Mariah Carey has lost nearly 30 pounds in the last seven months by eating a plain diet of soup and fish, following a strict workout plan and – most importantly – by not stressing about how her body looks.
Mariah revealed that her secret to shedding the pounds is a “bleak diet.” Mariah, who stands at 5 feet 9 inches and weighs an estimated 135 pounds, said she doesn’t want to be skinny but she isn’t satisfied with her body and will continue to work on slimming down.
“I still feel like I have a ways to go, but it is what it is,” said Mariah. “I don’t feel like you have to be a size zero. It does feel good when you get into a nice size three and you’re like, it feels big in here.’ We should all embrace who we are physically.”
Helping Mariah stay in shape for the past eight years has been her personal trainer Patricia Gay, who Mariah flies in for special one-on-one sessions. Mariah has struggled to keep her weight stable in the past. “She was up and down, up and down, but she is the perfect weight now,” Patricia says.
“The big difference is the food. She loves pasta and bread, but now she eats more fruits and vegetables – and she loves it. She also gets more protein now. She knows exactly what she has to eat to feel good as a singer and to feel good in her mind and body.”
When it comes to working out, Mariah’s regime varies because she works so much, explains Patricia. Mariah’s workout sessions last between 90 minutes and two hours, sometimes three to four times a week.
“If she is serious about the food, then she doesn’t have to work out that much,” says Patricia. “Right before she has a show or wants to wear a special dress, I know to push her a bit. We work out specific muscles through Pilates.
We work out the butt, sometimes using weights and stretching. Mariah will make an arch, a bridge with her back, and lift her butt off the ground; sometimes she squeezes a ball in between her legs – this works out the inner thighs and part of the butt.”
Patricia adds that Mariah’s healthy mind is helping her maintain a healthy body. “She wants to feel good in her body.” she says. Marian decided to get in shape in recent months after her clothes didn’t fit right.
“I didn’t feel like I had gained weight, but when I tried on these shorts that I’d had for many years… And now they fit again – they’re actually kind of big.” Mariah adds, “It feels good. It does. For me, it’s about embracing everybody at what weight they’re supposed to be. I’m not supposed to be a stick-figure girl. It’s not me.”
Mariah says that sometimes her personal trainer Patricia can be “very strict.” “…If I want a little snack, I know if Patricia’s in the kitchen, she’s going to give me something really bleak to eat, so I don’t even bother going downstairs.
I just send somebody else to get something for me and sneak it up!” says Mariah. Patricia responds, “I know when I can push her, but I am not military.” Mariah added, “I’m not eating ice cream or fattening stuff. I like flavor in my life. I don’t just want chicken stock and zucchini and carrots and call it a day. Patricia will also give me fish and chicken.” [via]