When you see abs as solid as Lori Harvey’s, it’s only right to go straight to the source for pointers on how she achieved her toned physique.
During a red carpet interview with ESSENCE at the 2022 Met Gala, the 25-year-old model credited her stunning frame to putting in overtime at the pilates studio. “It’s pilates. It changed my life.”
After fans requested further details on her workout routine, Harvey took to TikTok to break down her recent weight-loss journey. She started by sharing that she gained 15 pounds early in her relationship with Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan.
“Everybody’s been asking like what it is I specifically did to get my body to this point. So when Mike and I got together, I gained like 15 pounds of relationship weight and it was horrible,” she said. “None of my clothes fit, it was just not OK,” she shared.
“I’ve been consistently doing pilates for the past year. I’ve done it for a few years but I’ve been really consistent the last year,” she said, adding that when she was working to lose weight, her average time spent in the gym was between “five, six times a week,” sometimes doing “two-a-day” workouts, often incorporating cardio after her pilates classes. That cardio consisted of sprint interval workouts, going on hikes, running the stairs, or doing “just some type of cardio.”
The social media influencer wasn’t on a diet but focused on eating mostly meat and vegetables with minimal carbs during that time, staying in a “calorie deficit” and consuming as low as “1,200 calories a day max.” That, combined with her activity, helped her get to where she is now.
“Pilates alone is not going to make you lose weight,” she said. “It’s just going to give you long, lean muscles. So yeah, that’s how I did it.”
While Harvey’s openness about her weight-loss journey and addressing the relatable concept of gaining “happy weight” when in a new, loving relationship was applauded by some, others found the lengths she went through to achieve her fitness goals to be extreme and to promote unhealthy weight-loss culture.
Attuned to the potential backlash, Harvey pinned a message to her now-viral TikTok video which read, “Before y’all start your sh-t this is what worked for me and MY body… everyone is different so tailor your needs to meet your goals [prayer hands emoji].” As she said, it worked for her body. With that in mind, celebrity weight-loss advice can be fun to consume, but it’s always advised that each person does what’s best for their own body type, goals, and health needs.