Monday, July 2, 2012

Cupcakes and Butter, Blake, Paula and Nora


You may think that the end of TomKat’s sham marriage was the biggest celebrity news on Friday, but in my world, it was the fact that Blake Lively eats cupcakes and doesn’t workout. A distraught client sent this link to me with the question "is she lying or am I doing something wrong?”

The answer is yes, she is at least semi-lying and yes, despite your Foodtraining, you are doing some things wrong. Blake may love cupcakes but I can assure you she’s not subsisting on an all- Crumbs diet. Who knows? She may eat a cupcake a week. Her trainer was quoted as sating she eats oatmeal, berries, fish and veggies and she has a trainer so that contradicts the couch potato part. As to what you are doing wrong, first you’re around my height, so that makes you 5’2” ish? not 5’10” like Blake. Second, you’re not 24. That headline is annoying. She comes from a long line of skinny actresses who love to discuss how much they eat. Even if they eat a lot, I’d prefer they keep it to themselves. You would never hear them say "I do so little work and get paid so much" even though it's true, so why is it ok when it comes to weight? I loved when Kim Cattrall went on the record talking about the work it takes to stay in shape. As for Blake, the girl is beautiful but it’s only fair that she porks up after 30 and gets pimples or a yeast infection, from all the sugar, in the mean time.

And then there’s Paula, if you’d like to know what most of us earthlings would look like on the cupcake diet, look no further than Paula Deen BC. BC= before criticism that came when she went public with her diabetes and her position (getting millions of dollars) as a spokesperson for a diabetes drug.  In January, Paula downplayed the connection between food, weight and diabetes and stood by her recipes. People went nuts. Paula or her PR people got the message and here is slimmer Paula. She’s doing things differently now. Does this mean she’s going to modify her recipes? Of course not. She’s gone from Paula Deen doughnut queen to Paula Deen diabetes drug lord and now she’s a weight loss expert telling People magazine her “slimming secrets”. I’ll tell Paula a secret, she better not lose too much or she’ll be off of her meds and out of a spokesperson position, stay tuned.

This week also brought shocking news of Nora Ephron’s passing. I loved Nora’s movies, her books and just her good sense. I never knew how I’d answer that hypothetical dinner party question, you know “if you could have 3 people living or dead over to dinner…” but I now know Nora would be on my list. Since we were talking butter, I thought this Nora Ephron quote was apropos
Everybody dies, there’s no avoiding it and I do not believe for one second that butter is the cause of anyone’s death. Overeating may be, but not butter, please. I just feel bad for people who make that mistake. By the way the same thing is true of olive oil. What difference could it possibly make if there’s a little olive oil in your salad dressing? It does not take one day off your life.
And one from yesterday's Times
I don't think any day is worth living without thinking about what you're going to eat next at all times.

What are your thoughts on Blake, Paula, Nora (or TomKat), cupcakes or butter?

24 comments:

  1. Thanks for this wonderful post, Lauren! When I start blogging again I planned on writing a similar post, because I'm so sick of people telling me, "my friend can eat whatever she wants and not gain a pound". Not true! People exagerate/stretch the truth all the time, AND most of the time they are doing something else that you aren't aware of...like..smoking a pack of cigarettes a day and drinking a pot of coffee! HA! Plus, I like to hit home the fact that even if these people can "eat whatever they want", it doesn't mean they are healthy, and they certainly don't have a healthy glow!

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  2. Great, common-sense answer to the Blake Question! I too am doing things "wrong" sitting here at all of 5'3" and 36. Ugh. I did have a couple mini-cupcakes this weekend too! But I am balancing them out with a ton of water, exercise, and no cupcakes till next big life party!

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  3. was this the engagement party Cameo? "Big life parties" have different rules. Hope you're well. I am Refining (finally) this morning. Wish me luck.

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  4. very good points Gina. I say "they're gaining something" whether that's bad skin, poor sleep, bad digestion, cholesterol, mood swings etc. There's just no reason for mortals to feel poorly because life has rules.

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  5. I hadn't read that article, but I laughed out loud when you quoted her trainer. How convenient that she "doesn't work out" and yet has a trainer. Doesn't make any sense at all. . In every women's magazine, there seems to be an article about a starlet who eats cheeseburgers or fries or pizza or ice cream. It just makes me roll my eyes - not the fact that they eat junk, but the fact that the "news" takes on this "see? she's just like us! She eats junk food!" tone. It's just disingenuous.

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  6. From having a stick thin sister-in-law who literally ate CRAP 24/7 and in all honesty looked amazing (I swear), MAAYBE blake isn't completely dishonest. However, over the 6 years I've been with my hubby, my sister-in-law has gained a substantial amount of weight (15-20 lbs?) from eating said CRAP in the past year and a half. She is now 25 and has to watch what she eats and exercise (just like the rest of us). I hate to see what's going on in her insides though! She was also one who NEVER drank water and ate at fast food most of the week. Bleck. It catches up to everyone eventually...

