Vicky Entwistle: I dropped five dress sizes
Corrie actress went from size 16 to 6
Friday, 5 January 2007
Vicky has spent nearly 10 years on The Street as loudmouth Janice Battersby.
She spent years enduring jibes about her weight and last year finally decided to take the bull by the horns and slim down.
She's been so successful that she's made her own workout DVD and her slimming regime has even been written into the Corrie script.
Now 38, the actress is finally happy with her figure.
What made you first decide to lose weight and get in shape?
There were some awful pictures in the press of me on holiday in my bikini. My big belly was minging! It hurt to see them, but I deserved it because I was the one who had let myself go.
I'd never really been slim, but the weight crept on because I was miserable in my job. I was so pessimistic and negative about life that I didn't give myself a chance. Then I was approached to do a fitness video – with a personal trainer and a diet plan – and I thought: 'Why not?' I didn't believe it would work, but I thought I'd give it a go.
Did being on TV add pressure?
Not really, because the character I play in Corrie is a rough and ready, pint-drinking fat cow, which meant I could hide behind that!
What's your exercise regime?
I started with just walking on the treadmill and little jogs. Then my personal trainer, Richard Callender, recorded himself doing the routine we have on the DVD so I could do it at home.
Because he's based in London and I'm in Manchester, we could only meet up a couple of times a month, so it really helped. It was hell to begin with, but the more I did it, the easier it became. There's cardio work and a lot of boxing.
It's not easy – even the warm-down gets you sweating. It's all exercises you can do in your home, so you don't need weights. I think it's great because I hate going to the gym. It's boring.
How often do you work out?
At first I was going mad for it and I would exercise about six times a week. After six weeks I lost 1st and then I slowed it down to about three times a week.
I didn't want to get bored with it or become too obsessed. I always try to do my exercise in the morning because it sets me up for the day.
What other exercise do you do?
If I do go to the gym I like the rowing machine, but that's about it.
Me and my husband Andy, go for long walks with the dogs and, now that I've got more energy, we go horse riding.
I didn't do anything before, I was such a lazy cow. If I had a day off, I would just lay in bed. Now it annoys me how much of my life I wasted.
How did your diet change?
I was a big fan of stodgy food – like white bread and chips – and I loved chocolate.
Having a diet plan was brilliant, but it wasn't too strict. It just meant eating a lot more salads, chicken, fish, vegetables and baked potatoes. My husband and me have great fun in the kitchen now making up recipes, cooking weird vegetables and making soups.
Had you tried to diet before?
All the time, but I never did it properly. I was always looking for a quick fix. I tried every diet that came out – Atkins, GI, you name it – but they never worked for me. I'd always been under the impression that dieting was about torture.
I thought it was dull and meant you had to stay in and only eat half a cucumber. I wanted to be the big chubby girl in the corner, drinking beer and making everyone laugh. Now I realise that wasn't me and I prefer the person I am now.
How much weight have you lost overall?
When I started, I was about 10st 2lb, which doesn't sound much but being only 5ft 1in, I looked like a barrel.
I'm now 7st 7lb. I went from a size 16 to a 6. I've got a 25in waist now, but I'm still curvy.
What did people at Coronation Street say when you lost the weight?
I had some time off and when I came back, I'd lost 1st. At first people would mention that I looked better and ask if I'd lost a few pounds.
Then gradually I'd get: 'Bloody hell, Vicky, how much weight have you lost? You're getting too skinny!' When the young, skinny teeny bops started saying I was losing too much, I knew I was doing something right. I thought: 'Ha! I might be older than you, but now I'm competition!'
How did your husband feel about you losing weight?
He was really supportive. He would have the same food that I was having and we'd prepare it together. If he wanted a chocolate bar, he'd go and hide in the dining room with his back to me eating it, which sounds awful, but it did help!
What's your favourite part of your body?
I really like my upper arms now – the bingo wings are gone! I used to hate waving goodbye to people because my arm would still be wobbling when I'd stopped. That's the one thing that I'm not going to let go of.
Is there anything you still want to work on?
I'd like my stomach to be more toned and I'm working on it, but at 38 I have to be realistic.
Who's figure do you most admire?
I think Halle Berry has got an amazing figure. She's not scrawny, she looks really healthy. Kate Bosworth looks like a trouser press from the side. She has no femininity and no shape to her at all.
How do you maintain your weight loss?
I think the main thing is keeping up the exercise. I can treat myself to a bacon butty now and again because I know I can work it off.
I don't like weighing myself, so I've bought a top in the size I am now and, if it starts to get tight, I'll work out some more. I think the secret is not to let it go too far or it's a trauma to get it back off.
You've already gone through that once so you don't want to have to do it all over again.
How has losing weight changed your life?
I've got so much more energy for everything now. I'm not as snappy or as pessimistic. It's not just the physical side, it's changed the way I am and the way I think. I let myself get to a point where I was so miserable about my shape that I felt people were out to get me.
I wallowed rather than saying to myself: 'Get off your big fat arse and sort yourself out!' Also, I can buy cheaper clothes now. I used to have to pay hundreds of pounds for tailored suits and outfits for work dos because I could never get anything to fit. I love shopping now!
What's your best advice for someone trying to lose weight?
Stick with it. If you don't lose anything one week, don't beat yourself up about it.
When you're doing exercise, the muscle you gain is heavier than the fat you lose. Work through it and you'll achieve your goal.
I always thought that to be a skinny bird you had to be born like that, but I've proved it couldn't be further from the truth.
Karen Dunn
Vicky's WOW! Weight Off Workout is out nowClick here to see what's new in our photo gallery>>
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