Natalie Portman’s Rigorous Diet for Black Swan

Natalie Portman was absolutely amazing in her role for Black Swan and not surprisingly she took home a Golden Globe.  Her preparation for the movie was extremely difficult; she had to get into a mindset of a ballerina and she had to endure a very strict diet.  Natalie Portman lost 20 pounds for this role.  You also have to remember that she was skinny to begin with.  Her co-star Mile Kunis also lost 20 pounds for the role.  

 “You don’t drink, you don’t go out with your friends, you don’t have much food and you are constantly putting your body through extreme pain, so you get that understanding of the self-flagellation of a ballet dancer,” she explained.

“You don’t drink, you don’t go out with your friends, you don’t have much food and you are constantly putting your body through extreme pain, so you get that understanding of the self-flagellation of a ballet dancer,” she explained.

Most of her diet consisted of almonds and carrots; sounds very tough to manage.  She practices/exercise up to 16 hours a day.  Portman followed the diets and training the real ballet dancers live by.  Her trainer said, "The diets are not healthy. There are a lot of food and calorie restrictions, lots of coffee and cigarettes to keep the weight down. The body is restricting calories, the pressure of competition is intense. All day she trained."  Portman said that she was barely eating.  

“Portman immersed herself in a world where a few grapes for breakfast and again for dinner are the norm.”  Some of her fellow actresses/dancers would not eat breakfast, then a small salad for lunch, a small amount of nuts, fruit and nothing in the evening.  

Portman’s trainer said that many of the dancers break down mentally because of the combination of calorie restriction and the long hours dancing.

After the filming was done, Portman had to return to her diet slowly so as not to give her body a shock but all she could think of is pasta.  Portman admitted the entire experience was the most difficult thing she's ever experienced and that the role didn't entirely leave her.