Chelsea Handler covers this month’s issue of Shape magazine- and she dishes on her diet and exercise habits inside. According to Chelsea, she’s shaped up since her childhood years, when Doritos and Yodels were between-meal snacks.

“My mom was a great cook, but her idea of light after-school snack was mac’ and cheese and brownies. So of course I was like, ‘Why am I 15 and struggling with my weight?’ It took me a long time to deprogram myself after I moved to L.A.”

Chelsea started exercising, found a nutritionist and adopted healthy eating habits (she eats a lot of sushi, fish, salads and lean meats) that help her keep her weight in check- even when she splurges.

“I love food. I need to eat! I could never do juice cleanses or not cheat once in a while!” She won’t be giving up her regular cocktails either;

“I told my nutritionist, ‘I’m not going to quit drinking. I love to hang out with my girlfriends and have cocktails and dinner, it’s how I relax. He explained that calorie-wise vodka isn’t so bad, as long as you drink it with soda. Knowing I could have drink made it easier to stick to the program.”

Chelsea tried cardio and yoga before finding that Pilates was best suited to her workout style. 

“[Pilates has] been the most gentle on my body. I’m longer and leaner and much more graceful. I can honestly say it’s changed my body-and my life.“

And we’d say that her choices are paying off. Not only does she look fantastic on Shape’s cover, she says:

“I just turned 35, and it feels like a brand-new year for me. Not only am I fitter, I feel more energized and focused too.”