Jan 31, 2008

Slim and Sexy Valentine's Day Workout



Watch Katrina as she shows you how to exercise before your big date on Valentine's Day.

Jan 30, 2008

The New Miss America To Promote Eating Disorder Awareness

Ahhh, the good ol' Miss America pageant. As a little girl I used to watch this "scholarship" contest with my mom. If I had lived in the South, I probably would've made her enter me in a few pageants, Thank God she occupied my spare time with soccer, ice skating, gymnastics, tennis lessons, etc. Anyway, this year the pageant got a makeover. The 23 year-old contestants actually look their age for a change! I didn't watch much of the show, just the talent competition.

FYI: Miss USA does not have a talent competition; that's the best way to compare the two pageants. One is based on looks, while the other is based on looks, talent and brains. Am I being too biased? Just because The Donald owns Miss USA, former Miss USA Tara Connor went to rehab and the 3rd runner-up of Miss Teen USA didn't know like such as the Iraq and the Mexico were on a like map or something doesn't mean the pageant is totally based on looks, does it?

Anyway back to Miss America. The winner Miss Michigan Kristen Haglund will take on a close to home platform on eating disorder awareness and promoting healthy body images for teenage girls. Here is some information I gathered from an AP article:

Just three years ago, newly crowned Miss America Kirsten Haglund was eating tiny portions of food and became so thin her concerned parents "dragged me to the doctor."

Haglund was diagnosed with anorexia. The lack of nutrition caused her collar bones to stick out, her heart rate to drop and her relationships to suffer.

To win her crown, the Farmington Hills native sang "Over the Rainbow" and walked a crowd-pleasing strut in a black and gold bikini.

"You have to have curves," she said. "You can't look like a stick-thin model."

The AP reported that the aspiring Broadway star even ate the silver medallion chocolates left on her pillow in her hotel suite in Las Vegas.

"Yes, oh my gosh, yes," she gushed. "I love chocolate. Chocolates are a girl's best friend."

The 5'8" blonde said she does not disclose her weight to avoid setting standards for youths obsessed with getting lighter.

Haglund said she stopped pursuing her dream of becoming a professional ballerina to escape an environment in which she was rewarded for being slim and an industry that she said sweeps concerns about eating disorders under the rug.

While the teen said she wasn't about to "let myself go," she didn't plan to skip any meals over her crowning year.


A) I applaud her for not disclosing her weight! I think that she is smart and hopefully will be a great role model, because well, young teenage girls need one! I will be keeping an eye on this Kristen character. I wasn't exactly a fan of her version of "Over the Rainbow" though. In the oft-repeated words of a certain American Idol judge, "Why would you pick a song that doesn't fit within your vocal range?"

B) Was it necessary to ask a former anorexic if she ate the chocolate? And was it necessary to ask a former anorexic if she was going to let herself go? Clearly the writer of this article has never battled an eating disorder.

C) As terrible as some beauty pageants seem at such young ages, this opportunity does open a lot of doors for young women. I am happy to see some one win that seems like they have their head on straight, and can be a positive influence, but the real question seems to me, "Are beauty pageants the right outlet for someone recovering from an eating disorder? Kristen left ballet so that the thin-pressure would no longer be a factor, but from watching the TV broadcast for 30 minutes, the hosts said TWICE after eliminating some of the contestants, "OK now you can go backstage and eat carbs." When did Atkins come back in style? And why aren't the contestants eating carbs?

Biggest Loser Diet: Do they eat? Plus Idol Weight Loss

The Biggest Loser loves to show us all the hard work the contestants put into their workouts, but how come we never really see them make breakfast, lunch or dinner? Who cares about soda? And the Diet Diva is on Idol watch so watch yo weight ya'll!

First I'll start with the least exciting as I have not written a good blog in quite some time. The tryouts on American Idol are in full swing! I don't really like to watch these segments when they air. I DO wish they would re-air them once the contestants have been whittled down to the top 8 or something. Recently Idol alumns have alleged that being a finalist on the show caused them to gain weight. I previously have said they all seem to slim down after they strike gold, landing their own record deal or win the actual show. Therefore, if you guys have Tivo or a DVR, I encourage you to tape the tryouts and then watch the finale. If the contestants have indeed gain weight, I will put aside my ego and admit that just because they got famous and learned what the pressures of Hollywoof were really like were not the only reasons they lost weight.


Ok NEXT, we have my beef with The Biggest Loser. I watch it so that I can blog about it, maybe steal some of their tips or fitness moves. But lately I have taken particular notice that we are constantly shown footage of them getting in that "last workout" and grunting and sweating and oh my gosh, "Is he gonna die?" I think I would kick ass as a Trainer. I would be just like Jillian. But, if they were my clients for our last chance before weigh in, I would probably give them diuretics, wear really warm clothing, and make them sweat alot! What?! It's a competition isn't it? I am TOTALLY KIDDING of course! But it does cross my mind why they are lifting weights before the final weight in because weights increase muscle mass which in turn weigh more than fat which would.... add pounds instead of lose them? Maybe? Am I throwing out all my credibility or did it already vanish? Whatever, clearly I'm not a trainer, I just do what mine tells me to do. The thing that annoys me about the show I've realized, is that only once in awhile they show you what the contestants are eating or how to prepare a similar meal. I had to read the book to find out their diet. It's smart and healthy, something people like you and I can do! However, working out 8 hours a day is not something you or I can do. Why do they show us footage of things we can't take away any tips from? Is this show meant to be watch by people who don't need any tips? Now I'm rambling. If anyone disagrees with me, please post a comment because it's on during the same time slot as American Idol, and I kind of watched both.

