When she was filming 'Charlie's Angels', Jackie Smith told fans, "Sleep is most important, especially since I get up at 5:00am five or six mornings a week so I can be on the set at 7:00am, and we film for about 12 hours! And a healthy diet is equally important. Breakfast is my main meal, then if I have to skip another meal I still have energy. In summer, a light diet is important to me. I recommend high protein drinks made with protein powder, banana, strawberries and low-fat milk, mixed in a blender. I also eat a lot of fresh vegetable salads and if I get hungry during the day, I snack on Tiger Milk bars (made up of peanut butter and honey) made from Tiger's milk and yeast. They lift my energy and are very nourishing and non-fattening. And of course I don't smoke or drink! I don't like to admit I worry about pimples and things like that more than other people do, but in my job it's part of the business. Every day you peer into the mirror to see if there are bags under the eyes, lines on the forehead, whether your eyes are bright, and make-up too heavy or if your tummy's sticking out."
In those days, Lynda Carter could be seen starring in the 'Wonder Woman' series. Lynda told fans, "In order for me to lose weight, I just stop eating. I don't drink anything but water, and I try to do some exercise everyday. I love water exercises and I love to play tennis or run. I usually don't eat breakfast but I probably drink about a gallon of water a day. I keep water by my bed and during the night, if I'm thirsty, I pour myself a big glass."
At the time "Ron (Samuels) and I have just started a vegetable diet; we try to eat just fresh, steamed vegetables. Basically, we're just sticking to salads and vegetables, but you have to have a little spice in your life! We avoid nitrates, and we watch our cholesterol intake and avoid red meat. I’ve always had very healthy eating habits. As a child, I ate lots of salads and fresh vegetables. We rarely ate fried foods and not much meat. And I never eat sweets. Once I start eating candy, I crave it every day, so the only way for me is to do without it altogether.
"First of all, I'm a great believer in drinking lots and lots of water. Bottled water, that is. I feel people have to cleanse their skin from the inside out, as well as the other way around. Of course, at certain times of the month, I have a tendency to retain water. So then I take lecithin which is a natural diuretic. It keeps me from getting all puffy-looking. I also use a facial soap and water. And I use lots of night creams. I try not to wear make-up when I'm not working to let my skin 'breathe' and I wash my hair everyday. I try not to use a blow dryer on my hair, either. Except when it's absolutely necessary. Because I find that too much of the hot air and stuff will dry your ends out. And then they split.
"I watch what I eat. I guess everybody has to. With me, I have a tendency to gain too much. Or to lose too much . . . I adore Mexican food. Chiles. Enchiladas. But I prefer it home-cooked because, in restaurants, they usually use too much flour. And far too much grease. On the rare occasions when I feel tired or a little sluggish, I'll take a spoonful of honey. Bee pollen, too, is very good for that. Or I'll have some juice and the natural sugar will perk me up. I don't eat very much sugar at all which is probably why I've got so much energy in the first place!"
Ron Samuels reminded, "The producers have made it clear from the start, that the actress cannot get pregnant during her shooting season or during her hiatus. It sounds cruel and heartless, but it makes sense. Lynda knew about that when she got into it. The 'Wonder Woman' character simply cannot appear pregnant. There's no way on earth it could be written into the script. She can't even be a little pregnant or showing just a little. That outfit she wears is as tight and revealing as anything can be, so it's out of the question. There aren't many cases like this, but here it's a choice of career or motherhood. Not the 2."
On reflection, Lyle Waggoner remarked, "You know, success isn't always what one thinks it will turn out to be. You dream that everything will be perfect and all your problems will be solved, but sometimes it only compounds your problems. Even Lynda, who's something of an eternal optimist, has been a bit disappointed at the realities of success (at the time)."
In the 1977-78 season, Lynda said, "I usually get up about 7:30 this year (1978). Last year when I worked I used to get up at 6:00, but they managed to make my hours a little better this year (1978) so I only work 10 (hours a day)! So I get up at 7:30 and leave for the studio at 8:00. It takes an hour to get my hair, and my make-up and my wardrobe on. There are separate people for each of those jobs. It seems like there are a thousand people around as soon as I get there. When we start in production we have 4 days on the lot and 4 days off the lot on local locations to get the look of the show, which is outside where she's running, jumping or doing whatever she's going to do."
