I lived like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week and it broke some bad habits

I lived like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week and it broke some bad habitsI lived like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week and it broke some bad habitsI tried to live like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week, and it didnt quite work out the way Id planned.Paltrow famously leads an intense life. In terms of exercise, she used to do an hour of cardio and an hour of weights six days of the week. Her lifestyle brand Goop also hawks all sorts ofhardcore detoxes and cleanses.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraBut all that doesnt really reflect Paltrows current reality. She recently toldNet-a-Porterthat she doesnt have the time or energy to tackle that grueling schedule anymore Im getting old, my back hurts Its depressing. Some days, the gym gives me this rush of energy and I feel amazing, but then my bodys like f- you.She also doesnt stick to any Goop cleanses for a long amount of time. She told Net-a-Porter s he passes on breakfast and eats a low-carb lunch so my energy levels dont peak and valley through the day. Then, for dinner, she typically decides to loosen the reins.I decided to follow zu sichbei diet as best I could, as well as take up her previous exercise routine. Here are the rules I welches determined to follow for a weekSkip breakfast.Have a low-carb lunch.Put in an hour of cardio exercise.Go for an hour of weights-based exercise.Eat a dinner along the lines of her typical evening meal A glass of wine, maybe a baguette dripping in cheese, some fries.I didnt prepare at all for this. I just jumped into it, sparking concerns among the people I know. Youre going to die, several coworkers told me when I described my plan. Family members predicted I would seriously injure myself and expressed concerns about my shambling running style.All of this just bolstered my determination to rise to the occasion.The experiment itself left me somewhat surprised. On the one hand, some of Paltro ws dietary habits were easier to tackle than I thought. On the other, I ended up pulling my shoulder.Heres a look at what happened when I tried to live like Gwyneth Paltrow for a weekBefore this Gwyneth Paltrow challenge, kleines rundes brtchens were my go-to morning meal. Id often grab one - poppy seed with cream cheese or butter - before heading into the amtsstube.But, like some other celebrities, Paltrow skips breakfast altogether. So I had to kick the habit. Instead of stopping by the bagel shop, Id just hop on the train and head to work.Truth be told, this wasnt particularly challenging for me. Back in college, I rarely ate breakfast. It may or may elend be the most important meal of the day, but Ive never had a problem skipping it.I managed to follow this aspect of Paltrows schedule for the entire week, and I think the week-long bagel cleanse worked. I havent had a bagel since. Health-wise, theyre far better as an occasional treat than a breakfast staple.I didnt have too muc h trouble with lunch either. Normally, Id grab a sandwich or a slice of pizza from some place near the office. For the experiment, I needed to spring for low-carb choices instead.I tried to get fancy and even looked up some of Paltrows salad recipes. There were some tempting options in her cookbooks. I figured Id try to make a few, to tide me over for the week.Heck, I even bought a jar of cornichons - which are adorable, tiny pickles, btw.But, to be honest, I ran out of time before I could snag all the ingredients necessary to throw together some of Paltrows recipes (what the heck is silken tofu, anyway, and where am I supposed to find it?).So I ended up improvising. My non-fancy salad was pretty good, though. Id pack it up in Tupperware and eat it at my desk every day around noon with a ginger ale.I enjoyed the salads, but I was bummed to have to decline a ton of delicious and tempting offerings throughout the week. My coworkers seemed to show up to work with chocolates, cookies, and other sweet treats every other day during my challenge.By the end of the week, I was getting a bit bored with salad, although I tried to spice things up by switching up the dressings.In fairness, I probably couldve gotten more experimental with my lunches - low carb can include a whole range of meals, of course.But I only have so much brain power to devote to planning out and cobbling together what Im going to eat ahead of time.Still, I didnt have much of a problem sticking to low-carb lunches for the entire experiment.Once I got home from work, Id hide in the basement, where no one could see me flailing around with a medicine ball and hand weights, looking like a reject from the worlds worst workout video.I was unsurprised to find out that weights arent my strong suit. I didnt really know what I was doing, so I just switched in between different moves for the hour. It was boring and hard. And Im sure my technique left much to be desired.Around Wednesday, my left shoulder began to really hurt. An