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Britney’s weight loss secrets!

As she gears up to hit the UK for the British leg of her Circus tour, we thought we'd take a look at how Britney Spears maintains her amazing body!

As you probably read in this week’s Closer, Britney spends up to a whopping £6000 a week maintaining her body. If that’s a bit steep for your budget, we’ve scoured literally hundreds of interviews, features and articles that focus on Britney’s weight, so you can get years of advice for free!

First of all, it should be clear the Britney herself has spoken about the struggle to lose weight – she suffers from the same pound-shifting problems we all do. Ms Spears is famous for her battles with the bulge amid her numerous personal issues.

“When I look in the mirror I don't say, ‘Oh, I'm the most beautiful girl in the world. Look at me’. I see my imperfections, I do see my flaws,” Brit said in an interview after her second pregnancy. “I have let myself go. I've been lounging around, eating and lying about.”

'I've always had a weight problem and probably always will,' she admits. 'I love junk food, and occasionally I know I will splurge, but I am trying to eat sensibly.”

Britney’s trainer Bobby Strom said that the singer’s tendency to gain weight is rooted in her Southern upbringing: “She’s fond of her mom’s food but it tends to be carb-heavy and calorific. I’ve told her to cut out barbeque sauces and gravies, and eat more protein - especially on tour.”

Here are a few of the ways in which Britney maintains her superstar body -

Keep a record of your calories

When Britney had pregnancy pounds to shed, she consulted a specialist and then cut her food intake to just 1200 calories a day – not enough for most people - a number that had been calculated according to her height, weight and metabolism.

She sacrificed simple carbohydrates in doing this, to make sure that she didn’t miss out on the essential food groups (protein, complex carbohydrates and fat). This sugar-free diet is fairly punishing if you like your food, but there are ways to ensure your energy levels don’t drop.

Britney said: “I don't eat fruit or even fruit juice because of the sugar. I eat chicken and salmon and rice, I eat avocados. I'll have egg whites for breakfast and turkey burgers for lunch. I try to do just 1200 calories a day. It may sound like it's not much, but it's actually a lot of food if you eat the right things."

While it’s true that sticking to protein-based foods means you don’t miss the excess calories, you must speak to your doctor before undertaking such a drastic change in diet – factors such as pre-diet weight and height could mean you end up starving your body, possibly leading to long-term damage. Talk to your GP and work out a calorie intake that’s right for you.

Go organic, not Toxic

When it comes to her favourite fruits and vegetables, Britney is a firm believer in organic foods. She said: “Since becoming a mom I have become so green. I am making sure all my stuff is organic and I am trying to eat healthily.”

Take supplements

Britney also understands that sometimes people need supplementation if they want superstar looks, and reportedly takes fish oil capsules to ensure she gets enough omega-3 and -6, which are great for keeping the skin and hair healthy, as well as offering support to her heart after those punishing routines.

The singer vehemently denied that she took diet pills to stay slim, but was spotted sucking lollipops that had been laced with the weight-loss herb hoodia gordonii. The plant, which comes from the cactus family, suppresses the appetite by tricking the brain into think it’s full.

Taking hoodia in any form should be done with the supervision of a doctor, though, as you can genuinely trick your body into eating nothing – meaning your body would starve as though anorexic.

Embrace sweeteners

When Britney has a sugar craving (which is likely to be often, if she’s cut it out!), she turns to artificial sweeteners for a fix.

Sweeteners such as xylitol, maltitol and aspartame are almost entirely free from calories, and many slimmers use them to ‘cheat’ when they’re bored of diets.

However, recent research has suggested that the body responds to artificial sweeteners in the same way that it does regular sugar. Meaning, whether you had a spoon of sugar in your coffee or some artificial sweetener, your body will react in the same way.

Get moving

Probably the most telling change in Britney’s body is the fact that she’s a performer – those routines are a lot harder than they look – it’s an hour’s cardio every night, before you even factor in the rehearsals!

Remember the speculation about Britney’s weight that came about during her Circus tour? Within a month of the tour kicking off, Britney’s figure got slimmer and her stomach became more toned.

Try a dance class if you tend to be a bit lazy on a night out – you can learn how to do moves that are specifically designed to help you burn calories. Plus, committing to a class is great, as you have to stay for the whole hour, and usually paying for something will encourage you to stick to it. Plus, they’re genuinely good fun!

When she’s not on tour, Brit usually works out five days a week with a personal trainer, undertaking a combination of weights and cardiovascular exercise. Working out regularly can seem like a bit of a shock at first, but keeping it up can be great for lifting your mood, as well as keeping your metabolism buoyant.

If that all sounds a bit much, you can always watch Britney flaunt her body on her tour this week!