How Skinny Chefs Stay That Way

Rotund chefs like Mario Batali and Paula Deen have given way to a crop of stick-thin kitchen wizards who clearly know a thing or two about how to stay slim while being surrounded by food. The Daily Beast gets the skinny from the skinny culinary elite, and won't take "high metabolism" for an answer:

• Taste: Chefs taste their food, the operative word being "taste." Anyhow, one says, "it's possible to work an entire shift and not eat anything, since we're running around all the time." Which leads us to:
• Exercise: Whether its just a byproduct of a busy day, or a concerted gym effort, you've got to burn the calories you put in.

• Stick to the plan: Whether you're a chef in a busy kitchen or a layman preparing a holiday feast, temptation is everywhere. Don't get sidetracked, and have an iron-clad routine for eating.
• But indulge: Spice up your life with your favorite things, while making sure to balance them with more prudent gastronomical decisions.
• Don't self-medicate with food: Stress abounds, whether the kitchen is professional or at home. Eat when you're hungry, not freaked out.
• Sit down: It's possible to graze your way to a monstrous number of calories. Sitting down focuses you on the meal, and what's in it.

(More chef stories.)