Alanis Morissette Reveals Her Slimming Secrets

In an exclusive interview for OK!, Alanis Morissette shares her slim-down secrets. Not long ago, the 34-year-old singer was battling a weight problem due to unhealthy, processed food. She now says that her vegan diet hepled her shed 20 pounds and restore her energy and self-esteem.

On how does it feel to lose 20 pounds: I feel like a 12-year-old! I’m back to what I was born to be, at my best. I used to get out of bed in the morning and things were aching, and I just thought, this is what happens when you get into your 30s. But now I jump out of bed and have so much energy; I feel very alive. Even after a workout, I feel like if I rest a little bit I could go out dancing all night, so that’s exciting. I have no more aches and pains, and my allergies are gone, too.

On the reason behind the weight gain: A lot of salt and processed grains like bread. I was a sandwich person, and if I had rice, I would pack the salt on.

On her overeating: All the restrictions and limitations I’d placed upon myself for many years were let loose. I think it was a rite of passage for me. At 21, I was touring with Jagged Little Pill, so I didn’t experience the footloose and fancy-free passage that most people do in their teens and early 20s. My whole life I’ve been overly responsible. So I was fantastically indulgent for a good nine months. I knew it would be a temporary thing, and it was fun. There was a sexiness to my curvier self that I loved.

On why she wanted a new eating plan: I went to my favorite bookstore, Banyen Books and Sound, in Vancouver. I saw this book, Eat to Live, and I thought, that’s exactly what I want to do. I wasn’t interested in some fad diet that was unsustainable, like “lose 10 pounds in two weeks.” I don’t believe in diets; I think they’re short-term and a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. So I opened it and flipped through and thought the weight loss is incidental. The primary focus is disease prevention.

On her workout routine: When I’m out on tour, my shows are so physical that that really takes care of it. When I’m not on tour, I do between a half hour to an hour of light weights, running, biking, swimming, probably five times a week. I also love to kickbox and dance.

On her boyfriend’s (attorney Tom Ballanco) opinion on the weight loss: He just cares about my well-being. He thought I was sexy at whatever weight that I’ve been. I’ve never felt loved in that way before.

On her wedding plans: I could see in the not too distant future being married with children, absolutely, but I’m in no crazy rush. I wildly respect him. How he views the world, the lens through which he looks at life is very similar to mine. To have that in common makes me sleep well at night.