hour of weights is probably too much if youre clueless about exercise - especially if youre making a leap from couch potato to workout fanatic, like I was. After Wednesday, I had to cut down on the weights a bit.Overall, Id say I truly disliked this aspect of the experiment. Id rather do cardio for an hour than do weights for an hour. At least you can read while walking on the treadmill. The weight exercises just felt repetitive and tedious after about 30 minutes.Before I started my experiment, I envisioned myself sprinting around outside, running through twilit parks and drinking in the fresh winter air.Reality quickly shattered that cardio fantasy. Im usually home after sundown. Running outside in the cold darkness didnt sound like a good idea. Itd be really embarrassing to get hit by a car while doing an exercise experiment for work.So, while I did go on a few night runs, I mostly opted for working out on the treadmill.I quickly found that I dont have the sta mina, pacing abilities, or patience to full-on run for a whole hour. Id switch between power walking, jogging, and running.As I walked, Id balance a book on the treadmill in front of me to stave off the boredom. I simply dont have the attention span for long workouts.The running was fine, but I feel like I couldve gotten more out of an intensive 30-minute jog than an hour spent switching between paces.Naturally, dinner was my favorite part of this whole experiment. Bread? Cheese? Wine? Whats not to love?There was another dinner option I didnt go for. Homemade fries are a favorite of Paltrows - she mentioned eating those for dinner in her Net-a-Porter interview.I swear, I was going to try to figure out how to make them, but it just didnt happen.Working out for two hours a day has a way of draining your interest in putting in any extra effort in other areas of your life.Plus, I had no complaints about the cheesy baguettes. They tasted a bit like a grilled cheese if you forgot to toas t the bread. That description doesnt sound fantastic, but they were delicious.Typically, Id throw some gouda in a frying pan, melt it down, and drip it onto a baguette.One time, the chunk of cheese was too big and melted weird. I ended up getting a slightly burnt, crispy cheese sandwich and a kitchen full of smoke. Mostly, though, these dinners were easy to whip up.By the time the evening rolled around, I was usually quite hungry. It was kind of nice to have something decadent to look forward to at the end of the day. But Im sure Id get sick of this meal if I had to eat it for more than a week.Im also not a dietitian, but Im fairly certain salads and cheesy baguettes dont contain all the essential nutrients we need to stay healthy.Paltrow likely eats more well-balanced dinners than this - homemade fries and baguettes dripping with cheese were likely just her go-to examples, not her only two meal options - but I wanted to follow exactly what she said in her Net-a-Porter interview.I did pretty well with my experiment, until Thursday. That was the night of our office party. My timing for this health and exercise-based experiment couldnt have been better.Back when she was working out for two hours a day, Paltrow said she only kept up the routine for six days a week. I knew I was going to throw my rules out the window at the office party, so I justified that by counting Thursday as my cheat day.I skipped my workouts. I stopped asking myself, What would Gwyneth do? I tried to mitigate things by choosing not to eat breakfast or lunch in anticipation of the party - which is definitely what youre not supposed to do at an office party.The results were pretty predictable. I ended up eating a lot of chocolate, drinking wine, and eating a whole plateful of cheese cubes at the party. It was great - but Ill admit I definitely overstepped on my cheat day.Despite my major office-party hiccup, I was mostly able to follow through on the routine for the entire week.The diet w as pretty easy to handle. The exercise was difficult to keep up with. Overall, though, I was surprised to find there were some things I really appreciated about this experiment.Two hours of exercise a day is a lot. Its pretty unsustainable for someone with a nine-to-five and other life responsibilities.Regardless of whether youre in shape, thats a lot of time to carve out of your schedule.Plus, theres the issue of safety. If youre like me - enthusiastic but clueless - you could end up hurting yourself. In my case, my sore shoulder isnt a big deal and it feels fine now. But its still best to be careful.But the experiment certainly broke me out of some unhealthy tendencies, like my automatic trips to the bagel shop or tendency to chow down on sandwiches and pizza at lunch.The food portion of the experiment actually worked for me.I wouldnt say its something I could continue doing indefinitely, but it was pretty helpful if you treat it as a pseudo cleanse.All in all, I wouldnt say tha t Id recommend this diet or exercise routine to anyone.And I probably wont be asking myself, What would Gwyneth do? going forward.But I certainly appreciate that this process has helped me kick a bad habit or two.This article was originally published on geschftliches miteinander Insider.