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12 best celebrity bodies of the year and the inside scoop on what they ate, drank and did to get them

We’ve chosen our 12 best celebrity bodies of 2014. Here’s a look at the workouts and diets that helped them maintain their healthy, strong physiques 

1. MEL SYKES

Mel Sykes

Last October, the 44 year old TV presenter revealed to The Mirror that she has been working out with personal trainer Jermaine ­McCubbine for a few years. `I train for about three hours a week doing weights, boxing and core stability exercises and I swim about 30 lengths once or twice a week. I do the school run every day and I walk everywhere.`

There seems no down-time for the mother of two as she even works out on holiday. Last December she tweeted a bikini picture of herself on holiday, saying `Been eating well, swimming, no booze and training in my hotel room.  #noexcuses #holiday

mel sykes
The tweeted pic showing of her toned body

After three weeks in the jungle, the I’m A Celebrity finalist lost a stone and wasn’t impressed with her skinny frame telling The Mail Online on 8th December, ‘I didn’t realise how thin I got, it’s not nice. I don’t look good naked.’ We love a woman who prefers to be strong and healthy.

2. ELLIE GOULDING

Ellie Goulding

The Burn singer may be known for selling millions of records worldwide but Goulding claims she would be a `personal trainer` if it wasn’t for singing. With four marathons behind her and her own design for Nike trainer, she’s an obvious lover of jogging, often spotted doing six mile runs.

The 27 year old self-confessed endorphin addict told Shape magazine on April 13th this year that `The thrill of running is purely physical. I love the idea of my body being how it should be—in shape, active, and able to deliver’.  We couldn’t agree more with her philosophy, and it seems neither could Nike, as they made the British fitness fanatic the face of their new Just Do It campaign in October this year. Check out the video here.

She added: `The more I train and see muscle definition, the more inspired I am to push myself harder. I see myself as an athletic girl, I don’t really care if my weight fluctuates as long as I’m fit.` 

But, she doesn’t stop at jogging, telling News.com earlier in March that she mixes up her work-out with `boxing, yoga, gymnastics and a lot of intense cardio workouts, too.`

It’s not difficult to see why she’s in our top 12.

3. JILLIAN MICHAELS

Jillian Michaels

Okay, so she isn’t exactly a star of the silver screen or wildly successful singer but we couldn’t leave out Jillian Michaels from our list.

The 40 year old fitness coach of 20 years inspires and helps millions of people lose weight and tone up with best-selling fitness books and DVD’s, with Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred [DVD] being one of the most renowned.

The Muay Thai and Akarui-Do black-belt holder certainly knows her stuff and provides high intensity cardio and strength training circuits that help shed pounds, tone up and increase endurance. Her success in unquestionable, proven with an astonishing 1.6 million visits to her site every month. Within the first year of releasing The Jillian Michaels Showa free iTunes podcast where Michaels uploads weekly podcasts, she was awarded the iTunes Rewind award.

Healthista Anna Magee (a big fan) tried Michaels’ most recent 45 minute Jillian Michaels – Hard Body – UK PAL workout DVD and was swearing within 15 minutes due to how difficult it was. Expect no mercy.

 

4. JENNIFER ANISTON 

Jennifer Aniston

Apart from her infamous `Rachel` hairstyle and being Brad Pitt’s ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston is known for her healthy and svelte physique.

In May 2012, Jennifer Aniston told InStyle UK about her hectic workout schedule: `I do 40 minutes of cardio: spinning, running, the elliptical, or a combination. Then I do Pilates one day a week and yoga three days a week.`

The Friends star also revealed that she used to take: `eight pound weights with me whenever I’m staying in a hotel` so she could do arm exercises whilt watching TV and would also stretch and `throw in a couple of sit-ups` before sleep.’

In the January issue of Women’s Health this year, Aniston stated `I love cycling, I love yoga and I recently started doing barre method—which is painful and hard. Variety is the key for me.`

However, she also admitted that due to a knee injury she `went from being a crazy workout girl to sort of saying, `My body wants a little bit a of break.` So I kind of stay with more simple stuff and taking walks and not being neurotic about working out and eating right in the last year and a half. I started to enjoy life a little bit more.`

The fiancee of Justin Theroux stocks up on frozen red grapes for a healthy snack, stating `they’re really easy and delicious.`

At 45 years old, Aniston feels more comfortable in her body now than ever before, telling The Mirror’s 3am on November 28th 2014 that’s why she’s not embarrassed to do raunchier scenes stating `I’m so much happier with how I feel about myself than I was when I was in my twenties or early thirties. Getting older, you get more comfortable in your own body and with who you are. Now, I think there’s just more of a freedom and a comfort.`

In her new upcoming film Cake Aniston goes completely make-up free and stated at the 2014 Deadline Contenders Panel held at Hollywood’s DGA Theatre that she felt `so fabulous, and so dreamy and empowering and liberating` without it. Go Jen.

