Ep 48| Tools to Help You Ditch Diet Culture with Cassie Riley Part 2

 

Kim Strobel 00:03 

Hello, everyone. So last episode, we heard from my cousin and a certified integrative nutrition health coach Cassie Riley, who was really talking to us about why we need to rethink what we've been led to believe around diet culture, as well as how we can start to have meals that keep us satisfied and satiated, which I love that word we were discussing the 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal, and the 10 to 30 grams of healthy fats and the five to 15 grams of fiber. So if you have not listened to part one, one, you are going to want to go back and listen. So I want to go further with this topic. Cassie, I want to know, because on the last episode, I felt like you really covered some basic things and some myths that we've been led to believe. But you, you have this idea. Okay, first of all, you don't recommend counting calories. And I kind of kind of love that and I want to know more about it. 

Cassie Riley 01:12 

C 

Okay. I do not recommend counting calories or weighing our food on a scale. Because how does an app on your phone know how hungry you are? How does an app know what your daily movement looked like for the day? You know, how does it know what type of job you have? Are you living a sedentary lifestyle? Or are you a nurse? Are you on your feet all day long? Are you in front of a computer? How many times are you hitting the gym? So I think that it is really important to ditch the my fitness pals out there. 

Kim Strobel 01:48 

And I just need to say a hallelujah to that. Because girlfriends, were all downloading those apps. And you're like, I got so stressed out that when I added that app, I deleted it the same day, because I'd already hit my calorie count by like 1pm, which completely depressed me. And so I deleted that. So I love you even more for saying that. But keep going. 

Cassie Riley 02:10 

C 

Yeah, I mean, who wants to have to log every time you take a bite of food or Guess how you know, okay, was that a fourth of a cup or a half of a cup or whatever I mean, it just becomes so mentally exhausting. And again, it is not a sustainable way to lose weight. Because you cannot use My Fitness Pal forever. I mean, I guess you could, but nobody in their right mind would want to do that. So I think that it is very important to forget everything you've ever thought you knew or felt about diet, diet culture, you know, what people have taught you in the past and start from scratch, and learn how to really eat intuitively. And that can be really difficult for some people, but you have to take a step back and take baby steps towards that because it is very, very important to let your hormones work the way that they are meant to work. So tell you when they are hungry tell you when you are starting to get full, you know, not only making a meal, because the time on the clock says it's time to eat. So those things like really, really honing in and listening to your body and what it needs and how the things are making you feel. 

Kim Strobel 03:32 

And I love this idea of eating intuitively and listening to what your body is telling you. It needs. No more of like, I just have to feel these belly pains for the next three hours. Because my thing says I'm not allowed to eat again, like that is just and Cassie tell us why. Like we actually sabotage our bodies when we do these crazy things where we limit ourselves to a small calorie count like what why do we don't we almost make it harder to lose weight going forward? Tell us about that. 

Cassie Riley 04:08 

C 

Yeah. So first and foremost, you're totally demolishing your metabolism in the way that it's supposed to work. So people think eating this way is helping them lose weight, but what they're really doing is they're lowering their metabolic flexibility. So then, you know, if your body is only used to 1000 calories a day, you're going to get to a point where you can never lose weight again, or you have to only be eating 500 calories a day, which is not sustainable. So that's kind of where like that metabolism really comes into play in my program because we work on boosting that metabolism and creating that flexibility in your metabolism so that you know you can have the cookie and not gained five pounds. You can go on vacation and really Enjoy your vacation in moderation, let's say but enjoy your vacation and not come back and say, Oh my gosh, I just gained 10 pounds on vacation like, so you we work towards that metabolic flexibility? 

