'Glee' Star Lea Michele Talks Fitness Routine and Being Vegan with Shape Magazine

Lea Michele sits down for a chat with Shape and reveals some of her secrets on staying fit, her favorite workouts, and her tips on being a vegan. Check out what the actress had to share with the magazine!

'Glee' star Lea Michele sits down for a short interview with Shape magazine and shares some of her secrets on staying fit and reveals her tips on being a vegan. The 25-year-old actress admits she goes 'back and forth' between being a vegan and a vegetarian and that it is important to listen to your body.
"Well, I go back and forth between [being a vegan and not being a vegan]. I try lots of different things. I really feel that you need to kind of listen to your body and what your body is telling you to eat. So I was a vegan for about two years," she says.

Lea also gives some tips and tricks for readers who may want to become vegan.

"Well, everything with being vegan and vegetarian is a really big commitment. You have to do what you feel is best and what you believe in and what your body is telling you that it needs. I really think everyone should do what’s best for them, and what’s best for me may not be best for someone else. But like I said, you just have to do what makes you feel good," the actress told the magazine.

The young star, who lost about 10 pounds in 2009 due to the dance rehearsals for 'Glee', says that she is not that strict with her fitness routine.

"Working out for me is something I do when I feel like it. But it’s really about feeling good and taking care of my body rather than having to fit into any sort of model or anything like that. I try to eat well, and everything I do is really just to make me feel my best so that I can come to my job or my personal life and just feel really good."

When it comes to favorite workouts, Lea says that, "Oh gosh, no, I’m simple. I love hiking, going to the gym, doing some simple stuff. I love being outdoors, I love bike riding. Just stuff that’s fun!"

Recently, the actress and singer promoted a new project by Valspar Paint called 'Hands for Habitat,' where the handprints of various celebrities were being auctioned off to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
"It’s such an amazing cause! We have all these handprints, which you can find on the Valspar Facebook page. You can bid on them and all the donations and proceeds go to the Habitat for Humanity Disaster Response Program. It’s really such a great thing that so many people have donated their handprints and have gotten super creative, although mine are definitely the best and should be bid on the most (laughs)," Michele told Shape.

Photos: Getty Images

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Malin Akerman Talks Diet and Fitness Routine with SHAPE June 2012

Malin Akerman flaunts her bikini body on Shape's June 2012 cover. In the accompanying interview, the 34-year-old actress dishes on her diet and fitness routine, and she also reveals her splurges. Check out these highlights from her cover story!

Despite her super-busy schedule, with five films in the works and a new ABC TV series coming out this fall, Malin Akerman still found time to strike a pose for the latest cover of Shape magazine, the June 2012 issue. The 34-year-old actress, who admits to stepping up her diet and fitness routine before the shoot, says that, "There isn't a woman alive who doesn't have problems with her body," says Malin, "including me!"

In fact, the actress confesses that when she found out she'd be shooting a Shape cover, she kind of panicked. "I hit the bikini-panic button. When I'm not working or prepping for a role, I tend to relax my diet and scale back my workouts, so I wasn't feeling as fit as I like to be for a photo shoot," Malin explains.

However, even though at first she was rather nervous about going bare, Malin had a plan. "I'm not going to lie: I was born with good genes [her mother was also a model]. But when I overindulge, I can get a paunch in my belly. And I've always wished I had more beef in my booty," Akerman told Shape.
"I made sure that my diet throughout the two weeks prior [to the covershoot] was very much lean meats, like a lot of fish, a lot of vegetables," the actress says.

But how does one of the sexiest women in the world feel these days? "Great. I have a lot more energy and focus – not to mention self-confidence. Now when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, that's what I see reflecting back," Malin confesses.

The gorgeous actress admits that she's not into drastic diets. "No, no, no! I've never been on a fad diet or tried one of those crazy cleanses. I think they just mess up your system. I believe in eating as nutritiously as I can all the time - not just before I'm putting on a swimsuit. My mother raised me on fresh - rather than processed - foods, and that's how I eat on a regular basis," Akerman told Shape.

On drinking alcohol, Malin says that, "I love to drink wine, but when I avoid it, I have so much more energy – and that’s what I need when I’m focusing on my body."

In her interview with Shape, the beautiful starlet also reveals she's not that virtuous when it comes to her diet and she still has her splurges.

