Over the past few years I have been addicted to The Tudors– the lavish production loosely based on the Tudor King, Henry VIII.
Anyways, despite some uncertainty regarding birth details, most experts agree that old Henry had a Cancer Sun, which probably explains his insatiable need to bolster his family tree. Given that Cancer rules the stomach, this goes a long way to explaining his weight gain later in life- although that was probably the fault of the tables which on TV always seemed to be groaning under the weight of way too much food.
Have you ever noticed how all TV shows & movies which depict royalty have great long banquet tables and multiple courses on offer, yet when was the last time you saw a fat royal? Which leads me nicely into Leo, the sign of Kings.
Leo loves to eat out and be seen in all the right places- with the right people wearing the right brands, drinking the right wine and eating good food. Yet Leo rarely carries too much weight. Essentially Leo has way too much pride in his appearance to let his standards slip too far. This is particularly true of the Leo Ascendant.
Not only does the Ascendant tell us a lot about how a person presents to the world physically, but knowing the Ascendant also can tell us a lot about that persons tastes in food (2nd house) and what their dietary habits are like (6th house). The sign that is on the cusp of the 6th also says loads about how you like to eat, who you like to eat with and your diet mentality. Seriously.
With Virgo on the cusp of your 2nd house* your taste in food and the way it is prepared will be very much influenced by the earthly criticality of that sign. Yes, you are fussy. There, I said it. If you ordered your steak medium rare, it had better be melt in your mouth and medium rare- not under, and certainly not over.
Also, with Virgo on the 2nd, you seem to instinctively enjoy the foods which your body needs. And before you ask, Leo, this is not the way it is for everyone- our tastebuds may know what they like, but more often than not this is a very different thing to what our body needs. My taste buds have a particular penchant for Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, but my body certainly does not need it. Oh to be so discriminating…
You also probably prefer your meals to be smaller in size, cooked impeccably and easy to digest. A Chefs Table Degustation of 8 teeny weeny courses (naturally with matching wines) in a fashionable restaurant would be just perfect.
With Capricorn on the cusp of the 6th house, you do tend to be good at self- regulation. Even though you do live large, gluttony is certainly not a sin attributable to Leo or Capricorn. You are able to clearly and firmly say “no more, thank you” when you have eaten your fill. Eating to excess simply because it is there is not a Leo trait. Nor is eating to avoid waste, or filling up on junk because you have paid for it. Leo only eats as much as she needs of what it is she wants. You are quite happy to leave food on your plate. This is one of the few signs who could tackle an All You Can Eat buffet without it being a slippery pole to dieting disaster.
Not that Leo particularly enjoys such a place… with Virgo on the 2nd you are extremely careful about the conditions in which your food is prepared. Also, with Capricorn on the cusp of the 6th you do like to frequent restaurants where it is of benefit for you to be seen.
For this reason, Leo is able to easily mix business with pleasure and has no problems at all negotiating a sale or finalising a business deal over a good meal. With Leo’s pride, comes an enviable ability to keep himself tidy, so you will rarely see Leo over-indulging in food or alcohol when out and about. Any leftover morning after the night before mankiness will be rectified with clever make up.
Unless the Moon falls in one of the signs prone to emotional eating (hello to all the water signs and Taurus), Leo tends not to eat for emotional reasons.
Leo, and in particular Leo Rising, does like to do things in a big way. He has a big heart, and sometimes this generosity, penchant for celebration and love of the good things in life can lead to self indulgence of the physical kind. On the occasions when Leo does need to rid himself of a few extra kilos, it is taken care of stylishly and with a minimum of fuss. Whilst I have no statistics on this (and anyway, 99.5% of statistics, including this one, are made up), as someone who has (over the years) sucked in and out of many weight loss forums or discussion groups or challenges, Leo seems to be rarely represented.
With Earth signs on both the 2nd and the 6th, Leo is able to set a goal and achieve his targets without a lot of effort. Generally speaking, he has good regulating habits, good vitality, strength of purpose and the ability to concentrate his energy towards a goal. A well lit gym, some great exercise gear and a colourful diet with plenty of lean meat (preferably prepared by someone else) will do the trick.
*For Leo Rising. The information in here will also be pertinent to Leo Suns, however you should also read the post relating to your Rising Sign when I get around to posting it (or email me for a really brief description)