Elizabeth Gillies in Bathing Suit Says Happy Sunday

Elizabeth “Liz” Gillies, star of Dynasty, acts on the show, has directed an episode and even recorded music for the series. But this weekend, she took a break from all that and posted a photo of her in a swimsuit, by the pool. “Giving movie star,” commented Venezuelan actor Rafael De La Fuente. Eight fire emojis, commented director Darren Stein. How does she stay so fit while keeping so busy? Read on to see 7 ways Elizabeth Gillies stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

1. She Likes Hiking More Than the Gyms

Elizabeth likes to hike outdoors more than go to the gym. Consider your form. “Turning your normal walk into a fitness stride requires good posture and purposeful movements. Ideally, here's how you'll look when you're walking,” says the Mayo Clinic.

• “Your head is up. You're looking forward, not at the ground.
• Your neck, shoulders and back are relaxed, not stiffly upright.
• You're swinging your arms freely with a slight bend in your elbows. A little pumping with your arms is OK.
• Your stomach muscles are slightly tightened and your back is straight, not arched forward or backward.
• You're walking smoothly, rolling your foot from heel to toe.”

2. She Eats a Healthy Diet

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“I’m extremely passionate about food but I have a lot of food allergies, so I can’t eat a lot of what makes food taste so good. The biggest thing I miss is dairy. I haven’t had dairy or red meat in about seven years. I also try to stick to a gluten-free diet but that’s especially hard considering I grew up in an Italian family where bread is a huge staple of every meal. Overall, I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and maintain a healthy diet. But if I had it my way, I’d be sitting in a room eating French fries and cake all day,” she told the New Potato.

3. Gluten-Free Can Be Helpful

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“Many of my clients have found that they are sensitive to lactose, the sugar in dairy products, or to gluten, the protein in wheat,” says personal trainer Mark Langowski, author of Eat This, Not That! For Abs. “If you notice any bloating eating those foods, consider limiting your exposure to these two ingredients by focusing on lactose-free dairy products or yogurt (which is much lower in lactose), and on wheat-free grains like oats, quinoa, buckwheat, and rice, as well as beans and lentils. Pay attention to your body’s signals—notice whether you wake up the next day feeling bloated or fatigued.”

4. She’s Right to Avoid Carbs

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As much as we’d all like to sit in a room and eat French fries all day, carbs can be very harmful. Your body simply doesn’t burn them fast enough. For example, the very act of eating protein actually burns calories. About 25 percent of the calories you eat in the form of protein are burned up just digesting the protein itself. But carbs and fat burn up no more than 10 to 15 percent of their calories.

5. This is Her Fantasy Food Day

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“I’m going to answer this as if I don’t have a long list of food allergies that constrict my diet. This will be my fantasy list. My ideal food day would start with a tall stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs and fresh fruit. For my carb-tastic lunch, I’d start with bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then a Margherita pizza followed by a fantastic dessert. For dinner, I’d have pasta primavera with grilled chicken and finish with apple pie. If I didn’t finish the pie, I would probably wait an hour then revisit it five or six more times until it was all gone. I can’t leave a dessert unfinished,” she told the New Potato.