Frankie Essex has showed off her incredible two-stone weight loss which she achieved in just 12 weeks after hitting ‘rock bottom’ last year.
The former reality star, 33, looked trim and toned in pictures taken after her impressive body transformation as she posed in grey Calvin Klein underwear.
Frankie said that her original weight gain was due to being ‘fed up’ in lockdown but that by controlling her portion sizes and changing her routine she managed to shed the pounds.
Before and after: Frankie Essex has showed off her incredible two-stone weight loss which she achieved in just 12 weeks
She said: ‘I was feeling a bit fed up with lockdown and then started to become more conscious about the amount of food I was eating.
‘Before starting on the MuscleFood plan, I was having the same portion sizes as my boyfriend. He’s much bigger than me, both muscle and height wise, and we have completely different body shapes.
‘As he’s a man, they can get away with eating so much more, so the food plan really worked for me to help with portions.’
Amazing: The former reality star, 33, looked trim and toned in pictures taken after her impressive body transformation as she posed in grey Calvin Klein underwear
Before: Frankie said that her original weight gain was due to being ‘fed up’ in lockdown but that by controlling her portion sizes she has shed the pounds
Frankie wanted to break her habits of waking up later and eating much more food than she should have been.
Despite being fairly healthy before, she revealed she had problems with portion control and frequent snacking throughout the day during lockdown.
‘I used to eat whatever someone would put on the plate in front of me, which is why I really needed to control my portion sizes. I now have my food on a smaller plate which is a really good idea.’
The results: Frankie wanted to break her habits of waking up later and eating much more food than she should be
Frankie also said she didn’t want to crash diet as they are often so inconsistent: ‘No one wants to start a diet when you feel like you have to do a certain amount of exercise a day, because you start being harsh on yourself and don’t end up doing it.
‘If you lose the weight steadily, you’ll keep it off for longer, rather than a crash diet where you always put the weight straight back on.’
Frankie has credited getting back into a routine as a big part of her weight loss success, stopping skipping meals and focussing on healthy, filling options such as porridge or nutritious home cooked meals.
Last month she admitted her body transformation meant she had got her ‘confidence back’ after her weight crept up to 12 stone 13 pounds in November.
Weight loss: Despite being fairly healthy before, she revealed she had problems with portion control and frequent snacking throughout the day during lockdown (pictured in February, left, and November, right)
Frankie confessed that she hit ‘breaking point’ four months before and felt like ‘a mess’ after her healthy eating habits went ‘wayside’ when restaurants briefly reopened.
Talking to Closer magazine after slimming down to 11st, the reality said: ‘I’m proud of my transformation and I feel like I’ve got my confidence back. I’ve lost weight all over but I’ve mostly trimmed my belly and waist.’
Frankie admitted that due to lockdown and then restaurants briefly reopening again, her weight slowly crept up as she opted for ‘easy’ takeaways over home cooked meals while her exercise came to a ‘standstill’.
The reality star, who has a slow metabolism, said that she ‘loves’ food but she was going wrong with her portion sizes as she would eat the same as her personal trainer boyfriend Luke, 31, who ‘can eat a lot’.
Radiant: Frankie has credited getting back into a routine as a big part of her weight loss success (pictured in February)
Talking about her decision to change, Frankie said: ‘I knew I was already overweight and with Christmas coming up, I realised that if I put on any more weight, I’d be close to being the heaviest I’d ever been. I just couldn’t do that to myself.’
She added: ‘I can’t keep going up and down because it’s not good for you in the longterm, it makes you feel sluggish and puts you at risk of diabetes. Plus I haven’t had children yet and I wan’t to be as healthy as I can when the time comes.’
The reality star noted that as well as her weight loss she has noticed an improvement in her skin and that she now has a ‘slimmer’ face.
Although despite her staggering two stone weight loss, Frankie admitted that her boyfriend Luke doesn’t want her to get ‘too skinny’ as he loves her curves and bum.
Reality star Frankie has been open about her fluctuating figure in the past, having shed two stone back in 2016, before gaining weight a year later due to a crippling knee injury.
The older sister of Joey Essex overhauled her eating habits once again in 2019, but insisted she’s struggled to commit to the lifestyle since COVID-19 struck.
‘I felt like a mess!’: Frankie confessed that she hit ‘breaking point’ after her healthy eating habits went ‘wayside’ when restaurants briefly reopened (pictured in February, left, and November, right)