Instagram Star Kayla Itsines Reveals What It Really Takes to Get a "Bikini Body"
Kayla Itsines, 24, is a certified fitness trainer from Adelaide, Australia. Her Bikini Body Guides, which include a 12-week exercise plan made up of 28-minute workouts, have a cult-like following, and herInstagram account, which is full of before-and-after photos of women who've followed her program, has more than 3.1 million followers. Cosmopolitan.com recently caught up with Itsines to find outhow she sculpts her abs and what it's like to be insanely fit — and adored by fans for it.
You've built your brand around the concept of achieving a bikini body. How do you respond to people who say there's no such thing as a bikini body?
If there's one thing I regret, it's naming my guides "Bikini Body." I wish I'd made it more clear that any body can wear a bikini and that a "bikini body" isn't my body, it's feeling comfortable and strong and fit and great about yourself when you wear the least amount of clothing you can wear in public. "Bra and underwear body" or "naked body" didn't seem to work. Of course any body can wear a bikini. Just put it on.
Have you always had amazing abs, or is there a before photo of you that we're not seeing?
There is a before photo, but I'll never post it because I don't want to make my account about me and my journey. My body isn't relatable and I'm not relatable: I live in Australia. If all I post is photos of myself eating dragon fruit acai bowls in Glenelg, South Australia, women from New York or another place where dragon fruit isn't readily available will be like, "I can't get that here, I can't relate, and I don't want to follow her."
How often do you work out to achieve the body we see on Instagram?
I only do real workouts three or four days a week, when I use my Bikini Body Guides workouts. Otherwise, I'm active on most days, even if that means taking my dogs on a walk for 40 minutes or sprint training for 15 minutes on treadmill. One day a week, I completely rest, and one day a week, I'll spend an hour stretching with a foam roller and stretch bands because I'm very inflexible.
What interested you in fitness in the first place?
I've always been into it because I've played basketball my whole life. But I was underweight and unhealthy as a kid, and I was ultimately diagnosed with endometriosis. I had to get surgery — it's why my belly button is weird! — but even afterward, the illness was slowing me down.
I went online where people were saying that there is something you can do: Make sure you're healthy, fit, and strong. I went to the gym and started working out. It felt so good — even though I had no idea what I was doing.
I got my personal trainer certification at 18 or 19 years old and started to do mobile personal training. I couldn't bring a lot of equipment to my clients, so I started to build the minimal-space, minimal-equipment workouts that turned into Bikini Body Guides.
How has your fame changed things for you?
I feel like I don't have very many friends now. I have my boyfriend and my two dogs and girls at the office, but it's hard to keep people in my life without intimidating them. [Pretends to play a sad song on an air violin and laughs.]
I get noticed on the street all the time. People always ask me what's the difference between Kayla on Instagram and in real life, but I say there's no difference at all.
Do you mostly credit diet or exercise for your figure?
I credit both, 100 percent. Except I never say "diet" because it makes you think of cutting out fat or carbs. I don't think you should ever cut out a food unless it's for an ethical or health reason. Everyone has been in that situation where they go out for dinner and order something really healthy like salmon and salad. But then they get home and they just want chocolate. I think that's the result of not eating enough carbs. If you eat just a little rice with that fish and salad, you'll feel much more satisfied and realize that your cravings aren't about hunger, but boredom.
I eat normal food from all five food groups including carbs — a lot of pasta, rice, bread, chicken, and meat. I love all desserts — especially tiramisu, which is my go-to treat— but I never really crave bad food. When I get bored or feel like I need sweets, I drink raspberry tea. I always choose healthy food because I prefer it.
There's got to be one food you never, ever eat.
The only thing I rule out is alcohol. I know it's controversial, but my auntie died from an alcohol overdose, and the loss was huge for me. I have to be a role model for my cousin, who doesn't have a mom because of alcohol. I have 12- and 13-year-old girls following me, so I'm not going to post photos with a caption like, "Watch me drink!" I don't want to condone something I believe to be poisonous.
What do you eat on a typical day?
This morning, I ate muesli with Greek yogurt and honey and blueberries. I always eat a mix of carbs and protein. Yesterday, I had scrambled eggs with multigrain toast.
For lunch, I'll eat a wrap or a chicken sandwich. My favorite is tuna salad on a roll. Another favorite is avgolemono soup. It's a Greek family recipe that I make in huge batches about once a week. It starts with chicken stock that I cook from scratch by boiling a whole chicken with carrots, potatoes, onions, and chicken stock cubes. Then I remove the chicken, add rice and beat in eggs with some lemon juice. The broth gets really fluffy, and I top it off with the chicken. I seriously eat that all the time.
For dinner, I'll usually have chicken, fish, or steak with rice and salad. Or regular pasta with marina sauce topped with seafood and anchovies — it's a dish my grandma makes for family dinners once a week.
As for snacks, I eat Greek yogurt and fruit like mango, which I love. I'm not really into juices or kale shots or protein balls. I'm Greek, so I grew up on whole, homegrown foods, and snacks like celery and hummus.
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