The Self-compassion Plan

How Katherine Heigl Shed the Baby Weight:

There’s no question that losing baby weight can be a challenge, with lots of highs and lows along the way. Emmy-winning actress Katherine Heigl ( bestknown for Grey’s Anatomy, Knocked Up, 27 Dresses and State of Affairs) discovered this firsthand after giving birth to her son, Joshua Jr., last December. It took seven months for Katherine (who is married to singer Josh Kelley, with whom she also has two adopted daughters) to lose 40 pounds of baby weight. As she wrote on her blog Those Heavenly Days, “I’m not gonna lie, I had moments of sheer panic that I’d never be able to lose it all.” But she did, and the blond bombshell, now 38, looks absolutely stunning.

SLOW, STEADY & SUSTAINABLE

The secrets to her success: She consumed low-calorie, nutritious meals and snacks, without obsessing over it. Katherine often used Eatingwell.com to plan the dish- es she’d make and a food delivery service to save time on grocery shopping. Meanwhile, she committed to doing forms of exercise that suit her ( like yoga and long hikes) at least three days a week. Though she didn’t work with Katherine, registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick says, “The biggest thing that seemed to make a difference for her was focusing on moderation and balance and not striving for a quick fix. She didn’t do something she couldn’t sustain.” Katherine consumed a lot of smoothies and soups, especially for breakfasts and lunches. She also prioritized sleep — “which helps with weight loss and decreases hunger and cravings,” says Kirkpatrick, author of Skinny Liver — and managed to get an impressive eight hours of shut-eye per night by the time her son was 6 months old. “Her blog was also a motivating factor,” says Kirkpatrick. “If you share it and put it out there, it makes you more accountable for your actions.”