Battlefield Girth

Never let it be said that John Travolta is slow on the uptake. Seriously, when it comes to understanding the subtle nuances of the female mind and an acute sensitivity to the hidden meanings behind everything they do and say, Travolta's well on the ball. Take, for example, his cunning decryption of wife, Kelly Preston's hints that, perhaps, he might be a tad overweight. While standing naked in front of a full-length dress mirror (as you do) Travolta was alerted to the fact that his Adonis-like form might be in need of a service when his wife proceeded to stick her fingers in her mouth and make theatrical gagging sounds. "She was trying to tell me something I should have seen," the preternaturally observant star told The News of The World. "I'd let myself go, become a bit of a wreck." "My wife still loves me and I adore her, that won't change. But my self-esteem was showing cracks. I thought 'this looks like a middle-aged man in bad shape."' Embracing his newfound grasp of the patently obvious, Travolta then set out to put things right and ensure that never again would his bulging belly encroach upon the waistline of his trousers. Eschewing the traditional diet route, the actor embarked on an intensive workout regime which, one year later, left him 24 pounds lighter and sleeker than a Lotus Esprit as he hovered around the 14 stone mark. "At least I'm not looking in the mirror and seeing my wife nauseous at the sight of me without my clothes on." Yes, that's always a good sign, John.