Lifestyle Blog

Once upon a time, the plot of yet-to-be-released children’s book Maggie Goes on a Diet sparked great controversy among parents and experts.

New weight loss studies pop up every day. But here’s a different take on the same old story. It’s not the food you eat, but rather how many times you chew each bite of it.

If losing weight was a simple math equation, skipping breakfast and the calories that go along with it would be a great way to slim down. However, not eating a morning meal has actually been proven to have the opposite effect on your waistline.

Fitness expert and author of “No Gym Required,” Jennifer Cohen, stopped by “Today’s” fourth hour Wednesday to give Kathie Lee and Hoda the skinny on at-home exercises that will slim any body shape.

In a commercial promoting Jenny Craig, Carrie Fisher says, “As your weight decreases your confidence increases.” Likewise Jennifer Hudson’s dramatic weight loss – she went from a size 16 to a size 6 on Weight Watchers – inspired her to sing “It’s a New Day.”

Fad diets are nothing new. Rumor has it Beyonce dropped 20 pounds by drinking a mixture of homemade lemonade, maple syrup, water and cayenne pepper. Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston are said to have traded up to two meals a day for tiny jars of baby food to help keep their weight down. And while these trendy weight loss rituals may thrive in Hollywood, the most successful mainstream diet program is Jenny Craig.