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong peopleI lived like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week and it broke some bad habitsI tried to live like Gwyneth Paltrow for a week, and it didnt quite work out the way Id planned.Paltrow famously leads an intense life. In terms of exercise, she used to do an hour of cardio and an hour of weights six days of the week. Her lifestyle brand Goop also hawks all sorts ofhardcore det oxes and cleanses.But all that doesnt really reflect Paltrows current reality. She recently toldNet-a-Porterthat she doesnt have the time or energy to tackle that grueling schedule anymore Im getting old, my back hurts Its depressing. Some days, the gym gives me this rush of energy and I feel amazing, but then my bodys like f- you.She also doesnt stick to any Goop cleanses for a long amount of time. She told Net-a-Porter she passes on breakfast and eats a low-carb lunch so my energy levels dont peak and valley through the day. Then, for dinner, she typically decides to loosen the reins.I decided to follow her diet as best I could, as well as take up her previous exercise routine. Here are the rules I was determined to follow for a weekSkip breakfast.Have a low-carb lunch.Put in an hour of cardio exercise.Go for an hour of weights-based exercise.Eat a dinner along the lines of her typical evening meal A glass of wine, maybe a baguette dripping in cheese, some fries.I didnt prepare a t all for this. I just jumped into it, sparking concerns among the people I know. Youre going to die, several coworkers told me when I described my plan. Family members predicted I would seriously injure myself and expressed concerns about my shambling running style.All of this just bolstered my determination to rise to the occasion.The experiment itself left me somewhat surprised. On the one hand, some of Paltrows dietary habits were easier to tackle than I thought. On the other, I ended up pulling my shoulder.Heres a look at what happened when I tried to live like Gwyneth Paltrow for a weekBefore this Gwyneth Paltrow challenge, bagels were my go-to morning meal. Id often grab one - poppy seed with cream cheese or butter - before heading into the office.But, like some other celebrities, Paltrow skips breakfast altogether. So I had to kick the habit. Instead of stopping by the bagel shop, Id just hop on the train and head to work.Truth be told, this wasnt particularly challenging for me. Back in college, I rarely ate breakfast. It may or may not be the most important meal of the day, but Ive never had a problem skipping it.I managed to follow this aspect of Paltrows schedule for the entire week, and I think the week-long bagel cleanse worked. I havent had a bagel since. Health-wise, theyre far better as an occasional treat than a breakfast staple.I didnt have too much trouble with lunch either. Normally, Id grab a sandwich or a slice of pizza from some place near the office. For the experiment, I needed to spring for low-carb choices instead.I tried to get fancy and even looked up some of Paltrows salad recipes. There were some tempting options in her cookbooks. I figured Id try to make a few, to tide me over for the week.Heck, I even bought a jar of cornichons - which are adorable, tiny pickles, btw.But, to be honest, I ran out of time before I could snag all the ingredients necessary to throw together some of Paltrows recipes (what the heck is silken tofu , anyway, and where am I supposed to find it?).So I ended up improvising. My non-fancy salad was pretty good, though. Id pack it up in Tupperware and eat it at my desk every day around noon with a ginger ale.I enjoyed the salads, but I was bummed to have to decline a ton of delicious and tempting offerings throughout the week. My coworkers seemed to show up to work with chocolates, cookies, and other sweet treats every other day during my challenge.By the end of the week, I was getting a bit bored with salad, although I tried to spice things up by switching up the dressings.In fairness, I probably couldve gotten more experimental with my lunches - low carb can include a whole range of meals, of course.But I only have so much brain power to devote to planning out and cobbling together what Im going to eat ahead of time.Still, I didnt have much of a problem sticking to low-carb lunches for the entire experiment.Once I got home from work, Id hide in the basement, where no one could se e me flailing around with a medicine ball and hand weights, looking like a reject from the worlds worst workout video.I was unsurprised to find out that weights arent my strong suit. I didnt really know what I was doing, so I just switched in between different moves for the hour. It was boring and hard. And Im sure my technique left much to be desired.Around Wednesday, my left shoulder began to really hurt. An hour of weights is probably too much if youre clueless about exercise - especially if youre making a leap from couch