If you’ve been to Fitzness.com before, you know that we believe diets are 100% stupid. Eating healthy and working out is a way of life that always yields great results. A.J. Cook is a busy lady who seems to adhere to the same philosophy. The actress who plays Supervisor Special Agent Jennifer “JJ” Jareau on the hit-drama, Criminal Minds, spills on juggling her busy schedule while playing her favorite role, mother to her 5-year-old son Mekhai. She graces the cover of the January/February edition of Women’s Running Magazine, which generously shared some of the highlights of her interview with us. Check those highlights out below, and to see A.J’s complete feature … pick up at a copy of Women’s Running on newsstands near you.
On how she struggled to be Hollywood thin: “The best thing I ever did was stop dieting. My whole life it’s been this struggle where you feel like you don’t look good enough, you’re not skinny enough. I don’t consider it a chore to eat properly and work out. I want to do it to be as healthy as I can for my son.”
· Moving on after cheat meals: “It’s not the end of the world if you have some ice cream. Just eat more vegetables the next day. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself.”
· How she sneaks in exercising in between her busy schedule for “Criminal Minds”: “I think what changed is that my life got exponentially busier, and now I look forward to the time in the day where I get to escape. And the older I get, the more I value that I only have one body, and I’ve got to take good care of it.”
· She’s listens to her body: “At the end of the day, I want to do what’s best for my body and best for my health. Do I eat chocolate? Yeah. Do I eat it every day? No. I just try to eat healthy as much as possible, and everything in moderation. And I’ve learned to listen to my body. If my body wants a steak, I probably need some iron. It’s amazing when you listen.”
· On how having a baby was a game changer for her: “You give birth to this beautiful creature, and life has so much more meaning than whether or not you’re skinny enough or pretty enough.”
· Her favorite snacks to indulge on: “Salt and Vinegar Kettle Chips. Yeah, I’m kind of addicted to those.”
A.J.’s “busy mom” Eating Menu:
· Breakfast – Egg white omelet or an egg-white scramble with chicken, avocado, and tomato. Or smoothie.
· Lunch – A wrap with turkey or chicken, or a salad.
· Dinner – Salad with protein, either fish or steak.
· Snack – Piece of chocolate.
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