New year, new body

1/4/2011

New year, new you? One would hope. As we swing into 2011, many of us are forced to think about the big picture -- and our big bodies. Yup, time to start dieting again. First step: Look to the celebs as a guide. Take Jennifer Hudson, who went from flab to fab as evidenced most recently on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve show. She credits Weight Watchers for bringing her from a size 16 to a size 6. "Being skinny, it's a job!'' the now svelte singer has said. "It's not easy."

You can hear other weight loss stories from stars when ABC News airs an hour-long special Primetime: Celebrity Weight Loss -- What Really Happens 10 p.m. Wednesday. The show features interviews with such scale specialists as Skinny Girl cookbook author Bettheny Frankel; fad diet queen Ricki Lake, who's staved off obesity for 15 years; and former Playmate-turned-reality star Kendra Wilkinson, who is still trying to burn off the baby weight.

More help comes in the form of the book The F Factor Diet, by the Miss Universe pageant's dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot, whose fans include Rachael Ray and Dylan Lauren. Zuckerbrot is all about the "F," as in fiber. She says that we just aren't eating enough of it (the American Dietetic Association recommends a person get 20 to 25 grams of the zero-calorie stuff a day and we get maybe 10). What's so great about fiber? Found in whole grain breads and cereals, beans and veggies, it's heaven for your digestive tract and best of all, fills you up. Hunger is not your friend.