She has recently given birth to twins, and already Marcia Cross has traded her postpartum cargo pants for slim-fitting trousers. How? “Spanx, honey!” says Cross with a laugh.

In fact, she has gone from her peak pregnancy weight of 190 lbs. to 137 lbs. today — just 12 lbs. away from her pre-baby size.

She exercises, she says, “a little bit every day,” either using the workout DVD BravaBody or going to Burn 60, an L.A.-area fitness center for 30 minutes of treadmill time and 30 minutes of strength training.

As for dieting, “I have to eat because I have to make milk for two. But I’m not eating cookies and candy and all of that, just protein and vegetables. It’s really about eating healthy.”

Cross — who is also promoting Olay’s free skin-cancer screening program with the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery — isn’t thinking about beach season so much as Housewives‘ season 4, which starts taping in July. “I’m definitely aware that I have to get into shape in a month and a half.”

Yes, but she does have a little cushion: Her character, Bree, is sporting a pregnancy bump that, Cross says thankfully, “I get to unstrap at the end of the day.” [via]