FitSugar

Reality Check: Ashlee Isn't a No Carbs Kind of Girl

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:02 -0800

Even though she lives the So Cal lifestyle, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz told Women's Health that she doesn't starve herself for a Hollywood figure; she simply loves food, and one of her favorite feasts features Mexican fare. Once a week Ashlee and her hubby, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, invite family and friends over for taco night. Ashlee told the mag that she's not afraid of cheese, eats cheeseburgers with ranch dressing, and indulges in French fries. But don't spread the rumor that she's eating for two, because she's not, and Ashlee shares that she's even slimmer than ever.

She boasts about devouring whatever she wants, doesn't deprive herself of the foods she craves, and still has such a great figure. To find out what she asys is her secret, read more.

Ashlee's secret weapon is Bronx Pilates! Her 1-year-old son is in her arms all day, and carrying around that extra weight has helped to really tone her arms.

Before she gave birth, Ashlee had gained 50 pounds, and her breasts were up to a size E when she was nursing. So once baby Bronx was two weeks old, she was ready to start losing the extra pounds. A home-delivery meal plan didn't work since she's a big eater. She says, "If I want a grilled cheese sandwich, I'll eat a grilled cheese sandwich." So she turned to exercise, and with the help of a personal trainer, the new mama set up a home gym and started circuit training. Four weeks later, Ashlee had lost half her baby weight. Her diligent workouts have definitely paid off. Of course, this young actress also has her youth and genes to thank. Though she looks amazing now, Ashlee dispels the notion that her bod was a result of Hollywood stress. She says, "I wasn't in a rush to get back to this body for anyone else. It was more like, 'I wanna look good [for me]? I wanna feel good.'"

Ashlee is feeling great and very appreciative of her family and all life has blessed her with. On top of a great career and a healthy son, her hubby is a great source of comfort and support. "Pete isn't worried about stretch marks, " she says, "He always makes me feel sexy."

The way she explains it, she doesn't really do anything currently to maintain her figure. Do you believe it?

Reality Check: Lipo Won't Make You Look Like Jennifer Aniston

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:30:30 -0700

It's not uncommon for women to be unhappy with a part of their appearance - a wide nose, a saggy belly, or lumpy tush. Some women learn to embrace their imperfections, while others opt for plastic surgery.

In her new memoir, Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin, the actress, 48, shows a photo of her botched liposuction. She decided to post the picture "because I wanted women to know when you get liposuction, trying to be Jennifer Aniston, this is what it really looks like."

Kathy got her first nose job at 26 and has spent years trying to change her appearance. She said, "I was on a television show and thought that I could be thinner and better and happier." But says she never felt that urge before, when she was a bank teller; her insecurities about how she looks stem from the pressures of being on TV. Although she felt it would make her happy, she wasn't the only one thinking she should get work done. Agents and casting directors advised Kathy to go under the knife too. The comedian isn't sure when it will end because, she admits, "I am always going to want to be Jennifer Aniston."

Reality Check: Cindy Crawford Admits "I Have Cellulite"

FitSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:30:10 -0700

Who would have guessed that Cindy Crawford is 43? She still looks amazing to me, and it's nice to hear that even though she was a supermodel, she's still human like the rest of us. In Redbook's September issue Cindy shares,

I have cellulite. I admit it. But sometimes I just say, 'Screw it, I am going to wear a bikini. I think I look good for my age. I am not 25; I am 43. That feels like a big pressure, especially when the National Enquirer is dying to get a picture. I am so aware that I don't want to change the way I live because of that kind of attention. So you say, 'Screw it. I am wearing a bikini, and I am not putting on a cover-up.' You just brace yourself for a bad picture.

Many women like Cindy are blessed with cellulite, but so what? I love that it doesn't get in the way of her being proud to show off her body, and do the things that she enjoys.

Reality Check: Electronic Cigarettes Are Not So Healthy

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:00:29 -0700

Smoking regular cigarettes is known to cause a whole slew of health problems from asthma to emphysema and lung cancer. For some reason though, people keep smoking, so someone came up with the brilliant idea to make electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes.

These battery-powered electronic cigarettes provide inhaled doses of nicotine, although no flame, tobacco, or smoke is involved. E-cigs might give the impression of being healthier than regular cigarettes, but this illusion is mostly smoke and mirrors. When the FDA tested 19 varieties from two companies, they found toxic chemicals, one being a key ingredient in antifreeze. Why am I not surprised?

