The “heavenly” body has graced the runways yearly and has served as an inspiration (albeit object of jealousy) for many moms who can’t seem to get back in shape after having babies.
But there’s both good news and bad news.
The bad news? Your body won’t go back to the way it used to be. But the good news? It gets even better.
“Your body will never go back to exactly what it was before pregnancy, whatever people tell you. It can’t,” the mother of two tells Net-a-Porter’s The Edit. “But I think I have a better body now than before I had kids. It’s partly because I work out, whereas before I didn’t, but also to do with the shape—it just looks more formed now and I feel better about it than I did.”
The Brazilian supermodel also shed light on how her hometown absolutely “worships” curves.
“It comes from that carnival culture, where women will parade around barely wearing a thing—just a tiny bikini, G-string or feathers,” she shares about Brazilian culture. “Every woman’s body is spectacular there, not because it’s perfect but because they’re loving life. It’s never been about having a Barbie-like physique in Brazil but having the right curves, whatever your proportions or size.”
How did she get her body runway ready after giving birth the first time?
She does confess, though, that she went on an extreme diet before hitting the Victoria’s Secret runway again in 2008 after giving birth:
“After having Anja I only had three months to lose all the weight before doing the 2008 Victoria’s Secret show and I was on this 1,200-calorie-a-day meal-delivery service that I hated. I couldn’t do that again.”
Alessandra rocked the Victoria’s Secret fashion show in 2008, mere months after giving birth! (photo: NY Daily News)
As you can imagine, prepping for the most anticipated lingerie fashion show which is broadcast all across the world is beyond stressful. And Alessandra herself attests to this intense pressure: “There’s so much pressure on us all—not just in terms of shape—and the energy gets sucked out of you, so my favorite thing to do afterwards is dance all night long,” reveals the Brazilian beauty.
And she didn’t grow up with a habit of exercising, either: “In my family, no one ever worked out. It wasn’t until I did my first Victoria’s Secret show that I started exercising…now that it’s a healthy, normal part of my daily routine.”
For moms looking to copy her diet regimen, here’s her secret: everything in moderation but she eats “something different every day”.
And, she doesn’t deprive herself when she’s back in her home country: “Obviously I try not to splurge on pasta, but if I’m back in Brazil where everything is pasta- or bread-based—and so yummy—I’ll eat whatever I want, then go back to lots of salads and chicken or fish with veg as soon as I’m back in L.A.”
She indulges in sweets and alcohol but confesses that whenever she starts to diet, “everything goes downhill”.
“So if I want a little bite of dark chocolate on a plane or a cocktail with friends on the weekend, I’ll have it,” she affirms. “In fact, I’ll drink a glass of red wine with dinner most nights, and two or three times a week I’ll have a cup of tea and a cupcake with Anja, who’s as obsessed with red velvet as I am. My son [three-year-old Noah] will just pick the icing off the top.”
READ: What Kim Kardashian actually eats to lose the baby weight
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!
