IF your New Year’s resolution is to shed the pounds and get in the best shape of your life, then you may just want to take advice from these celebrities.
That’s because these five famous faces have lost a whopping 40st between them – the weight of a gorilla – and there’s not a single weight loss jab in sight.
From Fern Britton cutting 80 per cent of sugar out of her diet to Adele ditching 10 cups of tea a day, these celebs are proof that hard work really does pay off.
Plus, former Love Island star Shaughna Phillips also revealed the 12-minute secret behind her incredible 5st 7lbs weight loss transformation…
ALISON HAMMOND – 11st weight loss
The ITV This Morning presenter has had quite the glow up in recent years and her personal trainer has just revealed the three secrets to her incredible 11st weight loss – consistency, support and mindset.
In a clip shared to Instagram on Sunday, Alison’s long-time PT Ellis Gatfield can be seen offering a glimpse into the 50-year-old’s workout regime.
Amongst the most memorable moments include the TV favourite hitting the weight section, using resistance bands to sit up and out of a chair and enjoying a weighted cycle outdoors.
Reposting the video, Alison enthused: “Massive thank you to the incredible @ellisgatfield who started my whole fitness journey.
“I will never forget the time you put into me and how gentle and kind you was when I was struggling. You have made my life so much easier by simple changes and kindness I will never forget.
“You never looked down on me and this I will always be grateful for. So happy you can still check in on me and push me and make me accountable.”
Alison previously told how her health journey was kickstarted by her late mum, who had shared concern over Alison’s weight.
“My mum had type 2 diabetes and she was worried for me. So when I then found out that I was pre-diabetic, that was frightening,” Alison told Good Housekeeping.
After working out with a personal trainer twice a week and cutting back on sweets and fatty foods, she managed to shed a whopping 11 stone and reverse her pre-diabetes.
“I walk, I stretch and sometimes I do a bit of yoga. I try to vary it so it’s not the same every day,” she continued.
“After a session at the gym, I think I’m Venus Williams, with all those endorphins pumping around.
“If I miss a session or two with my trainer, I notice it. That kick you get out of the way you feel is so good.”
Alison also revealed how she’s no longer pre-diabetic, so is a bit “naughtier” with her food now, but added that because her body’s working properly, she can allow herself “a bit of sugar here and there.”
She continued: “I love my new shape and although I still have areas I’m conscious of, such as my arms and my tummy, it’s great being able to wear things I would never have been able to before. I mean, look at me, I’m a bombshell.”
FERN BRITTON – 5st weight loss
Fern Britton recently uploaded a mirror selfie showing off her incredible 5st weight loss – and admitted she was “obsessed” with her new look.
And she wasn’t the only one, with fans quick to comment on her stunning transformation.
“You are looking absolutely amazing Fern,” praised one social media user, while a second penned: “You look wonderful in this x”
The 68-year-old TV presenter, who is a mum-of-four, previously told how she needed to “get my life back on track” following her split with TV chef husband Phil Vickery in 2020, who she was with for 20 years.
Turning her attention to her health, she has since credited her weight loss to 6am gym classes and fitness running app couch to 5K.
She also ditched the booze and took “80 per cent of the sugar” out of her diet.
How cutting out sugar can help you lose weight
It might sound obvious, but cutting out sugar can help you lose weight – and this is why
- Reduced alorie intake: Sugar is calorie-dense but not nutrient-dense, meaning it provides a lot of calories without making you feel full. By cutting out sugar, you naturally reduce your overall caloric intake, which can create a calorie deficit and lead to weight loss.
- Lower Insulin Levels: Consuming sugar, especially in large amounts, causes spikes in blood sugar levels, leading to increased insulin production. Insulin is a hormone that promotes fat storage. By reducing sugar intake, you can help stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels, making it easier for your body to burn fat.
- Decreased Cravings: Sugar can be addictive and lead to cravings for more sugary foods. By cutting it out, you may find that your cravings for unhealthy, high-calorie foods decrease, making it easier to stick to a healthier diet.
