Her preparation for this role began a year before shooting the movie. Her gruelling schedule included a weight loss plan and an extreme fitness plan.
At 5ft 3ins Natalie is a rather petite actress, and for the role as Nina she had to lose 20 Ibs! It is known that Natalie Portman has always led a very healthy lifestyle, keeping active and has been a vegan since 2009.
Natalie’s fitness plan included up to eight hours a day of ballet, cross training and swimming. Extreme to say the least.
Her diet plan was strict and the only thing that got her through her gruelling days was large helpings of self discipline.
Natalie is an actress and to make the part work, she HAD to follow a strict and a somewhat overwhelming diet and exercise regime which would have taken its toll on her physically and emotionally.
After all…a woman cannot live on carrots and almonds alone!
As Natalie said in Vogue’s January 2011 edition:
“I swear, I eat. I ate a bagel an hour ago. I consume my own weight in hummus every day. I cook a lot, and I even do vegan baking. I like pleasure, I like joy. I’d never get to the point where I would starve or injure myself like Nina does.”
Eating a balanced, nourishing diet and following a regular workout routine is vital for every individual’s good health and wellbeing.
With our lives being so hectic these days it can be difficult to achieve your health and fitness goals but with a bit of belief in yourself and the right guidance you too can achieve the body that you have longed for without going to such extreme measures as Natalie has done for her role in "The Black Swan".
Firstly you must start off with taking a long hard look at our lifestyle and what needs to change. Your nutrition is a great way to start; cutting out all processed foods and instead eat foods that are in their natural state. Choose foods that are fresh and wholesome that, if kept over a certain amount of days will eventually go bad because there are no chemicals or pesticides on the foods that make them last for weeks on end.
Keeping active is important too but you don’t have to workout everyday for up to 8 hours.
Do some Metabolic Circuit Training 3 x each week with a couple of Interval training sessions thrown in and you’d not only have fun but also take any excess body fat off pretty quickly.
Exercise should be fun and enjoyable not extreme and painful. That also applies to your nutrition plan.
You should enjoy your foods and also experience other foods on a regular basis that you’ve never tried. Food keeps you alive, get the balance right and it can help you live your life to the fullest.
Never restrict your food intake to the extreme that is a physical recipe for disaster. Focus on a healthy realistic lifestyle that you can follow every day. Food and diet should be really simple (natural, fresh, organic), easy to follow and enjoyable...nothing less, nothing more.
The only thing you should ever do to the extreme is ‘extreme sports’, leave the restrictive diets and the obsessive workout regimes to the actors!
Stay active, eat well and keep it real.
On that note I wish Natalie lots of luck for the coming awards and wish you continued success on your daily journey to a healthier you.
Stay fit, keep focused and feel fabulous!
Steph.
Author, The Flat Stomach Solution
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