potato to workout fanatic, like I was. After Wednesday, I had to cut down on the weights a bit.Overall, Id say I truly disliked this aspect of the experiment. Id rather do cardio for an hour than do weights for an hour. At least you can read while walking on the treadmill. The weight exercises just felt repetitive and tedious after about 30 minutes.Before I started my experiment, I envisioned myself sprinting around outside, running through twilit parks and dri nking in the fresh winter air.Reality quickly shattered that cardio fantasy. Im usually home after sundown. Running outside in the cold darkness didnt sound like a good idea. Itd be really embarrassing to get hit by a car while doing an exercise experiment for work.So, while I did go on a few night runs, I mostly opted for working out on the treadmill.I quickly found that I dont have the stamina, pacing abilities, or patience to full-on run for a whole hour. Id switch between power walking, jogging, and running.As I walked, Id balance a book on the treadmill in front of me to stave off the boredom. I simply dont have the attention span for long workouts.The running was fine, but I feel like I couldve gotten more out of an intensive 30-minute jog than an hour spent switching between paces.Naturally, dinner was my favorite part of this whole experiment. Bread? Cheese? Wine? Whats not to love?There was another dinner option I didnt go for. Homemade fries are a favorite of Paltrows - s he mentioned eating those for dinner in her Net-a-Porter interview.I swear, I was going to try to figure out how to make them, but it just didnt happen.Working out for two hours a day has a way of draining your interest in putting in any extra effort in other areas of your life.Plus, I had no complaints about the cheesy baguettes. They tasted a bit like a grilled cheese if you forgot to toast the bread. That description doesnt sound fantastic, but they were delicious.Typically, Id throw some gouda in a frying pan, melt it down, and drip it onto a baguette.One time, the chunk of cheese was too big and melted weird. I ended up getting a slightly burnt, crispy cheese sandwich and a kitchen full of smoke. Mostly, though, these dinners were easy to whip up.By the time the evening rolled around, I was usually quite hungry. It was kind of nice to have something decadent to look forward to at the end of the day. But Im sure Id get sick of this meal if I had to eat it for more than a week.Im also not a dietitian, but Im fairly certain salads and cheesy baguettes dont contain all the essential nutrients we need to stay healthy.Paltrow likely eats more well-balanced dinners than this - homemade fries and baguettes dripping with cheese were likely just her go-to examples, not her only two meal options - but I wanted to follow exactly what she said in her Net-a-Porter interview.I did pretty well with my experiment, until Thursday. That was the night of our office party. My timing for this health and exercise-based experiment couldnt have been better.Back when she was working out for two hours a day, Paltrow said she only kept up the routine for six days a week. I knew I was going to throw my rules out the window at the office party, so I justified that by counting Thursday as my cheat day.I skipped my workouts. I stopped asking myself, What would Gwyneth do? I tried to mitigate things by choosing not to eat breakfast or lunch in anticipation of the party - which is defi nitely what youre not supposed to do at an office party.The results were pretty predictable. I ended up eating a lot of chocolate, drinking wine, and eating a whole plateful of cheese cubes at the party. It was great - but Ill admit I definitely overstepped on my cheat day.Despite my major office-party hiccup, I was mostly able to follow through on the routine for the entire week.The diet was pretty easy to handle. The exercise was difficult to keep up with. Overall, though, I was surprised to find there were some things I really appreciated about this experiment.Two hours of exercise a day is a lot. Its pretty unsustainable for someone with a nine-to-five and other life responsibilities.Regardless of whether youre in shape, thats a lot of time to carve out of your schedule.Plus, theres the issue of safety. If youre like me - enthusiastic but clueless - you could end up hurting yourself. In my case, my sore shoulder isnt a big deal and it feels fine now. But its still best to be careful.But the experiment certainly broke me out of some unhealthy tendencies, like my automatic trips to the bagel shop or tendency to chow down on sandwiches and pizza at lunch.The food portion of the experiment actually worked for me.I wouldnt say its something I could continue doing indefinitely, but it was pretty helpful if you treat it as a pseudo cleanse.All in all, I wouldnt say that Id recommend this diet or exercise routine to anyone.And I probably wont be asking myself, What would Gwyneth do? going forward.But I certainly appreciate that this process has helped me kick a bad habit or two.This article was originally published on Business Insider.