Jan 27, 2008

Giuliana Rancic Wants To Know Your Secret!

Giuliana Rancic wants to know your secret! Last night, I watched some of the Red Carpet Arrivals for the SAG awards, because well, I miss the red carpet. But seriously, where was Seacrest? Giuliana was asking everyone for their secret! I'm not kidding either, it became quite laughable. If the celebrity was a female with a rockin' bod, she asked what their "secret" was to staying fit, thin or in shape. If they were married she would make a remark about herself being a newlywed and would ask the celebrity what their secret to a happy marriage was. She probably asked every Desperate Housewife their secret to looking great. And they were pretty much interviewed in the same half hour. Seriously, how did she get her job? She can't think of any other questions to ask? Does she think that the only things we care about are how people in Hollywood actually make their marriages last or how they refrain from getting fat?

Enough with my rant on how unintelligent Giuliana Depandi... I mean
Giuliana Rancic is! Here is my rundown of how I thought the stars
looked with the help of my two roommates, Mary G and Mary D;

(I wrote this as we were watching it live)



Sarah Ramirez spotted wearing a magenta Angel Sanchez number, that was strapless and fitted. It flowed out at the bottom, leaving Sarah to look slim and fit! Sarah appeared as if she had lost a few pounds and toned up... A LOT. Guess she's been using her time off during the strike to focus on her figure. (Ok, so I wrote this as I watched last night, and now as I look at pictures from last night, the dress doesn't look so flattering, but on TV and I'm sure in person it looked great! Promise).

Ana "The Teeth" Ortiz (Mary G and Mary D made me write that) loves to praise and talk about her curves in magazine interviews, but she didn't appear to have many curves in her strapless black dress. Has the popularity of Ugly Betty given Ortiz a new outlook on her latina curves?

I do not like Debra Messing's dress. It looked like a costume out of Egypt. Mary G thought that she looks like Cleopatra and Juliana, a Greek Goddess. However, she looked a healthy weight and as young and happy as ever.

I like Eva Longoria and I liked her dress. I feel like she is a little spitfire. Her dress was cute, a little too glittery and geometric for me, and she might have a fur coat in tow which is totally taboo in Hollywood. Hopefully it's fake. She looked slim and thin as ever. She has some ugly earrings on, but I'll let it slide.

Teri Hatcher sucks. NEXT. (Mary G and Mary D made me write that too).

Chandra Wilson looks like the fourth dream girl. She looks cute and young, but a little out of place. Maybe she should join Juliana and Deborah at the Halloween Party afterwards?

Ellen Pompeo arrives on cell phone. I do not like her either. Get off your phone! You do not represent Massachusetts very well!

E! stiletto cam is as stupid as PG13 movie. (Again, Mary and Mary made me write that.)

Nicolette Sheridan was asked by Guiliana how to get her hot bod, and she credited her dress. She disputes having an ideal body, but said she tries to get out of the house 4-5 times a week but said she needs to step it up. When she says step out of the house, I am going to assume this means, go for a run?

Then Teri Hatcher is interviewed, and ask again what her secret is to staying thin. She doesn't believe in dieting, or botox. She wants to be real. She enjoys and has the control to eat in moderation. She admits she goes a couple days without exercising like the rest of us. I think she is full of B.S. but to her credit she does look healthier than usual. Seriously, she doesn't do botox? She doesn't diet? I'm confused, was that just Teri Hatcher?

The Chiquita Banana Dress Award goes to Jane Krakowski. Her dress was a lime green and held up by something that looked like a large beaded Mardi Gras necklace. It was silly looking. In other ridiculous dress news, I didn't mind Sandra Oh's dress at all! I thought the colors were wrong, but the bow thing, wasn't bad in my opinion. I actually enjoyed it. (I'm not saying I would wear it).

Angelina Jolie is facing rumors that she is pregnant. Guess what she wore to the SAG awards? A tent dress! Who does she think she is, Tom Brady? Is she trying to play mind games with the media and her fans?

Becki Newton, one of my fave actresses from Ugly Betty looked fabulous in a tiered Donna Baxter for Elsie Katz Couture dress. Co-star America Ferrera looked even skinnier at the awards than the last time I saw her campaigning for Obama in Vegas. What is going on with the latina break out stars on this show? They all showed up missing their signature curves. Whatever... Maybe they haven't lost any weight but I'm suddenly looking at them with the average normal persons standards.


Christina Applegate also looked truly fabulous. She always looks stunning, healthy and confident. It also helps that I love her.

