Marilyn Monroe Workout and Diet

Actress (Deceased)

Born: 1926

Marilyn Monroe is the stage name of Norma Jeane Mortenson. She was born in LA and raised for several years by foster parents while her single mother struggled with mental illness. Monroe lived for a while with her mother in Hollywood, but she also had various foster families and lived in an orphanage. To escape her difficult life, she often went to the movies, which was how she decided to become an actress. Monroe married at 16 and dropped out of high school. While her husband was off serving in the military durning World War II, she began modeling. She went on to become an iconic model and actress, appearing in many magazines including Playboy, and in films like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Some Like It Hot, for which she won a Golden Globe award. Monroe had 2 high-profile marriages: to pro baseball player Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller. She had struggles with mood disorders and addiction, and she died of an overdose, believed to be suicide, in 1962. Despite the fact that she died decades before the internet, she has millions of followers on social media. Monroe was 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighed about 120 lbs.

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Marilyn Monroe’s Diet

Diet Summary

Monroe grew up during the Great Depression. Consequently, her eating habits were very different. Her AM go-to was hot milk whipped up with raw eggs and drunk warm. Dinner was hearty, either a steak, lamb chops or maybe liver, along with a handful of raw carrots. She also had a penchant for ice cream. She supplemented with a multivitamin.

Estimated Macros

Medium Fat

Medium Protein

Medium Carb

Diet Details

Healthy Start

Monroe would make herself a morning meal that today we might find strange, but was probably not so weird back in the day. She would carry a hot plate with her while traveling so she could whip up a concoction of warm milk and 2 eggs.

Solid Dinner

Monroe’s dinner habit was to stop off at a local market and pick up some kind of meat, such as steak, liver, or lamb chops, and broil it on an electric oven in her room.

Part Rabbit?

Monroe also had the habit of eating 4-5 raw carrots along with her dinner.

Odd Avoidances?

Monroe’s dermatologist Erno Laszlo recommended she avoid nuts, chocolate, olives, oysters, and clams as part of an anti-inflammatory skincare regimen. No word on whether or not she followed his advice.

Treats Are Okay

Monroe ate what she wanted, which regularly included hitting the ice cream shop for a fudge sundae after acting class.

What to Eat

  • Whole, natural foods
  • Everything in moderation
  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Meat
  • Raw carrots
  • Ice cream
  • Multivitamin
  • Water

What to Avoid

  • Overeating
  • Junk food
  • Nuts
  • Chocolate
  • Olives
  • Oysters
  • Clams

Monroe on her eating habits

‘I’ve been told that my eating habits are absolutely bizarre, but I don’t think so.’

Monroe on her breakfast

‘Before I take my morning shower, I start warming a cup of milk on the hot plate I keep in my hotel room. When it’s hot, I break 2 raw eggs into the milk, whip them up…and drink them while I’m dressing.’

Monroe on her egg & milk meal

‘I doubt if any doctor could recommend a more nourishing breakfast for a working girl in a hurry.’

Monroe on her ice cream habit

‘It’s a good thing…that I eat simply during the day, for in recent months I have developed the habit of stopping off at Wil Wright’s ice cream parlor for a hot fudge sundae.’

Marilyn Monroe’s Workout Routine

Workout Routine

Genetic Jackpot

There’s no denying that Monroe hit the genetic jackpot with her iconic hourglass figure.

Simple Routine

Monroe didn’t care about being good at sports like golf or tennis, but she did have the habit of lifting light weights each morning for what she called a ‘bust-firming’ routine.

Not Into Rules

One thing Monroe didn’t do was count faithfully while she worked out. She exercised until she got tired of it, and said that if she had to be very regimented, she wouldn’t do it at all.

Exercise Style

A Marilyn Monroe Routine

  • Exercise daily, first thing
  • Use light weights (5 lb.)
  • Lying flat on floor, arms spread eagle, lift arms up 15x
  • Repeat exercise lifting arms overhead 15x
  • Repeat exercise with arms at 45° angle
  • Do arm circles to failure

Monroe on her enviable hourglass figure

‘Frankly, I’ve never considered my own figure so exceptional; until quite recently, I seldom gave it any thought at all.’

Monroe on exercise

‘I couldn’t stand exercise if I had to feel regimented about it.’

Monroe on her exercise regimen

‘I spend at least 10 minuets each morning working out with small weights.’

Monroe on her fitness routine

‘I have evolved my own exercises for the muscles I wish to keep firm, and I know they are right for me because I can feel them putting the proper muscles into play as I exercise.’

Marilyn Monroe’s Supplements

Multivitamin

Multivitamin

The vitamin industry was in its infancy when Monroe was around, but she did take a multivitamin as a nod to health. Monroe also struggled with mental health and addiction. Some supplements that can help with brain chemistry include vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, and a B complex.

Marilyn Monroe’s Lifestyle

Take It Slow

Monroe was not a morning person. She liked to ease into her day, and especially loved to luxuriate in bed on Sunday mornings, taking 2 hours or more to wake up.

Arranged Marriage

Monroe wound up marrying her first husband because the family she was living with was moving out of state, which legally Monroe was not allowed to do. To avoid being returned to the orphanage, she married a neighbor just a few weeks after turning 16.

What’s In a Name?

Monroe was named after actress Norma Talmadge. Her stage name ‘Marilyn Monroe’ was not her first choice. She preferred ‘Jean Adair.’

Beauty Routine Ahead of Her Time

Monroe worked with dermatologist Erno Laszlo who recommended caring not only for the face but also the neck and décollété. His products are still available today.

Simple Beauty Tip

Monroe used to slather up with Vaseline before taking her daily 3-hour bath.

Record-Setting Dress

Monroe wore 2 record-setting dresses: the one she wore to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to JFK in 1962 went for $1.2 million and the one from The Seven Year Itch went for $4.6M.

FBI Target

Monroe’s future husband Arthur Miller was a suspected Communist, and Monroe had requested to visit the Soviet Union in 1955, leading to the FBI opening a file on her for ‘Un-American Activities.’ Her house was also bugged.

Total Devotion

Although Monroe was only married to Joe DiMaggio for 8 months, he remained devoted to her even after death. He denied most Hollywood people entry to her funeral, and delivered roses to her grave twice a week for more than 20 years.

Monroe’s tip on her glowing skin

‘I rub my entire body down with Vaseline and then get into a 3-hour hot bath every morning. It gives my skin a shiny glow.’

Monroe on tanning

‘Despite its great vogue in California, I don’t think suntanned skin is any more attractive…or any healthier.’

Monroe on haters

‘Cutting negative people from my life does not mean I hate them, it simply means I respect me.’

Monroe on achieving

‘A wise girl knows her limits. A smart girl knows she has none.’

Recommended Products

Erno Laszlo Phelityl Cleansing Bar

EL Normalizer Shake-It

EL Phelityl Pre-Cleansing Oil

EL Active Phelityl Intensive Cream

Vaseline

Nivea Creme

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