The Diet Secrets

While many Hollywood celebrities always seem to yo-yo in weight, party girl Paris Hilton has always stayed relatively the same skinny girl as when she first popped out into our collective consciousness.  How she has managed to do that while partying most nights and munching on what seems like unhealthy stuff is enough to baffle even long-time fitness experts.

Is she naturally blessed with great genes?  Does she work out harder than everyone else?  Has she got some super secret diet supplements her sleeve?

According to the book Naturally Thin: Unleash Your Skinny Girl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting, the secret isn’t all that unfamiliar.  Written by Bethenny Frankel, who once served as a personal assistant to Paris’ mom Kathy, the celebrity manages to keep her weight down really simply.

While Paris does indulge in fattening fare like burgers, crisps and fries, she eats very little of them.  In fact, she’d often take a bite just to satiate her longing for the taste and then get rid of the food.  Most likely, she has retained the habit till now, even extending it to how she treats alcohol.  As a result, she rarely gains weight.  Who would have thought Paris can exercise that much control?

Having a hard time keeping up your diet due to the unappetizing food choices?  Indulging occasionally isn’t so bad, especially if it helps prop you up for your healthier eating fare.  Do you know that many food types, which we usually avoid when we go on diets, may not be so bad after all?

Eggs. Eggs are great food items for breakfast.  The high amounts of protein can literally leave you feeling full for a good part of the day.  In fact, you can probably incorporate it into your regular diet without any problems.

Pizza. For healthier pizza, go with thin crust, since it’s less oily.  If you can find restaurants offering whole wheat crusts then all the better.  Choose flavors that are heavy on the meat and vegetables, while light on the cheese.

Bacon. While most bacon are greasy, oil-filled and fat, certain variants may not actually be that way.  Canadian bacon, for instance, is sourced from the loin, which happens to be the leanest part of a pig.

Hamburgers. If the patty is made out of lean beef (check the label to be sure), it’s a perfectly good source of protein.  Make sure you prepare it at home, though.  Avoid the fast food and diner varieties - there’s no way you can know what really goes in that meat.

Former comedienne and Playboy cover girl Jenny McCarthy graces the May issue of Shape Magazine, where she reveals her past struggle with weight.  According to Jenny, she ballooned to 211 pounds after giving birth to her now-six year old son!  While I couldn’t imagine the former MTV star, who has looked nothing but hot every time she stepped in front of the TV, as overweight, I’ll take her word on it.

How did she lose the weight?  According to Jenny, she signed up for Weight Watchers, which helped her cut down on the fat by exercising portion control and carefully watching the calorie content of what she ate.  She used the same eating restraint to maintain her figure once it has returned.

Three years ago, she also changed to a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, the same eating choices prescribed to help with her son’s autism symptoms.  The new diet helped her get in even better shape, allowing her to maintain the slim figure she sports to this day.

A typical food plan for Jenny McCarthy consists of egg whites for breakfast, fish, fruits and vegetables for major meals and nuts for snacks.  She also engages in regular yoga workouts.

A fat belly is more than an eyesore while wearing a bikini - it’s a potential health risk.  According to medical studies, abdominal fat carries greater health risks than fat stored in low areas of the body, such as the thighs and buttocks.   Many experts actually believe that the size of your waist and the percentage of body fat concentrated in your stomach areas is a more accurate predictor of future health risks than your weight.

If you are prone to gaining fat around your midsection, any weight gain is likely to result in increased fat tissue in the same area.  As such, the best way to prevent it to work to keep your weight at a normal level.

Spot Reduction

You’ve probably seen the glut of commercials on TV selling abdominal exercisers that purport to melt off your stomach fat by helping you build muscles in that area.  I can safely inform you that all those things - from the vibrating belt variety to the portable ab machines - are a load of crap.

Fat Loss

For most folks, losing that concentration of abdominal fat can only be achieved by a reduction in your total body fat.  As such, eating healthy and exercise continues to be the only sensible way of achieving it.  Instead of focusing on losing the belly, you should look towards losing overall body fat by a restricted diet and plenty of aerobic exercise.

Losing the belly will come with losing fat throughout the rest of your body.