Amanda Bynes, the annoying girl from Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show back in the day.. I mean critically acclaimed Hairspray, looked very cute and age appropriate. The 21-year-old appeared to be a little slimmer than usual. I'm not supporting Bynes losing weight, but I'm just going to say that after Lohan, and Duff lost a ton of weight, I thought that Bynes would be next. I applaud Bynes for not walking down the same path as her peers. She does a fabulous job staying out of the tabloids by not partying as much as the other young celebs, or dating high profile men. While she does look a little skinnier, I think it's just that she's maybe toned up a bit, but I don't think she's doing anything drastic by ANY means. She may be annoying, but she appears to be somewhat normal.

That does it for this fashion recap. Who was your favorite dressed? Who was the worst? I did not include my top picks, but I will let you know my fave later on!

Jan 22, 2008

Las Vegas Not Diet Diva Approved But Super Fun!

Viva Las Vegas! After getting home late last night from my mini vacay in Sin City, I feel like I'm at work in some sort of out-of-body experience. I'm not sure if I'm jet lagged, sleep deprived or coming down with a case of "exhaustion" as the celebs seem to call it.

Here is a run down of my experience in the city that REALLY never sleeps (sorry NYC) as it may pertain to the diet.com users:

1. Lack of sleep may lead to weight gain. Vacationing in Las Vegas, is not exactly a relaxing vacation. It's like Spring Break from College. You need a vacation once you back from vacation to rest and recover. I think I probably got a total of 12 hours of sleep over the course of three nights. However, luckily for me this sleep deprivation is not going to persist. I mean come on, it's Vegas, I had to stay awake and I wouldn't have slept more even if I could.

2. The "strip" is WAY longer than it looks and the hotel are humongous! It was probably at least a half mile to walk from our suite (that housed 10 girls!) to the casino. My friend Ashely and I were pretty anxious to get some food in our bellies one morning and to speed up the walk we raced the moving walkway. We looked silly, but had fun and got a little exercise without really attempting to make any effort. Bring comfortable shoes and you will walk more than you imagined, burning lots of calories!

3. Vegas is NOT Diet Diva approved. Apparently this is a term I came up with when referring to whether an establishment makes ANY attempt at living a healthy lifestyle. AKA, unless you want a $40 entree, getting a healthy meal is pretty hard to come by. The smokey casinos, the never ending drink supply and last sleep makes this vacation one of the top unhealthiest places you can probably go if you are on a budget. If you are willing to spend and minimize your fun, you can go to the ultra expensive slash delicious restaurants for a healthier meal with reasonable sized portions. You can get up an go to the gym in your hotel. Walk around and site see (don't take cabs, and allow yourself more travel time which we did not do). Dance at the clubs all night.

We went to see The Price Is Right (The Vegas Version of the classic game show). It was so fun! The audience was so involved, and had the chance to win lots of prizes. However when guessing how much the products cost, all were really pretty unhealthy. For one challenge, the products were a candy bar, muffin cakes, regular spaghetti and dog food. The only healthy food product that I ACTUALLY buy in a grocery store that was showcased was Egg Beaters. I just thought it was funny and I'm not trying to tell the show to use different products, but I think more people these days are opting for healthy food items rather than junk so chances of guessing the actual price may be a little harder.

4. Celebrities love Vegas and the Diet Diva loves celeb sightings. Here are the few that we saw - Hannah Montana aka. Miley Cyrus, Mike Tyson, The Acrocrobat from Crowned, America Ferrera, Jessica Simpson, AND we were at the same club as Kristin Cavalleri and Matt Leinhart Saturday night at Pure, but did not see them. I am still very sad that I did not know we were in the same club :( I was going to run up to America and tell her I always write about her in my blog but I did not see her again.

At one point, we were at The Bank and I thought I saw J.Simp about 10 times. No, it wasn't the actual one but rather an influx of beautiful women. I felt like a true ugly duckling standing next to all the barbie doll look alikes. The men however reassured me that they did not prefer to talk to them. I was shocked! Two different ones said that if you talk to these girls, they aren't very bright and one even said, "It's really sad." I am not saying all beautiful women that live, work or visit Vegas
are not smart. Quite the opposite actually. I'm only including this because, women's magazine try to get their female audience to believe they must be beautiful to get that man, and how to look perfect via body, hair, and makeup, etc. After speaking with the few men, I realized that they are not as interested in perfect looks as we are lead to believe. So why are we led to believe that what we look like matters so much in accordance with Women's magazine like Cosmo?
Here is a picture from The Bank of me and my roomie Mary, who turned 25 on Friday (ie the reason for the vacay).


5. Lastly, I had so much fun but would not be able to stay there longer than 3 nights. I think two would be enough actually. I'll be back with more celebrity and diet gossip later on!

Jan 16, 2008

Celebrities Are Pregnant! Now They Lose Weight And Make Money

Apparently, it's become trendy again to get pregnant. Nicole Richie had a baby this weekend, so did Christina Aguilera. Nicole Kidman is preggers, so is Jessica Alba and Britney's little sis Jamie Lynn. Even Matthew McConaughey is having a baby, obviously he's not carrying the child. So in order to have a slim down, one must get big. Celebrity mom's love when they shed the baby weight to show off their hot new NOT pregnant bodies. If you haven't been photographed in bikini before your first baby and your a celeb, after the birth of the little blob is your best time to get media attention. Maybe they just have babies for publicity and the diet companies to pay them to lose the weight they gained? Kidding. Sorta.


