7 Weight Loss Tricks From Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is 77 and thriving. The iconic actress beloved for her roles in Annie Hall, The Godfather and many more is still working out, staying fit, and focusing on how to make her life better. "I've had a lot of independence, and nobody's telling me what to do," she says. "I had a mother who encouraged that and helped me achieve the things I wanted to achieve. I've followed the paths I've wanted to follow. I like redoing houses, I like architecture, I like visuals, I like fashion, I like all of it." Here are 7 ways Keaton takes care of her body and her mind. 

Keaton takes spin classes, and admits they can be challenging. "It's rough," she says. "But at least I'm there. I'm sweating. I think the key here is that you don't have to be like everybody else. Just do it. Do it the best you can do it. I know in spin class that for 45 minutes, I'm using my body to its fullest. And that's big."

Keaton follows a mostly plant-based diet. "I don't eat meat, I'm a vegetarian and I've been a vegetarian for 25 years and I've stopped even eating fish," she says. "I stopped five years ago. I don't want to eat something that was an animal. It's nuts. I think I eat pretty good, I drink red wine, I want to stay healthy, I want to stay active, I want to work, I want to keep in the world of the world, I want to participate, be a member."

Keaton makes sure to get her cardio in whenever possible by what she calls "fast walking".  "I exercise," she says. "I get on the treadmill by myself at home. I walk all the time, I walk my dog, I do all that." But she doesn't run. "I'll walk really fast to break a sweat," she says. "One thing is for sure – I don't run. It's too hard. But the fast walking does give me a lot of energy to face the day."

Keaton doesn't eat meat. "I'm a vegetarian now. I don't eat meat or fish. I eat eggs and cheese," she says. "And I do watch what I eat." Her favorite snacks? "I enjoy a raisin," she says. "Raisins are good for you and they smell great. [Almonds are my] favorite nut in the world. It's salty and there's nothing like it. I don't like [walnuts] as much, but it's probably healthier for you.

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Keaton enjoys black coffee every day before taking plenty of supplements. "I get up early, around 6 a.m," she says. "And then in the remarkable, wonderful mess of life, I go and get coffee. Plain old black coffee. I take the dog, who sleeps with me on top of my bed—she's a golden retriever and her name is Reggie and she takes up a good portion of the bed—on a walk in the darkness. We walk around the neighborhood; we really enjoy that."

Keaton believes healthy habits are more effective than cosmetic surgery. "Of course I'm going to do the best I can. Given the circumstances. I exercise — I really enjoy my treadmill," she says. "My hair is now white. It's better to have light around your face — I think it looks better on older people. Darker hair is not as softening… My feeling is that [with cosmetic surgery] everybody has their hands and their hands are always at the face, so if the hands don't match the face it's a little weird. My hands are the hands of the age I am. They've been through a lot and they look like it!"

Keaton has learned to appreciate her looks over the years. "The other day I was looking at trees, and all my life I've said I never like sycamores. Well, guess what, I love sycamores now. I love looking at them! All these things are reawakened by the fact that the more you change, the more you see differently," she says. "And the more you see differently, the more you're open to different kinds of beauty. I think the more we embrace what our own feelings about beauty are, the more fun it's going to be for us as we go along."