Mila Kunis’ Diet and Fitness Plan Goes Extreme for Black Swan

I’ve always been a big fan of comedies and comedians, because I always thought that they would be very suitable candidates for the psychology of thinking thin. In fact, we already featured a few before, including Chelsea Handler and most recently, Nicole Sullivan. This next holiday countdown celebrity is not a comedian per se, but she was the star of one of the best comedies in recent history: That’s 70′s Show!’s Mila Kunis! Starring as the quirky, spoiled, posh, but very lovable Jackie, Mila Kunis has since then been in many other features, including the voice behind Meg Griffin of Family Guy, and “Whippit” Tripplehorn in the movie Date Night, both comedies. But Mila has also worked on non-comedy projects, including Max Payne, where she plays a butt-kicking femme fatale (oh yeah girl!), The Book of Eli, and the upcoming movie, “Black Swan”, a psychological thriller where she stars as a ballet dancer, and saw her lose weight as fast as possible! Which she succeeded in very good!

We all know ballerinas are very skinny, and Mila, who has always been sexy and fit, was required to go even thinner! Personally, I’d like to have more meat to the bones, so to speak, but seeing as how this is for a role, and that we’re looking at Mila Kunis’ diet and fitness plans, this is an exception.

Mila prepared for the role as soon as she got the part, which was composed of a workout for 5 hours a day, 7 days a week, in a 1,200 calorie diet for 6 months! This is a bit of an extreme from her normal workout and fitness routine, which is composed of eating essentially normal foods, like fried eggs and tofu, and having a very active and fit lifestyle. This is already challenging in itself for most people, so going through what she went through for Black Swan, is quite a feat.

The 6 months of Mila Kunis’ fitness plan for the film didn’t give her many breaks. She woke up early, began training hard in ballet, but was on a strict diet that never gave her enough calories. The end result was her dropping to a very skinny state, mimicking most ballerinas who gained their lean bodies after years of constant training! Oh my.

But while this might sound scary, it actually shows how the proper discipline, and methods that can be fun such as dancing, can actually help lose weight and be fit. But if we don’t want to end up being skinny by working out to extremes and not eating, how will we adapt Mila Kunis’ methods for everyday life? Simple! Let’s change the diet to fit everyday needs! Remember, Mila Kunis’ diet and fitness plan for Black Swan was for her to lose weight to such levels, for a role. But the lessons learned there, we can use to stay fit in general.

Dancing is the main plot of the movie, and is in itself a workout already. We featured Christina Aguilera’s training for her movie Burlesque, as a fun way to use dancing to lose weight, and be sexy at the same time (for you and the hubby!). That could be an alternative to ballet, which will burn calories, but require great skill to do. According to Mila, ballet was the most physically strenuous thing she’s ever done, and this is a very feisty and fit gal already! So for us starters, we can use the Burlesque Workout first.

When it comes to food, an alternative to the low-calorie diet Mila and co-star Natalie Portman went through is the Mediterranean Diet. It is the diet we have featured many times already, because of its delicious recipes that are low calorie, but very high energy and very healthy. This will have the same effects as the stars’ low-calorie weightloss diets, but not so much that the experience will be very hard like theirs.

And last, but equally critical component of Mila Kunis’ diet and fitness plan for Black Swan, is her drive to succeed. As mentioned earlier, Mila said ballet was the hardest thing she’s done physically, and that the diet left her and her co-star Natalie Portman very stressed. But through the months of filming, she never gave up even if she was on the brink. That motivation to succeed is something we should all have, to get us the celebrity bodies we all deserve!

[Ed. Note: Ballet may be difficult for us, especially if you're the same age as me, but the Burlesque Workout can be just as effective, and still be fun and sexy (I'm already using it now actually!). Get it here! In addition, you can also get the Mediterranean Diet, which is the diet of choice for many female celebrities, here!]

Nicole Sullivan’s Jolly Diet and Fitness Secrets!

