Kelly Ripa says Mark Consuelos' diet is ‘way too disciplined' — but it left her ‘super fit' when she tried it

New York Post

18-06-2025

Kelly Ripa says her husband, Mark Consuelos, is pretty tight.
Too tight — but, then, so was her Oscars gown.
'So right before the Academy Awards, I was having trouble getting my dress zipped up the side. It was a side-zip dress, and I kept getting zipped into the dress,' Ripa, 54, confessed on a recent episode of 'Live with Kelly and Mark.'
3 Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos at the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Disney via Getty Images
Needing results fast, she turned to her hubby's super strict, super high protein diet for three days and — lo and behold — the zipper slid like a kid on a waterslide.
'I don't love it, but I ate exactly how you told me to eat, and that dress zipped right up, no side skin,' she told Consuelos, also 54.
'And I looked super fit. Super, super fit. So thank you for that.'
That being said, she made it pretty clear his regimen wasn't her everyday jam.
'It's the only time I've listened to Mark about my diet because I typically don't like to do what you're doing,' she said.
'I just find, you're like, way too disciplined. I can't live that way. But for 72 hours, I can live like Mark Consuelos so I lived like Mark Consuelos for 72 hours.'
3 'I don't love it, but I ate exactly how you told me to eat, and that dress zipped right up, no side skin,' she said.
ABC
So, what did this miracle diet entail?
According to Ripa, it was plenty of yogurt, veggies and steak — much to the talk show host's dismay, as she admitted that she's 'not big on animal protein.'
Consuelos said the diet is 'the craze now,' possibly alluding to the popularity of the carnivore diet, which is being touted as a game changer for the gut by wellness influencers and celebs like Jenny McCarthy.
However, it's worth noting that experts have expressed concerns about the potential health risks of this trendy meal plan, citing an increased risk of kidney stones, LDL cholesterol, heart disease, colon cancer, digestive issues and nutritional deficiencies as potential side effects.
3 'It's the only time I've listened to Mark about my diet because I typically don't like to do what you're doing,' she said.
2003 RAMEY PHOTO 310-828-3445/L
'There are significant long-term risks with following the carnivore diet,' Dr. Joseph Antoun, CEO of the longevity company L-Nutra, previously told The Post, arguing for a 'well-balanced, plant-forward approach' that is 'rich in complex carbs, plant-based/fish-based proteins and healthy fats from nuts and seeds' instead.
Consuelos himself cautioned that it's crucial to increase your fiber intake when following a high-protein diet, especially if you're doing it as a lifestyle choice and not a 72-hour stint.
'It's really, really important. 'Recommended 25 grams of fiber per day for women, 38 grams for men.' So it's crucial for 'maintaining a healthy gut microbiome and may lower the rates of chronic disease such as diabetes,' he said.
Of course, it helps to have a live-in expert, as it sounds like Ripa didn't even know what she was eating most of the time.
'You were there, you were managing my diet,' she told her husband on the episode.
'I'm like, 'I don't know, I ate whatever you told me to eat.' Literally, if he was like, 'Eat this,' I ate it. And it was great for the 72 hours I had to suffer through it. But they're talking about daily life every day, if you're having a high protein diet…'
'…Make sure you take your fiber,' he said.