Ellen Pompeo's Post-Pregnancy Diet

It feels like only yesterday that we were all tuning in watch the first season of TV drama Grey's Anatomy. Six seasons into the show, star Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey, is facing a new set of challenges outside the OR, which include juggling her career, marriage, and sixth-month-old baby girl Stella. During a recent cover shoot and interview with Self magazine, she opened up about her pregnancy weight gain, her "energy diet," and why she brown bags it.

For the majority of celebs, dropping their baby weight is a high priority, but Pompeo doesn't seem as concerned. "I went up a pants size during my pregnancy," Pompeo told Self. "I was in size 25 jeans and went to 26. I gained 26 pounds. Now, after the baby, I weigh 10 pounds more than I ever have. I love it, because everyone always told me I was too skinny before, and I thought, Oh, God, what if there are 14-year-olds who think I'm not eating, and then they don't eat? Do I have a responsibility? But really, I don't care if people think I'm too skinny. This is my body. If they don't like it, screw it. [My weight] doesn't matter to me. I have a healthy baby."

One tip she offers to new moms looking to stay slim? Brown bag it. "Take a few hours and prepare lunch for the week," she said. "On Sundays, I pre-make everything for salads. I boil a dozen eggs and parboil beets. I chop lettuce, cilantro, scallions and parsley and put it all in ziplock bags. During the week, I just grab handfuls, add dressing, dump in a can of beans, some goat cheese, and I'm ready to go."

To keep her body revved up, Pompeo relies on six key foods as part of her "Energy Diet." She reaches for bananas (super-filling and a great source of fiber) and mangoes (75 percent of your daily vitamin C needs in one cup) when she's craving a fruit fix, as well as protein-rich garbanzo beans and eggs. Sardines and almonds provide heart-helping nutrients and vitamins to keep her running strong.

She also relies on a few quick -- but very intense -- abs moves. Her trainer, Gregg Miele, whose other famous-mom clients include Gisele Bündchen and Nicole Richie, shared with the magazine three of Pompeo's ab moves. The first is a bird dog move, another is around-the-world abs that are worked by stability ball exercises, and the final one is plank ups, a fusion of the plank and sit-ups.

Want to know how another star, Vanessa Williams, maintains her stellar body after four children? Check out this fit after 40 celeb's fitness tips.