Suzanne Somers' Fitness Secrets

(eDiets.com) - Suzanne Somers has an impressive acting resume, but it pales next to her greatest role... the role of respected diet and fitness expert.

Somers has come a long way from the days of playing ditzy blonde bombshell Chrissy Snow on Three's Company. The real Somers is the anti-Chrissy -- she's an intelligent, super-successful woman who’s well-versed in both nutrition and exercise.

She’s amassed an empire over the years, while serving as the spokesperson for several popular workout devices such as the Body Row. She’s also the author of 11 books, including Fast & Easy, The Sexy Years and Eat Great, Lose Weight. There are THREE more books in the works.

A frequent guest on the Home Shopping Network, Somers markets her own line of clothing, jewelry, appliances, beauty products and foods. More than 10 million men and women have turned to her for weight-loss direction.

Somers' legacy as a fitness guru has far surpassed her popularity as an actress. Her Somersizing philosophy is known coast to coast: helping people shed their extra pounds by balancing great foods with good nutrition. And she's not just the president... she’s a member, too!

Somers admits she's approaching 58. And why shouldn't she? The beauty retains a glow you'd associate more closely with a fit and firm 40-year-old. She insists she's never felt better.

Like many celebrities frequently on the lens side of a camera, she’s found her a virtual fountain of youth through healthy eating and regular exercise. But unlike the superstars who jump on the trendy diet bandwagon, Somers marches to the beat of her own drum. She's carved out an expanding niche in the weight loss market with her super-popular Somersizing program.

"Good health has been important to me most of my adult life," Somers tells eDiets. “I've always watched what I eat and always exercised... not fanatically on either counts. I just had some inner intelligence that if you don't use it, you'll lose it. I had a mother who felt very strongly about eating real food and exercising in a non-fanatical way. I think we are what we grow up with -- the good and the bad.

“That is key to all of us. If we grow up in an environment where lifestyle habits are bad, when we become adults it’s our job to fix and correct what we’ve been doing wrong, to fix our health both physically and emotionally.”

Somers has never been obese, but when she hit her early 40's, she realized she had to make changes. Her metabolism was changing but her habits weren’t, resulting in an extra 20 pounds around her hips. She admits there were times she tried to starve herself to get rid of that unflattering fat. But then she’d go back to her normal eating pattern and the weight would return.

She no longer needs to go to such extremes... not since developing her Somersizing eating regimen which promotes eating foods that are perfectly combined for the sake of better digestion. This translates to more effective weight loss.

Some mornings Somers enjoys whole grain cereal with non-fat milk and fresh fruit, and a cup of decaf. Other mornings, she’ll have bacon, eggs and whole grain toast. For lunch, she might have whole-grain pasta with marinara sauce and salad or chicken Caesar salad and vegetable soup. For dinner, she’ll dine on chicken piccata with some kind of wonderful sauce or steak and veggies tossed in butter with a small potato.

Somers says she eats well and she eats a lot. However, she does so while recognizing sugar as Public Enemy No. 1.

Somers practices what she preaches. She uses her SomerSweet product to sweeten her food. She says a thick midsection is usually indicative of elevated insulin levels, which can be caused by white flour, white rice, pasta, carrots, corn, potatoes and other foods that the body converts to insulin. Getting your sugar under control is a major factor in controlling your weight, she says.

Somers satisfies her sweet tooth with desserts made from SomerSweet, which she says can be used in place of sugar for almost any dessert. She’s quick to point out that the product tastes just like sugar, yet isn't loaded with chemicals.

“I eat real food," she notes. "You’d be surprised how many Americans rarely eat real food. I shop the periphery of the supermarket. Down the left-hand aisle there’s beef, chicken and fish. Across the top, there is dairy. Down the right-side there are vegetables and fruits. I shop from those three areas. All are real foods. I do my best to avoid preservatives.

"I eat a lot of food, three meals a day plus a few snacks in between. I don't eat any sugar and I don't eat anything that my body converts to sugar. But I do have a diet balanced in fat, protein and carbohydrates.

“I have all these people on Somersize who love it. It’s so balanced. The weight stays off and they’re eating great foods. They can eat butter, cream, sour cream and full-fat cream cheese.”

A well-rounded lifestyle also requires regular exercise. Somers doesn't go to the gym or rely on a personal trainer to help her stay in shape. She rides her bike. She walks up and down the stairs to and from the beach 20 times a day. She uses her body row machine and ultra track for 20 minutes each. She also exercises outside so she’s exposed to plenty of fresh air.

“I do 45 minutes three or four times a week," she says. "When I don't do it, I'm mad at myself all day. I don't feel as good and my system doesn't work as well. When you exercise, your brain works better, your system works better, your elimination works better.”

Good health is important, but Somers has no desire to ever be stick-thin. In fact, she likes to keep "a little meat" on her bones. She strives to maintain a weight that is not normal for her body. At 57, she’s still making all the right moves and her choices continue to pay off in good health.

“I always thought 57 was so old,” Somers muses. “But when I got there it doesn't seem old at all. I realize a lifetime of eating well and exercising pays off. You get to look good at 57 and if I keep this up I’ll look good at 67.

"Looking good means you're healthy internally and radiating on the outside. People respond to skin texture and shiny hair and clear eyes and good nails. All of that reflects inner health. That is really my focus -- keeping myself healthy internally so that it manifests on the external.”

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