So how exactly do you get sleek enough to don a leather catsuit? Unlike their feline counterparts, starlets Scarlett Johansson and Anne Hathaway did not follow a carnivore diet to prepare for their sexy summer superhero roles. Instead, the key was LOTS and LOTS of veggies and frequent meals – about six meals per day!
CATWOMAN, ANNE HATHAWAY
According to Shape Magazine, for her role as Catwoman in Dark Knight Rises vegetarian actress Anne Hathaway followed a diet of whole grains, dark leafy greens, red and orange veggies high in antioxidants, seeds, nuts and other vegetarian protein sources.
Hathaway’s training program included 5 days per week of stunt training and dancing to build strength and flexibility. To keep fueled throughout the day, Hathaway ate every two to three hours, or about six times per day. Her nutritionist made sure she ate lots of vegetarian protein to help with muscle building, including tempeh (soy), Seitan (vegetarian ‘wheat meat’), power smoothies, egg whites and almonds.
BLACK WIDOW, SCARLETT JOHANSSON
For her part as Black Widow in the Avengers, Scarlett Johansson also followed a ‘mostly vegan’ diet, states her trainer in US Magazine. Like Anne Hathaway she also ate several small meals per day, focusing on fresh fruits and veggies, lots of salads, oatmeal and lean proteins. “You have to eat a really clean diet, a lot of kale and salmon,” says Johansson on SheKnows.com.
Johansson’s training consisted of circuit workouts and running intervals to prepare her for stunt and combat scenes. Her strength training included dumbbells, resistance bands, medicine balls and TRX.
PURR-FECTLY HEALTHY PROTEIN SOURCES
While we don’t necessarily recommend an all-vegetarian diet, one thing we know is true. Veggies provide great fuel and help you slim down. They contain tons fiber to keep you full, and are packed with nutrients that help keep your energy levels high and your body primed for a great daily workout. Anne Hathaway’s nutritionist recommends ensuring that veggies make up about half of your plate at every meal. She also recommends increasing intake of fish and legumes (like beans and lentils) to increase fiber and fatty acids.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, be diligent to ensure you are getting enough protein. This can include high-protein grains like whole wheat, quinoa, or oatmeal. Beans, seeds, nuts and soy products are also great ways to get high-quality sources of protein in a strict vegetarian diet. If you do eat some animal proteins, include low-fat dairy products and eggs.
If you are not vegetarian, focus on lean meats including lots of fish and chicken breast. No matter what type of protein you eat, take the time to try new and interesting recipes to spice it up and keep it interesting!
POWER-PACKED PLANTS
If you know you need to get more veggies into your diet, as most of us do, invest a little energy in making them interesting so that you look forward to eating them. For salads that don’t grow old, spend time on Sundays chopping a wide variety of veggies and storing them in separate containers in your fridge. Be sure to include some dark leafy greens like kale and spinach. Throughout the week, you can grab different combinations of vegetables from the containers and top them with sunflower seeds, canned tuna, chicken breast, cottage cheese or hummus. Steamed or boiled broccoli (steam or boil for just a few minutes so they don’t get too mushy) with a little shredded cheese on top makes a tasty side dish. Baked yams or cooked carrots will fill you up, are fabulous antioxidants, and are great for satisfying a sweets craving.
If you’re looking for a great nutrition plan you can follow for the rest of your life, try out Athlean-XX for Women. This is NOT a diet plan and there’s nothing to count. In fact, the plan actually encourages you to eat, and eat more often. You can either follow our set meal plan or use our flexible guidelines to follow your own plan. Major tenets of the plan include eating lots of fresh veggies and fruits, including protein with every meal, and eating small meals frequently, 5 – 6 times per day. Like Scarlett Johansson’s workouts, our exercise plans consist of high-energy circuit training on most days, but for just 30 minutes or less each day! Give the Athlean-XX for Women Nutrition and Training Plan a try. We’ll get you catsuit ready in 90 days!