Madonna’s Trainer Tells Us How to Lose 20 Pounds in 6 Weeks

Madonna’s amazing body has been the envy of many and now her trainer is telling us (actually, she told Us Weekly) how we can can look just like the mega star. Tracy Anderson has devised a plan to help you drop 20 pounds in 6 weeks – just in time for summer! Basically, her plan involves following a pretty minimal diet and working out for 2 hours (yep, that was HOURS) 6 times a week. Tracy promises that you can lose between 3 – 5 pounds a week.

So, what’s off limits? No processed foods, dairy, no spices, and no oil or sauces. Tracy also discourages drinking alcohol or caffeine, only having one serving of whole-grain carbs each day. She does go on to say that after you reach your target weight you can follow a less restrictive diet.

Now, while I don’t think this is necessarily the healthiest diet out there, it’s not the worst either. Here are my thoughts in a nutshell (kind of) :

• The calories on this diet need to be raised, maybe significantly in some cases, depending on your starting weight. Cookie cutter plans like this are super hard to follow because every person is different and their body has different needs.
• You should never, never cut out all oils from your diet! It’s absolutely essential that you always have a healthy intake of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids each and every day. Unless, of course, you aren’t concerned about things such as your hair, skin, energy level, increased risk of cancer, disease, depression, and many other health problems that can occur from a lack of these essential fatty acids. The minimum healthy intake for Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids is 1.5 grams each per day (for adults, of course). You can get these through flax seed oil, or even better, hemp seed oil! Hemp seed oil is considered to be the #1 nutritional oil for health because it has the highest and most complete profile of essential fatty acids (EFAs). It has the ideal ratio of (4:1) of Omega 6 to Omega 3 oils and unlike most flax seed oils, it does not go rancid quickly.
• The 2 hour workouts 6 times a week are a bit unrealistic for those of us who have a life outside of being a celebrity! You can accomplish great results in half this time as long as you make sure you put in the work when you go.
• Just to clear up her thoughts about spices.  There are numerous spices out there that do not upset your digestive system and are great to use to flavor your food without added calories or fat.  As far as how upsetting your digestive system causes you to store fat, I am still working on that logic. Some spices, like chili, have even been shown to speed up your metabolism and actually help you to burn MORE fat.
• The diet tends to be lacking a crucial element in weight loss and healthy digestion – fiber!  With the small fruit and veggie snacks you’re getting and limited amount of whole grain carbs, you would really need to supplement with something like Benefiber.  It’s one of my favorites!  I sprinkle a little in each meal, stir it into my coffee, and add it to my food while it’s cooking and it has been amazing!  Aim for at least 25 grams per day.

Just to reiterate, it’s not the worst diet and fitness plan I’ve ever seen and with some of the tweaks I mentioned above, it can be a healthy option for anyone looking to slim down in time for bikini season!