Kim Strobel 05:13 

Well, and I think that that's why I'm so intrigued by your approach because I'm, I'm thinking of a couple of things. First of all, like, I'm the only girlfriend out of my whole girlfriend group that has really never, ever done like a diet. Now, I will admit, I've done that silly AdvoCare detox for 20 days, but usually by day three, I'm eating everything I'm not supposed to eat, because I've already failed at that. Right. So I actually, am I correct in hearing you say that Kim's approach, even though it's not great that I'm used to this probably really high calorie count. And I've told you I combat that by all the exercise, which I understand is a problem and doesn't work either. But perhaps my approach to never dieting personally, myself is actually better than some of my friends who have constantly for the last 20 years are there every six months, they're doing some kind of drastic diet. So my metabolism might actually I'm trying to make myself feel better here, Cassie, my metabolism may be functioning better, because I've never completely restricted myself. 

Cassie Riley 06:18 

C 

Absolutely. I think so. Because I think it goes back to, to also like people who are dieting and restricting they're placing all this extra stress on their bodies that's not necessary. And stress is causing inflammation, which we talked about in part one. And when you're inflamed and constantly stress and cortisol goes through the roof, fat loss and weight loss is going to be put on the backburner again. So yeah, you're a pro. 

Kim Strobel 06:46 

But I want to read it to all of my listeners, who are, we're all guilty of this, like 95%, or whatever the stats are of women in particular, do the fad diets. And if you remember from session one, a fad diet is like Weight Watchers or NutriSystem, or the biggest loser or the no carb diet or the keto diet. These are fad diets and what you're actually doing, even though you might lose the weight for 30 days, you're actually hijacking your own metabolic system, that's going to make it even harder for you going forward, I really want to make sure that we're understanding that. Now. The other thing that I really like about your approach Cassie is so I do feel like I have this. So I've always been upset with myself because my eating habits are very poor, even though they are greatly improved from a few years ago, they're still not the best. And I can just feel inside of me like I want, I want to feel more satisfied. I don't want to get up and just eat the chips and shove them in my mouth so that I can curb my craving and then feel hungry again an hour later. And then I'm back in the pantry looking for something. So there is something inside of me that is speaking to me to like feed my body better, because I really think like not just from a looks wise, but I think I will feel better because I know my husband and I do this crazy thing. We're starting on Thursday nights. So I try to stay away from cooks and cakes and cupcakes and all of that Monday through Thursday. And I'm just going to say like it is this is this is my mentality. Come Thursday night, I started getting like the cakes out of the freezer that I frozen or the cookies. And then my husband and I tell ourselves from Thursday to Sunday, we're just going to gorge he's going to eat out every meal, whatever we want, and we're going to eat all the snacks. But every Sunday, he and I are like, Oh my God, we feel so bad. Like we just why did we do this to ourselves again. And so it's like it's not working? Right? Right. 

Cassie Riley 08:54 

C 

Yeah. It's like this cycle of like, you're restricting. And you're putting in all this hard work Monday through Thursday. And then every weekend, you know, not saying you but like, 

09:05 

Yeah, no, it's true, though. Yeah. 

Cassie Riley 09:07 

C 

Yeah. And so and I think that goes back a little bit to the restriction. So when you don't allow yourself to have something you think about it all the time, constantly. 

Kim Strobel 09:18 

Yeah, like if you tell me I can't have chocolate cake. I want it more than ever. Exactly, exactly. 

Cassie Riley 09:23 

C 

So what I think about is like, when you have this craving for a cookie, allow yourself to have the cookie even if it's a Tuesday night, you know you're not used to that, but like, throw all these food rules out the window. 

Kim Strobel 09:38 

Well, what if I'm used to when I eat cookies, I eat like eight cookies, Cassie so how do I handle that? 

Cassie Riley 09:44 

C 

So I think it goes back to the blood sugar again, when you are balancing your blood sugar and you're managing that blood sugar keeping it under control throughout the day. You might not necessarily want the eight cookies because Because one or two might make you feel satisfied. So, and when you're not restricting for so many days in a row, and you're just allowing yourself here and there to have it, then, you know, you might not just go so out of control when you when you do have it over the weekend. 

Kim Strobel 10:19 

So what you're saying is if you as a, as my coach can get me, my system back on track, like where I'm actually controlling my blood sugar that my cravings might even go down. 

