VIDEO: Melissa Rycroft Dons Bikini & Wedding Gown For Shape
Feb. 11 2010, Published 9:32 a.m. ET
Melissa Rycroft was a real-life blushing bride in December and she recently shared her wedding wisdom (and the secrets behind her fabulous figure!) in the upcoming first-ever issue of SHAPE Bride. Showing off styles for both the honeymoon and the aisle, Rycroft donned some gorgeous gowns and some flirty bikinis.
PHOTO: Melissa Wears A Wedding Gown Again!
In the issue, The Bachelor and Dancing With The Stars alum shared how her carefree attitude saved her from wedding day stress and how her reality television experiences have shaped her diet and fitness habits.
VIDEO: Melissa Flaunts Her Bikini Body & More!
“My philosophy was that I was going to eat the food, dance to the music, and spend time with my husband‹ and not let little things like centerpieces or napkins stress me out,” Rycroft said about her Mexican wedding to Tye Strickland. “Even if my cake had shown up black and my flowers were all dead, my wedding still would have been perfect to me.”
VIDEO: Melissa Talks Diet, Wedding Tips and Why She Hates The Gym
After her third place finish on DWTS, Melissa says she was in the best shape of her life but was at peace with knowing it was a body she was not meant to maintain. “At one point I looked at my abs and I could count them! But that’s not my natural body, and I knew I couldn’t keep working out at that intensity.”
After a month of not working out, she began to miss it and now runs two to three miles four to six days a week on top of some strength-training at home. While she and Tye try to cook healthy meals at home rather than eating out, she lets herself indulge her cravings- in moderation of course!
“When I really want something like chicken fingers and french fries, I just have a kids meal,” she says. “It’s enough to satisfy my craving.”
The bubble brunette knows she may not be "Megan Fox sexy" but works with what she's got. "I’m girl-next-door sexy and I know Tye finds that very attractive. Everyone needs to find their own meaning of the word‹ and flaunt it!”