A Typical Day
For Padma Lakshmi on the set of Bravo’s Top Chef sounds a little like heaven: After shimmying into an amazing dress and getting pampered in hair and make-up, the show host goes on to eat—all day long. Dishes like lamb with sweet coconut sauce and gnocchi pasta; bacon donuts with chocolate sauce; macaroni and cheese; chocolate cake; and gourmet deep-fried corn dogs. It’s all rich comfort food. The contestants care about winning, not about cooking healthy fare. “That means making their food as tasty as possible by infusing it with as much fat and butter as possible,” says Lakshmi. “They’re not going to serve grilled fish—they’re going to serve osso buco.” The result: By the end of six calorie-filled weeks of filming, 5’9” Lakshmi needs a new wardrobe. “I start out a 4 and grow into a 6 or an 8,” she says. She has been host for five seasons now, and says she gains 10 to 15 pounds every time. At her post-Chef size, Lakshmi knows she’s not too big, but says it’s just not her normal, happy weight. After weeks of eating such heavy food, “I feel so gross and sluggish,” she says. “My whole metabolism feels clogged.” And her other work demands plenty of energy: She is a spokesperson for Pantene; is an award-winning cookbook author; oversees her jewelry company, Padma by Padma Lakshmi; recently launched a line of spices on HSN called Easy Exotic; and now, of course, she’s about to become a mom! Having energy to fuel her life is one reason Lakshmi has always refused to starve herself to counter the fattening food she eats on camera. “I need to eat throughout the day, or else I feel wiped out,” she says.
So what does she do to lose the weight? Read on for her 10-point, extremely reasonable plan.
1. Be Realistic
While experts advise women against yo-yoing as much as Lakshmi’s work requires her to, the risks—such as slowing down your metabolism—are dramatically minimized because she doesn’t try dangerous cleanses or starvation diets to drop the weight, says New York City nutritionist Keri Gans, R.D. “It takes six weeks for me to gain the weight,” Lakshmi says. “And I know it will take two months to lose it. You have to be patient. You have to give yourself time.”
2. Remember: Food Should Always Be Pleasurable
Lakshmi believes in small indulgences, even when she’s trying to lose weight. “One of my favorite foods is fried chicken,” she says. “Do I eat it every day? No! It would clog my arteries and make me break out. But I can enjoy it one day, and then eat really healthy foods for the next few days. For me, there is absolutely no guilt in pleasure.” She loves food, whether it’s a juicy plum or a perfectly crisp french fry. While Lakshmi does nix most bread during her post-Top Chef plan, she refuses to go completely Hollywood and cut out all carbs. “I tried the Atkins diet once—after four hours I wanted to kill somebody,” she says. Instead she opts for whole grains and smaller portions of carbs like pasta and rice. “I don’t believe in anything too restrictive,” she says. Gans agrees: “Being too stringent leads to binges. Healthy weight loss doesn’t mean giving up foods we love. I tell clients who love chocolate to have a dark chocolate Hershey’s Kiss every day. It satisfies that urge, and then they don’t feel the need to overdo it.”
3. Have Breakfast as Soon as You Get Up
“You want to jump-start your metabolism right away—eat within the first hour of waking up,” says Lakshmi. “I would never be able to get through my workout without fuel in my tank.” A typical breakfast during her slim-down: egg whites, a piece of toast and two scoops of cottage cheese. Women who eat a low-fat morning meal packed with protein and some whole-grain carbohydrates like Lakshmi’s lose weight quicker—and may keep it off better—than those who eat smaller low-carb or low-protein morning meals, a study found.
4. Cut Back on Alcohol
No one’s saying you should nix booze during the holidays, but after New Year’s, you may want to consider it. Lakshmi eliminates most alcohol once Top Chef stops, and many experts recommend teetotaling while trying to drop pounds because the calories—anywhere from 100 for a glass of wine to more than 600 for a jumbo mar-garita—add up fast. But Lakshmi doesn’t completely deny herself. “If I am really dieting, I will not have more than one drink per week. I may have a glass of wine, but honestly I prefer champagne!”
5. Eat Two Small Snacks a Day
Lakshmi is too busy to go hungry: “You don’t want to be so ravenous that you get a headache. If you want to starve yourself and lie in bed all day and just drink Tabasco and lemon water, that’s fine,” she says, referring to the cleansing crazes some celebs swear by, “but [I need] energy!” So in addition to three moderate meals, have one or two healthy snacks. Lakshmi grabs one when she comes home from the gym—often nonfat fruit yogurt or a green apple with low-fat peanut butter. (Another favorite: grapefruit with honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.) Aside from simply making your life more pleasant, eating low-calorie meals and snacks throughout the day keeps your metabolism running on high so you keep burning calories, explains Gans.
6. Cook at Home Most Days
It’s hard to do in party-filled December, but eating at home is a smart weight-loss tool year-round: Restaurant dishes usually have more calories and fat than what you make yourself. People often say they don’t have the time to cook at home, but “what they don’t realize is that it can actually take longer to order delivery or go pick up takeout than it does to cook,” says Lakshmi. To make things easier—and faster—during the busy workweek, she does most of her chopping and prep on weekends. “I cut up my vegetables and put them in Tupperware in the refrigerator so that when I’m cooking during the week, I don’t have to sit and chop onions and bell peppers and peel garlic. They’re all ready to go,” she says. “I put the Tupperware right by the stove and just grab what I need.” Sometimes she’ll bake chicken and hard-boil eggs, too. “I take the chicken off the bone, shred it and put it in a container,” she says. “Then when I come home starving, all I have to do is fill a bowl with spinach leaves, shredded chicken, chopped-up boiled eggs—it’s like a salad bar in my fridge.” She believes in the physical aspect of cooking as well. “Instead of watching TV, waiting for your food to come, you’re actually moving [when you cook],” she says. “My aunt had the best arms in the world, and she never stepped inside a gym.”
