Christina Aguilera on pregnancy, fitness, nursing and motherhood
Feeling "a sense of accomplishment" after dropping her 40 lbs of baby weight, songstress Christina Aguilera sat down with Us Weekly on May 18th to discuss how she did it, her past cravings, seeing her shape change while pregnant, nursing, and 4-month-old Max Liron’s latest developments.
Click below for the interview highlights.
On seeing her body change during pregnancy:
I couldn’t help but embrace it. You just want what’s best for your baby. I tried not to get carried away, but I wanted to splurge a little.
What she indulged in:
Oh, my God, candy! I had a huge craving for candy toward the end of thepregnancy, from Starbursts to Skittles. I actually took a picture of myself withmy big belly in a little lingerie top, surrounded by bowls of the candy I like.
On her fitness and diet plan:
Christina started doing a mix of cardio, weights, and stretching for 90 minutes, five times a week in late February with her longtime trainer, Tee Sorge. Six days a week, Christina follows a protein, veggie, and whole grain-heavy diet; since she is breastfeeding, she consumes at least 1770 calories to keep milk supply steady. Sundays are her cheat day — Christina loves chili cheese fries!
I started out slow, just listening to my body and making sure I didn’t overdo it. I feel a sense of accomplishment. I’m tighter and stronger. As you feel your body getting stronger, you become more motivated to be in the gym! It doesn’t matter how big or small you are. When you’re defined, I think it’s sexy. I exercise because it makes me feel good. It’s not just a physical thing.
It’s more mental than anything; food is comforting. Like when I first got engaged, I gained weight. We call it the "love chub." When you’re happy and you’re cozy just chillin’ in bed together on a day off, what do you want to do? Cozy up with cozy foods.
For me, it’s a baked potato and a steak. And I truly love southern comfort food: fried chicken, macaroni and cheese. I’m not into depriving myself; rather, I limit the bad things that I like. I watch my carbs and starches. It was a huge thing to switch to wheat bread — I love my white bread! — but I did it!
The toughest thing is not having what you want when you want it. I’m a night owl and a late-night snacker, so it’s hard not to reach for a comforting bag of chips.
On support from husband Jordan:
Even when I have a cheat day and say, "Ugh, I shouldn’t be eating this," he’ll say, "Honey, you look amazing. Just eat it." So much of people’s body issues [are] mental. I have positive people around me, and my husband is really supportive. One of the most important things to me is staying positive and raising a child with a great outlook and self-esteem.
Christina, who watched her mother be abused at the hands of her father as a child, shared that in choosing Jordan, she hopes to have insured that her childhood experiences are something Max will never witness.
In making the decision to marry whom I did, I knew that my husband is not the type to have violent tendencies, and he would never hurt me. We had many conversations before, and I really ensured that I put myself in the position to marry someone who was not going to, in any way, shape or form, repeat the cycle of abuse with my child and what I had endured as a child.
On being back in her jeans:
Yes, it’s just a matter of feeling as good in them as I did before! My goal was to get back into a pair I love from Hysteric Glamour. I fit into my size extra-small, but I notice I have different hips than before — though I embrace the new curves, especially above the waist!
On that chest everyone is talking about:
It’s kind of hilarious! I’ve never fit into an E-cup before. I lookat my husband and go, ‘Guess what size this bra is?’ And when Itell him, he’s just amazed. We keep the tags that prove it, to lookback for memory’s sake!
On nursing:
It’s something that I’m playing by ear. I didn’t know going into it if I was going to love it. He was a natural latcher, right out of the womb. It made the job very easy for me, but also I love the bonding sense of it. I’m a working mom, so after a hard day, I get to spend that time with him where I feed him and sort of be his source of life. It’s an incredible feeling.
Max’s latest accomplishments:
When you tickle him or make a funny face, he’s very reactive. He has those hearty giggles, and it’s amazing to see. And he’s really responsive to music; I guess it’s in the genes!
On the best part of being a mom:
Oh my God, seeing what you and the one you love have created in front of you: a living, breathing person.
More kids?:
Absolutely. I can’t tell you when, as I’m not into planning things like that. Maybe around the next tour!
Source: Us Weekly, June 2nd issue
- Posted on May 21, 08 at 6:09PM
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- 27 Comments
May 21st, 2008 at 6:54 pm
She always looked so sexy while pregnant. She must feel terrific now.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Christina seems like an awesome mom and I think her diet/exercise plan seems very smart for a woman who just had a baby, especially after a c-section.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:23 pm
She is such and inspiration… she has always been one of my fave celebs and in my opinion this interview proves why. She is so level headed and grounded, I wish only the best for her and Jordan and of course little Max.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Wow, she looks fantastic! Love the dress she is wearing on the cover. Christina’s plan on getting back into her pre-pregnancy shape sounds constructive yet sensible, and her enitre focus is very clearly Max. Her husband’s comments were lovely, compared to certain other husbands I have read about on this site.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Milla I SO agree about Jordan’s comments. I seem to remember Trista Sutter talking about her husband’s comments. I think I’d rather be married to a guy like Jordan
May 21st, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I agree with everyone else in that I love how level-headed Christina is. Unlike other post-baby celeb moms, Christina embraced her body changing during pregnancy and didn’t despise it. Also she didn’t rush straight to the gym after Max was born to get her body back, instead she focused on how it made her feel.
Even though obesity has obviously never been an issue with her, her honesty about comfort foods and body image are refreshing. And I love the comment about saving the E-cup bra tags. Too funny!
