In a recent interview with Shape magazine, here is what LeAnn Rimes has revealed about her diet and workout.
LeAnn Rimes is a true-blue Southern girl. So it goes without saying that she loves to indulge in classic comfort foods. “I never deprive myself, and nothing is off-limits,” she admits. “But I’m a health nut, too, so I try to keep my diet in check.”
To satisfy her taste buds, LeAnn and her husband Dean, who she admits is the real gourmet in the family, have come up with yummy alternatives to her favorite high-fat foods.
They transform dishes like tacos and fried chicken with mashed potatoes into calorie-friendly versions such as turkey taco salads and grilled chicken with sautéed spinach and garlic. “We cook everything in olive oil, or we grill it,” says LeAnn.
“We love to toss veggies like asparagus and broccoli on the grill and then shake on Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning for extra flavor.” Another favorite is LeAnn’s healthy grilled-cheese sandwiches.
“But rather than regular American cheese on white bread, I use lowfat cheddar on two slices of Ezekiel bread [a flourless, seeded and sprouted grain bread] cooked in canola-oil spray,” she explains. “It tastes as good as the original!”
One of the most difficult aspects of a musician’s job is going on tour. Fast food (often fried), no time or place to exercise, and a grueling concert schedule all take their toll. Even at her young age, LeAnn was constantly struggling with fatigue. “I’m 5’5″, and I weighed about 127 pounds, so I really didn’t need to lose weight,” she says.
“But I wanted to get stronger and gain endurance so I could be better on stage and perform up to the level that my fans expect.” Dean, a former dancer, encouraged her to add more cardio to her workout in order to boost her stamina. “But I get distracted easily when it comes to the treadmill and can’t stand to be on it for longer than a mile at a time,” she explains.
Her solution? She hired Nashville personal trainer Daon Johnson to help her sneak in cardio. A few times a week she does a nonstop 50-minute weight-lifting workout, with one- to two-minute cardio bursts on the treadmill between sets.
“It keeps my heart rate up, and I never get bored,” she says. “I also do yoga regularly [check out LeAnn Rimes’ yoga workout routine], and my husband and I walk our dogs a few miles whenever we can.
As a result, I’ve toned up, gotten much stronger, and, I’m proud to say, I can bench-press my own body weight! [emphases added] I have so much more energy now, and I’ve never felt healthier.” She should be proud; some of the guys I know can only “bench-press” a bucket of KFC. [via]