January 12, 2009 3:05 PM
Steps star loses six stone in twelve months!
Former Steps singer, Claire Richards has revealed that she lost six stone over a period of 12 months.
Richards had apparently doubled her body weight to more than 16 stone after the group broke up in 2001.
"I looked like I was wearing a fat suit. I can't believe that was me. It's like a bad dream. But it did happen. I never want to go back to that size again," she told The Mirror.
"Two years after the band ended I decided to take a break from showbusiness. I went from being on my feet all day to sitting on the sofa. It was also the first time I'd been able to eat what I wanted and stuff the consequences. I hadn't learned how to control myself."
Richards confessed that her weight became a factor in her split from husband Mark Webb in 2005, but managed to shift the excess pounds before she wed record executive Reece Hill last year. "There was no way I was going to be a fat bride. I knew that if I was fat in our wedding pictures I'd never want to look at them," she said. "I'm more secure now. I've still got a pair of size 20 jeans which I keep in my kitchen near the fridge, and that's where they're staying!"
Posted by mofgimmers on January 12, 2009 in Celebrity Diet Watch | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 30, 2008 12:53 PM
Kerry Katona claims to have lost 2st in a week
Now that she has finally popped out baby Max after a labour that took 60 hours (!), Iceland queen Kerry Katona is looking forward to dropping a few pounds. With the likes of Halle Berry and Jennifer Lopez having recently unveiled their amazing post-pregnancy slim-downs, the reality TV star is keen to get in on the act and show everyone what a lithe, sexy beast she can be. Brian McFadden are you getting all this?
"I've lost 2st in a week," she claims in an interview with OK! magazine. "A lot of it was water" (a lot of it? Try all of it), "and I've just been eating Special K and no curry and chips. I feel great!" And by "great", she means bloody starving.
"I want to start exercising and be 8 and a half stone again. The beef curry cravings have gone and I'm trying to focus on getting my figure and my confidence back."
Sorry Kerry, but when were you last 8 and a half stone? And surely your focus now should be looking after your baby, not hitting the gym.
[via Now magazine]
Posted by Aigua on April 30, 2008 in Baby Watch, Celebrity Diet Watch, Kerry Katona | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 23, 2008 11:47 AM
Leona told to lose weight to be US success
How skinny do you have to be to be a top pop star? If you were to take your cue from the likes of Girls Aloud, you'd be stuck on a diet of fresh air and now the curse has struck none other than X Factor success story, Leona Lewis. She might be the first solo British female singer to have a number one single in the US for 21 years, but her advisors are suggesting that she lose some weight to see her star rise higher. Does having a small dress size equal big success?
A source explained to the Sun: “Leona has done brilliantly in the US. But some of her team thinks she needs to be a bit sexier if she wants to have the longevity of female artists like Mariah, Janet Jackson or Madonna." Why, because she'll need the physical stamina?
Touted as the fitness guru to work away any of Leona's potential excess pounds is Patricia Gay, the woman responsible for helping Mariah Carey firm up.
“They think that having Leona train with Patricia would be a treat for her because she adores Mariah. She will go to Patricia’s base in the Caribbean for some intensive sessions and then Patricia will visit her regularly to continue the project.”
Are these people seeing the same, slim Leona that I'm seeing? And why are they so keen to burden the poor girl with an eating disorder so early in her career? Is skipping meals the new rehab?
[via the Sun]
Posted by Aigua on April 23, 2008 in Celebrity Diet Watch, Musical Stars, UK Stars | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 14, 2008 1:24 PM
Tom worried that Katie is morphing in to Posh
Remember when Katie Holmes was better known for being 'Little Joey Potter' on Dawson's Creek? Back then she probably ate all her greens, never forgot her please's and thank you's and was generally a sweet, wholesome, chubby-cheeked poppet, remember? So does Star Trip. That's why we hate to see her gradually morphing into close chum Victoria Beckham. And so does hubby Tom Cruise apparently…
Just look at the pair of them together. The hair, the gaunt expression, the pathetic neediness for their more successful husbands. They could be the same shallow, stick-thin person. And this is not acceptable for Mr. Cruise.
