For women working in Hollywood, old-fashioned (and sexist) “rules” usually dictate that the slimmer you are, and the smaller the dress size you can fit into, the more successful your career is going to be.
But Aussie actress Rebel Wilson says for her, the opposite has always been true.
“I saw my size as being an advantage, whereas so many women see it as a disadvantage,” she told the Telegraph UK in 2016.
The 39-year-old said her weight actually led to her gaining awesome acting jobs, like her career-defining role as “Fat Amy” in the wildly successful Pitch Perfect movie franchise.
“I don’t know if it was mega-conscious, but I thought: ‘How can I get more laughs? Maybe if I was a bit fatter…’ And then suddenly I was fatter, and doing comedy,” she said.
But in 2020, the actress decided she was going to prioritise her health and embark on a weight loss journey.
“Okay so for me 2020 is going to be called ‘The Year of Health’,” she wrote on Instagram recently.
“So I put on the athleisure and went out for a walk, deliberately hydrating on the couch right now and trying to avoid the sugar and junk food which is going to be hard after the holidays I’ve just had but I’m going to do it! Who’s with me in making some positive changes this year?”
And it seems all of her hard work has paid off, with the Bridesmaids star showing off her incredible weight loss transformation on the red carpet at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday night.
Rebel showed off her incredible new figure at the AO Inspirational Series Lunch during the Australian Open 2020 in Melbourne this week.
(Credit: Getty)
Rebel Wilson pictured in 2011.
(Credit: Getty)So, what’s her secret? Well, her transformation is all thanks to Aussie celebrity personal trainer Jono Castanoacero, who has been working with Rebel for months.
Jono, who also trains former Bachelor Matty J, former high profile escort Samantha X and Real Housewives star Krissy Marsh, frequently posts photos of Rebel working out on his Instagram account, showing the tough exercises he makes the star perform.
And on Thursday he also took to Instagram to praise his high-profile client for her incredible transformation, posting a before-and-after shot of Rebel with the caption: “INCREDIBLE gurl @rebelwilson doing amazing and so bloody proud of you. ❤️🙏.”
Jono has previously told Now To Love that he usually gives his clients 12 weeks to overhaul their diet and exercise routine, which gives them enough time to make some serious changes.
He says High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is his “go-to” for clients looking to lose weight fast, because it gets results quickly – and that’s exactly the type of workout he prescribed for Rebel.
HIIT training usually lasts for between 20 and 45 minutes and burns a bucketload of calories, and gets you sweating, big time!
If you can’t afford a personal trainer or getting to a formal HIIT class at the gym is just too hard, you can easily create your own workout at home.
Pick a series of exercises and work as hard as you can for 45 seconds, then have a short break, before resuming the next round of 45 seconds.
“If you’re a beginner, rest for a minute, 45 seconds for intermediate and 30 seconds for advanced people,” Jono told Now To Love.
“I’m massive about technique. I feel like it’s very difficult to maintain good form if you’re only having a 10 second break,” he said.
Jono and Rebel posing up a storm on Instagram.
(Credit: Instagram)He says move your body for 45 minutes, six days a week, with one rest day, and you’ll get incredible results.
But if that sounds absolutely unrealistic, don’t get too stressed – not every day has to involve a super intense workout.
“It doesn’t always needs to be a high intensity session,” Jono said.
“It could be a walk around the beach or around the shops. That’s still classified as output as you are still burning calories. I say do three high intensity sessions and three activity sessions, so yoga, Pilates or walking.”
READ NEXT: How to lose 10kg in a month
Phwoar! With a bod like that, we’ll do anything Jono tells us!
(Credit: Instagram)In early 2019, Rebel also worked with American celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, who also counts Khloe Kardashian, Charlize Theron and Kate Beckinsale as clients, at least four times a week.
“When she’s in town, she’s a solid four days a week,” the LA-based trainer told Us Weekly.
“She is such a cool person to work with.”
WATCH BELOW: See Rebel Wilson work out with her trainer in a Sydney gym. Story continues after video.
But despite her amazing body transformation, Rebel says she is still herself, and is adamant she will never become too obsessed with her looks.
“I wouldn’t ever want to compete with what I call ‘the glamours’ — the really gorgeous people,” she told Cosmopolitan UK in 2016.
“I’m about the brain, the heart and what’s on the inside. I feel really lucky to be the body type I am.”
