You Too Can Wear a Metal Bikini

by StacyAtZeel

Would you prance around your living room wearing nothing but a metal bikini? Carrie Fisher, who first wore these iconic futuristic skivvies in 1983, says absolutely! "I wanna get back in a metal bikini and just, like, walk around the house like an idiot," the 54-year-young actress recently quipped during a Today Show interview.

What explains Carrie's sudden desire to get back into metallic undergarments? The Jenny Craig spokesperson has made remarkable progress on her quest to lose weight, shedding 50 pounds (or what Carrie calls "half a model") in just nine months. And it's no wonder. Earlier this year, Jenny Craig was named the top diet by Consumer Reports, cruising past competitors like Atkins and Weight Watchers.

While Fisher may still be many dress sizes away from her Princess Leia bod, she nevertheless looks phenomenal and is an inspiration for anyone who wants to get back to their former weight. Here's a look at how Carrie did it, and how you can too.

Exercise your body and brain. Unless you love the gym, maintaining a regular exercise regimen is tough at any age. Fisher motivated herself to work out by staying entertained while breaking a sweat. "I like to read while I exercise on the elliptical," she reveals on her Jenny Craig blog. Fisher stays on the machine for anywhere between 45 and 52 minutes--an idiosyncratic need to exercise in multiples of three, five and seven.

Dinner with (supportive) friends. One of the main reasons why Jenny Craig is so popular is because of the community support the organization offers. Meals can be spent trading tips on how to stay trim and gushing about how delicious and healthy the Jenny Craig meatloaf is. (Carrie's a fan.)

Overcome your fear of the scale. "I am fearless generally, but I was and still remain a little afraid of the scale," Fisher admits in a video blog. Like many other individuals who want to lose weight, the actress avoided stepping on scales "as if they were radioactive" for almost three years.

Fisher learned to accept the number staring back at her with the help of her weight loss consultant, Kathy. "Taking a deep breath I gradually opened my eyes…the news was better than I'd dare to hope! I was 3.2 lbs down," she blogged of the experience.

Find healthy foods you love. Fisher is "addicted" to the Jenny Craig cereal. "It tastes like you're cheating, which I like," she joked on The Today Show. The key to this pre-packaged cereal is portion control. One parcel contains a single serving, with just 160 calories and one gram of fat. It also contains two heart-healthy grams of fiber, which is an important aid for weight loss.