If you've seen any pictures of the new Duchess of Cambridge (or any pre-wedding Kate shots), you might have wondered how Kate Middleton has been able to attain such a super svelte figure. I'm sure that good genes definitely help. She also has a love for sports, which certainly can't hurt either. Her mother was rumored to be on the Dukan Diet, a new 2011 fad diet in Europe; stories have surfaced that Kate and her sister Pippa (her bridesmaid in the picture) might have used this diet plan as well. And according to http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/, her weight is believed to be primarily managed by regular exercise and extreme discipline in eating--without denying herself. I wonder what that means? See below for the article.
Kate Middleton's fitness regime revealed ahead of royal wedding
AT 5ft 10ins tall and weighing just 8st 8lbs, Kate Middleton's slim and athletic figure was always going to draw comparisons with Princess Diana.
On a recent outing, the 29-year-old princess-in-waiting laughed off suggestions she was getting too thin by claiming: "It's all part of the wedding plan."
Such an offhand comment has made royal watchers fear for the health of the bride-to-be and sparked yet more media interest in the diet and fitness regime of Prince William's fiancée.
There are rumours she is taking diet tips from her mother, who swears by a controversial French eating plan, the Dukan diet, and that stress is playing a huge part in her recent weight loss.
But despite intense scrutiny, the future princess insists she is keeping a handle on the situation and is sticking to the most tried and trusted methods of maintaining a healthy weight - balancing an active lifestyle with sensible eating.
We examine Kate's diet and fitness regime, and look at how her lifestyle with William promises a healthy future for the royal couple.
DIET
Despite the gossip surrounding her eating habits, Kate sticks to a low GI diet of lean meats, fish and vegetables to stay healthy.
She loves "summer foods," She loves "summer foods," including beans, salads and salmon, and although she doesn't deny herself, she is believed to be extremely disciplined in what she eats.
Kate has also been linked to Dukan diet, originated by Pierre Dukan, to fit into her wedding gown on April 29.
Her mother, Carole, has been a Dukan devotee since using the diet to shed weight last year and it is rumoured she has turned her daughter on to the regime.
A variation on the hugely popular Atkins diet - high protein and low carb - the Dukan diet already has several famous fans, including Hollywood A-listers Jennifer Lopez and Nicole Kidman.
The four-stage diet consists of a series of phases - attack, cruise, consolidation and stabilisation - whereby foods are withdrawn and then slowly re-introduced.
According to the Dukan diet website, the phases enable the dieter to lose then maintain the correct level of weight for body type.
DUKAN DIET FORMULA
ATTACK
Brief and headlong phase with immediate results. During this phase, the diet is made up of 72 high-protein foods enabling quick weight loss.
Cruise During this phase, the diet alternates pure protein days (PP phases) with 28 recommended vegetables (PV phases). CONSOLIDATION Phase of 10 days which prepares for the return to a balanced diet.
Monitored freedom with a target of establishing this freshly conquered and still vulnerable ideal weight. This phase brings the gradual return of fun foods.
STABILIZATION
Definitive phase based on three simple, concrete, easy but non-negotiable measures. This phase is both the easiest and most essential in the slimming method because 95 per cent of people who follow a diet put the weight they have lost back on.
FITNESS
Because Kate leads such an active lifestyle, her diet of low GI carbs only serve to help maintain her slim frame while muscle definition is down to her choice of exercise.
She is a keen gym bunny and does at least one hour every day, using the private facilities installed at Clarence House.
Her favourite high-energy workout includes rowing, running and weight lifting. She also cycles regularly, balancing her cardio workouts with yoga sessions to improve flexibility.
A typical workout routine for Kate would include short 20-minute bursts of high intensity training to keep things fresh and interesting.
Kate's workout
RUNNING
To really burn fat and ensure a body fit for a princess, vary the speed of your workout. Running at a high intensity for three minutes and a moderate intensity for five will ensure all of your muscles are working hard and help tone your abdomen.
ROWING
For super-toned arms, rowing is the best thing to banish bingo wings and impress the future king. An intense 30-minute rowing session can burn 300 calories.
A session on the rowing machine will provide great strength, flexibility and posture in your upper body.
WEIGHTS
Adding weights to a cardio routine will help with muscle definition and sculpting body shape. As weights are essentially the same as resistance training, it will help improve co-ordination and increase bone density as well as improving performance during cardio routines.
Doing step-ups and push-ups alongside squats and lunges using an exercise band will also give the same effect. For best results, do repeat each move 10 to 12 times, breaking just long enough to catch your breath in between. Repeat for two to three sets.
YOGA
Lactic acid build-up in the muscles from vigorous cardio exercising contributes to muscle fatigue so it's vital to use yoga stretches in between regular workouts to release any lactic acid build-up.
Forward bends stretch the lower back and hamstrings. This helps you let go of tension in the back, neck and shoulders, increasing the flexibility of the spine.
Backward bends open the chest, hips and rib cage and hips, building strength in the arms and shoulders. They also add to flexibility in the shoulders, while helping ease the tension from the front of the body and hips.
Seated asanas - or poses - increase suppleness in the hips and lower back. Strengthening the whole back, they increase the flexibility of the spine and elasticity of the hips, knees, ankle and groin.
Balancing asanas are essential for cultivating muscle tone and physical harmony as well as strength and agility. Great for overall posture.
LIFESTYLE
Holiday activities with Prince William include skiing, which uses both upper and lower body to get the heart rate soaring and can burn up to 1400 calories an hour.
On their trip to Kenya last year, they had an active holiday, including horse and camel riding.
Tennis-mad Kate, who plays at Princess Diana's old haunt, the Harbour Club in Chelsea, is all set for Wimbledon this year when she will be the Royal representative.
She also loves swimming, which helps tone up her body.
NAUGHTY BUT NICE...
Kate has a notoriously sweet tooth,. Haribo Starmix and Tangfastics are her favourites. She stocks up from local stores when she is with her family in Bucklebury, Berkshire.
Shopkeeper Hash Shingadia and his wife Chan said: "Kate loves them. She came in with her mother and bought some Haribos.
"She also bought French bread, ham, salami, cream and eggs and her favourite magazines, Hello!, Tatler and Elle. She's a normal girl."
There are naturally thin people in the world, and I think she is just one of them. I have a friend just like her. Perfectly thin and athletic. After 3 babies, not one stretch mark, not one inch of stretched skin. She worries about not being able to gain weight and thinks she is too thin. She was just born like this, and "diet" is a foreign word to her.
ReplyDeletePeople like this can be "disciplined" about eating because food means nothing to them -- they can enjoy it, but it is just not a big deal. If they are not hungry, they do not eat - even if that means not eating all day until dinner.
Hard to imagine being like that right? But these people exist, and it seems silly to insist she had to be on a diet to look as great as she does.
I totally agree. I have friends like that too. Dang genetics! Life isn't fair!
ReplyDelete