It’s no secret that I’m really not a big Chrissy Teigen fan. I know, she really cares about what I think of her, right? I just think she’s sort of annoying, even if she sometimes does something funny or interesting. That being said, I respect her game and her brand. She’s managed her social media presence to the point where she’s a full-fledged celebrity who makes headlines constantly. She parlayed that into a successful cookbook series, which is what she’s promoting now, her new cookbook, Cravings: Hungry for More. That’s why she covers the new issue of Women’s Health. She ends up confirming again something I thought about her a few years back: she was a BIG drinker. She drank too much. She knows that now. She actually talked about drinking too much last year in an interview, but it’s always good to repeat it – she knows now that she was drinking too much. Some highlights:
On post-partum with daughter Luna: “After Luna, I was drinking too much. I wasn’t eating as much because I was full from drinking. I wasn’t being good to my body. I remember being so bruised from nothing.”
On the shift in her perspective after starting antidepressants and visiting Bali: “It’s like, what could be more important than mental health? What’s more important than being proud of yourself and doing the best you can for your body?”
On how her new book, Cravings: Hungry for More reflects her new lifestyle: “Two kids in, you can’t eat the way you used to. I changed, so the book had to change. With the first book, I wanted to get people out of the headspace of a 15-minute meal with less than five ingredients. Now I identify more with the people who don’t have time for that sh-t.”
On easing back into intimacy with husband John Legend: “It doesn’t matter who you are – even if you’re a sexy R&B crooner or an ex-swimsuit model, you’re just tired. We still have that passion for each other, but are we doing it randomly in a dressing room? No! We’ll get back into it again. But it is funny: If he performs somewhere, and I go, I’m like, ‘Oh he’s sexy.’ We’ll probably have sex that night.”
On her top talent at the gym: “Sometimes I think I’m the weakest person, but I can plank for 20 minutes. I’ve always had a really strong core, but it’s truly in the core of my body, like, the stuff that’s on the outside – kinda gummy, but the stuff that’s on the inside: strong.”
On learning to appreciate her new body: “Honestly, I don’t ever have to be in a swimsuit again. Since I was 20 years old, I had this weight in my mind that I am, or that I’m supposed to be. I’ve been so used to that number for 10 years now. And then I started realizing it was a swimsuit-model weight. There’s a very big difference between wanting to be that kind of fit and wanting to be happy-fit.”
I’m glad she’s talking about how much she was drinking back then, just a few years ago. It was pretty noticeable even as a casual observer, and it was made worse by the fact that everyone kept telling her that it was cute and special. That’s the kind of enabling that happens on social media – “oh it’s so cute and funny that you’re on your fifth glass of wine and you’re Snapchatting in front of your baby!” Nope. I’m glad that she’s on antidepressants to try to balance things out.
I actually chuckled at this: “With the first book, I wanted to get people out of the headspace of a 15-minute meal with less than five ingredients. Now I identify more with the people who don’t have time for that sh-t.” I don’t have two kids and I’ve always identified with the “I don’t have time for that sh-t” people.
Photos courtesy of Eric Ray Davidson for Women’s Health, sent from promotional Women’s Health email.
Wow good interview! I appreciate her comments about the differences between swimsuit model and mere mortal fitness.
She’s definitely growing on me. Everything she said here is great, and hopefully it will help other moms trying to cope with the stress with too many glasses of wine.
I can also relate to being stronger on the inside than what’s necessarily reflected on the outside! Some people build a ripped physique much more easily and it seems restricting calories is the best way to help that along. If that’s not a priority for her, more power to her. She’s lovely in any case.
I love her. I think her frankness is good for the world, even if it is annoying. We don’t talk about drinking and depression enough. We don’t talk about mothers who drink too much enough. This is oversharing that HELPS.
@Mika I love her too and agree about the “frankness.” Mom’s in trouble get talked about, behind the back whispering, but not often genuine offers of help. Then when mothers, with few resources, hit the wall: BAM! Your children are taken and btw here’s a long list of things, that would flummox a type A person, that you must complete to have them back. So a system of you must always know what you’re doing or be a failure, then when you can’t cope very well let’s hit you some more. Earlier intervention, with support and I believe the more high profile women who speak up helps. And, yes there are some men and women who should never have had children.
Really like her and think she is super bright and in a shallow way I think she is utterly beautiful
I started following her on Twitter because of this site. I had no idea who she was, now I’m a fan. She’s thirsty but funny.
I honestly don’t understand how anyone can drink alcohol and care for a baby. I guess when you can hire help it’s different, but I remember my first alcohol after my kid was born. I hadn’t had alcohol in over a year at that point, got drunk on maybe 2 or 3 beers and had the worse hangover the next morning. With a screaming baby. It was hell. I didn’t drink again for years. I think his teenage years drove me back to it. LOL
She almost definitely has help. No shame in that, she can afford it, but there is a big difference between you or I drinking too much after having a kid and Chrissy Teigen doing it. In no way am I trying to say she didn’t have a problem, just that a nanny or someone was likely taking care of her kid(s?). They weren’t getting left in a corner or anything.
I think her mom lives with them to help with the kids, and she also has nannies. I would have loved that. Or at least the nannies, don’t know that I could have handled my mom living with me. But good for her that she has help. I just think she wouldn’t have drank so much if she didn’t have the help. Seriously, it’s not fun.
There are some great meals to be made from five ingredients. Just ask Gordon Ramsay. It’s nice if you can have a six ingredient cocktail that’s been barrel-aged and a lobster mousse with avocado gelee and whatnot once in awhile, but let’s be real. Food is something you need to put in your body, and when you’re hungry, you’d rather have a bowl of cereal right now than wait six weeks for a meal fit for a king.
Glamour used to have a series 5, 10, 15 I think it was called. Five ingredients, ten prep cooking time, 15 minutes cooking time. It was awesome.