Isla Fisher Shares Her Slimming Secret
 Flynet |
Only a few short months after welcoming her first child, daughter Olive, actress Isla Fisher was ready to return to the big screen as the leading lady in her new movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. However, before the 33-year-old could slip into the ostentatious outfits worn by her character, Isla needed to shed the approximately 60 pounds she had put on during her pregnancy.
While Isla admits that the movie’s director hired a personal trainer in an effort to help her along in her weightloss journey, the Australian native — who ”just tried my best” — believes that the majority of the pounds came off as a result of her breastfeeding. Although Isla managed to regain her figure in four short months, the dramatic change is certainly not a result of any lack of eating on the actresses part! “I’m still hungry. I’ll look at the dessert menu. I eat dessert. I’m terrible,” says Isla, only after cleaning her plate of her lobster salad and bread during an interview with USA Today.
She makes no apologies for her newfound passion of food, sharing that she is “still breastfeeding.” In fact, according to Isla, she may need to keep up the hearty appetite for quite some time! “I’m only going to stop when [Olive] goes to university,” the actress jokes.
Amazed by the results of nursing, Isla has no qualms with sharing her slimming secret with other people — both men and women — struggling to lose those pesky pounds.
“So to all those men out there, if you want to lose weight, get breastfeeding!”
Olive, 16 months, is Isla’s daughter with her fiancé, actor Sacha Baron Cohen. Confessions of a Shopaholic is in theaters now.
- Posted on Feb 16, 09 at 7:00PM
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- 28 Comments
February 16th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I had the same positive experience with breastfeeding concerning my weight loss after the birth of my first 2 children. I hope I have the same results this time!!!
February 16th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
I had a very similar experience as Isla Fishers after the birth of my daughter, breastfeeding really helped shed the weight quickly. And like Isla, I’m also breastfeeding her at 16 months, my daughter and Olive were born just days apart.
February 16th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Yea! Great to hear of celeb moms proudly nursing toddlers. They can use their celebrity status to help spread the word that nursing an older baby is not weird or gross.
February 16th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
I exclusively breastfeed my 3 month old. It took me about 10 days to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m now about 5 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight, and I eat all day long.
Sure, it doesn’t work for every woman, but there’s no denying in burns calories.
February 16th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
I exclusively breastfeed for 4.5 months and I am still overweight!
February 16th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Love her! I think it’s awesome that she’s breastfeeding a toddler and proud of it. We need more celebrities like her!
February 16th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
I really expected to lose weight by breastfeeding – but 20 months after my daughter was born, she weaned and THEN I lost weight. I guess with some of us, our bodies pack on the pounds when we’re breastfeeding in an attempt to keep us healthy.
February 16th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I was down to PP weight right after that horrible 3 week old growth spurt. I also have a friend who did not lose an ounce after the baby was born- she BF’d for 18 months and has been the incredible shrinking woman since. She’s lost about 50 lbs in ~6 months.
But I do think I am going to see “confessions” now. I want to support EN!!
February 16th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
It’s kinda sad eating dessert is considered terrible now. I know she was joking but it’s true, people do think about diet all the time. There is not one interview with a mom on this site that does not ask about the weight loss. I wish the focus wasn’t on it so much.
February 16th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
I just saw Confessions and while she was remarkably skinny, her boobs were huge! I knew she must have been nursing when she filmed the movie!
February 16th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
It is great to hear celebrity moms like Isla and Salma talk about extended nursing. You notice though that it is the non-american native moms that are more confident speaking up about it. I hope that the negative stigma and taboo around breastfeeding in America goes away soon!
February 16th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
I think that the stigma is all a matter of opinion. Yes, I do still think breastfeeding toddlers is weird. My opinion.
February 16th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Good for her for still breastfeeding!
February 16th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
I love Isla! I breastfed my first two children for 15 months each and lost all of my pregnancy weight and then some very quickly both times. This time around (my baby is 3 months old) I’m having a bit more trouble with the last few pounds although I’m nursing. I’m back in my clothes, but it’s not the same. Don’t know if it’s because it’s third time around, that I don’t have as much time to focus on what I’m eating, or that I’m now in my 30s, but it’s different.
And I don’t see nursing babies/toddlers as strange…it’s what we have breasts for, after all!
February 17th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Yay for extended nursing! Thinking that it’s not normal and natural is ‘weird’!
February 17th, 2009 at 9:06 am
So pleased Isla has announced she is still breastfeeding. And the way she did it too, not preachy, not justifying why she does it… I think I may take up that approach and only give people the facts if they tell me they have a problem with it. People think I’m some kind of crazy hippy always ranting about the benefits. And I’m only 5 months post partum! Hopefully extended breastfeeding becomes more accepted and encouraged here in Isla’s native Australia.
