Janet Jackson’s weight loss journey has been more talked about lately than her musical career. The youngest of 9 children, she was tossed into the limelight at an early age and has had to keep up appearances while dealing with the abuse of her father, her brother Michael’s infamous trial, as well as two failed marriages. No wonder her name is synonymous with “yoyo dieter”.

Famous for exploring sexuality through her music, Janet hasn’t always had the body that matches her sex symbol status. In 2005 her famously toned figure disappeared behind bulky tent-like clothes for a movie role. When the movie conflicted with the release of her latest album, she had to drop the movie and the pounds fast!

Straight away the world begged to hear the 43-year-old’s weight loss secrets. Janet reportedly lost 60 pounds in 4 months which is difficult to believe. But when armed with a nutritionist, trainer and heaps of self-motivation, this star has proven that it can be done.

Her specific exercise plan, created by her trainer Tony Martinez, involved a six-day work-out doing forty-five minutes of cardio and some major muscle-strengthening exercises, including squats and lunges. Her unique cardio work-out helped work off the pounds and had Janet running up stadium stairs, boxing, and jogging along the beach.

The second part of her secret was adopting a completely new diet, formulated especially for her by Los Angeles-based company, Fresh Dining. They prepared Janet’s low-carb meals and delivered them straight to her door. But be warned: this costs a pretty penny. At $55 per day, it includes three organic meals plus healthy snacks. Janet also didn’t touch any foods containing flour or white sugar, didn’t consume alcohol or soda throughout, and drank lots of water.

Janet is definitely the poster girl for how to effectively lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way and keep it off. Stress, depression and an eating disorder have all contributed to her rollercoaster weight problems over the years but no more! The truth is out: all you need to do this yourself is have your own personal gourmet meal service, trainer, and heaps of cash. Still, the basic principles are there – healthy eating and plenty of exercise are clearly the way to go.