Cassie Riley 10:33 

C 

Yeah, and that's the goal, too, with managing that blood sugar, increasing the metabolic rate. Over time, those cravings are just going to go away, you know, and I see this a lot to people that start programs is they have three meals a day, and they they're like, I still need my morning snack, and I still need my afternoon snack. Well, what they find is when they start following these recipes for these well balanced meals, they don't need that morning snack anymore. And eventually, they're just like, I don't need this, you know, and I just I see it like, it just they just stop eating chili. And so the same thing happens with like 

your nightly cravings and things like that, when you're managing that blood sugar. And your body is saying, I'm drawing like a straight line here, instead of like constantly that blood sugars, like climbing over a mountain after mountain, then it's going to be easier for you to keep those cravings under control. And then you can enjoy those sweet treats here. And again, maybe at special events, or like for an anniversary, or whatever, whatever it is, or maybe it's just a Tuesday night because you want the cookie. But I with time you won't want to eat cookies, because you'll again, you'll feel so good. 

Kim Strobel 11:45 

Yes. And that's the other approach. Like you're not like, you know, I even saw something you sent me where it's like, hey, of course, you can still have your, your glass of wine on the weekends, or you can have your your whatever it is like, you don't have to take alcohol out. You don't have to take never eating pies or cookies or cakes. You don't have to take that out of your diet. But getting yourself to a place where you're not eating as much of that or you're not craving as much of it. But I love that you're not going to tell me Kim, in order to do this, you're going to need to completely get rid of all sugar in your house. Like I would be like, well, that's just not going to happen. Cassie, I just sorry. 

Cassie Riley 12:25 

C 

It's unrealistic in the world that we live in now. 

Kim Strobel 12:28 

Yes, yes. Okay, so tell us then how Okay, well, we were talking about you don't do calories. There's this other thing that you and I love this about YouTube, Cassie, I have major scale anxiety, like I never ever, ever want to get on the scale. And then I have again, I have people in my life who are getting on it every single day like I weigh myself every day. So your philosophy says ditch the scale? 

12:55 

Yeah, I 

12:56 

want to know about that. 

Cassie Riley 12:58 

C 

The scale is due to people. So as women, women, especially your body weight is going to naturally fluctuate. Depending on your time of month, where your hormones are at during the month, how much water you're drinking, are you hydrated or not? Or are you dehydrated? Even something like working out, you know, you do a big strength building session and maybe that next day, your muscles are a little bit inflamed because they're rebuilding and growing, that could even cause you to, you know, gain a couple of pounds. So 

Kim Strobel 13:35 

okay, I'm gonna stop you because I'm going to tell you right now, depending on the during the month, or what I've eaten, I can fluctuate, like almost five pounds. Yeah. Like on a weekly basis. It's like, Oh, I didn't really just lose five pounds in one week, because I didn't change anything. It's just that whatever, I'm at a certain point in my cycle, or I hydrated really well or whatever. So I love that you're saying that keep going. 

Cassie Riley 13:59 

C 

Okay, so another thing that's really important to think about, let's talk about cortisol stress. So when you go to step up on that scale, automatically, those cortisol levels are spiking, because you're thinking, is that number going to go up hasn't gone down has it maintained. So you're already stressing about it, right? And guess what, that stress causes low grade inflammation. If you see a number that morning on the scale, that's maybe up a couple of ounces, which is no big deal. But to us, it's like, oh, my gosh, all my hard work out the window, and then you're stressed about that number all day long and you become obsessed with that number. So that's another reason why I don't like the scale. You also have to think about weight loss being completely different from fat loss, right. So, weight loss is looked at like kind of like waterways, like you're losing water weight. Fat Loss is a little bit different. It's like it's a little bit more specific, but our generic scales that we buy don't really measure fat loss. So if you're working out a ton, and you're eating super healthy, and you're building muscle and losing fat, that scale might not change so much. But if you look in the mirror, you're like, dang, are you looking at it before and after picture, your body composition might be changing, which is great. That's, you know, that's the goal here, you can be dropping dress sizes. But maybe that number on a scale doesn't fluctuate or change that much. And that's totally fine. Because the people around you are saying, dang, you look great. Oh, my gosh, you look like you've lost weight. So you know that something is working right? 