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  7. Oh but I should add...she definitely controlled her portions. She also did not "pig out" on said CRAP either! She just never ate anything healthy!!

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  8. Your comments on Paula Deen made me laugh! Thanks for that. Hope she's tuned in.


    Love Nora Ephron and listened to a rebroadcast of Fresh Air interviewing her. She talked about food in that interview and how she had decided that she had more days behind her than in front of her, so she was going to eat really well. She said if a friend invited her to dine out at a restaurant that wasn't fabulous, she would say no, it wasn't worth eating.


    Cupcakes make the world go 'round. Well...cake in any form. I'm a bit of a cake fiend. I prefer it unfrosted because frosting is not cake and I'm pretty specific about my issues. Also, butter is the only thing in my house. No Promise or ICBINB or Parkay.


    Lastly, TomKat. Who saw that coming? :o

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  9. I have to find that interview, love Nora Ephron's food commentary.

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  10. Yep there are people with speedy metabolisms but I have cleat skin and don't when asked say dumb things like "never had to worry", part of the bragging about it bothers me most. And yes, the rules change. Sometimes it's early but 35+ everyone has to watch.

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  11. Interesting Stephanie, I don't always see as "she's just like us". I see it as "she's naturally perfect". Most of us may treat ourselves but then we have to see where the cheeseburger relocates...but yes, there is definitely a pattern. Poor trainer, he can't love Blake ignoring his time/effort.

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  12. "the girl is beautiful but it’s only fair that she porks up after
    30 and gets pimples or a yeast infection, from all the sugar, in the mean time."
    My favorite Foodtrainers quote of all time.

    I loved Nora Ephron. Heartburn, the novel, has the best recipes in it. And I'm OBSESSED with the TomKat story.

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  13. Andrea@WellnessNotesJuly 2, 2012 at 11:16 AM

    I just read your Kim Cattrall post, and it's interesting how many people had a problem with the word "diet." It's too bad it has gotten such a bad rap... I think it's a lot healthier if we can think of it as "the way we eat." I definitely appreciate it when an actress admits that it's not easy to stay in shape, especially as we are aging. It doesn't mean we have to go to extremes, but people will have to eat well and exercise (and more so each year...). There really are no "shortcuts"... I also like your reminder about the "insides." Eating well should really not only be about how we look, but about our health. And, yes, some people do manage to be "skinny" by not exercising, eating poorly, etc. But they are certainly not doing themselves any favors long term.

    I love Nora's work!

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  14. I think Blake is stunning...really just classy and gorgeous and I think she's a lucky girl to have Ryan by her side. Thus I can't say anything bad about her. Even if I don't believe her for one second...

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  15. I'm sorry if I called out one of your favorites. I think you can be classy and still fib.

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  16. funny andrea, I don't get the "don't say diet" mentality. If doesn't need to be an unhealthy diet or a fad diet. And yes, I always worry about the insides of skinny people, we all have arteries. Nora was the best.

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  17. glad you enjoyed that, fair is fair, right? Never read heartburn, should I?

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  18. Lisa_earlymorningrunJuly 2, 2012 at 6:38 PM

    Love this post. I get so annoyed when stick thin actresses claim they never work out yet eat what they want. I don't know where they got the idea that this is an admired trait. I know many more women, and men, who appreciate when actresses talk about the hard work they put in at the gym or running and how they watch what they eat. it's encouraging. Plus, these women get paid to look good. I don't know many people who have that luxury.


    Also, love the Nora Ephron quotes. Thanks for sharing!

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  19. Heartburn is both my favorite Nora Ephron book and movie. It's more subtle and quiet than her later works. Food plays a role in both pieces as well.

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  20. Love how you said "admired trait' almost reminds me of high school kids saying "all the cool kids...". Since when is unhealthy "cool"?

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  21. Oh, yes, I'd guess Blake is fibbing at least a little, although she may have a naturally speedy metabolism. As for Paula, I have honestly never seen her cooking show, but I did happen to see her on the cover of a magazine recently when I was at the grocery store and she was all slimmed down. Good for her, but I take the cynical side and guess that there's a "weight loss" book in the works for her, now ha she's a nutrition expert (insert sarcasm here.). Sad to hear about Nora's passing. I didn't know much abut her, but loved her movies.

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  22. oh my goodness, a weight loss book, that's so sneaky. We pay for her to fatten us up and then again for her "slimming secrets". Terrible.

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  23. Lauren, this post is brilliant and it made me laugh. I agree with you 100%. :)

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  24. thanks Ayala, some of this we have to laugh at, right?

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