Jennifer Garner battled to lose her post-baby weight for the Golden Globes.
The actress - who gave birth to daughter Violet in 2006 - admits she struggled to fit into the white beaded gown she wore to the awards ceremony on Monday.
She revealed: "Losing the baby weight took me a long, long time. I just wasn't that motivated. I wanted to play with Violet. To slow down and go at her pace has been such a gift.
"Then I got on the treadmill, stopped stuffing my face and lost the weight. I cut out croissants, bagels and muffins - all the good stuff. And went back to having a salad once a day and protein."
Jennifer - who is married to Ben Affleck - says she finds it difficult to go anywhere without Violet but insists Ben is a good father.
The 34-year-old said: "He does a good job. I mean, OK, maybe I wrote out what he was supposed to make for her to eat today while I was gone. But that's just me being paranoid. He's great - he can do it.
"There's nothing more emotional than seeing your partner - the man you love - with your baby at any time, the first time, the second, yesterday, today. There's nothing more beautiful."