Dancing with the Stars alum Julianne Hough has promised she’s not going to subject herself to the extreme dieting that many brides-to-be engage in before they walk down the aisle. The 28-year-old, who got engaged to hockey player Brooks Laich in August of 2015, told People Magazine that on her big day she doesn’t “want to look different than what I look like normally.”
Julianne, who is a spokesperson for the new Fitbit Alta HR, also said “If I get super hot for my wedding day and I’m not afterwards, and I’m not before, then it’s like, ‘Who is this person marrying my fiancé?’ Or, ‘Who’s my fiancé marrying?’”
Prior to her wedding, which she said would be an intimate affair for close friends and family, Julianne confessed, “I’ll probably want to enjoy the night before, have like beer and a burger, stuff like that. This is my lifestyle, so I have cheat days, but if I have a cheat day, the next day I’m really good.” And, in addition to plugging breakfast, Julianne has won me over with her take on my favorite thing in the world, carbs. She told AOL that she has learned to “embrace carbs,” adding, “People are always like, ‘Carbs are your enemy!’ But now I’m like, ‘My enemy is my best friend!’ It’s so important to have carbs every single meal, in my opinion, which is something I never used to think.” I like the cut of your jib, Miss Hough. And I unashamedly love carbs.
As for the Fitbit, of which I have one and am obsessed with, Julianne said she liked the motivation the device offers and uses it to keep up with her Fitbit-wearing friends, including actress Nina Dobrev. Says Julianne, “It’s just fun to do all the competitions and stay connected. We always do our little things together and compare notes.”
Well, if you look at Julianne’s daily regime, which includes eating a sensible breakfast, switching up her daily workouts and getting a good night’s sleep, it’s no wonder that she doesn’t have to go on a pre-wedding diet to look her best. I know she’s a knockout, but she is right. I’ve been married twice and went through the restrictive eating and being miserable in order to get into that wedding dress. She’s definitely got the right idea.
Of course, that’s not to say that Julianne is able to cut loose and indulge in that pre-wedding tradition, the bachelorette party. The bride-to-be, partied over the weekend in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with her friends, including Nina, Riawna Capri and Lauren Paul.
While in Cabo, the ladies stayed in a modest $3,500-per-night six-bedroom villa overlooking the ocean, and took a trip on the Celebrity Equinox liner from Celebrity Cruises. The gals got in some eco-adventures like snorkeling, a helicopter tour and some zip-lining. If you went on a trip like that, you’d want to share with the world, and that’s exactly what the soon-to-be Mrs. Laich did, posting loads of pics on social media with hashtags like #BEACHelorette and #TheFinalHoughrrah.
The girls did everything you would probably do on a party weekend in Mexico – including doing shots, dancing the night away at nightclubs and cavorting on the beach, as well as some things I know I didn’t do, like yoga on the beach. The only exercise I did during my bachelorette party was the old 12-ounce curls. Mind you, I was in Orlando, not on a luxurious yacht in Mexico. Looks like they had a blast, and, yes, I am jealous. Of everything.
Photos: Getty Images, WENN.com
I read her daily food intake over on People, and it was only 1500 calories a day — that’s not enough food for a sedentary person of her height (around 1650~ needed), let alone someone who works out as much as she does. It was depressing.
The breakfast and lunch weren’t much, but I didn’t see her list a typical dinner. I also didn’t see many carbs there unless she’s counting avocado and tomato? As in not pure protein?
My other takeaway was, that’s often what it takes to have a body like hers. A very controlled diet with some cheats and a ton of exercise.
She doesn’t really have anything to cut for her wedding, unless she just stops eating or her dinners are super decadent or something.
My take is this: I have been reading the people mag ‘what I ate in a day’ for years and they are a) all women’s food diaries and b) nearly all of the diaries were around 1200 calories (for breakfats, lunch and dinner).
1200 calories is about what a 20 lb toddler eats, and also you would get 1200 calories or MORE than that in the hospital if you were in a coma. Let that sink in.
Imo the women in people mag lie about what they eat because we as a society are obsessed with controlling women’s bodies and looks. I think women lie because they don’t like to appear like they eat like a pig. I don’t know if Hough is lying or what.
So feminism, is it involved? Yes.
Women need more calories than men sometimes because of our menstrual cycles, which are hugely energy demanding. Periods use up sooo many calories – up to 3000 a day sometimes. You could possibly stop menstruating on 1500 calories a day.
