Cheryl Burke is breaking down her recent weight loss journey, which began when she was around 145 pounds.
“I don’t weigh myself daily anymore because it was a problem. At my heaviest I was about 150,” Burke, 41, exclusively shared in Us Weekly’s latest cover story. “The last time I checked, I was 109. I feel f***ing great; my energy is on another level. That 109 doesn’t matter, what matters is how I feel.”
The former Dancing With the Stars pro — who would return to the ballroom if she was partnered with Brad Pitt or former President Barack Obama — explained that she’s “not trying” to lose any more weight.
“I eat licorice,” she said. “I have my morning fruit shake, which is more calories than any of my meals that I’m eating. I have to have my matcha from Peet’s Coffee every morning, and if they have the warm pretzel bread, I’ll get it because it’s just the best thing in the world. I’m very lenient.”
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Burke also explained that she’s on a healthy-eating plan called Z.E.N., which delivers fresh food to her home — a service she thinks of as having a chef.
“The food is delicious and it’s portion control,” she shared of the program, with the daily calories ranging from 1,200 to 1,400. “I have oatmeal with fruit every morning. I have a snack, pita, chips and hummus. Lunch is normally a salad and then I will have my dinner. It’s not diet food, it’s real food.”
Burke noted that when she first began Z.E.N. about five or six years ago, she would supplement the meals with drive-throughs because she was “actively dancing” and was an “emotional eater.”
“I would only eat at night,” she explained. “Now I don’t even remember the last time I had fast food; it’s just not something I’m craving.”
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Burke has no plans to stop Z.E.N. any time soon, that is, unless she moves out of California.
“It’s created more balance in my meals,” she noted. “I’ve learned that starving myself, then eating one big meal, doesn’t work for my body. I was also not wanting to eat in front of people — that was a trigger for me. Being called out for being overweight, the last thing you want to do is shove food in your mouth in front of people, especially people who are fit and on the show with you.”
While she’s not training to get back into the ballroom, Burke has continued a workout regimen.
“I walk my dog a couple miles a day,” she said. “I have a treadmill where I edit my content because now that I’m a full-time beauty influencer, I actually can only edit content on a treadmill. It’s the craziest.”
For more on Burke, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
