Real Bodies of the Red Carpet — Or Not?

Celebrity bodies on the red carpet are a combination of fact and fiction. On the one hand, many of the celebrities use smart nutrition and exercise to stay in great shape. But nearly all of the images from the red carpet are also painstakingly created illusions.

UNREAL: Starvation and dehydration. To look amazing on the red carpet often involves days or weeks of starvation-level dieting and dehydration. Using herbs or prescription drugs to boost dehydration makes you look very lean and tight, but it is also very unhealthy.

REAL: Skip the treadmill. According to celebrity trainer Valerie Waters (she’s trained Jennifer Garner and many others), her clients are very busy — especially during a shoot — so they only have time to focus on a combination of strength and interval training.

UNREAL: Retouched photos. A-list celebrities have a retouch artist on staff to make sure that no photo of them is published un-touched. Rolls and cellulite, wrinkles and imperfections disappear; thigh gaps and muscle tone are added. This creates unrealistic standards of “fit and beautiful.”

REAL: Kettlebells. Hollywood has been a hotbed of kettlebell training for over a decade. Celebrities are drawn to it because it’s incredibly time-efficient, great for fat loss and very safe if you have good instruction on the fundamentals.

UNREAL: Makeup magicians. A highly skilled makeup artist is like a real-time retouch artist who works on your face and body. He or she can make a lizard look like a model. This creates fantastic expectations about aging (meaning, they’re a fantasy).

REAL: Don’t drink your calories. Avoiding calorie-dense beverages such as juice, soda, sweet coffee, etc., helps to cut your empty-calorie intake. This is an essential component of improving your health and keeping weight off over time.

UNREAL: Waist trainers. These items come with the promise that they will change the shape of your body when you’re not wearing them. Completely false! However, while on, these garments will change the shape of your body — especially your midsection and butt. But (or butt) this is an illusion. Dangerously similar to the corsets of the 1800s, these garments put excessive pressure on your ribs and organs, making it very difficult to breathe.

A best-selling author and fitness expert, Josef Brandenburg owns True 180 Fitness in Georgetown. Information about his 14-Day Personal Training Experience may be found at true180.fitness.