I remember when Ciara first came on the scene and how much people talked about her body back then. To my eyes, little has really changed. Yes, she’s gone through two pregnancies and worked to “get her body back” both times, but the muscle memory is real with Ciara. She’s always been so athletic-looking, which basically the kind of curves-to-muscle ratio that most women want for themselves. But to hear Ciara tell it, she was 20 pounds heavier in her early days as a singer and she had to learn, over time, how to take better care of her body. Some highlights from this People Magazine interview:
Her early days: “When I first started in my career, I weighed 20 lbs. more than I weigh now. That was the first time I got introduced to eating five small meals a day to impact my workout.”
Eating small meals: The “Level Up” singer, who brought her personal trainer, Decker Davis, to the Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival in Santa Monica on July 20, says that eating small meals still works for her today, nearly 15 years later. “When you’re eating small meals, your body starts to function like a well-oiled machine. You’re using the restroom regularly so your body is really on clock.”
Her secret is drinking a lot of water: “I literally drink a gallon and a half a day. It’s amazing how you can work out hard all day, but if you don’t eat right you won’t see the results you want to see and if you don’t drink that water you won’t get the results as fast as you want to get them.”
Her current workout: “It’s a combination of plyometrics (jump training), cardiovascular work, and also weight lifting all in one kind of thing. It’s a full on circuit that allows me to hit every target area.” She admits that her workouts get more “intense” when husband Wilson joins in: “It’s … what I like to call ‘good love competition.’ We motivate each other and it’s really fun.”
I think of all the diets celebrities talk about, I could probably get down with “five small meals a day.” I’m not great at food-withholding and I’m terrible at food elimination or any kind of strict diet. But eating smaller portions five times a day? I could probably do that. For a time. I do prefer to just eat light throughout the day and then have “one big meal” (usually an early dinner) though. What else? Ciara is right about water. People always say “blah blah you should drink a lot of water” but you really do notice a difference with your skin, your body and your workouts when you’re properly hydrated.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
