Victoria's Secret Angel Diet Revealed: Egg Powder, No Solids & Gallons Of Water!

Want to feel bad about your own workout and diet regimen? Just talk to a Victoria's Secret Angel.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is the Super Bowl of modeling, with the best runway walkers suiting up (or, more precisely, stripping down) and grabbing their angel wings for a televised turn down the glittery runway.

To prepare to wear tiny lingerie on such a major stage, the models must look their best -- and veteran Angel Adriana Lima revealed to the Telegraph just how they do it.

First, she starts working out: "Lima, 30, has been working out every day with a personal trainer since August. For the last three weeks, she's been working out twice a day."

Then comes the insane diet. Hint: there are very few solids involved:

She sees a nutritionist, who has measured her body's muscle mass, fat ratio and levels of water retention. He prescribes protein shakes, vitamins and supplements to keep Lima's energy levels up during this training period. Lima drinks a gallon of water a day. For nine days before the show she will drink only protein shakes - "no solids". The concoctions include powdered egg.

Two days before the show she will abstain from the gallon of water a day, and "just drink normally". Then, 12 hours before the show she will stop drinking entirely.

So no solids and no liquids... it's a wonder Lima and her winged gal pals don't just pass out right on the runway!

Then again, it might be best that the Victoria's Secret models are a bit light-headed -- that way, they're less likely to notice how ridiculous their outfits are.

Read more about Lima's pre-show prep at Telegraph.co.uk... and check out other exercise-inclined models below.

Comments

[taylamac]

11:08 AM on 12/12/2011

Did no one watch the VS fashion show? Not one woman on that runway looked "underweight" or "unhealthy." Of course they are thin, they are modeling lingerie. Let's see how many people want to buy panties and bras after they see someone who is a size 10 wearing them on stage. And how many people who are bigger than these models would be willing to walk on stage anything but naked? I don't think I would be too far off if I guessed not many. If you actually watched the show, you would be able to see that these girls had fit bodies. They all had more muscle than i've ever had. As for their diet, it's not unhealthy and it's temporary. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with working out on a daily basis or dieting as prescribed by a nutritionist. These girls look amazing, and so did their outfits!

[nicks03gls]

02:45 AM on 12/13/2011

That is a good point about the temporary diets. Even body builders go on protein "binges" before competitions. They will lift their hardest and fastest to get their muscles "pumped" or "volumized" right before a competition. However, this is NOT their normal routine. They only do this for show.... The same can be said about the VS models. They may "diet" right before a shoot... but you need to pay attention to the models (pictures, videos, clips, etc.) before the shoot. That is when they are at their best.

[rach-101]

12:59 AM on 12/07/2011

I am glad to see the occasional comment in here about body builders. I read this and was like that is exactly what my partner does before a competition, they are supervised, it's short term and its to be able to perform to the best of their ability. I think it's truly amazing that they have the commitment and motivation to do this. They are fitter and healthier than most of the people and this article is misleading.

[cbszoy]

11:47 PM on 11/29/2011

Great article! Some people think they are eating Big Macs every night.

[MTOriginals07]

11:41 PM on 11/29/2011

They look good don't they??? YES.
its their job so lets let them do what they do and be done with it.
Bravo to a diet well done. ;)

[JustMyWords]

03:36 PM on 11/13/2011

Now, I don't have any great fondness for Victoria's Secret models, but the hyperventilating over this pre-show diet is *way* over the top.

Did no one notice that there's not one word in this talking about a massively restricted caloric intake? It's a massively restricted carb intake, done under the supervision of a nutritionist, and it's undertaken for a limited period before a specific event. It's basically just like the diet followed by competitive body builders - lots of protein + no carbs + lots of water = loss of retained water in the body, making muscle appear more defined. Weight loss, on the other hand, could be negligible or non-existent, depending on the individual's caloric intake. Would it be healthy long-term? Not so much, but there's no mention of doing this long term.

And as a FWIW, this is an almost identical regime recommended for bariatric surgery patients prior to and just after surgery - no sugar, lots of protein, no solids. Only difference is that bariatric patients *do* include caloric restriction, since obviously weight loss is a desired outcome.

[anti-fascist-GOP]

06:19 PM on 11/11/2011

I'm furious! When is VS going to come up with size 16-20 for all of us steak and beer queens? We have feelings too you know!

[kadellagroove]

11:41 PM on 11/10/2011

bodybuilders do the same exact thing. people always get so furious about this kind of thing because they think its somehow implying that this is supposed to be the expectation of women everywhere. but that expectation only exists if you place it on yourself.

there are many art forms where people use the human form and have high demands on that form. but people only ever seem to complain when its "beautiful women".

fashion is art, and the artists choose body types based on their aesthetic intentions. if people take that and internalize it and feel bad about themselves because they are not like the models... thats their own fault. be proud of who you are and able to appreciate other forms and raise your kids to not be threatened or obsessive of looks.

[Lady Doodlebug]

02:19 PM on 11/10/2011

Jeez. Is one of these women going to have to pass out on the runway before these ridiculous diets are done away with? It's so unnatural -- nothing good came come from this.

[alababe9]

10:10 AM on 11/10/2011

I buy clothes from Victorias Secret, but not because how the models look. I have more curves and know what looks good on me. I am not a size 1 or 3 and would never want to be.

[orion52]

07:36 AM on 11/10/2011

That's the expectation society has for women? Is this the highest they thing we can achieve? These standards HAVE to change, how ridiculous.

[brijul630]

09:32 AM on 11/14/2011

Obviously you don't know the diets and routines the MALE's go through with their body building competitions.....it's the same thing. It has nothing to do with standards, but with performers wanting to be their best at the biggest stage of their professions.

[Kbwash]

01:32 PM on 11/19/2011

Yeah but last I checked body building competitors don't represent a commercial brand that sells product to women of most demographics around the world.

[MissIndependentLady]

09:07 AM on 11/09/2011

Victoria Secret models hardly eat anything?? (gasp) Stop the presses! I had no idea! I mean these women look very healthy! They don't look too skinny at all...

[Kendra Kroll]

11:48 PM on 11/08/2011

best line of the article: Then again, it might be best that the Victoria's Secret models are a bit light-headed -- that way, they're less likely to notice how ridiculous their outfits are. Touche!

[iluvmaps]

03:48 PM on 11/08/2011

Ooh, I'm definitely trying this next time I go to the beach!

[Cassandra L Chapa]

03:49 PM on 11/08/2011

There's nothing wrong with being thin and lean...but these girls take it so far! Have them build a little muscle, then I'll admire them as HEALTHY thin and lean.

[karlakwist]

12:30 PM on 11/08/2011

Sorry, but they photo shop these girl and elongate their waists. Line up their belly buttons in the catalog and they are all over the place,. MORPHED women, Its not the diet, when there is photo shop available.

[ljsurf322]

12:37 PM on 11/08/2011

This doesn't quite work if you are talking about the fashion show...they don't look much different in video than they do in the catalogs if you ask me. But yes, Photoshop always plays its own part in some way in print ads.

[jaynesays]

09:03 AM on 11/11/2011

Video is also digitally enhanced.

[Ohsherri]

03:17 PM on 11/08/2011

Google the starving women in Africa.
Guess who looks thinner?
Somethings wrong when ALREADYstarving women go on diets.

[LSPoch]

12:14 PM on 12/25/2011

get a life you are freakin' ridiculous nobody cares about people in africa. You want to know something there are starving people here and homeless people here who are just as skinny. Why do you care about africa when your own country is suffering with the same problems?