Yesterday Beyonce Knowles celebrated her 31st birthday! After the birth of her baby girl Blue Ivy in January, it looks like this new mom is developing a healthy new outlook on diet and fitness. Reportedly Beyonce gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy. A combination of breastfeeding, healthy eating and exercise got her back to her pre-pregnancy weight within just a few months.
In the past, Beyonce used more drastic methods of slimming down for onscreen roles and appearances. For her role in DreamGirls, the superstar famously used 14-day Master Cleanse to drop 20 lbs quick. However, now this healthy mom says she wouldn’t recommend it. Beyonce says “I did it to lose weight really fast, but it wasn’t fun. There are healthier ways to lose weight—I wouldn’t recommend it.”
So what was the post-baby workout plan that got her back to svelte and sexy within just a couple of months of giving birth? What does she do to maintain her fit and curvy figure?Read on for Beyonce’s advice to new moms on how to lose the baby weight and keep it off!
Be Realistic: Despite her previous experience with the Master Cleanse, Beyonce knows that there’s no quick fix to health and fitness. There’s no magical diet that will slim her down – it takes real work! A starvation-style plan like a Master Cleanse might result in quick weight loss, but it will be very temporary. So what’s the trick to being able to take off the weight permanently?? Says Beyonce, “You have to push yourself. It doesn’t matter what trainer you have. And it doesn’t matter what program you’re on. You have to be healthy and make the right choices.”
Go Fast and Furious: Following her post-pregnancy weight loss, rumors circulated that said Beyonce was working out two times per day. But Bey scoffed at that saying, “Absolutely not: I’m a new mother; I don’t have time for that!” Like most of us women, Beyonce has a crazy schedule. To make the most of her workouts, she does short, but super effective training sessions. For cardio, Beyonce does interval training, alternating between sprinting and running on a treadmill to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. For strength training, Bey’s trainer Marcos Borges has her focus on combination moves which work on several muscle groups at one time. Strength training is super important for all women and in particular new moms. Burning off calories with cardio isn’t enough. It’s the lean and toned shape that we all desire – and to get that we need to build strong muscle. For most women that have recently given birth, abdominal muscles have also weakened over the past 9 months. As you’re performing your strength training and cardio exercise, be sure to pull in your abdomen to begin to build the internal ab muscles once again.
Sneak In Fitness Breaks: Beyonce is a busy woman, but she finds time to fit in a minute or two of calorie burning moves like lunges, squats or the plank. Jumping rope or performing skater lunges for a minute or two will also get your heart rate up and rev up your metabolism. If you’re a new mom, don’t forget that you can exercise with baby too! Do a couple of squats with your baby strapped to you in the Baby Bjorn. Take brisk walks with the stroller outside or in the mall.
Eat Reasonably: When it came to diet, Beyonce knew she had to keep it healthy for both she and Blue Ivy’s sake. No post-pregnancy Master Cleanse for her! Since Beyonce breast fed baby Blue for 10 weeks, she had to eat healthfully. She avoided processed foods and tried to stick to vegetables and grilled meat. For a breastfeeding diet, most doctors recommend lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, legumes, lean dairy and whole grains. This is the same healthy diet that will help you lose weight whether you’re a new mom or you simply want to get in shape.
There’s plenty to admire about Beyonce’s post-baby weight loss success. In fact, her plan was pretty similar to what we recommend to our women on Team Athlean! In Athlean-XX for Women you’ll find no cleanses, no calorie restriction and no counting. Busy women, and especially new moms, just don’t have time to mess with all that. The plan is simple – eat healthy and eat frequently! We recommend 5 – 6 times per day to keep your metabolism burning. As for exercise, we agree wholeheartedly with Beyonce! Our Athlean-XX for Women fitness plan is comprised of challenging 30 minute daily workouts. You’ll use combo moves like Beyonce does to get your cardio and strength training in at the same time! Whether you’re a new mom looking to lose the baby weight, or just a regular gal wanting to improve her fitness, Athlean-XX for Women will get you in amazing shape in just 90 days!