Alison Sweeney graces the cover of SELF

In a newly published interview, Alison Sweeney explains how she's dropped nearly 30 pounds, and how she keeps her weight under control. The interview, the cover story of the latest installment of Self magazine, looks at Sweeney's exercise routine and eating habits.

Days of our Lives star Alison Sweeney (Samantha Brady) graces the cover of the August edition of Self magazine. Inside, Sweeney offers a revealing interview in which she talks about her personal battle with her weight, and how everyone can be in touch with their own body.

Working long hours on a soap set can often make eating properly a challenge. Whereas movie actors often have months to get in top form for a new role, soap stars are on-screen up to five times a week, every week of the year. Being in front of the camera on a constant basis can, according to Sweeney, take its toll.

"I'm on camera 50 weeks a year, so I have to be proud of how I look all the time," Sweeney explained. "I maintain by going to Spin four or five days a week. I love that I can get a solid butt-kicking in 40 minutes. I also strength train two or three times a week. And I do yoga, which I now enjoy so much, when I can. I look forward to it."

Sweeney also set the record straight on whether or not she was given an ultimatum from DAYS execs to lose weight.

"I've been on DAYS since I was 16, and being surrounded by such thin, gorgeous actresses made me so insecure and self-conscious," Sweeney confessed. "As soon as I made it about being healthy and shifted my focus away from the scale, the weight started to come off. [...] The Days of our Lives producers didn't criticize me; everyone there is family. But other casting directors said, 'She'd be great if she lost 10 pounds.'"

In addition to needing to look good for the love scenes on the soaps, for the past five years Sweeney has served as host -- or, as Sweeney told Soap Central "cheerleader" -- of the weight loss reality competition The Biggest Loser.

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"On my first day of Loser, I ended up in the lunch line in front of Jillian [Michaels, a personal trainer on the show] and was like, 'I have to pick stuff before she does?' At that moment I realized how uneducated I was. I asked her for advice, and she rocked my world. I wasn't eating the right kinds of calories. I didn't know about healthy carbs such as brown rice and lentils. Now I eat small meals throughout the day: oatmeal with cinnamon to start, fruit and yogurt as a snack, and vegetables or salad with chicken or tuna, and a healthy carb, like a yam, for lunch. I avoid carbs at dinner and usually have a salad -- I love lettuce. I'm a rabbit!"

For the complete interview, please visit: self.com/healthystars/2011/08/alison-sweeney-slideshow

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