May 21st, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I love Christina, and I think it’s great that she’s so in love with her little boy. She looked beautiful during pregnant and she looks beautiful now!! I’m also glad to see that her husband is supportive and gives her supportive comments about her weight. Seems like she’s doing the weight loss the healthy way; exercising and cutting out unnecessary things while still allowing herself a day to cheat!! I love Christina!
May 21st, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Jordan seems really supportive, lucky Christina! Natasha just out of curiosity do you remember what Trista Sutter’s husband said.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:59 pm
She’s just such a great Mommy, you can just *feel* the love that she has for that baby and Jordan. It’s so sweet to read this from an singer who clearly isn’t all about “me, me, me.”
I think she has a very healthy, sensible diet and it’s obviously done her well. I envy her being able to exercise 90 mins. 5x a week! I have 2 little ones, and can barely do anything for myself, never mind that much exercise, lol! 30 mins on the treadmill is huge for me if I don’t collapse into bed first, lol!
May 21st, 2008 at 9:07 pm
I think it’s funny she says she “doesn’t plan stuff like that…” I assumed since she had a C-section just to pick her son’s bday that she would be really over the top kind-of planner.
Glad they’re so happy though!
May 21st, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I’m sure she is at least thinking about when to have more
She probably just doesn’t want the bump watch. And I’d be tempted to plan my baby’s birthday too if I were famous and thought the crazy paps would be pushing and shoving to get that ‘middle of contraction photo’ as I was entering a hospital in labor. LOL
She’s gorgeous, not that I had any doubt she’d bounce back quickly. I love hearing how go with the flow she is, it reminds me a lot of me
May 21st, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Whocares, I think this is the exerpt from Trista’s interview being referred to:
One good thing is that Trista isn’t alone in her battle to lose the rest of the weight. Her husband, Ryan Sutter, 33, is doing his best to help as well.
“If I eat something that I shouldn’t, Ryan shakes his finger at me and says, ‘Uh, uh, uh!’ He’s been awesome, 100 percent supportive. He watches Max when I go to the gym and is constantly saying that I look great. But when you don’t feel good about yourself, you don’t feel like you want to be intimate. I want to feel, and look, sexy again for him. Even though he is being nice and saying he’s still attracted to me, I want to feel like he’s telling me the truth and not just saying it because he’s a good husband.”
Ryan adds,
“I just encourage her to work out. It’s not like I have to crack the whip!”
May 21st, 2008 at 10:21 pm
She looks great. I’m not surprised she dropped the weight 40lbs for a thin girl is not that much, and 20lbs usually comes off right after you give birth. And than working out with a trainer and eating right, it’s very few celebrities who don’t get back into shape after babies
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:15 am
Natasha, exactly who I was talking about! Re-reading his comments, I’m sure he meant no harm but in my opinion Jordan’s comments are much more encouraging to a new mom. To each their own, I guess.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:15 am
The corner of that magazine cover is absolutely ridiculous! When one says “before body”, it usually means before they lost all the left over weight, not when they’re still pregnant! Of course her stomach is huge, she’s got a baby in there!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:56 am
love the soft make-up! Its a really fabulous look for her. I love the dramatic look as well but this suits her best.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 am
i love her so much- i also gained 40lbs with my son- he was 6lbs 9oz and so i think he had all the weight as it literally dropped off after he was born!
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:10 am
I love this article. Christina and I are the same age and she the nail on the head when she started describing on how she chose to marry Jordan. I too want a man who is going to be a great father to my kids as well as be good to me. I love her outlook on breaking the cycle!!! I wish her and her family the best!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:24 am
Crazy coinky-dink….She has the same birthdate as Brad Pitt (Dec 18), and her husband has the same birthdate as Angelina Jolie (June 4). I know I am weird, but I saw it and thought I’d share. Anyways, I think she is a gorgeous woman, and seems so together and honest about her life, and so much older (in a good way) than her years emotionally.
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:06 am
Christina has always been one of my favorite celebrities. She really has been through the gauntlet in the past few years but has emerged victorious! She is such a winner.
She looks great and she just wanted to go back to looking great and being healthy! That’s great. She’s an inspiration.
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:14 am
I’m so impressed with what she said about “breaking the cycle.” Hope that will be encouragement to others…
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:02 am
WOW! 1770 Calories?! I am 5′2″ and 120lbs and when I figured out my calorie requirements as a nursing mom with a high activity level I needed 3000 Calories a day! I am getting hungry just thinking about only 1770.
I am so happy that Christina is enjoying nursing her baby. It is an amazing thing.
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
90 minute workouts, 5 days a week?!?!
I’m lucky if I get to pee by myself.
I hate that all these “post-pregnant celeb bodies” are cover stories…it annoys me.
I lose my baby weight by about their first birthday. And I take in at least an extra 500 or so calories a day when I’m nursing. And I certainly wasn’t filling up E cups!! lol!
I’m super glad that she’s still nursing, though. I figured because she had a c-section to avoid vaginal tearing, she wouldn’t nurse to avoid nipple blisters.
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:23 pm
oh and in case my previous comments seem snarky: I do think she looks terrific and I agree about the natural make up – she looks so much prettier in more natural colours.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:21 am
she sounds so grounded.
I did judge her when she had a c/s… and looking back, knowing how tiny she was, I realize I should have understood her concerns more… being a larger person, I was being naive.
I’m just so glad she tried and succeeded in forming that breastfeeding relationship with her son.
And I now am another mom here who just loves Jordan… omg… so supportive and awesome.
And I think everyone deserves a cheat day!
May 29th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
She really did not look like she gained 40 pounds. She stayed pretty small right up through the end. She looks great now though.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
She really did not look like she gained 40 pounds. She stayed pretty small right up through the end. She looks great now though.