"Katie sees Victoria as a role model," says a source close to the A-listers. "She copies Victoria's look and even cut her hair the same way. She is very thin largely because she is following Victoria's strict 900-calories-a-day eating plan. She is copying Victoria's fad of eating seaweed shakes, frozen grapes and edamame beans. She is tiny."
Come on Katie – snap out of it and go grab yourself some grub. We've long lost Posh to the dark side of no food, smiling or silliness – but not you too Katie. Surely Tom must be able to coax her into eating something, it's hardly Mission Impossible (ho ho – see what we did there?)
[via the Daily Mail]
Posted by Katie Button on April 14, 2008 in Celebrity Diet Watch, Film Stars, Katie Holmes, Musical Stars, Posh 'N Becks, Tom Cruise, TomKat, Victoria Beckham | Permalink | Comments (2)
April 11, 2008 9:09 AM
Mariah Carey considers releasing exercise DVD
Usually when an exercise DVD is released by a celebrity they are better known for a) starring on a reality show, b) acting in a soap or c) being Davina McCall. They are not the domain of those enjoying the high life as serious A-listers, as being flanked by fitness trainers encouraging you to stretch your hamstrings while sweating into lycra is hardly the most glamourous of situations. But that could all be set to change with one of the world's most celebrated divas contemplating such public sweating.
Mariah Carey is obviously thrilled by her recent weight loss, which has been described in various sources as almost two stone and seeing the Touch My Body singer drop from a size 14 to a size 6. Oh, how Star Trip laughs when slebs try to convince you of their newly trim bod. Yes, we can see that you've toned up a bit – but down to a size less than half what you were? We ain't buying what you're selling.
But Mariah is serious about this fitness malarkey, saying: "I think people should be a size where they're comfortable with but when you're constantly having your picture taken and on TV like I am, well I could see I really did need to lose some of the bulk. I might be doing a workout video, which will be a big joke anyway, but I can show how I did it. I still have curves, though."
How could we ever forget as you insist on shoving those expensive 'curves' in our faces all the time (not literally of course, it could be kinda suffocating). So over to you dear readers. Would you buy a DVD of Mariah huffing and puffing as she acts the part of a fitness freak? Maybe the routines would be performed to her songs in a further act of self-promotion, though this could be a drawback when she hits those high-pitched screechy notes. And more importantly, how could she manage to be skillfully photo-shopped/ airbrushed throughout the thing? Surely, she hasn't thought this through properly.
[via Contact Music]
Posted by Katie Button on April 11, 2008 in Celebrity Diet Watch, Musical Stars | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 9, 2008 6:42 PM
Heather Mills nags Paul McCartney about daughter's diet
What's left to say about Heather Mills? The former model (yeah, right!) and activist just can't stay out of the limelight. If she's not turning heads (and maybe a few stomachs) with her new red hairstyle, she's bullying Sir Paul McCartney. Isn't this 2008? Didn't he already ditch the deadwood? You might ask and you would be right to. Yes, he might have coughed up £24million to see the back of her, but she's stumbled upon (no pun intended, but if you’re feeling cruel – enjoy) a new way to irritate the hell out of him and it involves their four-year-old daughter Beatrice.
Turns out Heather is so dedicated to being a top mum that she struggles to hand over responsibility of the girl to her ex. Paul has taken his youngest sprog on a special holiday to a five-star hotel Morocco and even on another continent Heather is managing to bust his balls, this time with eight pages of instructions on Beau's dietary needs.
A source told the Mirror: "Paul booked the break for some quality time with Bea. Now he's found out that Heather has been driving the hotel staff mad, faxing both the head chef and manager instructions and recipe suggestions for Bea. Paul is furious. He is perfectly capable of looking after his own daughter - especially after successfully bringing up his other children on vegetarian diets."
