Soap Star Drops 92 Pounds
Posted on May 29th 2009 12:00PM by Fitz K.
Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Our fitness expert Fitz sits down with the stars and digs out their great and not-so-great methods for staying healthy.
Weighing more than 200 pounds at 5'8," "Guiding Light" actress Caitlin Van Zandt was sick of awkward wardrobe experiences, frustrated by her losing battle with diets and frightened about her pre-diabetic diagnosis. Under the guidance of her physician, she chose to undergo LAP-band surgery. Here, the 23-year-old talks about her enormous weight loss, the exciting life changes she's experienced because of it and why she feels this option is far superior to gastric bypass surgery.
Fitz: What drove you to surgery instead of exercise and good eating habits for weight loss?
Caitlin: You know, I'd been overweight since I was 10 years old and believe me, I have tried every method of weight loss around. Even though I knew how to eat right and exercise, I just couldn't control what I was eating. I was aware that I was eating bad things, but I just couldn't stop myself. I was an emotional eater. I also avoided the doctor because, rightfully so, he'd always give me a hard time. Last year, when I went in for my physical, he told me my cholesterol was sky high, and I was prediabetic. He offered up one more diet before he would put me on the drug Lipitor for high cholesterol. I was 22 years old, and I did not want to be on cholesterol medicine. When that last diet didn't work, we decided LAP-band surgery would be my best option. Trust me, I never thought I'd be one of those weight loss surgery people!
Check out Caitlin's transformation in the gallery below. Post continues after gallery.
Caitlin Van Zandt Wins at Weight Loss
People told Caitlin she was too young for LAP-band surgery, but doing what young people do to lose weight wasn't working for her, and she wanted to nip her weight problem in the bud while she was still young. Surgery helped her lose 92 pounds, and she'd like to lose 8 more for a grand total of 100.
John Paschal/jpistudios.com
Caitlin says the point is not to be super human and never eat food -- she eats small meals and just a few bites of dessert. Since surgery, Caitlin's asthma is gone, her cholesterol levels are normal, and her BMI is in a healthy range. Her mother, who also had LAP-band surgery, has lost 80 pounds, and her overall health has improved dramatically too.
John Paschal/jpistudios.com
Caitlin says she has reinvented her attitude and has learned to respect herself. She's also enjoying shopping and real-life romantic scenes a whole lot more!
Bleacher & Everard/TeleNext Media, Inc.
Fitz: How much did you weigh before surgery?
Caitlin: I don't feel comfortable giving an exact number, but I will tell you that I was well over 200 pounds, and my size 20 clothes were getting too tight.
Fitz: What made you believe LAP-band was the answer for you?
Caitlin: My surgeon at [New York University], George Fielding, who just happened to be incredibly handsome and Australian, gave me the confidence. He taught me all about the procedure and actually told me, "Caitlin, if you do what I tell you to do, you will not fail." That was the first time I ever felt real confidence about my chances of success. With that, I said "sign me up," and we set my surgery date for February 29, 2008.
Fitz: How did the surgery go?
Caitlin: Before the surgery, I had to go on a liquid diet for two weeks to remove the fat from my liver, but the actual surgery was easy. I literally walked myself into the surgical room at 7:30 a.m., and I remember waking up and looking at the clock in the recovery room at 8:02 a.m. My surgery was laparoscopic, so I only have five small incisions on my tummy, which are about the length of a penny, and they've already completely faded. I had a minor amount of stabbing pain in the abdomen for a few days, but the pain faded quickly.
Fitz: This surgery is a lot less invasive than gastric bypass.
Caitlin: Correct. The LAP-band is a minimally invasive procedure which results in a silicone band around the upper portion of your stomach so you'll feel full faster. Since the stomach is a muscle that can stretch out over time (the more you eat on a regular basis, the larger your stomach and the more food you need to consume in order to feel full), the LAP-band can easily be tightened or loosened in a doctor's office to adjust to your needs. If you're losing weight too fast, the band can be loosened to allow for more food. Gastric bypass does not allow for adjustments at all. In fact, my surgeon says that because someone can re-stretch their stomach out after gastric bypass surgery, people can easily undo what's been done. Many of those patients who have regained weight because of this are now turning to LAP-band surgery.
