It seems as if every week a Hollywood star gives birth then pops up on a magazine cover or runway a few months later flaunting their slender frames and sleek abs. Although some women lose baby weight faster than others, here are 15 celebs that snapped back to their pre-baby bodies in no time.

WENN

Mariah Carey

Diva and R&B singer Mariah Carey shocked the world when she announced she married her husband rapper, actor and entertainer Nick Cannon. After struggling to conceive, the happy couple surprised everyone one more time when it was revealed that Carey was pregnant with twins. Once Monroe and Morocco were welcomed into the world, the “Butterfly” singer went to work right away to lose the baby weight. Because she gave birth via Cesarean, Carey was unable to exercise right away. The current “American Idol” judge signed on to be the spokesperson for Jenny Craig and ended up dropping 70 lbs. in six months. “I realize that 90 percent of losing weight is my diet,” Carey said in an interview with Shape magazine about how she lost the extra pounds.

Losing weight is hard work. You have to eat healthily, exercise, and avoid tempting foods. Whether it’s counting calories, carbs or points-there are countless diets and weight loss programs for you to choose from. And it’s no different for our plush-sized celebrities looking to shed a few pounds. Indeed they have the extra cash flow to splurge on a personal trainer and chef, but they have to put in the work as well. Whether dropping the pounds for a diet endorsement deal or just to be more marketable, celebs are cashing in (cha-ching) on their weight loss.

“WENN”

Jennifer Hudson is the face of Weight Watchers, belting out inspirational, skinny girl songs to match her trim physique. Hudson lost over 80 pounds after signing on with Weight Watchers  in 2010 and went from a size 16 to a size 4.

via Weight Watchers’ Facebook page

Jennifer Hudson got millions. Jessica Simpson is reportedly earning $4 million. Weight Watchers shells out mega bucks to it celebrity spokespersons, despite a 15.6 percent decline in earnings last year. But according to a New York Times article, women who actually work for the weight loss company are complaining about incredibly low pay.

“Some employees at Weight Watchers expressed irritation at being paid the minimum wage while the company lavishes millions of dollars on celebrities like Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Hudson to advertise its weight-loss program,” writes the newspaper.

Weight Watchers meeting leaders, who go out into the community to encourage followers to continue with their regimen, have an $18 base rate, and it has not increased in more than a decade. And the workers say they are not reimbursed for mileage on the first 40 miles driven each day. An added insult, some complain, is that the overwhelming majority of its employees are women.

“We are not working for a charity or a nonprofit corp,” one Weight Watchers leader posted on the Web site. “This is a multimillion-dollar company with enough cash to advertise relentlessly on TV, and pay celebrities tons of money to lose weight.”

According to the article, Weight Watchers executives have hinted they will increase compensation for their low-wage earners in order to address the frustration.

This isn’t the first time Weight Watchers employees have been upset over low wages. Two years ago Weight Watchers reached a $6.2-million settlement to end a class-action lawsuit in California in which employees complained about minimum wage violations, off-the-clock work and receiving paychecks that did not explain how wages were calculated.

It is not just Weight Watchers short-changing their largely female workers. There seems to be a trend of low pay complaints and companies that are primarily staffed by and targeted to women. “The restlessness over low pay extends across the weight-loss industry to Weight Watchers’ rivals, including Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem,” reports The Times.

The is  lawsuit pending aging Jenny Craig in which employees in New York State claim they typically work through their lunch hour, but are not paid for that time. The company denies this.

Mary Kay, too, came under scrutiny last year. According to Forbes, the company has several legal actions against the concerning earnings by its sales representatives. We even reported this morning that nursing, an area that has always been heavily female, pays its female nurses less than the men.

As if we needed it, here’s more proof that women need to be more vocal about pay and getting what they deserve. If we aren’t we’ll get shortchanged.

Shutterstock

While we’d like to think that being determined about dropping pounds, eating right and exercising will yield us the weight loss results we want, the truth is, sometimes support plays the biggest part in whether or not you lose weight, gain weight, or stay the same size in your journey.