Maybe she should go on GMTV and whinge about it, as that really helped the public sympathise with her 'plight'.
Posted by Katie Button on April 9, 2008 in Celebrity Diet Watch, Heather Mills, Musical Stars, Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney & Heather Mills, UK Stars | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 2, 2008 11:39 AM
Girls Aloud claim they like their grub
It's hard for young women to earn the approval of the media when it comes to their weight. Either they're too fat and a podgy example of this country's greasy slide into obesity or they're too skinny and look like they might shatter into a million pieces if touched. One group of ladies getting the hump due to the newspaper's fascination with their weight is pop princesses Girls Aloud.
"Journalists write that we [Girls Aloud] starve ourselves, but it's not true," says Kimberly Walsh in New! magazine. "We eat everything in moderation and we're not obsessive in any way." The bronzed pop star claims that she and each of her chart-topping band mates Sarah Harding, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Cheryl Cole have "healthy appetites [and] eat really well".
Cheryl is equally angry with the media's claims that the girls deprive themselves as it goes against her desire to be a strong role model. "We have a responsibility because young girls look at us," argues Cheryl, "and we don't want them thinking we're depriving ourselves because we genuinely don't."
Interesting that this commitment to grub comes in the wake of the girls signing a deal to promote Kit Kat chocolate bars. They wouldn't be much cop at selling the naughty treats, if they all claimed to be calorie-consumed diet obsessives would they?
[via Contact Music]
Posted by Katie Button on April 2, 2008 in Celebrity Diet Watch, Girls Aloud, Musical Stars, UK Stars | Permalink | Comments (0)
January 2, 2008 2:32 PM
Famous People Don't Get Fat- really?
So stars are always super skinny, manicured people with fast metabolism and magazine cover hair? Hmm, I'm not convinced. Adele Parker would have you believe so however with her new book, Famous People don't get Fat, published 3rd January (tomorrow people) promises us lots of insider tips and ho to achieve Jolie esque perfection. We at Star Trip were lucky enough to get a sneak preview of it and can share the best of her wisdom.
The book is a strange mix of slimming secrets such as 'Gwyneth Paltroiw likes to keep ft by clay pigeon shooting as it's great for your upper arms' interspersed with a list of celebrities from Geri Haliwell to Britney spears, and a long list of possible diet plans they're on, and ones you can follow. There are even recipes should you want to create a lamb vegetable hotpot of your very own, and some entertaining advice about how you can detox by just drinking tea for two days. Well, it worked for Catherine Zeta right? It's all pretty tongue in cheek though, so I wouldn't take it to seriously, and if you desire it's pink covered (naturally) goodness for yourself you can buy it here.
Posted by Zara Rabinowicz on January 2, 2008 in Celeb Book Reviews, Celebrity Diet Watch, UK Stars, Victoria Hervey | Permalink | Comments (0)
December 14, 2007 12:02 PM
It's a nice season for a Wag Workout
The idea of a Wags Workout DVD is hardly a new one, with Coleen already in on the action with her New Body Workout, but int his case we're dealing with unknown WAG's. Yep, I don't recognise a single face, and though my extensive research has discovered that they are Nicola Tappenden, Lisa Munday and Melissa Johnson- apparently Victoria and Alex were busy. These lovely ladies are the other halves to Leeds' Simon Walton, Jamie Cureton and Roger Johnson (who?). These bronzed babes purport to get you as 'fit as we are', but ladies, we're running out of footballers to give away...
I love the fact that with the standardized exercise routines (during which make up always remains perfect) they also give out make up and style tips such as 'match you lippie to your manicure' and other gems. Imagine a generation of girls with Wag know how, or the bargain bin at Woolies come January. Your credit cards will decide...
