Celebrities seem to be able to lose weight faster and more easily than the rest of us. From preparing for movie roles to getting ready for the red carpet, celebrities are often on extreme diets and fitness regiments in order to look their best. But how exactly do they do it?
Extremely Low Calorie Diets
One of the most common techniques celebrities use to lose weight quickly is an extremely low calorie diet. They drastically cut their daily calories, sometimes eating less than 800-1000 calories per day. This forces their bodies to burn stored fat for fuel since they are not consuming enough from food. Some celebrities on these diets prioritize lean protein like chicken breast and lots of vegetables.
For example, Beyonce lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks on the Master Cleanse liquid diet before filming Dreamgirls. This diet involves drinking only a lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water concoction. While it leads to fast weight loss, health experts do not recommend such severe calorie restriction.
Sample 1000 Calorie Celebrity Diet
| Meal | Food | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 egg whites, 1 cup spinach, 1/2 grapefruit | 150 |
| Snack | 1 apple | 95 |
| Lunch | 4 oz chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli | 270 |
| Snack | 1 oz almonds | 165 |
| Dinner | 4 oz salmon, 1 cup kale | 360 |
| Total | 1000 |
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has become a popular weight loss technique among celebrities. This involves alternating between periods of fasting and eating. For example, only eating within an 8 hour window and fasting for the other 16 hours of the day. Some stars like Jennifer Aniston and Christie Brinkley say this intermittent fasting helps them stay slim.
Fasting puts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. This causes the body to burn stored fat since it does not have food coming in for energy. Even short term intermittent fasting of just 1-2 days can result in pounds lost on the scale quite quickly. This makes it an appealing rapid weight loss technique for celebrities looking to slim down fast before a major event.
Sample Intermittent Fasting Schedule
| Time | Consume |
|---|---|
| 8am | Begin eating window |
| 8am – 2pm | Meals and snacks |
| 2pm | End eating window |
| 2pm – 8am | Fasting period |
Cutting Carbs
Another trick celebrities often use to drop pounds rapidly is cutting way back on carbohydrates. Following a very low carb ketogenic diet triggers the body to burn fat rather than carbs for fuel. Celebs like Halle Berry and Vanessa Hudgens reportedly lost weight this way by avoiding bread, rice, potatoes and sugary foods and emphasizing proteins and healthy fats instead.
When carbs are restricted to under 50 grams daily, the body enters nutritional ketosis within a few days. Burning fat for ketones leads to quick weight loss, especially in the first 2 weeks on a keto diet. That’s why celebs trying to shape up fast before a big premiere might try this approach.
Sample Low Carb Celebrity Diet
| Meal | Food |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | 3 eggs, 1/4 avocado, 1 oz cheddar cheese |
| Lunch | Burger (no bun) with cheese, lettuce, tomato |
| Dinner | 6 oz salmon, sautéed spinach with olive oil |
| Snacks | 1 oz nuts, berries |
Exercise and Movement
While diet is key for weight loss, celebrities also incorporate a lot of physical activity into their routines. Working out helps them burn extra calories and accelerate fat loss. Celebs often do 60-90 minutes of cardio like running or biking plus strength training to build lean muscle mass all over.
Many celebrities have personal trainers that create intense customized workouts for them multiple times a week. Their fitness routines are designed to maximize fat burning and tone every inch of their bodies. They also burn extra calories throughout the day by staying on their feet and moving versus sitting for long stretches.
Sample Celebrity Workout Routine
| Time | Workout |
|---|---|
| 7:00 am | 60 min cardio (jogging) |
| 12:00 pm | 45 min strength training |
| 6:00 pm | 30 min HIIT (high intensity interval training) |
Avoiding Salt and Processed Foods
To look as slim as possible, celebrities also minimize sodium intake and avoid processed foods before a big event like a movie premiere or awards show. Salt causes fluid retention which can leave them looking bloated.
Celebs stick to fresh, whole foods and steer clear of frozen meals, canned items, fast food and packaged snacks loaded with sodium. Low sodium diet helps them look less puffy and promotes fast water weight loss giving them a slimmer physique quickly when needed.
Using Diet Pills and Supplements
Some celebrities turn to weight loss pills and supplements for help losing weight rapidly. Stars are often under intense pressure to slim down for a role or the red carpet after having a baby. Due to this pressure, some take diet pills or use weight loss products to achieve rapid results.
However, these supplements are controversial and can cause side effects. Products containing stimulants like caffeine, green tea extract and synephrine can increase calorie burning slightly, but also may lead to headaches, anxiety and trouble sleeping in some people.
Trying Fad or Crash Diets
Under pressure to slim down fast, celebrities sometimes turn to fad or crash diets with extreme restrictions. Keto, paleo, intermittent fasting, the Master Cleanse, baby food diets, eating just one food like apples or lean protein for days – stars have tried all of these and more to see quick results.
However, health experts warn that crash diets can be downright dangerous due to severe calorie restriction, loss of essential nutrients and possible dehydration. The rapid weight loss from these diets is also often mostly water and lean tissue rather than fat.
Using Weight Loss Surgery
For some obese celebrities, weight loss surgery is a means to achieving dramatic weight loss. Procedures like gastric bypass, gastric sleeve and gastric banding do typically lead to significant fat reduction. Famous people who have undergone bariatric surgery include Carnie Wilson, Al Roker, Roseanne Barr and Star Jones.
However, weight loss surgery is actually not a shortcut and requires major lifestyle changes afterwards. Nutrition must be carefully managed or else patients may not lose much weight even with surgery. For celebrities who need to slim down fast before a big event, surgery may not always be the solution.
Conclusion
Celebrities have a huge incentive to lose weight quickly for major events and roles. To slim down fast, they often turn to extreme calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, cutting carbs, increasing exercise and questionable weight loss products. However, these extreme measures can be downright dangerous for us normal folks without access to medical supervision and support.
The safest approach is to use tried-and-true weight loss techniques – modest calorie reduction without going under 1200 daily calories, eating whole foods, prioritizing lean protein and veggies, staying active with both cardio and strength training, drinking lots of water and getting enough sleep. With this approach, you can steadily lose 1-2 pounds per week and reach your goal weight in a healthy sustainable way.