Ali Larter lost her 45 pregnancy pounds the old-fashioned way: by watching what she ate, committing to a consistent exercise routine, and allowing herself time to lose the weight. The cover girl for the September issue of Health tells the magazine she's not one of those stars for whom losing the baby weight was quick and easy.
"A lot of women say that they breast-feed and the pounds come right off,'' the actress told the mag. "But for me and [actresses like] Busy [Philipps], who enjoy our cake, it's not going to come off in two months."
In fact, it took more than twice that long for Larter, 37, who gave birth in 2010 to Theodore (her 2-year-old son with actor husband Hayes MacArthur). "I gained 45 pounds. Mine came off at about five months, after working out a lot and doing a food delivery service," the actress revealed.
The Heroes alum has a new cookbook/entertaining guide out, Kitchen Revelry, which contains 100 of her favorite recipes. To offset her love of food, Larter is dedicated to her fitness regime. "I tend to work out for an hour about four days a week, and I love to run," she said. "It's the quickest way, with my busy schedule, to be able to enjoy my life and keep my weight at where I want it to be. Sometimes I grab a trashy magazine and hit the treadmill. But I prefer to go for a nice run outside. It's a huge de-stressor for me."
In addition, the New Jersey native also hits the barre. "I filmed a movie last year called Lovesick, and I played a ballet teacher. I took 10 ballet lessons, and I loved it. My body really responded to it, so I have been taking barre classes."
Larter says she's finally arrived at a place where she's come to terms with her body. "I work out, I eat well. I eat badly sometimes, too," she said. "But it's hard to impress me with a body that hasn't had a baby. Have a baby and then let's talk."