It Took Blake Lively 14 Months to Shed Her Pregnancy Pounds: Here’s How She Did It
Actress Blake Lively got super real this week on social media about losing those pregnancy pounds.
Posting a photo of herself alongside her trainer, Don Saladino, on Instagram, the “Gossip Girl” alum wrote, “Turns out, you can’t lose the 61 lbs you gained during pregnancy by just scrolling through Instragram. Thanks @donsaladino for kickin’ my A double S into shape. 10 months to gain, 14 months to lose. Feeling very proud.”
Lively, who gave birth to her second daughter in September 2016, proves that no one — not even celebs — can instantly bounce back to their pre-pregnancy weight.
Curious how the actress got her post-baby bod? Saladino revealed all in a recent interview with E! and the good news is Lively’s workout and healthy eating regime is as real as she is.
She Didn’t Diet
Saladino and Lively were adamant about indulging in whole and delicious foods over a restrictive diet.
“I believe that food is medicine. I believe that we can still get a substantial amount of calories, proteins, carbs and fats to feed the body and become a fat burning furnace,” he told E! “That’s what we did with Blake. We did not put Blake on any crazy, strict diet. That’s not who she is. That’s not what she wants people to think she is. She enjoys eating delicious foods just like anyone else.”
Not only do studies prove restrictive diets don’t work, but they could also potentially deplete your body of much-needed nutrients, which you need especially after giving birth.
She Treated Herself
When it came to eating, Lively believed in everything in moderation — including cookies and pasta.
“She was on set, traveling, raising two kids. She doesn’t eat the same food every day,” Saladino said. “She tries to focus on good quality food. If she’s eating pasta, it’s a good quality pasta. If she’s eating cookies, its good quality cookies. She tries to avoid process foods, and junk foods…She focuses on things in moderation and doesn’t deprive herself of a dessert if she’s at a party.”
As any new mom can understand, your schedule needs to be flexible, which means you might not be able to eat 100% healthy or what you want to eat all the time. Allowing yourself a break, including the occasional treat, will help you feel less deprived while also catching yourself a much-needed break.
She Was Consistent With Workouts
Consistency is key to any fitness program, especially if you’re trying to lose weight, which is why Saladino had Lively in the gym four to five days a week for a mix of resistance training and steady state cardio.
“Certain days, we worked for an hour, and other days they only had 20-30 minutes because she’s on a tough schedule with her kids. Other days, she had to hit it on her own.”
Effort and intensity are worth nothing without consistency. Going hardcore during a sweat session sporadically not only increases your risk of injury, but it also just doesn’t get results. By staying consistent with your workouts, you will see the greatest improvements.
She Was Realistic
It took Lively 14 months to lose the weight because that’s the time it took. According to Saladino, the actress was realistic about her weight loss goals and didn’t expect to drop the weight fast.
“There was never really a goal weight,” Saladino said. “She just said, ‘Listen this is the process, this is what we need to be doing and I have to enjoy it. I don’t want to put a lot of pressure on myself. I’m going to have good days and bad days and lets just let the process happen.’ It took 14 months. I’m not saying it has to happen in 14 months, it just took her 14 months.”
Bottom Line
Lively’s body is back in shape because she did the work and let her body lead the way instead of forcing it to change by a limited timeline.
As Saladino said, “When it came down to her losing weight in a short amount of time, that wasn’t something we wanted to do. We knew if we could take our time and really focus more on how her clothes fit her rather than the scale. That’s the same approach I take with everyone. I don’t like quick fixes. Blake and I wish that people would be more realistic.”
By focusing on eating nutritious and delicious meals and doing a regular workout routine, you too can be like Lively. Minus Ryan Reynolds, unfortunately.
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