Celebrating her 31st birthday on Sept. 4th, singer Beyonce Knowles is looking mighty svelte.

Only several months after giving birth to Blue Ivy, has Beyonce been able to shed the 60 pounds she gained during pregnancy through diet and exercise.

“I lost most of my weight from breastfeeding and I encourage women to do it,” Beyoncé told People [via Examiner.com]. “It’s just so good for the baby and good for yourself.” For the first few months after childbirth, Knowles followed a strict diet that included no cheat days.

“I counted calories,” said Beyonce, who breastfed for 10 weeks. “I worked out maybe three to four times a week. I did a lot of walking in the beginning and now I’m running. But I had to work my way up. I couldn’t just go right from being pregnant to running.”

Her physique isn’t the only thing she takes care of…she also has beauty secrets to keep her skin glowing.

“Even if you’re blessed with good skin, you still have to take care of it,” she said. “Eating well, drinking lots of water and getting lots of rest all help with my skin.”

 

Photos by FameFlynet