After seeing Britney Spears's first performance at the MTV Video Music Awards since 2007, where she writhed, shook her hips and flipped her hair in a yellow, rhinestone-bedazzled leotard, your immediate reaction might be: Hot. Damn. Spears had every bit the energy, sass and moves of her boa-constrictor-wearing "Slave 4 U" days, prompting Time to deem it her "triumphant comeback."
Then, you might have Insta-stalked her, scrolling the singer's Instagram to immediately come face-to-face with this:
And this:
Thick-cut French toast for breakfast?! And a pre-VMAs trip to Sarabeth's, a New York eatery best known for its pancakes, cookies and other baked goods?! It'd be understandable if your immediate reaction is "BS. There's no way she eats all those carbs and looks that fit," while somewhere, deep down, you're silently hoping that Spears is holding the key to having your muffins without having a muffin top, too.
It turns out, Spears does—and she'll readily share it with you. After a recent trip to Cheesecake Factory with her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, she posted a photo of her post-CF workout, power-walking on a treadmill while doing bicep presses with weights.
That's one way to work off those meals, which can clock in at up to 2,370 calories (ahem, Louisiana Chicken Pasta). Post-Cheesecake Factory workouts aside, the star's also headlining her Las Vegas residency, which is essentially a hardcore, nonstop dance party three nights a week—not to mention dance rehearsals, which can last 3 hours—and likes to go hiking, running and swimming to stay in shape.
And the foods she posts on Instagram are more like her cheat-day foods, not her everyday meals. Trainer Tony Martinez helped her get toned for the launch of her Las Vegas residency nearly three years ago, and at that time, he focused on having her eat five small meals a day, like chicken salad with balsamic dressing (her fave).
"I pretty much just wanted her to balance out her proteins, carbs, and fat," he told the Daily Mail. "Everything pretty balanced in that aspect, because she was doing a lot of cardio, so I wanted her energy up the whole entire time."
When they worked together, Spears did "intense" 40-minute workouts three to four times a week, often using core discs to strengthen her abs. These days, Spears's true secret to weight loss, she says, is being a mom of two boys.
"Actually, just being a mom and being on the go 24/7 and being with your kids," she told BBC Radio 1. "I think worrying makes you lose weight, too. I'm not a believer of being a worrier, but unfortunately, I'm a mom, so I do."
Basically, Spears is human. She's into moderation, and—*gasp!*—sometimes she downs a cookies 'n cream milkshake, because why not?
"I love sweets. I love Oreo Blasts. They're the best," she told E! in a recent interview, while sharing some other cheat-day favorites: "Tacos, pizza [and] ice cream."
Breaking news: Celebrities, they're just like us!
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