We’re always finding a reason why we can’t be as healthy or as slim as celebrities, saying they have personal trainers and chefs round the clock working with them. But Alison Sweeney isn’t one such celebrity. Between her Days of Our Lives and The Biggest Loser TV shows and being a full-time mom, Alison has picked up a few tricks on how to stay healthy even when life gets a little crazy.

The 33-year-old always keeps healthy snack foods like vegetables at least within an arms’ reach in case she wants a snack. And when she does get the nibbles, she chooses complex carbohydrates. Alison says whole grains keep you feeling fuller and energized for longer than refined carbs like bagels.

Something that’s helped keep the actress on her healthy eating plan is knowing her weaknesses – knowing her cravings.

“I lose sight of my diet when I’m around savoury snacks, like tortilla chips, so I don’t keep them in the house.”

But when she does get those cravings, she satisfies them in a smart way – by taking a small bite of it instead of replacing it with something that’s healthy but that you know isn’t going to satisfy you.

“I’d rather have one small bite of something I’m craving than a fat- and sugar-free version of it,” she says. “My best friend gave me an ice cream maker, so I can whip up a thick, creamy dessert and be satisfied with just a spoonful or two.”

Since being the host of the reality TV weight-loss contest, Alison says she’s started to read food labels and has learned how misleading packing information can be. In her own experience, a ‘personal pizza’ that’s supposedly for one person actually serves eight.

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The Biggest Loser personal trainer Jillian Michaels may have got things wrong with her quick-fix weight-loss supplements, but at least fans of the show can rely on its host, Alison Sweeney, for sensible advice with a healthy recipe.

Alison Sweeney’s Green Beans with Chicken and Crumbled Feta Cheese
Alison’s biggest tip (or trick if you’d like) is to find recipes that include vegetables into the main course.

Only 360 Calories per serving.. Makes about 4 servings.

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 to 4 breasts)
1 tbsp olive oil, plus some for drizzling
1 lemon
6 oz. fresh green beans (½ cup per person)
½ cup fresh feta cheese, crumbled
1 tomato, chopped
½ avocado (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry chicken with a dash of olive oil and lemon slices on top for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the chicken when it’s halfway cooked, and squeeze the lemon juice over it. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. When the chicken is almost ready drop the green beans in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the green beans, taking them out while they’re still bright green and crispy. Place them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the crumbled feta and the chopped tomato. The green beans must still be warm so the cheese can melt. If you want, slice the avocado and add it. When the chicken is ready, cut it into pieces and add it to the green bean mixture. And viola!

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Alison Sweeney isn’t just an actress on Days of Our Lives and the host of The Biggest Loser, she’s also a wife and mother of two children. This week, she told OK! Magazine readers how she manages to juggle it all and stay fit. First off, she mentions that being healthy isn’t just about being skinny and feeling beautiful, but it’s also important in order to have a long life with family and friends. She explained that by changing her mindset, it gets her motivated to exercise because she wants to be a role model for her family and of course be with them for as long as possible. She said,

“That helps me make the choice on a Sunday morning to get up at 7, and go for a run ……. then then when I get home, I’ll bring fresh fruit from the Farmer’s Market and surprise everybody.”

The 33-year-old explained that her kids know she goes to the gym and she’ll teach them things and get them out on hikes to teach them to make healthy choices. When it comes to cooking for her family she encourages them to eat fresh fruits and veggies and doesn’t buy frozen dinners or boil her veggies. In order to get the kids to eat her meals she has learned to jazz it up with fresh herbs and spices such as rosemary on carrots or cinnamon on oatmeal. She also uses cheese sparingly to get the kids to eat something. She said,

“My son likes salty cheeses, so he’s a fan of bleu cheese or feat. That’s something that’s really a strong flavor, so you can just use a little bit of it, and it goes a long way.”

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Alison Sweeney, host of The Biggest Loser, recently had a run-in with one of the show’s super trainers, literally. On The Bonnie Hunt show, the reality TV host told how during one of her gym sessions she met Bob Harper, who is notoriously known for pushing contestants further than they thought they could.

“I was about to start crying,” Alison said on the show. “I was running so hard, and I was like ‘I’m short, I’ve got short legs!’ He had me at a 10 elevation, at level 10, running 10 miles per hour for over 10 seconds.”

Alison later admitted that Bob pushing her did actually help her. Now she knows how far she can push herself the next time she’s on the treadmill.

Alison Sweeney, the host of Biggest Loser and also actress on Days of Our Lives has been a strong advocate of the EA Sports Active package by Nintendo Wii. She told People Magazine,

“It’s just a good example of how you can really get it done at home,” she says. “You don’t need to have a big fancy gym membership. One of the things we talk about on The Biggest Loser all the time is just how difficult it is financially to lose weight sometimes. And that isn’t an excuse anymore. There are really reasonable options.”

She also revealed that she learned a lot about health and fitness while on Biggest Loser and it helped her in her post-baby weight loss:

“I’ve learned a lot about nutrition and how to count my calories.”

Sweeney is now a mother of two children and she explained that during her second pregnancy she reached for fresh fruits instead of processed sweets when getting a craving.   However, there’s always exceptions for first-time moms:

“You deserve to be spoiled – but within reason,” she cautioned.

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Biggest Loser host, Alison Sweeney, did a quick video on Us Magazine showing some workout tips that can be done in the home.  She also took a moment to promote the Ninentendo Wii EA Sports Active. In all honesty, it was a rather odd little video but at least we get to learn a few exercise pointers.

She filmed the video in a bathroom where she had a tiled floor surface for ease of movement.  For the first exercise tip she stood on two folded hand towels and demonstrated sliding the legs open and closed in a scissor motion.  Doing this repetitively creates a lot of resistance and is good for the inner and outer thighs.

In her second exercise tip she kept her feet on the towels and got in the push up position and then jack knifed her body so that the legs get pulled up to her hands and then she slid back into push-up position.  That exercise helps with core strength.  After a third calf strengthening exercise she threw in a few good words for Nintendo Wii.  She said,

“So I’ve been doing the EA Sports Active and it’s on the Ninenton Wii. So I have my numb-chucks and my remote and it is the most amazing workout.  It definitely challenges you, so if anyone says, ‘Working out isn’t tough,’ then they don’t know what they’re talking about because it’s the hardest things you could ever do.”

Host of The Biggest Loser, the adorable Alison Sweeney has been getting back into shape after the birth of her now two-month-old daughter, Megan Hope.  She already looks top-notch just after two months.  How did she do it? According to People Magazine Alison has been working out with the EA Sports Active, it’s a customizable fitness program for the Nintendo Wii.  Here’s what Alison had to say about the program,

“It pushes me, and it’s creative for me….It really is like a personal trainer in a box.”

The program has over 25 exercises and activites that you can do right in your own living room and has a built-in journal to track your progress as well.  Nintendo Wii also has other sports and exercise programs such as yoga and tennis, but there have been mixed reviews on their effectiveness.  Yes they are fun, but they may not be that effective at weight loss.

One has to wonder how the trainer for Biggest Loser, Jillian Michaels, feels about Alison not using her own line of fitness products?