Trista from The Bachelor and Bachelorette is on the cover of US Weekly this week strutting her stuff in a bright yellow bikini. Thank god, it's not a member of the Spears family again! Here's what they say:
After just five months of dedicated dieting and exercise, Trista Sutter has met her weight-loss goal of shedding all 30 pregnancy pounds.

In the new issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now, Sutter shares the exact diet and exercise routine she maintained to overcome her fears she'd never be sexy again.

"I'm happy with my body," Sutter, 35, tells Us. "I'm confident and proud of the work I've done."

Sutter was eager to drop her pregnancy pounds after giving birth to son Max in July via C-section.

"Every night before I go to bed, I do abs, pushups, and tricep presses. I feel better when I wake up if I've done something to set my muscles and make them feel active," she tells Us.

Her 2,000-calorie-a-day diet and four-times-a-week workouts with trainer Brock Fetch have also helped her marriage to Ryan.

"I feel a lot more fit and healthy," she says. "And I think that's playing a part in our relationship." (Adds Ryan, "I'm just happy to see her happy with herself... and her butt looks great!")

So is the couple ready for another baby? "We've started trying!" Sutter tells Us. "I'd love to have babies close in age. And it took us so long the first time that if it takes us two years, then that will be fine."

Check out the latest issue of Us Weekly for details on Trista's diet and exercise routine, including her slimming secrets and advice you can use.
-US WEEKLY


Lastly, what do you guys think Christina and Nicole are going to do about their baby weight? Nicole probably shouldn't lose a pound she has put on. I bet she either goes extreme and loses a lot of weight or gains more weight and actually develops a healthy body image. As for Christina who has in the past gained weight while on tour, I think she will breast feed, lose weight and then pose half naked.

Celebrity Diet Secrets For 2008

Star Health secrets according to People Magazine. People is better known for it’s gossip and celebrity exploits rather than diet tips but here is a sample of what they believe is going to help stars stay looking great in ’08.

They recommend focusing on one new healthy habit each day. Here is a list:

Fergie- Adds Vinegar. Swallows 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar after lunch and dinner.

Ryan Seacrest – Used to be fat! Relies on protein from fish. Eats a big plate of raw fish before live shows of AI.

Eva Longoria – Drink More Water. Takes in 3 liters a day! Drink half your body weight in ounces. So how much does that mean she weighs? Well it means she weighs 200 lbs. I think she drinks her ACTUAL body weight in ounces.

Katherine Heigl – Eat mini meals. She is apparently on the 5 factor diet or at least she is paid to be and eats 5 high protein meals.

Kelly Ozborne – Ban booze. I mean ban booze? Say what? She did? "I stopped doing drugs and drinking," the actress told PEOPLE. "The weight literally dropped off." The reason? "Drinking alcohol is like eating sugar with a spoon," says Pachella. If you can't completely ban booze, indulge in one glass of red wine or a lower-calorie cocktail such as rum-and-Diet Coke.

Alicia Silverstone – Go Veggie! Eat more vegetables. They fill you up because they contain fiber and an added bonus is they provide antioxidants.

Gweneth Paltrow – Drink Green Tea. Do it instead of snacking, increase water intake as well as antioxidants. If you don’t like green, go ahead and try white.

Kirstie Alley – Snack Sugar Free. Not sure about this one, I’ve heard sugar free may make you more hungry. However it does work great for mindless munching like jell-o with cool whip or sugar free popcicles. If your in the mood to just eat and not think about calories, sugar free aint a bad way to go, but be careful because too much will cause gas and bloating.

Jennifer Aniston – Try budukon, it’s a combination of martial arts, yoga, and meditation.

Alicia Keys – Refresh at the spa. Yeah, wouldn’t we all love to just be able to do this? Well, if you can go whenever you need a little time to de-stress then good for you!

Jan 14, 2008

Healthy Dieting... It's In The Stars

Celebrities are constantly losing weight, gaining weight, toning up and plugging the latest diet programs. They have top trainers and nutrition experts at their finger tips so why wouldn't they know the secrets to looking fabulous? If you read my blog on a regular basis, you know I'm half kidding, there are always new reports on how starlets are getting back in shape and half of the time I believe them, half I don't. Regardless, I always tell you about them.

Here are the celeb do's from Celebrity Shape Ups in 2007:

Nikki Taylor recently lost 11 lbs for her new show on Bravo "Make Me A SuperModel." Admitting to never having to diet in the past, Taylor and her NASCAR hubby have their meals sent them by North Carolina's Racing Edge Fitness meal delivery plan. At first when I read this, I thought that the meal plan was somehow connected to her husbands profession but it turns out the diet plan doesn't really even have a site yet. And it looks to have some sort of race car theme. Weird. She also reportedly eats every two hours and hits the gym three mornings a week for 30 minutes of cardio followed by three sets of leg presses, leg extensions and leg curls (20 reps each).

