Kasia Rain is a motivational fitness and lifestyle coach and author. She developed the FOGA Fitness method and The Model Body Workout. Her book series, Healthy & Simple with Kasia Rain, is a guide to nutrition guide for people making the transition to staying fit and healthy.
We talked to Kasia recently about her own battle with eating disorders as a teenager and her own journey to a fit and healthy lifestyle.
MM EDU: Tell us about your background; where you’re from, what you do and why.
Kasia Rain: I’m half Danish, half Polish but I live in Holland. I travel a lot, often to places like London, Paris, Barcelona and Ibiza. I’m a motivational fitness and lifestyle coach, which means I not only help people reaching their physical goals but also teach them on how to take care of their health and emotional well being. I love showing people how changing your lifestyle to a healthy and balanced one can improve the quality of their life. I love my job, I love helping people and this is why I’m doing it, it’s my true passion.
MM EDU: What inspired you to become a motivational fitness and lifestyle coach?
Kasia Rain: I have always loved sports but as a teenager I struggled with insecurities while growing up which caused me to develop an eating disorder but because I have always had a strong character I took my life back and found myself again. While working on myself I gained a lot of experience in the health field and just kept developing myself to get to know as much as possible about the human body and psyche. I feel like it’s my mission to share it now with others and not only to get people healthy but also to protect them from landing on the wrong path while working on their body.
MM EDU: What keeps you motivated to keep training and eating right?
Kasia Rain: I have to say I don’t really feel like I have to motivate myself, I just don’t know any different, it’s my lifestyle and the feeling of being full of energy and just feeling good, healthy and happy is the biggest motivation. Also the fact that I can motivate others gives me even more energy and motivation for what I do.
MM EDU: Tell us about the Model Body Workout. What makes it unique?
Kasia Rain: The Model Body Workout comes originally from my FOGA Fitness method (Fitness + Yoga) and has been adjusted specially to help models achieve the “Model Body” type. A physique that is long and lean without strongly visible muscle and “bulk” effects. It’s a fun workout that consists of cardio, strength, balance and flexibility training. Some of the beginner moves are to in my first Model Body Workout DVD but the whole training method is available as live classes and online live streaming via my website.
The Model Body Workout helps models become more aware of their bodies, improve movement and pose more gracefully.
MM EDU: What are the main benefits of this workout?
Kasia Rain: It helps get your body long and lean but also improves your balance and flexibility which is very important for the runway and during the photo shoots. It helps models become more aware of their bodies, improve movement and pose more gracefully. Because of the yoga and breathing elements it also helps to improve your inner feeling, it opens any possible energy blockades in the body leaving the person feeling calm and positive.
MM EDU: Is it primarily for agency/fashion models?
Kasia Rain: The Model Body Workout is for agency/fashion models and freelance models working in the following genres:
- Fashion/Runway
- Lingerie/Swimwear
- Commercial
- Glamour
It can also work great for fashion models who pose for sports apparel. But a typical fitness model/athlete has a different fitness regime, it’s more focused on strength training, mainly weight lifting and interval training, their goal is to develop strong visible muscle, which is not the case when it comes to agency models.
MM EDU: Do you have any tips for models who want to get into fitness modeling?
Kasia Rain: First of all it’s important for a model to understand that there is a difference in the nutrition and workout regime of a fitness model compared to a fashion model. If you want to become a fitness model you should get the assistance from a professional trainer and nutritionist to help you set the plan on how to achieve the right type of physique. It takes a lot of discipline and motivation and your fitness regime should be your full time job. If becoming a successful fitness model is your goal use the will to succeed as your daily motivation.
The number one mistake: Crash Diets! Extreme is just not good, there are no short cuts. Balance is the answer.
MM EDU: What common training mistakes have you made or can you help people avoid making?
Kasia Rain: In my teenage years, when I struggled with insecurities and eating disorders, I made many mistakes such as over training my body and under eating. The most common mistake people make is following extreme diets or following the diet and fitness regime of professional athletes forgetting that their lifestyle is their job and it’s a full time activity that can be very unhealthy and unrealistic to achieve for a “normal” person with the day job and responsibilities. When it comes to models I often come across girls who just did the wrong type of training making them gain too much muscle or not being able to achieve the right body type at all. Also nutrition is very often a big issue, they just stop eating or follow crazy, extreme crash diets they find on the Internet which often leaves them feeling tried, depressed and not being able to achieve their goal. This is why it’s so important that the young models get the right information about training and nutrition.
The number one mistake: Crash Diets! Extreme is just not good, there are no short cuts. Balance is the answer.
MM EDU: You mentioned nutrition and obviously that plays a vital part in your program. Tell us about your cookbook.
Kasia Rain: I have noticed that many people struggle most with the nutrition when working on their body goals. They think that healthy food is often complicated, difficult, takes a long time to prepare and taste horrible, so they don’t even start. I do understand that after seeing so many cookbooks where the recipes are amazing but just by looking at the ingredients list I can imagine that someone who knows completely nothing about health might get discouraged.
I wanted to create something that is very simple and this is how the “Healthy & Simple with Kasia Rain” cookbook series was born. It’s a book for everybody and for every day use. The recipes are not as fancy as in most cookbooks but they are very simple, take little time to prepare but yet still delicious. It’s a good start for someone who wants to change their lifestyle but doesn’t necessarily look to become a top chef. It can really help someone to get their first step on their healthy journey.