Posted by Zara Rabinowicz on December 14, 2007 in Celebrity Diet Watch | Permalink | Comments (0)
October 31, 2007 2:42 PM
Charlotte Church shifts baby weight by cleaning
Having popped out daughter Ruby at the end of September, Charlotte Church has found a novel way to shift the baby weight – housework. The Welsh singing star has taken to brisk walks and intensive cleaning to lose the pounds and it seems to be working with half a stone already gone. A friend revealed: ''She takes Ruby out for loads of walks and is absolutely fanatical about keeping the house clean. With all the vacuuming, dusting and mopping she's been doing, the weight is falling off. Charlotte has never liked the gym, and to be honest, she isn't a fan of exercising, full-stop.''
The expensive gym in her country retreat is for the sole use of boyfriend, rugby player Gavin Henson, as Charlotte admits she never uses it herself. But does the new mum have any other tips for women looking to get back into their skinny jeans? Charlotte’s chum confides that breastfeeding has also been of help: ''She's been very lucky, as breastfeeding Ruby has also contributed." So consider yourselves told Star Trippers – give yourself a workout with the hoover.
[via This is South Wales]
Posted by Katie Button on October 31, 2007 in Celebrity Diet Watch, Charlotte Church, Musical Stars, UK Stars | Permalink | Comments (1)
August 15, 2007 1:06 PM
Celebrity Diet Watch: Jessica Alba loves to Wii
Those long sharp lines, the fabulous curves, the ease at which one plays.. and we're just talking about the Wii here! Were we to dwell on Jessica Alba, the woman most voted best body 2006 and who's been squeezed into the sexy Fantastic Four outfit, we'd have to say that her curves rival that of the machine and that we envy her tanned toned limbs and perfect pout. But fear not; rather than resorting to faddy macrobiotic diets and personal trainers our Jess likes to keep fit by a Wii workout, a console we can all afford.
The Nintendo Wii sports game lets you play tennis, golf and boxing in the comfort of your living room, using the controller to move around, it's a very physical experience, quite unlike the sedentary style living that computer games are usually associated with. You can burn around 560 an hour having at large at boxing and there is a new game called Wii Fit available soon, which acts as a virtual personal trainer.
'I just got the Wii and that's fun' says Alba. 'I play all of the Wii Sports games, like bowling, tennis, and baseball. That's a lot of fun.' Well if it's good enough for her...
Posted by Zara Rabinowicz on August 15, 2007 in Celebrity Diet Watch, Jessica Alba | Permalink | Comments (1)
August 1, 2007 12:59 PM
Celebrity Diet Watch: Victoria Beckham likes Skinny Tea!
We all know that Victoria Beckham looks fantastic, even though we can doubt whether she ever actually eats anything, but we have discovered one of her beauty secrets, so maybe we can now aim for similar size zero proportions. Apparently Vic is a big fan of Pu-er tea, which contains thermogenic fat busting properties, and helps her maintain hers streamlined shape as it kills hunger pangs.
This ancient Chinese tea come sin cake form which you break into pieces and boil in water, and it's thought Victoria first learnt of it while living in Madrid. Other celebs are also fans of this tea, including Joss Stone and Jerry Hall, as the tea is full of antioxidants which promise to protect the skin from UVA rays and slow aging. It also raises the metabolism due to its particular compounds, which means more calories are burned from the same activities.
Promises like this don't come cheap, at around £140 a case , and you are supposed to drink it three times a day to get the full effects. With prices like that it may just be Tesco Value tea for us.
[Image: Getty]
Posted by Zara Rabinowicz on August 1, 2007 in Celebrity Diet Watch, UK Stars, Victoria Beckham | Permalink | Comments (1)
July 31, 2007 5:47 PM
Danielle Lloyd reveals her dieting woes
Bless Danielle Lloyd. The poor love has recently seen her weight fluctuate and is now desperate to get back in shape. Having had a boob job, she was understandably unable to do any press-ups or strenuous working out, and wants to shift those pesky pounds that her love for junk food has produced.
