Even celebrities do calorie restriction

The phrase “calorie restriction diet” is a bit of a hard sell. It is not the most attractive name because the restriction does not sound fun.

But I see that celebrities are doing calorie restriction. Kym Douglas, the author of The Black Book of Hollywood Secrets, says: “The biggest secret I’ve learned from celebrities is that they don’t eat ‘diet food.’ They really eat, but not much.

“I remember sitting down to breakfast with Elizabeth Hurley and being surprised that she had real bacon with her eggs, not turkey or tofu. So that’s fine. But I’m not eating fake bacon.”

Now, I don’t usually look to celebrities for inspiration and I hate the size zero mentality that is so ingrained in Hollywood. However, I believe that calorie restriction is the most effective way to lose weight. For fun, I’m going to list some of the items on the A to Z list of the best Hollywood diet tips:

A FOR ASPARAGUS: Celebrities make a living from this because it’s a natural diuretic and gets rid of bloating.

B FOR BRUSHING HER TEETH: A nutritionist advised her famous young client that the best way to keep her mother to 15 percent body fat was to use a toothbrush after every meal. And a madness began. Using a toothbrush signals to your brain that you are full.

…and BENEFITS: Sprinkle it on your salad or in your coffee because it helps move food through your system more quickly.

C FOR COOKIE: Celebrities like singer Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson follow the Cookie Diet. In other words, “eat a cookie, skip a meal.” They eat a healthy dinner of several hundred calories and only eat calories or cookies at other meals. They lose weight because it is based on caloric restriction.

…and CINNAMON: Celebrities sprinkle it in their tea because it can supposedly lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

E FOR EPSOM SALTS: Salts draw fluids out of your body. Heidi Klum and other stars wear them before filming and doing photo shoots.

I FOR ICE LOLLIES: Oprah Winfrey likes frozen fruit bars because they take a long time to eat and also satisfy her sweet tooth.

LICORICE L: Eat a piece of licorice or a strong breath mint when you’re hungry. Numbs the taste buds.

M FOR MATCHA GREEN TEA: One cup of matcha green tea is equal to 8-10 cups of regular green tea. This increases metabolism and is an appetite suppressant.

P FOR PRUNES: Hollywood nutritionists suggest including four chopped prunes with ground beef when cooking a burger. It cuts the fat by 40 percent, and the plums are flavorless, so you won’t notice they’re there.

Q FOR A QUICK SUGAR FIX: A Los Angeles scone shop is particularly popular with Hollywood celebrities. Many of them ask for a small paper cup filled with icing instead of a big cinnamon roll. That way they satisfy their sweet tooth without eating the calories.

S FOR SUSHI: Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie love sushi. This seaweed is loaded with vitamins, low in calories and can lower cholesterol.

V FOR VEGANISM: Alicia Silverstone says going vegan is the key to lasting weight loss: “I swear, it’s super easy. You don’t have to be in a diet mindset if you eat healthy plant-based foods.”

W FOR WEDGE SHOES: According to Hollywood stylists the shoe that makes you look slimmer. Cameron Diaz, Jessica Simpson and Gwen Stefani wear wedges for that reason. Stylists love them for covers as they make the featured actress look taller and slimmer.

That’s just a partial list, but you get the idea. These are tips that even real people like you and me can use. I’m making a mental note to try the icing tip at some point. However, I think I’ll pass the wedges.