Alison Sweeney
Alison Sweeney
Alison Ann Sweeney is an American dramatic actress, reality show host, director and author. Sweeney is best known for her portrayal of Samantha "Sami" Brady on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, a role she has played under contract with the show since January 6, 1993. In this role, she has earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination, four Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Fan Voted Daytime Emmy Award. In 2007, she became the host of The Biggest...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSoap Opera Actress
Date of Birth19 September 1976
CityLos Angeles, CA
CountryUnited States of America
I do a lot of cardio. I think it's super important, especially for women. I don't have a tremendous amount of time to work out, so I find myself cramming in a cardio because that's all I can fit in. I think that if you don't have a lot of time, that it's the cleanest way to burn a few calories.
One of the things I like best about 'Biggest Loser' is being around people who are trying to make the right choices. When you feel defeated about your weight and your health, like there's no hope, and you still make the choice to fight for it, to make the change happen no matter what people say or think, that's inspiring to me.
The number one mistake is giving pets table scraps. I made the mistake thinking I was showing my dog love by giving her food and treats. You see a tiny 4 oz. piece of cheese, but for a Boston Terrier like mine, that's like one and a half hamburgers. That's unhealthy.
Especially with me working in the entertainment industry, I think my kids are aware of weight and fat much earlier than other kids. It was important to me from the beginning to make sure they understand things like why too much sugar is bad for you, etc.
People think, 'Oh, I'm loving myself by sitting on this sofa for four hours.' Love yourself enough to get up!
We have stay-in date nights where we make a plan to watch certain TV shows together. 'Survivor,' for example, is our favorite show. And I make a healthy dinner and we sit down and it's our date. I love it.
I'm so busy and there's so much going on, that the gym or a workout can't be a last minute thought, like, 'I have nothing to do today I'm going to go to the gym.' Now it's, 'When am I going to find time to work out tomorrow?'
I'm a fan of daytime drama; I totally get it. When we are doing scenes that are romantic or will get the audience riled up, I feel like I'm a fan in the room going, 'People are going to be so mad right now!'
I'll do strength training in my dressing room between shoots, and I've been known to make business calls while out jogging. I try to mute myself on Bluetooth so they can't hear me huffing and puffing, but I usually end up getting caught.
I maintain by going to spin four or five days a week. I love that I can get a solid butt-kicking in 40 minutes. I also strength train two or three times a week.
I like to keep almonds in my pantry. I also like to keep fruit on hand, just different types depending on the season. And string cheese - that's a really good one.
As soon as I made it about being healthy and shifted my focus away from the scale, the weight started to come off. I keep track of my body by how my jeans fit - and how I feel.
Working towards something you're excited about - as opposed to something that makes you feel badly about yourself - is what will keep you going back to the gym.
When I was a kid, there was teasing in school. Then when I was a teenager on 'Days of Our Lives,' I certainly experienced hurtful comments from 'fans' of the show.