We have always wondered how a celebrity can go from undesirably fat to drop dead gorgeously slim just for a movie. Their ability to simply lose or gain the weight when they need to is quite remarkable. It seems they can just lose all the weight whenever the heck they want. More recently is the case of British sensational Grammy-winner Sam Smith who lost an impressive amount of weight in a short amount of time that left everyone surprised. You may wonder how he managed to pull it off.

If you have been struggling to drop a few pounds yourself and you wish you could get a hold of the secrets used by celebrities, here are a couple of tips as revealed by the stars themselves.

Take It Slow And Steady

It took Khloé Kardashian a year and a half to shed 30 pounds. Why? Because she worked out regularly but was unwilling to give up all of the foods she loved. That may sound like a very slow progress, but taking your time and developing a healthy routine you can stick with for the long haul can help you ultimately lose more weight. Making wellness and not weight loss your goal is another piece of advice from actress Melissa McCarthy.

Put Yourself First

Ultimately, if you don’t want to lose the weight for yourself, you probably won’t have the motivation to do it at all. That’s what Jennifer Hudson discovered when she was finally able to go from a size 16 to a size 6:

“The key to losing weight: You have to do it for you,” she says. “It’s not about even starting the journey, it’s about you. You have to want to do it. And you can’t let what everyone has to say overshadow what you want for you.”

Make sure you’re at a point where you’re genuinely motivated to drop pounds to improve your health and wellness. Putting yourself first helps you find the necessary drive to challenge yourself.

Relax & Get More Sleep

Christina Aguilera claimed the ancient Asian practice of Reiki helped her slim down. The practice involves managing stress and getting adequate sleep to lose weight.

Unplug

Unplug from technology for an hour a day and spend that time reading a real book (yes, they still exist), doing yoga, taking a walk, meditating—whatever relaxes you and makes you happy! The constant attention-grabbing chirping that our phones, tablets, and computers make has an impact on our stress levels, sleep, and perspective. And since stress and sleep both play a role in health and weight loss, getting tied to the internet can make it difficult to lose weight. Sam Smith claimed to go offline throughout his weight loss process to help him concentrate on himself.

Watch What You Eat

It’s difficult to keep food cravings at bay when you’re constantly starving — which is exactly what happens when you don’t get enough protein. Kim Kardashian, for example, lost her baby weight by following a meal plan that included a 6-ounce serving of protein with every single meal of the day, including cheesy eggs for breakfast, fish for lunch, and lean chicken breast for dinner. If her diet sounds filling, that’s because it is, and it’s proof you don’t have to go hungry to shed pounds. You only have to be careful and watch what you eat. Do not eat too soon before bed is another piece of advice from Jennifer Hudson.

Workout

Celebrities say working out is the basic weight loss secret, but working out is not a secret at all, as there are a ton of TV shows regarding workout regimens and weight loss plans. However, celebrities do take workout routines to a whole new level.

During her weight loss process, Jennifer Hudson woke up at 4 am to run for an hour, followed by an hour-long workout in the gym with her personal fitness trainer by doing stuff like 4 sets of squats, push-ups, and sit-ups. Missy Eliot in her journey to lose 71 pounds started going to the gym and working out on the Stairmaster, doing spin classes, dancing, and light weights. For the filming of Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Taylor Lautner claimed to work out 4 hours daily to lose weight and build muscle.

Celebrities, like all other people, don’t have it easy. They put in a lot of work to look the way they do. It is all about discipline, determination, and more importantly the desire to do something for yourself.