STRICTLY favourites Ola and James Jordan caused a shock when they revealed they had piled on almost seven stone between them to get what they called “mum and dad bods”.
But in yesterday’s Fabulous magazine they told how they had shed more than 7st between them with their Dance Shred diet and exercise plan.
And today they share their weight-loss secrets with Sun readers.
After becoming mum to Ella, two, Ola went from a size eight to a size 12-14, weighing in at 11st 9lb.
She says she had given up training and was living on junk food.
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Hubby James gained more than 4st, coming in at 15st 6lb.
Ola, 40, is delighted to be back to her Strictly weight of 8st 3lb, and a size 8, while James, 44, is 11st 6lb.
With the help of celeb dietician Jo Travers and nutritionist Amanda Ursell, the couple have devised a diet where they eat a calorie-controlled breakfasts, lunches and dinners and two daily snacks.
Orla has 1,500 calories per day, James 1,900.
The weight began dropping off after they started the diet in July, and within two weeks 5ft 11in James was 10lb lighter, while 5ft 3in Ola had dropped 1st 2lb.
The weight loss continued at two to three pounds a week.
Ola says: “The beauty of this plan is that you don’t feel hungry because you can have two snacks a day between meals. We lost the weight over six months, a healthy way of doing it.”
James adds: “Because we haven’t eliminated anything from our diet, this plan is easy to stick to. The recipes are budget-friendly in these tricky times, starting at just 70p a head.”
As the couple share six deliciously healthy meals from the plan, they explain they are determined to maintain their wellness regime.
James says: “There are days when you hit a wall and just want chocolate, but the beauty of this plan is you can have it, just try to balance your other meals.”
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Ola says: “I would be very surprised if anyone finds the plan too hard to stick to.”
As a bonus, theeir new physiques have revived their sex life.
Ola adds with a laugh: “The va-va-voom is back.”
James agrees: “It’s great to see her looking so healthy and I’m just happy I can see my bits again.”
- To find out more about Orla and James’s plan go to danceshred.co.uk.
Breakfast: Nutella & Banana pancakes (v) (Serves 2 Calories 297)
YOU NEED:
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 egg
- 125ml skimmed milk
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 90g plain flour
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- To serve with each portion:
- ½ banana, sliced
- 1 tsp Nutella
METHOD: In a food processor, whizz the banana, egg, milk, baking powder, flour and optional vanilla extract.
When smooth, divide the mixture into two and keep one portion for another day.
Wipe a non-stick frying pan with some oil on a kitchen towel and place on the heat.
Use a ladle to pour in spoonfuls of the mixture to make small pancakes and cook for around a minute on each side.
Top with the Nutella and sliced banana.
Lunch: Asian-style noodle salad (Serves 1 Calories 396)
YOU NEED:
- 40g dried egg noodles
- 1 egg
- ½ cucumber, spiralised or shredded
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ¼ lime, juice only
- 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 1 spring onion, shredded
- ½ red chilli, shredded
METHOD: Soak the noodles in boiling water while you make the rest of the salad.
Boil the egg so it’s just starting to harden but still has some runny yolk. This will take about 5 minutes.
If you have a spiraliser, use it here, but if you don’t you can easily just coarsely grate the cucumber or shred it with a knife.
Toast your cashew nuts in a dry pan.
You need to give them your full attention or they’ll burn (I always end up burning a few).
By now your noodles should be ready.
Cooking them this way rather than boiling in a pan stops them from going mushy.
In a bowl, mix the sesame oil, juice from the lime and sweet chilli sauce together then add the drained noodles and cucumber.
Mix so that everything is nicely coated in the dressing.
Transfer to a plate and sprinkle the spring onion, chilli and cashews.
Serve with the egg.
Dinner: Prawn curry (Serves 2 Calories 499)
YOU NEED:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 medium courgette, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp curry paste (whichever you prefer)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 250g cooked prawns
- 1 naan bread (85g)
METHOD: Gently heat the oil in a large frying pan then add the onion and courgette.
Sizzle over a low heat for 4 minutes or until the onion softens.
Add the garlic and stir in the curry paste and cook for a few minutes longer.
Stir in the tomatoes, then bring to a simmer.
Cook for another 5 minutes then add the prawns.
Cook until the prawns are hot then serve each portion with half a naan bread.
Dinner: Chicken kebab (Serves 2 Calories 498)
YOU NEED:
- 250g chicken, diced
- 4 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- 1 clove garlic
- 320g Mediterranean vegetables, cut into chunks (eg courgette, aubergine, peppers, red onion)
- 2 wholemeal pitta
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.
Put the chicken in a bowl and add 2 tsp olive oil, the lemon juice, herbs and garlic.
Mix well, season and leave to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
Then thread on to two skewers.
Put the vegetables in a roasting tin and toss in the other 2 tsp of oil.
Cook the veg and chicken in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.
Save half for the next day and serve the rest with pitta.
Lunch: Courgette, feta and lemon pasta (Serves 1 Calories 396)
YOU NEED:
- 50g pasta
- 1 courgette, grated
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 25g feta, crumbled
- 20g olives, halved
- 80g salad vegetables (tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce etc)
METHOD: Cook the pasta according to instructions on the pack.
When the pasta is nearly cooked, fry the courgette and garlic gently in a little of the oil for a few minutes.
When the pasta is done, drain it then add it back to the warm pan and stir through the courgette and lemon juice with the rest of the oil.
Add the crumbled feta and olives on top.
Serve with the salad.
Breakfast: Spinach and cheese omelette (Serves 1 Calories 293)
YOU NEED:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 80g baby spinach
- 2 mushrooms, sliced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 50g courgette, grated
- 25g cheddar cheese, grated
METHOD: In a non-stick pan, heat the olive oil and add the spinach and mushrooms.
Cook gently until the spinach has wilted (about 3 minutes).
While that is cooking, whisk the eggs and grate in the courgette.
Once the spinach has wilted, remove it from the pan and add the egg mixture.
Tilt the pan around so the eggs coat the bottom of the pan.
Once the egg has just set, add the spinach and grated cheese to half of the omelette.
Using a spatula, fold the other half over.
Cook for another minute or so.