Danielle, (you remember her? She’s a former Miss England and lingerie model - not ringing any bells? Okay, she was on Celebrity Big Brother and slept with Teddy Sheringham - that better?) has turned to a nutritionist to help her drop the excess weight, and it sounds like she’s getting some sterling advice from the professionals. "I'm not supposed to eat dairy anymore, but I can't stop eating chocolate and cheese - even though they bloat me."
But it’s not just chocolate and cheese holding her back, with Ronald McDonald alluring her with his greasy treats: "I love McDonald's and have a Happy Meal a few times a week. I have steak and chips when I go out for dinner and I love Indian takeaways, too."
Though happy to admit her personal shortcomings, she also points an accusatory finger at her celebrity lifestyle: "I go to a lot of parties for my job and drink. At one point, I was going out every night drinking, but now it's two or three times a week." But like many other poor souls before her, Danielle’s relationship with food is one loaded with emotional significance: "When I'm happy and feeling comfortable with myself, I put on a few pounds. The weight goes on my hips and face."
Better than ass and belly I suppose.
[via the Daily Mail]
Posted by Katie Button on July 31, 2007 in Celebrity Diet Watch, UK Stars | Permalink | Comments (0)
July 24, 2007 12:48 PM
Celebrity Diet Watch: Mischa Barton loves Fit Flops
We know that Californian goddesses are queens of laid back style, seeming to morph effortlessly from beach to club with a swish of the hair and a pair of sky scraping heels, and we wonder how they mange to maintain their gorgeous physique (other than some serious starving).
Well now you can tone that tush while walking on the beach. People may have heard of the notorious MBT's the bulky training shoes that were fairly hideous to look at, but int he same vein come the Fit Flops which prove an attractive alternative.. and great beach wear of course.
We've seen the lovely Mischa stroll around in tiny shorts and flip flops; and her physique is attainable if you try walking in the Fit Flops, £36 from the Fit Flop website . These shoes use patent-pending 'micro-wobble board technology'developed by Dr David Cook and Darren James at the Center for Human Performance at London South Bank University, so there is serious science to back up its claims.
The FitFlopTM midsole extends the amount of time that the slow twitch muscles are engaged during each step [by approximately 10-12%]. Slow twitch muscle fibers produce energy by converting fats into energy aerobically, so every step you take in them you are toning that tush.
The FitFlopTM destabilizes the foot slightly, creating a more continuous tension in the supporting muscles of the foot and leg. Every step you take in your FitFlops improves your core muscle strength, absorbs shock on your feet, knees and back, encourages better posture and stronger muscles, burns calories, mimics barefoot walking, but with a little bit more of a challenge, can help reduce cellulite and slim and tone your thighs. I'm sold!
Posted by Zara Rabinowicz on July 24, 2007 in Celebrity Diet Watch, Mischa Barton | Permalink | Comments (4)
July 19, 2007 1:57 PM
Top 5 Celebrity Yo-Yo Dieters: The stars who slim down and bulk up
Celebrities are not often caught eating food. For them it is the sure-fire way to lose your svelte figure, your magazine covers, your whole GODDAMN career. Famous folk like to pretend their bodies are nourished on a diet of fresh air and air-kisses. Nothing with calories, nothing with nutritional value, nothing full-stop. Victoria Beckham failed to even eat the gift of a cookie bestowed upon her by blogger Perez Hilton during one of the many set-up scenes in her ‘documentary’ aired earlier in the week. And yet, they’re not all stick-thin. We’re constantly bombarded with the images of disturbingly stick-thin stars like Amy Winehouse and Nicole Richie, but not all eating disorders mean size zero waists. Some stars like their food, Hell love their food, but hate the accompanying love handles. This leads them into a dangerous cycle of binge-eating and drastic dieting, turning them into veritable Jekyll and Hydes – which one will you meet? The one making their way through all the cheeseburgers in McDonalds single-handedly or the one with killer abs and a personal trainer? Here we have the top 5 celebrity yo-yo dieters.