Kim Strobel 15:48 

You were telling me about a client that you have. Tell us about that, that this actually happened to because she basically weighs the same as she did when she started your program. Tell us about that scenario. 

Cassie Riley 15:59 

C 

Yeah. So we started very slowly, with introducing these well balanced meals into her diet. She works out like a boss, she loves the gym, she's doing hot yoga, weight training, walking, all the good things. But in the beginning, she was getting very discouraged, because that number on the scale was not changing. But she did progress photos every 30 days. And when you look at month one compared to month three, I mean, it's like holy moly, there, she looks like a different person, and even feels like a different person, you can tell by the smile on her face in those progress photos, you know, that smile gets bigger and bigger and bigger. So, but she's guilt, she's building so much muscle and losing so much fat, and that body composition is changing. And she's losing dress sizes, all great things. And the people around her are noticing. So that's why I say I'll say, who cares about the scale and cares about the number on the scale, measure your energy levels take before and after pictures or progress photos, you know, think about how your clothes are fitting you Those are the important things to I think measure. 

Kim Strobel 17:15 

And I think it just like I feel relief when I hear you say that I really do because I'm someone who I've always been more muscular built. So everybody's always shocked when I like I've always weighed way more than other people. But I feel like you know, sometimes my dress 

size isn't that far off from somebody else. But like, I've always kind of felt guilty because I'm always I always weigh like 20 pounds more than a lot of people that are you know, and I think it's just body composition is very different. And I love just getting away from that god awful number that drives us insane. Yeah, that feels really good to me. Okay, so how can we help the fire mill Cassie? And what does that mean? Like, how can we help defy a meal? Yeah. 

Cassie Riley 18:04 

C 

So there's a few things here. And I say healthify I don't think that's a word, but we like it. So we use it. Um, but I think about making really small tweaks to your meals. And not necessarily ever taking things away but adding things in. So can you add more plant foods, and I'm talking fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, which a lot of people are 

scared of because it's a starchy carb and people are scared of carbs that whole grains are so good for you. They provide your body with energy. So 

Kim Strobel 18:43 

what are whole grains? Cassie? I don't even know what would I buy this whole grain other than bread? 

Cassie Riley 18:48 

C 

So whole grains would be like keen, wah, brown or white rice, oats like oatmeal. Okay, yeah, so that would be like a whole grain. So you make these small tweaks to your meals. And I really like to think about it as being really plant focused. And there's a difference here between plant focused and plant based, I would never tell someone that they need to go be a vegetarian, or they need to be a pescatarian or whatever. But when you focus on getting more plants in your diet, you are naturally and effortlessly crowding out the junk food. So you are adding more fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains to your plate. And eventually you don't want the eight cupcakes anymore because you don't need them because you feel full and satisfied. And so like small tweaks, like I would say, you know, it can be changing out the brand that you're buying of something so maybe you look for a better alternative to the peanut butter that you've been eating your whole life. 

Kim Strobel 19:57 

Oh yeah, I want you to do that example of the peanut butter because You were explaining that like the low fat version of Skippy fools you thinking that's the better choice, but it's really not. Right? Yeah. So 

Cassie Riley 20:09 

C 

when you look at these products that are labeling to be low fat, reduced fat, you know, whatever low sodium, all that they're doing is stripping that peanut butter or whatever product it is of the macronutrient, which is a healthy fat. peanuts are a source of healthy fat, which we want and like. So you're stripping that product of it's one good thing, and you're adding in junk to make up for it. So you're adding in chemicals, sodium, sugar, all of these things that are so unnecessary, you know, and all, there's so many products out there that are sneaking in all these ingredients here and there. And they're they're fooling us to believe that it's the healthier version, when in reality, it's causing that inflammation in our body. And it's a more 

Kim Strobel 21:00 

harm than good. And I know one of the things that you provide your clients with is actually like brand recommendations, you have this whole list of, you know, if you're going to buy peanut butter, this is what I recommend, or if you're going to buy the chips, this is what I recommend. And that's super helpful, because we do need to have alternative solutions for those kinds of things. And but we just don't know what to buy, because we don't know how to read labels. 

