually all the lactose intolerant community. We know we'll pay for it, but cheese and ice cream are just too good.
Amen! 😂
Oh god, I feel called out xD
Same. I always get nauseated and bloated after banana milkshake, but it's so just so good 😣
Totally I do it too
Me eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s knowing damn well how sick I’ll be in the morning
I believe that being body positive and wanting to lose weight is definitely possible. I am considered morbidly obese and want to lose weight for my health. I feel sick all the time but I do feel beautiful still. I still look at myself and think, I am a beautiful person and my value as a human being doesn't go down as the weight on the scale went up. I just got out of hand overeating and not exercising properly. I think it is possible because part of truly loving yourself is wanting the best for your body, there are loads of people who struggle with gaining weight and they are still beautiful people. We just need to be a little less self critical and focus on just being mindful of our health and living longer. Starving and overeating won't accomplish those things.
Thanks for sharing your perspective
This comment was stunning! ☀️💖
Yes , I always try to explain this but fail spectacularly, you explained perfectly ! Good luck on your journey !!! Hope everything works out for you ♥️
Such a powerful comment ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
@@AbbeysKitchen can you actually read her comment and respond appropriately?
I wish someon would talk about this subject for women over 60. It’s like we turn a certain age and the become totally irrelevant and no longer struggle with these issues. We do!!
I think that is such a good point. People of different ages and backgrounds have such different experiences of media and diet culture and learning more about those different experiences is really important. Diet culture and the obsession with youth are so tied up in one another and both are so damaging.
60? Russian women are considered old meat at 25.
Yes we do!
Agreed!!!! and not to mention the changes that come along with the 60's!!! sometimes I just feel invisible.
Male or Female once you are over 60 you are only relevant to your Grandchildren. At least in society in the USA.
When Abbey said "many women will never have a flat stomach" i felt that. Even directly after marine corps boot camp I *still* had a liiiiiittle tiny belly. At the time, my warped body image said I was "fat" because of that tiny little pooch of belly. Hecc, you could see the top two rows of my abs at that time and I STILL had that lower belly. My body image is a WORLD better these days but still...Thank you for pointing this out and commenting on it
LONG COMMENT sorrynotsorry: I gained 45 lbs during my year of intuitive eating. My diet was 80% healthy (like, 8 - 10 servings of veg and fruit, lean meats, complex carbs, “healthy” fats) and I was working out daily in preparation for some major fitness competitions. Regardless, my resting heart rate increased by 18 BPM, I struggled with my cardio, and my energy levels tanked. My periods were terrible, and my confidence took a beating. But I was finally free of the obsessive calorie counting! I wasn’t restricting! I was eating intuitively!
I couldn’t be “positive” about that body, because that body was underperforming, was always in pain, and had troubling health markers. After some deep reflection, I realized that for *me,* loving my body includes discipline. Not obsessive, weigh-myself-every-day discipline, but more discipline than was discussed in intuitive eating sessions with my dietician. It includes NOT watching WIEIAD or youtube cooking shows (because they mess with my intuition and lead me to eat more), it includes intermittent fasting, and it includes restricting sugar. This goes against some of the tenants of IE, but it works best for me. It’s where I perform best, it’s where my health markers are best, and it allows me to eat intuitively within a structured system that accommodates my culinary training, my genetic predispositions, and supports my long term health.
However, I can love other people’s bodies and be relentlessly positive about their presence in the world no matter how I feel about myself. So to answer the underlying question here: yeah, I think someone can be body loving and also want to lose weight.
When Cassey posted this video, I sort of understood where she was coming from. But I think she went about it too quickly. Cramming a journey like that in to 90 days creates quick results, but to get there she had to rely on old, destructive habits. It took me 30 years of slow trial-and-error to discover something that works for me. I can’t imagine trying to do it in 90 days.
I wish that part of messaging around nutrition and fitness is that there’s no “one” way that’s best for everyone, and that finding the way that works for *you* takes time!!
Anyhow. Thanks for the video, Abbey. I’m loving the discussion on this one! Also, I really appreciate the library of Ottolenghi cookbooks behind you. They’re the pride of my cookbook collection!
Thanks for sharing your experience. Glad it was helpful
You better collect that data, Kate! I'm still on my journey with finding what works for my body and hearing your story gives me hope that I'll find my mix one of these days
You took the thoughts right out of my head and put in such an eloquent comment! This is exactly what I do, because I know that if I do IE I'm going to ultimately feel worst about myself. I follow a structured fasting ~2-3xs a week for 14-16 and it helps me feel energized but at the same time isn't as risky for my young body if I fasted 16 hrs everyday like I used to (this was something I did for a few months to see how it would work, and I read that for young women this may be really unhealthy long-term and lead to PCOS). I approach everything with a ton of discipline anyway, so for me this also feels like the most comfortable and reliable way for me to maintain my healthy weight and pursue my fitness goals.
Hi! I love your comment! If you find time could you write about your day of eating? Is it low carb, or just reduced sugar intake? I eat healthy, organic food (we have our own meat, eggs, milk and cheese), and still I am overweight. I struggle with diets, but also with IE concept. Thank you! Best wishes!
Thank you for sharing your story. It's relieving to know that there are others who don't do well with IE. I tried it but I was always so angry at my body for feeling not hungry after a couple bites and not becoming hungry again until hours later. I lost a lot of weight but I was so unhappy. I thought something was wrong with me because IE is supposed to be the optimal lifestyle to promote wellness.
I gave up IE and discovered calorie counting. A lot of people say that counting calories is restrictive, but for me, it's the exact kind of discipline I need. It's a great way of balancing the physical satiety and emotional aspect of hunger while making sure that I'm not overeating. And of course, I'm flexible by allowing myself to eat more on days that I run or during the holidays. Honestly, people need to do what works best for them.
In my beloved Abby style: "I wanna flag" when you discussed the thin friend commenting on her celluclite. As one of the "fat" friends, I've been working on allowing skinny women to complain just like anyone else. I always redirect the conversation by discussing the strength and awesomeness of our bodies, but I want to say that it's okay for skinny people to feel insecurities! Not saying you were wrong in her sort of tone-deafness, but just want to point that out. Thanks for always bringing us awesome content!
This is a great mindset to have! I’ve struggled with an eating disorder for years and have always been thin bc genetics. My best friend is bigger than me, and I feel like I can never say anything to her about the negative feelings I have about my body. Redirecting the conversation like that is the perfect response, that’s how I try to talk to myself but hearing it from someone else helps a lot. Tldr you seem really nice and I wanna be your friend.
Body positivity is for everyone, including thin people. All body insecurities are valid especially in this world! It’s impossible not to have them. What I meant was that it’s about reading the room and understanding the hierarchy of bodies in our society. She has a HUGE audience of women and I think there’s a big responsibility as a youtuber to understand our thin privilege when we address the 99% who do not have that privilege, even if we are struggling inside. It’s totally normal for all of us to be struggling though, it’s simply about how you sensitively communicate that struggle. I believe a simple acknowledgement of that privilege or even a little trigger warning would have gone a long way.
Yep - also, as one of the “slim” friends, I have cellulite on my thighs, and stretch marks on my thighs and butt. These are just human body things, not size-related things!!
Accepting not allowing
@@AbbeysKitchen Thank you for saying this! I was feeling so uncomfortable with her content around dieting and food and I felt bad that I might be one of those people unhappy with her weight loss journey, which I don't actually have any feelings about one way or the other. It's that she never acknowledges her thing privilege or add trigger warnings to a following of people who probably also diet. Bullying someone for being fat is so much different than bullying someone for being thin, because of privilege that comes with it.
Thank you SO much for taking the time to say that Cassie is on a journey and those are rarely linear. Just beacuse she isn't perfect doesn't mean she deserves to be "cancelled."