Number 1: Janet Jackson
When Justin Timberlake accidentally revealed to the world Janet’s breast during a performance at the Superbowl, Janet was embarrassed but probably thanking her lucky stars that she had slimmed down for the event. Janet is a classic yo-yo dieter, sometimes Michael’s lil sis looks mean and lean with a six-pack you could grind cheese on, and at others times she seems bloated and frumpy. In June 2006, she appeared on the front cover of US Weekly magazine, only for the edition to become the magazine's best selling issue ever. It showed a skinny Janet, having lost a whopping 60lbs and telling all on her fitness regime and tough diet. She claimed that she had bulked up for a film role that never happened, though close friends remained dubious. Recent pictures suggest that she has once again been attacked by the munchies, though she claims it is due to being stuck in a recording studuo rather than on one of her carb-killing tours.
Number 2: Britney Spears
What else is there left to say about the fallen pop princess? Her life seems to be one crazy rollercoaster ride of men, children and addictions. Her reputed craving for booze might be more headline-grabbing, but Britney clearly likes some food to be washed down with her liquor. Now I am not going to rudely label her as fat or chunky, as Britney packing a few extra pounds is still slimmer and sexier than most girls, but she herself has come clean on her love for food. She was a big fan of junk food (fried chicken in particular) when carrying and then nursing her two young sons, and rumours persist that she has only managed to shed the baby weight with a little help from the surgeon. Whatever the real story is, Britney’s not telling, but with everyone from her mum to her husband being shown the door, her relationship with food doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
Number 3: John Travolta
Once he dazzled us with his dancing moves and trim figure in hits such as ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and ‘Grease’ but now he’s happy to dress up as a fat lady in ‘Hairspray!’ – go figure. John’s in his 50’s and a Hollywood A-lister, so I can understand his reluctance to get down the gym and shift a few pesky pounds. But it’s not always been this way. John has had many serious battles with his weight in the past and been made to slim down for film roles such as ‘Swordfish’. At the time, he even happily bared his newly gained six-pack at the MTV Movie Awards. John has been very public about his fight against the flab and should be admired for coming clean about a subject that Hollywood is only interested in once you’ve lost the weight.
Number 4: Oprah Winfrey
Not being American, I don’t understand the world’s love for Oprah. I’m sure if she knocked on my door for a chat, she’d be a most interesting conversationalist, but until that time I have yet to see the fuss. Oprah has endured incredible hardships in her life and remains an icon for many and yet in the UK the only time we are really reminded of her and her celebrity is when she’s spent too long at the buffet table. In 1988 she exhibited a wagon-load of fat on her TV show to signify her 67lb weight loss, but has since admitted regretting the move, as she soon gained most of the weight again. She said, "I had literally starved myself for four months - not a morsel of food. Two hours after that show I started eating to celebrate - of course, within two days those jeans no longer fit!"
Number 5: Matthew Perry
Reminding us that there was food available on the set of ‘Friends’, comic actor Perry has had the cameras rolling as his weight fluctuated. Watch the ‘Friends’ seasons back to back and the changes are shocking – one moment he’s gaunt and scrawny, the next he’s clearly been enjoying his food. Since leaving the hit sitcom, his weight battles have raged on. For a while he was amazingly toned and athletic looking, but has recently been photographed jogging looking quite out of shape. We wish him health and happiness as he works out what’s best for him and his body.
Posted by Katie Button on July 19, 2007 in Britney Spears, Celebrity Diet Watch, Film Stars, Janet Jackson, LA Airheads, Musical Stars | Permalink | Comments (1)
July 10, 2007 5:23 PM
Celebrity Diet Watch: The Stiletto Workout keeps Christina Aguilera trim
Who would have thought those sky scraping bunion causing beautiful shoes would actually be good for you? Yes, celebs like Christina pre pregnancy have turned to the joys of good old getting down and dirrrty to create toned pins and shapely calves. Stilettos' have long since been prey to far to much criticism from shoe bashing critics, now the tide is turning and while the skyscraper heels may not make great day wear, they do have surprising health benefits.
