She dropped from a size 16 to a size 6 in 2013, and Vicky Pattison admits she spent most of her twenties on a roller coaster of yo-yo dieting. But this month, Vicky has sworn off fad diets and is losing her extra Christmas pounds the sensible way.
"For a spell, I turned into someone who was so fixated on calorie counting and the number on the scale that I made myself miserable," the former Geordie Shore star, 32, tells Closer.
"So many times January came around and I thought, ‘That’s it, no carbs’ or ‘Gym every day’. When I was really thin, I was counting how many blueberries I was putting on my porridge in the morning. I never want to be that woman again, it’s so detrimental to your wellbeing."
But Vicky says that hitting 30 two years ago changed everything, and this year she’s turned to healthy, home-cooked food and the WW [formerly Weight Watchers] plan to drop a few pounds. "In your twenties, you’re wrapped up in self-doubt and comparing yourself to others. I was so scared of turning 30, but now I’m here I’ve realised it’s a nice age to be," she admits.
"I want to be healthy, so I’ve got back in the kitchen and am cooking from scratch. But I also enjoy a glass of wine with friends, and popcorn in the cinema – WW is a great plan for not affecting your social life.
"Over Christmas I drank Baileys every day and ate too much cheese, but I’m going to Thailand and Barbados this year and I want some nice bikini snaps for Instagram, so I’m enjoying eating well again."
She went through a painful split with fiancé John Noble in 2018 amid claims he’d cheated, but Vicky says she is finally back in a good place after finding love with former TOWIE star Ercan Ramadan a year ago.
"The last couple of years haven’t been easy but I’ve had an amazing support network: my mum, my sister, my friends and now Ercan. He’s so lovely, I’m really lucky," she says.
"He totally loves me for me. He’s also a big boobs and bum man, which works in my favour as I have plenty of both!"
But Vicky says her forthcoming holiday isn’t the only reason for wanting to shape up. After years of partying on Geordie Shore, she admits she’s worried about her fertility, and wants to get her body in great condition for a baby.
"I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to have children and that I don’t worry that some of the life choices I’ve made have set me on a path where that might not be possible.
"I always thought that by 30 I’d have a husband and kids, but sometimes life doesn’t work out the way you planned. I’m now striving to make healthy choices and better decisions so that when I do come to have children, I can conceive them naturally."
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Though Vicky says she doesn’t want to put pressure on her relationship by rushing things, she is considering her options.
“I’m not leaving too much up to chance so I am looking into freezing my eggs. I’m in a brand new relationship and it’s super exciting, but I want to do it when the time is right.
"I’m eating well and making sure I’m in the best of health if I do decide to have a little Vicky or a little Ercan. I want to bring a baby into the world where I’m in a great place, have a lovely partner and we’re both ready for it."