Madison LeCroy’s Fat-Burning Food Rules, Say Dietitians

Madison LeCroy is looking good! The Southern Charm cast member recently did a 30-day clean eating plan and there's no denying the incredible results. She told Bravo, "I just started to feel really bad. I just said, 'This has got to stop, so I’m gonna make these foods and I’m gonna eat this kale salad and eat grilled chicken and broccoli four days a week, or whatever it was, and no alcohol for 14 days.' That kind of thing was very tough." While she "felt a lot better," she admitted, "It’s definitely been a struggle. I go back and forth. I’m good for a week and bad for a week." In addition, she enjoys working out and gives fans a glimpse of her exercise regime on Instagram. Here's what she did to help stay in shape. Read on to see 7 ways Madison LeCroy stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

1. Eliminates Alcohol

LeCroy told Bravo she's stopped drinking alcohol for 14 days as a way to help stay in shape. Bess Berger, RDN, PCOS dietitian and owner at NutritonbyBess.com says, "Limiting alcohol can help you maintain or lose weight. While there are health recommendations for alcohol or more specifically wine intake over the course of the week, most people who enjoy alcohol can easily go over recommended weekly allowances. Calories from alcohol add up often without us realizing it. If we enjoy mixed drinks, calories and sugar can add up even more easily. Recommendations for drinks per week are one per day for women and two per day for men. One drink counts as a twelve ounce beer, five ounces of wine, or a shot. In addition, alcohol slows one’s metabolism. As a PCOS dietitian I’ve watched women struggle to lose weight or get an edge on insulin resistance until they try to cut back or limit alcohol."

2. No Dairy

The salon owner turned reality star has revealed to Bravo that she stopped eating dairy during a 30-day clean eating plan. Dr. Steve Hruby, a Doctor of Chiropractic and founder at Kaizen Progressive Health explains, "Dairy products are high in unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol. They also contain lots of sugar. All of these factors can make it difficult to lose weight and stay in shape. When you avoid dairy, you automatically reduce your calorie intake. You also avoid eating foods that are high in unhealthy fats and cholesterol. This can help you lose weight and stay in shape. Dairy products also contain lots of sugar. Sugar is a major contributor to weight gain and obesity. When you avoid dairy, you automatically reduce your sugar intake. This can help you lose weight and stay in shape."

3. No Artificial Sugar

As part of the 30-day strict diet plan, LeCroy eliminated artificial sugar and according to Dr. Hruby, "Artificial sugar is a major contributor to weight gain and obesity. When you avoid artificial sugar, you automatically reduce your calorie intake. You also avoid eating foods that are high in sugar. This can help you lose weight and stay in shape. It also contributed to diabetes and other health problems. When you avoid artificial sugar, you automatically reduce your risk of developing these health problems. This can help you lose weight and stay in shape."

4. Running

LeCroy posted a quick video of her running on a treadmill to help maintain her toned figure and Robert Dodds, a Certified Personal Trainer, a fitness coach, and founder of nothingbarredfitness.com, a fitness coaching service for busy parents says, "Running helps you to stay fit because it works your cardiovascular system (your heart and lungs). Working your cardiovascular system helps it to become more efficient. Your heart will become stronger, and able to pump more blood with each beat. This means it doesn't have to beat as fast, so your resting heart rate will become slower. This is generally associated with high fitness levels. Your VO2 max will also increase as you become better at running. This means you can get more oxygen with one breath. Every cell in your body requires oxygen, so improving your VO2 max makes your lungs more efficient. You don't need to take as many breaths to get as much oxygen. Running may also help you to lose weight, but again the principle of energy/calorie balance must be adhered to. Running will result in you expending more energy (burning calories), but no amount of running will result in weight loss if you cancel it out by eating too much food (taking in more calories than you burn)."

5. Squats With Weights

In the same Insta video as mentioned above, the Southern Charm star shows off her strength by doing squats with heavy weights. "Squats with, or without, weights, will challenge the muscles in your lower body," says Dodds. "These include your glutes (buttocks), the quads and hamstrings in your thighs and muscles of your core (abs/obliques/lower back), though this is more the case when using weight. Working these muscles will help to develop them more. Combined with a relatively low body fat percentage, this will give the 'toned' appearance coveted by many people."

Although there's a hundred trendy diets out there and products that promise miracle cures that "melt fat"—especially on celebrities' Instagram accounts—the following famous women have found techniques that help them shed pounds that don't rely on gimmicks or the latest fads. They just work, pure and simple. And the best part is anyone can do them! CelebWell spoke with experts who revealed why these six ways could help you star in shape. Read on to see all 6—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

1. HIIT Training

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Molly Sims stays fit by doing HIIT Training. She stated on her blog, "I used to be that girl who wouldn't pick up the 2-lb weights at SoulCycle with the fear that I'd bulk. That mentality has shifted drastically." Marius Varzaru, a registered dietitian and personal trainer with Strenthgang, explains why it's so effective. "High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a cardio training technique in which phases of high-intensity exercise are alternated with low-intensity phases," he says. "Generally, a training session lasts less than 30 minutes, and each exercise is performed between 20-90 seconds. HIIT increases the thermogenic effect in your body, which increases the length of time your body burns calories during the day. So with just under 30 minutes of work per day, your body keeps burning more calories than usual for hours to come. Furthermore, many of the exercises that make up the foundation of a HIIT workout use all the major muscle groups in your body. This is why, in some cases, HIIT was associated with muscle mass gain, and an effective way to stay in shape."