- Improved Satiety: Foods high in sugar are often low in fiber and protein, which are essential for feeling full and satisfied. By replacing sugary foods with more nutrient-dense options like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, you can increase your satiety and reduce overall calorie consumption.
- Better Nutrient Intake: When you cut out sugary foods, you often make room for more nutritious foods. This can improve your overall diet quality, providing your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to function optimally, which can support weight loss efforts.
- Reduced Fat Storage: High sugar intake, particularly from fructose, can lead to increased fat production in the liver, contributing to weight gain and obesity. Cutting out sugar helps to reduce this effect.
- Enhanced Metabolism: Reducing sugar can improve metabolic health, including better insulin sensitivity and lower risk of metabolic syndrome, which can facilitate weight loss.
By cutting out sugar and replacing it with healthier options, you can create a more balanced and sustainable diet that supports weight loss and overall well-being.
“People often wonder when you’ve lost lots of weight whether you’ve done it naturally,” she told Woman&Home magazine.
“And I can look at you and say, ‘Yes, I have.’”
She continued: “I had my shoulder replacement 18 months ago, and two-and-a-half years ago, when I saw the surgeon, he said, ‘I’m going to totally replace your shoulder, I’ll see you in a year.’
“I thought, ‘I need to get my life back on track. I need to stop smoking, stop drinking, get eating under control and stop lying in bed feeling sorry for myself’.
“So I started the Couch to 5k, took about 80 per cent of the sugar out of my life and started to think about what I was eating, which I had never done before.”
ADELE – 7st weight loss
In May 2020, the singing sensation left fans jaws on the floor after sharing a snap on her 32nd birthday revealing her impressive 7st weight loss.
The mum-of-one looked almost unrecognisable as she flaunted her toned physique in a figure-hugging black mini dress as she posed outside her house.
According to a source, following her divorce in 2019, Adele wanted to become healthier for her son.
“She got to the point where she didn’t feel great,” a source told PEOPLE.
”She knew she had to change something, because she wants to be the healthiest mum possible.
”Her weight loss happened because she has cut down drinking and is eating more real food.
”She is more confident, dresses differently and she just seems happier overall.”
Sharing a glimpse into how she shed the pounds, Adele revealed in an interview with British Vogue that during quarantine, she worked out three times a day.
“So I do my weights in the morning, then I normally hike or I box in the afternoon, and then I go and do my cardio at night,” she explained.
The singing sensation also previously admitted she used to drink about ten cups of tea a day, but has since ditched the hot beverage in a desperate bid to cut down on her sugar intake.
She said: “I used to drink ten cups a day with two sugars in each so I was on 20 sugars a day.
“Now I don’t drink it and I have more energy than ever.”
Twenty teaspoons of sugar a day is more than three times the recommended daily allowance – and causes energy crashes, bad teeth and raised cholesterol.
SHAUGHNA PHILLIPS – 5st 7lbs weight loss
In early January, former Love Island star Shaughna Phillips revealed her toned figure in stunning lingerie snaps after revealing how she’s gone from a size 18 to an 8.
The 31-year-old, who has been forced to deny using weight loss jabs such as Ozempic, previously joked how she looked like a “rolled up ham” as she tried on skimpy outfits from her 2020 series.
But after dropping from 15st 4½lbs to 9st 10lbs, she showed off her svelte figure as she stood in her kitchen – her toned abs on full display.
She shared a side-by-side image of her wearing a zip gold crop top and matching thong with a before photo of her in an orange bandeau bikini.
Alongside the post, she penned: “I wish it was as quick as this transition makes it look, wouldn’t that be a perfect world.
“A lot of sweating, patience and a major shift in how I view food which was always my go-to pleasure and comfort.
“I still love my food – I have just learnt how to have what I want in healthy portions. So yes I’ll eat ice cream – just not an entire tub.
