How to Lose Weight Fast with Madonna's Trainer Tracy Anderson

Madonna’s Trainer: How to Lose 20 Pounds in 6 Weeks

Thursday May 1, 2008

Two pounds a week is the typically advised weight loss, but pro Tracy Anderson says she has worked out a way to safely shed even faster!

“It’s perfectly healthy,” the former dancer, 33, tells Us of her plan. And the results of her regime speak for themselves in the super-fit physiques of clients Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna, not to mention her own transformation (the 5-foot mom dropped from 140 to 95 pounds).

“My formula works on everyone as long as they’re consistent,” says the trainer, who has a studio in L.A. She developed her signature strategy, to shape any body into a “teeny-tiny dancer type,” after testing 100 women for five years independently (because “the government isn’t going to fund seeing if you can get a Victoria’s Secret butt out of any woman!”).

The key, she says, is to constantly change the routine. Her students log six two-hour sessions weekly, dancing and hitting the Hybrid Body Reformer (a pulley-system machine available only in her studio, but not necessary to this plan). Promises Anderson, “You’ll keep the weight off!”

The Diet

This short-term diet “ensures you lose between 3 and 5 pounds a week,” says Anderson. The diet bans processed food, dairy and all spices (“They’re bloating and upset your digestive system, which causes you to store fat”), oil and sauces (“They’re just added calories”), discourages drinking alcohol or caffeine (sip 1.5 to 3 liters of water daily instead) and prescribes one serving of whole-grain carbs a day. Once you’re at your target weight, adopt a healthy but less restrictive diet.

Below are three weeks’ worth of menus. You can follow as is, or mix and match complete days’ menus to your liking.

WEEK ONE

Sunday

Breakfast

1 cup Kashi cereal, with ½ cup plain — or vanilla — nonfat rice milk

Lunch

3 oz grilled chicken breast — or fresh turkey breast (no deli meat!) — with ½ cup each of chopped cucumber and tomatoes

Snack

1 cup mixed berries (try raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)

Dinner

1 cup organic pasta with ½ cup steamed spinach

Monday

Breakfast

1 cup Kashi cereal, with ½ cup plain—or vanilla—nonfat rice milk

Lunch

2 hardboiled eggs with ½ cup each of baby carrots and cherry tomatoes

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled sea bass with ½ cup steamed spinach

Tuesday

Breakfast

1 cup steel-cut oatmeal made with water and ½ cup fresh blueberries

Lunch

3 oz grilled chicken breast — or fresh turkey breast (no deli meat!) — with ½ cup each of chopped cucumber and tomatoes

Snack

1 cup mixed berries (try raspberries, blueberries or red grapes)

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled salmon with ½ cup steamed broccoli

Wednesday

Breakfast

1 cup Kashi cereal, with ½ cup plain — or vanilla — nonfat rice milk

Lunch

½ cup each of fresh spinach, beet root, tomatoes and cucumbers, with 2 tsp tahini

Snack

1 snack cup of sugar-free Jell-O

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled chicken breast with ½ cup steamed spinach

Thursday

Breakfast

1 cup Kashi cereal, with ½ cup plain — or vanilla — nonfat rice milk

Lunch

2 hard-boiled eggs with 4 to 5 celery sticks and 4 to 5 carrot sticks

Dinner

1 cup penne pasta with ½ cup each of steamed spinach and chopped steamed tomatoes

Friday

Breakfast

1 cup Kashi cereal, with ½ cup plain — or vanilla — nonfat rice milk

Lunch

3 oz fresh turkey breast with ¼ cup each of cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts and beets, plus 1 slice whole-grain bread

Snack

1 cup fresh strawberries

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled sea bass with ½ cup steamed fresh green beans

Saturday

Breakfast

2 poached eggs with 3 slices veggie bacon

Lunch

1 whole-grain wrap with ¼ cup of chopped avocado and ½ cup each of chopped cucumber and tomatoes

Snack

10 to 15 red grapes

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled chicken breast with ½ cup steamed spinach

WEEK TWO

Sunday

Breakfast

2 poached eggs with 3 slices veggie bacon

Lunch

3 oz fresh turkey breast with ½ cup each of chopped cucumber and tomatoes

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled salmon with ½ cup steamed Brussels sprouts or ½ cup steamed spinach

Monday

Breakfast

1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk and one poached egg

Lunch

2 sushi rolls (about 10 pieces total) of your choice (none should include mayo, nor may you add soy sauce)

Snack

1 cup soy pudding

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled chicken breast with ½ cup steamed spinach

Tuesday

Breakfast

1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk and one poached egg

Lunch

2 celery stalks with 2 to 4 tsp almond butter

Dinner

3 to 5 oz fresh turkey breast with 1 sweet potato

Wednesday

Breakfast

1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk and one poached egg

Lunch

1 slice whole-grain toast with 2 slices veggie bacon with ½ cup each of tomatoes and spinach

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled sea bass with ½ cup steamed spinach