I always think that female comedians are the most ideal people to follow the psychology of thinking thin. Why? Because they seem to always have a very jolly disposition, regardless of the situation. Many of them exercise and stay fit not to primarily look good, like other people, but to stay healthy and keep on having fun. I guess that’s why they always seem to have a good time! We already featured Chelsea Handler a few months back, and this time I’m taking a look at my most favorite MadTV mainstay, Nicole Sullivan!

Since she left the show and the show ended in general, I didn’t get to see her much on TV, until my colleague told me about this show Rita Rocks. Lo and behold, she’s there, and she looks good after so many years! But what’s more surprising, is that even if she’s just recently given birth, it looks like she didn’t gain weight at all, or it seemed like she immediately melted it off! I knew then after checking her out, that I just had to have her secret.

Turns out, she’s a Jenny Craig spokeswoman, and used Jenny Craig’s tips and methods to lose over 35 lbs. from pregnancy! And what’s good about this is that it’s not a lose weight quick scheme. It was natural, safe, and most of all, very effective. The best part? This can be picked up by anyone who doesn’t know how to lose weight! Nicole herself was a bit clueless when she started, but once she got the right method, she succeeded.

This celebrity diet secret gave Nicole renewed energy, and the opportunity to spend time with her family and loved ones. In fact, a big factor of her success is because, as she claims, her spouse was very supportive of her weight loss efforts! (I have to tell this to my husband.) She says that women should talk to their husbands about having time to do weight loss in order for them to pick up the slack with other things can be a very good emotional and psychological boost. And I think she’s right!

Another thing she recommends is to immediately set a size or weight goal, and to strive to get it. But she also suggests one that’s realistic and makes sense. This way, there’s always a goal to be reached, and once there’s one, never compromise! Always do the healthy and sensible methods to get to that goal. That way, it’s more satisfying in the end.

Though admittedly, Jenny Craig’s methods must have played a huge part!

[Ed. Note: There're two ways you can get the Jenny Craig method. First, there's a cookbook you can get here, for those who want to focus on the meals, and then there's an e-book you can get here, for the whole system! I'm getting both, and giving one to my sister. :) ]

Sofia Vergara’s diet and fitness can bring holiday cheer!

Let’s start off our celebrity diet countdown to the holidays by setting the mood right, with Sophia Vergara’s diet and fitness plans! Why Sophia? Well, aside from the fact that she is one of my most favorite modern TV stars, she’s also living proof that being beautiful doesn’t always mean being super thin. In fact, she acknowledges the need to have some “oomph!”, even preferring it! Her secrets can set the tone for us who are looking to be healthy during the holidays, but at the same time, still wish to eat, celebrate, and enjoy the season!

First off, Sofia Vergara is proud of her Latina image, which includes her accent, and most noticeably, her gorgeous curves. She actually -prefers- to have them, because she believes it to be healthier and better! Personally, I agree, because while I’m not as voluptuous as Sofia (yet! *wink*) I’m also curvey, so she definitely has two-thumbs up from me! The men, and the ladies, don’t seem to mind at all, though, so no complaints! But what’s her secret?

Just like how I emphasized the importance of having the correct psychology of thinking thin (in her case, thinking fit!), Sofia doesn’t do something that puts her in a bad mood, so she engages in fitness routines that she enjoys, and yet at the same time, still very effective! In addition, again very similar to the psychology of thinking thin, she knows she’s responsible for her figure, being the star of hit show “Modern Family”, so that’s definitely motivation as well.

On top of dancing to Latin music for cardio, she has also let slip once that she’s using Traci Anderson‘s dance routines. Traci Anderson is a known celebrity fitness trainer we already covered before, and her methods definitely work, if Sofia Vergara’s body is a good measure!

When it comes to dieting, Sofia Vergara’s diet seems to be very normal. But by normal, I don’t mean junk food and reckless eating, I mean normal almost non-special diet food! She and her son love food, so she eats healthily but at the same time, still very healthily. Though, she has a very interesting trick she does when she’s craving for high fat foods.