Cassie Riley 21:23 

C 

Yeah, yeah. And it's not like I'm saying never have Mexican night again, or never have pizza night again, or whatever. But think about think about that pizza, that crust, your base, what you're starting with, how can we tweak that just a little bit to make it just a 

little bit more nourishing for our bodies and, and looking at those brands out there. And there's so many cool new brands that are coming out with really nourishing products. So I like providing that for my clients because again, I don't want them to feel restricted from the things that they love. 

Kim Strobel 21:57 

Yeah, and I think that's the other thing too is as Cassie was emailing me examples of like her food plan or her recommended brands and then I immediately shot back with like, Cassie, I live in tell city we we go to, you know, Walmart a lot of times for our grocery shopping and you came back with Okay, well, I do know that Walmart's getting better. They're providing you know, this, this and this is what they're now providing. So look for those items, but also, Hey, Kim, once a month, take an hour drive to Evansville, Indiana and go to a Costco or go to Whole Foods and like stock up on some of those items there. So, you know, there's ways around this, even if we feel like we're kind of creating these mental blocks in our head of why it can't happen. There are other creative solutions. And I like that you always come back with an alternative solution. Yeah, yeah. 

Cassie Riley 22:45 

C 

There's one other thing I want to touch on very quickly. Yeah. So I actually I wish I came up with this. But I got this from the nutritionist that I worked with. And she talked about how you should make vegetables the main event on your plate. And a lot of times in the Midwest, especially, we make meat the main event, right? Oh, I steak, what sides can we put with the steak. So thinking about making vegetables or plant foods, whatever those might be the main main event 50 to 75% of your plate, and then filling the plate up with 

those other things. And I this is how I do it. But I like to look at protein animal based meat, salmon, steak, chicken, whatever, as a garnishment or condiment because, you know, a lot of times I feel that we're over consuming. It's not necessarily that the red meat is so bad for you. It's because you're eating 12 ounces of ribeye. You know, wait, so you don't you don't need that much. You don't have to cut the ribeye out, but maybe look at at me as more of a garnishment or condiment on your plate instead of the main event. 

Kim Strobel 24:00 

And so when I'm thinking about vegetables you know, how do you prepare vegetables like what's one example of because you can make vegetables unhealthy by adding too much stuff to them right? Like if I'm gonna fix broccoli or sweet potatoes or whatever, like what's a basic way for us to do that that where they taste really good Cassie, but they don't have like all this extra stuff on them. 

Cassie Riley 24:28 

C 

Yeah, I love to experiment with fresh herbs and seasonings. So when I make a big tray of vegetables, Sam doing broccoli, toss it in some avocado oil and sprinkle it with garlic powder. Maybe a little bit of onion powder. Here's one of my favorites. Sweet potatoes. Okay, okay. Cube them, toss them in an olive oil or avocado oil with cinnamon. Then put a little bit of drizzle of nut butter over the top of them like an almond butter or cashew butter. So you're getting a ton of fiber from your sweet potato, and you're also getting some healthy fats and protein from that nut butter that you're using. And the cinnamon cinnamon is also a great way to balance blood sugar. So there's if somebody tells me I don't like vegetables, I can do this program like I don't eat vegetables. You're not preparing them correctly. 

Kim Strobel 25:30 

Right? Because I think they don't true. 

Cassie Riley 25:32 

C 

They can be so good and so nourishing. And maybe there's some that like, I don't like asparagus and I don't like brussel sprouts, no matter how I make them. I don't love them. My body doesn't like them. They don't sit well with me. And that's okay. So finding the vegetables that you do love getting a variety in your diet because that's really going to help the microbe, the gut microbiome, feed the good bacteria in our guts when you're 

getting a variety of these things. But experiment, put some fresh parsley or cilantro on them. dice up some onion and jalapenos and garlic seasoning. You know, cumin, whatever. 