"Oh, believe me, I have my splurges. I can’t live without chocolate. Though I barely consider it an indulgence because it’s good for you. I also love a thick steak and french fries. I try not to eat them more than once a week, but if they somehow land on the table in front of me, I won’t hold back. You’ve got to allow yourself the things you enjoy or you’ll just be miserable," she told the magazine.

Read Malin Akerman's full interview in the June 2012 issue of SHAPE magazine.

Photos courtesy of SHAPE

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Jordin Sparks Talks Weight Loss with SHAPE Magazine

Jordin Sparks shows off her sexy bikini body on Shape's August 2012 cover. The 22-year-old songstress sits down for an exclusive interview with the magazine and opens up about her weight loss, her upcoming film debut in next month's Sparkle, working with Whitney Houston, and future plans. Take a peek!

Gorgeous Jordin Sparks flaunts her sexy bikini body on the August cover of SHAPE magazine. The 22-year-old songstress sits down for an exclusive interview and opens up about her weight loss, her upcoming film debut in next month's Sparkle, working with Whitney Houston, and her future plans.

"I knew I had a long road ahead of me. I was barely working out, and my diet was a mess. I had to address when, what, and how much I was eating," she says.

The beautiful American Idol winner, who managed to drop 50 pounds, confessed in the interview with Shape that she had a wake-up call at age 21.

Sparks admits that she realized that even though she was young, she was sick and fatigued, had walking pneumonia, and felt rather unhealthy.

"I just wanted to be healthy," she says. "I remember thinking, 'I'm in my prime. I should be happy and fit.' That was the moment I decided that changes needed to be made."

It seems that the young songstress tried different weight loss plans but nothing worked. From going vegetarian to more drastic methods such as the Master Cleanse, everything proved to be useless.

Even though it wasn't easy, Sparks told the magazine that she started slowly by walking around her neighborhood until she felt comfortable enough to try hiking. The next steps were to join a gym and took up Zumba. Besides, she also began to pay a lot of attention to her diet.
"The weight really started falling off, and I could see my muscles. It was awesome," the star confesses.

Now, Sparks admits she feels sexier than ever. Read Jordin's full interview in the August 2012 issue of SHAPE Magazine.

Photos: Shape, Jordin Sparks/Twitter

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Victoria’s Secret Angel Erin Heatherton Shares Diet Tips with Shape Magazine

Victoria's Secret Angel Erin Heatherton sits down for a chat with Shape magazine and dishes on some of her personal fitness and diet tips. Check out what the lovely 23-year-old model had to share in her interview!

Victoria's Secret Angel Erin Heatherton sits down for a chat with Shape magazine and dishes on some of her personal fitness and diet tips. In the interview, the lovely 23-year-old American model admits that she works out with a trainer.
"Yes, I like to work out approximately four times per week. We generally try to schedule an appropriate workout for future events," she says.

Asked about what part of the body she finds it harder to tone, Erin told the magazine that, "I really try to do a full-body workout rather than focusing on a specific part of my body. I utilize a variety of exercises to maximize my heart rate to burn calories."

Heatherton confesses that when it comes to her favorite type of exercise, she enjoys "doing interval training combined with weight resistance." As for the most effective move, the model says that, "I don’t really have a particular 'move,' just maintaining a consistent gym routine."

Well, we all know that it's pretty hard to maintain a certain 'rhythm' when starting a special fitness plan. But what keeps Erin going when she doesn't want to hit the gym?
"I like to mix up my workout schedule to ensure that the routine will not become mundane," she told Shape magazine.

Erin admits that her routine changes before a photo shoot or runway show. "I like to inform my trainer of upcoming events so that we may coordinate a proper workout plan for each event. Sometimes the workout intensifies depending on the upcoming schedule," she says.

What about diet? What does an average day of eating look like for a Victoria's Secret Angel? "I try to eat as healthy as possible. This includes eating a balanced diet of foods such as granola, vegetables, protein, nuts, etc," Heatherton revealed in the interview.
On her go-to healthy snack, Erin says that, "I enjoy eating fruits as my healthy snack."

During a weight-loss program facing temptations can be a real burden. Erin confesses that, "I try to resist temptation as often as possible. I remind myself that end result of giving into temptations is often not worth the expense."

The gorgeous Angel also spills on the best piece of health advice she has ever received. "The best piece of health advice that I have received is to eat on a consistent basis to maintain a proper level of energy," she told Shape magazine.

Photos courtesy of Victoria's Secret

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