Lollipops! Yes my friends, she controls her cravings for fatty desserts by always having lollipops on the ready. You might be thinking, lollipops are sweet, and therefore bad, right? Well, not exactly. Lollipops, while sweet, have lower calorie and fat content than other desserts and sweets. This means that Sofia can satisfy her sweet tooth, and still be responsible! In fact, lollipops and other hard candies are now also being given healthier twists, with the introduction of weight loss specific lollipops and candies. So if you’re a lollipop buff, this is a win-win for you! Just remember, normal lollipops alone won’t make you lose weight, they’re just there to curb your cravings! And brush your teeth after!

Lastly, she promotes having a sense of humor and being fun about the whole thing. This, I agree with. If you’re not having fun, and can’t laugh at all the effort in being healthy, it won’t work!

And that’s why I want to start our holiday celebrity tips with Sofia. Because the holidays are all about having fun and enjoying one’s self! I’m not saying to just go all out and pig out, what I want us to take away from Sofia is that being healthy and having a nice diet doesn’t need to be something that’ll stress us out. We need to embrace it, enjoy it, or else we’ll have a bad time this holiday season! Follow Sofia’s tips and we can all have a wonderful, worry-free, and healthy celebration!

[Ed. Note: Traci Anderson's 30 day method is something that we can start today, and be fit and healthy in time for all the meals and parties we'll be having during the holidays! In addition, the Mediterranean Diet can be a very good set of meals that are nutritious and delicious, a good alternative to Sofia's!]

Quick tips to burn Halloween candy fat

Hi guys! This came in a little bit late, but better late than never. :) Coming from the heels of Halloween, and all the candy it brought, here’re some quick and easy tips to get rid of very delicious, but much unwanted candy pounds!

1.)    Walk instead of driving – We all walked around with our kids and our friends when we all went trick or treating, but the candy we ate probably added more calories than we burned that night. A good and easy way to get rid of excess pounds from Halloween is to just walk instead of driving! Try walking for the next 1-2 weeks, not only is it really easy, but it’s also a good way to unknowingly burn the fat we got from candy.

2.)    Eat lots of fiber – To balance eating the candy we got from Halloween, for the next 2 weeks try feeding your family delicious fibrous dishes to compensate! Delicious yet nutritious high-fiber dishes such as Cranberry-Orange Oatmeal, Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries, and Chick Peas, Salmon, and Broccoli Salad are just some of the fun and delicious dishes that can detoxify the colon, promote proper gastric functions, and most importantly, lose weight!

3.)    Try a new physical activity – With the holidays fast approaching, a good way to try and lose Halloween candy weight, connect with your kids, siblings, or cousins, and get a good gift idea for them all at the same time, is to try and do new physical activities! Never tried ultimate frisbee before? Always wanted to try archery? Ever wondered why soccer’s so popular in Europe and everywhere else? Invite your kids, your friends, or your cousins to try these out, and have fun while losing weight. Then, for Christmas, get them gifts related to that sport!

4.)    Do a pre-Christmas clearing – Let’s face it, we probably all have old and aging canned goods, junk foods, and other unhealthy items all over our kitchen. A good way to lose post-Halloween weight, and prepare for the coming holidays, is to do some kitchen cleaning! Burn calories dusting, clearing, and cleaning the kitchen of bad, unhealthy foods, and make room for healthy, nutritious foods for the holidays!

These are just a few of the post Halloween weightloss tips anyone can easily follow to lose candy weight. If you have any other ideas, share them with us!

[Ed.Note: For our tried and tested high-fiber, healthy, delicious recipes, check out the Mediterranean Diet, and the Macrobiotic Diet food guides featured in our site!]

Halloween Special: Naomi Watts’ diet and fitness secrets for fighting ghosts!

As a continuation to our Halloween countdown, let’s take another look at another horror movie star that’s being admired, not just for her acting, but also for her gorgeous body! Let’s take a look at Naomi Watts’ diet and fitness secrets!

