She may be one of the highest-paid women on television, but The Big Bang Theory ’s is also one of the most down-to-earth. Case in point: What other celeb would admit to keeping entire drawers full of sweets in her bedroom, or that she has to buy jeans in three sizes? Get the dish on everything Kaley, including how she finally got a handle on her diet and the killer workout routine that totally changed her body.
She may be one of the highest-paid women on television, but The Big Bang Theory ’s is also one of the most down-to-earth. Case in point: What other celeb would admit to keeping entire drawers full of sweets in her bedroom, or that she has to buy jeans in three sizes? Get the dish on everything Kaley, including how she finally got a handle on her diet and the killer workout routine that totally changed her body.
KALEY CUTS TO THE CHASE
Smartest health change you ever made? Giving up soda.
Celebrity crush? Jennifer Aniston. A girl crush!
If you had a superpower, it would be... Invisibility. There are so many conversations I would love to listen in on.
First thing you do in the morning? I make my coffee with almond-coconut milk.
Last thing you do at night? I kiss my dog, Norman.
Exactly five minutes before our scheduled interview time, the phone rings. “Hey, it’s Kaley!” the chipper 30-year-old actress says. “I’m sorry I’m calling early, but I can’t stand lateness. It drives me crazy. My friends always text me if they’re running even a little behind because they don’t want the ‘wrath of Cuoco’, as they call it.” Extreme punctuality – not to mention an endearing tendency to give TMI – are just two of Kaley Cuoco’s refreshingly anti-Hollywood traits. Another is the fact that she works hard for her body and isn’t afraid to admit it. You won’t hear “Oh, I just look like this naturally” from her. Asked how she got in the ridiculously toned shape you see on our cover and these pages, she confesses: “I’ve never worked so hard to look good for something in my entire career. But I didn’t starve or kill myself with exercise. I went slowly, and it paid off .” Here’s what else Kaley learnt along the way.
WORKOUTS ARE NOT ONE -SIZE-FITS-ALL
“It took years for me to figure out what my body needs and that what works for my friends doesn’t necessarily work for me. Doing yoga five times a week has transformed my body. I love being toned and having muscle; it’s so sexy and beautiful. And I owe it 100 per cent to yoga. I go to a place called Corepower Yoga. One morning I’ll take the Hot Power Fusion class, which is an amazing calorie burner. Or I’ll take a Yoga Sculpt class, where we wear three-pound (1.36kg) weights during yoga moves. The sculpt classes include 20 seconds of mountain climbing or jumping jacks between the poses, so I get cardio, too. I also ride horses five days a week whenever I can. I love it so much. I have six horses, and they have been the biggest blessing in my life. Horseback riding is why I’m so centred, especially in this business. I wouldn’t have my career without it.”
MINDLESS EATING IS A DIET DISASTER
“I got into this habit called the bedtime snack. The drawers next to the bed were filled with candy. Eventually, I realised it was mindless eating and it was adding hundreds of calories I didn’t even think about. So I cut that out. “My refrigerator and pantry have completely changed, because I don’t eat junk anymore. No more soda, chips, cereal; I had boxes of stuff that only a four-year-old would eat. My favourite meal to make these days is gluten-free pasta with vegan butter and veggies. I’m not vegan, nor do I have a gluten allergy, but it just feels better in my stomach.”
KALEY’S WORKOUT PLAYLIST
Run the World (Girls)
– Beyonce
Shut Up and Dance
– Walk the Moon
Uptown Funk
– Mark Ronson, featuring Bruno Mars
Stronger
– Kanye West
California Love
– 2Pac
Beat It, Billie Jean and Thriller
– Michael Jackson
Turn Down for What
– DJ Snake and Lil Jon
Some Nights
– Fun
YOU NEED TO STAY FUELLED WITH THE RIGHT FOODS
“I went to a nutritionist, and what really surprised me was that I wasn’t eating enough during the day. I’d have a huge coffee with almondcoconut milk for breakfast and that was it. I’d eat a dinner big enough for an army when I got home and end up with a stomach ache and then wonder why. Now, I eat small portions every three hours. For breakfast, I make egg whites with lots of Cholula Hot Sauce and mashed avocado. I can’t live without avocado, by the way. I probably eat one a day. For lunch, I order a tuna wrap from one of the healthy restaurants near the studio. My trick is to cut it in half, eat one half with the wrap, and then, if I’m still hungry, have the other half without. It totally fills me up. And I always have snacks with me – apples, nuts, Skinnypop popcorn packs – and lots and lots of water.”
IT’S OKAY TO CHEAT
“I have to have a cheat day. I know when I’m being good all week long that come Sunday, I’m going to lie by the pool, have a drink, and eat some pizza. Then I wake up on Monday morning and I’m all ready to start the week again. I’m just going to be in a bad mood all the time if there’s no light at the end of that tunnel.”
THE PERSONAL PAYOFF IS WORTH IT
“It doesn’t sound like a lot, but I lost six pounds (2.72kg) in the last three months. That’s a whole jeans size, and we all know how good that feels! I’m the type of girl who’s always had to buy jeans in three sizes because I never know what my body is going to do from one day to the next. “Everything, from the inside out, has completely changed for me. And now, when I look into the mirror and see the positive changes, I don’t want to go back to what I was doing.”