Kim Strobel 26:10 

So they like salt and pepper them 

Cassie Riley 26:12 

C 

Cassie? Yes. So I love fresh ground pepper. And I use sea salt and pink Himalayan salt. 

Kim Strobel 26:21 

Yes. Okay. Okay. Now, let's see, I had some questions here as I'm thinking about these things. So I love the idea of making your vegetable, the biggest proportion on your plate and I feel like I used to hate vegetables. And now I really do love them because I think my husband does a really good job of fixing them. But now I have even a couple more tips for him that I've gotten from you. So now I'm going to go with you here on this. I always like to keep things really practical. So one of the things that I was eating as a nutritious snack was cottage cheese and pineapples. I think that's a pretty nutritious snack right now. But my I was getting fresh pineapple, which is super expensive from Walmart, and then it was going bad. So then I said, Hey, Hubby, just go get the canned pineapple. Is that a bad idea? 

Cassie Riley 27:10 

C 

I do not think it's a bad idea. But it's gonna depend on the brand that you buy. So fresh is always going to be best. But we don't always have a fresh option. Or maybe it doesn't fit within our budget. And that's okay, too. But I think it's just important. Look at the ingredients on the can. 

Kim Strobel 27:28 

Is it what am I looking for Cassie? 

Cassie Riley 27:30 

C 

Is it just pineapple and water? Or are they adding pure cane syrup to it? 

Kim Strobel 27:35 

Ooh, yes, yes, yes. Yes. 

Cassie Riley 27:38 

C 

So that happens a lot with those. Like, you know, those little dole fruit cups? Yes, you ate those growing up. But I think back to those and I always wondered like, why is it so syrupy? Yeah, I haven't looked at the ingredients in a long time. But I guarantee you that there's some kind of syrup in there. That is not good. So 

Kim Strobel 27:58 

yeah, we're feeding that to our kids and thinking that's a healthy snack. Yeah, 

Cassie Riley 28:02 

C 

yeah, fruit is naturally sweet on its own. And the more fruit the more fresh fruit that you eat, the more those taste buds in your mouth will change and alter to that. So if you're really used to superduper sweet stuff, the more you slowly start to dabble and more of 

these fresh food items, those taste buds will start to change. And you'll realize eventually like, Oh my gosh, I can't even eat this fake sugar anymore because it doesn't taste good. 

Kim Strobel 28:32 

I've heard that from so many people before I I want to ask you one more question too about like the healthy fats. When we were talking about the nuts and the seeds. How do you measure those? We know how you measure your protein with the palm of your hand. How do you measure your healthy fats? 

Cassie Riley 28:48 

C 

Yeah, so I look at healthy fats as one to two servings of healthy fat. So again, I look at my hand right the palm is gonna be like your protein, I do a piece sign for my one to two servings of healthy fat just as my reminder. And then kind of like from your knuckles up to your fingertips is kind of how I measure but honestly I love tablespoons when it comes to 

like a nut butter or just a regular spoon it again it doesn't have to be perfect. One to two tablespoons of a nut butter if you're going for like some chopped up walnuts or pecans or almonds I typically use like a fourth cup for that that's good but one to two servings and just remembering that like it doesn't it does not have to be perfect right I do measure out a tablespoon one time you know what that looks like moving right 

Kim Strobel 29:44 

but I have to have some parameters because last night when I was eating my cereal and the walnuts were tasting so good in it I literally just had the whole bag and I just kept pouring more and more So yeah, I do I kind of have to have like some type of gauge my personality does need to know Yeah, I mean, that is important, 

Cassie Riley 30:01 

C 

especially with healthy fats, because they are extremely nutrient dense, but they are high calorie right? And yeah, we don't really pay attention to calories like, you could potentially overdo it. So you do want to just be mindful of those serving sizes. For sure. It's, 

