Hilary Swank is a favorite celebrity here at www.HowCelebritiesLoseWeight.com. We have featured her quite few times because she looks amazing and she is not afraid to share with us what are her secrets. Hilary Swank is very serious about her diet and about her exercise routines. She has nutritionists advising her, she has personal trainers helping her and she follows their advice religiously. What does she do in her daily life to get such amazing results. Well, get them all right here at www.HowCelebritiesLoseWeight.com
Hilary Swank Diet
Hilary Swank was a vegan for 28 years. She recently told Marie Claire magazine that she gave up her 18-year vegetarian diet just two years ago because she didn’t believe it was healthy. The actress insists that vegetarianism was making her too thin and that she needed to gain weight. However, Hillary still struggles with eating animals. She says:
I just started withering away. I wasn’t getting enough vitamins or protein. (It was) very emotional.
I sat over my plate and cried. I really had to work through it. It still makes me emotional. I don’t know if you have ever looked into a cow’s eye, but it is so soulful. So I don’t like it – but it’s something I have to do.
That is a little surprising when you think of Hilary’s role in the Million Dollar Baby. Although is not vegan any more, she does not eat meat that much. She claims that celebrity nutritionist Oz Garcia has changed her life. He has been helping her with developing the proper nutritional habits.
I have to have the sustained energy so I understand about nutrition and I really look out for nutrition. What I would do is stuff like, I take my vitamins, I’m a real vitamin person. I got my blood tested so I knew vitamins I needed the most of.
It is not uncommon for Hilary to take 40 supplements per day. These are not diet pills, or diet supplements, these are supplements that make her healthier and make her feel stronger. If you would like to incorporate some supplements into your diet, almost everybody should, check with your doctor first, and then visit www.IFoundTheCure.com. This is a great website with a lot of valuable information on supplements and specific recommendations based on how you feel.
Yahoo.com posted an impromptu interview that one of its writers had with Hilary Swank’s nutritionist Oz Garcia.
Do I have to stop eating three hours before I go to bed? “
No, eat when you’re hungry.”
So what can I eat if I’m hungry 10 minutes before bed?
“Anything that really satiates. You’re always going to want to look for something to really satisfy the hunger–not perpetuate it. A slice of turkey, baby carrots, a piece of fruit. That thing that satiates will be different for everyone.”
I think I’m afraid of the feeling of being hungry–so I eat.
“Hunger is not something to be feared. When we’re not giving in to it, it’s not effective to think of it as “resisting” hunger-because what we resist, persists. We should think of hunger in terms of something that we can tolerate instead of resist. Hunger isn’t going to kill you.”
I’m surprised there’s bread on the table.
“Well, you have to leave room in your life for recreational eating.”
Why is there so much soy and miso on the menu?
“Miso is an excellent source of probiotics–it builds and boots your immune system on a daily basis. Many of the foods in Japanese cuisine–pickled veggies, tempeh, miso–are high in probiotics. These are great because not only do they make your body function better but they also help your emotional state.”
What do you think of a lot of the “nutritional” bars and meal replacement bars out there?
“I don’t like a lot of them. Eat real foods.”
How about Gnu bars? I love those.
“Yes, Gnu bars are good.”
Can I eat nuts if I’m trying to lose weight, even though they’re fattening?
“Absolutely. Fats are important–they are the fuel that keep us moving. Almonds and pistachios are better than peanuts, though.”
I kind of know how to eat; I just don’t always do it.
“No, you don’t. Knowledge is embodiment. We only really know something when we do it. Want more knowledge? Read these three books:
Good Calories, Bad Calories, by Gary Taubes;
The Warrior Diet, by Ori Hofmekler;
Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat, by Ori Hofmekler”
Should I feel guilty about finishing this amazing dessert?
“No, enjoy it.”