A new study put together by author Angela Marinilli Pinto, assistant professor of psychology at Baruch College of the City University of New York, found that when it comes to losing weight, programs like Weight Watchers and these type of groups tend to keep people the most inspired, and can help them lose the most weight. The findings were published in the journal, Obesity this week. As Pinto put it:

“Group-based weight-loss treatment produced weight loss , whether delivered by a professional or peer counselor. When people are in a group with others on the same journey, they feel there is that element of, ‘OK, this worked for him or her, perhaps it will work for me. Perhaps I can give it a try.’”

For the study, 141 obese men and women were placed into one of three groups: individuals seeking help from a professional, those participating in weight watchers, and those who did a mixture of both. Everyone got 48 weeks of behavioral weight-loss treatment, and the group who sought out help from a professional and through Weight Watchers got 12 weeks with the professional and 36 weeks in WW. And on a side note, Weight Watchers was used in the study as it was the largest commercial group program in the States.

Though Pinto and her team thought those who were able to benefit from combined treatment would lose the most weight, actually, those in the Weight Watchers program dropped the most in the time given.

On average, those in the Weight Watchers group lost at least 13.9 pounds, while those using personal professional treatment lost 11.9. The combined group actually lost the least amount of weight, with an average of just 7.9 pounds. The Weight Watchers group was the most likely to drop at least 10 percent of their starting weight as well. Why? Because of the classes! Regular involvement with people going through the same process helped out a great deal. As Connie Diekman of WashU in St. Louis told HealthDay News, “The study does demonstrate that regular involvement in weight-loss classes helps with weight loss. This point should be considered when people think about weight loss — doing it alone may not yield success.”

Makes a lot of sense. It’s no fun to lug yourself to the gym alone, see a personal trainer by yourself, and eat only green ish while all of your friends and family are scarfing down steaks. Knowing that you actually can pinpoint and work with someone going through a similar journey can truly make all the difference. Keep this in mind if you’re out here trying to tackle weight issues. Group programs just might be your answer.

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We see them on TV, and on the movie screen. We hear them on the radio. We follow them on Twitter. Our fave celebs are creating all kinds of buzz and blazing trails in everything they do. These business-savvy celebs have launched some lucrative ventures worth checking out. Take a look…

straightfromthea.com

Jennifer Hudson

It seems that just about everything JHud touches turns to gold. First, it was her Oscar-worthy role in Dreamgirls. Then it was her Grammy-award winning debut album. Now it is Weight Watchers. JHud wowed us with her phenomenal weight loss reveal last year, and now she hopes to influence people in her native Chicago to do the same. JHud became the first celebrity to have a Weight Watchers center when she opened the Jennifer Hudson Weight Watchers Center in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood last fall.

What’s next for JHud? A launch of her new clothing line, the Jennifer Hudson Collection on QVC this fall, as well as recurring role on the hit NBC show Smash, where she’ll take on the role of Broadway star Veronica Moore.

From BlackVoices.com

More than ever, celebrities are cashing in on weight loss endorsements. And at some point, I’m sure you’ve all witnessed the countless weight loss advertisements featuring African-American celebrities, with Jennifer Hudson (Weight Watchers),Janet Jackson (NutriSystem), and Mariah Carey(Jenny Craig) being the most recent additions. While, I’m happy at the increase of African-American endorsements and health awareness I’m skeptical as to whether or not these advertisements are giving off the right impression. Are weight loss programs (such as Weight Watcher’s, Nutrisystem, and Jenny Craig) enough to obtain a Hollywood figure?

For the skinny, visit BlackVoices.com.

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Sunday is here…time for the weekend wrap-up!  We’ve got some break up news, baby news, music news, a one-sided fight and a few other tidbits for you! Oh, don’t forget: I’m always on Twitter running my mouth about everything and nothing (DrennaB). Time to wrap it up…

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It seems like you can’t watch television for more than five minutes without Jennifer Hudson singing the praises of Weight Watchers or Janet Jackson cooing over Nutrisystem. Give it another five minutes, and Mariah Carey will be partying for Jenny Craig and Charles Barkley will tell you the finer points of how to lose weight like a man. Celebrity weight loss endorsements used to be reserved for the drastic weight changes of obese celebrities looking to make a comeback. But, now it seems everyone is jumping on the weight loss bandwagon, whether they are losing baby weight or slimming down to a healthier size.

