It’s time to review the good, the bad and the ugly in celeb diets of 2008. First a brief recap of 2007. The picks for 2007 were for the most part right on. As predicted, Kirstie Alley did in fact fall off the wagon with Jenny Craig. No surprise, Ricki Lake continues to shine with her remarkable weight loss success as she adopted some key weight loss behaviors. Capping a remarkable turnaround for 2008, Britney went from the worst celebrity diet list of 2007 to the best celebrity diet list this year proving that you are what you eat.

This brings me to theme for the year in celebrity diets of 2008, specifically that “diets don’t work.” The key to sustainable weight loss is not so much a particular diet but the adoption of the proper lifestyle behaviors. It’s the reason why Oprah can’t achieve sustainable weight loss despite trying multiple diets and having all the resources in the world (personal chef, trainer, Dr Oz etc).

You’ll also noticed that this year’s winners all have one thing in common as they develop their new lifestyle dietary behaviors. They achieved their remarkable slim downs by increasing their intake of veggies and fruits. No crazy fasts, diet pills, supplements or miracle cures. Here’s to 2009 and hopefully you’ll find some inspiration from this year’s crop of winners. Enjoy and be healthy, Dr Marc

Best Celebrity Diets for 2008:
5. Jennifer Love Hewitt: Those unflattering bikini photos seem so long ago as this Ghost Whisperer star has been letting her body speak loud and clear; daily fruits and veggies do a body good.

4. Jessica Alba: Jessica exercised her superhero abilities on a regimen of whole foods, cardio and interval training to power her fantastic 25 pound post-pregnancy slim down.

3. Debra Messing: Eating gracefully, Debra lost 42 pounds of her post-baby weight by sticking to a diet high in unprocessed veggies, fruits and lean protein.

2. Kelly Osbourne: By fixing her refined carb cravings with her new addiction to veggies and fruits, Kelly Osbourne is reborn with a healthy new figure.

1. Britney Spears: Since ditching her “Toxic” junk food diet for veggies and lean protein, Britney is sporting a new outlook and an A-list slim down that has everyone wanting “A Piece of Me.”

And the Worst Celebrity Diets for 2008:
5. Carnie Wilson: Carnie proves that even gastric bypass is not a fix for sabotaging behaviors. Despite her much publicized surgery and weight loss, this Celebrity Fit Club participant regained 58 pounds. (Her yo-yo dieting continues; she most recently lost 50 pounds before her current pregnancy.)

4. Monica Seles: This former tennis star may have lost 33 pounds on a high protein diet but she also increased her risk of chronic disease. Advantage: heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.

3. Hilary Swank: 47 ways to sub-optimal health. Reportedly downing 47 “million dollar” supplements a day, this Million Dollar Baby star is unwittingly subjecting her body to accelerated aging.

2. Kim Kardashian: Kim has kept her shapely “junk in the trunk” figure with exercise and a gig on Dancing with The Stars. However, her junk food diet will inevitably cause… too much junk.

1. Oprah Winfrey: The queen of media and yo-yo dieter is the poster child for “diets don’t work.” Proper weight loss behaviors and habits should be one of Oprah’s “favorite things.”

First I just want to say I love Dr Oz. He rocks! However, I just heard Dr Oz, a frequent contributor on Oprah, give some pretty dubious advice on weight loss. He’s a cardiovascular surgeon which explains why he always seems to have that “I just walked out of the operating room look.” He has also authored a book with Dr Roizen, the “You on a Diet” which I have reviewed previously.

There is an incredible amount of misinformation about diet and weight loss so when I see some bad advice given by someone so influential as Dr Oz… well it’s time for the Celebrity Diet Doctor to speak up:) So what’s his weight loss advice that will get you fat?

On yesterday’s Oprah show, Dr Oz recommended that you should eat whole grain bread soaked in  olive oil before your meals….. whoaaaaa (%%^#(@^%!!!!!.

Dr Oz’s theory is that the olive oil with bread slows food passage. This helps fill you up so you eat less during your meal, saving calories and resulting in weight loss. Interesting theory, but this strategy is absolutely the wrong thing to do. Think about it. What you’re doing here is filling up on highly calorie dense foods first. So yes you’ll eat less of your meal, but you’ve just taken in at least a 200 calorie food bolus that will result in more overall calories consumed. This is what makes Italian restaurants a minefield. Many people fill up on bread soaked in olive oil, before their meals, which is a surefire recipe for a bulging waistline. The bottom line is bread plus olive oil before your meals equals weight gain. So what’s the answer?

Of course, do the exact opposite of what Dr Oz recommends. Start your meal with a low calorie food first, such as an apple. In fact people who consumed an apple 15 minutes before a meal consumed 190 less calories overall. The moral of this story. Consume low calorie foods such as fruit, veggies, salads and soups first. This is the key to weight loss. My advice is to eat an apple and call me in the morning…