Nine months ago, Vicky Pattison was overweight, heartbroken, overeating and binge drinking. The 5ft 6 reality star- who was at her biggest as a size 16and 11st 2lbs in June, after splitting from fiancé and Geordie shore co-star Ricci Guarnaccio- recalls: “I was drinking all the time and would follow a night out with fry-ups and McDonalds. “My clothes were getting tighter, but I didn’t have the time or willpower to do anything about it.
I kidded myself I was fine and lived in leggings, baggy tees and oversized jumpers.” However, it was seeing an unflattering photo of herself on the beach last July (right) that was the trigger Vicky, 26, needed to change her life. She says “The bikini pictures of me in Marbella were horrendous. Seeing them made me realise I needed to make a change.”
Vicky gave her diet a drastic overhaul- cutting out McDonald’s, fry-ups and white bread for a low-carb, high-protein diet and a healthier approach to alcohol. Combined with hitting the gym and circuit training, she lost 3st and four dress sizes in six months, dropping to a size 8 and, more impressively, she’s kept the weight of since.
Vicky says: “It hasn’t been easy, but I have a fab trainer who makes exercising fun so I don’t give up. Changing my diet was the hardest bit because I enjoy partying, but I now eat lots of fruit, veg and protein- which means having chicken or fish with every meal.
I’ve also swapped crisps, chocolate and Haribo sweets for almonds, carrot sticks and blueberries. “I feel so proud of changing my body for the better that I really want to help others get their dream bodies and keep it!”
Yep, there’s no denying that Vicky has come a long way since that beach snap! Here are the seven golden rules that helped her loose weight- and stay slim…
Vicky has managed to maintain her weight loss with regular gym sessions and a healthy diet (as well as limiting her booze intake!).
Find out more about Vicky's diet journey- and get more tips- at www.minivnutrition.com
Vicky pattison weight loss secrets
1 of 7BEWARE THE SNACK ATTACK
“I used to grab crisps or Haribo sweets on the run, but now I always have almonds and a sachet of Optmum Nutrition protein powder (mix it with water to make a milkshake- it’s 117 cals and very filling) in my handbag. If you like savoury snacks, go for salted popcorn or edamame, and if you have a sweet tooth, go for fruit or a square of dark chocolate. When I have the girls over, I swap nachos for carrot sticks with low-fat houmous and chocolate for blueberries.”
2 of 7DON’T USE FOOD AS A REWARD
“It’s important to reward yourself when you’re trying to lose weight but, instead of using food as a treat, pamper yourself or indulge in some online window shopping and bookmark outfits you want to buy when you’ve lost weight. I used to spend a fortune on expensive clothes to make me feel better about my body, but now I invest in sexy workout clothes, which help me to get in the mood for exercise.”
3 of 7HIT THE WEIGHTS TO TONE UP
“Girls worry that if they train hard, they’ll end up looking like a bodybuilder- but that’s not true. Lifting weights helps you to achieve a flatter stomach and burn fat. It’s annoying, but we put on weight more easily than men. Get your mates involved too, to help you stay motivated. My sister and mother are great because they’re trying to lose weight, so they do my fitness DVD with me all the time, which is always good fun!”
4 of 7KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
“Once you reach your target weight, it’s easy to think you can go back to your old ways- but that’s how you got big in the first place! Keep a food diary so you’re not in denial and write your workouts on a calendar to keep you motivated. Finally, mix up your healthy diet- I was getting bored of porridge for breakfast, so I swapped it for poached eggs on whole meal toast. Keep meals interesting, or you’ll start craving naughty food.”
5 of 7FIND HEALTHIER DRINKS
“I’m a party girl and I didn’t lose all this weight to spend my life at the gym, so I’ve replaced sugary Jagerbombs (209 cals) and WKDs (228 cals) for less calorific gin and slim line tonic (56 cals) and vodka, soda and lime (76 cals). The hangovers are less brutal because the clearer the head. But if I do feel ropey, I’ll have wholemeal toast with eggs and two grilled rashers of turkey bacon, instead of a greasy fry-up.”
6 of 7GO ONLINE FOR DIET INSPIRATION
“I’m always posting pictures of my porridge toppings on my Instagram account to inspire other people- I know, I’m a freak! Sometimes I wake up thinking, ‘I want a bacon sandwich,’ but I don’t give in- I look for healthy snack ideas on Nutrifitblr on Tumblr. I swear by the MyFitnessPal free calorie counter and diet tracker app. If I go to Nando’s, I know a butterfly chicken breast is 210 calories and a side salad is 10, so I can pick a healthy meal and stay on track.”
7 of 7ALWAYS BE KIND TO YOURSELF
“Life is for living, so have that generous slice of cake or indulge in a big boozy night out- just tell yourself that tomorrow you’ll rein it in a bit and train just that but longer. If you get down on yourself, you’re more likely to give up completely, so stay positive. I don’t deny myself anything myself anything because the minute I tell myself: ‘you’re not having that,’ my body rebels. If I want a burger, I’ll have one – but I’ll skip the fries and have extra salad. Aim to be good 100 per cent of the time and you’ll probably manage about 80 per cent, which is great.”
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