“I defo didn’t lose 5 and a half stone on my own though, my incredible nutritionist Jo T and trainers Keegan and Justin helped me get there over 14 months.”
Shaughna’s wakeup call came following a full body MOT after she gave birth to her first daughter Lucia.
The results showed she was carrying high levels of visceral fat around her organs, which could lead to serious health conditions like heart attacks or diabetes if left unaddressed.
Before her transformation, Shaughna would typically have Nutella on toast and two bowls of crunchy nut cereal for breakfast.
She’d then devour half a packet of biscuits for lunch, while dinner often consisted of a tomato chicken pasta topped with cheese and a side of garlic bread, with ice cream for dessert.
“My downfall was definitely biscuits,” she said during an interview with Closer magazine. “I love my tea and I was having five or six cups with sugar every day and eating biscuits with them too.”
However, following her health scare, Shaughna, with the help of her dietician, overhauled her diet.
She started eating porridge with fruit or two scrambled eggs with grilled tomatoes on toast for breakfast, a chicken, vegetable and cheese tortilla wrap for lunch, while dinner was either a 400-calorie ready meal or spaghetti bolognese.
The reality favourite also revealed she started going for walks and doing workouts, such as hopping or skipping, while watching Real Housewives.
But there was one workout she fell in love with – boxing.
Shaughna, who went on to launch ‘Shaughna’s Shred-It Plan, which includes 12-minute boxing-style workouts, said: ‘I find exercise boring, so I wanted to find something I enjoyed.
“I’ve always loved boxing because I’m learning a new skill and learning how to protect myself.
“So the foundation of the plan is combat and boxing. They’re quick workouts, just 12 minutes long, and they fly by because they feel so great.’
LISA RILEY – 12st weight loss
The Emmerdale star was first motivated to lose weight after appearing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, where she placed fifth.
She told how she wanted to prove to people she wasn’t a “chunky monkey,” and went on to drop 4st.
Over the years, she has candidly spoken about her up and down battle with the scales, but it was the devastating loss of mum Cath to breast cancer aged 57 in 2012 that pushed her to overhaul her lifestyle.
Ditching junk food and takeaways, she cooked healthier meals and started moving her body, resulting in her going from a size 28 to size 14 in just under two years.
By 2016, the 49-year-old had lost an impressive 8st – and even shed a stone in just one week after going down to just 400 calories a day.
At the time Lisa told how she signed up to the Slimmeria retreat, run by diet guru Galia Grainger, where she spent her days exercising and eating healthy meals.
She wasn’t allowed to consume more than 400 calories or eat after 6.30am.
Over the years, Lisa has lost a whopping 12 stone, underdone two surgeries to remove excess skin after dropping six dress sizes and had two breast uplifts, which she spoke about during her time on I’m A Celebrity.
Lisa, who has continued to maintain her weight loss by “cutting out snacking” and also being active, explained: “I’m now a size 16-18, but at my biggest I was a size 28.
“My absolute guilt for years and years was blindness to portion control… I’ve completely cut out nibbling.”
Lisa continued: “I’m never lazy, I think it’s hereditary, I really do.”
During a conversation with Jack Osbourne about her sobriety, she confessed she also quit drinking after getting through three bottles of red wine a night.
“There was only me who could take control of my sobriety and the amount I was drinking,” she explained.
“I genuinely could not cope when my mum died. I got to the point I couldn’t turn my brain off and the wine suffocated everything.”
Lisa previously told The Sun how she gets infuriated when people accuse her of having a gastric band, adding that her weight loss is down to “hard work”.
“Listen, I could eat a family-sized trifle all by myself. And crisps were my heroin! I still miss them,” she said.
“Not to mention being able to polish off a bottle of Malbec easily. But I radically changed my eating habits.
“I cut out carbs and now eat lots of fresh fruit and veg. I still exercise a lot – Zumba classes and the like. And at the beginning I went to boot camp a few times to give me a kick-start.”