Naomi Watts fought off the curse of Sadako in The Ring, perhaps 2002′s scariest movie. Despite not having as action packed a role as Sarah Michelle Gellar in her scary movie, Naomi Watts still showcased a rocking bod that was noticed by many. In her movie King Kong, which can be counted as a monster movie fit for Halloween, her hot body was showcased again, as she is shown running from, fighting, or even interacting with monsters, mostly in torn and dirty revealing clothing. So, what’s her secret?

At her 40s, and with 2 kids, Naomi Watts’ diet and fitness routines have given her a body that most 20+ year olds would die for. Apparently, her secret is the Zone Diet Plan, a diet system that helps you lose fat in blazing speeds. WAIT, before you say “But Julie, didn’t you say crash diets are unsafe?”, I’d like to point out that this diet is reported to be very healthy, despite its quick results.

The Zone Diet prepares meals that are accurately balanced to ensure that the meals are satisfying, eliminates craving, yet still allows people to lose weight. At 40% carbs, 30% healthy fats, and 30% proteins, Naomi Watts’ meals are also perfect for her. She is also instructed to minimize her calorie consumption to around 500 calories per day. What’s amazing too is that she actually has a snack budget in her diet meals! Even if it is just limited to 100 calories per day, it is still a snack break that allows the dieter to not be depressed at all. This perfect balance of healthy foods, snacks, and a highly recommended addition of leafy green vegetables, fruits, and nuts, make the zone diet an effective weight loss system.

There’s also been some reports that Naomi Watts’ weightloss has been attributed to trying out the Blood Type Diet, a diet plan that proposes the idea that each blood type requires a specific set of foods in order to maximize the energy, and give the healthiest results. Now, I did some research about this diet plan and found it to have a 50-50 following of supporters and critics. Many claim it to be totally effective, while others claim the results to be a myth.

However, because the suggested foods in the diet plan are actually already healthy in and of themselves, and are categorized per blood type, the idea is actually on to something. What I like most about this is that it’s rejecting the idea of the “one-size-fits-all” diet, and offers alternative solutions based on an individual trait, namely, the blood type.

Naomi Watts’ workout supports her diet. She does Pilates, specifically, Pilates with Kristin McGee, which is a blend of basic Pilates and adds cardio exercises. Its fun and active nature makes it more entertaining than normal Pilates, and is a good alternative to Pilates fans.

Whether it’s fighting an angry ghost, staving off a curse, or facing down large monsters and gorillas, Naomi Watts does it all in her rocking body. Now we know here secrets, and I’m definitely going to try that Zone Diet for myself! :)

 

[Ed. Note: The Zone Diet Plan and the Blood Type Diet , which you can get by clicking on the links, are 2 different types of diets, and while findings show that the foods in them are healthy, I do not suggest trying them both at the same time, simply because it might be confusing to do so! Just pick one to try and see the results. :) You can get the Pilates with Kristin McGee here, which I will personally try as well, as it sounds really fun after doing the research on it. :) ]

Halloween Special: Sarah Michelle Gellar’s workout and diet for vampire slaying

With Halloween just around the corner, I’ve decided to feature actresses that have starred in numerous horror and scary movies. We already have a number in the blog, like Milla Jovovich of Resident Evil fame, Jennifer Love Hewitt of I Know What You Did Last Summer, Halle Berry of Gothika, to name a few. This week, I’ll take a deeper and closer look at  Jennifer’s co-star, Sarah Michelle Gellar, who not only starred in I know what you did, but was also the buff and fit lead of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on TV!

Not surprising then that Sarah Michelle Gellar’s workout and fitness routine involves a lot of physical activities. On top of strength training, running, and pilates workouts, she also does tae kwon do, kickboxing, gymnastics, and surfing. This makes me think that she’s actually very well versed in dealing with monsters, zombies, and vampires, should Halloween turn out to be more eventful than ever!

She’s also known for concentrating more on exercising rather than dieting. And here’s probably why. Sarah Michelle Gellar is known to have what’s called an endomorph body. Endomorph is one of the three basic categories of body types. Strangely enough, judging how Sarah is so fit and slim, an endomorph body type is actually the naturally fat body type!