Hilary Swank Exercise Secrets
The Amelia actress, who used to be married to actor Chad Lowe, said that she always makes time for exercise because it is an essential part of life. Swank is quoted by Yahoo as saying:
I love getting the opportunity to recognize what your body’s capable of. Being an athlete is something I enjoy. I don’t even think of not exercising. It’s like the air you breathe and the food and water you need.
The 35-year-old Oscar-winner continued:
You see these incredible bodies in Africa that are all muscle. They’re running to hunt in these tribes. And you think, ‘How does the body look like that?’ But if you’re utilizing your body, you recognize it is a machine and it can be capable of whatever you need it to be. Maybe there was a point where I was a perfectionist. Probably up until I reached my thirties. I do set big goals for myself and push myself very hard but there is no such thing as perfection. You’d drive yourself crazy.
The fit 35-year-old has a great exercise history. She said that she loves to workout and she did plenty of sports as a child including basketball, gymnastics and swimming. She actually started swimming at the young age of three years old. She said:
To me, working out is literally like eating a meal or drinking water or breathing. If I don’t, I just feel like crap. Not physically, like, Ew, what’s hanging over my pants? But I just feel really ornery.
In a recent interview she said:
I didn’t exercise all week because my hours are too tough, but I like to exercise, it’s a big part of my life for a lot of reasons. One, it’s a huge stress relief; it mentally makes me feel great. It gets my blood going, it gives me more energy, and it makes me think better. I would say a normal exercise routine for me would be maybe running three days a week, or running twice a week, and pilates three days a week. I don’t do it everyday; I usually take two days off during the week.
So what kind of exercises does she specifically do now?
I run. I do Pilates. I swim. I bike. I’m a big outdoor person. I love the outdoors. So any time I can run or hike, I do that. I was not a runner at any point in my life, but because boxing was the most difficult thing I had ever done physically, it got my heart beating in a way that I didn’t know my heart could beat, and I really longed for my heart to beat like that again, and running was really one of the things that did that for me. So I took up running. I also do Krav Maga which is a form of self-defense used by the Israeli army, and “Krav Maga” translates literally from Hebrew to mean “contact combat.” Let me tell you, it sounds intense, both mentally and physically. Krav Maga is described as a “practical and tactical system, which teaches how to prevent, deal, and overcome all kinds of violence and attacks.” The classes seem extremely physical and are designed to create fatigue using stress drills that help students learn and react under adverse conditions. You punch, you kick, you also learn how to get out of a choke hold. I love, love it.
In a recent interview, her long time trainers with fitness magazine, Rich and Helene Guzman, co-owners of L.A. R.O.X. and trainers to Hilary Swank, shared with us this strength routine to get a strong, sculpted upper body like Hilary’s.
Hilary Swank gained 19 pounds of muscle for her role in Million Dollar Baby. You won’t get that result after this workout, but you just may look strong enough to throw a mean punch.
Do this strength routine two to three times a week. Add interval-intensive cardio routine twice a week, either on the same or alternating days. If you have time, add some additional moderate-pace cardio, such as running, walking, swimming, cycling, or elliptical training, 30 to 45 minutes twice a week.
What You Need: A resistance band or tubing, a step bench or stairs, and a chair or stability ball
The exercise: Band series
A. Chest flye: Tie a resistance band or tubing around a sturdy object at about chest height. Stand facing away from the anchor point, holding one end of band in each hand with feet staggered and arms out to sides, palms facing forward. Slowly bring ends of band together in front of chest, rotating palms down. Slowly return to start, keeping elbows slightly bent; repeat. Do as many reps as you can without losing form.
biceps curl
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B. Triceps extension: Untie the band and place one end under right foot, holding other end in right hand. Raise right arm next to head, keeping elbow bent and close to ear. Slowly extend arm, then lower to start and repeat. Do as many reps as you can; switch sides.
C. Biceps curl: Stand on center of band, feet shoulder-width apart. Hold one end of band in each hand, palms facing up and elbows close to sides. Keeping elbows pressed into rib cage, slowly curl hands toward shoulders, keeping wrists straight. Lower and repeat; do as many reps as you can.