Can post article references if anyone is interested.
Old article – Dalvit, Stephanie P. “The effect of the menstrual cycle on patterns of food intake.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 34, no. 9 (1981): 1811-1815.
Shows how all women eat more right before their period, and their weight stays the same, the extra calories go toward the energy demanded by the menstrual cycle.
That’s really interesting, I didn’t know it was quantified, but it makes sense. It takes energy to make new lining and new blood.
New research is suggesting it’s not just body fat % that causes amenorrhea in athletes, but also calorie restriction and previous history with inconsistent periods.
I’m looking forwards to more studies tailored to women, it seems there is more being published these days. It’s such a huge gap in our knowledge, and frankly, lazy science to exclude women due to hormone cycling.
I’m 5’1″ and weigh about 108 lbs and live a moderately active lifestyle. My recommended calorie intake to maintain my weight is 1217 calories. I don’t think it’s as cut and dry for everyone, including coma patients, because all of our needs are different. http://journals.lww.com/ejanaesthesiology/Fulltext/1998/01001/Parenteral_or_enteral_nutrition_in_the_comatose.66.aspx
Jennifer, if you read the study you posted it agrees with what I said and then actually advocates higher calories – for healing from brain and nervous system trauma.
It is true someone 5’1 may need a little less food than say a 5’9 person, maybe 500 calories less due to bone lengths.
However, the studies show that menstrual cycles and the uterus at certain points in the month need many, many calories to work right, and that a majority of women will have irregular periods or loss of their menstrual cycles on 1200 calories a day.
@detritus – yes, so true. Good point. Dieting history definitely matters.
There’s no way she’s eating less calories than her body needs. She’s incredibly fit.
Anon, I don’t think I’d go that far, but I guess it depends on the definition of ‘less calories than her body needs’. Needs to do what?
One of my childhood friends does Ironman competitions. She battles with ED and often goes weeks without eating more than 300-400 calories a day. She’s not well, but all her new friends tell her how hot and slim she is, and she’s very fit looking.
I guess my point is that being in sport doesn’t necessarily protect you from ED, or poor nutrition choices, and a fit looking body doesn’t necessarily mean healthy.
I imagine in the type of career Julianne has, looks are very important, and losing a small bit of performance so that you look the role would be a trade off many would make.
I don’t think Juliane is eating 300-400 calories a day. She is an athletic woman who clearly takes care of herself. If you guys wants to decide in your own minds that she has an eating disorder based on a snapshot of a healthy diet that added up to 1500 calorie a day, that’s your choice. I think it’s strange though. She’s only 5’3, which is the same height as me. I eat around 1400 calories a day usually and I certainly do not have an eating disorder.
I wouldn’t say she’s experiencing disordered eating either, and didn’t. We don’t really know because we don’t monitor her, and there’s more than a calorie count that determines that. The way her body looks isn’t an indication of her health, just that she’s restrictive in her calories. I’m just pointing out that looking fit, and training athletically, doesn’t mean she’s not experiencing ED, that’s a fallacy.
Different bodies need different amounts of calories. You can’t make sweeping statements and expect to be correct.
What she’s eating wouldn’t be my personal choice, but that was a 1 day snapshot. For someone her height, 1500 calories is fine, though I’m guessing that she eats every single bite offered her. This is what it takes to have such a low body fat (which Julianne has). It’s fine, though difficult and not many folks would choose to do it.
+1 not everyone needs 2,000 calories. To maintain my body weight (bmi 20) I also do 1500/day. I’m not starving myself and I also exercise daily. My sisters natural bmi is 18ish or less. She eats more than me, faster metabolism. Also not starving. We’re all set up differently with different caloric needs.
Yes, I saw her typical daily meal in People as well – just over 1,500 calories and no carbs to speak of except for the sugar on the four chocolate-covered almonds she eats for desert at night. She is a professional dancer who gets hours and hours of exercise per day. That is a starvation diet.
No, she had no “starch”. But she had carbs – that’s what fruit is.
During the height of her DWTS (dancing) days, I recall reading a quote where she said that the only carb she consumes is orange juice. That struck me because, I maintain a low carb/low sugar lifestyle but still “indulge” in whole wheat pasta, brown rice, whole wheat tortillas, etc… a few times a week, and that was a reminder of just how restrictive you really have to be to look like that.