It is usually categorized with an overall pear or apple shape, and numerous body parts like the thighs, buttocks, bones, waist, and abs will generally be larger. But the most important thing to know is that endomorphs have the slowest metabolism of the three, which is why it’s very important to try and increase it, and one of the best ways to is, you guessed it, exercise! (Little tidbit, friend and co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt is an endomorph too!)

Now, I tried to dig as deep as possible to find Sarah Michelle Gellar’s workout secrets, but aside from what I’ve mentioned earlier, there’re no other details available. HOWEVER! Knowing that’s she’s an endomorph can give us a very good clue. Endomorphs benefit greatly from building muscle to transform the body shape, as well as boosting the metabolism. A good workout using light to moderate weights on a steady schedule, such as the Amy Bento 3-in-1 Kettlebell Workout (which fellow endomorph Jennifer Love Hewitt uses), 5 Factor Fitness or the Ultimate New York Body Plan can be good options. On top of this, they’re already been celebrity tested!

In terms of diet, she is known to be using the cabbage soup diet, which is something that needs to be understood before trying out. Now, most people who’ve heard of this before thought this was all she ate, and proceeded to make this the only food they’d eat. That’s wrong! The cabbage soup diet, while it has benefits, is mostly a detox/fast, which is good to lose weight quick, but only if used at the correct rate and schedule.

In fact, Sarah only only does the cabbage soup diet 7 days at a time, in 2 week intervals. In between she just has a balanced, low sugar, fried-less foods in regular portions. In place of the cabbage diet, I highly recommend the Mediterranean Diet or the Macrobiotic Diet instead, which is also based on greens, healthy meats, and low but healthy carbs. Plus they’re yummier than cabbage soup!

So if you’re an endomorph, and plan to be Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or any other butt-kicking heroine this Halloween (it’s kinda close, but there’s still time!), try out Sarah Michelle Gellar’s diet and workout secrets.

[Ed. Note: The Mediterranean Diet, Macrobiotic Diet, 5 Factor Fitness, Amy Bento 3-in-1 Kettlebell and Ultimate New York Body Plan can all be found by clicking their respective links here. :) These workouts and diet plans are not exactly what Sarah Michelle Gellar uses, but they're pretty close to the principles! ]

The secret to the staying power of Kylie Minogue’s sexy body!

I’ve been a big fan of the 80′s, after all, during that time I was young, restless, and very eager to have fun. Many of my favorite singers are from the 80′s, but as the years passed by, and I became older (sadly) I’ve been more inclined to listen to other musicians. That’s not to say I don’t miss the 80′s though! And over the weekend, me and my friends decided to throw an 80′s party just to reminisce the time. Just for fun, we decided to do a “then and now” of our favorite artists, from Madonna, to Cher, and many others. One of my favorites during the era, Kylie Minogue, really surprised me. She was hot then, and she’s smoking hot now still! She’s 42 years old, and she looks way better than most 20+ year old women! I knew upon seeing her recent photos that I just had to know what her secret is, and here I am, writing my findings. :)

Kylie Minogue’s diet and fitness plans are some of Hollywood’s best kept secrets, and many are clamoring to find out what they are! (that includes me). Her sexy body is the envy of many, most especially, women from the age of 30+ and up. And after some digging and snooping, I found out that she is engaged in what’s called the Montignac Diet Plan, a system that focuses on a person’s glycemic index to facilitate proper weight loss and healthy development.

The Montignac Diet Plan replaces sugar with artificial but healthy sweeteners, uses potato as a side vegetable rather than a meal majority, and replaces white bread and rice with fibrous whole wheat varieties. It is a protein rich, healthy fat rich, low carb diet, that takes 2 steps to weight loss. First, is to lose the weight through the foods, and second, is to maintain the weight loss.

But it is not a lose weight quick scheme. It is a system that produces some results quickly, but takes months to fully take effect. What’s important, however, is that it facilitates a natural weight-loss, and a natural way to keep the weight off. And from what we can see from Kylie Minogue, it seems to be working!