5. ADRIANA LIMA

Adriana Lima 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - Runway

The Victoria’s Secret model keeps fit and toned by training with former middle-weight champion Michael Olajide Junior for 90 minutes at least twice a week.

The 33 year old told Vogue magazine earlier this year that `it’s the only exercise I do` and always takes care of her diet stating `everything starts with nutrition and what you eat.`

Boxing works your whole body and incorporates jumping rope which is amazing for burning calories,  strengthening the lower and upper body and increasing cardiovascular fitness.

Lima starts with ten minutes of complicated combinations of exercises such as shadow-boxing and jumping jacks. The Brazilian then moves onto a series of jumping rope techniques with complicated footwork for a full 30 minutes. Crikey.

The Brazilian knockout (get it?) then turns to the speed bag for ten minutes, throwing uppercuts, jabs and hooks followed by double-end bag work for another ten minutes. The high-intensity and rhythmic movements are brilliant for defining muscles in the arms and abs.

Lima will then spar with Olajide for 40 minutes and end the workout with bodyweight resistance and strength-training exercises.

You many be interested in Olajide’s book Sleekify: The Supercharged Bodyweight Workout Guaranteed to Get You Looking Runway Ready. If it means we can have a body like Lima’s then hell yeah.

6. FLEUR EAST

Fleur East

 

The 26 year old X Factor finalist not only vowed the UK with her voice but her body too.
The self-confessed `gym freak` told the Daily Mail’s Femail that she attends `five days a week.’ Wowzers.

What is her gym regime exactly? ‘I do body conditioning, spinning and yoga` she said. I’ll do intervals of running flat and then on incline on the treadmill for an hour. I find the running is amazing for my abs.` Well, just look at that picture.

`I do loads of squats with weights`she adds, which is how she got that toned and pert rear.

To keep hydrated, Fleur drinks coconut water `through the day – it’s  even better than water.’

Although Fleur doesn’t eat `white bread, white rice or cereal unless it’s porridge` she states that she `would never totally deny myself any specific type of food.`

The London born singer has healthy supplements every morning, taking `a dose of Baroca which gives an energy boost and is full of vitamin C.’

Fleur admitted to Women’s Health on the 13th October 2014 that she couldn’t afford her old personal trainer so she reverted to `DVDs like Insanity Fast & Furious 20-Minute Workout DVD and Jillian Michaels, (another fan), to incorporate different exercises to create her own workout.

She revealed her best workouts were the Mountain climbers, Press-ups, Planks, Squats with a barbell and Swiss ball pikes.

For a healthy snack, Fleur says she loves `mixed fruit and nuts. I always carry fruit around too – a pack of pineapple chunks or some fresh fruit.`

7. CAMERON DIAZ

Cameron Diaz

The Charlie’s Angel is renowned for her sporty and slim physique, even releasing The Body Book last year, introducing it as a `guide to maximizing your strength and endurance so that your body can take you everywhere you want to go in life’ – something we strongly agree with at Healthista.

The 42 year old blonde bombshell is inspired by other people working out, insisting ‘I love the gym. I love being around people who are sweaty and pushing themselves, Who are all focused on the same goals. I love being in a group like that.’

Like the above stars, Diaz also feels `better and stronger and more capable now than I did when I was twenty years old, because I’ve taken better care of myself in the last fifteen years than I did in the first twenty-six years of my life.` So, it seems there’s really no need to worry if you’re not where you want to be just yet.

She told The People in December last year that ‘Savory oatmeal is my favorite thing in the world,’ and normally adds `caramelized leeks, green vegetables and ponzu sauce.` We may have to add those ingredients to our next shopping list.

8. JENNIFER LOPEZ

2014 MTV Video Music Awards - Arrivals

The 45 year old is fronting the cover of Self magazine’s January 2015 issue flaunting her hard earned abs. Yes, 45 years old.

There’s no question that the mother of two looks incredible and Lopez puts it down to the healthy lifestyle she’s always had stating in Glamour UK earlier this year `I’ve worked out my whole life and I’ve been incredibly disciplined when I needed to be.`

You won’t find the Maid in Manhattan eating too much junk food either as she revealed `I’m not one to overindulge. It doesn’t make me feel good.`

The Jenny from the Block singer is pairing up with BodyLab, the health and fitness company, to create a new exercise and healthy program for women which focuses on healthy tips and advice, smoothies, recipes and calorie trackers.

