Lust for Life

American Fitness, Nov, 1999 by Bonnie Siegler

Karen Duffy, former MTV veejay and current Almay and Revlon spokesperson, discusses her newfound -- and necessary -- healthy lifestyle.

Four years ago, former sexy MTV veejay Karen Duffy was diagnosed with a rare, inoperable brain lesion known as sarcoidosis. Confronting the possibility of becoming progressively ill was shocking to the 37-year-old Almay and Revlon spokesperson. But in typical "Duff" fashion, the Park Ridge, New Jersey, native says, "I spit in death's eyes." Ironically, it's this brush with death that pushed the model and actress to come to terms with her own lackadaisical approach to physical fitness.

"Before, I lived my life the way you drive a rental car," Duffy admits. "I would slam on the gas and make hard turns. But I learned that people with sarcoidosis can easily get rheumatoid arthritis, so I hooked up with a trainer, began lifting weights for total body conditioning and exercised regularly. I really hit the ground running."

With courage and humor, Duffy readily admits her current fitness and nutrition habits were achieved by making big adjustments in her life. "Living in New York, I'm used to walking. But my trainer said, `So what? You're supposed to walk. It doesn't count.'" In addition to her regular 45-minute walk to and from doctor's appointments, Duffy says, "I swim, kayak, run and lift weights." A former high school track star, Duffy now runs one mile every day. "I can't push myself much more," she says.

While Duffy rocked our world as an MTV veejay with her on- and off-screen antics (a relationship with Dwight Yoakam and friendship with George Clooney), now she kicks butt in the gym with regular athletic endeavors. "I'm not into team sports," says the 5'7" beauty. "I'm really not a competitive person. I don't like tennis or golf. I'm more into doing stuff alone like swimming, hiking, walking, running and kayaking. The good thing about Dolores Munoz, my trainer, is that she won't let me get away with anything. She has really inspired me." Duffy reminisces about the time she and some friends were at a New York nightspot when a fan approached her. "`Oh, Duff,' she said, `I love your commercials.' To my friends, she said, `I see her at the gym all the time sitting on the Lifecycle reading magazines but not pedaling.' I was totally busted."

Duffy's heightened health awareness means taking a folic acid supplement daily and staying away from junk food. "I can't get away with eating peanut butter and fluff sandwiches anymore," she says. "I used to wake up in the morning and have blueberry pancakes and hot chocolate, then walk to the doughnut shop, but no more." She laughs as she recalls a recent visit to her doctor's office. "I told him I was going through a personal experiment and wanted to get through life without considering numbers, so I never weigh myself. But I've essentially been the same size my whole adult life."

Instead of Duffy's white bread sandwiches, lunches consist of healthy salads, while dinners include lean steaks or grilled fish. Breakfasts vary from toast and coffee to "a fried egg and bacon sandwich and coffee." "If I eat things in moderation, I'm usually OK," she says. "I'll adjust my workout and eating the next day. My trainer has taught me the art of substitution. Instead of my favorite ice cream, I'll have a sorbet with a tablespoon of real ice cream mixed in. And for breakfast, I chop up fruits like strawberries, pineapple, pears and cantaloupe, simmer it in fruit juice for 15 minutes while I'm getting ready for the day and then throw in vanilla yogurt. There you have it--a healthy way to start the day."

With the 21st century quickly approaching, Duffy says she will be spending this special New Year's Eve contemplating the 20th century in the comfort of her Berkshire farm with her husband of three years, John Lambros. "I love the company of my husband so much," she says. "When I hear his keys unlock the door, I pull myself together. I have thought about the past years together and can only think about a book I read called The Man Thinkith. The idea is that your mind is like a garden. If you plant positive thoughts, that's what you'll become and harvest. If you can overcome the Newtonian Law of Inertia, it takes half as much energy to take the first step as it does to get your butt off the couch. I got my rear in gear with regular exercise and good eating habits and feel 100 percent better for it."

Her smart workouts and eating plan, as well as her uplifting spirit, have helped Duffy stay trim and upbeat. "Life is way too short to focus on my illness," she says. "Being sick is only a small part of me. There are many good things in my life. In a way, everybody has something to deal with. At least I know what mine is--I have a lump in my head."

A former recreational therapist, Duffy falls back on her medical occupation to stay focused. "I volunteer at a nursing home twice a week and there are people at the home who have been dispossessed of their homes, families and health--and now they're living in an institution. I've found that visiting them has been the greatest inspiration for me because of their sterling integrity. There's a saying that you become what you think about the most, and if I thought about being sick all the time, look at where I would be."