Supermodel Gigi Hadid responded on Instagram to a follower who had criticized her recent weight loss by saying she has lost some of her “baby fat” but is healthy.
“Yes, I’ve lost some ‘baby fat’, but muscle mass from my intensive volleyball training in high school has changed over the years into lean muscle from boxing,” Gigi wrote on Instagram (see screenshot).
“And work stress can have its effect, naturally, but purposefully changing my body has never been my thing.”
Hadid’s noticeable recent weight loss has fueled rumors she may be suffering from anorexia or is on a restrictive starvation diet, but the willowy 5-foot-10 fashion model said she’s perfectly healthy.
“I still eat what I want,” Gigi wrote. “I’m still strong, I’m still healthy.”
Ironically, just last year Hadid was criticized for being too thick to be a supermodel.
In recent months, she appears to have lost 15 to 20 pounds based on her before-and-after photos.
Gigi, who has always been proud of her athletic bikini body, said her weight loss diet and exercise secrets are portion control, yoga and boxing workouts.
Boxing promotes rapid weight loss and burns fat because it’s a high-intensity, total-body workout that torches lots of calories, said Cathe Friedrich, creator of the MMA Boxing DVD.
Gigi agrees, saying boxing is great for the body and the mind.
“When you’re boxing, you get so into it mentally that you forget you’re working out,” Hadid told Vogue (see video). “You always want more.”
Gigi Hadid starts each boxing workout with a quick jump rope session to get the heart rate up and warm up the muscles.
Jumping rope slims the legs and burns 10 calories an hour (that’s 100 calories in just 10 minutes). Plus, it’s a portable workout you can do anywhere.
Other supermodels who jump rope and box include Gisele Bundchen and Victoria’s Secret beauty Adriana Lima, who credited boxing for her rapid post-baby weight loss as Celebrity Health Fitness has reported.
Gigi Hadid also does yoga to ease anxiety, reduce stress and give her a lean, toned bikini body.
Yoga promotes natural weight loss by building lean muscles and suppressing appetite, said Tara Stiles, author of Strala Yoga: Be Strong, Focused & Ridiculously Happy.
“The practice of being at ease [through yoga] also gives you the strength and stamina to pursue all that you find when you connect inward,” said Stiles.