Not at all
THIS
You can totally be body positive and be on a weight loss journey. It’s about the intention and headspace. I accept my body, I am grateful for my body, I love how it cares for me, and I am returning that love, care, and gratitude by making intentional choices to help me long term be healthier. I am happy regardless of what size I am; I am more focused on science-based indicators of long-term issues and preventing them to serve this body the best I can. Yes, I will Inevitably lose weight, but it’s a health journey and honoring my body. I did not set a goal other than improving bloodwork every six months and moving my body in a way that honors it every day. That’s body positive weight loss from my (by societal definition plus sized) perspective.
Agreed!
I actually only found blogilates at the beginning of quarantine, and I have to say that I am obsessed with her workouts. I feel stronger than ever and just have so much more fun doing her videos rather than the stressful stuff I used to do. I feel very positive because working out feels more fun instead of something I’m doing to meet an internal expectation
Glad that is working for you!
She is totally awesome with the working out aspect! She's positive and helps push you. It's mainly her dietary advice that is cringe and a bit problematic.
I've been following her workouts for years and I love her. I dont get the negativity surrounding her really.
@@Monika-mb6jh thats your opinion of its cringe. Dont state it like a fact please. Thats a bit arrogant. It works for many ppl even of not for you
When I read the title "Dietitian reviews Blogilates." I thought it would be about Cassey's meal plan etc. You are basically reviewing Cassey herself, her choices and her lifestyle. Much more than her diet, I thought. And almost everybody's comments are criticizing her for being too fat or too skinny, eating too much or not enough, or that her food doesn't look good etc. I think we just forget one very important thing, which is how Cassey is feeling, and that she has the right to feel "fat" even if she is not. Or to want to improve her body, which is also her "working material". Also, do men get this kind of comment? Or just women? I am not sure I have seen comments on men's videos, like "Wow, he must have a serious food disorder eating all those proteins." I feel like the "Can You Be Body Positive & Want to Lose Weight?" problem went a little too far recently. I don't even get the point of it, like "yes, of course, you can." For me, it is like if you were asking "Can you love your brain and still want to learn new things?" Also, she is not just losing weight, getting skinnier and skinnier, from what I saw her muscles got bigger, particularly in her back.
Also, her feeling a certain way does not define how people watching her videos should feel. If you watch her videos, and you are mad because she is already thin and wants to get thinner of fitter, be honest with yourself and admit that the problem doesn't come from her. The way people feel about themselves and show their body on Instagram or TikTok etc shouldn't define the way YOU feel about yourself. As long as she is not forcing her followers to eat the same thing as her, to look like the way she wants to look like, I don't really see where is the problem. I assume we already know that everybody is different and there is no universal miracle diet that fits every single person.
Sorry for the very long comment, I just wanted to say that people should have the right to be happy with fat or fit, hairy or shaved or whatever body AND be able to feel guilt-free for that. Anyway, I love the part about the "anti-bloating foods", I learned a lot from it. (⌒-⌒; ) I just wanted to promote a little self-love, and freedom, for the potential haters that may comment: I won't reply, I'll be busy doing some yoga. Thank you for taking the time to read.
YES! I 100% agree with you.
Agreed! 5 minutes in and I realize that she wasn't going to talk about Cassey's meal plan except criticizing and kind of putting her down. So, I'm over this and the comments. I glad to have found this though!
So true
@@itsNinaLeeyo watch the end of the video, like the 5 last minutes
itsNinaLeeyo mm
About calorie counting. I do get that it is sth that can trigger EDs but as someone who has struggled a few years ago with starving myself my hunger cues are fully messed up. After calculating my actual target intake I realized that I needed to double the amount I usually eat and it has really helped me stop undereating. Of course this will not work for everyone but that is the main reason why I don't think it should be necessarily be demonized. If it is done in a positive way instead of making sure that you restrict enough I don't see that much wrong with it🤷🏻 (ofc it is important to not go around telling ppl how many calories you are eating bc it can be triggering for some. But not everyone can eat intuitively)
Thanks for sharing your experience. Glad that works for you
My friend with an ED and I literally have no idea how much we need to eat. Calorie counting can be really helpful sometimes if you aren't eating enough!
Eating intuitively for someone who is overweight means eating the whole refrigerator. I agree that it's helpful for many people.
Honestly though it's important to recognize actual hunger and a craving for donuts. As an ex-binger, I still think its a valid thing to distinguish.
Absolutely there is a difference!
Emotional eating can be normal, as long as it’s not your only coping mechanism and doesn’t lead to a cycle of uncontrollable eating
But you can be hungry and genuinely just want a donut...
Hailey Elianna I get that but when I was out of hand it was more of an addiction. It can happen. Of course not to everybody, but for some people it can be emotional or a learned behavior (specifically with processed foods) or even both. I love Abbey’s content when she brings restrictive disorders to light, but it rubs me just a little wrong when it is never said that treat foods can be super detrimental and controlling during the consumption. It’s not that they should be detrimental or controlling, I’d never wish that on anyone, it’s just a reality some people face. Donuts for some people can be the enemy because it is taking their life away. It’s why tv shows like My 600 Pound Life exist. Eating disorders aren’t only restrictive, they can very well be about eating too much. And both suck like hell.
I agree.
I was sick in the beginning of the year with gastro. I was not hunger at all and I couldn't eat. But I craved salt, I wanted the taste of it in my mouth. Because MacDonald's was the closest place to my campus I ate so many chips because they are salty. When I went to the doctor she said, without my telling her, that I need to increase my salts.
I'm not good at eating enough but I was impressed that my body was sending me those signals.
Yes, specially because one donut is never enough when you're emotionally hungry and not just physically craving something
Cassey has been so troubling for me in the past. She's so happy and positive. That's my brand! I love that! I like her as a person, and I'm glad to hear she actually wanted to interview people with larger bodies than hers, because I keep going back to her stuff because it's all ~my aesthetic~ and I want to like it, but -
tw: workout talk, self-hatred talk, weight #s talk, clothing size talk
One of the absolute lowest points in my relationship with my body was about two weeks into one of Cassie's fitness calendars, in which she gleefully flexed her concave stomach in a workout move that she boasted would be "easy peasy!" and I just burst into tears on a yoga mat in my parents' basement. I was attempting to get healthy after my body suffered during a prolonged mental break, and Cassie's workouts were free, but there were so many where she just seemed to have no grasp of how larger bodies work. Something that was "easy peasy" for her was impossible for me, and I don't think I've ever hated myself or felt more "wrong" than I did in that moment.
Since then I've tried going back to her a few times. Free is free, right? And happy pink fun girl power, woo! Except...I always kind of felt excluded from the conversation. First, it was her clothing line - in which the extra large was initially a *fourteen* - and then these videos where she does a three day juice cleanse or talks with disdain about her own body when mine could never even dream of looking like hers. Like. I dunno. I don't hate her, but it's hard to go back to her workouts when she's always dropping hints that her own model-perfect body is deficient. It's kind of like...it seems that her worst fear is looking like me, and that's not a huge turn-on.
She’s pretty much just become toxic and I think her positive talk has gone from being genuine to a facade
I followed her many years ago and had a very similar experience to you. After that, I couldn’t watch a single one of her videos. You’re not alone ❤️
I also liked her positivity in the beginning but had the same experience with it eventually making me feel like shit because she’s already so thin and was still dieting so what hope did I have? But yea I ended up just unfollowing her because it didn’t really support me.
