Kelly Ripa is featured in the May issue of Shape Magazine!

This down-to-earth Jersey girl is so self-deprecating and funny; she had everyone at our cover shoot cracking up when she was trying on Bikini ’s. “Me on the cover of Shape?” she asks, looking at her slim figure in the mirror. “You’re going to have to change the name to Shape-less.”

The 36 year old actress has started- and more significantly, stuck to- a serious exercise program. She’s also learning to cook and even shares her favorite minestrone soup recipe. But the thing she’s most proud of-besides getting in her best shape ever-is snuffing out her hidden unhealthy habit: smoking.

Kelly was one of those classic “I’m not really a smoker” smokers. I only did it when I was out with friends or sometimes in my dressing room, never at home or in front of the kids,” says Kelly. “The best gift I could give myself and ultimately my family was to stop smoking.” What was her trick? She started exercising five times a week. “It was a matter of replacing one ritual with another,” she explains.

“It wasn’t easy (exercising 5 days a week), in fact, I almost gave up in the beginning. But after a couple of weeks someone told me how great my arms looked! I’m so vain, that’s all it took. I was hooked.”

Kelly is not big on breakfast. Instead she always begins her day with coffee at home and then a cup of Starbucks regular coffee with half and half during the show. Her first meal of the day is at 10 a.m. – usually a salad and a small turkey sandwich or a BLT (with turkey bacon) on whole-wheat bread. Her afternoon snack is a handful of almonds and a pear. For dinner she eats salads and fresh veggies with smaller servings of fish or steak.

Check out the May issue of Shape for Kelly's favorite exercises!

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