E-cigarettes aren't regulated like other nicotine products, so their ingredients aren't regulated either. They also tend to be easier for minors to get a hold of. Since some e-cigarettes were designed to mimic real cigarettes - you light them and smoke puffs, these electronic smokes are considered a gateway drug to actual cigarettes. The FDA is "planning additional activities" to deal with the safety of e-cigarettes, which may result in recalling them or taking lawful action. Tell me, have any of you ever tried electronic cigarettes? Do you think they should be banned?

Reality Check: Anna Faris Is Eating More Before Her Wedding

FitSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:00:00 -0700

It's easy to lose focus on the big picture while wedding planning. A romantic engagement suddenly warps into a stressful process, and this stress is often accentuated by the pressure some brides feel to lose weight for the big day.

Anna Faris is turning her back on the idea of spending months before her wedding regulating everything she eats or turning the gym into her second home. She's getting more comfortable in the skin she has, and instead of worrying about fitting in an extra workout or counting every calorie, Anna is spending more time with her fiancé. To see what she said when asked if she plans on buckling down before the big day, read more.

Anna told People magazine,

I am fattening it up! Now that I have a man, I'm like, "Oh, I don't have to try anymore! Now I can eat." We love to splurge at home. We love to cook. My fiancé is an incredible eater, and so he's really fun to feed, and it's great to share some wine and watch a movie. He's always like, "Baby, don't lose that butt!"

While "fattening it up" isn't appealing to most brides-to-be, I love that Anna is remembering to enjoy herself during her engagement. It's always important to be active and eat healthily, but Anna's attitude is a reminder for brides to give themselves a break.

For more wedding tips, check out all of the Sugar network’s wedding coverage here.

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Reality Check: Model Milla Worked Her Big, Little Butt Off

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:30:22 -0800

Milla Jovovich just made my day. I have to smile whenever I hear supermodels or celebrities admit they have to work insanely hard to achieve their postpregnancy bodies, and this model mom told her story about struggling to lose 70 pounds after giving birth in November 2007. She's in the business of looking amazing, so her ability to get back to work depended on shedding the dozens of pregnancy pounds.

The stunning supermodel said she slimmed down with "Diet and lots of exercise, I worked my big, little butt off," adding "It’s been a lot of work and I’ve been working with Harley Pasternak and his 5-Factor program, they actually have diet food sent to my house. At one point I just ate oatmeal, salmon, and artichokes every day for a week. It was definitely a lot easier putting it on!"

Milla isn't holding back the real deal behind what it took to lose 70 pounds. Not only did she have a professionally prescribed diet plan, she had the food delivered to her house and was extremely limited on what she was allowed to eat. It's a refreshing reminder about the resources available to models and celebrities that might not be accessible to us, and I commend Milla for her honesty and hard work at the gym.

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Reality Check: Kelly Clarkson Says All Celebs Have Cellulite

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:00:00 -0800

Many women look up to female celebrities and are inspired to look as flawless and gorgeous as they do, but in a People magazine article, Kelly Clarkson reminds us that "No girl is perfect." The seasoned 26-year-old told a group of 20 preteens at a Dove-sponsored self-esteem workshop, "Just to let you know everyone in the magazines is Photoshopped! Beyoncé is one of the most beautiful girls in the world but she gets Photoshopped too. We're all human!" She also told the girls that "They Photoshopped the crap out of me!" on the cover of her sexy All I Ever Wanted album.

I give Kelly two thumbs up for her honesty. I guess she's trying to prevent other girls from feeling bad about themselves like she did when she was criticized for being "thick."

To find out how she deals with the negative comments, read more.

When it comes to criticism about her body image, Kelly says, "I'd be a liar if I said I was always fine with it. But I'm wise enough by now to know that you're never going to please everyone so you may as well stop trying." She protects her spirit by not reading celebrity magazines. She says, "It's just healthier to get away from that kind of thinking." Magazines will point out a celeb's flabby butt, as if it's a big surprise and a huge no-no, but Kelly says, "Of course celebrities have cellulite! We're not fem-bots!'"

Kelly has seen the effects of body image scrutiny on friends who are also in the public eye, and it breaks them. She doesn't want to see so much pressure put on anyone to look a certain way. It's great to see that Kelly is normal and not obsessed with shrinking her body down. She's a positive role model for any woman to look up to.