Kimberly Locke lost 40 lbs this year with the help of Celebrity Fit Club and now dating her trainer from the show. She sticks to a 1,200 calorie-a-day diet. Here is a sample menu of what she eats... Looks alot less than 1200 to me...

* Breakfast- An egg-white omelet
* Snack- Fruit or Jenny Craig cheese curls
* Lunch- Half turkey club sandwich
* Dinner- Fish and veggies

She also stops eating by 7pm and her workout usually includes 30 minutes of elliptical intervals and 30 minutes strength training daily.

Samantha Harris, Dancing With The Stars co-host recently lost all but 4 lbs of her pregnancy weight. She tries to eat every four hours. She sticks to protein filled mini meals like Fage Total Greek Yogurt and PB&J on whole wheat bread. She maintained 4 day a week gym-class routine through most of her pregnancy. Her favorite classes include cardio sculpting and power yoga.

Debi Mazar, everyone's favorite publicist from Entourage lost 80 pregnancy lbs. Her first move was signing up for Fresh Dining, a carb controlled, 5-meal-a-day delivery plan. She worked with a Pilates trainer three times a week for an hour

Leann Rimes recently lost 10 pounds. She sticks to a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet of three protein filled meals (fish or chicken) and fruit. She has up to three snacks (no white flour or sugar). She does circuit training, jumping rope and stair-stepping intervals with her trainers. She also does yoga twice a week.

Lauren Conrad lost 6 lbs and toned up. She eats a 1,500-calorie diet of six daily mini-meals. She also banned carbs, sugar and most dairy. She works out two times a week, weightlifting and treadmill sessions. She also reportedly loves to take hikes in the Hollywood Hills, which I’ve never bought.

Hayden Panettiere was your typical child star who blossomed into a new tabloid addiction this past year so of course she was going to change from the baby faced teenager to the va va voom vixen she’s going to become. She’s a vegetarian and tries to keep carbs and sweets to a minimum. She attends the gym regularly with her L.A. Trainer Jonathan Baron, which we know is true because we always see paparazzi pics of her leaving or goin. She does lots of squats.

Amanda Bynes is someone I didn’t know needed to lose weight or was trying to but she’s apparently on the 5-Factor Diet, or she was paid like J.Simp. She meets with trainer Harley Pasternak up to three times a week for 30 minutes of cardio (the elliptical) and strength training (lunges and leg presses).

Alicia Keys is another celeb I had no idea was trying to lose weight and is doing it with the help of the 5-Factor Diet. She runs regularly. She does 30 minutes of cardio and then quick and powerful strength training.

Hilary Duff: lost a reported 30 lb during the Hollywood skinny craze but she’s now comfortable with her toned healthy bod. She eats a healthy menu of fruit, veggies and lean protein as well as workouts out with four weekly Pilates sessions and swims laps in the pool

Kate Walsh believes in portion control and loves to eat brown rice. She swears by hour long Pilates sessions and 45-minute treadmill runs three times a week.

Cameron Diaz is an avid snowboarder and surfer. She also pays $3,000 to workout with trainer Teddy Bass at The Gym on Nemo in West Hollywood. While filming in South Boston, MA, she reportedly flew him in to the Hub to get her workout in. She does circuit training of lighter weights, high reps, plus 20 to 30 minutes of cardio, five times a week.

Jennifer Garner is the last celeb to get fit after the birth of Violet. She loves circuit training and pilates.

Jan 11, 2008

Carrie Underwood Weight Loss Secrets Revealed!

YAY! Magazine Day:) Today we received the February 2008 issue of Shape. My fave Carrie Underwood was featured on the front! I love her because she's cute and wholesome and I love her music and she seems like a real person. When I say real person, that's because when she was on idol, she was average looking (in my own opinion), now she is like drop dead gorgeous (thanks to a team of makeup, hair, training and fashion experts).

Magazine alwayssssssssss ask her how she lost weight post-college/post-idol success. As a fellow college weight gainer, I enjoy hearing what she does, but I often question does she realllly do this or is she just saying what she feels like so that the magazine do not all say the same thing? Later I'm going to find out what she said this time, BUT first, may I please bring your attention to her wicked awkward string bean left arm on the cover!? Seriously, I expect my Shape Magazine to come with a glowing photoshopped celebrity don't get me wrong, but her left arm looked like an intern photoshopped it. It had no definition, no freckles, no weird tan line from the inside of her elbow to the outside, she doesn't even look like she has an ELBOW! You can tell if you look closely at the arms if a photo has been touched up. Shape also seems to enjoy making their models look like the have a layer of star dust on them, glowing with beauty and perfection. But by now, I've just come to expect it from one of my favs.

She claims she gained 20-pounds during the taping of American Idol. I previously thought she gained it in college. My bad, or her bad? Apparently everyone gains weight on Idol, which I never would've noticed. Between stress, sitting and waiting to meet with vocal coaches, and bad cafeteria like food puts a toll on the budding stars' figures. Shape claims that Carrie has told them her EXCLUSIVE secret to weight loss. Whatever it is, I'm sure I've heard of it, and I'm sure she's told a few other reporters as well, but I keep reading.

