Just a few months after giving birth, Keri Russell, who says that she is naturally thin, managed to quickly lose weight and she also found creative ways to stay physically active.
Here is an excerpt from her recent interview with Self in which she sheds some light on her diet and workout approach.
What was the secret to getting your body back so quickly? “I stayed really physical during my pregnancy. I stuck to my normal prepregnancy workout, minus the stomach exercises and twisting. I really felt it helped my whole well-being. Ideally, I’d do pilates, usually on the reformer, for an hour every other day.
And I walked almost every morning in this hilly park near our apartment. I did two laps, or 20 minutes, at a pretty good clip, arms pumping, the whole deal. The nerdy mom walk! I really felt pretty strong and energized until maybe that last month, and I felt great about my growing body. C’mon, I had boobs for the first time! Awesome!”
Have you lost all the baby weight already? “I think I gained around 25 pounds. I haven’t lost it all, but I feel good about the way I look. Things are definitely less toned now. Hello, flabby butt! However, I do feel good about my shoulders and arms. All that baby lifting and carrying leaves you with some pretty toned upper arms.”
Have you started working out again? “I don’t really have time for the workouts I did pre-baby, but I do walk everywhere. Not my focused power walk but a general, all-day, park-coffee shop-laundromat-grocery store-subway stairs walk, all while carrying a baby.
Babies seem small, but I gotta tell ya, they get heavy after an hour! And I still try to take a private pilates class once a week. I do see some general toning. I’d see more results if I could make it more than once a week, but you know….”
Have you changed your diet at all? “It’s hard to sit down and make a perfectly healthy meal with a baby who needs constant attention, so for breakfast, I put him in the sling and walk to the coffee shop, where I get eggs, toast and salad. At home, I just wolf down whatever I can find while he’s sleeping.
So it’s like, ‘What do we have? Cereal! And tuna fish! Great!’ Or I’ll eat last night’s leftover Middle Eastern takeout, cold. I’m breast-feeding, so I try to eat something other than brownies all day. I attempt to incorporate healthy stuff. I take vitamins, and, thankfully, I actually started liking vegetables a couple of years ago.”
How do you keep a positive body image? “Look, I’m naturally thin, so I don’t have to work too hard at it. I love food, but I also love to work out. I think it makes everything work better. But I also think surrounding yourself with people who are cool helps. I have really great girlfriends, and no one’s too hung up about that stuff.” [via]