Beyonce Knowles lost most of her baby weight through breast-feeding.

The 'Love on Top' hitmaker - who welcomed Baby Blue Ivy in January - did not put herself on a strict regime of weight loss after having her first child, but did make sure to do some basic exercise to shift the extra pounds.

She said: ''I lost most of my weight from breast-feeding and I encourage women to do it; it's just so good for the baby and good for yourself.

''I counted calories. I worked out maybe three to four times a week. I did a lot walking in the beginning and now I'm running. But I had to work my way up. I couldn't just go right from being pregnant to running.''

Beyonce also confesses she did go through a short beauty regime prior to giving birth to Blue Ivy.

She told People magazine: ''I did have a fresh eyebrow wax. I got my nails done, I got my feed done, had my hair done and I had my little lip gloss.

''I didn't feel that I looked beautiful during birth but who does? After being pumped with all those fluids and gaining so much weight. I barely recognised myself. But after many hours of labour I could care less about anything but my child. I didn't care how I looked.''