This year brought us no shortage of celebrity news. Once we’ve learned who is in and out of love with who, our curiosity shifts to asking about their diet and how they get those Hollywood figures. There was plenty of juicy diet news to follow in 2012, so we’ve gathered the biggest celebrity weight loss stories of the past year.
Jennifer Lawrence for Hunger Games
Jennifer Lawrence wowed many with her portrayal of Katniss in this summer’s blockbuster flick, The Hunger Games. What also caught our eye was the actress’s stunning figure. Lawrence told reporters that she doesn’t diet, instead she stays active. Her routine that prepared her for the role of Katniss involved running and archery training with an Olympian. Lawrence even admitted that she’d be OK with looking chubby on screen if it meant she was healthy. The young star has great perspective and a healthy future in front of her.
Chaka Khan Dropped 60 Pounds
Legendary singer and performer Chaka Kahn showed off her new curves this year after dropping 60 pounds. The singer was able to drop the weight and even treat her diabetes and high blood pressure issues with the healthier weight and lifestyle. After years of substance abuse the superstar has shined once more.
Snooki’s Post-Baby Weight Loss Plans
Jersey Shore’s Snooki was all over the news this year. As the reality TV star announced her pregnancy, the world immediately began to worry that her weight issues and eating disorders would become a problem. Snooki gave birth to a healthy son and began losing weight naturally with breastfeeding. As a spokesperson for Zantrex, a weight loss supplement that ranked #18 on our 2012 Most Popular Diets list, Snooki expressed her desire to use the pill after the baby was weaned.
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Big news this week for Hunger Games fans: The trilogy has officially surpassed Harry Potter at the best selling book series on Amazon. This is especially impressive since Potter includes seven books and it only took Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins four years to crank out the trilogy, which includes The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay.
But perhaps the more exciting news is surrounding Hunger Games leading lady Jennifer Lawrence – who plays archery-extraordinaire Katniss in the films.
The now 22-year-old star signed on to do the second film Catching Fire, and was offered a reported $9.5 million pay increase to secure the deal. That’s a big chunk of change, especially considering Lawrence was only paid $500,000 for the first film. But the raise seems fair since the first film brought in an estimated $650 million in movie ticket sales alone.
Leading up to the second film, Lawrence is looking healthy and more stunning than ever, posing for a recent issue of Vogue Magazine showing off her Katniss-worthy figure. But beyond the Hunger Games hype, we love Jennifer’s commitment to staying true to herself in a culture of stick-thin Hollywood actresses.
The Kentucky-native was criticized earlier this year for being too heavy to realistically portray a citizen of hunger-stricken District 12 in the film. But she remains confident that her role as Katniss should represent a strong, athletic woman, and she has no desire to whittle down to skin and bones.
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Watching the Hunger Games this weekend has made me an archery enthusiast or as they call it “taxophilites.” The lead character Katniss has an amazing skill at handling the bow and arrow. Jennifer Lawrence, the actress playing Katniss, had to receive several lessons from a professional archer to prepare her for the role.
Archery
If you’ve ever tried to shoot a bow and arrow, you’ll quickly realize it is much harder than it looks. Trying to hold up the bow can be a challenge in itself, but then trying to actually aim and shoot can be impossible if you lack the proper muscle strength.
Strength in archery is not only being able to draw a bow, but being able to maintain balance and stay steady as you aim and shoot. The poundage of the bow you use is based on how strong you are. Beginners usually start off with a light draw bow. As they develop their skills and strength they will move on to a stronger draw weight bow.
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Jennifer Lawrence. Ah, that body.
Beautiful, toned and trim. And one of the reasons we’re so envious of it is that it looks natural – like the she stays active and eats well without depriving herself. And naturally, that’s exactly what she does. Lawrence even admits to being OK with looking ‘a little chubby’ on camera if it means being healthy.
That’s what we love to hear as proponents of healthy, balanced living, even though Jennifer’s clearly nowhere near chubby.
According to a recent Daily Mail article, Jennifer believes in feeling healthy and happy over being stick thin. And she doesn’t buy into over-restrictive diets saying, “I’m miserable when I’m dieting, and I like the way I look.”
And her approach to food and exercise are sensible, especially when it came to her preparations for The Hunger Games, which reportedly involved lots of running, and even enduring extensive training in archery from a true Olympian. “I don’t diet. I do exercise! But I don’t diet. You can’t work when you’re hungry, you know?”
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So, you kind of love ‘The Hunger Games.’ Then you’re exactly like me. After my initial resistance to the first book, I dug right in and tore through the entire trilogy. I guess that makes me a Hunger Games addict. Guilty as charged.
Like most Hunger Games fans, I’m eagerly awaiting the release of the first movie later this month. And besides camping out at the premiere and cooking up this collection of delicious and healthy Hunger Games recipes inspired by the series, I also plan to put on my best Katniss Everdeen impression by doing some hardcore training leading up to the big release.
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