I had the same issue before, her workouts actually discouraged me from doing them because I felt anxious. Even the beginners calendar is hard, no shit. And I'm still not sure if she expects that people do all 2-3 workouts a day, but I doubt anyone does. In the end of the day, I got the trainer online and she gave amazing workouts, which were pleasant and effective and didn't make me feel not good enough. She also always stressed out that as long as you are trying to do the exercise - even if it is slower/ you are adapting easier version - it's all good. I think yoga and dancing are the best options to start off tbh
non of that is cassie's fault. She is an active athlete so of course she will be more capable than the normal person. You just have to modify exercises and diets that fit your level. And you can have body goals that you can work towards. You dont have to cry about not having your goal right now. You can work towards it.
People are blaming others for their insecurities far too much. There is no way to behave in a way that doesn't trigger any person at all. Triggers are personal and anything could trigger anyone. Take responsibility
For me, counting calories was part of my intuitive eating process. Collecting this data allowed me to learn which foods made me feel best and were the most nutritionally dense while also leaving room for ocasional treats. Now I don’t need to use the app anymore and can rely on my body to tell me when I’m full. Body positivity for me, is loving your body where it’s at right at this moment (and supporting everyone else’s). Even though I’m working to lose weight for health reasons, by loving my body *right now* it’s easier to be okay with it being a longer process to lose weight and taking healthy, sustainable steps to get there. Most importantly, I’m trusting my body to give me hunger cues and listening to the messages it gives me.
That’s amazing !
This was such a kind and nuanced look at cassie
Thank you 🙏🏻
Yes I loved how she didn’t get super angry at her or anyone else’s she reviews. She just changed her tone to support her professional tips and opinions!
It seems that she has a different opinion, based on her last video...
Why isn't anyone talking about that watery 'fruit cereal'
I know. That looks disgusting
Omg that took me OUT
Yeh i was appalled
i was SHOCKED
@@TheSuburbansky1 15:00
love her workouts, but yeah her "advice" on food seems a little off, she's a certified pilates instructor, not a dietician... her youtube content is definitely better than her insta/tiktok videos
👍
I adore her workouts, but her diet advice is not the best and her tiktok videos try too hard to be ¨funny¨... but they end up being awkward, and not in a good way.
@@gloriamargarita Yes, thank you. It's hard bc everyone on her YT and insta is like blindly in love with her, but she does end up being irritating at times. I hate that she releases her clothing lines in such limited batches and they're always off size-wise, like too small and tall to fit her body. She also has restrictive type food. She recently released a diet plan that you can buy and she apparently cut all grains out. Like, they're full of complex carbs, fiber, and protein. Just cause they make her bloated doesn't mean they make most people bloated and that they're worth eliminating?
I actively avoid her food videos because no way I can afford the fit instagram lifestyle. I'm obsessed with her workouts though; they're the only ones that work for me. I also really like her clothing line but again can't afford it.
Billie Ariel I think some of her food is affordable (but then again, can’t see your food budget so...) but for me it contains too much meat... and yeah her work out clothes look sooo comfy but how am i going to pay more for her clothing than i do at a nike outlet where i don’t have to pay so much for shipping...
I exercise and eat clean to be healthy inside and fight heart disease, diabetes and other ailments, that I do NOT want to happen to me. Why can’t that be the focus? I think all health, food and fitness videos should start with fighting diseases and health issues. When I choose my food or workout, I visualize how this will make me healthy INSIDE my body. This visualization helps me choose wisely.
Glad that works for you!
What does "clean" mean to you?
That thinking was what led me to orthorexia and will not work for people with rigid thinking. I prefer everything in moderation and being able to appreciate my cultural cuisine that always obsessing about health. In the end, health is holistic and not attached to diet only.
I used to follow her with enthusiasm. But as I was getting orthorexic and suffered from body dysmorphophobia, I couldn't take the shift of focus on her channel. My problems aren't her fault, but the constant weight loss talk was just too much. I still miss her older work out videos, they were super positive and fun. I do hope she really is in a good place and can shrug a shoulder to people who tell her she should look different.
Thanks for sharing your experience
If you are fat is no her problem , she looks amazing 😍 shame on you
@@garicaruth ummmm, that's exactly what she said?! And why should she be ashamed of herself for being fat? Work on your grammar before you go around in the internet to hate on people, it just makes you seem ridiculous.
@Johku I think Cassey should look the way she feels the best and loves the most.
She should please herself first and then the others. Regarding to the videos, I like all of her videos.
I like all of her workout videos and from what I see, she's now happier than before but that's just my opinion.
I'm sorry for what you went through, hope you are better now.
Yeah. Videos used to just be uploaded. Now it’s all about, “please like, share and follow.”
Body positivity is subjective, and we shouldn’t tear down people at different points in their journey. Thank you for underscoring this message 👏👏👏
👍
Are you conidering, that not everybody IS on a journey of body positivity or intuitive eating? I know so many people who 'diet'.
So saying: 'everybody is at a different point in their journey' kind of presupposes that everybody at least agrees with your thesis or knows about that movement. My parents have no idea about any of these movements.
Just pointing this out.
I personally aim to one day eat 100% intuitively. But I also want to maintain my physique. Because I like how look right now. Call me crazy, but thats my life.
@@johannah.2654 Ikr, i dont wanna be pro-obesity.
Tess holiday is dying. Im not.
Johanna H. My comment specifically refers to something said in the video, as it relates to Cassey getting flack for being both body positive and going on a weight loss journey. Abby’s point is that the two are not mutually exclusive. I agree!
I’m so interested to hear your take on Cassie’s content. I feel like the way she speaks in her recent videos is sooo much different than the messaging of her Tik tok videos. She is so much more positive in her workout videos, her Tik toks about hunger vs craving and stuff really shocked and disappointed me when I saw them.
Totally
claire bueter I also feel like she does it because of the diet culture on Tik tok but I find it toxic because clearly there is a young audience on there getting promoted that shit
But for example I have problems with craving. Because of cravings I put on extra 10kilos in a year and were very unhappy with my body. I think it is completely normal to train yourself to know if you are actually hungry or just craving.
There's one thing that I disagree with and didn't see a comment about yet:
I don't think it's necessarily a problem to want to look good, unless you take it too far. If I'm to be honest, I work out for both my looks and my health (although I think more about the looks, to be honest). It makes me feel happy and accomplished when I look into the mirror and see the desired results.
I do see how it can get out of control, though. I have my fair share of insecurities and know that those can distort the process into something unhealthy. But if it brings you more happiness than grief to set weight-loss and toning goals to achieve your desired look (within a healthy parameter), then I really don't see the issue. I love that we have the power to shape our bodies to a certain extent. It gives me a feeling of agency. And I love esthetics as much as the next person. That being said, there's plenty of more important things for sure. When it comes down to it, beauty comes from a person's heart, so we all can be beautiful. This took a turn, but thank you if you actually read this rant to the end.
Thanks for saying this. I believe each individual has the right to decide how he/she wants their body to look like. Unless you crash dieting or overeating for mukbangs, it is perfectly okay to desire a toned body and work hard for it through proper food and workouts.
Yes! I think one things people are afraid to talk about is that a lot of the markers for beauty (clear skin, not over or underweight) are also indications of health. It makes sense for these goals to be intertwined imo.
Oooo I’ve watched blogilates since I’ve grown up and have followed all her workouts but I don’t necessarily follow her diet / nutrition advice! I think she makes great workout videos though!
Glad that works for you!
Boho Beautiful is better and much more positive and peaceful. I used to do a lot of Cassey's videos but...she's pretty triggering these days.
Same! I really enjoy her workouts but can’t get behind her messaging🤷🏽♀️
Nutrition is personal, you should always seek to what works for you
@@marour2160 yes!!! i have my own dietician!
Omg i love what you said - so so so accurate. The new way to say “I feel fat” is “I am bloated”. I didn’t equate it until you said it and now I am able to crack the diet culture code even better. Great work Abbey!!