Fitz: Do you ever adjust your band?
Caitlin: You know, adjustments just allow me to live my life. If I went to Italy and wanted to have some extra leeway to have a cannoli after dinner, I could have it loosened. I could loosen it if I got pregnant or sick, or needed extra nutrition for some other reason. I could also tighten it if I wasn't losing weight anymore. I have a little port near my belly button which is not noticeable, unless I'm purposely feeling around for it. The doctor can add saline through the port if we need to make adjustments.
Fitz: What's been the most fun part about this experience?
Caitlin: Shopping! I used to be stuck shopping at Lane Bryant, Old Navy or Torrid. Now I'm in sorts of fun new stores I'd never even heard of. I'm particularly fond of French Connection and BCBG. Ooh, and I even love shopping at Victoria's Secret now!
Fitz: You were moving into a size 22 before. What do you wear now?
Caitlin: I'm a solid 10, but I can sometimes wear an 8. My goal is to be an 8 for good.
Fitz: Why 8?
Caitlin: I don't want to be one of those typical Hollywood "stick-boy girls." I'm a woman, and I love having curves.
Fitz: What's your favorite body part?
Caitlin: I've always loved having a voluptuous chest, but I think my favorite part is my legs. I have the muscular build that I had when I was carrying around all of that extra weight. Now that they've thinned out, I get so many compliments on them!
Fitz: Do you work out?
Caitlin: I do! I do belly dancing class, tap and yoga. I do stuff to tone up too.
Fitz: How has your love life changed -- both on and off screen?
Caitlin: Unfortunately "Guiding Light" hasn't given me any romantic story lines since I've lost the weight, but my romantic scenes in real-life have improved dramatically. I was in a co-dependent relationship before with a guy who was always trying to get me to diet. We broke up, and I'm now dating a fabulous guy who I actually met in Vegas. We did the long-distance thing for a while, but he's moved to New York to be with me. We met when I was a size 16; he didn't know I had the surgery, and he didn't know I was an actress, yet he thought I was perfect and beautiful anyway. He's in culinary school and frequently makes me healthy soups, since I can eat lots of that.
Fitz: What's your advice for others who are trying to lose a large amount of weight?
Caitlin: People shouldn't be afraid to look in to LAP-band surgery as an option. Of course, they should try to lose weight by simply eating right and exercising, but if that doesn't ever work for you, LAP-band might be your answer.
Check out the gallery below to see how other celebs have dropped the pounds, and put them back on.
Top Celebrity Yo-Yo Dieters
By Gabrielle Linzer and Allison Bond
To squeeze into those famous Daisy Dukes, Jessica Simpson endured two months of dieting and sweat-dripping workouts, according to People. Hitting the gym with trainer Michael Alexander and sticking to a South Beach-style diet paid off--Simpson looked lean and strong for her acting debut. But the once-slender star was recently seen looking noticeably curvier while performing at a chili cookoff in Florida.
Rick Diamond, WireImage.com
Sandra Bullock has admitted that obsessing over junk food drove her to overeat and then compensate for it with crash diets when she was younger. After Bullock wed husband Jesse James in July 2006, she gained again, leading to speculation that she was pregnant. Tired of combating baby-bump rumors, Bullock vowed to escape the frustrating cycle of weight gain and dieting. One thing that helped her was changing her meal staples from pizza and Diet Coke to lean meats and veggies.
Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images | Rabbani and Solimene Photography, WireImage.com
Known for his "Gladiator" physique, Russell Crowe is not your average yo-yo dieter. Despite his reputation, Crowe packed on 63 pounds for his upcoming role in Body of Lies, according to "People." Crowe may be accustomed to looking a bit more toned than the flabby CIA veteran he morphs into for the role, but that isn't to say he didn't enjoy earning his paunch. We hear from PopEater that he joked, ""I'll have that cheeseburger for breakfast, thank you!" No word on how Crowe plans on thinning out yet, but if he plans on redeeming his sex-symbol status, he'll need to cut the burgers and pump some iron.
