How Susan Lucci Was Able to Turn Off Her Body’s Cravings for Fried Foods
If there’s any star who’s aged remarkably well, it’s soap opera queen Susan Lucci. The 71-year-old actress recently posed for photos with Harper’s Bazaar and shared the unretouched images on her Instagram, and we have only one question: What’s the secret to her youthful appearance — the unofficial “Susan Lucci diet,” if you will.
Susan Lucci’s Diet Secrets
“After my two cups of coffee in the morning, I drink hot water and lemon the rest of the day,” she told Gluten Free & More in 2015. “I feel it boosts my metabolism, balances out my system, which leads to a stronger immune system, and hydrates, which is great for my skin. Drinking hot water and lemon is also a great alternative to taking in too much caffeine. It’s really central to my healthy eating regimen. If I have a secret weapon, that would be it.”
As for the rest of her meals, Lucci credits Pilates for helping her kick any unhealthy eating habits. “Once I started doing Pilates, I lost my taste for things like cheeseburgers and french fries,” Lucci explained to Harper’s Bazaar. “I rarely eat dessert, never snack, and I don’t eat a lot of bread and pasta.” Of course, she’ll make an exception when she’s in Europe, where she’s guilty of eating “more carbs in three weeks than I normally do in six months.”
When she’s not in Europe, Lucci enjoys turkey and avocado sandwiches — with a twist. Instead of bread, she’ll use beefsteak tomatoes. “My husband calls it my concoction!” Other than that, Lucci says she tries to stay away from fried foods — which she admitted she generally doesn’t gravitate towards eating. (If only we could say the same!) In fact, she also told Gluten Free & More that her favorite snack to eat while she was filming Devious Maids was hummus with avocado and tomato on a rice cake or gluten-free cracker.
Like the rest of us, Lucci occasionally has a hankering for something sweet. She justified the occasional treat to Harper’s, saying she indulges but without going overboard. “If I really want something, I’ll just have one or two bites.” She follows that same rule with alcohol. “I’ll have one glass of champagne when we go out to dinner, but I don’t drink at home.”
Susan Lucci Beauty Secrets
Now that we know what the actress puts in her body, let’s learn what she puts on her face. When it comes to Susan Lucci’s beauty secrets, her number one tip is to always, always, always remove makeup before bed. “No matter how tired I am, I never go to bed with my makeup on,” she revealed to Harper’s.
Her skincare routine is a mixture of high-end and drugstore products: Neutrogena wipes to remove her makeup ($8.97, Amazon), followed by a Clé de Peau Beauté cleanser ($68, Clé de Peau Beauté) and SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum ($281, Amazon).
And while she’s doing what she can to combat the aging process (“Oh, I’m kicking and screaming all the way,” she joked to Harper’s), Lucci has accepted that it isn’t always about expensive products and healthy foods. “What I’ve learned is that if you train hard, you can offset some of what you’ve got going against you. People look at me and say ‘Wow, she doesn’t seem old, but she is old.’ Meanwhile, the reality is if you’re strong, you’re beautiful, no matter what age you are.”
How does Susan Lucci stay fit?
“I work out just about every day,” she said in 2016 during an AOL Build interview series. “I always say I’m gonna take a day off, but then I miss it, so I’ll do something. But it’s all Pilates-centric.”
Lucci is such a fan of the Pilates method that she is a spokesperson for the Pilates Pro Chair ($299, Amazon), an item that she advertises on QVC. (Don’t worry, if you find Pilates a bit intimidating, there’s a puppy Pilates class that might be more your style!) She shared the results of her Pilates Pro Chair workouts on Instagram a few years ago, and her bikini picture makes it hard to argue with the workouts’ efficacy!
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