Alison Sweeney: ‘I’m More in Control’

"Biggest Loser" host Alison Sweeney talks to Self magazine for the magazine's August issue. - Robert Erdmann/S …Throw a 16-year-old on the set of a soap opera and she's bound to end up dealing with a few body issues. And that's exactly what happened to "Days of Lives" star Alison Sweeney, who recently talked to Self magazine for its August issue.

"Being surrounded by such thin, gorgeous actresses made me so insecure and self-conscious," says the 5'4" actress and TV host, who, at her heaviest, was a size 12.

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Now 34, the host of "The Biggest Loser" is more at peace with her figure. "I'm more educated about my body and how it all works now, so I'm more in control," she explains. "This is the best I've ever felt physically and emotionally."

And that success has a lot do with her pretty intense workout routine, which includes Spinning classes four or five days a week, strength training two or three times a week, and yoga when she can squeeze it in. "I'm on camera 50 weeks a year, so I have to be proud of how I look all the time," says Sweeney.

Alison shows off her fit and fab figure in an Alaia dress. - Robert Erdmann/Self"This is the best I've ever felt physically and emotionally," she says. - Robert Erdmann/Self

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She also has "Biggest Loser" trainer Jillian, who recently left the show, to thank for getting her nutrition plan in line."I asked her for advice, and she rocked my world. I wasn't eating the right kinds of calories," Sweeney admits. "I didn't know about healthy carbs such as brown rice and lentils. Now I eat small meals throughoutthe day: oat meal with cinnamon to start, fruit and yogurt as a snack, and vegetables 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!"

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This working mom of two also has a pretty famous support network, which includes fellow celebs Ali Landry, Denise Richards, Lisa Rinna, Tori Spelling, Brooke Burke, Candace Cameron Bure, and Nancy O'Dell. The gaggle of women even formed their own supper club. "We have such a dynamic camaraderie from experiencing so many of the same things in Hollywood. We're not threatened by each other; we support each other and tell each other, 'You look beautiful!' You can choose to be allies and take care of each other.

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More Celebrity Features on Yahoo!:
Allison Sweeney's Post-Baby Body Tips
Jillian Michaels' Simple Weight Loss Tip
Mary Lou Retton's Healthy Life

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