Wednesday, 2 February 2011

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Tina O'Brien: I love being so toned

The Strictly star reveals how she keeps in shape...

Tina O'Brien wants to join a dance school to maintain her slim figure

Tina O'Brien entertained us with her fancy footwork on Strictly Come Dancing last year.

The mum-of-one, 27, tells us how she maintains her svelte shape, how dancing makes her feel and how we can all get fit...

You're in great shape since appearing on Strictly last year. How do you feel?

I'm really happy with the physical and mental changes.

Dancing gives me feelgood hormones.

I feel on top of the world and I'm so glad I'm doing the Strictly tour.

It must be physically tough...

It is! When I started the show last year I ached in places I'd never ached before.

I've also never had toned arms in my life, so my New Year's resolution is to keep my arms toned.

I hated them before!

Are you at your target weight?

Yeah. Before I had my daughter Scarlett, who's now two, I was 7st.

I'm about 4lb heavier now, but it's not something that bothers me.

How has the dancing changed your body?

For a while I'd weigh myself and think: ‘I've been exercising eight hours a day and nothing has happened!'

But now my legs are slimmer and my stomach has gone down.

But I've still got a bit of a mummy tummy.

Really? You look great to us...

I hide it well! My tummy is very hard to tone up, but I'm working on it.

Working out to the 10 Minute Solution DVD, which has a section in it for abs, is great
for that.

It burns when you're doing it, but you know that it's working.

After having a baby it takes a lot longer than normal to tone up that area.

What part of your body do you like the most?

My legs. Luckily, I've got naturally slim legs, but as I get older and with all the caffeine I'll have to work on the cellulite-free section! 

Being in the public eye, do you feel any pressure to be skinny?

I don't. Life's too short and I'm not going to stop eating just in case I get photographed.

Have you ever dieted?

No. I've always had a healthy attitude towards food.

I've never done the starvation diet thing.

What's your biggest food vice?

Chocolate and cheese, but since doing Strictly I've gone off chocolate.

When you start exercising your body tells you what you need, rather than what's bad for you.

But I'm still addicted to the occasional Terry's Chocolate Orange.

What other sorts of exercise do you do?

I do the DVD workout and I skip.

I also do sit-ups, but I find them really hard.

I think of Britney Spears! Britney Spears' stomach, Britney Spears' stomach...

Who else has a good body?

Jennifer Aniston has got a really gorgeous figure.

It's too high maintenance for me, though.

What are your keep-fit plans this year?

After the Strictly tour I plan to join a dance school.

I've got an absolute love for dancing now and I don't want it to end.

What's your top slimming secret?

Doing Strictly taught me that spray tans hide a multitude of sins!

Tina's Daily Diet:

Breakfast

‘I had porridge and tea.

'I could get through 10 cups of tea a day, I'm obsessed!'

Lunch

‘I was eating on the run, so I had a cheese salad sandwich on wholemeal bread.'

Dinner

‘I ordered room service in the hotel and had a chicken stir-fry with broccoli, beans, carrots and and white rice with a teriyaki soy sauce base.'

Snacks

‘I had one banana and three oatmeal biscuits.

'I also have a bit of chocolate every now and again.'

Don't miss the latest issue of Diet Now magazine!

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