The ex-TOWIE star opens up about her recent health-kick, giving up fad diets for good
She’s been open about her struggle to maintain her weight in the past, admitting that years spent yo-yo dieting caused her figure to fluctuate. But since adopting a healthier approach towards diet and exercise, Frankie Essex believes she’s finally free of her weight demons. Last year, the star – who found fame on TOWIE in 2011 alongside brother Joey – gained 2st after an ongoing knee injury prevented her from exercising. But now the 32-year-old, who is 5ft 7, is back down to a slender size 8-10, weighing just over 11st, and her confidence has soared.
Frankie tells Closer, “For the first time in ages, I feel good about myself and I’m happier. At Christmas, I was heavier and used my knee as an excuse not to go to the gym. I’d tell myself it hurt too much to work out. But when the new year came and my knee felt better, I wanted to make a fresh start, so in March I signed up to run a 10k race. I was terrified, as I’d never run before, but it worked because I had something to train for. Now I run 5k three times a week!”
![Frankie Essex](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/5d67/d60f/a950/7771/487c/283c/CLOSER_FRANKIE_ESSEX-19082019-SHOT.04-0416_CJH.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Alongside running, Frankie took up weight training, began walking her dogs for an hour every day, and started attending Bikram yoga classes at former TOWIE co-star Billi Mucklow’s yoga studio. She says, “I’ve lost a stone and a half, and I’ve dropped two dress sizes. I can see changes everywhere. I’ve also learned so much about diet and exercise in the last five months. Strength training is the best! My arms and my legs have toned up and I feel stronger. I’ve got a flatter tummy and a smaller waist, without doing any stomach exercises. I’ll never be a slim girl, and I don’t want to be skinny – I’ve got a bum! Accepting my curves has been good for me.”
Frankie has been open about being uncomfortable with her stomach – losing weight too quickly in the past left her with “saggy skin”. But as she confidently strikes a pose on our shoot, she admits she’s learned to live with it. She says, “I’m still not 100 per cent comfortable with my tummy, but the loose skin has become tighter and toned because I’m weight training. I’ve learnt to live with how it looks. Hopefully, if I keep up this healthy lifestyle, by next year it’ll be even tighter.”
And Frankie confesses she has another reason to smile, as she reveals there’s a new man in her life. “Yes, I’m in a relationship,” she says with a grin. Though she’s reluctant to reveal too much about him at this early stage, the pair will be going on their first holiday soon. She adds, “We’ve been seeing each other for a few months, and I’m really happy. He treats me well and is very supportive in every way – we’re good together.”
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Binky Felstead
Named "gymspiration" of the year Binky Felstead is quickly becoming our favourite super-fit celeb. Not only has she recently been signed to Select Models, but the reality star is also the UK brand ambassador for sports brand Reebok.It's safe to say she's motivated after all, during her pregnancy with baby India she continued with her strict training regime with her personal trainer Tyrone.**How often does Binky Felstead work out?**Binky has revealed she likes to work out a few times a week: "I'm addicted to training, I love it so much. I probably train 3 times a week."I literally can't stop, and it makes me feel so much better and healthier and healthier," she told OK! magazine.
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**How did Scarlett Moffatt lose weight?**Over the past year Scarlett Moffatt has gone through an incredible body transformation. After finding out she was putting herself in danger by being overweight, the Gogglebox star lost an impressive three stone.She told New! magazine: "I've just started exercising quite a bit actually. I'd say I do HIT [High Intensity Training] about three times a week."She has since become fit and healthy, and has gone on to release her own fitness DVD Scarlett's SuperSlim Me Plan so we can all follow in her slender footsteps.Thanks Scar!Check out Closer's guide to Scarlett Moffatt's incredible weight loss to see exactly how she did it!
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Khloe Kardashian
**How did Khloe Kardashian lose weight?**The youngest Kardashian sister has proved that hard work in the gym REALLY pays off.Khloe Kardashian has a body that's toned-yet-curvy, and regularly posts photos that make us very envious. As well as hitting the gym five times a week with her personal trainer Don, Khloe also recently revealed that she now watches what she eats and drinks five to six litres of water a day.**How much does Khloe Kardashian weigh?**We know that Khloe lost 40 pounds but we're not sure if she even knows how much she weighs. She told PeopleStyle: "I don't weigh myself, I don't believe in numbers."
