Diet & Fitness Blog

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Joy Davis
eDiets Contributor

Trendy diets are fleeting; they come just as fast as they go. But last year, some of the craziest diets came to light and won't soon be forgotten, thanks to their celebrity supporters. There were so many bad diets, but we searched high and low to find candidates for our "worst celebrity diet hall of fame." Here are the winners.

Kirstie Alley's "Shortcut" Diet
Remember when Kirstie Alley shed a whopping 75 pounds on the Jenny Craig diet? Her weight-loss success was so widely publicized that the actress even appeared on Oprah in a bikini. That was a year ago, and this is now. We think Kirstie might need to call Jenny again, collect. It's rumored the actress has gained back the weight she so famously lost. Over the summer, Kirstie was spotted looking heavier and more like her pre-Jenny days. And it didn't help that in one of her Jenny Craig commercials she's seen sitting down (and nicely camouflaged) behind the wheel of the car.

Beyonce's Maple Syrup Diet
It's hard to imagine that one of the sexiest women in Hollywood went on a crash diet, but that's what singer/actor Beyonce did to prepare for her role as a supreme diva in the movie, Dreamgirls. Beyonce dropped an unbelievable (and dangerous) 20 pounds in two weeks on the "Master Cleanse Diet," (a.k.a. The Lemonade Diet). On the Master Cleanse Diet, you drink a beverage (no food) made from lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days. You'll see a dramatic weight loss… if you don't drop dead first. Plus, too much crash dieting will trick your body into storing fat instead of burning it.

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Anna Nicole Smith's Alleged TrimSpa Diet
Even those of us who live under a rock now know that the late bombshell, Anna Nicole Smith, lost about 70 pounds by using the TrimSpa supplement pills. If you remember how heavy Anna appeared on her reality show, you know something worked. But was it really the TrimSpa pills? Or did she secretly undergo liposuction before she endorsed TrimSpa? Fast forward to Anna's tragic death and investigators searching the blonde star's hotel room and finding a refrigerator full of – ahem – another company's weight-loss shakes. Oops!

Britney Spears' Junk Food Diet
Your mother wasn't kidding when she said, "Don't eat junk food -- it'll make you fat." Enter exhibit A, Britney Spears. Sure, she's had two kids, but our favorite pop-tart is looking heavier, sloppier and more unkempt than we've ever seen her. It seems that the fallen starlet's well-documented diet of In-N-Out burgers, Starbucks frappucinos and Red Bull drinks have all caught up with her. Britney is far from overweight by normal standards, but she's definitely not the toned Britster we once knew with to-die-for, six-pack abs. Remember that embarrassing performance she did at the Video Music Awards sporting a belly in an ill-fitting bikini? No more, Britney. Give us less, much less, of you altogether.

Jennifer Hudson's American Idol-Dreamgirls Diets
While her Dreamgirls co-star Beyonce was starving herself to slim down for her diva character, Jennifer Hudson had the opposite challenge; she had to gain weight to play the character of Effie. The Oscar-winning actress gained 20 pounds in two weeks and said she did so by eating "all the cookies, cakes and pies I could." And believe it or not, Jennifer says she lost a whopping 60 pounds during American Idol because of all the stress. The good news is Jennifer's back to eating well-balanced meals. Look for her as Carrie Bradshaw's assistant in the upcoming and highly anticipated Sex and the City movie.

Nicole Richie's "Skin-and-Bones" Diet
When The Simple Life star got busted under the influence driving the wrong way down an L.A. highway, she weighed in at a mere 85 pounds. In pictures and on the red carpet, Nicole's arms and legs looked like tiny twigs that might snap off and break with just the right amount of wind. Her head and those famous oversized glasses were the biggest thing on her whole body. She never admitted to having an eating disorder, but clearly, something was awry. Thank goodness for divine intervention this year. Only the arrival of a baby could cause Nicole to gain lots of desperately needed weight. A mere two weeks after the birth of her daughter, the new mom looks great. Keep it up, Nicole – and by that, we mean the weight.

Remember, fad diets may work in the short run, but depriving yourself of certain food groups for quick weight loss is a recipe for disaster in the long run. Sensible eating and regular exercise are the cornerstones of any good diet plan.

What's the most ridiculous fad diet you've ever tried? Share them with us by commenting below!

Joy Davis is a freelance writer who specializes in holistic wellness, fitness and travel. Several of her articles have also appeared in City Smart Magazine.

Labels: celebrity, diet, nutrition, weight-loss

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