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Home » Lose Weight » Jessie James Decker Didn’t Try to Lose Weight After Her Second Child – SELF

Jessie James Decker loves lifting heavy weights , and swears by protein to keep her full and energized throughout the day. But the country music singer and mom of twoVivienne, 3, and Eric Thomas, 19 monthsdidn't always make time for fitness or think about what she was eating.

"I relied on being young and my genetics and I just kind of stayed thin," Decker tells SELF. But after having kids, she decided it was time to adopt a healthy lifestyle , by consciously eating a healthier diet and working out regularly. "My body looks completely different than it did before kids," she says. In fact, Decker says she feels healthier and more content with her body than ever before.

"I feel like I have more energy now and I feel more proud of myself because I had two kids and know I really accomplished something." And, she says, she worked really hard to get to the happy, healthy place she is now. "Every woman has those days where she nit-picks herself, but I feel like there are not as many as there used to be."

SELF talked with Decker, who is the new brand ambassador of South Beach Diet , and got the scoop on the changes she's made since becoming a mom, what she's doing to stay healthy and happy, and why she wasn't in a rush to lose any weight after delivering her son.

"I decided to make a change and focus on [eating more] veggies and just eating really clean , and paying attention to nutrition," she says.

She decided to partner with South Beach, which offers healthy prepackaged and portioned meals and snacks, to make healthy eating a little easier. "Im running around with my kids, and there were times I used to forget to feed myself and would it be a problem because I would get exhausted and just crash," she says. She's now more conscious of portion sizes when she's making her own food or eating out.

On a typical day, Decker likes to eat a diet high in protein. Breakfast varies depending on what she's doing that day. "If Im in a hurry, I will have the South Beach Ricotta Muffins," she says. "Some mornings Ill just have turkey bacon and scrambled eggs." Either way, she focuses on protein to keep her energized.

Her favorite lunch: Texas chili. "For dinner, I'll grill chicken with asparagus and call it a day." As for snacks? "I love to do almond butter and celery with the kids. If I'm on the run, I'll have a South Beach Toffee Nut Bar."

When she decided she was ready to start a fitness routine , she "was open to trying everything," Decker says. "I work out now a couple times a week, and thats changed everything." It took her a while to find what she really liked and what worked for her body, but she says she loves doing weighted circuit training.

"I feel best when I do really quick circuit workouts . I love changing it up, keeping it fast-paced, and lifting heavy weights," Decker says. After a workout, she'll have a protein shake .

"I hate those unrealistic goals that people place on women. Its just not right," Decker says. "It took us nine months to have our babies and put on this weight. I gained 55 pounds with my daughter, so I get it, its tough. But you can't just pop out a baby and expect to be the size you were before, it just doesn't work like that. I hate that people make women feel thats what they have to do," she says. "You can get to all that stuff later when its right for you ."

Decker says she wasn't ready to even think about losing weight until eight or nine months after her son was born. "I decided not to focus on losing weight until I was done breastfeeding ," she says. "I just paid attention to my body. Im really in tune with my body and what it needs." While some women lose weight breastfeeding, others, like Decker, hold onto (or gain) weight. But she didn't sweat itand just considered it what her body needed to do to feed her babies.

Now, she's focusing on what makes her healthy and happyon her own timeline. "I feel so much more confident now that I changed my lifestyle," Decker says. "I want women to know that they can do that, too."

Watch: A 6-Move No-Equipment Workout You Can Do at Home

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Jessie James Decker Didn't Try to Lose Weight After Her Second Child - SELF

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Home » Lose Weight » Jessie James Decker Didn’t Try to Lose Weight After Her Second Child – SELF