Thank you! So glad it is helpful
Body positivity includes taking care of yourself, and that can involve losing weight. If your weight is having a detrimental effect on your health, losing or gaining will help you feel better physically and mentally. Why is that being looked down upon?
In this context? Because Cassey's weight *wasn't* having a detrimental effect on her health. It was about shape and numbers, not her body's functions and abilities.
The 🍌 test makes no sense. When I'm really hungry I don't want a banana OR a cookie,, I want a MEAL lmao
I thought this a burger is not equivalent to a banana, maybe I need protein so that’s what I’m craving. I eat a banana as a snack and a cookie as a desert
Fr no one is satisfied by a banana, you’re satisfied by a legit meal
Lol, right?! The only time I want a banana is in banana bread 😂
My mum used a version of this at meal times: you had to have seconds of vegetables first. If you didn’t want more broccoli you weren’t actually hungry you were just interested in cheese or pasta. I didn’t really even note this post from Cassie because I’ve heard versions of it so many times. It never occurred to me how weird this would be in the context of a snack verses a meal.
Agreed
This feels like a crossover episode
😂
Hey Abbey, I don't think people give you the recognition you deserve for all of these. You put so much effort and valuable information into each and every video and I am so grateful someone is on these platforms calling people out. As a physiotherapist, it pains me knowing the influence these people have on the 'perfect body' when for 99% of our population, it is not just mentally, but anatomically impossible too! Thank you again, love from Northumberland in North East England, UK!
Thank you so much 🙏🏻
I'm one week down of trying to beat my eating disorder and I attribute it to your videos. Thank you so much. I really try to think about each meal or snack as to how it makes me feel, how does it fuel my body, and is it satisfying.
So glad
I hope you’re okay ❤️
I am torn on this and would say I am aiming for body neutrality. I feel society puts so much pressure of us to love or hate our bodies and both of these can be too consuming...
Glad that works for you
True, I don't understand how appreciating my body and wanting to change it makes me hypocritical. Do I have to hate my body to make my want to lose weight valid? Sounds exhausting
I follow a lot of blogilates exercise routines, but I've never really tracked her diet (but I've agreed with her that veggies and fruits and water are important).
I totally agree!
I’ve been looking forward to this particular one!
Hope it is helpful!
I was a pop pilates/blogilates follower that developed an eating disorder in my early teens and I have struggled ever since. Her advice and general stance was so harmful back then, but I didn't know about the most recent things. That truly breaks my heart-- she and I are both still struggling.
Cassey is the queen of saying body positive things, but acting differently for herself. I had stopped watching her videos some months back and finally saw a newer one recently and was shocked at how much weight she had lost. It seems like the pressure to look a certain way as a fitness instructor got to her. But with the weight loss, she doesn't look as strong now, in my opinion. I hope she can come out the other end of this actually listening to her own advice to be proud of what her body can do more than what it looks like.
She's absolutely hypocritical
Thanks for sharing your perspective
I was just so confused because I’ve been watching her for YEARS and I remember her saying that her body type just doesn’t get abs and that’s okay and that people say how can she be a fitness guru if she doesn’t have abs but she doesn’t care because she feels good. Now I see her on my tiktok wayyyyy skinnier than she’s ever been with the flat abs and toned arms and legs and I just can’t help but think she is cutting a LOT of calories to make her muscles pop.
🙁
She documented her journey few months ago about wanting to cut her weight. It was honestly not healthy. Not sure if it's still up.
Neonlgihts Agreed. She has to be doing some serious unrecommended cutting. She was already at a healthy weight And working out all the time. I’d like to know her real daily caloric intake/output
@@vyloznik That's what it takes sometimes, some people are gifted with good genetics and some are not. Im a dude and I could never get below 15% bf, only until I cut my calories to sub 1000 did I get to 10%.
@@speedysnake1401 w h y t h o
17:10 kombucha for dessert I am dead 🤣🤣🤣 I mean, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my Synergy but please don’t call it dessert lmao
😂
I mean I have straight up had mozzarella sticks for dessert 🤣 dessert is anything you are feeling after dinner lol
Dessert can be whatever you want it to be.
CW: Abuse, neglect, binge eating
This a personal experience, but I would like to state there have been people like me who grew up in a food environment that stripped away any natural instinct of intuitive eating (outside of medication conflicts which I will explain in a bit).
My mother thrives in diet culture rhetoric + penny pinching, and growing up when she bought food it was with the rhetoric in mind not caring to take in the consideration that I had memory issues and would forget my lunches. This with my father's unwillingness to bring me lunches if I forgot , my middle school eventually took notice and helped me out by letting me work in the cafeteria since my parents didn't qualify for meal tickets (and shouldn't have in all honesty). However when I started high school + sports my mother thought 2 slimfasts a day would be more than enough food for a cross country athlete. It got to a point where I just never got hungry even when I got home and had food around me to eat. They also didn't teach nutrition I school, my health class in high school mostly focusing on drug/sex education.
This with added the fact that the medication I take for ADHD I take now has a side effect of appetite suppression means that if I don't track I end up binge eating severely. I only use it to concentrate on macros and my knowledge has increased since then, but I think it's important to remember not everyone grows up with good eating habits or can have intuitive eating, so calorie counting in moderation can help those who didn't grow up with that information.
Though I do hate that most apps are all weight loss instead of just healthy eating apps. There needs to be an app to help reign that in somehow. It felt extremely disappointing when you kinda waved off even people using it in healthy ways.
We def do need an app like that
To me she seems just like the typical ‘woke’ person in fitness or modeling - trying her hardest to promote things that are good (and let’s admit it, have become popular) like being body positive and healthy, while still looking a certain way. I have a lot of empathy for her because she is clearly smart and thoughtful but is still dealing with the demons of this image-driven culture.
Agreed
She is actually the first person in fitness talking about body positivity.
Plus how does looking a certain way prevents you to be body positive. U must necessarily look fat?
It’s SO hard to balance wanting to accept your body and wanting to look good (we love internalized fatphobia and messaging that women are only valuable with perfect bodies) but yeah I feel bad for her, I also won’t support her bc I don’t like her messaging
@@marour2160 No, you definitely don't have to be fat to be body positive. No matter what size you are, being at peace with yourself is something we all need to hear. But she's still clearly concerned a lot about what she looks like- which isn't in line with body acceptance. Imo, someone who REALLY embodies body positivity but still looks like your 'typical lean fitness influencer' is Natacha Oceane.
@V King I agree, we can't really know her, but there's bc of her influence I think its beneficial to discuss it at least a little..
I hate hate hate the idea of losing weight being fatphobic. What I do with my body has nothing to do with ANYONE ELSE.
Everything Cassey does is triggering to me now because she did her “90 day journey” or whatever she called it. I wasn’t mad that she lost weight, but I was mad that she went from liking herself to fighting for the Instagram body. I was mad that she talks about food as if she’s a dietician and sensitivities like she’s an allergist, she’s not qualified to do either. I couldn’t stand that she started preaching diets and got obsessed with bloating. Oh my god her obsession with bloating is so irritating, and kind of sad. Sweetie you have organs, they take up room. Bloating happens just chill.
Having a journey like hers is also extremely privileged! Most people can’t afford the kind of food she eats and a lot of people can’t afford to pay for the lessons or training or gym memberships that she likely used. I’m a graduate student, poor as crap, and cannot afford a gym membership outside the school gym which is included in my tuition. I can’t afford to eat highly specialized diets. They barely pay us enough to make ends meet.
I know this was a long comment but I have had a problem with Cassey for awhile and I needed to say what’s on my mind.
This video is awesome! It’s refreshing to hear and see people just show they are figuring out life. Most influencers had to ask for permission to use the bathroom 5 years ago and we act like they have all the answers or cancel them for slipping up or just having a difference of opinion.
