Jillian Michaels flaunts her sexy body on the latest cover of Women’s Health June 2020. The 38-year-old fitness guru sits down for a chat with the magazine and dishes on a wide range of topics including everything you need in order to burn belly fat and tighten your core. In the interview, Michaels reveals four tummy troubles saying that stress, too much dairy, bad ab equipment and alcohol can ruin your fitness plan.
“When your levels of cortisol — a fight-or-flight survival hormone — are high, it can put your body in fat-storage mode. So stress is one of the worst things, not only for your overall health but also for your metabolism,” she says. “You want to eat things that are high in fiber and that keep moving through your body. For a lot of people, a ton of dairy can screw up digestion and cause bloating,” Michaels adds. The famous personal trainer also explains that, “If you’re getting on one of those gym ab machines and crunching 100 pounds, pass. You could hurt your back, and you don’t want the thick bulk.”
Sharing her flat-belly meal plan, Jillian Michales says that for breakfast the best choices are fresh fruits and organic yogurt, while anything high in salt is bad. “The fruit is full of nutrients. And probiotics in the yogurt help with digestion,” she says. “Think bacon or sausage, because the salt is just going to make you balloon.”
For lunch, Jillian advises fish and a veggie salad. “Use green peppers, cucumbers, and lots of lettuce, because they have a ton of water — which fills you up.” According to the former Biggest Loser trainer, we should avoid French fries. “They’re saturated in oil and covered in salt. If you eat something like that, you’re not going to look cute. You’re going to look puffy,” she told Women’s Health.
As for dinner, Michaels says that the best options are grilled chicken and vegetables. “I like steamed asparagus or spinach sauteed with lemon and garlic.” Worst? Pizza. “It’s bread and cheese. And cheese can be high in salt and fat,” Jillian says.
Asked about how she keeps motivation, Michaels admits that, “While outside influences might be good catalyzers for lasting results you have to look inward. There is a famous quote that I live by: ‘If you have a why you can tolerate any how’. Look inside and ask yourself why you want to get fit. How will your life change for the better. Let that motivate you. Honestly, skinny jeans, confidence, longevity and so on trumps any amount of brownies.”
Read Jillian’s interview and other best and worst foods in the June issue of Women’s Health – on newsstands May 22!
Photos courtesy of Women’s Health