Thursday

Breakfast

1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk and 1 poached egg

Lunch

2 slices whole-grain bread with 3 oz fresh turkey, 2 slices of tomato, 3 to 4 slices of cucumber and romaine lettuce, and 2 tsp mustard

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled salmon with ½ cup steamed kale

Friday

Breakfast

1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk and 1 poached egg

Lunch

1 cup quinoa with ½ cup each of chopped parsley, spinach and tomatoes

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled chicken breast with ½ cup steamed spinach

Saturday

Breakfast

1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk and 1 poached egg

Lunch

2 slices whole-grain bread with 3 oz fresh turkey, 2 slices of tomato, 3 to 4 slices of cucumber and romaine lettuce, and 2 tsp mustard

Snack

1 snack cup of sugar-free Jell-O

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled salmon with ½ cup steamed cabbage

WEEK THREE

Sunday

Breakfast

1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk and 1 poached egg

Lunch

2 celery stalks with 2 to 4 tsp almond butter

Dinner

1 grilled chicken breast with ½ cup each of chopped cucumber and tomatoes

Monday

Breakfast

1 pumpkin spice Kashi bar with 1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk

Lunch

1 cup plain penne pasta with ½ cup steamed peas

Dinner

3 to 5 oz fresh turkey breast with ½ cup each of chopped spinach, cucumber and tomatoes

Tuesday

Breakfast

1 pumpkin spice Kashi bar with 1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk

Lunch

1 cup soy yogurt with 3 to 4 celery sticks

Snack

1 cup mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries)

Dinner

1 cup brown rice with 3 to 5 oz grilled chicken breast

Wednesday

Breakfast

1 pumpkin spice Kashi bar with 1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk

Lunch

3 oz chopped turkey with ½ cup each of chopped tomatoes, cucumber and spinach

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled salmon with ½ cup steamed kale

Thursday

Breakfast

1 pumpkin spice Kashi bar with 1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk

Lunch

2 hard boiled eggs with ½ cup each of baby carrots and cherry tomatoes

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled chicken breast with ½ cup steamed spinach

Friday

Breakfast

1 pumpkin spice Kashi bar with 1 cup vanilla — or plain — nonfat rice milk

Lunch

3 oz grilled chicken with ¼ cup of chopped avocado and ½ cup each of chopped cucumber and beets

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled salmon with ½ cup steamed spinach

Saturday

Breakfast

2 poached eggs and 1 slice whole-grain toast

Lunch

3 oz grilled chicken breast with ½ cup each of chopped cucumber and tomatoes

Snack

1 cup mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, red grapes)

Dinner

3 to 5 oz grilled sea bass with ½ cup steamed spinach

The Workout

While following this plan six times a week, use 3-pound weights, max. Anderson explains, “It’ll get you to your tiniest, tightest point without overdeveloping muscles.” Get video footage of the workout at tracyandersonmethod.com.

WEEK 1

Make a 20-minute iPod playlist and do a different cardio activity (treadmill sprints, jumping rope, running on a trampoline) for each song. Switching activities will keep any one group of muscles from bulking up. “You should be dripping sweat and taking very few breaks,” she advises.

Get crunching! Do these three moves on a mat:

1. Lie flat on back, legs straight, then bend legs and pull to chest, feeling exertion in abs (50 reps).

2. With legs at 90-degree angle, do 50 crunches.

3. Lie with legs straight, feet apart. As you slightly lift one foot, crunch straight up and down; return foot to floor and lift the other while crunching. Do 60 times, each side.



Tone Do 100 reps each, or 200 for moves that alternate sides:

1. With feet shoulder-width apart, hold arms out in a T and rotate palms from -facing floor to ceiling.

2. In same stance, bend one wrist and pull across body, arm straight, in a smacking motion across your body. Alternate arms.

3. Then, with arms straight behind you, palms to-gether, snap your wrists from side to side.

4. Hold a 3-pound weight above your head with elbow bent at a 90-degree angle. Then lift weight straight over head. Do all reps on one side, then switch arms.

5. With weight in hand, hold one arm out in a T, bend at elbow to cover eyes, then straighten, keeping arm lifted. Do all reps on one arm; switch.

6. Arm Raise: Using 3lb weights, stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly move arms together straight up into a V above your head. Elbows and wrists are bent slightly. Then gently lower your arms back down to your sides and without pausing go straight back up again. Work up to 100 reps.

7. Single arm overhead pulse: Using 3lb weights, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Raise one arm above your head with your elbow slightly bent and then straighten your arm completely over your head. Pulse like that, up and down. Work up to 100 reps on one side and then the other.

8. Do grand pliés: Stand with feet -shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out. With hands on hips and back straight, slowly bend knees until thighs are parallel to floor.

WEEKS 2–6

Increase cardio 10 minutes each week, so by week six, you’re up to 60 minutes daily, plus toning exercises.

Credit Article: Oodora & Weight Watchers

Credit: Photos Guardian UK