Kim Strobel 30:16 

I just think every single thing you've been talking about on part one, and now part two, is, is the complete opposite of what we've all been led to. It's just blowing my mind because it makes so much sense. I don't know how we've gotten so far away from this. I mean, I know it's driven by, you know, the selling of products and all of this, but it's crazy to me to think about. It's such a common sense approach that you're using, but it's also the least approach that we've ever been taught, you know, yeah, yeah. I have a couple more questions for you. All right, what is the number one thing you can do to have a healthier relationship with food? 

Cassie Riley 31:00 

C 

Okay, so there's two things here, actually. Okay, I want to hear that two things. So number one, I think it is about practicing gratitude, being super thankful for the food on your plate for that food, because it is going to nourish your body, mind and soul. And just being thankful that that you have the opportunity to go to the grocery store, pick out your food, pick what you want for dinner, you know, most of us do have that opportunity. So being really thankful for that. And I think too, it goes back to that, like thinking about how that food makes you feel? Not how you look, is this food going to make me look skinny? No, is 

this food going to make me feel confident, make me feel sexy, make me feel more energized. So really thinking about your food choices and how they make you feel because that food that you are consuming is feeding your cells and your cells make up your body on the most micro level, right? And cells turn into tissues and tissues into organs and organs into whole systems. So really being mindful of like, is this 100 calories of Doritos going to make me feel good? Or should I reach for the 100 calories of this delicious, you know, roasted garlicky broccoli that is going to really feed my soul in my mind and, you know, physically going to allow me to go throughout my day and do what I need? Yes, 

Kim Strobel 32:37 

yes, I love that. And again, you know, going back to your Instagram, which her Instagram, everyone is b b e underscore new created. And I'll drop that in the show notes. But I have to admit, like watching your like you make food looks so beautiful and so good like you want. I mean, I just think that you've convinced me that these things that I thought could never tastes good, actually can taste good. And then they can feel good as you ingest them into your body. And then you can feel good even a couple hours later. So I have one last question for you. You know, I'm a huge exerciser. And I think my mentality has been just keep exercising and upping your exercise, Kim, because you don't want to get control of your eating habits. You don't want to change anything. So instead of running 30 miles a week, we're going to now run 40 miles a week. And we're going to add spin class in there once a week. And we're going to walk with the husband 16 miles a week and like I am the no exercise guru. And I think over the years, I've just told myself, this is the way to combat that which I know that it is not I actually do know that I also have to change my eating habits. But is there a type of exercise that is best for fat loss? 

Cassie Riley 33:51 

C 

Yes. So I'm going to start with this first. The exercise that is best for fat loss is going to be an exercise that you enjoy, right? So one that you are super excited about because you are going you know, to a group class that with all your friends, it's a welcoming environment, you're going to release those happy endorphins, you're going to feel good while you're in there, you're going to work harder, you're going to push yourself a little bit stronger. So starting with that, find something that you're excited about, because we've all done this probably but I've had memberships before I would sit in my car in the parking lot and cry because I'm like, I don't want to go in I don't want to do this. Why did I sign up for this class. And now if I cancel, they're gonna charge me. So finding things that you enjoy. 

Kim Strobel 34:42 

Now I'm going to stop right there because I think that is so important. Because when I tell people I'm a runner, I think that people then are like, oh, wow, I need to start running and they all convince themselves that they want to be runners and I'm like, if you do want to become a runner, I know that You can, but I think it's about choosing the exercise that you are excited about, just like you said. So for me, I know it sounds, people listening are going to be like, seriously, Kim, but Cassie, I get so excited to run every morning like, I'm like, I get to put my tennis shoes on, I get to leash my dogs up. Like, I just, I just feel so good. Like, I love running. But we're not saying everybody has to love running, you just have to find something that you enjoy. And then if you can find it, it's not going to be it's going to become part of your identity and who you are. 

