Lauren Goodger: ‘I’m too busy to worry about weight – but I will be size 10 again!’
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Beaming as she flaunts her sensational curves in a bright blue dress, Lauren Goodger has clearly been having the time of her life since leaving TOWIE.
Ambitious
The reality star, who quit the hit show in August, has already thrown herself into a hectic schedule promoting her Lauren’s Way brand, which most recently saw the launch of her own jewellery line.
Lauren, 26 – who’s also rumoured to have several lucrative TV offers lined up, including Dancing On Ice and I’m A Celebrity! – had vowed to “blow everyone away” after leaving the show that made her a household name. And in an exclusive interview with Closer, she reveals the extent of her ambitions.
“I just want the business to get bigger and bigger,” she says. “I’ve got a really good team, with 25 staff at the beauty salon [in Buckhurst Hill, Essex] and office. People don’t realise that. I didn’t just want to be someone who sticks their name on a brand – I wanted to do it properly.”
Lauren admits that her busy schedule, which includes lots of evenings out on the promotional circuit, has delayed her plans to start a new health kick to complete her post-TOWIE transformation.
“It’s crazy that people think ‘Lauren,’ then think ‘weight’ – like they’re somehow connected – but I don’t really care.
However, Lauren – who has fought a very public battle with her weight since finding fame on the ITV2 show in 2010 – says she refuses to obsess about her weight any more.
She explains: “It’s crazy that people think ‘Lauren,’ then think ‘weight’ – like they’re somehow connected – but I don’t really care.
Lauren at a size 10
“I wear a size 12 now, as it’s a lot more comfortable. I always like how I look when I go out. I’m a real girl – it’s [her weight’s] not the be all and end all. I’m too busy!”
Since leaving the show, Lauren’s social diary has been packed, and she admits: “I’ve been going to a lot of events, so I’m drinking more. I try to drink vodka, lime and soda, but I’ve got back into drinking white wine at the moment, which I need to stop.
'There’s no way I’d wear a bikini now!'
“Then, when I’m hungover my diet goes out the window and I can’t resist a McDonald’s!” she laughs.
Lauren, who’s 5ft 6, was left devastated by photos taken of her on holiday in Miami in March, when she weighed 11st. She then dropped 1st on a diet and exercise plan – as well as doing a stint in boot camp, where she lost 5lbs – to reach a slim size 10 for her holiday to Marbella in May.
But she’s since regained some of the weight – now weighing 10st – and says she’s looking forward to starting a healthy routine to get her size 10 figure back.
She adds: “I want to be a size 10 again, so I’d like to lose around a stone. I can’t say an exact weight – it’s more about feeling comfortable and confident, and looking sexy.
“When I went away in May, I felt really comfortable after losing weight at boot camp. But there’s no way I’d wear a bikini now. I’d have to diet for a couple of weeks first.”
Talking about her routine, Lauren admits that long hours of filming on TOWIE had made it hard to avoid unhealthy snacks.
She says: “It was really hard eating healthily while filming, and now that’s over I’m trying to get back into a routine.”
“But it’s very up and down and depends on what I’ve got going on. On a ‘good’ day I’ll have a slice of wholemeal toast for breakfast, a chicken sandwich for lunch and spaghetti Bolognese for dinner.
“I don’t snack a lot. I’m more of a dinner person – if I’m hungry I’d rather go out for a big meal.”
“I haven’t done any exercise for three months, but I’m going to start again soon.”
And Lauren has become close pals with Jordan (real name Katie Price), 34, and her best friend, ex-Liberty X singer Michelle Heaton, 33 – who’s now a personal trainer – and says they have shared tips.
She reveals: “When I’ve gone out for dinner with Michelle, we’ve often ended up talking about diets and bodies.
“Her husband [personal trainer Hugh Hanley] has changed her whole way of thinking. She’s eating little and often and sticking to a routine. You can’t go out all the time, like me!” she laughs.
“We try to eat healthily when we go out, so we’ll choose low-fat dishes, like salmon or chicken salad.
“I haven’t done any exercise for three months, but I’m going to start again soon.”
Meanwhile, Lauren split from fiancé Mark Wright, 25, last year after a 10-year on/off romance, and her brief fling with TOWIE co-star Tom Pearce ended in August. But now the star says she’s loving the single life.
“I’m single, enjoying myself and finding out who I am. Positive things are happening for me. I don’t want to be restricted [by a relationship] – I want to do what I want to do, when I want to do it,” she laughs. “I’m at that stage of my life – it’s my time!”
By Maddy Biddulph
Lauren’s new jewellery range is available to buy from www.laurensway.com
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