I ignore most mental health aspects of nutrition because my issues have been with being overweight early on. But it’s changed my thinking a lot since I first saw this video.
Yes you can. I did not watch this video, only responding to your title. You can love yourself and still want to be more fit. Wanting to change or becoming more fit/lose weight does not mean a person hates themselves. The big problem is, that most people do it the unhealthy way or do develop unhealthy relationships with food. That’s why, you first have to have a healthy relationship with food and then you can work on your goals - whatever they may be. Wanting to change is not a bad thing and I honestly don’t like the picture society has drawn that you only happy if you accept they way you are. Speaking out of experience here. Of course that’s only my personal opinion, but I tell you what made me very happy. Two things: 1. overcoming an extremely unhealthy relationship with food (heavily restrictive & binge cycle) & 2. feeling the best in my body (with weight loss). Guilt is bad and no one should feel it, people shouldn’t feel guilty that want to keep their current figure nor people who want to change their current figure ✌🏽
Love your new, unbiased thoughts on tracking food intake! In the past I have felt like you let your own past/mindset affect your view. Love that you listened and re-evaluated
👍👍
I'm technically "overweight" so one would think my goal would be to lose weight, but my mental health is never in a good place when I do lose weight and ever since I realized that about myself, I may not LOVE my body all the time, but I am a lot better at accepting my body for what it is. Also ever since then my weight has fluctuated a lot less, which in turn has left me a lot less stressed.
I used to love her but at some point I just couldn’t watch her anymore? Unfollowed her after her weight loss journey because she (her posing, her foods) just were very “tumblr thinspo” to me and very triggering.
Same 😕
I had to unfollow her too for the same reasons. It kinda felt like she flipped a switch
I'm sorry if that was triggering for you
Yes ma’am also the banana thing sounds like something you’d find on MPA yikes
Same... I unfollowed her too :(
I found your channel yesterday, and I have been binging it. I am so grateful for you that words fall short. I would really like to talk with you because I’ve noticed that there’s a topic you haven’t discussed on your channel yet. I became orthorexic because of the advice of functional medicine doctors. They pushed me to become incredibly thin on unbelievably restrictive diet‘s with the promise that it would cure various chronic illnesses I had. It’s destroyed my health mentally and physically for a long time and I’m still recovering. I’m praying you will consider doing a series on this very serious topic because it’s widespread and the fact that it’s medical doctors, who people of course tend to trust, telling you to do it, it’s incredibly dangerous. I’d love to talk to you more about this if my experience could be helpful for you and making videos about raising awareness on this topic. The sanity, love, and compassion you approach your videos with is like stepping out into the sunshine after being trapped in a dark room.
Thank you so much for continually sharing and reiterating the message of do what feels good to you. I am someone who tragically suffered from an eating disorder for over 15 years this Thanksgiving was enjoyable. I ate turkey ham stuffing green beans sweet potatoes cranberries etc etc. Today my body felt like it needed something fresh and I ate a salad and it felt great. I went for a walk yesterday after lunch, and a walk tonight. At this time of my life counting calories is no longer important, it is about doing and listening to what my body needs. maybe I didn't have a full breakfast or full dinner, but overall I didn't stress, I didn't count, I did what my body told me to do, and it felt free. That's how I know I am finally free from my eating disorder, and from disordered eating in my brain.
Hmmmm so what does “body positivity” mean to me...gosh, I don’t know. It’s a little different for everyone and that should be okay. I lost weight last year not because I hated how my body looked (okay I was not entirely happy with the size I was but I did not HATE myself), but because I had zero energy, was out of breath after climbing the stairs, and got sick all the time. I changed the way I ate and all of those things improved, and I lost weight too. Looking back, it was restrictive and I don’t want to do exactly that again. I’m working on finding my happy place with how I’m eating, and it’s a journey. I care about fueling my body (I am working towards my black belt in karate), and I also want to sometimes enjoy a burger and a beer. It’s a process and I’m not perfect. But in all of it, I approach myself from a place of love and kindness. Sometimes I weigh myself regularly, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I measure my portions, sometimes I don’t. But at every step I am compassionate towards myself. If something isn’t working or it’s making me feel stressed or anxious, I stop doing it and move on. I remind myself that I am the one in charge. It’s empowering.
Thanks for sharing your experience
You seem like the kind of emotionally intelligent woman who goes to therapy and reads and in general just has her sh1t together and I’m HERE FOR IT
Very insightful! I'm proud of you, not just for losing the weight but being super mindful on your journey!
Ella Y Therapy on the regular! 🙌 I didn’t always have my sh!t together, I went through a really awful time with depression and anxiety a few years ago. Since then I’ve come to terms with the fact that it will never just be “easy” for me, I will have to be mindful and intentional about it every single day. And go to therapy. 😁 I had video chat sessions with my therapist during shutdown!
@@ellay2715 I see you and your positivity everywhere in the comment section and I'M HERE FOR IT 😂😁
I used to like Blogilates back in the day when she made that video „perfect body“ but I stopped following her when she started to promote juice cleanses, extreme dieting and counting calories. She‘s got lots of mixed messages and I got the impression that she is really not at peace with herself. But I get that it is hard to have a healthy body confidence when you are putting your body constantly on display and when you are continuously publicly scrutinized by online trolls. Having said that, I‘ve got nothing but love and compassion for everyone dealing with body image issues (including Cassey) but I prefer to follow influencers who promote different messages and focus on other things than weight and perfecting their (already quite perfect) physical appearance as such messages resonate more with me.
Thanks for sharing your experience
100% agree with this!!
i finally unfollowed her after the juice cleanse, it was so triggering for me and she never said anything about it being unhealthy if I recall? I don't trust anything called a "cleanse" tbh, that's what my liver and kidneys are for...
I love Cassey Ho. She is such a beautiful and nurturing human being.
Me too! She a gem
I agree. I don't know who this lady is but I suspect she is trying to increase her views by slamming Casey
@@crystalthomas819 I don't feel like she's slamming, she's just pointing out some problematic claims Cassey makes. I'm not a follower of Cassey, but I've been seeing her Tiktok-content and for me, she seems a bit triggering when she talks about food.
@@crystalthomas819 This video isn't slamming, it's actually pretty fair. I actually have a more compassionate view of Cassey than when I started it, and I did not have a wholly positive opinion of her before I watched this.
Yeah it’s pretty fair. I love Cassey Ho as well, but that doesn’t make her a perfect human being with 0 flaws. She’s been a part of the TH-cam fitness community and a popular influencer for over 10 years. That’s gotta translate to some unhealthy ideas about weight and health that Cassey may not even realize are unhealthy anymore. It’s important for nutritionists like Abbey Sharp and other professionals to share their views on her advice, and analyse which of Cassey’s advice to take and which to leave
I want to say thank you, Abbey, for making me feel safe here. I started lifting a year ago, and I find myself restricting w/o realizing it often even though I need to eat more than before to be stronger. Thanks for talking about food in this joyful and informative way, I feel understood and proud to have overcome binge eating, something that I've told only my closest friends. I have lots of room to improve but thanks to people like you I don't ever feel guilty eating anything anymore. You are amazing! Stay safe xo
When Abbey was really getting into the question can you be body positive and still want to lose weight, I had some thoughts. First, weight loss is not always about how you look. Heart disease is a real problem in my family, and weight loss is a way to be healthier and less at risk for cardiac arrest. My dad was in the best shape of his life when he had his first heart attack. The doctors said if he hasn't lost weight and been in shape, he wouldn't have lived. If you were to watch Cassie's videos you would see that she is constantly reminding you that health should be your number one reason for weight loss. It is important to note though, that losing weight is only the first step in fitness. It is also important to gain muscle and being happy, which can mean eating that cookie or donut. Second, You need all things in moderation, including fat. Fat is something our bodies were built with for a reason. It gives us energy so that we are not 100% reliant on out next meal. Finally, I was struggling a lot with the way I felt when I started using Blogilaties. It helped me release stress and feel more energized.
