Blake Lively opens up about losing 61 pounds after the birth of her second child

Blake Lively is a mom of two, and she doesn’t try to pretend that she can just “bounce back” right after having a baby. Getting your body back to its pre-baby shape is a difficult task—and one that took Lively 14 months to achieve. Recently, the actress took to Instagram to show off the 61 pounds she’s lost since the birth of her second child, 16 month-old-daughter, Inez.

So, how did she drop the weight? Well, she has her trainer, Don Saladino to thank, in large part. She wrote on Instagram, “Turns out you can’t lose the 61 lbs you gained during pregnancy by just scrolling through instragram and wondering why you don’t look like all the bikini models. Thanks @donsaladino for kickin my A double S into shape. 10 months to gain, 14 months to lose.”

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She also mentioned that she’s “feeling very proud” after the weight loss, and we can’t say we blame her. Fourteen months of hard workouts is no joke!

She hasn’t opened up about the specifics of the weight-loss journey over the past 14 months, but she has talked in the past about not holding herself to certain expectations for her post-baby body.

“There’s pressure to lose [the weight], or women are like supposed to look like they did when they were 19 right after you give birth to your child—I think it’s silly,” she told the BBC after having her first daughter, James.

And in 2016, she told People magazine she appreciated her body more now than ever before.

“After I had a kid I thought, ‘Okay, this is what my body looks like. This is amazing—I earned this body.’”

While the actress isn’t doling out specific weight-loss advice at the moment, she has been candid about methods that worked for her in the past. To get in shape for “The Shallows,” she went on a gluten-free and soy-free diet, on top of working out with Saladino. Lucky for is, Saldino has shared some details about Lively’s workouts.

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One of the most important things he’s said about Lively’s approach was that she knew when to take it easy.

“I think the beauty of the approach she took is the approach I’m trying to get most people to take, is that shorter is sweeter,” he told ET back in 2015. “You don’t need to go in 60 to 90 minutes, two hours a day. It’s something, where if you only have 20 minutes in the bag that day, go on what you have, get some good work in, try and break a little sweat and get out! It’s better than taking off.”

After all, moderation is key in all things.

“She truly listened to me every step of the way and we both listened to her body,” the trainer told Well + Good of Lively’s workout plan. “At the end of the day, it will never be one-size-fits-all. In order to get the results, you need to be paying attention to what’s going on [with you].”

If you’re interested in working out with Saladino as your guide, you can follow along with some of his workouts through the Playbook App.

We couldn’t be happier for Lively and the fact that she’s loving her post-baby body. Everyone deserves to feel the same way. Getting there might not be easy—but it’s worth it!