7. Use Spices!
Another one of Lakshmi’s weight-loss weapons is flavor. “I add a lot of spices to my food,” she says. “You want to feel like you’re eating a wonderful meal—not something bland or spartan.” Lakshmi loves cayenne, ginger, sumac and thyme.
8. Go Heavy on the Veggies
Lakshmi has learned to pile her plate with low-calorie, high-volume foods like vegetables, fruits and lentils. “I have a big appetite,” she says. “So I want a big portion of food—otherwise, I will not do well.” The fiber from all of those plant foods takes longer to chew and digest than most processed foods; that extra time allows your stomach to fill up so you feel fuller. Fiber also triggers the release of chole-cystokinin, a hormone that makes you feel satisfied, so you may end up eating less later on.
9. Go for Single-Serving Sweets
Lakshmi sometimes has a little something after dinner too: “I’m not a big dessert person, but I do like something sweet, so I eat these delicious ice-cream sandwiches that are only 150 calories and have hardly any fat.” They’re built-in portion control, so you can’t go overboard.
10. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!
Top Chef filming days start as early as 5:00 A.M. and can last into the night, leaving Lakshmi no time to work out. But after the show wraps, she makes up for it with weights, boxing and running stairs for an hour and a half six days a week. Her plan is tough and no doubt helps speed her weight loss, but even 30 or 45 minutes of cardio, like jogging, three to five days a week will help most women drop pounds, says Gans. “Adding a couple of hours a week of sweating is going to help blast fat.”
Next: Your holiday food survival guide>>
Your Holiday Food Survival Guide
Get through December without any regrets! Lakshmi’s tasty plan can help you take off holiday weight. How can you gain a little less in the first place? Five (nonpunishing) strategies from New York City nutritionist Keri Gans, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association:
Choose What You Really Crave
At a party buffet or holiday dinner, survey all the offerings before serving yourself. “What usually happens is that you just start plopping things on your plate—Caesar salad, a few shrimp, some creamy potato dish,” says Gans. “But then you see mac and cheese and steak, which is what you really want, so you add that on. Pretty soon your plate is piled way too high.” Look things over, then have a reasonable portion of the one or two things that really entice you.
Always Have a Pre-Party Snack
“My clients are petrified to do this—they want to ‘save up’ all their calories for the good food at a party. But showing up to an event hungry backfires!” says Gans. “Have yogurt and a piece of fruit before and you’ll be less likely to overeat.”
Say No to Doggie Bags
“Everyone needs to learn the words ‘no, thank you’ this time of year,” says Gans. You don’t have to try the cookies your coworker made if you don’t truly want to, and you don’t have to take home leftovers. “When people take leftovers, they feel like they must eat them or it’s wasteful,” she says. “Many holiday foods are rich, so if you have them again and again, instead of once at Grandma’s house, the calories add up.”
Nix the Guilt
“If you do overindulge, just accept it and move on. It’s like that saying ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,’” says Gans. “I tell my clients that what happens at a party stays at a party and doesn’t have to turn into a punishing starve the next day.”
Make Time for Exercise
“A lot of us don’t work out because we’re so busy during the holidays, but that makes things worse,” says Gans. “Exercise relieves stress; if you skip it, what does your outlet become? More food! If you move less you feel sluggish, but this is a time when you want to feel great!” Even going for a brisk lunchtime walk three days a week (while shopping, perhaps?) can help.
Next: Padma’s favorite holiday recipes>>
Healthy Holiday Side: Padma’s Roasted Potatoes
- 11/2 lbs. small new potatoes
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/8 tsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- A pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt, ground
In a deep saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the potatoes and, as soon as you can handle them, cut them into quarters. Lay the potatoes in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. In a bowl, whisk together oil, rosemary, sugar, balsamic vinegar and cayenne (if using). Drizzle this dressing over the potatoes so they are well-covered; sprinkle with salt. You can gently stir the potatoes a bit to distribute the sauce, but be careful not to break them. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
Healthy Holiday Side: Padma’s Coconut Green Beans
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds
- 2 tbsp. cashew pieces
- 4 whole dried red chilies
- 11/2 lbs. green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- Salt, to taste
Glamour testers raved about this dish. The how-to: Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add mustard seeds. When the seeds start to crackle, add cashews and chilies. Once the cashews are toasted, add green beans and stir. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add coconut and salt. Cook another 8 to 10 minutes while stirring. When green beans are cooked through but still crisp, remove from heat. Serves 4 to 6.
Padma’s Bali Baked Fish
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. red snapper fillets
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 onion, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp. chopped gingerroot
- 1 tbsp. tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp. Oriental sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 to 2 tbsp. water
- Fresh lemon juice, to taste
- 3 tbsp. minced fresh mint, or to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pat dry the fish fillets, season with salt and pepper and arrange in a shallow baking dish. In a blender or food processor, combine the onion, garlic, gingerroot, tamarind paste, sesame oil, cumin, salt to taste and 1 tbsp. water and blend until smooth. (If mixture is difficult to blend because it is too thick, add second tbsp. of water.) Pour mixture over fish, coating both sides. Cover with foil and bake fish for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake about 5 minutes more or until it flakes easily with a fork. Transfer fillets to a serving dish, adding more salt if necessary, and drizzle with lemon juice. Garnish with mint.
REF: glamour.com
