How Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima got the body of an angel
Last month, Brazilian beauty Adriana Lima opened the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which airs on December 4th, eight weeks after giving birth to her second child.
Here, she opens up to Metro about the ‘nightmare’ gym sessions, sparring herself into shape and how she celebrated getting into the skimpy lingerie with a cupcake — just one.
Q: It seems like hell — getting ready for the show. How do you girls cope with the pressure?
A: “One thing I need to get straight- I’ve never felt pressure from either Victoria’s Secret or my agency. No one pressured me to get ready for the show this fast. It’s a decision I made on my own. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done because you’re dealing with nature. You do what you need to do to get ready but after having a baby you really don’t know how your body is going to react.”
Q: Sounds stressful. How did you react on the big day? Did you down shots of vodka backstage?
A: “I get nervous before every single show. I thought that feeling would go away but it never did. Plus this year I was opening the show, which is a big responsibility as everybody kind of follows your mood. But every girl has a different way of expressing her nervousness. I don’t like talking so I just listen to music- anything by Eminem, Rihanna, Kings of Leon, “Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin, and “Heartbeats” by The Knife.”
Q: Did getting ready for the show give you nightmares? Did you dream you were being attacked by giant candy bars?
A: “No! It was more during the day, when I had to go to the gym- that was my nightmare! Don’t get me wrong, I really love exercise…but it’s not easy.
The actual workout- it’s tough you know. You need a lot of determination in order to do it every single day. Every minute of every workout counts and this year, I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it or not.”
Q: Models Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn (both in the Victoria’s Secret show with Adriana) reportedly ate pizza and KFC hours before the show. Would you want to scream if they ate in front of you, or join them?
A: “Ha! I’m a little bit older than them. But regardless of age, I’m really aware of the fact that you are what you eat.”
Q: Are you saying they’re going to turn into a giant pizza or a chicken wing?
A: “Maybe not right now but they’re going to see the results in the future, when they get old. It depends what they eat but they may have problems with cholesterol or diabetes, I don’t know. I just like to eat healthy. I have two children and I’m concerned about their health. I’m their example. I don’t want my three year old asking me “mama, I want chocolate for lunch.” Cake is festive, it’s not something you should eat everyday.”
Q: What’s the first thing you did when the show ended? Run backstage, take off that lingerie and demolish a cheeseburger?
A: “No! But I did have a cupcake. Once in a while, I do eat these things you know. I just don’t do it every day. Even now that the show is over, I’m still working out and eating healthy. It’s my job.”
Q: There are a lot of rumors out there that you Victoria’s Secret models literally starve yourselves in order to get ready for the show. You also shared sweaty pictures of yourself on Twitter to show how hard you were working out. How did you really go about it?
A: “I’d just had a baby so I had to do everything in a healthy way in order to best take care of myself and my body. I never do things on my own — I have a nutritionist and a personal trainer. I don’t want to have any problems. I know people see us on the runway and working out- but I don’t want them to think that we don’t eat. I don’t starve myself. I don’t do that. I love food, but I do watch what I eat.”
Q: So what kinds of workouts did you focus on? What foods did you eat?
A: “I was boxing — sparring, doing a little bit of rope and lots of abdominal and core work. I sometimes went running in the morning but that’s pretty much it. As for my diet, I was eating three ounces of protein, three times a day with plenty of steamed green vegetables and drinking lots of water.”
Q: What’s more painful- getting ready for the show or giving birth?
A: “I enjoyed every second of both. When you make your own choices and you’re not forced to do things, nothing is painful. Being a mother is amazing and there are no words to describe that but also, the Victoria’s Secret Show…I mean every girl in the world would love to be an Angel.”
Q: At the end of the day… is all the pain of the workouts and the dieting worth it?
A: “Of course. I do things that I love and I do them from my heart- you understand?”
The Victoria Secret show is airing on CBS on December 4th 2012 at 10 PM EST / PST.
