After indulging in one too many mince pies in December, January becomes the month where many of us look to losing the Christmas pounds and getting back in shape. And it couldn’t be simpler, according to Loose Women panellist Lisa Riley, who has dropped from a size 28 to a size 12 in the last few years. The former Emmerdale star's well-documented weight loss has seen her release her new book The Honesty Diet – where being honest really is the key to success, says the 41-year-old.
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Lisa Riley has given her top tips for staying slim in her new book
"I’m not the slimming fairy and I don’t have a magic wand. I’ve called this my Honesty Diet because that’s exactly what it is. You’re honest with yourself; other people are honest with you; and you’re honest about every single thing you put in your mouth," she told The Mirror. Lisa recommends keeping a diary to keep track of your daily food intake, and writing how it made you feel. The TV star – who has an 'Honesty Diary' section in her new book – said that she would write down each day exactly what she ate, when she ate it, why she ate it, and how it made her feel.
The Loose Women star has lost an incredible 12 stone over the past few years
Prior to her diet, Lisa told The Mirror her typical meals, which included a toastie with fries and a can of fizzy drink for her lunch, while a bottle of wine would be included in every dinner. Countless crisps, sandwiches, chocolate bars and bowls of cereal meanwhile, would be consumed in-between meals. Now, Lisa's trim figure is maintained by small portions – with a typical breakfast consisting of hot water and lemon with porridge and honey, while lunch is butternut squash, soup and oatcakes. For dinner, she will eat cod with roasted vegetables, while snacks are limited, and include almonds, fruit, and coffee.
Lisa also recommended people to avoid scales when wishing to lose weight, as it will only "depress yourself." She said: "You can tell if you've lost weight because your clothes – and common sense – will tell you, so don’t hop on and off the scales 10 times a day."