Despite its health benefits however, like our other recommended diets, the Montignac Diet Plan is very enjoyable. Inspired by French style cuisine (and we all know that French food is just to die for!), this diet plan is perfect for those who prefer the French taste, rather than the Greek, Italian, and Mediterranean style of the equally successful and effective Mediterranean Diet, another secret diet popular among stars.

However, it is not without its critics. Many critics liken it to the South Beach Diet, and nutritionists have come out to say that the glycemic index is barely effective, if at all. What’s surprising to know though is that an equal number of scientists and experts have come out to prove otherwise, placing the diet plan on the fence when it comes to its benefits. To many celebs, however, it seems to be working, which is why Kylie is a follower of it. It works for her, and she has no complaints!

But this isn’t the only secret Kylie Minogue has. If you’ve ever watched any of her videos and concerts, you’ll notice her very toned, very slim, and very sexy body. According to sources, her method of exercise involves the use of the specialized Power Plate exercise system. Essentially, the whole system is a set of space saving equipment that efficiently exercises multiple muscle groups at a time, increasing muscle strength, improving posture, and most importantly, shedding pounds!

While I’m already into the 5-Factor Fitness system, I think I’ll be trying the Montignac Diet Plan if I get a clear from my physician. So that the next time me and my friends throw an 80′s inspired party, I’m going in a Kylie Minogue inspired outfit, and rock it!

[Ed. Note: The Montignac Diet Plan apparently, is actually already being used by my husband's colleague's wife, and I have to say it is effective based on what I see. You can get a copy of it here. However, I mentioned in my blog post that I wanted to try it, but if you're already in a diet system, it is important to consult a physician or dietitian BEFORE changing systems. This is to ensure there'll be no side-effects to the sudden change in diet, and most importantly, weight-loss and health continues! :D ]

Emmanuelle Chriqui’s humble diet and fitness plan

I’m a huge, huge fan of Adam Sandler. Always try to catch his movies as often as I can. Which is why over the weekend, when I saw “You Don’t Mess With The Zohan” on TV, I just had to watch it. Never saw it before, believe it or not! As the movie went on, I saw the female lead, and at first, I didn’t really take notice that much. But as the minutes passed, the lead, named Emmanuelle Chriqui in the credits, I realized, looked really sexy!

As I mentioned in my last post about Rachel Bilson, I love Hollywood stars who look fit, but still look like they’re very happy and not too stressed about their fitness. Emmanuelle Chriqui’s diet and fitness plan must be very, very satisfying, to give her that kind of demeanor. After the movie, the curiosity just couldn’t be resisted, and I had to find out more.

No surprise, Emmanuelle Chriqui’s diet and fitness plan comes from Harley Pasternak, the man whose 5 Factor Fitness Plan I have tried and found to be very effective, and have discussed numerous times in my previous posts. :) Not much of a secret celebrity diet now, is it? :D

What I found fascinating is that Emmanuelle is so humble, admitting to having blemished skin, craving for cookies and ice cream, and just indulging when she wants. However, her Psychology of Thinking Thin (our little name for proper diet mentality *wink *) always makes sure that she does what is needed to stay fit and healthy. And Harley Pasternak’s program is just her ticket!

Her 5 Factor Fitness diet, as Harley Pasternak prescribed her, consists of 5 meals a day, using 5 ingredients, eaten for 5 weeks, with 5 cheat days just for fun!

The idea behind 5 meals per day gives Emmanuelle more meals than usual, but they are smaller, and healthier. Best of all, the feeling of hunger, once this plan is followed, is basically non-existent, eliminating cravings of unnecessary food! The amazing thing too is that the 5-ingredient meals make them easy to prepare, and stress-free to eat. And to top it all off, the cheat days are “reward” days, which allows people to enjoy their favorite foods still! However, while Emmanuelle Chriqui’s diet gives her cheat days, she makes sure that even this, she doesn’t exploit too much.

