Goddess: Celebrity Moms and DadsJessica Simpson on pregnancy weight gain: ‘I let myself indulge in everything I wanted’
When it came to pregnancy cravings, Jessica Simpson did not discriminate. The singer-fashion mogul reveals in a new interview with USA Today that "I let myself indulge in everything I wanted because it was the first time I was ever pregnant, and I wanted to enjoy it. I wanted to be happy and eat what I wanted" — which included a lot of her favorite dish, macaroni and cheese.
But after she gave birth to daughter Maxwell Drew on May 1, Simpson — who revealed in March that she was already 170 pounds — was faced with the consequences of gaining so much weight. "I didn't realize it didn't all come off with the baby," she confesses.
That's where Weight Watchers came in. Simpson, 32, signed a reported $4 million deal with the weight loss company to shed the extra pounds and become their spokesperson. Her first commercial, in which she will reveal her post-baby body, is set to air next week, around the same time as her September 10 interview with Katie Couric for her new daytime talk show. Since starting the calorie-counting program after giving birth, "I've lost weight every single week," Simpson tells USA Today.
And she's doing it in a healthy way. Simpson, who is engaged to former NFL player Eric Johnson, is "eating less of everything," but "I don't believe in completely depriving myself." When she first started Weight Watchers, she allowed herself 34 points a day (for example, fresh fruits and vegetables count as zero points), but after weaning Maxwell off breastfeeding, she's now down to 28 — and none of those include mac and cheese. But Simpson still indulges her sweet tooth. "I'm a woman who wants her chocolate," she says. "I allot myself a fun-size [bag of] M&Ms. I eat one of those, and my craving is satisfied. I don't need the whole bag of M&Ms."
Simpson is also burning off the calories with the help of personal trainer Harley Pasternak. Four to five times a week, she does 60 minutes of cardio each day. "My boobs are way too big to run at this point," she says. "I'm just walking." And walking she is! Thanks to a pedometer, she keeps track of how many steps she takes each day (14,000, up from 10,000). "We take Maxwell out a lot," Simpson says Johnson. "I have his support but not pressure. The fact that he loves me the way I am right now — we're set. He knows I want to feel better in my skin."
And the new mom doesn't just want to be a healthy role model for her daughter, but also women all over the world who have a similar struggle. "I feel like everybody can do what I am doing," says Simpson, "I'm not a supermodel. My body is not bouncing back like a supermodel. I'm just your everyday woman who is trying to feel good and be healthy for her daughter, her fiancé, and herself."
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