Her trainer Tracey Anderson, who has trained Gywneth Paltrow and Madonna (to name a few), told Page six last year that Lopez does an hour’s workout everyday, split between cardio and muscle training. To maximise the effect `we change the workout every 10 workouts` so there’s no plateau effect meaning there will be optimum progress.

However, Lopez said `I still consider myself a dancer first and foremost` to Self magazine on December 15th this year. Dance is beneficial in many areas including increasing muscle tone, strength, stamina, flexibility and agility. We’ve all heard of how celebs lose weight and tone up on shows like Strictly Come Dancing and that’s for a few months- imagine your body after 45 years.

A survey of 1000 women on LeTote.com in December this year revealed Lopez as the top trend setter of 2014. Let’s see how she makes her mark next year.

9. SANDRA BULLOCK

Sandra Bullock

For the 2013 hit Gravity, Bullock turned to trainer Simone De La Rue, known for her Body by Simone: The 8-Week Total Body Makeover Plan  program, to create a gruelling regime that incorporated cardio, weight training, dance, yoga and Pilates to maximise tone and core strength.

During an interview at the Venice Film Festival last year, she revealed she had `pushed my body to the extreme` by doing 60 to 90 minute sessions six times a week. It definitely paid off.

The 50 year old told Vogue last year that she did, `a lot of Pilates, kick-boxing and weight training in L.A., and when I’m in Austin, I run or ride a bike` as a general workout.

Her organisational skills also come in handy as she reportedly told Instyle that she likes to plan her meal one week in advance to make sure she doesn’t fall off the healthy bandwagon.

10. ROSAMUND PIKE

Rosamund Pike

The 35 year old is a fan of boxing, telling W magazine in April this year `I have a fondness for difficulties` and trains with number five welterweight female boxer in the world, Holly Lawson. 

The Gone Girl star said that she worked out everyday for seven months in the lead up to the film. The pair did sparring sessions together daily incorporating different combinations at the Box ’N Burn gym in Santa Monica. 

In Vanity Fair’s June issue, she joked  that her healthy figure was probably why she got pregnant so quickly as she had `never been in such good shape.`

11. SCARLET JOHANSSEN

Scarlett Johansson

In The Mail Online  in April this year, the mother of one revealed that for five months before shooting Iron Man Two, she took sessions with trainer Bobby Strom for 90 minutes every day and stuck `to a kale-rich diet.`

`Boring` was the word the 30 year old used to describe her `5am work-outs and salad and chicken and a lot of kale and salmon` in an interview with Elle in March 2014. She also revealed that she’s `not a fan of cardio, I like lifting weights.`

On Sunday 14th December, the wife of Romain Dauriac, went on US presenter Barbara Walters show Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2014, where she said that she would sometimes do yoga and pilates but always reverted `to a good old-fashioned athletic, full-body workout. A lot of it is endurance, stability, and strength training. I like to work up a sweat.`

The Bafta winner’s determination leads to her svelte figure because although she enjoys going to the gym she has `days when I don’t want to go. Those are the days when you should go because then you stick to it.` The sexiest woman  of Esquire‘s 2006 and 2013 poll confessed `I don’t like my thighs, my midsection` proving she has insecurities just like the rest of us. Either way, we think you look fab Scarlett.

12. JENNIFER GARNER 

Jennifer Garner

Garner may be 42 years of age but that hasn’t stopped her from having a physique any 22 year old would be envious of.

The star shed an amazing 50 pounds for her role in the 2013 movie Dallas Buyers Club. This was down to a little help from personal trainer Valerie Waters, who the wife of Ben Affleck has been working out with for 15 years.

I start my day with Valerie Waters every day that I can. We’re not in a fancy gym, we’re just in a room in my home. We use 5 to 8 lb. weights, and do a little cardio’ she told SheKnows in 2012.

Last year, the Elektra star admitted to Allure she liked to mix up her fitness routine because apart form cardio, she’ll do `spin for a little while, and yoga.`

She maintains a healthy diet too and says she often cuts `carrots, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, lots of fresh vegetables` for the family to snack on around 3pm.

She revealed: `There were times I had to watch every calorie that went into my body` but now takes things in moderation. However, earlier in October this year, she confessed to radio host Ryan Seacrest tha she’s getting a little pudgy, and jokingly blamed her husband, saying: `There’s something about it: Whenever one of us has to be really good, the other one pudges up. I blame my pudginess on his strict and disciplined place in life. There’s something about it that just makes me like, ‘Well, I’m going to have a Bon Bon. I’m going to have ice cream.`  We can completely understand where she’s coming from.

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