When the time comes to shoot a magazine cover, makeup is girl’s best friend – – or was it diamonds? Maybe both, maybe you do not need makeup or diamonds to look stunning in a magazine spread.
But even the biggest Hollywood stars need a little help – okay, sometimes a lot of help – to look their best in the print media. And when it does not come naturally, Photoshop never fails to deliver that perfect cover shot.
In a motion picture, however, things get a little more complicated. It is Hollywood’s best-kept beauty secret and most stars do not like to talk about it (mostly because of ironclad confidentiality agreements) – no, not SmartLipo, Botox, or plastic surgery, but body doubles.
Do you remember those steamy scenes when Julia Robert was “working” Richard Gere in the film “Pretty Woman”? She looked hot, but it was not her body. Shelley Michelle was her body double in that movie.
In fact, according to Fitness Rx for Women magazine, Shelley Michelle “has doubled for hundreds of other Hollywood stars, including Kim Basinger and Barbara Streisand.” At 38 years old, how does she maintain her arguably perfect physique? Thanks to the same source, here are her stats, diet and workout.
Shelley Michelle’s Typical Diet:
Breakfast: One cup of low-fat yogurt (115 calories) with a tablespoon of granola (25 calories) with a sliced, medium apple (80 calories). Total: 260 calories
Snack: One protein bar, such as Apex or Herbalife (150 calories). Total: 150 calories
Lunch: Two ounces of chicken, grilled or slow-roasted, without bone or skin (90 calories) with vegetables (150 calories). Total: 150 calories
Snack: One protein bar (150 calories)
Snack: One protein bar (150 calories)
Dinner: Three ounces of skinless chicken (160 calories), with two tablespoons of low-fat mayonnaise (70 calories) combined with a vegetable dish (150 calories) cooked in one tablespoon of olive oil (119 calories) and a green salad with light vinaigrette dressing (110 calories). Total: 599 calories
Total Daily Calories: 1,579
Shelley Michelle’s Sample Workout:
Monday: One hour lower-body strength training (200 calories burned), 1.5 hours of circuit training (500 calories burned).
Tuesday: One hour upper-body strength training (200 calories burned), 1.5 hours of martial arts (500 calories burned).
Wednesday: One hour core training with stability ball (210 calories burned), two-hour ballet class (400 calories burned).
Thursday: Two hours yoga (400 calories burned), one hour full-body circuit training (350 calories burned).
Friday: One hour of Pilates (210 calories burned), 1.5 hours of full-bodyweight training (400 calories burned).
Saturday: One hour of cardio of choice (450 calories burned), 1.5 hours of core strengthening, abs, hips and back (150 calories burned).
Sunday: Rest.
Shelley Michelle’s Fitness Facts:
Food philosophy: I believe in moderation. Everything in moderation. If I want to have a desert, I will go ahead and do it, I just would not do it every day.
Foods avoided: Pasta, bread, potatoes, rice.
Supplements taken: Flaxseed oil used on salads and pregnancy vitamins.
Water: Constantly drinking all day, a minimum of eight, 8-ounces glasses.
Cheating: I will still have some pasta or something bad like that once every couple of months if I am really feeling like it.
Surviving holiday eating temptations: I still try to combine foods wisely (proteins and healthy carbohydrates) and keep track of things proportion-wise. Do not stuff yourself. Go ahead and eat what you want to eat, but do not overdo it.
And in the following few weeks, make sure you stay away from those simple carbs and eat lots of veggies to make up for it.
Shelley Michelle’s Stats and Other Info:
Age: 38
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 122-125 pounds
Measurements: 36″ chest, 25″ waist, 36″ hips
Body Mass Index: 19 (in “healthy” range)
Body Fat Percentage: Estimated at 16-19 percent (in “athlete” category)
Hometown: Los Angeles
Children: Had a baby girl in 2004
Daily Calorie Intake: 1,549 calories
Daily Calorie Expenditure from Exercise: Up to 750 calories