"So in Molly Sims' case," he continues, "HIIT cardio is a time efficient way to burn fat and also work all the major muscle groups, to the extent where she keeps looking fit year round."Adds Latonya Fore MSN, APRN-CNP and obesity and weight management specialist: "HIIT or high intensity interval training involves repeated bouts of high intensity or 'all out' workout followed by recovery. You perform a high intensity exercise, like a running sprint for 60 seconds followed by a 60 second recovery. Then you repeat the cycle for 8 to 10 repetitions. HIIT not only improves your aerobic and anaerobic performance but it also improves your insulin sensitivity, which is key to weight loss. HIIT also increases post exercise metabolism, which means you continue to burn fat after the exercise is complete."

2. Apple Vinegar and Lemon Water

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Spice Girl Victoria Beckham starts her day off with apple vinegar and lemon water. "First thing I do every morning is… 2 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar," Beckham revealed on her Instagram story. "Followed by… fresh lemon squeezed into boiling water." Fore says, "The research is inconclusive regarding the benefits of apple cider vinegar for weight loss and maintenance. There are some studies that show apple cider vinegar may reduce total cholesterol and fasting glucose levels. The acidity of the apple cider vinegar and lemon can cause slight nausea after in the morning, which may help control the appetite and cravings later in the day. Starting the day with a protein and complex carbohydrate, like a greek yogurt and granola, would also control the appetite and cravings, without the bitter taste." Just don't skip the water part—lemon-flavored or otherwise, it's an essential key to staying your healthiest.

3. Lunges

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Julianne Hough, 33, always looks amazing and one way she maintains that killer body is by doing lunges. The pro dancer shared an Instagram video of a workout that included lunges and Fore states, "Lunges or lunging is a form of resistance training. Resistance training also raises your resting metabolic rate so you continue to burn fat after the workout. You can perform this exercise using your body weight alone or with dumbbells. What makes lunges so great is because this exercise uses several muscle groups including the quadriceps (thighs), gluteus maximus (buttocks), hamstrings, and the core."

4. Intermittent Fasting

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Brooke Burke, 50, has always been into health and fitness, and it shows! The TV host and fitness guru spoke to CelebWell in September, 2021 and revealed how she likes to do intermittent fasting. "I intermittently fast most every day," she told us. "I give myself a resting window of 16 hours, and I eat in an eight-hour window. It's 1:30p right now and I'm breaking my fast. I'm having a shake which is high in calories and in fat, which is totally okay. It has protein, matcha, MCT oil, dates, almond butter, one Tru Niagen stickpack, collagen powder, and cinnamon." Jordan Trinagel, a Licensed Occupational therapist and online health coach states, "Intermittent fasting has been used in ancient healing ayurvedic medicine for decades and has been shown to; let the digestive system rest, detoxify it, and restore and reset the body's systems and improve overall function. A common breakdown is to fast for 14-16 hours and then eat for a period of 8-10 hours, however it is recommended to consult a doctor and not sustain fasting for an extended period of time."

5. High Protein Diet

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Rebel Wilson has lost 77 pounds and credits one of the ways she lost so much weight to a high protein diet. The Pitch Perfect actress told People, “Before I was probably eating 3,000 calories most days, and because they were normally carbs, I would still be hungry,” the star said. “So, I've really changed to eating a high-protein diet, which is challenging because I didn't used to eat a lot of meat. I eat fish, salmon, and chicken breast.” Trinagel says, "Studies show that a high protein diet can help with weight loss because it decreases the hormone ghrelin, which makes you hungry. Protein is broken down into building blocks called amino acids which can be categorized as essential and non-essential. They are called essential because you can only get them through your diet, non-essential meaning that your body can make them on its own. So, it is suggested that at least 30% of calories should come from protein to help you lose weight. Also, protein builds muscle and the more muscle you have the more effective your body is at shedding fat."

6. Eating Veggies

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One way Elizabeth Hurley keeps her figure is by eating veggies. The 56-year-old told the U.K 's Sunday Times, "I think one of the most transformative things that I've done is making 50 percent of what I eat vegetable matter....If you have a slice of toast for breakfast, have an apple too. Counteract everything with vegetables." According to Trinagel, "fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, nutrients and minerals and have been associated with lower oxidative stress and inflammation which can counteract insulin resistance. Insulin resistance or sensitivity make it difficult for your body to convert glucose into usable energy and negatively impacts blood sugar levels leaving you with stubborn fat."