Celebrities, and women in general, are under tons of pressure to keep their weight down, even when having a baby. For many women, that isn’t a reality—Katherine Heigl included. “I had hoped to only gain 25 to 30 pounds like my mother during her pregnancies, but found that just wasn’t possible for me,” Heigl wrote on her blog Heavenly Days.
Although Heigl isn’t at her goal weight yet, she shared in a post how she has lost 50 pounds thanks to some mental exercises and healthy habits. After all, she believes the process shouldn’t be a struggle. “Instead of weight loss being a terrible, frustrating burden and battle, it’s become more of a lifestyle of healthy choices I make to show my body the love it deserves.”
You May Also Like: This Is the ONE Move That Gets Jennifer Lopez’s Legs and Butt So Toned
The first thing she did was change her relationship with food. After years of counting calories and depriving herself of certain foods and complete food categories, she realized she was setting an unreasonable weight goal for herself. “None of those things ever really worked for me and only fostered an unhealthy, resentful relationship with my body, an attitude that I do not want to pass on to my daughters,” she wrote.
With that being said, Heigl still points out the importance of mindful eating during her weight-loss journey. Because she doesn’t do high-impact workouts that burn a lot of calories, she eats low-calorie meals. This includes things like smoothies, oatmeal and creamy cucumber soup.
When it comes to working out, Heigl explains she doesn’t really enjoy high-intensity workouts. Instead, she does things like hiking and yoga, which are better for her body type. She devotes at least three days to exercising.
You May Also Like: Britney Spears Shows Off Her Workout Moves That Keep Her In Killer Shape
Another surprising piece of advice she shared was the importance of sleep. She gets at least eight hours of sleep every night. “Yeah I realize that’s a little hard to believe with a six-month-old and all, but it’s the truth,” she jokes. Sleep for weight loss is definitely something we can get on board with.
All in all, what’s her best weight-loss advice? “Start every morning by saying out loud a positive mantra of your choice about your body.” Her mantra is, “I am easily, with good health, inspiration, grace and gratitude losing weight faster than I can even imagine with harm to none.”