All you need is a pair of shoes and a couple of dance tracks and you're effortlessly working those calf and thigh muscles, plus engaging the core abdominals to keep your posture perfect. As girls naturally tend to do the whole boobs out, stomach in wiggle you've probably been engaging that muscle group anyways, so now all you need to do is crank it up a notch.
True, celebs like Christina do work out a fair amount, so sometimes just hitting a club in your spikiest shoes isn't good enough, so stiletto's are turning it up a notch. If you like to get sweaty in the privacy of your own home, you can order the Stiletto Workout DVD for £11.98 from Amazon, and practise pouting and posing whilst shaping your bod.
If you're more of a gym bunny you will probably appreciate the Stiletto Workout fitness class at Gymbox ,where for a mere £8 you can drop in for a class, where the only requirement is that you bring heels with you. It's a great way to make fitness more fun, and it does mean that lil black dress will soon be fitting snugly again.
Posted by Zara Rabinowicz on July 10, 2007 in Celebrity Diet Watch | Permalink | Comments (2)
July 4, 2007 2:36 PM
Celebrity Diet Watch: Madonna loves Power-Plate action
It's universally acknowledged that Madonna looks amazing and normally us mere mortal sigh and put it down to her having a personal trainer, masses of money and access to high tech wizardry that the like of us can only dream about . However it has been revealed that she uses the Power Plate machine to keep her torso so trim, and while at £6,995 for one it may be out of our price range, thankfully studios exist now, where for a mere £20 a session we can buff our body ready for those summer bikini's.
But how does it work? Good Vibes Fitness, a studio dedicated purely to Power Plates fills us in on the nitty gritty. A Power Plate workout uses high speed vibration training to work out your whole body in a mere 25 minutes, and then allow you continue with your day. Perfect for the modern working man or woman, these are fitness sessions you can literally fit into your lunch break, and the toning nature of the class means you won't even sweat off your makeup!
Sounds great in concept, but what's the reality? Your intrepid Star Trip writer takes the Power Plates for a test drive...
Read the results after the jump.
I was slightly scared when I entered the studio, the large machines looked like something from a galaxy far far away, and the constant humming sounded like an epileptic bee on acid. However, the friendly staff put me at ease, and I was dressed in sweatpants-shirt and bare feet, so felt very comfortable.I was worried everyone would be supermodel types but there was a range of office workers and aspiring actresses, so there was no fitness show down.
There are five machines, so classes are small and you get a lot of individual attention, which is useful when I incorrectly crouched when I should have squatted. The vibrations did send constant tremors up my body, but I was promised that these tremors were tricking my brain into thinking I was falling, so my body would engage nearly 100% of all muscle fibres to keep me stabilised. Your muscles contract and relax 30-50 times a second, hence the high speed training. As well as general toning qualities it is thought that constant power plating increases metabolism and blood flow as well as improving flexibility. I could well believe that; though the session itself was fairly relaxing, the constant juddering has to be good for my circulation, and the massaging effects of the vibrations encourage lymphatic drainage.
Indeed, the founder of the Good Vibes Studio, Nahid de Belgeonne was once a client, who after a few sessions on a Power-Plate was so impressed with the results that she decided to retrain and open up her own dedicated Power-Plates studios. When someone is that enamoured with a product that she chooses to dramatically refocus her life around it it sounds like a good thing!
Leaving the studio I was disappointed to see that my limbs had not achieved Madonna-esque perfection, but apparently you need to go three times a week to start seeing any noticeable results, and as with any exercise there are no immediate quick fixes. Next day I woke in agony with my thigh muscles screaming abuse and aches and pains in unmentionable places. I was surprised but pleased, as it meant that session had actually had an effect, even if I hadn't sweated at the time
I will definitely be going back, and while I may never reach Madonna's sinewy perfection, I'm hoping a that a more chiseled torso isn't completely out of reach.
