The Ultimate Body Plan: 75 easy recipes plus workouts for a leaner, fitter you

Before I started the Ultimate Body Plan

After 12 weeks I’d lost 13lbs and 5% of my body fat.

These changes will spur you on. Your body wants to get better, it wants to get healthier, so as soon as you start nourishing it and treating it well, it’ll respond, like it’s saying ‘thank you’.

Week five was a strange one for me because I actually put some weight back on, hitting around 11 stone – fine for someone of my height with broad shoulders. So don’t panic if you put on weight! People can read that I weigh 11 stone and freak out, but I was losing a lot of body fat while gaining muscle mass. So many factors affect women’s weight – everything from eating more salt, where you are in your menstrual cycle, and even the weather! (As we tend to drink more water when it’s hot.) I felt great, was leaner, my clothes fit better and I was as healthy as I’d ever been. Instead of losing weight, I was aiming to beat my personal bests every week. If I could lift one more rep on a Tuesday than I did on a Monday, I knew I was progressing. I felt amazing, while looking completely different to what was considered ‘perfect’ in the public eye, or what was considered beautiful by most people. Yes, some magazines think I should be a size 8, but I’m simply not built that way. I’m a size 10–12, but I can squat 90kg.

About midway through the 12-week programme I was asked to be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, the biggest show on national telly. I told Becca, my agent, that I didn’t think it was the right time and I’d like her to turn it down. I was happy with my life the way it was. I loved working on the radio show, I was training hard and I had time for friends and family. For the first time in a long time, there was no press intrusion in my life. I wasn’t in the public eye as much and I was really enjoying that.

During week seven I went on holiday with some mates and didn’t put a sarong on to walk from the pool to the bar as I felt 100% comfortable in my bikini now. I also had no desire to binge just because I was on holiday – I didn’t want to throw away all my hard work. So I took a skipping rope with me, downloaded some HIIT workouts onto my phone before I left, did lots of swimming and went on big walks along the beach. I ate healthy meals and had some treats, but was surprised by how much I didn’t want to eat crap, drink loads and sit on my butt all day – not because I felt I had to keep to the plan, but because doing all this had made me feel so good.

It’s a strange process actually – realising that you feel incredible. Noticing that you’re waking up feeling energetic and determined rather than uncomfortable and tired. I find working out very therapeutic; whether you’re doing HIIT or weights, your head goes somewhere else. Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m exercising. You have space and time to yourself – often the only time of day you get that.

At the end of the 12 weeks I took my final set of progress photos and actually got quite teary. The results were shocking – in a good way. I still looked very feminine, but a lot leaner, a lot less body fat. My skin was way clearer. My hair had grown faster and thicker and so had my nails. Even my eyes looked brighter. While my weight had fluctuated on the plan, overall I had lost 13lbs and 5% of my body fat. I felt amazing and was so proud of myself. I’d put my body through so much with fad diets and gruelling gym punishments, and I’d put myself through so much mentally trying to get over men and dealing with guilt and regrets, that I’d really neglected my body. I felt this intense gratitude that I was able to nourish it and look after it and heal it, so to speak.

Strictly come laughing

I think I must be the only contestant in the history of Strictly Come Dancing to put on weight during the show. But how did I end up waltzing on the sparkliest dancefloor on TV after turning it down? It was all down to Oprah. No, really.

After I’d finished the 12-week plan, I went on Jason Vale’s Juice Retreat in Portugal. I go every year to detox, unwind and re-set. Each guest is given a book in their room when they check in and that year I was given Oprah Winfrey’s biography. I picked it up and the first page that opened had a single quote on it, from a song by Lee Ann Womack. Of all things, it was about choosing to dance if you have the chance.

Now, I’m a big believer in signs, chance and circumstance and all that, but even if I wasn’t, there was no denying that was a bit weird. I showed my mum, who’d come with me, and she simply said, ‘Get Becca on the phone’, so I rang and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ I knew Strictly was a huge opportunity and I also knew I was in a far better headspace to deal with being back on primetime telly again. I was more confident, self-assured and mature. I felt like I could handle it. Thank you, 12-week programme!