See? Once you learn to love dieting (again, this doesn’t mean -not eating-. Get my free e-book to find out what I mean exactly!), you’ll really not go back to being unhealthy! And that my friends, is the key. :D

If you’ve been reading my blog before, you’ll know by now that Hollywood’s top celebs don’t just rely on their diets to get fit. They also exercise. And Emmanuelle is no exception. Emmanuelle Chriqui’s fitness plan is again, from Harley Pasternak. Her workout focuses on each key part of the body, from the arms and shoulders using dumbbells and other weights, legs using lunges and leg presses, and the abs using cardio and proper dieting. In Zohan, I noticed Emmanuelle’s very firm butt, and no surprise, she has a specific exercise for that too! Lunges, squats, and other leg exercises all target the butt.

And for those who don’t know yet, Harley Pasternak’s 5 factor plan doesn’t require a lot of time! Sure, Hollywood celebs can spare the time to get fit because they get paid to be fit (again, all of this is in my e-book! :) ), but that doesn’t mean we don’t stand a chance! The 5 Factor Plan allows us to casually follow Emmanuelle Chriqui’s diet and fitness plan, and still get Hollywood style results.

I really knew my 5 Factor Fitness plan investment would pay off. And apparently, all my favorite celebs use it! :)

[Ed. Note: Normally, at this part I'd tell you how great the 5 Factor Fitness plan is, and tell you where I got mine. But, I think it's better to show the other celebrities who use the 5 Factor Fitness plan, so you can really see that it's one of Hollywood's best secret celebrity diet and fitness plan!]

Rachel Bilson’s diet and fitness is easy-going

I just saw a rerun of The O.C. when I got home from work later than usual, and just saw a number of gorgeous girls (and guys, but let’s not talk about them… :P ) in that show. While all of them looked great, one star always caught my attention whenever I would see her on TV. Rachel Bilson!

I don’t know if it’s just her character or what, or if it’s just the other characters’ roles or what, but Rachel Bilson always seemed to look lively, jolly, and overall, healthy! Some of the stars looked like they needed a little bit of meat on their bones, but not Rachel! She always seemed to me like a girl that really knew how to have fun, but still be fit and healthy. So, what’s her secret? What’s Rachel Bilson’s diet and fitness plan? Well, I did a little digging and got some juicy info. :)

To my surprise, I found out that Rachel Bilson has openly refused to give in to the typical Hollywood “you have to be thin ASAP!” mentality! She’s learned to treat herself with the foods she love when she feels like it, because in her words, she “gets grumpy” when she doesn’t eat. That being said, however, it doesn’t mean that she’s not eating healthily, or that she eats very recklessly. She just doesn’t believe in the “lose fat quick” schemes that plague many people, and wants to get thin healthily, properly, and effectively. She actually professes a love for Rachael Ray’s foods and recipes, something we have in common. Oh I love her more now. :)

Rachel Bilson’s diet is planned by David Kirsch, a man I already mentioned in my previous blog posts, and how his amazing Ultimate New York Body Plan had worked for many stars. Well, for Rachel Bilson’s diet, David Kirsch gave her a diet philosophy called the ABCDEF diet plan. This stands for Alcohol, Bread, Carbs (starchy, the bad kind), Dairy, Extras (sweets mostly), Fruits (some) and Fats. These are all foods she has to avoid while following David Kirsch’s plan.

But… Let’s backtrack here for a bit, ‘coz you might be asking right now “But Julie, you just said she doesn’t give in to diets!” Well, again, if you’ve watched my videos and subscribed to my free e-books, the word “diet” and how I’ve used it in my whole blog doesn’t mean starvation, or “not eating at all”! It’s just eating healthily, properly, and nutritiously, with the end goal of losing weight, and being healthy. :) Now, let’s move on now that’s that cleared.

Rachel Bilson might be eating very healthily, but she also exercises in order to make those healthy foods work. Again, she turns to David Kirsch for this. Remember earlier I said some of the girls in that show looked like they needed a bit more meat on their bones? Well, Rachel Bilson’s workout has given her more than just meat, she’s got muscles! But not the manly, burly kind, the feminine, sexy kind! I always loved her legs, and apparently many of her fans do as well. And that’s all ‘coz of her squats, lunges, a lot of cardio, and using weights as she does high repetitions of her exercises.