Posted by Zara Rabinowicz on July 4, 2007 in Celebrity Diet Watch, Madonna | Permalink | Comments (0)
June 27, 2007 11:59 AM
Celebrity Diet Watch: Louis Theroux does Liposuction
OK, this is not strictly a diet in any sense, but it is definitely a sure fire way to lose weight permanently and create dramatic changes to your body. And who else but devil may care Louis Theroux, known for his crazy exploits and on the edge reporting would volunteer to undergo surgery in the name of research (and an end to love handles). Louis has a reputation for extreme TV, having appeared in gay porn, got friendly with the infamous Hamilton's and now has filmed himself during surgery for he aptly titled show 'Under the Knife'.
But just how permanent will the results be, and what's the effect of liposuction on the body?
Liposuction is performed under local anaesthetic with sedation or general anaesthetic, the type of which will be decided in consultation between yourself and your anaesthetist. An incision is made and fat is then removed through a fine cannula (hollow needle). The amount of fat removal depends on the size and number of areas to be treated, and in cases where significant amounts of fat are to be removed, the surgeon may recommend a two-stage procedure.
Then you have the recovery period where you can expect to be swathed in a compression garment for around two weeks, and then at around the six week mark the swelling should go down and you will be able to see the changes in your body. It works best for people who have good skin tone and certain areas they want to change, rather than a whole body makeover. With every surgery there are possible risks and complications so make you sure you go to a registered hospital and surgeon and check they are BAAPS and FRCS certified.
Louis doesn't regret his decision to go under the knife; "I felt it a risk worth taking as I really wanted to understand how this kind of surgery can make you feel afterwards, if I'd feel like a new and improved man," he said. And from the after pics we would say he's looking mighty fine. Well everyone loves a funny man..
Posted by Aigua on June 27, 2007 in Celebrity Diet Watch | Permalink | Comments (3)
June 19, 2007 1:24 PM
Celebrity Diet Watch: Cheryl Cole does Hypoxi Vacunaut
We all wish we had the stars enviable figures; well now it seems that dream is a little nearer; and it has nothing to do with being Brad Pitt's secret love child. Rather than genes defining how you fill out hose Levi's there are a host of treatments available to keep you looking trim, and in this new weekly column Star Trip reveals the secret behind the size zero's.
Chery Cole: Hypoxitherapy
Recently voted as best legs in the business and happily living out the *dream* of being a WAG/popstrel Cheryl has it easy by any accounts. Long lustrous hair, almond shaped eyes and pins to die for. Well, I could recommend a good hairdresser for your tresses, but for the legs I suggest you do what Ms Cole does and invest in some Hypoxi sessions.
Hypoxitherapy is known to reduce the appearance of cellulite and apparently guarantees results. Of course you do have to insert your body into something that worryingly resembles a coffin, but once you are past that small hurdle the 'pressure' and intensity form the exercise should firm you up in no time. It's all down to magnetic therapy and some other wizardry, and if you use it regularly they claim you will drop a dress size a month which sounds pretty good. '
'The Hypoxitherapy operates just like a normal bicycle trainer, except that, the rider is covered by a chamber from the hips down. The chamber's special feature is the vacuum system that creates the low atmospheric pressure, in which the rider cycles.'
It's not cheap; but it's less than liposuction, so if you can square it with your wallet this is one treatment it might be worth trying. Oh, and just for the record, they aren't paying me to say this, but should they want to throw a few 'trial ' sessions my way I'll be more than happy to oblige with an in depth review..
Posted by Zara Rabinowicz on June 19, 2007 in Celebrity Diet Watch, Girls Aloud, UK Stars | Permalink | Comments (12)