If you made it this far, please tell me if I missed an important detail!
Oh gosh when you said “My Fitness Pal” many not so pleasant memories came rushing back. *shudder*
Ugh I get it
I'm sorry that was triggering for you
Yep. Logging my day of meals ahead of time so I could find ways to cut more....ugh. It was horrible.
Same girl. I downloaded it again yesterday bc I’m trying to gain weight now and I damn near had a nervous breakdown
" are you ready to log your dinner? "
I appreciated this fair and thorough discussion, while also acknowledging being on your own learning experience. However, the one thing in this video that I believe was unfair, was to say she was “tone deaf” for talking about feeling like she’s an outlier in the fitness space because of her body. Just because she is thinner than average does not mean she can’t also feel like she doesn’t fit the mold, especially for someone in the public eye and open to a great deal of criticism. The mentality that “someone could have it ‘worse’ than you, so you are out of line to complain” is one that I have always found insensitive.
Yeah, exactly! She has been criticized a lot of times for the way she looks!
That’s a good point. And you’re right. This industry is so hard bc you can never be “enough”. And I actually empathize with Cassey and her experience and that’s why I didn’t tear her down for wanting to lose weight / change her body. I think it’s very hard not to want that in this world. It’s not that someone could have it worse that you, so you shouldn’t complain. I agree that’s a horrible toxic mentality that I also have been victim to especially in the infertility world (I have felt enormous guilt even having any poor me thoughts in my struggles bc I know I am one of the “lucky ones”). It was more that I had a LOT of people DM me telling me how that content made them feel really inadequate in their own body. So I think when you’re a public youtuber, it’s about reading the room and knowing who you can confide in about these thoughts and who might be triggered. I know I do a lot more “accommodation” on my channel than the average TH-camr, but this just felt like a big proportion of the population to not consider and I think that’s part of the reason why she got push back. I was simply trying to explain that, no judgement from me. Like I said the pressure in this industry is intense, so I get it.
Loved the discussion of the differences between stomach, mouth, & emotional hungers as well as satiety vs satisfaction
tw: Eating disorder. i started watching blogilates when i was 15 and it was at that time where i wanted to lose weight bc i gained weight (for BEING A GROWING TEENAGER) and was getting picked on by my family. she has good workout videos but i will say watching her food videos were very triggering and i don’t want to completely blame her for it, but those videos did influence me to spiral me into an eating disorder. i’m 20 and have recovered since then, but she’s clearly not at peace with herself and i see every year she has a different message. not to mention i looked at her 90 day journey briefly and saw she was eating very little. i had to unsubscribe from her, she seems to glorify being skinny now and glorifies low carb/keto and i can’t stand that. it hurts to see this type of content.
Thanks for sharing your experience
I’ve been a junk food vegan for the past few years. I overeat and have very poor ability to stop eating even though I know I’m full. I’m talking eating a large pizza by myself in one sitting and being uncomfortable the rest of the night. I decided to overhaul my diet and use/eat processed foods only occasionally. I use my fitness pal to make sure I’m eating enough and getting adequate nutrition since I’m eating a whole foods plant-based diet. I also use it to help myself control my portions when I choose to eat less healthy foods, by confronting myself with numbers. This allows me to have moderation. I’ll have a few pieces of pizza and a salad to fill myself, rather than overeating the pizza to the point of being sick. I also like the “apple” test for myself. Except I say “Am I willing to prepare and eat a healthy meal or snack right now, or am I just desperate for the ramen in my cupboard because I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I brought it home?” If it’s the latter, I’ll wait for a time when I feel that I’m eating the ramen by my own free will, and not because my cravings are controlling me. So using the app gives me a sense of control over my emotional attachment to food and binge eating. I’m healthier and happier than I’ve been in a long time.
Tl;dr:
My fitness pal stops me from binge eating and allows me practice moderation by putting the numbers in front of me.
I'm glad that works for you!
This is like my own story too.
This also works for me. Keeping track of my eating helps control my attachment to food and helps me be accountable for what I eat. It makes me so happy to know that I am in control of my body and not that my emotions and cravings control me.
She is preaching that she’s healthy and she really isn’t. I loved her and supported her but I had to get her off my feed. It was toxic and triggering my eating disorder
Same there(
Yep! Same here. She yoyos so much that I can't handle her videos.
Completely agree, her message is so confusing. If she wants to cater to people who want to loose weight then that’s fine but it’s the fact that she passes it off as “loving her body” that draws in people trying to recover or suffering from disordered eating and can be incredibly triggering.
@@Mwriggles I had to unfollow when the diet talk started too.
If you watch to the end I discuss how I think she is a big confusing in her messaging as I just am not sure she has honed it for herself yet
I think if losing weight to be healthy that's the best thing you can do for yourself. I accept I am very overweight at this moment but I want my body not to have diabetes, hearthproblems, jointpains and feel tired all the time and so I am taking care of myself so my body can be healthy. I love my body so much I want the best for it. For me striving to be the healthiest you can be is the ultimate form of body positivity.
Glad that works for you
I want to add that cassey is basically yoyo dieting, always steadily gaining back her weight, then freaking out, then losing it through another diet. It’s her constantly fighting her own set weight point. It’s sad to watch publicly because she preaches completely opposing messages depending on how she feels in her own body in a given time. One of her videos is “why I will NEVER diet again” and another video is how she went on a water diet, or how she went on a keto diet, etc. it’s an issue because I see this as essentially, orthorexia. I think she hasn’t handled a LOT of her personal/psychological/emotional issues and prejudices, which ED recovery goes into a LOT, even after weight is restored. Her mental fears and anxieties around her body and around food are really apparent in her videos. Everything is exterior/image/“health” (unfounded) based and I think although she may have more or less physically recovered from her competitive days she never went through the psychological ED recovery process which is honestly the most difficult and lengthy part...
Edit also add to this which was the thing that made me unsubscribe was her stubborn defensiveness about this. She is setting an example to hundreds of thousands of girls who are now going to see this as behavior normal and in fact, healthy. I got pulled into disordered eating behaviors back when I used her app with the diet plans at 19...I’m really glad you used your platform to point this out because honesty it’s just really important for people to see. I recommend the book “Anti-Diet” for anyone who wants to learn more on diet culture and it’s many sneaky forms.
Thank you for sharing
your views about Cassey aligned exactly with mine. When i was in college, I was getting concerned over my weight because of the infamous “freshman 15”. I came across Cassey’s 90 day challenge and saw her results (from a body type like mine to a muscular, thigh gap insta model body type). I was envious of her numbers and unconsciously compared myself to her because she had once had a body that looked like mine. In addition, she looked so happy with how she looks and I wanted the same confidence for myself. I tried her diet plan she shared to her audience on google slides, and did 50 min of workouts everyday for 2 weeks. I found myself starving and weak every single day and was gaining weight faster than I did before. I eventually realized that what I was doing was messing up my hormones and hunger signals so I summoned the courage to stop before I did anymore damage, sacrificing my goal of having a model body. Weeks after my diet failure, I felt hungry all the time and felt like I could eat 2-3 times what I used to eat.
Looking back, I can’t believe Cassey was able to pull this off for so long and allegedly not experience concerning symptoms. I should’ve educated myself on Cassey’s credentials in nutrition and exercise instead of focusing on her results. I’ve never had an eating disorder before, but I think, judging from my vulnerability back then, if I had continued the diet and ignored my body’s needs, I would have been on the path to one.
