Grammy Award-winner and certified “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul”, Mary J. Blige is known for her gritty songs of real love, loss and life. Through the years, the music superstar’s look has constantly evevated herself by improving her style and her body. Now, 50-years-young Mary shares “the 4-1-1” to her keeping her body “just fine” (see what I did there?).
During a recent photoshoot with famed photographer, Robert Ector, Mary stripped down to her birthday suit and showed off all her curves. She was styled by her longtime friend Misa Hylton who draped her in jewels around her neck, and down her waistline.
“If it wasn’t for these pictures they wouldn’t see me at all – Jay Z,” she captioned her photo.
So how does she stay so fit?
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Mary J’s Diet
Mary gets her low carbohydrates in by eating a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner mixed in with protein shakes. Mary also drinks a gallon of water a day to keep her system flushed out. The rest of her diet consists of meats, cheeses, greens and healthy fats while maintaining the carbohydrate levels at a minimum. Avoidance of highly processed and refined foods is advised. Mary J. credits this diet in helping her lose more than 40 pounds
Mary J’s Exercise
Blige likes to keep her workout routine simple, sticking to weight lifting to build muscle definition. “I like to look a certain way [with or without clothes on]. So I have to do what I have to do,” Blige previously told Health Magazine. “I do a lot of weights—heavy lifting. It keeps everything firm.” As far as her daily nutrition, protein and veggies are key. “I eat a lot of protein,” Blige says. “I drink a green juice every day. I’ve been a vegetable eater since I was a kid.” But her love of veggies doesn’t mean she never indulges. Her favorite dessert? “Vanilla ice cream and Coke. Or a fudge cupcake.”
Mary lifts weights three times a week focusing on her arms, legs, and glutes. She does a lot of squats and bench presses. She also does a serious Cardio workout on a different day or sometimes the same days running 4 miles. Currently, she is trying to incorporate Core Secrets to her routine by the recommendation of her personal trainer, Gunnar Peterson. This workout involves full body and body-part specific exercises concentrating on strengthening the core and toning the body.
“My main exercise is cardio,” she says in her interview with SHAPE. “The treadmill is fine but running outdoors gives me the best results. I try to log 6 to 8 miles a week. I could be in the worst mood, but when I do my cardio I feel much, much better.”
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Mary recently joined her friends Gabrielle Union and Tracee Ellis Ross in a workout session to get even more finer. Let’s just say there’s no signs of Mary slowing down or letting these 20-something instagram models get anything on her anytime soon.
“I’m still a work in progress.” She says. “I don’t love exercise and dieting but I appreciate what it does for me. All the stuff you hate to do just pushes you further.”
