Jade Goody: Find out how I lost 2st in 2 weeks

Reality star drops 3 dress sizes after giving up fizzy drinks and fry-ups

Tuesday, 29 January 2008

Jade Goody, 26, explains here how she managed to get slim by ditching the takeaways...

Before I went to boot camp, I hadn't done any exercise in over a year and was living on fry-ups, takeaways and fizzy drinks. My weight gain started after I came out of the Celebrity Big Brother house last year. I fell pregnant, then lost the baby at just under 12 weeks. I was devastated and comfort ate to help me cope.

Every morning I'd drop off my boys [Bobby, four, and Freddy, three] at nursery, then head to a greasy spoon café where I'd order a big egg and bacon roll. My boyfriend Jack [Tweed, 20] and I lived on takeaways – almost every night we'd order an Indian or Chinese meal with loads of extra portions, starters and sides and I'd finish every last scrap. I drank lemonade and Diet Coke all day. I felt bloated and sluggish, but I couldn't stop overeating.

See our shocking Jade Goody photo gallery – BB Bully to Star Slimmer>>

My sons would grab my belly and giggle when it wobbled. I always laughed it off, but I hated the way I looked. Jack reassured me that he still loved my figure, but even he admitted that he'd never seen my tummy look so big.

By December, I'd started to consider getting liposuction or going on diet pills. But I'd had lipo nearly five years ago and it didn't really work, while diet pills have already done damage to my body in the past. I realised that if I wanted a body to be proud of, I'd have to do it properly. No gimmicks or surgery, just old-fashioned hard graft. I needed a focused kick-start and to learn about nutrition, so I researched weight-loss boot camps. I found one two hours outside of London and booked myself in for two weeks.

My boys joked: 'Mummy's off to Fat Camp.' I was so scared about tiny portions and army-style workouts that I stopped for a Burger King on the way! When I arrived, I weighed 12st 7lb. I had to share a dorm with 13 other women, ranging from a 20-year-old secretary to a 50-year-old housewife. The staff showed me to a thin, metal bunk bed. There were springs poking out of the mattress, but I didn't want to come across as a diva, so I put up and shut up.

Jade Goody in a bikini after dropping 2st in 2 weeks

Jade Goody in a bikini after dropping 2st in 2 weeks

On our first day, we had a chat with nutritionist and author Marisa Peer. The first thing she did was set a Pringle crisp alight. I watched in horror as it turned to oil and melted. 'Pringles are practically pure fat,' said Marisa. 'If you want to get a bonfire going, throw a load on.' Then she poured my beloved Diet Coke into a glass bowl and threw in a penny, a tooth and a chicken bone. After a day, the penny was clean, the tooth turned brown and the bone dissolved. 'Now think about what fizzy drinks do to your insides,' said Marisa.

The rest of the week was a haze of 5.30am starts, jogs, lessons in nutrition and PE-type games led by army-style instructors. We climbed mountains, went on 14-mile walks, boxed, played rugby and football and did squats, lunges and sit-ups. On my third day, when we tried abseiling, I burst into tears and said that I couldn't carry on, but everyone cheered me on and I ended up loving it. By the end of the week, I even jumped off a 40ft cliff into a cold lake. Our instructors told us that fear and cold water are both great metabolism boosters, so I went for it. We ate vegetable soups and grilled fish and chicken. After seven days, I'd lost a stone. My stomach, thighs and face looked thinner.

See our special photo gallery of Jade in tears at Boot Camp>>

After 14 days at the camp, I'd lost another stone. I dropped 6½in from my waist, 5½in from my hips, 3in from my boobs and 3in from each thigh. When I got home, Jack couldn't believe it. The boys ran around shouting: 'Look at skinny Mummy!' and I felt so proud of myself, especially when I got into some size 10 Zara trousers that'd been at the back of my wardrobe for ages.

Now I jog every morning and I haven't touched a takeaway or a fizzy drink. My body's completely changed shape. I got some Agent Provocateur underwear ages ago, but never wanted to wear it. Now I can, which has gone down very well with Jack. I've got tons more energy and hope to lose a few more pounds so that I'm a size 8 to 10. I never want to be a size 0, though – I still want some curves to show off.

Jade's old diet

Breakfast - Nothing.
Lunch - An egg and bacon sandwich from a café.
Dinner - Indian takeaway, such as lamb biryani, onion bhaji, sag aloo, Bombay potatoes, naan bread; or Chienese takeaway, such as duck, fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, Singapore noodles.
Snacks - Haribo or Percy Pig sweets; Diet Coke

Jade's 'better than surgery' diet

Day 1
Breakfast - Porridge made with water, topped with chopped strawberries and raspberries.
Lunch - Vegetable soup made with lentils and chopped onions.
Dinner - Baked cod fillets, served with baked broccoli and courgettes.
Snacks - Seeds mixed with a tiny amount of dried chilli, 2ltr of water a day, plus as many cups of green tea as you like.

Day 2
Breakfast - Cereal and soya milk, topped with blueberries and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Lunch - Chicken and chilli soup.
Dinner - Baked salmon, served with salad.
Snacks - Seeds mixed with dried chilli, 2ltr of water, green tea.

Day 3
Breakfast - Porridge with water, blueberries and blackberries.
Lunch - Sushi with brown rice.
Dinner-Tuna steak and salad.
Snacks - A square of dark chocolate, 2ltr of water, cups of green tea.

Day 4
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs made with soya milk, served on two Ryvita crispbreads.
Lunch - Baked sweet potato, served with tuna.
Dinner - Baked cod, served with green beans and salad.
Snacks - A square of dark chocolate, 2ltr of water, cups of reen tea.

Day 5
Breakfast – Scrambled eggs made with soya milk, served on two Ryvitas.
Lunch – Baked sweet potatoe, served with tuna and hummus.
Dinner – Spicy salad made with prawns, green vegetables, ginger, black pepper and a sprinkle of dried chilli.
Snacks – Seeds with dried chilli, 2ltr of water, cups of green tea.

JADE'S TOP TIPS FOR SHAPING UP

1. Eat like a child: 'Kids only eat when they're hungry and
leave whatever they can't manage on the side of their
plate. Try doing the same – you should eat slowly and purposefully and stop as soon as you're feeling full.'
2. Ditch negative words: 'Don't tell people you're "on a diet" or
"can't have chocolate". Instead, say you've "gained a new figure". And remember, nothing tastes as good as being slim feels.'
3. See food for what it is: 'Crisps are dripping in oil and muffins
are full of fat and grease. See past the packaging.'
4. Remember the three Rs: 'Don't eat it if it doesn't Roam a field,
it can't be eaten Raw, or you don't Recognise the ingredients.'
5. Speed up your metabolism: 'Try drinking green tea, adding dried chilli or cinnamon to food and exercising regularly.'

Jade's Transformation

Height 5ft 5in
Weight before 12st 7lb
Weight now 10st 7lb
Dress size before 16
Dress size now 10-12

Jade's Boot Camp Diet

Breakfast - Porridge made with water and sprinkled with berries; a cup of green tea.
Lunch - Vegetable soup; a cup of green tea.
Dinner - Grilled chicken or fish, served with baked green veg; a cup of green tea.
Snacks - A small handful of seeds mixed with some dried chilli.

Jade went to New You Boot Camp (visit newyoubootcamp.com or call 01202 559336). Prices start at £950 for a week.

For more information about Marisa Peer's approach to dieting, read her book You Can Be Thin (£9.99, Little Brown), which includes a hypnotherapy CD.

Wow! Here's how EastEnders' Sonia lost 2st>>

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