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Reality Check: Gwyneth Paltrow's Detox Diet

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:30:00 -0800

There are many ways to usher in the New Year. After a couple weeks of nonstop holiday celebration replete with rich foods and plenty of drink, many folks decide that the best way to begin anew is with a detox cleanse. I firmly believe there really is no need to detox, but if you insist on doing a cleanse, you can detox without starving yourself. This issue is a place where Gwyneth Paltrow and I have agreed to disagree.

Although her daily diet is incredibly healthy, Gwyneth believes in the New Year detox. After collapsing last January at the end of a five-day live-food fast, she is at it again following a week long cleansing regimen. This time, though, she is following the advice of detox specialist Dr. Alejandro Junger. Gwyneth is also sharing the details, recipes and all, on her website goop.com.

The lovely, leggy blonde and mother of two writes:

It is that time of year, folks. I need to lose a few pounds of holiday excess. Anyone else? I like to do fasts and detoxes a couple of times during the year, the most hardcore one being the Master Cleanse I did last spring. It was not what you would characterize as pretty. Or easy. It did work, however. As I do not wish to subsist on lemon water in the middle of winter, I asked my doctor, a detox diet specialist, for the guidelines he uses to achieve a good detox that is not as hallucinogenic (in a bad way) as the Master Cleanse. He actually thinks that the Master Cleanse can be dangerous because the liver is not supported by the nutrients it needs.

To see what she is eating and why, just read more.

While her explanation sounds sensible, just reading over the menu left me feeling hungry and deprived. The majority of the meals are liquids - smoothies, soups, or juice with hardly any grains (read: carbs to fuel your brain) in the meals. The simplest way to explain is to list the foods she will be avoiding for seven days:

No dairy
No grains with gluten
No meat or shellfish
No processed food including all soy products
No fatty nuts
No produce from the nightshade family - potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant
No condiments
No sugar
No alcohol, caffeine or soda

While jumping back into my healthy habits might be a bit jarring this first full week of the year, I am simply going to return to my old health habits of eating well balanced meals and exercising regularly to cleanse myself of my holiday debauchery.

Gwyneth concludes the detox edition of her newsletter like this: "I will be suffering along with you to kickstart my year a bit lighter." I, for one, do not wish to "suffer" with Gwyneth. I want to enjoy every minute of 2009 and eating just soup is not my idea of health or fun.

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Reality Check: Lily Allen Still Insecure About Her Weight

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Last year, Lily Allen slimmed down four dress sizes by using hypnosis. Might sound strange, but it "reprogrammed her brain" to love eating healthier food and working out at the gym.

She's been able to maintain her lean figure, but it looks like this singer still has insecurities about her weight. To hear what she said in a recent interview, read more.

According to People:

"My mum always told me, 'You're beautiful, you're my beautiful little girl,' and then suddenly I wasn't. I read all the stuff that people were writing about me and I started to get a different view. I mean, I never thought I was a supermodel or anything, but I didn’t think I was quite as unattractive as people were saying! I just thought, ‘Maybe if I'm not fat, then people won't call me ugly.'"

It's sad that Lily felt she had to lose weight just so people would think she was attractive. Even though she looks great, I guess once you hear negative comments, it's tough to forget them. The good news is that now she's eating right and exercising, and this 23-year-old has even taken a break from drinking. Hopefully this healthy lifestyle will stick, and feeling good is bound to make her feel good about herself.

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Reality Check: Even VS Angels Have to Put in Extra Work

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:30:00 -0800

No pain, no gain? This old saying may be true even for the most genetically blessed among us - Victoria's Secret Angels. They may have great genes, but these lingerie models subscribe to the glue that binds goal-oriented women: hard work and discipline. Last night we saw the bombshell VS models rock the runway on television, and it took more than a few workouts for them to look so toned.

Doutzen Kroes recently became an Angel and acknowledged that, while she usually eats what she likes, before a big show she nixes sugar and carbs and dedicates more time to jumping rope. She said, "For other fashion shows you can be skinny, but for Victoria's Secret, you need definition." Another newbie to the Angel crew, Marisa Miller, also understands the VS message and said, "When you're on the runway, you're moving so it's all about toning up." Mission accomplished.

It's encouraging to know that, while these gorgeous models have a genetic edge, they are still human and have to put in extra work to achieve their goals. Next time you're struggling through an intense workout, remind yourself that you're not alone.

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