Why is it depressing if that’s all SHE needs? If she’s not starving, which she’s not, and she’s full after every meal and exercises, why should she eat more than what she wants? Your body is only “hungry” when you’re A) putting the wrong things in it, B) when it’s not getting enough fuel to sustain a good energy level and C) you starve yourself. I run and go to the gym on a regular basis. I am 46 and have a great figure. I work out a lot, BUT, I’m not always hungry all the time. Sometimes, I skip lunch or breakfast and lunch if I’m just not hungry and then have a great dinner. I always listen to MY body, not what someone else thinks I should be eating. If I’m hungry, I eat. If I’m not, I don’t. Julianne is the same way. Leave her alone.
Good for her. But for all the talk about being herself at her wedding, she looks like she needs to chill with whatever she’s injecting into her cheeks. You can see the wrinkles and overall weirdness around her nasolobial folds.
The only thing she could “loose” is muscle.
She is extremely fit and doesn’t seem to have an ounce of fat in her body.
Since she’s already an incredibly fit (likely) size zero, what could she possibly have to lose? I admire her discipline though.
What the hell? WHat weight should she lose? She has such a strong healthy body! She looks awesome. But the cheeks… is she injecting some crap into her face??
I said the same above about her cheeks. You can see the wrinkles at the bridge of her nose and the edges of her mouth that are telltale signs of having sh!t injected into your face. Nobody her age has all those wrinkles there, that’s from her face trying to adjust to all the new stuff that’s in it.
That’s not necessarily true. I get those wrinkles, I’m her age, and I haven’t had anything done to my face, ever. It might just be a face shape thing.
Fair enough, Monique, but you can see the injectibles in her face. Her cheeks look waxy and over-inflated, and one of her eyes is a little wonky from the fillers in her cheeks.
She’s very fit so there’s really nothing to lose. Her trip looks awesome, reminds me of how badly I need a vacay!
She’s so cheesy.
She is so gorgeous! I wish I was on her bachelorette trip. Looks like a lot of fun! That video is adorable. I’m happy for her.
Have a seat Miss Seven Minute Abs
seven minute abs?
I get seven minute abs, but only when I draw them on with a sharpie.
Remember the old work out tapes that used to run the infomercial on TV back in the 90’s?
It was called 8 Minute Abs but I always call it 7 Minute abs because of a joke from There is Something About Mary LOL
But anyway can I borrow that sharpie to draw myself some new boobies and my eyebrows? hahaha
Aha, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNqrkGnkUWc
It even has 90s elevator music!
I will lend you my sharpie, but use with care. As someone who had sharpie brows drawn on (and eyebrows shaved, not my ‘choice’), it’s not as glamorous as you would think!
If she’s not super hot, I have no idea who is. She’s like a modern day Jennifer Aniston. Just shiny and healthy with great skin and hair and a killer body.
I don’t want to parse this statement too much:
>>”If I get super hot for my wedding day and I’m not afterwards, and I’m not before…<<
Because I know women are socialized to not praise ourselves too much, and I know she's trying to be someone with whom we women can relate … but … she's not super hot now?
This makes me feel icky.
Thanks for saying exactly what struck me. So, losing more weight will make you superhot??!!???
I get what she’s saying but my wedding is months away so of course I’m being a bit more thoughtful in what I eat and kicking some extra into my workouts. Nothing wrong with trying to look your best for one of the biggest moments in ones life especially since we’ve been planning/stressing for over a year. But I agree its ridiculous to think you’re going to overhaul/punish your life/body months before your wedding. A gf ordered her dress 2 sizes too small and killed herself trying to fit into it. She did it and literally stopped working out and caring about what she ate the day after the wedding. That, I can’t support either.
She’s already very fit, there’s no reason to lose weight, and it’s disturbing that she thinks losing weight she doesn’t have to lose would make her “super hot”.
That was my take exactly!
I don’t think she has room to lose weight anyways.
Right? What a stupid comment. Didn’t expect much better from her though.
I’m getting married on May 20 and while I am not “dieting,” I am trying to be very mindful of my food (and booze) intake these next 2 months. I see how certain foods affect my skin and overall appearance, so all I really care about is just looking like the best version of myself on that day. The last thing I want to worry about is a pesky pimple that is going to show up in every photo!
In the thumbnail I swear I thought it was a younger Madonna.
She def needs the selfie filter…all that drink in her pores….unhealthy life is seen in the skin