Her secret is.... drum roll please.... Keeping a food diary! Blah blah blah, we at diet.com know all about this, don't care. I thought this was some ground breaking secret tip. Booooooo. She's also a vegetarian if you didn't know it. However, Carrie does say one thing that makes me think. She loves to eat at night (so do I), so when she writes down everything she eats during the day, she looks and sees how much she can eat at night. That's not a bad idea in my head. Did Underwood really surprise me with her actual diet tip?

Her workout strategy was built with the help of a trainer. She works out in the AM, usually first with 30 minutes on the eliptical then reps of weights.

Lastly, Shape comes out and says, "the singer's weight became a popular topic in the tabloids and on gossip blogs." Carrie says, "There's nothing worse than going online and reading that someone has called you chubby... I feel healthy and I know I'm a good size for me. And that's what's most important." Right on Carrie! If you guys haven't seen my latest video post, MANY people were calling me chubby. I don't care, this is my job, I know they are going to say things like this on YouTube, mostly because they can and don't care, often they don't even really mean it. Here is the link for your enjoyment of me calling out all the rude people who commented. This is not meant to be fishing for compliments. Honestly, you don't have to write anything, I just did it to be funny and now the original video that spawned these remarks is now the #1 Featured Video on YouTube for How-To Style :)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EejpOK4JUy0
Thanks boyyyssssss.

Jan 9, 2008

New Years Resolutions Crowd My Gym

I write the article with hesitation. Some of you will agree with me. Some of you will probably ask, "Aren't you suppose to be promoting health lifestyle changes?" Here is my problem:

I do not do AM workouts. I simply can't get my engine running that early. So I choose to go to the gym after work. Yesterday, I left the office around 6:30 PM. Got to the gym to find no where to park except the farthest back lot away, which isn't a bad thing, unless your gym is in a sketchy location that's not well lit. When I got inside, I changed and found the last locker without someone's jacket in it. As I head over to the treadmill section, I see a line. The yearly New Years Resolution Gym crowds. Every year around this time, gym's across the nation accumulate members at exponential rates. And why wouldn't they, after all the number one resolution is related to some weight loss or exercise goal.

If I did not work for Diet.com this is what I would say, "I hate new years resolutions because my gym always gets so crowded and I always have to wait forever to get on a machine."
Since I do work at Diet.com this is what I am saying,
"Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you all know it is that time of year again, that time when everyone seems to have high expectations for their New Years Resolution goals. If you are new to the gym and can't stand the lines, they will go away within a couple weeks, a month maybe the most don't give up. If you go to the gym regularly and have been for awhile now, the lines will die down and return back to normal.
I am writing this message to the gym owners who don't have enough equipment for the number of members they are bringing in. This message is to the people who never took philosophy in college and are not aware of the ideology "What is good for one, must be good for all." If you have been on a cardio machine for 45 minutes and there is a line, get off! Most gyms have a 30 minute limit when there is a wait. I hate when I walk behind some wicked skinny chick running at 8 mph for an hour. You are holding up the line, if you need to get this long workout in so bad, go when the gym is not that busy (i.e. anytime except after work at most gyms). To the gym owners, you are making BANK on all these resolution people. Pretend it's like a bonus and give back to your faithful members by purchasing better and more pieces of equipment.

I would like to direct this statement at my gym, Gold's Gym. Have you even picked up a women's fitness magazine or watched a fitness video in the past 10 years? Women like to work out but not so much with those big heavy machines. We like balls. Yes women like bosu balls, physio balls, medicine balls. We also like bands and balance boards, and other fun equipment that actually bring variety to our daily regime. My gym has your standard cardio machines and then a million of those stationary weight station thingys.

In conclusion, does anyone else hate this time of year going to the gym? I really can't say that because I should be applauding those who just started working out and encouraging them, and I am, I really am, I just think the gyms could do a better job at making sure people can have an enjoyable workout. Also, please obey they 30 minute rule on cardio machines :) Thank you."

XOXO, DD

Jan 7, 2008

You Tube Users As Delusional As Britney Spears

I write about celebrities and their diets on my blog at Diet.com. I try to tackle the issue as light heartedly as possible but I do enjoy adding my 2 cents every now and again. Seriously though, in the year 2006 celebrities were scrutinized for being way too skinny. They have all gained back that weight for one reason or another.

In the start of 2007 we had the Tyra scandal where pictures were taken of her in a very unflattering bathing suit down in Aussie land. She fired back at the media and paparazzi. Similarly Jessica Simpson was critiqued, as well as Jennifer Love Hewitt.

I poked fun at the situations because let’s face it, they are celebrities and want the attention. If they are going to famous for their trade that is famous for being harsh on starlet weigh gain they should be able to handle the pressure and attention.

However, I produce videos for a diet website. I am a healthy weight, and I’m pretty sure that I’m not overweight by any medical standard. I am in many of the videos I produce for Diet.com, and recently one of my videos started more than usual negative comments regarding my own appearance. The fact that these typical people are being so critical of my appearance, really makes you think, “Is it the media or the Hollywood producers that place this thinness pressure on women in our society?” Apparently everyone is a critic and the producers in Hollywood are just giving the American people what they want.

