TOWIE star Frankie Essex takes up fasting diet challenge

Reality TV star Frankie Essex revealed how she lost over an inch from her waist during a four-week weight loss challenge – even after scoffing a calorific takeaway.

The Only Way is Essex star, 30, was tasked with trying out the 5:2 diet in Channel 5’s Diet Secrets and How to Lose Weight, which involves fasting for two days of the week and ‘feasting’ for the other five.

However, Frankie admitted she slipped up on one fasting day nearly doubling her restricted 800 calories to gorge on a Chinese takeaway coming in at 1,468 calories.

But despite the blip Frankie still managed to lose 2lbs at the end of the four-week challenge.

 

Frankie Essex appeared on Channel 5’s Diet Secrets and How to Lose Weight where she took on the 5:2 diet challenge

Frankie was weighed and measured before she took part

She discovered she had lost one and half inches from her waist and dropped two pounds

Left, Frankie was weighed and measured before she took part. Right, she discovered she had lost one and half inches from her waist and dropped two pounds

Frankie, who has also released two fitness DVDs, explained in the show that she has always had an up and down relationship with her body.

After losing her mother to suicide when she was 13, Frankie said she began to gain weight eating unhealthy food: ‘I wasn’t told not to eat certain things, and grew up on ready meals.’

She said that after she began appearing in TOWIE from 2011, her body was the main focus and she began crash dieting: ‘I was called a chunky monkey on the beach. 

‘It was so embarrassing. It’s not been the easiest journey with my weight.’

In the programme Frankie was told she had a BMI of 26 – just over the average for her frame – and was given the intermittent fasting diet to try out for four weeks.

On two days fasting Frankie could only consume 800 calories and on the other five days she followed a Mediterranean style diet full of fruits, veg, nuts, oil and fish and was told to avoid potatoes, chocolate and alcohol.  

Frankie has released two fitness DVDs in the past and says she's always had an up and down relationship with food

Frankie has released two fitness DVDs in the past and says she’s always had an up and down relationship with food

The TOWIE beauty confessed she has crash-dieted in a bid to lose pounds quickly

Frankie in 2013 at her slimmest

The TOWIE beauty confessed she has crash-dieted in a bid to lose pounds quickly. Right, Frankie in 2013 at her slimmest

Mid-way through Frankie confessed she had scoffed salt and pepper prawns, salt and pepper ribs, curry sauce, chips and Singapore noodles because she was craving junk food. 

After the four weeks was up Frankie admitted she had seen a change: ‘I do feel different I do feel alert, I feel more energetic and my skin feels great.’

She was thrilled to learn that she had dropped 2lbs in weight and 1.5in from her waist.

Frankie was thrilled to learn she had dropped weight and inches on the diet but admitted she didn't think she'd be able to keep it up

Frankie was thrilled to learn she had dropped weight and inches on the diet but admitted she didn’t think she’d be able to keep it up

‘That is amazing. I am sticking to this 5:2 diet, I’m going to tell everybody about it now.’

But considering how long she could realistically keep it up, the reality TV star admitted she’d only do it without the fasting days.

‘I can’t wait to have some ice cream I am not going to lie.’

Diet Secrets and How to Lose Weight airs Tuesdays on Channel 5 at 8pm 



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