As if money and fame weren’t enough, most of Hollywood’s hottest stars have great figures, too.
As much as they would like us to believe that it’s all in the genes, sometimes they actually have to work hard at looking that good. Most have personal trainers on retainer; some hire a private chef. Despite having these tools at their fingertips, the lure of the quick-fix fad diet is too appealing to pass up, even for celebrities.
Christian Bale famously lost 63 pounds for his role in The Machinist by eating just an apple and a single can of tuna fish a day — one of Hollywood’s most talked-about weight-loss stories.
Notorious up-and-down dieter Kirstie Alley once dropped 75 pounds on the Jenny Craig regime. Whether slimming down for a role or just dropping the avoirdupois to look and feel better (and maybe get a role), the men and women who entertain us have gone to some wacky extremes.
From an A-list sitcom stars that eats like a newborn to herself with baby food to a superstar singer who stays drunk all day, here are some crazy celebrity diets.
1. Jennifer Aniston
(Reuters)
Trainer to the stars Tracy Anderson created the crazy weight-loss plan known as the Baby Food Diet, which she calls a “cleanse.” Several of her clients tried it, but it was when Jennifer Aniston jumped on the bandwagon that Gerber got excited. She lost seven pounds in one week, something Anderson said was possible because the diet gave her body a "boost."
2. Beyoncé
(AP Photo)
These days, Yolanda Foster is the Master Cleanse’s biggest fan. But before the Housewives fan jumped on the lemon juice bandwagon, Beyonce sucked it down. She needed a plan that was fast — like 20 pounds in two weeks fast — for her dream role in Dreamgirls. “Normally they’d just change your makeup or your clothes but I wanted to go the extra mile,” Beyonce told China Daily. “Back in the sixties, models like Twiggy were popular and I knew Deena would have been thin then, so even though I love eating, it was necessary to lose weight really fast because we shot Deena at 36 and then Deena at 16 two weeks later.”
3. Megan Fox
(AP Photo)
Don’t you hate it when a super-sexy celeb is asked how they do it and the first thing they say is that they don’t exercise? Well, Megan Fox admitted to being just too “lazy” to attempt breaking a sweat. Instead, she downs shots of apple cider vinegar. This quick-fix diet trick, she says, “cleans out your system entirely. It will get rid of, for women who retain water weight from your menstrual cycle and all that, it gets rid of it really fast,"
4. Lady Gaga
FILE - In this June 25, 2011 file photo, U.S. singer Lady Gaga performs during the MTV Video Music AID Japan in Chiba, near Tokyo. When Lady Gaga launches her hotly anticipated "Born This Way" world tour Friday, April 27, 2012 on what is expected to be an elaborate castle-like stage, fans in Asia will be the first to see it. The singer leads off her travels with sold-out shows from South Korea to Singapore in a striking upgrade of her Asia itinerary over a previous tour that included only Japan. Western pop stars are increasingly criss-crossing the upwardly mobile region in search of new markets while financial malaise continues to afflict parts of the West - and Asian fans are ecstatic. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye, File) EDITORIAL USE ONLY (AP Photo)
It was actually the Cookie Diet that prompted Lüc Carl, Lady Gaga’s ex-boyfriend, to write The Drunk Diet. It’s a plan that fits in perfectly with the pop star’s lifestyle and she’s happy to admit it. "I am on the drunk diet," Gaga said. "I live my life as I want to, creatively. I like to drink whiskey and stuff while I am working. But the deal is I've got to work out every day, and I work out hung over if I am hung over. And it's about the cross training and keeping yourself inspired. I have to say, I do a ton of yoga."
5. Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway holds her Oscar for winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Les Miserables" at the 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 24, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES TAGS: - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT) (OSCARS-BACKSTAGE) - RTR3E9AJ (Reuters)
Anne Hathaway wanted to lose 25 pounds to play the role of Fantine in Les Miserables. Instead of hitting the gym, she starved herself, under doctor’s supervision, of course. She ate just two squares of oatmeal paste a day and then wondered why no one on set could stand her sunny disposition.
6. Liz Hurley
CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 16: Designer Valentino Garavani and actress / model Elizabeth Hurley arrive at 'My Blueberry Nights' premiere and 60th International Cannes Film Festival Opening Night on May 16, 2007 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Valentino Garavani;Elizabeth Hurley (iStock)
Liz Hurley has been linked to some odd diets in her day. In 2002, in an effort to lose weight after giving birth, she retreated to Elton John’s house and ate nothing but oatcakes. Years later, she shared that she thought adults shouldn’t eat breakfast. If you happen to be at her house for dinner, you’ll indulge in another of her diet fads: watercress soup. "I drink at least six cups a day when I am eager to lose a few pounds," she said. "It's fat-less, low-calorie, full of vitamins and iron, and delicious enough to serve at a dinner party."
See more wacky celebrity diets.
More from The Daily Meal
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Avocados
Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more.