If I was Tyra Banks I would say kiss my fat ass, but I really don’t think I have a fat ass…maybe a little bootlicious but really? I’m fat? Am I suppose to lose weight for the audience of YouTube?

Here are the usernames and comments written under my video.
To watch my video and read the comments yourself, CLICK HERE!

From user name GoGouTube,
“fat ppl are so annoying. ultimate tip to lose weight: eat less. it's strange because this host is tubby. i would never take advice from her!”
You Tube member Paraz1tul says,
“If you are gonna tell people how to loose weight you should loose your weight first before trying to make money off other people loosing their weight.”

CocolutoBeans 20 yrs old,
“Why are you chubby? You're not encouraging me.
I'm going to eat some hot dogs and a bucket of haagen dazs.”

BroProductions2008, a 17 yr old male from Canada said,
“who tha fuk duz she think she iz saying ppl cant lose weight she should look at herself that fat bitch!”

robbie23m, a 23-year old man from Isreal says,
“Diet tips from a fat girl? Don’t listen to her!!!”

BroProductions2008 again makes a intelligent-less comment,
“lol thank u ur right who tha fuk duz she think she iz.”

Then we have ih4t3l33t which isn’t even a real name, seriously?, says,
“And YOU are not losing weight because you're a fatty who sits and preaches. So YOUR body is fooled into thinking you know everything when really you should be hitting weights at the gym.”
Well ih4t3i33t, I actually get paid to make these videos and I go to the gym 4-6 times a week, run at least 3 miles every time I go, and then on top of that, some times I got twice a day because I film in a gym sometimes. So, while you are watching videos on YouTube, I am working out or getting paid. What are you doing?

Heysteve took the nicer approach by saying,
“she needs to take a lap or 30.”

The best username is by far, Russianfart. He says,
“why is a fat chick talking about this?” I saw, Why is a man whose name is Russian FART watching my diet news?

But apparently Airhendrix91 agrees,
“Tru dat”

Maybe one of my favorite comments is from someone whose name is Gamer (likes to sit around and play videos games) Cartman (The fat character from the cartoon South Park) Ahhh yes, Gamercartman must be a body builder and therefore should probably have something good to say right?
“You Are Fat” Thanks Gamercartman! I would be so lucky if I were to be enlightened with a picture of you!

And lastly I leave with a comment from JoseHernandez16,
“so they get a fat chick to talk bout diets?..”

Jan 4, 2008

Is Mike Huckabee, Current Presidential Front Runner, The Next Dr Phil?

Last night while you were watching reruns or really bad game shows on network TV, Britney Spears was hospitalized and suprisingly (to me at least) Mike Huckabee won in Iowa. And you thought I would I only cared about pop culture? Shame on you. As a former Political Science minor, I analyzed the past presidential election down to a T. But did you know that the new Republican Front-Runner for the Presidential election is also a diet expert? Well, not really but he did lose 100+ lbs and wrote a book about it.


Since I'm sick of hearing about B.Spears I'm going to tell you a little about this baptist preacher turned politician who is the former Arkansas Governor. In 2003, he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and lost over 100 lbs in the next year. In 2005 he wrote, "Quit Digging Your Grave With A Knife And Fork" which is a 12-Stop Program to End Bad Habits and Begin a Healthy Lifestyle. Far from the typical diet book, it's target audience is towards middle-aged obese men. Here are the 12 steps.
1. STOP Procrastinating.
2. STOP Making Excuses.
3. STOP Sitting on the Couch.
4. STOP Ignoring Signals from Your Body.
5. STOP Listening to Destructive Criticism.
6. STOP Expecting Immediate Success.
7. STOP Whining.
8. STOP Making Exceptions.
9. STOP Storing Provisions for Failure.
10. STOP Fueling with Contaminated Food.
11. STOP Allowing Food to Be A Reward.
12. STOP Neglecting Your Spiritual Health.

In his own words Huckabee says,
"My faith is my life -- it defines me. My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them. ... Real faith makes us humble and mindful, not of the faults of others, but of our own."


I love to cause controversy among celebrities and their wacky diets/habits/actions, but for this blog I am going to stay away from the politics because that is one topic I have learned to agree to disagree. So anyway, could our next president be the another Dr Phil? The Boston Herald (which obvs is biased towards this man given his views and where he comes from) calls him a "Baptist preacher-turned-hayseed politician". I didn't know what hayseed meant, so I looked up some synonyms and found that it means hick or redneck. Could this also mean that if elected, there will be greater restrictions on trans-fats, school lunches, and other efforts towards a healthier and less obese America? Is this on anyone's platform? Has anyone read this book?

I had never heard of Huckabee (who won with 34% of voters) until recently, and so now I am quite suprised that he beat out Mitt Romney (lost with 25% of voters) who spent the most $$ by far compared with all the other candidates. Romney repotedly outspent Huckabee by tens of millions of dollars. And oh yeah, Obama beat Hilary. Can Bill Clinton run again?

AND lastly, will the writers strike hurt campaign dollars spent on television advertising? I know I have been watching a lot less without the new episodes. This is an interesting concept that hasn't really been touched upon. Hollywood LOVES to campaign for candidates, mostly democrats except Boston Red Sox Pitcher Curt Schilling who's rooting for Mitt.

