What it's like to eat and exercise like a Victoria's Secret model
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It's not easy living like a Victoria's Secret model.
The women famously exercise vigorously and eat carefully planned diets (most of the time) — or purchase extremely pricey meal plans.
But some aspects of their lifestyles may be doable.
Jenna Birch of Brit + Co. cherry picked diet and wellness tips that various Victoria's Secret models have distributed to the media throughout the years.
It's clear that there is no magical formula to becoming a Victoria's Secret model overnight, but not all of their token bits of wisdom are completely worthless — and some can even be adapted for those on budgets.
Birch took on five tips from the models: a version of the famous modelFIT workout, drinking warm water in the morning per Lindsay Ellingson's advice, drinking the questionably nutritious coconut water like Adriana Lima does, snacking on almonds, and running an ice cube over her face at night — Jasmine Tookes told Into The Gloss that's one of her tricks.
The modelFit workout is expensive at $40 a class, but to make the workout more amenable to her budget, Birch executed her own version of the pricey class by purchasing a resistance band at Marshall's for just $7. She said it was "easy to use, but hard to master — and a solid workout to tone without overdoing it."
She found that drinking warm water was easier than drinking cold water.
"If you’re currently drinking enough water and your stomach isn’t upset by sipping super-cold liquid, keep doing what you’re doing. If you struggle to hydrate enough during the day, try tipping back warm water. Whether it’s room temperature or a little heated, both are much easier to swallow," she wrote.
She, too, questioned the nutritious vale of coconut water, but she still felt better after consuming it regularly. "I’m pretty sure this has more to do with a nutrient bump than magical coconut powers — which means you could probably get a similar effect pounding some fiber-filled veggies and fruit," she wrote. The nutrition scientist in me says to just eat your greens and natural sweets. But if I need an extra boost before a big event, I’ll probably grab a coconut water on the DL."
She also discovered that one of the models' most-praised snacks – almonds — are loaded with calories. "Make sure you portion these babies out in single servings, so you’re not popping them like M&Ms. Those calories add up," she wrote.
The trick that appeared to resonate the most with Birch was Jasmine Tookes' ice cube hack. "If you have inflamed skin or large pores, the ice cube trick can be your magic bullet," she wrote.
For Birch's full account of the experience, click here.