Jennifer Love Hewitt credits Buti yoga with her Shape-magazine transformation

From tabloid punching bag to Shape cover girl

Jennifer Love Hewitt knows what it's like to be judged for her body. In 2007, unflattering beach photos of the actress went viral, and the commentary was brutal. "I wasn't going to the gym or eating right when that unfortunate photo was taken," she later told Shape magazine. "It was time to start working out and watching my diet more closely."

Six years later, she was on the cover of Shape's March 2013 issue in a pink-and-white bikini — and she credited a then-trendy workout called Buti for getting her there.

What is Buti?

Buti — the name comes from an Indian Marathi word meaning "the cure to something hidden or kept secret" — was created by Los Angeles trainer Bizzie Gold. It fuses vinyasa-style yoga with tribal dance, primal movement, and plyometrics: think drop-downs, burpees, planks, and a lot of hip swivels. Hewitt did it three to four times a week, in a studio or at home with a workout DVD, and even wore ankle weights on the set of her Lifetime drama The Client List.

"Buti has given my arms and shoulders definition, and helped to lift my butt, too," she told the magazine — and shared five of her favorite Buti moves with readers.

The deeper story

Hewitt's transformation wasn't only physical. Her mother, Patricia, died of cancer in June 2012, and the actress credited her workout routine with carrying her through grief. "When life hits you so hard — whether someone you care for dies or your lover leaves you — working out can save your life," she said. "It certainly saved mine."

She'd committed to 60 minutes of exercise a day and healthier eating — with room for the occasional bowl of cookies 'n' cream ice cream. "Being happy is what really matters," she said.

Archive summary, February 2013, of Hewitt's Shape magazine cover interview.