Yes, celebrities pay personal trainers and private chefs thousands of dollars to whip them into shape, but there are some terrific lessons that we can learn from their routines—without paying a penny.
Jessica Biel used to follow every fad diet that came along. But now the secret to her weight management is to eat three small meals and three snacks a day to help her stay satisfied. She favors lean chicken, salmon, or pork with a salad and brown rice or whole wheat noodles. “You have to find a balance, especially with what you eat,” Jason Walsh, Jennifer’s trainer, has said. “She eats what she likes, but in smaller portions. She likes to have dinner out, but will only eat half of the food on the plate.”
Jennifer Aniston exercises every other day. She has developed a routine with her yoga instructor, Mandy Ingber, which starts with twenty-two minutes of cardio to warm up her muscles before an hour-long session of yoga. The yoga session includes postures as varied as the one-arm balance, push-ups, and pelvic tilts. Each move consists of two sets of eight to ten reps. Jennifer loves the workout. “Yoga has meant my legs got leaner,” she has said. “My arms got stronger.’’
Angelina Jolie is back to her usual healthy eating habits after a work-related crash diet. Recently she went on a twenty-one-day “detox” plan in order to lose twenty pounds fast for her upcoming movie Salt. She plays a woman CIA assassin who is forced to disguise herself as a man, and Angelina wanted to lose her curves. Since then, though, she’s resumed eating favorites like steamed beef, which is high in protein. She increases her good-fat intake by having salmon and tuna. And she never touches sugary foods.
Jennifer Garner doesn’t have a lot of time for an exercise routine, so she turned to personal trainer Valerie Waters for help. And just two months after giving birth to her second daughter, Seraphina, last January, Jennifer looked stunning. How did she do it? A high energy workout session that lasts between thirty and forty-five minutes with a product called Valslide, created by Valerie. Valslide is a shoe-shaped piece of plastic and non-skid foam that you place under each foot to help you slide your legs back and forth or side to side, with no difficulty. But don’t let the ease fool you. “You immediately feel the results after using it for the first time,” says Jennifer. “It’s deceptively simple and incredibly effective.” The Valslide is especially good for toning buttocks, inner thighs, and stomach.
