BEYONCE ON THE COVER OF SHAPE MAGAZINE

In the April issue of Shape Magazine, Beyonce flexes her muscles in a belly-baring bikini and cropped sweater with hot pants, but Queen Bey also waxes poetic about her 57-pound weight loss following the birth of daughter Blue Ivy.

"Breast-feeding took care of the first 30 pounds," the 31-year-old new mother tells the magazine. "I was amazed at how the weight just fell off of me. But I had to work very hard to lose the last 25 because I’d scheduled a show just three months after I gave birth. Let me tell you, I’ll never do that again!"

The "Countdown" singer explained that she lost the weight with a mix of both dieting and exercise, crediting a low calorie diet and rigorous dance workouts for her slim physique.

"Some people prefer the gym, but when I have to put on workout clothes and run on a treadmill, I get bored," she said. "The rehearsals leading up to a tour always get me in shape, so I never have to feel like 'Oh, no, I have to get up and go to the gym!'

Beyonce also revealed she was at her ideal weight while working on the "Crazy in Love" video at age 20.

"Whenever I want to get into amazing shape, that's the body size I aim for," she said. "But believe me, I'm not a natually thin person. I have to work for it."

The songstress also admitted that pizza is her favorite indulgence, explaining that she allows herself one meal of choice on Sundays.

Of course, Beyonce had to gush about her one-year-old daughter with husband Jay-Z.

"She teaches me to focus on the things that truly matter, like family, and to pay attention to each moment, because they go by so quickly," she tells the mag.

"I just adore being a mother, hearing her say Mama and call me when she needs something. It makes me feel like I have a real purpose here."

And on the prospect of having more kids, Beyonce says she'll probably start after the tour. "We'll see if it happens."

Bow Down B!tches

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