Cassie Riley 35:32 

C 

Yeah, exactly. So I also have to pair that with something else though, too. Because when you think about fat loss, in order to lose more fat at resting state, you need more muscle, you need to build muscle. So let's talk a little bit about the steady state cardio, which would be like long distance running or something like that versus strength training sessions. Strength training is going to help you build muscle. And it is super important to build that muscle so that we can lose more fat more effortlessly. But strength training can look like so many different things, you know, power, vinyasa, yoga, Pilates Barre class, maybe you have a personal trainer and you lift weights, it doesn't it also doesn't have to be something super strenuous, you know, or hardcore. It doesn't have to be CrossFit, I would actually like not recommend CrossFit. But it can be something that's low impact, but something that is going to help you build more muscle. And when you're building that muscle, you're going to be able to lose more fat. So if someone like you really loves to run, keep doing what you love. But I would recommend adding in two to three strength training sessions, and find a strength training that you like that you enjoy. And there's so many options now to like with apps and online and things that you can do from home. It doesn't have to necessarily be something expensive that you have to pay for and go to, you know, a couple times a week and be something that you do from your living room, but even bodyweight exercises. 

Kim Strobel 37:07 

I'm laughing because here's my strength training program. Are you ready? 

37:11 

Yes, 

Kim Strobel 37:12 

I hope this counts. But I think it's probably not going to count. Every after every round. I do 25 boy push ups. 

Cassie Riley 37:19 

C 

I love it. I love it. You know what you should do? You can add this to it. You can pick up one of your puppies and do squats with your puppies. 

Kim Strobel 37:28 

Okay, so 25 squats with my pup and my push up. See, I have to make this manageable. Yeah. 

37:37 

Good. Yeah. 

Kim Strobel 37:38 

Well, I think like, you know, I'm like, I know, it's not like going to a gym and doing the way it's like, I don't have time for that. I just need to like, as soon as I get into my run, I go in the bathroom, I strip off my clothes. And I immediately go down and do my pushup. And then I'm done. You know? Yeah, there you go. Got some squats? Maybe? 

Cassie Riley 37:54 

C 

Yeah, there's a workout that you can just get it on YouTube. It's free. It's called the seven minute workout. And I can send you a link to it. 

Kim Strobel 38:02 

me the link and we'll drop it in the show notes. 

Cassie Riley 38:05 

C 

Yeah, and it is scientifically proven to help build strength. And it's bodyweight exercises, you know, you don't need any equipment, a chair. That's it, oh, and, and a floor or yoga mat, if you want to do it on a yoga mat. But it's really awesome. And a lot of these practitioners that I follow a lot of them have been talking about, especially during quarantine when we couldn't go anywhere and people do something super, you know, quick and effective. Because they're working out by yourself at home, it's very hard to do something for 45 minutes or an hour. 

Kim Strobel 38:38 

Okay, we'll drop that too. All right. So I think that after we've done a couple of sessions, there's probably people who are like, I think I need Cassie in my life. And so I know that you offer coaching programs where you actually work with people anywhere from one month to three months, on really how to adopt a healthy lifestyle. And that includes meal 

plans and grocery shopping lists and coaching sessions from you. What is the best way if somebody is wanting to reach out and maybe ask you what that entails that they could get ahold of you Cassie? 

Cassie Riley 39:13 

C 

Yeah, so they can send me a direct message on my Instagram page. It's B underscore nutrition created. Or they can shoot me an email and my email is B duck [email protected]. Yeah, and I would love that from there. We I booked discovery calls with everybody. It's a free intro session to just figure out what your goals are, how I can help them. And from there we build a specific wellness plan to get them started on their journey and testing. 

Kim Strobel 39:45 

I think I'm calling it being new treated. It's being new tritiated 

39:51 

hard to say because it's made up. 

Kim Strobel 39:53 

I like it though. I like it. So much for sharing your best tips. Cassie, I really appreciate you being here. These last Two Sessions. 

Cassie Riley 40:01 

C 

Yeah, of course. Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed the time with you.