But you know what’s most important about her workout? The fact that she LOVES to exercise. She knows the benefits of the exercise, what it can do to better her life, and how it makes her feel. Now THAT’s the Psychology of Thinking Thin at work!

 

[Ed. Note: Like Rachel, I'm a big fan of Raechel Ray too! Love her philosophy on food and life. I got her 30 minute meals cookbook for my use and I definitely recommend it to anyone. If you want your own, click here and get one easy. :) Also, in case you missed it in my previous posts, David Kirsch's Ultimate New York Body Plan is one of David Kirsch's celebrity workout that normal folk like us can get! If you wanna follow Rachel Bilson's workout regiment, click here. :) ]

Christina Aguilera’s diet and fitness plan for Burlesque

Last February I wrote about Christina Aguilera’s diet plan and her affinity to green tea, which aided in her weight loss and great shape. I mentioned there also, that according to Tee Sorge, her personal trainer, she also augmented her green tea drinking with weight training and a healthy diet.

Well, recently on my way home from work I happened to chance upon a Christina Aguilera song on the radio, so out of curiosity, I decided to see how she’s doing these days. To no surprise, she looks great still! Being a mom obviously hasn’t slowed her down, as she looks just as great as she did a number of years ago. And she has to be, with a new album to promote, as well as having a lot of competition these days, and an upcoming movie that’s poised to show of her stuff!

Tee Sorge is still Christina Aguilera’s trainer apparently, and she maintains her figure by using the treadmill for 10 minutes or so, then doing weight training to build muscle mass. Her trainer has placed great importance in weights and building up Christina’s biceps, triceps, and abdominals, using bicep curls, tricep dips, and sit ups, in order for her to not lose her muscle mass or gain fatty weight.

Her diet is also carefully watched. Now while she follows a kind of strict diet plan, it doesn’t seem that hard actually! All she cut off are rice, sugars, and breads, opting to eat whole grains and lean proteins instead. She eats raw salads, steamed vegetables, and fruit smoothies and shakes, in reasonable portions that are not too small that she doesn’t get filled up, but not too much that she’s bloated! Hmm… This sounds a lot like the Mediterranean diet that Carmen Electra is using!

But why is she doing all of this despite having an already fat burning career as a singer and dancer? Well, it’s all for her role in the upcoming movie “Burlesque”, a movie about, you guessed it, the Burlesque industry.

Now, I got a bit intrigued at Burlesque and did some research on this as well. At first I thought, well, it’s dancing, sure, but it shouldn’t be hard to do. But it is! In fact, you have to look great, feel great, and have great fitness to pull off Christina Aguilera’s role in the movie. And you know a fun fact? Burlesque is actually a very good fat burning activity it seems!

In doing research about Christina Aguilera I stumbled upon a Burlesque dancing workout system that, not only helps shed pounds and build energy in a very sexy way by toning the major muscle groups and promoting flexibility, but also adds a bit of spice to the arsenal of us ladies. *wink* This system has been introduced to other stars too! Like Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek, Heather Locklear, and Pamela Anderson.

I have to admit, I know about belly dancing workouts, and striptease workouts, but burlesque? I read some reviews of the system and apparently, it’s just as effective as those other dancing workouts. I prefer burlesque a bit more however, seeing as how it’s very classical. (not to mention a certain husband of mine kind of prefers it too. XD)

Kudos to Christina Aguilera for, not only inspiring us with her amazing diet and workout routine, but also for giving me the idea of trying out this new burlesque workout.

[Ed. Note.: Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find an exact system of diet recipes that Christina Aguilera is using, however, judging from what info I found, I think the Mediterranean Diet used by Carmen Electra would be a very good alternative!

Also, for you ladies out there who want to try the Burlesque “Goddess” workout as well, check out this link. This is where I bought mine, and I'm going to try it out as soon as it arrives on my doorstep. :D ]