I understand that Cassey never wanted to be a “body positive” role model in the first place. but I think she needs to realize that with TH-cam fame comes great responsibility. Whether she likes it or not, her continuation of her FITNESS AND HEALTH channel will influence vulnerable, young minded people. it’s in her power to protect her audience from accidentally becoming orthorexic from her problematic tips. I get she’s coming from a good place in her heart with her videos and blogs, but I just wish she was more careful in what she’s putting out there to the world.
And for all these reasons, I unfollowed her channel and blocked out all of her other social medias because I can’t help but remember what I did to myself trying to copy her low calorie and high intense exercise routine whenever I see her. Since then, I discovered a new role model, Stephanie Buttermore, a woman who is not only physically strong, but is honest on her channel. Through Stephanie's advice on her videos, I am slowly learning to accept how my body is the way it is.
You've worded this very well. I cannot agree more. Also I'm very glad that body set weight/range is becoming a thing in people's discussions.
I'm so sorry you had to go through this! I used to watch her "cheap, clean eats" uploads and it's very clear in retrospect that they were very restrictive and "diety". Her newer foods seem a little bit more well-rounded but they're still pretty restrictive and low-carb etc. It's just odd.
This is why there's a big difference between body positivity and body acceptance.
Body positivity can still come from a toxic place, and it gives the pressure of "I have to love myself or else...".
Yeah... I'm really not sure about Cassie. I struggled with eating disorders for years but I'm much better now, but I now have this feeling when someone's attitude towards food is ambiguous, and to me Cassie's definitely is. If you want to feel the best you've ever felt, and decide to eat clean and exercise to feel good, it's great . But when you do it to reach a specific number, with the firm intention to see numbers go down on the scale, and if you are ready to suppress certain foods in order to do it, I think you're no longer listening to your body, your needs, and striving to be healthy. When you're fighting against "plateaus" because you want to see the numbers go down, when you were not that big to begin with and when your weight isn't a threat to your health, there's an issue. Plus I don't think Cassie has ever been body positive. I remember this video she made years ago about women guessing each others weight and when she was telling them "you're obese","you're overweight" according to BMI index, that was definitely not cool.
I'm currently counting macros because I've been lifting for years with very little results. so I finally found a dietician to help me and wow. after 4-5 months my body has changed so much, and the only thing I changed was counting my macros. nothing crazy either. moderate carbs and higher fat to keep me satisfied cause I have binging tendencies. and I have had issues in the past with food and body image. I totally agree that counting has actually taken the pressure off of food for me. It seems weird to some people and its hard to explain but it feels like I don't have to obsess and stress over what I'm eating. its helping me for the time being :) but I can see how for others it wouldn't be healthy. and the goal is to be better with intuitive eating in the future
Glad that is working for you
I love how conscious you are of things that could be triggering! Definitely subscribing
Thank you!
Just commenting my opinion on the title: Yes you can be body positivity and lose weight because body positivity is subjective. You can totally love yourself and strive to lose weight if that’s you think YOUR body needs regardless of other people’s opinions 😬
Thank you for sharing!
The part about not necessarily experiencing metabolic damage during the diet but after is SO true. You really don't know how much you effed up your digestive system and hormones until you start to live normally again. I wish this info was more widespread. Thank you for sharing it!
Glad it was helpful
Thank you for bringing up FODMAP's and those of us who are medically diagnosed with a bloating problem that interferes severely with our daily lives (IBS, SIBO, etc.). I really love Cassey but when I saw her "de-bloat" video I realized that those foods were actually foods that could be triggering for a lot of people, myself included. I also think there is a big difference between "bloating" and "distension" that often isn't talked about, and people use the term bloating interchangeably with distension when they aren't the same thing.
Seriously Abbey- thank you for these videos!!! You helped me develop a healthy relationship with food after years of disordered eating and an inpatient program. Thank you for the work you do!!!:)
I'm so glad!
Cassey is the most wonderful TH-cam trainer I've ever seen. I love her to death. She makes people happy and even more motivated. She's like a best friend.
Hi Abbey! Would love for you to consider reviewing Abby Pollock! Thanks for all your hard work and for always providing science-backed information!
I'll have a look!
@@AbbeysKitchen thanks so much! I'm interested in purchasing her nutrition and training guides but I wanted a second opinion on her nutrition and I trust your nutrition advice :)
I would love this too. And she seems to go back and forth on what she says works and then updates those same videos with something else that actually works. I had to unsubscribe bc the mixed messages aren’t helpful to me.
i think her workouts are good and fun, but her dietary advice has always been meh
i just feel like no matter which way you slice it you can't win. i can love and celebrate many body types on different people and not love that on myself. i don't want to look like a stick thin model, i don't want to be overweight, i want to be the healthiest and best version of myself that i can be. why is that not ok?
Because judgement is the name of the game. The ones who claim to be so accepting are the most judgemental.
I’m so excited to see your take on this.
Hope it is helpful!
I love Blogilates and this is something I’ve been thinking about myself while interacting with her videos. Interested in hearing your take!
Glad it was helpful!
for me, I find that calorie counting is necessary because I have ADHD, and my self-regulation as far as food goes can get pretty interesting at times. once I started counting calories everything calmed down and I was able to start getting all of the nutrition that I was lacking.
I've been following her for years and I really love her but there have definitely been moments I've cringed on her social media. I kind of wish she didn't mention food at all honestly because what works for her doesn't work for all of her followers and it feels implied sometimes that if you want to look like her you should not only workout with her but eat like her. A few years ago she sold her workout plans with meal plans including grocery lists etc. I know she means well, but man every time I start really following her workouts again, while I love them, I find myself getting really flustered about food and eating way more restrictively than I normally would.
yeah i definitely know the feeling :| if you haven’t heard of her already, you should definitely check out natacha océane! she’s such a strong and inspiring woman and she eats intuitively! her relaxed and healthy attitude towards food, exercise and her own body have had such a positive impact on my daily life and habits :) and she really motivates me to get stronger and more active just for fun instead of focusing solely on appearance! x
I definitely feel this too! I thought I was alone on this, but it really does feel like I have to be extra careful, no matter how much I like those workout videos.
Agreed
I also agree with this and sadly had to unsub her as I was just sick of the diet foods and captions of all her TH-cam community posts surrounding food. I loved her workouts but found the later too triggering and annoying
She recently restarted her sold diet plans! It's like seeing former ED Cassey all over again and it's sad :( Plus it's just not a good idea. Like they're pretty low-carb and cut out all legumes and grains... like what? Just because they make her bloated doesn't mean she should promote that eating for others. Those don't ever make me bloated and they're amazing sources of fiber, protein, and complex carbs.
Me craving a banana: ?!
The banana test: iM CoNfuSeD !?!?
For me personally, I am on a weight loss journey to make my body feel healthier and happier. I've found that my body appreciation and acceptance is a slippery slope and it would be much more detrimental to my health if I followed a really restrictive diet and weight cycle that I will loose my body appreciation. So I try to follow a diet plan that is satisfying and works for me that I think I could keep up for my whole life. It means I may not loose weight overnight but I will do it in a healthy way that works for me
That’s great
((TW; eating disorder))
I've been a fan of Cassies for about a year or so but recently, I've been looking at some of her content a little bit more and while I like her workouts, im not really into her messaging. my ED has made a resurgence in a different way than before (right now its food guilt and symptoms of orthorexia) and her content hasn't really helped in any way. I find myself getting more frustrated with her content even though I know her heart is in the right place, and I hope she finds a way to get her message across in a more efficient and helpful way :)
Thank you for sharing your experience
Same here. Been following her on and off since 2015 , leaving for the same reasons but coming back because she is really inviting and encouraging. I like her but in small doses for the sake of my ongoing Ed recovery. Her messages can be a little mixed sometimes- perhaps not mixed for everyone! but for perfectionist brains that are usually affiliated with eds, it can be a slippery slope
@@chloep4500 I love how you said "in doses" because that's just what personally supports your recovery journey.
