Chanelle on weight-loss journey: “I’m thrilled… but it’s harder than I imagined”
After reaching a size 20 just six months ago, Chanelle Hayes is now on track to be a size 10 by the end of the year – but she admits getting her dream body has taken an emotional toll
SHE LOOKS AT HER PREVIOUS WEIGHT FLUCTUATION AND IS MORE
DETERMINED THAN EVER
After years of battling with her weight over the years, Chanelle Hayes revealed she’d never felt more confident after slimming from a size
18-20 to a slender size 12 in just six months.
Posting the results on her Instagram, the 5ft 3 star admitted she’d paid the price for such a dramatic transformation, explaining it’s taken “perseverance, hard work, consistency and dedication”. She added that she could be “smaller” and “lighter”, but wants to keep her muscle mass.
Last month, Closer reported how Chanelle, 31, had lost over 2st after following a strict 1,200 calorie-a-day diet and working out with a personal trainer a few times a week. But sources say that she’s now eager to reach a
size 10 by the end of the year. A source explains, “Chanelle is thrilled with her initial weight loss, and has worked really hard. She’s reduced her carbs and banned herself from having cheat days. She’s definitely gone to extremes this time around, and sometimes she feels teary and like she could give up. But seeing her body change is all the motivation she needs.
“Breakfast is usually bacon and poached eggs; lunch is a salad or soup and for dinner. She sticks to protein, grilled veggies and fresh salads. If she gets peckish, she’ll snack on a small bag of trail mix nuts.
YO-YO DIETING
“She’s recently been hitting the gym three times a week with her trainer, and will also try to squeeze in mini workouts when she’s at home with the kids, doing a mix of circuittraining and exercise DVDs.”
The reality TV star – who was known for being a Victoria Beckham lookalike following her stint in 2007’s Big Brother – has been honest about her weight struggles after yo-yo-ing between a size 6 and size 20.
Opening up to Closer in 2016, the 31-year old confessed that she’d reached a size 18 and was on the cusp of developing diabetes due to her obsession with food and her inability to exercise because of back pain.
She revealed, “I’ll order so much food that it’s like
I’m having a buffet! I’m barely eating any fruit and vegetables, which is terrible.
“I can’t sit still or stand up for longer than 30 minutes without getting shooting pains up my back. Being my weight is making it so much worse, as it’s putting a lot of pressure on my joints, and my muscles can’t support my back. I’m basically in pain all down my body every day.”
After falling pregnant with second son Frankie in 2017, Chanelle – who is a mum to Blakely, eight, with ex,
footballer Matthew Bates – spent the first few months bedbound, suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition that is more likely to occur in overweight women, and saw her vomiting up to 40 times a day. She also faced numerous tests for diabetes, which can put the baby at serious risk of a premature birth.
REVENGE BODY
Speaking to Closer in 2017, she insisted the ordeal had been a big “wake-up call” – adding, “My health issues during this pregnancy make me feel really guilty. My own irresponsibility that may have caused health impacts on the baby. I can tell everyone I’m happy with my weight gain until I’m blue in the face – but if I’m really unhealthy and am putting my baby’s life at risk because of it, something has to change.”
Later that year, the motherof-two vowed to get a “revenge body” when her partner, PE teacher Ryan Oates, left her just weeks after she’d given birth to their son Frankie. But, by the summer of 2018, she had yo-yoed back to a size 18. Despite a bitter split, Chanelle and Ryan have since formed a close friendship as co-parents – even sparking speculation they had rekindled their romance when they were pictured looking close at a recent event.
But despite her love life remaining a question mark, insiders say Chanelle has insisted her weight-loss mission is for the sake of her sons – not a man.
Our source adds, “Chanelle looks back at her past weight fluctuation is more determined than ever. She’s doing it for her kids. Her goal weight for the end of the year is 9st 9lbs, and to be a size 10. It’d be lovely to attract the attention of men, but that’s not her goal.” by Daisy McLure