For many women, seeing Jessica Simpson’s weight loss has been an inspiration, and not just because of the way the singer looks! Every mom can relate to Simpson’s struggle with weight and body image, especially after the birth of daughter Birdie Mae in 2019.
After a decade dedicated to having babies, Jessica Simpson was ready to reclaim her body in a new, more holistic way. This approach was different than any she’d taken on before. Her trainer Harley Pasternak noted, “The difference between this and the other times was that she worked out, yes, but her transformation was more about what she did on her own time.”
Here’s exactly what she did to lose the weight and reshape not only her body, but also her life.
How Much Weight Did Jessica Simpson Lose?
After the birth of her last child in 2019, Jessica Simpson immediately enlisted the help of her long-time trainer, Harley Pasternak. Together, they took a different approach to her fitness than what they’d done before.
Although Jessica says she no longer uses scales, she took to Instagram to share a photo of herself looking noticeably slim, with the caption reading, “6 months. 100 pounds down (Yes, I tipped the scales at 240.)”
For Simpson, it was never about the scale. “I couldn’t handle being so big and my ankles were swollen. So I’m just happy to feel comfortable again. I was literally uncomfortable for so long that now it’s just nice to relax,” she said.
How Did Jessica Simpson Lose Weight During Her Fitness Journey?
Jessica is no stranger to weight loss, as Pasternak notes that he has helped her “come back” after each baby. However, this time was a more difficult challenge as Jessica had been pregnant for a decade, almost non-stop.
“My mantra is you get lean in life, and strong in the gym. So the majority of the weight loss actually came from everything she did outside of the gym, and then everything in the gym is about toning and tightening,” Pasternak says.
To lose the weight this time around, Pasternak gave Jessica five tasks to complete each day:
- Eat healthfully
- Exercise
- Hit a step goal
- Get enough sleep
- Eliminate technology for one hour
Jessica Simpson Weight Loss Workout Routine
Exercise is an important pillar of weight loss, and it certainly was for Simpson. However, the amount of exercise she actually did might surprise you. To lose 100 pounds, Jessica Simpson only worked out 3 times a week.
Working with two trainers, Pasternak and Sydney Liebes, Simpson’s workouts were just 45 minutes each, three days per week. They incorporated strength training, focusing on slowly increasing the volume and intensity over time.
Although they started with full-body workouts and limited intensity, they built their way up to focus on just a few muscle groups each day. Different days of the week focused on different muscles. This ultimately gave Jessica Simpson a full-body-toned appearance and helped her lose weight all over, without targeting one specific area.
Jessica Simpson Weight Loss Diet Allowed for Cheat Meals
Simpson’s diet plan also allowed for cheat meals, which ensured that she never felt too restricted or too far off from her normal way of life. Says Pasternak, “…If she has a birthday party one night and a date night another night, she’s going to indulge both of those nights, but that’s it. It’s about balancing in a way that doesn’t make it painful or too much of a departure from your life before that.”
Cheat meals are a great way to aid in your weight loss journey, as they can provide a mental break from the diet and help you prevent those cravings that lead to binges. The key here is that the cheat stops at one meal – it’s never an entire cheat day.
Jessica Simpson is the perfect example of putting this tactic to work. “It’s been a lot of hard work. I have to say that I have worked very hard. Everything that I’ve been eating is mostly made with cauliflower. [But] I just ate a bag of Cheetos in the back,” Simpson said while promoting her new lifestyle range on the US Home Shopping Network in 2019.
Jessica Simpson Weight Loss Required 14,000 Steps a Day
One of the first steps Simpson took toward weight loss after the birth of daughter Birdie Mae was walking. After recovering from giving birth, she started with small goals of walking 6,000 steps each day. Over time, she built that up to 12,000, and sometimes even 14,000 steps a day.
Walking is a great way to lose weight, especially if you’re only hitting the gym three times each week. For Simpson, walking was easy to fit in with her daily life. It meant she could get daily movement in while spending time with her husband and three children, making it a family activity.
Of course, not every day is perfect. Simpson admits that some days, she didn’t meet that goal. “If I haven’t moved enough, I’ll make sure and get in extra steps the next day,” she told Hollywood Life. She’s also been known to wake up early to get some steps in before her children wake, or hop on the treadmill while she watches TV, making sure she gets her steps in no matter the circumstances.
Jessica Simpson Prioritized Sleep for 100 Pound Weight Loss
Per Pasternak’s recommendation, Simpson got at least seven hours of sleep each night. “So many people undervalue the importance of sleep in weight loss and weight management,” said Pasternak. Since our bodies use sleep to recover and build muscle, this was key for Simpson.
Jessica Simpson Took Daily Breaks From Technology and Social Media
We could all use a break from technology, but this is especially true for someone with as much star power as Jessica Simpson. As someone whose weight and body image have been the topic of many conversations over the years, spending an hour unplugged surely did wonders for Simpson’s stress level and mental health.
Pasternak notes that unplugging from technology for at least one hour each day also ensured that Jessica Simpson got quality, restful sleep.
Jessica Simpson had an Accountability Partner, her trainer Harley Pasternak
There’s something to be said for having an accountability partner anytime you set a big goal, especially with a healthy lifestyle change. An accountability partner can keep you on track when you might otherwise decide to skip a workout or have an entire cheat day. When no one is looking, it’s easy to find excuses to get off track – when you have to report your progress to someone, you’re less likely to find excuses. For Simpson, Pasternak kept her accountable day after day.
Pasternak asks all of his clients, including Jessica Simpson, to send him an email to confirm that they have hit all of their tasks by the end of the day, before going to bed. For Simpson, that meant each night she needed to show him that she had hit her step goal, ate healthy meals and snacks, took an hour away from technology, and worked out if that particular day was a gym day.
Not only did this practice keep Jessica Simpson on track, but it also served as a great way for her to stay positive and motivated. She could go to sleep each night knowing that she had accomplished her set goals, which builds confidence for the next day.
Center for Wellbeing’s Unique Metabolic Reset Weight Loss Program
For many people, weight loss progress can feel so slow that it makes you second guess whether your program is working at all, which feels disheartening. In comparison, losing weight at an accelerated speed tends to keep you motivated. When you see the scale going down, you know that what you’re doing is working and you’ll naturally want to continue. This is part of what worked for Jessica Simpson, who lost 100 pounds in 6 months.
At the Center for Wellbeing, we provide a unique and simple Metabolic Reset Weight Loss Program where you can lose 20 to 40 pounds of unwanted fat in just 60 days. It’s not about calories or even exercise.
It’s about your hormones and blood sugar. What people love about our program is that they get amazing results without the need for exercise, because we are first focusing on hormones and stabilizing blood sugar. This journey begins with the focus on what food you are consuming and when. When the client is at an optimal weight, THEN they begin focusing on their exercise routine. Exercise is optional at the beginning of this journey.
We do encourage light exercise (walking, yoga, cycling at low intensity, and pilates), but high intensity exercise actually inhibits weight loss. It sounds crazy, but when you exercise with a high heart rate (i.e. HIIT, spin classes, hot yoga, high intensity weight training, etc) it actually increases your stress hormones (cortisol) and keeps you from losing weight. Our Metabolic Reset Weight Loss Program is a new approach to weight loss and management, using a specific good protocol combined with our safe and effective proprietary blend of natural supplement drops.
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To learn more or get started with your weight loss journey, fill out our contact form or call 603-380-9159. We look forward to supporting you!