Many moms feel pressure to regain their slender figures after giving birth, but few are as committed to the cause as The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney!

“People ask me why I was so committed to losing weight after Megan was born and why I wanted to do it quickly,” said Alison. “I felt that I owed it to the contestants, to every person that stood on that scale next to me and given it everything they had all week long to get there. I owed it to them to show them I honored what they did and how brave they are and I wanted to be a part of that.”

The show has taught Alison the valuable lesson “that you are worth it. You’re a role model now, so spending time on yourself to get healthy, spending time to go to the gym, is actually the best gift you can give your kids.”

So what’s Alison’s weight loss secret? She recommends “cooking at home more often and [packing] snacks with you. The first step you can take to cut out unwanted calories is to make sure you know what you’re eating and putting it in the food yourself.”

Alison and her husband, Dave Sanov, are also parents to son Benjamin Edward, 4.

She might look trim, taut and terrific now, but Jessica Alba insists her baby weight didn’t just melt away. In fact, after giving birth to her daughter Honor Marie Warren she actually put on a few pounds!

Determined to reclaim her slender figure, Jessica worked out twice a day and ate “really healthy” for eight weeks straight.

“It wasn’t fun,” she adds.

Thankfully now 10-month-old Honor keeps Jess so busy she can kiss the gym goodbye.

“I don’t really have time to work out so much anymore. Running after my daughter and holding her. She’s heavy, so that really helps with the old arm tone.”

Life with a newborn can be stressful, but Jess urges all moms to go easy on themselves and ”leave room for mistakes.”

“Nothing’s going to be the way you want it to be …[or] exactly how you planned it.”

Truer words were never spoken!

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No matter how long you take, maternity leave never feels long enough. Just ask Jeri Ryan! She took a year off work to be at home with her daughter Gisele Lynn, but now she doesn’t want to go back!

The actress has headed back to work for a role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Playing “ball-busting attorney Parice Larue is a great opportunity for the actress, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t tears!

“I cried,” the 41-year-old freely admitted to People. “It was especially hard since I’ve been with her nonstop since she was born.”

It sounds like Jeri’s time as a stay-at-home mom couldn’t have been more perfect.

“Gisele loves to be outdoors, and we garden together,” said the actress, who grows broccoli, cabbage and carrots. “She’s a great eater. Any green vegetable, she’ll go to town on. She has a very adventurous palate.”

After gaining 28 pounds during pregnancy, Jeri also used her time off to get back into shape.

“It took me 10 months to get back to normal,” says the actress, who does Pilates three times a week. “It was a little frustrating, but I realize it’s harder to take the weight off when you’re 40.”

Jeri will reprise her SVU role this fall, and hopes to bring the whole family to New York for the trip.

“I loved my year off,” says Jeri, who is married to chef Christopher Emé and has a 14-year-old son Alex, from a previous relationship.

“I milked [my maternity leave] for as long as anyone could milk it!” she said. “Now it’s time to go back to work.”

Image source: INF

Milla Jovovich has finally regained her pre-baby body after gaining 70 pounds while pregnant with daughter Ever Gabo. It took the actress 16 months, but she’s finally at her goal weight thanks to a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.

“I worked my big, little butt off,” she noted. “At one point I just ate oatmeal, salmon and artichokes every day for a week … It was definitely a lot easier putting it on!”

Now that she’s regained her former figure, Milla’s not keen to undo her hard work!

“I do want another baby but not for a little bit. I’ve only just lost all the weight so I want to enjoy my old body for a while before I have to become a crazy alien again.”

That’s understandable!

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She only became a mother two years ago, but already Mariska Hargitay can’t imagine life without her son August. The little boy who she says is “all light” brings the same happiness to his famous mother’s life.

“You look at babies and they’re full of joy. It’s a pure state, a place that can inform every part of your life. What is life without it,” she mused in a recent interview with SELF magazine.

Mariska always looks gorgeous, but she insists it was a desire to keep up with her son - not vanity - that inspired her to shed the baby weight.

“It’s not about being fat or thin. I’m a full-figured woman. It’s about how am I going to keep up my energy,” she explained.

So how does she do it? For the most part she avoids “sugar, yeast, and wine.” The latter is a weakness Mariska calls her “mack truck,” yet she knows she could never “give up wine for life.”

“Everything in moderation,” is Mariska’s philosophy, and it seems to be working for her!

“If I’m supporting myself, I’m supporting my kid. If I’m happy and healthy, I can be a better wife and mom, I can do a better job.”

But diet isn’t the only key to Mariska’s fantastic bod. She also enjoys 30-minute jogs an weekend sessions with a personal trainer while Law & Order: SVU is on hiatus.

She might be 44, but Mariska hasn’t ruled out expanding her family with husband Peter Hermann.

“It’s hard. I think a lot of it is up to God and nature and we’ll see what happens,” said Mariska, adding that she’d “definitely … love to” adopt one day.

I’m sure August would love a little brother or sister too!

Jennifer Lopez is one busy lady! In between looking after five-month-old twins Max David and Emme Maribel she’s a singer, actress, producer, fashion designer, and she’s poised to launch her own charitable foundation. But that’s not all. She’s also training to complete a triathlon!

“It’s important to me to set examples for them. I want to lead with my life. I want to say, ‘You should do this because I’ve done it, and I know it makes you a better person and it makes you feel great and sleep better and be happier,’” she told Self magazine.

Jen’s found her new fitness regime is great for shedding her baby weight. “Working out and getting back into shape isn’t exciting to me,” she admits “but training for a triathlon is!”

So far has Jen has shed half of her baby weight but she still has 15 to 18 pounds to lose.

“On occasional days, 20!,” the singer says. “My body’s different, although in a weird way, it feels normal.”

Wow - I struggle to do that level of exercise and I’m not running around after two little ones! Congratulations to her!

We’re all amazed at how quickly celebs seem to bounce back from pregnancy. It seems like they give birth one day, and then look glamorous on the red carpet the next! Christina Aguilera has revealed some of her secrets in the latest issue of Us Weekly.

Christina definitely wasn’t one of those women obsessing about her changing body shape. In fact, she loved indulging her sweet tooth.

“I had a huge craving for candy toward the end of the pregnancy, from Starbursts to Skittles. I actually took a picture of myself with my big belly in a little lingerie top, surrounded by bowls of the candy I like,” she laughed.

But once little Max popped out, Christina set about losing the pounds. In February she started to do a mix of cardio, weights, and stretching for 90 minutes, five times a week.

“I started out slow, just listening to my body and making sure I didn’t overdo it. I feel a sense of accomplishment. I’m tighter and stronger. As you feel your body getting stronger, you become more motivated to be in the gym! It doesn’t matter how big or small you are. When you’re defined, I think it’s sexy. I exercise because it makes me feel good. It’s not just a physical thing.”

Six day a week she also follows a protein, veggie, and wholegrain heavy diet. But on Sundays she gives in to those cravings which include chili cheese fries!

Us Weekly also asked Christina whether she plans to have any more children. The answer was a hearty yes!

“Absolutely. I can’t tell you when, as I’m not into planning things like that. Maybe around the next tour!”

It sounds like a new bub might be on the way sooner rather than later!

Image source: Newscom