'Dieting is overrated!': Renee Zellweger, 47, says she focuses more on exercise as she promotes Bridget Jones's Baby 

She famously piled on pounds - and quickly lost them again - to play Bridget Jones back in 2001 and 2004.

Since then Renee Zellweger's weight has yo-yoed up and down depending on her roles and what's going on in her life.

So it's little wonder that the 47-year-old actress, who is reprising her role as everyone's favourite diarist in Bridget Jones's Baby, thinks dieting is overrated.

Slender star: Renee Zellweger, seen in a LBD at the world premiere of  Bridget Jones's Baby in London on September 5, revealed in an interview released Thursday that 'dieting's overrated'

Slender star: Renee Zellweger, seen in a LBD at the world premiere of  Bridget Jones's Baby in London on September 5, revealed in an interview released Thursday that 'dieting's overrated'

That was the reply she gave People and Entertainment Weekly editorial director Jess Cagle, when she played his Cagle game answering fill-in-the-blank questions in a video released on Thursday. 

When he asked what she thought was the most overrated thing, Renee didn't even have to think about it, shooting back 'dieting.' 

She's become something of an expert on the matter over the years.

The slender actress famously embarked on a 4,000 calorie-a-day diet to load on 20lbs in just a few months to first play Bridget.

Looking pudgy: The actress famously piled on 20lbs to star in Bridget Jones's Diary in 2001

Looking pudgy: The actress famously piled on 20lbs to star in Bridget Jones's Diary in 2001

Changing body: This time around the 40-year-old's weight gain for the new movies was all padding for her baby bump

Changing body: This time around the 40-year-old's weight gain for the new movies was all padding for her baby bump

Then, as swiftly as she gained the curves, her weight plummeted to a sinewy size zero for her role as Roxie in song and dance musical Chicago.

Two years later Renee piled the pounds back on again for Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

The Texas-born beauty has reportedly tried a number of weight-loss regimes. 

She has been a devotee of the Zone Diet, which involves eating a 40:30:30 ratio of carbs to fat to protein.

Green goddess: Renee looked a little too thin when she turned up at the new Tommy Hilfiger store in Milan, Italy, in April 2011

Green goddess: Renee looked a little too thin when she turned up at the new Tommy Hilfiger store in Milan, Italy, in April 2011

Diet maven: On Monday Renee looked totally happy in her slender body. The Texas-born beauty has reportedly tried a number of weight-loss regimes during her career

Diet maven: On Monday Renee looked totally happy in her slender body. The Texas-born beauty has reportedly tried a number of weight-loss regimes during her career

She's also rumoured to have tried the Atkins Diet, the strict eating regime that shuns carbohydrates and a macrobiotic diet of low-fat, high-fibre foods such as fish, rice and vegetables with grains typically making up about half of each meal.

For Bridget Jones's Baby, director Sharon Maguire told Entertainment Weekly back in December: 'We all really loved the notion that Bridget, 15 years on, had finally reached her ideal weight … somewhere between a UK size 10 or 12 (US size 8).'

Lost in love: Renee and her musician beau Doyle Bramhall held hands at the US premiere of the romantic comedy  in New York on Monday

Lost in love: Renee and her musician beau Doyle Bramhall held hands at the US premiere of the romantic comedy in New York on Monday

So it seems Renee may not have had to put on much weight for the romantic comedy.

The star,  who has been with musician Doyle Bramhall II for four years, certainly looked incredibly slender in a purple dress for the Cagle interview. 

Also in her People interview she said she feels sexiest while 'in some state of athletic activity.'

Bridget Jones's Baby, co-starring Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey as possible baby daddies, is out on Friday.

Who's the one: Bridget Jones's Baby co-starring Renee, Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey as the possible baby fathers, is due out on Friday 

Who's the one: Bridget Jones's Baby co-starring Renee, Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey as the possible baby fathers, is due out on Friday 

 

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