Lucy Nicholson, AFP/Getty Images | Frazer Harrison, Getty Images
Early in her career, Jennifer Love Hewitt was known for her curves and slim waist. More recently, however, she filled out due to a lapse in healthy eating and steady exercise, according to iFitandHealthy.com. Overwhelmed with "photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles," according to ABC News, Hewitt responded to criticism, claiming that she was comfortable in her skin. Soon after, however, ABC News points out that Hewitt dropped almost 20 pounds to "boost her energy." We hear from iFitandHealthy.com that Hewitt adhered to the calorie shifting diet, where you "confuse your metabolism by up-shifting and/or down-shifting into different calorie ranges, which may help your body burn more calories."
SGranitz, WireImage | Splash News
Although she vehemently denied having an eating disorder, Nicole Richie's weight has fluctuated between thin and absolutely gaunt in recent years. She dropped to 90 pounds in fall 2006, which according to "People," was due to an inability to gain weight. When Richie became pregnant, she apparently focused on gaining weight for her baby, while also maintaining a light gym routine, but her quick transition back into her pre-baby body after she gave birth reportedly left fans worried. In the past Richie has blamed her dramatic weight loss on stress, so maybe that's the reason she lost so easily this time, too.
Jean-Paul Aussenard, WireImage | Jeffrey Mayer, WireImage
Best known for his role as Chandler on "Friends," Matthew Perry's weight has ballooned and deflated in relation to his reported numerous addictions, including painkillers and alcohol. According to "People," after Season 6 of "Friends" Perry dropped down to 145 pounds during a particularly rough period due to pancreatitis induced by "hard living and drinking hard and eating poorly." This resulted in a rehab stint at L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Since his brief stay, his weight continued to fluctuate. Some of his weight gain can be attributed to recovery from addiction, while his periods of athleticism occurred when the former junior tennis champion "returned to the court and hired a personal trainer," according to "People."
When Britney Spears shimmied onto the music scene with her scandalous schoolgirl outfit at age 16, her stomach was flat as a washboard, and the rest of her body was youthfully fit. But after two babies, some said Britney wasn't looking too hot. To undo the toxic effects of hard living, we hear that she enlisted a personal trainer and got back on the dance floor. According to "OK!" Britney was so serious about getting into shape that she even cut back on her beloved Starbucks Frappuccinos!
eZuma.com | Kevin Mazur, WireImage.com
Far from his fit disco days in Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta's weight has swung up and down in recent years as a result of diverse movie roles and personal habits. According to the BBC, in 2001 Travolta upped his exercise routine to lose 25 pounds for Swordfish. The intense workouts, which included yoga and boxing according to AskMen.com, must not have lasted, as Travolta looked pleasantly plump during a shirtless romp in his 2007 film Wild Hogs. According to reports from the Daily Mail, Travolta claimed that "Life is too short to diet constantly" and declared an intense love of food -- both of which go far in explaining his yo-yoing.
AP | Jim Spellman, WireImage
Christian Bale worked out like a maniac while doing both intensive cardio and weight-training sessions for his brutal role in 2000's American Psycho. Four years later, he dropped a reported 63 pounds, by eating only an apple and a can of tuna every day, to play a skeletal drug addict in The Machinist.
Lions Gate Films | Paramount Classics
In order to portray a character that had spent four years stranded on a desert island in Castaway, Tom Hanks was supposedly required to gain weight for the "pre-castaway" scenes and then had to take an extended hiatus from filming to focus on losing about 40 or 50 pounds to evolve into the emaciated, bearded man the character becomes. The change was so dramatic that Hanks' weight loss advisor is mentioned in the movie's credits. Following the period where Hanks "was either in a car, in a trailer, or on a treadmill or a stair-master for the better part of four months," he has since returned to a normal weight, judging by his physique in more recent roles.
Everett Collection
