photo by anonymousmuse

Now I normally don’t get caught up in the likes of Hollywood, who they are dating, what they are wearing, etc…..as I really don’t care. But I came across an interesting show this weekend and it peaked my interest. It was called the “15 Best and Worst Hollywood Beach Bodies” or something like that. What interested me was seeing who kept themselves in great shape, how they did it….and on the reverse side who let themselves go and what happened. As for the “best beach bodies” ones the usual crowd was up there like Jessica Beil, Pamela Anderson, Hugh Jackman, Mario Lopez, Matthew McConaughey and others in great shape (interesting to note that these people are in great shape year after year). What was sad to see was people who “used” to be in great shape but let themselves go like John Travolta and Val Kilmer. Also you didn’t have to be overweight to not look so good as a few women were very very thin, too thin and looking almost malnutrioned. Anyways…..I wanted to focus on what the lessons we could learn from them….

• “I try to break a sweat everyday” - This what is what one actor in great shape said. He didn’t specify what it had to be but he did anything from jogging, riding a bike, dancing, beach sprints, pushups, lifting weights in a gym, etc. He stayed active and his motto was to just keep the active lifestyle going no matter what it was.
• They know what they ate - There was no guess work and the diets differed between people. But what they all had in common is they knew what they were eating, they had a healthy plan and stuck to lots of whole natural foods. Did they enjoy other treats from time to time? I’m sure they did….but when you are active and can eat healthy most of the time…you can get away with eating occasional treats very easily. (note the “occasional”)
• They lift weights/do resistance training - Whether it is using their own bodyweight, bands, dumbbells, or whatever….they challenged their muscles. If you want that toned look you have to build muscle plain and simple. Anyone can get skinny, but as show with the worst beach bodies….many of them were very skinny yet had no muscles so they looked flat and not very healthy. Your muscles are very important for your health and long term functionality. Remember the saying “Use it or Lose it”!
• They live healthy lifestyles (well as much as Hollywood royalty can) - What does that mean? Well the ones in shape still got plenty of sleep and enjoyed their life (less stress). I’m sure they do go out and party late night on the weekends, but the ones in better shape most likely do not do it that often…and they do not over consume alcohol either. They are happy with the way they live their life and enjoy it every day. Alot of what they did was being active outside (riding bikes, going to the beach, surfing, etc) and they always were surrounded by people of similar interests. A good support group (and not a negative one) can make a huge difference.

It didn’t really go into why people had let themselves go, but my guess it would have to come from a side of either over indulging in “rich” tasting foods, too much partying, no longer being active (maybe they burned out doing too much for roles in movies, as actors can go overboard on training for a role…and then their body is pretty much done and needs time off. Lesson learned, slow and steady leads to more consistent, long term and lasting results), perhaps an increase in ability to gain fat (you will see this in people who’s weight fluctutate…so if someone gained 50lbs for a role…in the long term it’s going to be easier for them to gain that back again if they are not careful).

In the end, the lessons are simple….it’s doesn’t have to be the perfect workout (as many did a wide variety of activities) and it doesn’t have to be some perfect diet….what you need to do is just:

• Have an active lifestyle (vow to “break a sweat everyday”)
• Find and do activities you enjoy (find new ones to keep you excited, try new things!)
• Get a good support group around you (take a look around you….and see what your “friends” are doing to your lifestyle…are they helping or hurting it?)
• Eat real foods (which can taste great) for health and not for pleasure
• Be happy (stress free, worry free, living in the moment right now)
• Don’t try and overdo it all at once (as that will just burn you out and set you back longterm)
• Challenge your muscles once in a while (resistance training)
• Let your body recover (SLEEP!!)
• and just enjoy the journey of living healthy (don’t worry about getting somewhere quick….as the results will come soon enough).

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