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Lorraine Kelly
**How did Lorraine Kelly lose weight?**We LOVE Lorraine Kelly. Not only does her show make our mornings that little bit better, but at 57-years-old she's proof that you can be fit and fabulous at any age. Over the last few years she's dropped from a size 14 to a size 10, and confessed that keeping fit and exercising has also helped her mentally.Want to get fit the Lorraine Kelly way? Well you can thanks to her fitness DVD Lorraine Brand New You.
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Louise Thompson
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Davina McCall
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Lucy Watson
**What does Lucy Watson eat?**As you can see from her social media photos, former Made in Chelsea star Lucy Watson has an amazing body. She eats healthy (she's recently been following a vegan diet), regularly goes to the gym and constantly makes us want to work out more.Lucy - what's your secret?!
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Vicky Pattison
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Lucy Mecklenburgh
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Billie Faiers
**Does Billie Fairs work out?**Even though the yummy-mummy Billie Faiers doesn't go to the gym, she has a body that motivates most people to do a workout. The ex-TOWIE star has revealed that her daughter Nelly keeps her active, telling MailOnline: "I'm constantly running about after Nelly so I tend to be active and on my feet all day every day."She added: "I do eat relatively healthily, my diet is quite good but that's not to say I'm strict with myself, I just eat what I want when I fancy it really."
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And Frankie – who’s yo-yoed between a size 8 and a size 16 – has overhauled her eating habits too. She went on her first crash-diet aged 18, but she’s adamant she’s given up quick-fix weight loss plans for good. “I’m so against fad diets now,” she insists. “I tried most of them, like The Cambridge. I’d lose 5lbs and put 6lbs back on – that’s how it works. But you have to treat your body like a temple. One day, I want to have kids, and I want my body to function properly.”
“I used to think I couldn’t eat carbs, but now I have bread and rice every day. For breakfast, I’ll have five egg whites on toast followed by chicken with rice and broccoli for lunch or dinner. I can still eat cake too, because I’m exercising more.
“Drinking is a depressant and it makes me feel like s**t, so I’ve cut down. I’ve only drunk alcohol twice this year. Instead, I drink four litres of water every day and fill up on raspberries as they’re high in fibre.”
![Frankie Essex](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/5d67/d89d/a950/77e4/627c/2896/GettyImages-453174162.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
WATCH TOWIE's Chloe, Amber and Courtney answer our quick fire questions
But Frankie concedes her new, sensible approach is a far cry from the transformation she underwent for her weight-loss DVD in 2016, where she lost 2½st in twelve months, shrinking from a size 14-16 to a size 8. She reveals, “I was under contract for my DVD so I just had to lose the weight and reach my target. It was all about HIIT training and burpees, and it was so intense. I wasn’t eating much. Now I fully appreciate that if you want to lose weight, you have to do it slowly and not stress out.”
And Frankie admits her rapid weight loss led her to start experimenting with facial fillers. She says, “My face started to age because I lost the weight quickly and I noticed that I looked older in pictures. I looked in the mirror and thought, ‘God, I need filler.’” So now I have it in my lips and cheeks, and I love Botox. I had some in my jaw to relieve tension headaches and it’s made my face look slimmer, which is great.”
![Closer magazine](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/5d67/d920/a950/7722/7f7c/28a7/closer-magazine-cover.png?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
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But while she’s never been more body confident, Frankie admits she’s not completely happy with her body. The star had breast surgery aged 24 and went from a 32B to a GG-cup before having them reduced to a size 32D in 2012. But complications with her reduction made her loathe her breasts and she feels she needs further surgery.
She explains, “I wasn’t happy with my body when I had my boobs reduced; I just wanted to make a change. But I wasn’t in a good head space and my body rejected them. I had an abscess on my left breast, and for three months I was in so much pain. It left me with bad scarring and I hated my body.” She adds, “I will definitely, 100 per cent have another boob job. I’ll stay the same size but I’ll have an uplift.”