Blake Lively describes her “The Shallows” diet and it was unexpectedly restrictive

While preparing for her movie The Shallows, not only did Blake Lively subscribe to a vigorous (but doable) workout plan – she also took on an equally intense diet. When talking with Australian radio hosts Kyle and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, the actress revealed:

“I did no gluten and no soy. Once you remove soy, you realize you’re eating no processed foods. So that’s basically what I did. No processed foods and then working out.” 

As you can imagine, removing soy from her diet was a challenge for Blake. She explained that there’s soy in pretty much everything and it can even be found in all the organic foods within a grocery store like Whole Foods. Blake said, “I was still able to have sugar and all of those things. It’s all in moderation. You just have a balance of protein, carbs, and vegetables. And it wasn’t the worst. Like, I was eating rice and sushi.” Her trainer, Don Saladino, added that they did this diet the right way to make sure Blake got all the nutrients she needed.

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However, just like with anything, there was definitely a downside to Lively’s diet (other than, ya know, the whole “no soy or gluten” thing). Specifically, while she was filming the movie, Blake had to witness the cast and crew eating delicious, off-limits foods every single day.

“That was the hardest part,” stated the actress. “They were making these fresh muffins every morning – those jackasses. They smelled so good!”

Diet and workout plan aside, Blake’s desire to get in shape had nothing to do with “bouncing back” after giving birth to her daughter James. In fact, Lively revealed, “After I had a kid I thought, ‘Okay, this is what my body looks like. This is amazing – I earned this body … And it’s not as good as it was before I had a kid, but, oh well.’”

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It’s also important to note that Blake Lively isn’t the first actress to have to change her appearance for a role. There’s also Mila Kunis, who ended up weighing 95 pounds after she dieted for Black Swan. You can also take a look at Renée Zellweger, who actually had to gain weight so she could reprise her role as Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones’s Baby. Though these are only three examples, they represent a bigger trend that’s concerning, since altering one’s body in any way can lead to health and self-esteem issues.

With this in mind, we hope other actors out there make a point to get in shape the right way – by focusing on the state of their health above all else.