Michelle Obama makes fashion news pretty frequently for a number of reasons— most notably her impeccable style, public appearances, and amazing figure. Her landmark advocacies for reversing childhood obesity and fostering healthy eating for both kids and families have probably given you a clue to Obama’s passions, but you may not know just how gung ho she is about health and fitness— until now. In an inaugural post for iVillage.com, the First Lady, who is the website’s guest editor this month, revealed her top health secrets. And let me tell you, Mrs. Obama does not mess around when it comes to healthy living.
For one, the First Lady explains that while she does try to keep her weight at a certain level, counting calories is not a part of her daily health routine. And we don’t blame her, as it’s not the key to weight loss, contrary to what people may believe. Rather, activity and a moderation of calorie intake and output are essential to staying healthy. Not to mention, keeping a mental calculator of what you’re eating just isn’t fun. “I’ve found that as I get older… I don’t like to diet. I like food. I don’t like to have to worry and count every calorie… I just don’t like to live that way,” she wrote on iVillage, and we couldn’t agree more.
Staying active is so important to the First Lady that she does whatever she has to to make sure she gets a workout in every day, even if that means getting up at the crack of dawn. And that’s exactly what she does: Michelle rises at 4:30 or 5 every morning to hit the gym, but she knows how to make it fun. She credits her pro sports know-how to watching "SportsCenter" while working out, and to make her gym time even more fun, she makes it a date… with the President. “I usually get to the gym before he does,” she says of her husband, “But he is usually there either in the middle of my workout or right at the end.”
As health-focused as Michelle is, it’s no wonder she’s known for her amazing figure— most notably her slender arms. But those toned biceps don’t come from sitting on the couch in front of the tube — Michelle works hard for the results that can be seen in her signature sleeveless dresses. According to her trainer Cornell McClellan, she partakes in a “rigorous arms segment,” and Mrs. Obama makes sure to keep up her routine even when on the road. She packs a rubber band and a jump rope in her suitcase to make sure she can always squeeze in a workout, even if only for 30 minutes.
Though Obama has received attention for going so far as to plant an organic garden and install bee hives on the South Lawn of the White House, she’s not afraid to tell you what her guilty pleasure is. “…If there are French fries in the vicinity, I’m done. It’s over,” she said.