I lost the weight quickly too, I am 24. I ate alot of chocolate and hated vegies when I was pregnant and as soon as he was out, I craved healthy living. However, that didn’t last long and I’m slowly putting it back on, bugger. Ah well, I figure there is too much emphasis on getting skinny after baby when in fact, it is not in my top 20 priorities. Too much pressure with all this media frenzy with celebrities.
I guess one way to encourage people to breastfeed is to announce you may lose weight! Shame if that is the only reason some people would do it.
P.S Did you guys know Isla is an author aswell? Probably about 10 years ago she wrote some novels that were a hit for teen girls.
Onya Isla!
February 17th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Ilaria, that’s me then, and many, many other Americans. I’d put money on it!
February 17th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Props to Isla for talking about “still nursing”. I love it when celebrities, especially top-of-mind attractive celebrities, talk about extended (toddler) nursing. I agree with other posters that it helps to remove the stigma.
and, I lost all my weight by six weeks, which I credit to nursing. everyone is different, and some women’s bodies hold onto the weight because of the hormones.
Go isla! (and good for Olive, too, that her actor mommy and actor daddy are as involved in her life as they are)
February 17th, 2009 at 10:30 am
I whole heartedly agree that nursing shouldn’t be seen as weird, but I don’t know what falls under the category “extended nursing”. A 5 year old child does not need to be nursed, there is nothing natural about that, there is a reason why we develop teeth.
Just look at other mammels and compare the years they nurse. I feel sometimes people want to go over the top with things. Also why does it need be a big issue, she nurses; great! People are singing her praises as if she just saved the world. It’s just nursing.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:10 am
I breastfeed my daughter for 11 months- and lost no weight! However, I am still glad I BF her and that I gave her that head start to a healthy life. I am glad Isla is getting her body back the healthy way instead of starving herself.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I’ll agree (unapologetically) with you Kelly. A friend is still nursing her 2 year old and it freaks me out a little when he asks for her boob because he is thirsty. My son is 2 as well and I breastfed for almost a year but to each their own. just as many of you have opinions about extended breastfeeding, we are allowed to have opinions as well.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Looking at mammals is a great way top determine wean ing age. Most mammals wean at the eruption of adult molars, so around the time of the 6 year molars in children.
Nursing a 2 year old may seem odd unless you are doing it yourself. It’s a gradual process. You aren’t nursing a 6 month old and then the next day you have a 2 year old in your lap. It’s one day at a time and it seems very normal and natural as it’s happening.
Toddler nursing around the world, in developed and undeveloped counties, is very normal.
After nursing a couple of nearly 3 year olds myself I can tell you that it does seem normal and it helps toddlers emotionally, mentally, and physically. Tantrums are a breeze and those picky eating years are much less stressful.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
As far as the weirdness of it…. I think each mother has to do what feels right for each child. Personally, my daughter HATED breastfeeding. She’s always had this fierce independent streak, always…. She didn’t want me holding her to feed her. She just HATED it in general. It was a horrible experience for her, but I persisted at it for 3 long, horrible months of her life. Mostly because of all the pressure I felt to do it. I’m glad I stuck with it, but it just wasn’t right to continue for her.
But I do have to say, I hardly lost any weight when I was breastfeeding. I lost weight right after she was born (obviously from having her and from fluid loss, etc), but then no more. Once I stopped breastfeeding, I dropped pounds rapidly!!!
February 17th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Meagan, could you please clarify what you mean about tantrums being a breeze because you’re still nursing? I’m still nursing my 13 month old, but thinking about wrapping that up pretty soon. I’m interested in knowing how breastfeeding an older child helps with tantrums. Thanks!!
February 17th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Breastfeeding beyond 1 year is not for the child, it’s for the mothers psychological needs. She wants to keep the feeling of being needed and desired by her child and is afraid of losing that. This is, ofcourse, something that mothers who breastfeed their toddlers would never, ever accept or admit. Again, pyschology.
Breastfeeding just doesn’t guarantee anything. I know many babies who were breastfed for about 1 year and was sick as can be with ear infections etc. Even needed surgery.
February 17th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Oh, Lisa, Lisa, Lisa.
Spelling “psychology” correctly might help your case, honey.
February 18th, 2009 at 2:08 am
Megan- Very good point! In fact, humans aren’t the only mammals who nurse beyond the one-year mark. Some other mammals nurse for two, three, or even more years as well (even though, just like humans, their babies DO start eating solid food during that time period as well)!
February 18th, 2009 at 2:10 am
Anna- By commenting about the fact that she’s still nursing Olive, Isla is promoting and raising awareness about extended nursing. That is a VERY big deal, as, sadly, most Americans still see extended nursing as taboo and strange.