MM EDU: Did you create the recipes?
Kasia Rain: Yes! I love food, I love cooking and I always choose doing food groceries over shoe shopping. I love testing new things and creating easy and healthy meals.
MM EDU: What’s your favorite healthy food?
Kasia Rain: Oh gosh so hard to choose…I really love healthy food, the list would be too long. One of my favorites is scallops and steamed asparagus. I also love buckwheat pancakes.
MM EDU: What about cheat foods?
Kasia Rain: Chocolate! I really love pure chocolate, so it’s still kind of healthy. My favorite are chocolate covered inca berries. Yum!
I believe in balance and creating a healthy lifestyle based on the person self because everybody is so different! You need to create a lifestyle that you can keep forever, so diets that focus on extreme restricting of calories, removing sudden macro nutritients completely out of you diet can be hard to stick with and even damaging.
MM EDU: What are your thoughts of niche diet approaches, like the Paleo Diet, Adkins Diet, etc?
Kasia Rain: I’m not a fan of any type of diets, I believe in balance and creating a healthy lifestyle based on the person self because everybody is so different! You need to create a lifestyle that you can keep forever, so diets that focus on extreme restricting of calories, removing sudden macro nutritients completely out of you diet can be hard to stick with and even damaging. I do have to say that in some cases it’s smart to remove things like gluten and dairy or even soy from your diet, but that’s only in cases like thyroid problems, adrenal fatigue or other hormonal imbalances. I myself have thyroid disease and there for I have studied a lot about the hormonal system. I treat it completely naturally with just the help of healthy food, lifestyle and natural vitamins. Also the Paleo diet can have positive effects on auto immune diseases but as I said other than that I don’t think it’s needed to focus on diets when you just wish to get fit and healthy, it might cause unnecessary obsessions or damage your body.
MM EDU: Do you take and recommend supplements? If so, what’s your current supplement plan?
Kasia Rain: As I mentioned, I have a thyroid disease and live a very active lifestyle so I do take vitamins and minerals daily such as: Vitamin C, D, Krill Oil, Selenium, Zink, Magnesium and adaptogens mix to keep my adrenals healthy. I also use Sunwarrior Natural Blend protein powder in my morning porridge and sometimes in smoothies. It’s a great protein because it’s completely clean from chemicals, milk, sweeteners, GMO’s, etc. Other than that I don’t take any fitness supplements, I just eat very healthy.
MM EDU: What are your favorite activities and hobbies outside the gym or working out?
Kasia Rain: I love reading books, anything to do with spirituality, human psyche, human body and mind. Of course I also like to go out with friends every now and then and just have good dance.
MM EDU: What’s the highlight of your career?
Of course all the experiences I have had the chance to work on have something special but I have to say that training Loiza Lamers, the first transgender model in the world to win the “Next Top Model,” is definitely one of my most memorable experiences. I helped her achieve and maintain her model body. Through our months of training for her carrier I also got to know her and her inspiring story, she is a great model and person. I’m still training her and we have become a really good friends. I’m so proud when I see her on the cover of magazines and walking down the runway.
I wish to help as many people as possible by showing them how a healthy way of living can improve their life, not only physically but most of all personally, mentally and emotionally.
MM EDU: Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years?
Kasia Rain: I wish to help as many people as possible by showing them how a healthy way of living can improve their life, not only physically but most of all personally, mentally and emotionally. My mission is to help people find their balance and protect them from extreme and negative ways of dieting. I work on so many great projects right now and in 5 years from now I wish to make the movement so big that it will reach as many people possible, from young models to everyday housewives.
MM EDU: What three tips would you give to models that want to get fit?
Kasia Rain:
- Use your dream of becoming a successful model as your motivation to get in shape, don’t see it as a punishment that you have to live healthy but as a necessary tool to achieve your dream career.
- Work hard and be disciplined but remember that your health is the most important thing, so don’t take any drastic or extreme measures and instead learn to create a healthy, balanced lifestyle for yourself.
- Don’t let negative people discourage you or sabotage your dreams by distracting your motivation and focus to work on yourself. When your friends are busy partying and eating fast foods don’t feel like you are missing out. Stay focused on your lifestyle because at the end of all the hard work you could possibly get the chance to be on the billboards and travel the world working for the biggest designers and brands.
MM EDU: How can models contact and follow you?
Kasia Rain: Connect with me via my website and social media. I would love to hear from you and give you as much advice possible. Also this year from 3 to 10th September I’m organizing The Model Body Workout retreat on Ibiza, it’s a 7-day vacation where all existing as well as starting models will get to know everything about the right training, nutrition and lifestyle, as well as having lots of fun partying and discovering the beautiful island of Ibiza. That’s a great opportunity for models to get to know me and my methods.
Stay up to date with all of my upcoming projects which will help YOU achieve and maintain your perfect model body and stay healthy and happy!
Website: www.kasiarainfitness.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kasiarainfitness
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kasiarainfitness
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rain_Kasia
Snapchat: kasiarainfit
MM EDU: Anything else you’d like to add?
Kasia Rain: Whatever you do, never forget to enjoy every moment of your journey. We are designed to be happy!
