Celebrity diets: Lucy-Jo Hudson
Thursday 18 September 2008
Corrie did wonders for actress Lucy-Jo Hudson’s career – but nothing for her waistline. The actress revealed that her body image hit an all-time low while she was riding high in Coronation Street.
Her confidence plummeted as her weight went up, leaving the actress, who played rebel Katy Harris, determined to avoid being photographed next to fellow Corrie actresses and best pals Nikki Sanderson, Tina O’Brien and Samia Ghadie because she felt “big” beside them.
It was only when Lucy-Jo saw a photo of herself over Christmas that she realised how much weight she’d put on, so when she made her dramatic exit from Corrie in 2004, she set about losing weight with a Closer exercise and diet regime which helped her drop two dress sizes and lose three-quarters of a stone!
In just three-and-a-half weeks of training with fitness expert Tonia Czerniawskyi, Lucy-Jo has learned how to control her eating so that she doesn’t feel bloated and uncomfortable, and built up her fitness so she can work out for two hours at a time.
Here Lucy-Jo talks to Closer about comfort eating and how she overcame her low self esteem to transform her body!
How did you feel about your body when you were at Corrie?
I got rolls [of fat] on my stomach at Corrie, but it was my own fault for eating so much and not exercising. I felt my confidence slipping away. I was covering myself up because I didn’t feel comfortable in my clothes any more. I couldn’t show off my belly, and didn’t feel I could go out with Tina and Nikki because they always look gorgeous.
They’re my best friends and I was never jealous or envious of them, I just always wanted to be like them. When we did photo shoots together, I always felt on the heavy side.
How did the harrowing story line around your exit affect you?
It was four weeks of constant crying and that isn’t normal. It’s a place you shouldn’t really go, and I didn’t know what to do with the emotions when I went home. I ate so much chocolate while I was doing those draining storylines, my stomach used to ache all the time, and then I’d eat a whole lot again the next day. I was constantly overloading my belly which is why I had a big stomach.
What was your turning point?
I started horrible yo-yo dieting. Every week I’d say my diet starts on Monday, and every week it would go wrong.
My trousers were getting too small, but I just thought they’d shrunk. Then I saw a photo of myself and I got a real shock. I was so upset. Eventually Mum told me I’d let myself go and should start looking at my diet. By then I was creeping towards a size 14.
How did you change your attitude to food?
My sister, brother and I were brought up to finish everything on our plates, but Tonia trained me to leave something and not to over-stretch my stomach. It’s a good idea, and it’s working. Tonia’s trained me to eat little and often, to make sure I don’t eat after 7.30pm, to have carbs during the day (porridge, couscous or brown rice, for example) and protein at night. I’m not a big drinker, but Tonia’s limited me to two glasses of champagne a week, and I do three two-hour training sessions a week. I even text her when I want chocolate, and she replies immediately saying: ‘No, you don’t need it.’
Was it hard to follow the new regime?
I’ve been giving 100 per cent of myself to this. It’s been mind over matter, sheer willpower.
How do you feel about your figure now?
For two years I wasn’t comfortable in my body, but now I’m feeling fantastic. I’m wearing jeans I couldn’t get into for ages, and showing off my arms, which used to be flabby. It’s brilliant!
What does your partner Alan think of the ‘new you’?
I’ve lost so much weight and toned up, but Alan doesn’t even notice. He just says: ‘You still look the same to me.’ But women are much more aware and perceptive, and so many of them said to me at the Soap Awards: ‘God you look great, you’ve lost so much weight!’ These are people who haven’t seen me for eight weeks, and it made me feel really good.
If you want to shape up like Lucy-Jo, join www.closerdiets.com today to get your own personalised meal plan and all the expert support you need!