Former glamour model advocates the “make-your-own-rules” type of diet

Mar 26, 2009 21:41 GMT  ·  By
Jenny McCarthy stays in shape thanks to a combination of healthy dieting and working out
   Jenny McCarthy stays in shape thanks to a combination of healthy dieting and working out

One of the most popular glamour models and MTV VJs of the ‘90s, in recent years, Jenny McCarthy has gained a massive following among women as well. Faced with raising a son suffering from autism, Jenny found out that she had to live her life according to an entirely different set of rules, and this applied to her diet as well, as she tells the latest issue of Shape magazine.

Speaking with the magazine, Jenny says she became a more “approachable” female celebrity in 2002 when she gave birth to Evan, and toned down her public image. Later on, when she found that her son suffered from autism, her life came to a complete stop and then changed completely, the star adds. One of the first things to be overhauled was her diet.

First off, Jenny reveals for the mag, she had to lose the incredible amount of weight she gained while pregnant with Evan. “I thought I might be 170 when I left the hospital, but no, I was 200!” the star admits in her latest interview.

Since she had gained so much weight, she went to Weight Watchers for help because she felt she could not achieve her goal on her own. And, indeed, “They taught me portion control and to be conscious of what I put in my mouth,” Jenny further explains.

However, it wasn’t until three years later that Jenny would completely change her eating habits when, following a seizure, she found out that Evan suffered from autism. “After Evan was diagnosed with autism at age 3, she further overhauled her diet to match his – cutting out gluten and dairy – which helped her shed even more weight (and greatly improved Evan’s symptoms, says Jenny). Now a typical day includes an egg white omelet for breakfast, fresh fruit and veggies (she purées them to make her own soups) with fish at lunch and dinner, and for snacks, ‘those little packets of nuts from Starbucks.’” Shape magazine writes.

But dieting is not all that Jenny McCarthy does to keep in such amazing shape – and amazing it is, since, at 36, the star is the proud owner of a rippled stomach and finely toned arms and thighs, as the photo on the cover of the magazine clearly shows. The star also does yoga (which partner Jim Carrey will also start practicing sometime in the future, Jenny says) and goes on a detox diet every now and then, when she feels her body needs a little “breather.” For more on Jenny’s diet and her 15-minute workout plan for a sculpted body, just pick up the latest print issue of the magazine.