As one of the most iconic Victoria’s Secret Angels in recent memory, Candice Swanepoel has earned her spot in the VS hall of fame—helped along, of course, by a rigorous diet, exercise and fitness routine.
Whether in the off-season or in the lead-up to the VS show, Swanepoel has managed to maintain her physique throughout two pregnancies, and returned to the Victoria’s Secret runway in 2018 for her eighth year as one of the brand’s Angels.
In a similar vein to fellow VS models Bella Hadid, Georgia Fowler and Elsa Hosk, Swanepoel makes sure she doesn’t employ unhealthy diet methods to become runway-ready—instead undertaking a handful of staple workouts with guaranteed effectiveness, as well as diet tips and tricks we’ll now be employing on the daily.
WHAT IS CANDICE SWANEPOEL’S DIET?
Like other Victoria’s Secret alum, Swanepoel prioritises breakfast as the most important meal of the day, and makes sure to pile up on healthy foods to get the best possible start each morning.
Swanepoel told The Cut in 2017 that her choice of breakfast depends on her mood, and that she favours healthy smoothies for a non-caffeinated morning jump-start—with her favourite healthy drink containing “coconut oil, flaxseed oil, banana, protein, some kind of antioxidant fruit like blueberries or strawberries, or some nut ʙuттer”.
She also opts for eggs and even grilled cheeses, depending on the occasion.
Swanepoel also told The Cut that while she’s a coffee drinker, shifting away from caffeine made all the difference during her pregnancy recovery. “If you replace your coffee with a decaf tea or H๏τ chocolate, it’s a good way to reset your energy levels.”
Swanepoel’s one surprising dieting secret is that dinners, or meals later in the day, should never be big.
Speaking to InStyle, the supermodel said: “It’s all about balance for me. One meal in the day will be lighter than others, probably during lunch I will [eat something] heavier so that my body has time to burn it off. Night-time is something lighter, and I will always have a big breakfast.”
There’s actually plenty of science to back up Swanepoel’s signature diet quirk. According to EatingWell, more calories for lunch instead of dinner equates to a better metabolism, as well as creating less desire to snack throughout the day.
It’s also well-documented that sleeping on a very full stomach can lead to unwanted weight gain. So, if you’re looking to monitor your meal intake, Swanepoel’s advice to move hefty meals to lunchtime instead of dinner could work a charm.
Though she might work hard on her body, Swanepoel is the first to admit that a fast metabolism is all too beneficial for her rapid weight losses.
She told The Cut: “I’ve been lucky—I was born with quite a fast metabolism. I’m that girl who orders the healthy plate with a side of fries. Your body is like a machine and everyone’s is different. I know mine quite well.”
WHAT IS CANDICE SWANEPOEL’S EXERCISE ROUTINE?
For her Angel-ready workout routine, Swanepoel’s trainer Justin Gelband said via Pop Workouts that constantly switching up workouts is of paramount importance.
Gelband told Pop Workouts: “Most of the [Victoria’s Secret] girls are concerned about their ʙuтт, hips and thighs. I devise a circuit class based on all the different body parts.”
One of Gelband’s favourite Angel-ready workouts is, unsurprisingly, boxing. With plenty of VS girls employing the power of boxing (à la Gigi Hadid, who swears by it), boxing benefits almost every area of your body, and is a great way to strengthen your core. In the lead-up to a show, Gelband works out with Swanepoel every day, with boxing being one of their most-practiced workouts.
As one of the only model’s who’s ever walked the Victoria’s Secret runway while pregnant, Swanepoel said she tried to fit in as many pre-show workouts as she could, like beach jogging, “without over-doing it”.
In her wide-ranging wellness interview with The Cut, Swanepoel also dished that she’s been favouring night-time workouts since having children, and that yoga, Pilates and resistance are some of her daily favourites.
She told The Cut that yoga is therapeutic for her, saying: “I do it every time I feel overwhelmed and stressed—I try at least twice a week. How often I do it depends on if I get my baby down or not.”
We feel you, Candice.