Top TV presenter Lorraine Kelly has spoken about how she shed the 1.5 stone in weight she put on during the pandemic. Lorraine, 62, says she is "feeling better" about herself after dropping two dress sizes from a size 14 to a size 10.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Express, she described how she piled on the pounds during the Covid pandemic. Lorraine said: "I comfort ate and would just find myself hovering around the biscuit tin and the fridge for all sorts of goodies.
"Me and Steve (her husband Steve Smith) would have a massive, big chocolate plate every night. It started off quite small but ended up being huge.
Read more: Lorraine Kelly confesses she 'still hasn't processed' death of friend Dame Deborah James
"I was going through packets of biscuits and unhealthy grub. I wasn't doing as much exercise and mindlessly eating, just eating for the sake of eating. Now I’ve got much more of a balance."
Lorraine said she she found her weight loss "dead easy" using the WW app and doing 10,000 steps a day and still enjoys her food and drink, especially at the weekends.
She said: "It isn't a stupid, silly diet because diets don’t work, as we know. It's just about making little changes. We all know what is good for us, we all know what we are supposed to eat, so it is about getting that balance right.
"I'm not bored or miserable and thinking about food all the time, just eating well. The thing I do actually, well Steve does because he is a much better cook, he makes a massive bowl of really spicy vegetable soup on a Sunday and I have that for my lunch Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then he makes another one.
"I don’t have it every day for lunch but I find that it really fills you up if you are hungry and a banana isn’t going to do it for you. That’s my tip, that and not to beat yourself up if you do have a chocolate biscuit, for goodness sake it's not the end of the world.
"But it doesn’t mean that you have to have 20 bags. Just say, right, I had that, big deal, move on. There is nothing wrong with having a biscuit with a cup of tea, it’s fine, it’s just about getting the balance."
She also credits walking 10,000 steps a day, which she achieves by taking her beloved dog, Angus, out for a stroll. The Scot has partnered with More Than insurance and Dogs For Good to promote the positive impact pets have on mental health.
Research from More Than found that one third of dog owners feel less lonely when walking their pups. These figures were even higher for disabled dog owners, with 81 percent attributing social interactions to their furry companion.
On why she wanted to take part in the campaign, Lorraine explained: "When we are out walking, everybody wants to talk to you and say hello, and that’s lovely. It is just good to have that social connection, especially after lockdown, I think everybody needs that.
"I don’t know how I would manage without wee dogs. It is another heartbeat in the house and you don’t feel quite so lonely."
Lorraine airs on ITV weekdays at 9am.
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