Imagine gaining 20 pounds, voluntarily?! That's what Vanessa Hudgens did for her 2013 role in "Gimme Shelter." To help shed the weight, Vanessa shared her secret weapon in the May issue of Women's Health: SoulCycle.
"Put me on a bike in a room with loud music, and I'm happy. It's like dancing without the stress of worrying if you look good," she told the magazine of her love for the celebrated spinning class.
And she's in good company. Stars like Beyonce, Katie Holmes, and Victoria Beckham also frequent SoulCycle.
For the "Powerless" star, exercise is more about catharsis than anything else. "I don't consider it fitness," she said. "It's more like therapy for me."
These days, Vanessa is all about circuit training and loves pilates and yoga—the latter of which helped her discover a renewed sense of confidence after her transformation.
"I looked in the mirror and was like, 'Who am I?' It was definitely a journey back to myself, and yoga helped," said Vanessa
Unsurprisingly, Vanessa's diet consists of high fats and no carbs. "When I ate carbs, I would get that dip in the afternoon where I felt really sluggish. When I'm off them, my energy stays consistent throughout the day. Since I got back to eating like this the last month or so, I've lost 10 lbs. That's a lot for my [5'1″] height."
How can she sustain all day without carbs, you may ask? Avocados are the answer. "If I'm not getting enough [fat], my body holds on to calories," she says. "We've been trained to think that fats are bad, but they're so good — a source of energy and sustenance that keeps you going through the day. That's the only way I can not eat carbs."
But because she is human, she allows for one cheat day a week—which usually consist of ramen. Yum!