But that didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous as hell. I’d never danced properly before in my life! Actually, I tell a lie. I went to a local dance school when I was six or seven years old for a few months before swapping it for karate. That was the sum total of my dancing experience. It also didn’t help that when my name was announced I’d get tweets saying, ‘Ha! You’re too big to dance’ or ‘Can’t wait to see you try to dance in heels’. In the back of my head I was thinking, ‘My mum used to call me a baby elephant… and I am rubbish in heels. What have I done?’ (My friends actually got me a bracelet with a baby elephant on before the live shows and I’ve not taken it off since.)

I was very lucky in the partner I had, Aljaž Škorjanec. It was never a case of learning the dance and him going, ‘Right – off you go!’ I’d tell him I didn’t feel elegant and he’d say, ‘Well, you’re an actress, aren’t you? Act that you are.’ Before each dance, he’d remind me how well I’d done in training saying, ‘You’ve got one minute thirty seconds to prove everyone who says you’re too big to dance or too muscly to be in a ballgown wrong!’ We must have done, because we got to the final! During week 4 though, I tripped up the stairs as we were walking off and I think you can hear me say, ‘Oh shit!’ on the telly. I was like, ‘I can’t even walk up the frigging stairs in heels!’

Aljaž is not only an incredible dancer, but one of the funniest people I’ve ever met and I was having such a good time I let my diet slide, putting on nearly a stone. Everyone was like, ‘You’re dancing every day – how can you put weight on?’ But the dancing was nothing compared to the intensity of the training I was used to and I was still getting up at 4.30am every day for the radio show, so I simply didn’t prioritise food. I could have, had I really tried, but I wanted some time off, so if Aljaž and I fancied jacket potatoes with cheese, we’d have them! Whereas normally I’d think I can’t really eat like I was every single day, because I was having such a laugh – and because I knew what I needed to do coming out the other end of it – it didn’t bother me.

When I went back to the gym when the show was finished, I had my measurements taken. My body fat had increased, but my muscle mass had stayed the same. Evil Steve, my trainer said, ‘It’s fine, you just need to get back on track with your diet and carry on with your training,’ and two and a half weeks later, my body was back to how it had been. Once you start training and keep at it, your body responds amazingly quickly to changes in environment. I knew mentally and physically what I had to do to get back on track, so I had no fear in letting myself relax for a bit. I can’t be lean 24/7, 12 months of the year. I’ve got Christmasses, birthdays and all sorts I want to celebrate. I want to live! With this plan, I can. The muscle memory of someone who trains is incredible. Your body is so clever. All it wants to do is heal.

Taking chances

Strictly didn’t just teach me to dance, break me out of my shell again and re-ignite my fondness for jacket potatoes – it also introduced me to Gorka Marquez, the man I’m now in a relationship with. One of the professional dancers on the show, Gorka and I started hanging out behind the scenes, having coffees and a laugh together. Gradually we realised we liked each other. A lot.

He’s the first boyfriend I’ve had who truly makes me feel attractive in just a T-shirt. I’ve got the odd stretch mark and some cellulite on the top of my legs, like every woman, and he tells me every single day how beautiful he thinks I am. The first thing he says in the morning is, ‘Good morning. I love you. How did you sleep?’ I know there’s time for that to stop – I’m aware we’ve not been together that long – but I’ve never had that before. And it brings this ease with it; the fact I can walk around without breathing in and I don’t need to wrap a towel around me when I have just my knickers on.

We work out together – which I think has helped us to get so close. There’s something incredibly supportive about someone having your back in that way, being on the same journey, wanting you to succeed and being proud of you. I talked to him about my insecurities when we had a joint PT session once. I was saying to Evil Steve, ‘My cellulite’s quite bad at the moment,’ and Gorka jumped in and said, ‘Gemma! You’re a woman! You have hormones. Jesus!’ It’s true. Our hormones do all sorts of things to our bodies and our moods – that’s our nature – but it’s easy to forget that in our quest to be ‘perfect’.

I post things about my life with Gorka on social media because I like the fact that other women can see I’m with someone who loves me despite me wearing no make-up in the gym and despite me not always looking pristine – it’s real. Actually, wait. You know what? Just writing that made me realise that the word ‘despite’ is wrong! We’re not good together despite all that, but because of it. Because we’re open and honest and just ourselves.