Anywhoooo, Happy Friday ya'll!

Jan 2, 2008

People Magazine Encouraging Outrageous Diet Tricks and Eating Disorders?

Happy New Year Everyone! As the new year begins, so do the resolutions and people who go on diets. It's kind of surprising to me that people still go on diets as a resolution but whatevs. First we need to stop calling it a resolution, most people forget after two weeks and I mean seriously when was the last time you remembered someone say, "oh no I can't, my new years resolution" in the middle of the summer or fall!? Second, it should be thought of as a lifestyle change, making baby steps towards a greater goal.

While doing my daily search for celebrity and diet gossip (can my resolution be to never go to Perez Hilton again?), I stumbled upon a lieu of comments on People.com. I seriously was questioning if I was on Diet.com though.

"Weight loss isn’t easy, and it’s no piece of fat-free cake for the stars, either. Even they rely on some pretty crazy methods to drop unwanted pounds. When she needs to lose weight, Cameron Diaz cuts out all white food (like pasta and bread) because it can have high amounts of sugar, her trainer Teddy Bass told InStyle. And Lily Allen attended hypnotherapy sessions … at a reported $600 an hour! … to help curb her eating. We’ve heard of lemonade diets, soup diets … even cookie diets!"


So basically, People.com asked it's readers to post their "Most Outrageous Diet Tricks." The problem with this is that the people who read People.com are not your typical dieters you find on Diet.com. These are crazy ladies who love to read tabloids and gush over celebrity bodies hoping to one day lose those last 5 lbs and look like Jessica Alba in a bikini despite their 10 year age difference. Maybe that was harsh, but they are average women, giving outragous dieting tricks (i.e. UNHEALTHY). It didn't take long for the first crazy post from Glenda:
- I used to be a night snacker so i stopped snacking after dinner
- drink 3 liters of water a day (add the sugar free powder mixes like Chrystal Light or Propel which makes it taste MUCH better and adds almost no calories!)
- running and doing atleast 500 crunches and 100 pushups a day
- eat 1000 calories or less per day (but LOTS of fruits and veggies with lean protein and whole grains)

…. it is a little drastic, but hey - it helped me drop 20 pounds!

Shortly after, you can guess what came next... from none other than probably the only male reading this article:
This is the most irresponsible page I have ever seen - you are encouraging women to share details about how to use starvation and other extreme measures to lose substantial amounts of weight quickly. In this age where eating disorders are so prevalent amongst young girls, I cannot believe that you are encouraging this. What about advocating health, nutrition and regular activity? Spreading the word about skipping meals, drastically reducing calories and major caffeine overdoses is simply not on. ‘People’ - I’m very disappointed…


Here are a few other comments that I feel are worth re-posting:
I think it’s really sad and shocking that people are resorting to such extremes to lose weight. The average woman needs at LEAST 1200 calories to simply function properly throughout the day! To go less than 1000 calories is very dangerous because your putting your body into starvation mode. At first you will lose weight but as soon as you eat more calories you will gain it all back. It’s impossible to maintain a less than 1000 calorie eating regime!
As long as you eat healthfully and exercise regularily you should be able to lose and maintain a healthy weight!
-Alessandra

You don’t have to do “outrageous” things to drop weight, and do it quickly. By sticking to a balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and veggies you can feel full while cutting back calories and not starving yourself!! Personally, I stick to about 1500 calories when i’m trying to drop weight…and I make sure to walk for at least 30 minutes 6 days a week. I also include simple toning excersises like crunches, pushups and lunges to tighten up while dropping the pounds.

But My little “miracle tricks” that are key for me - is starting my day with a glass of metamucil (keeps you fuller longer), and adding fish oil & Pyruvate supplements. They have been proven to help you lose up to 7% more body fat with your diet & excersise. When using these methods, and drinking 2 ltrs of water a day, I can drop about 3 pounds a week - HEALTHILY!!!
-Heather

I have to agree with a few other posters…this section of People is ridiculous….eating a pickle after meals, water & exlax…..this is going to become a board to share your eating disorder tricks….

Eat healthy & work out. THATS ALL YOU NEED!

People, you need to either remove thissection or remove some of the obviously unhealthy responses.
- Lauren

i disagree with the people who say these comments should be taken down - the post is, in fact, titled “your most outrageous diet tricks” which seems to indicate that it is ok to share the absurd lengths we have gone to in order to try and lose weight. what is scarier than anything, in my opinion, is the call for censorship that some people are making here. that’s so much more dangerous than exlax and water - which, in fact, is nothing new and not particularly scandalous anyway. if someone wants to diet in an extreme and/or dangerous way, they don’t need to come to a forum on people. com to figure out how to do it. stop trying to parent this forum - if it offends you, go find something else to read.
ok, i’m going to go drink grapefruit juice and take exlax now..


Click here to read the other ridiculous and humorous message board at People.com.

See... everyone has an opinion when it comes to diet and exercise and not just Diet.com members! It seems this is one sticky topic that will always raise a few people's blood pressure. Please do not post your outrageous tips. Thanks :)

The Hills Parody: Jumpstart Your New Years Resolution