I've personally chosen to follow a particular personal trainer in doses because her calorie counting emphasis doesn't quite support my predisposition to orthorexic tendencies.
I always love to say that, "loving myself doesn't have to be an act of violence against others." So disagreeing with a particular person's approach and taking care of myself doesn't have to mean they're "bad/evil" people out to ruin me.
Just wanted to thank you and share a little bit.
The body positivity movement is really ironic. Because the entire message is: "my weight and body does not define me. it does not change how you should treat me". But, the entire community seems to be specifically focused on peoples weight, body shape, and relationship with food. As oppose to not commenting on it like they often encourage.
I’m so glad you covered this and how perfectly timed for myself! I have followed Casey for years and even in my younger days bought her meal plan for weight loss a shirt too I think! However, I found myself getting more and more frustrated and triggered at each community post on her TH-cam surrounding food, I just felt such a disconnect between her workout videos which made me feel good, and her food posts which causes a lot of panic etc. Really sad but such is life! Thanks for covering this, I always look forward to your videos!!
So glad it was helpful!
it might sound crazy but calorie counting was probably the main thing that helped me recover from my eating disorder after 8 years... literally saved my life; however I am well aware that it does not work for everyone but for me it made me feel EXTREMELY less obsessive.In my case, I NEEDED to be in control of my own recovery and I have never been happier with my relationship with food.
I have always been very chubby since I was a child, but I had to go on a diet and I was told the quick intermittent. I follow the tips from this channel and have been on the diet for almost 4 months and lost 73.9 lbs. Thanks for the videos!
So glad it was helpful!
Congrats!!!
That’s amazing… how did you get to intuitive eat and loose weight? Would love yo know if that’s okay.
The issue I have with Cassie’s content is language like “waist whittling”, “tank top arms”, or “thigh slimming” in her workout videos. It seems like she uses these buzzwords to attract views even though it completely betrays her body positive claims. I’m sorry, I can very well wear a tank top whether or not my arms are “toned” and to say that only an arm that looks like hers is allowed to wear a tank top is the complete opposite of body positivity.
Agreed
I'm not saying it's not problematic language, but she has often addressed the reason for these titles during her mid-workout chats. She says that titles with words like "sexy" and "bikini body" generate more clicks and get way more views. From there, she says that she can try to convince people to appreciate themselves a bit more, once they hear the content of the video (though this is debatable). It's just a reflection of how TH-camrs have to take advantage of the algorithm and what people type into the search engine.
I’ve never watched her but she sounds like she uses clickbait for fitness. After seeing this I know I’ll never watch her bc it’d only trigger negativity I work so hard to avoid.
Calorie counting has been helping me a lot as I'm trying to gain weight. I didn't realize how much my medication was messing with my appetite, so calorie tracking gives me a better idea of how much I'm eating.
This is awesome Abbey. Your understanding of this is so mature now. And thanks for not shaming this TH-camr for where she’s at on her own journey
Thank you 🙏🏻
I love how you approach everything with such respect, kindness and balance while being educational at the same time!
Could you please do a video on prolonged fasting (24hours - 72 hours)?
Thank you so much! I'll have a look
You're brave!!! Please keep this going. We need more influencers like you.
I wish she didn’t do diet content. She could just be what she is which is a Pilates instructor. She’s not a dietitian, she doesn’t eat enough, and I honestly think she looks for validation in her followers. She wants everyone to be aware that she’s skinny while they may not be...
🙁
As someone who is in the process of becoming a Pilates instructor and works part time at a studio, Pilates has completely reframed the way I view exercise because it’s not driven my aesthetics, at least in my experience it hasn’t been. It’s about using the exercise to support your body as it moves through daily life. Her videos are SO focused on “targeting” certain parts of the body, weight loss, etc. Some people like it but it’s inconsistent with the way I’ve always viewed Pilates :(
@@ellay2715 If I remember correctly, she did start her videos out of pure enjoyment of pilates. She was going through a rough time and exercise was her escape. Slowly, she started to focus more and more on food and nutrition and it didn't sit right with me. Then, she seemed obsessed with losing weight and that's when I completely lost track of her channel. I used to like her precisely because she wasn't crazy about calories or weighing herself. idk she was body goals for me back then.
Cassey definitely aided me in the eating disorder several years ago. Her message did not work for me. I've found a balance now with influence from Natacha Oceane and Whitney Simmons. 1300 calories are just not enough for me to function!
Yaass love them both, blogilates oooousez diet culture
1300 is the recommended calorie count for TODDLERS. No wonder that, as grown women, we feel terrible on that 🤦♀️
Thank you for sharing your experience
i love love LOVE natacha so much
Same! I think she is shares some responsibility for creating disordered eating for a LOT of people. She used to have a meal plan on her website that amounted to 1200 calories (which she has deleted now). But as a teenager it made me think that was normal. She never apologized.
I liked this video because you broke down and explored the facts. You didn't try to assume or guess at what was really going on behind the scenes with Cassey. You were objective and neutral. Everything you said made sense, and you made very good points. I wish more people would handle their evaluations of others like this. Good job!
It is so comforting to hear you say how your opinion may evolve as you are learning and being exposed to new information, this if such a growth positive idea, we are all growing and learning and it needs to be normalized/socially accepted
All bodies are worthy bodies! I need that on a tee or something because I remember there being backlash for loving a smaller body when I had one and now struggle with my body at a larger size due to psych meds
Thanks for sharing your experience
Body positivity is working with my body to be happy and healthy instead of battling it to do something/look different. My body is an ally not an obstacle.
👍👍
I remember a video Cassey made years ago about what I eat in a day , it was so little food, I was so confused, I was myself starting with my ED and I felt bad because I was eating "too much" and I even said to myself that if I wanted to be skinny I should cut more and more calories and eat like her. HUGE MISTAKE. That was the beginning of one of the most horrendous years of my life. She was the one who motivated me to move more I love her exercises and ,she was the one who makes me smile during training. I mean, I love her and I don't know what's on her mind right now. I've followed her for years and I know she's been struggling as well, I really hope she gets to a better place where she makes peace with food and her self image. I don't listen to her advices anymore, but I keep exercising with her. Thanks fo the video, Abbey.
Thank you for sharing your experience
This is such a great and thorough analysis of the topic, Abbey. It shows how our understanding of the concept is evolving. I'm sure the pressure is way more on influencers/public figures but I hope with the attention that they get, they can educate themselves and their followers too (of course, we should all be supportive on their journey too). Body positivity & health at every size is so important but it will take some time to unlearn all the toxic messages from diet culture. Love your videos, as always!
Thank you for sharing. So glad it is helpful!
On the topic of daily weigh ins and tracking calories/tracking data in general - I have actually suffered from body dismorphia and mild bulemia in the past. I needed a lot of time to grow and find my way around food and body positivity, but I am currently the happiest/least stressed out I have ever been in my entire life, and I am tracking macros and weighing in daily for the first time in my entire life. It's actually so freeing for me to do this now, and I've never felt more balanced. Because now, I see that especially for females, weight literally fluctuates SO MUCH. Weighing myself every day has been such a useful tool in tracking my cycles, my fertility, and just being in tune with my own biology. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone by any means, but I also think that if we stop being a slave to numbers, the numbers can be super duper helpful. Just my own experience.
I went through a spell of daily weighing and it served its purpose but the SECOND I started getting frustrated with the fluctuations, I scaled back. (Lol, see what I did there?)
Glad that works for you