It could just be the time of year. Weight loss programs like to take advantage of New Year’s resolutions and the public’s renewed dedication to getting in shape. Beyond that, American obesity has become a hot button issue in the past year. Even the First Lady is championing the values of a healthy lifestyle through her “Let’s Move!” campaign. Programs like Weight Watchers would be wise to increase advertising dollars to take advantage of the dialogue happening around maintaining a healthy weight.

Of course, celebrities are always looking for a way to diversify their revenue. But, their willingness to endorse weight loss programs reflects a newfound understanding of branding. The concept of branding has expanded beyond a product’s packaging. Branding is now where the personal and professional meet, allowing a person to use their personality and life experiences to differentiate them professionally.

Charles Barkley caused a fuss earlier this month when a hot microphone picked up his comments that that his Weight Watchers deal was a scam. After all, he is getting paid to live healthier, something he should be doing anyway. Charles’ logic doesn’t take into account this expanded view of branding and business. Not only should personal experiences be used to promote yourself professionally, it would be silly not to.

Everyone has a brand to attend to. Just as these celebrities are using personal experiences like losing baby weight or slimming down for a healthier lifestyle to cash in, you too can monetize the milestones in your life. Celebrities may rely on endorsements, but there are plenty of ways the average businesswoman can use personal experiences to expand her brand and business.

Make life events a part of your brand and analyze how your personal interests can enrich your business. Does your business benefit new mothers in a way that you didn’t realize until you were expecting? Explore the possibilities of marketing to this new audience. If you pick up a new hobby, notice the needs of the individuals who share that interest and think of ways your business can address them. It can be as big as creating a new product offering or as simple as shifting your marketing strategy.

The beauty of expanding your brand in this way is that it is inherently genuine. Your audience will feel a personal and professional connection with you, making them all the more willing to support you professionally.

Cortney Cleveland is a public relations practitioner and freelance writer working in New York City. You can follow her on Twitter @CleveInTheCity.

No more than a week after I saw Wendy Williams throw shots at Jennifer Lopez for her lack of talent and numerous endorsement deals, saying “Mariah Carey would never be caught in a Fiat,” news broke that my favorite singer of all time was the newest spokesperson for Jenny (Craig that is). My heart sunk a little because I knew the sort of gimmicky promotions that come along with the territory, and her first “Make it Happen” campaign confirmed my worst fears.

But Mimi is hardly alone in the new trend of black celebrity weight loss spokespersons. Jennifer Hudson set the stage for this, and undoubtedly crushed Weight Watchers’ competition with her catchy tunes, slim physique, and more publicity than the Southside Chicago native could’ve ever dreamed of. So what were Jenny and NutriSystem to do? Hire even bigger celebrity names like Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson to draw in the masses.

My main concern with the latest weight loss campaigns was how they would affect each divas image. While the opportunity boosted J Hud’s career to unexpectedly new heights, for Mariah and Janet, I’ve likened the endorsement deals to offers to appear on “Dancing with the Stars” or any other reality TV show. It’s a sign that they’ve lost their spark and are vying for ways to stay relevant in the media.

Fred Mwangaguhunga, editor of MediaTakeout.com, expressed similar sentiments in an interview with The Daily Beast. “I was really surprised when I saw Janet Jackson doing a weight-loss commercial, he said. “I don’t think this is something she would have done five years ago, given her personality. But times have changed and the way you have to sell yourself has changed, so you use what you have.”

More important than these star’s careers, which have had an excellent run thus far by all industry standards, is the question of what these campaigns mean for black women. Presumably, seeing three black female celebrities successfully shed pounds with these programs would serve as a role model for black women as obesity continues to stake its claim in our community. Kirstie Alley and Marie Osmond may not be relatable to us but these women should be, right? Not necessarily.

Many have criticized Jennifer Hudson as being disingenuous about the way she dropped 80 pounds, but while her story is believable to me, I can’t say the same about Janet Jackson. Janet may have struggled with her weight as a young woman first on the music scene but it’s been some time since we haven’t seen the singer without chiseled abs (sans her appearance in “Why Did I Get Married Too”).

While there were some great things that happened in 2011 that we look forward to seeing more of in 2012, there’s just some stuff we’re tired of and need to cease. Like, right now..

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