Anna Kaiser

“You cut up a piece of fruit, peel it, put it on a dish, and top it with something fun, and it feels like a real snack, instead of just walking down the street while peeling an orange and eating it: you're not actually taking a minute to enjoy that snack.”

“Just because your body is losing inches doesn't mean you're losing weight or vice versa. It's not about the weight: it's about building lean muscle, which is going to increase your metabolism and then allow you to lose weight quicker.”

“The side plank and plank jumping jacks are all really great; just be sure to hold that naval to the spine as hard as you can. As for reps, do as many as you can and try for more on your next workout. If you can only do five on Tuesday, make sure you do six or seven on Wednesday. The only rule? Never go back to five! Always continue pushing forward.”

“One meal option is a piece of poached chicken the size of your fist with a green salad sprinkled with lemon juice, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and celery. Another is a cup and a half of quinoa with minced veggies, all cooked at once so the quinoa absorbs the nutrients.”

“Some great soups are filling and warm. So, at the four o'clock hour, when people are craving caffeine and a cookie, soup is a really great option because it fills you up and feels like a meal, so it can keep you going until dinner, but it's not hugely caloric.”

“Workouts, for me, are more about stress relief and having more energy to do the things I need to do. That's a much healthier way of approaching exercise. All of those other things will come if you commit to it. It really is about being a happy person.”

“I wake up in the morning and drink my Essentia water first. I keep a liter by my bed. If I get up in the middle of the night, I can just grab it. I try to drink a liter before 10 A.M. The water rehydrates me after sleeping for eight hours.”

“Your core is the center of your entire body - everything else is an extension - so you want to make sure you're strong in your entire core and not just part of it.”

“Soup is really easy to make: you can take basil, celery, acorn squash and boil them and then put them in the blender with sea salt. It's delicious and only takes about 15 minutes. You can make it the night before. It's kind of like making baby puree, and there are a ton of super easy recipes.”

“I knew that my career in dance would come to an end at some point, and transitioning into a career in fitness was a natural progression.”

“Soreness is not something you should always look for. It's good once in a while: it means you are pushing back on plateaus. But just because you aren't sore doesn't mean you aren't working hard.”

“Our skin is the largest organ and one of the ways we eliminate waste.”

“If you want to see your abs, you have to lose fat. I want to be sure there are no misconceptions that specific abs exercises will give you abs! I work with the core. Think about your abs and back working together to support your spine - that will give you an amazing physique!”

“From a lifestyle standpoint, for every workout that you do, give yourself $5 to buy a piece of clothing to inspire your next workout.”

“A heart rate monitor is very important because every day is different. Sometimes you may have a ton of energy, and other days you may not, but you can hold yourself accountable for knowing how hard you're working by having a very specific goal to work toward.”

“I will make a ton of meat and fish and poultry on Sunday and then again on Wednesday. It's not always easy to get protein if you don't prepare in advance.”

“Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to caffeine during pregnancy. I work full time, and with the extreme exhaustion pregnancy brings, I need a little boost a couple of times a day. On days when I can't stomach coffee, green tea has also proven to be very helpful and soothing.”

“Pregnancy has been a huge lesson in patience and in allowing myself to be open to whatever the day may hand me.”

“Fashion is really our armor in the world.”

“I love working out at AKT. I will jump into one of my instructor's classes, hold a secret session with friends, or jam it out with my team, five days per week, 60-90 minutes each day.”