Also, for the first time in my life, I am allowing myself to be vulnerable enough to be looked after by someone. Because I’ve always been totally independent it’s a big deal for me to let a guy do anything – I can change a tyre, thank you very much, and I don’t need you to pull a suitcase for me! I’ve struggled letting people in and showing my feelings – even down to batting off compliments as they make me uncomfortable. But letting go a little is something I’m finally allowing myself to do. It’s frightening at first because I always think the minute you let someone take care of you, it’s harder to recover from if anything goes wrong. I think subconsciously this comes from losing my dad. I was always scared that if I allowed someone to get too close and to break down my barriers, it’d be harder to deal with if they then weren’t around any more. But if you constantly put barriers up, you’re always going to miss out. You’re never going to give yourself the chance to experience something truly amazing. So I’m letting my guard down a bit. Plus, letting someone else pull my suitcase gives me a spare hand to hold my giant duty-free Toblerone. Winning!

By improving my self-esteem I now have a much stronger belief in my ability to cope if things go wrong. I really believe that this 12-week plan will change how people view themselves. It’s given me the confidence to know my own self-worth. The physical and mental changes that happen when you do this plan truly will change your perspective on everything. You’re lifting weights, you’re owning it and looking after your body. Suddenly you find yourself thinking, ‘I’m not going to let anybody walk over me any more. I deserve good things and good people around me’.

And, because you’re doing it for yourself, you’ll find you attract like-minded supportive people. People who are also secure within themselves so don’t drag you down. When you feel that way, you stop comparing yourself to others. Training will help you to discover what makes you happy personally and will give you the courage and mental and physical strength to go after it.

12 weeks to a whole new you

If you’re reading this book, you’re clearly up for making changes. For bettering yourself. For feeling the best you can be. Congratulations and hurray! That is the biggest step on this road to getting the body you love and discovering a leaner, fitter you. I feel so excited at sharing what has undoubtedly completely changed my life. It’s so simple really: eat well, train well and your body and mind will thank you for it.

Whether you want a new challenge or are struggling with low self-esteem, please throw your all into this plan and I promise you’ll see results that will alter how you look and feel forever. You do not have to settle for feeling sluggish, lethargic, bloated, unhealthy, overweight, insecure or bored. Feeling out of breath walking up a couple of flights of stairs isn’t normal. Feeling puffed out while chasing after your kids for two minutes isn’t fun. Struggling to get out of bed every single morning isn’t okay. You can change those things!

Please don’t do this in order to look good for someone else, for a one-off event, or to try to live up to some crappy notion of what you ‘should’ be. Do this to feel happier, healthier and more confident within yourself. I always think the universe doesn’t give you what you want, it gives you what you need. You picked up this book for a reason, so give it your best shot.

You’ll need to learn how to prep your food and not get annoyed about it – make the time, it’ll be worth it (see here (#litres_trial_promo)). Soon it’ll just become part of your day. The other day I made myself some chicken and rice with lots of spices, put it in a Tupperware for my long train journey the next day and then, when I was on the train and the trolley packed with sweets, biscuits and sandwiches went past, I ate my pre-prepared meal instead – saving both money and that horrible bloated ‘eugh’ feeling that inevitably comes with eating processed foods.

This isn’t about making life hard – these recipes are delicious, healthy and filling. Plus, you don’t miss what you don’t want!

Your body is unique. It’s got you this far. Why not thank it by focusing on it for a while. Start playing for keeps rather than for instant gratification. Sometimes I still think to myself, ‘My legs could be a bit slimmer, my waist, bum and hips could be a bit more J Lo. I’m quite straight up and down…’ But then I catch myself, give myself a metaphorical slap, and think, ‘You’re 34 years old, you’re half your mum, half your dad, and you’ve got good strong legs that have carried you everywhere you’ve ever been! Get over yourself.’

Make a commitment to change how you live for the next 12 weeks. Yes, it’ll take some sacrifices. But is it really so awful to give up boozing and eating junk for just 12 weeks if it will utterly alter your life? 12 weeks! That’s it!

MY 10 ULTIMATE BODY PLAN COMMANDMENTS (#ulink_bbaeb7cd-7a2b-56ee-8e3a-8a78484b7903)

This chapter contains the 10 commandments you need to follow to get the most out of the 12-week plan. This entire process is about feeling empowered, about making yourself accountable for your own health and wellbeing. By pledging to follow these commandments, you’re promising to give this the best possible shot you can. You’re vowing to take it seriously, to not throw in the towel at the first sign of trouble and to give up all faddy diets that have never and will never work. Make a commitment to change, right here and now. Take these commandments on – remember them, write them down, put your favourite as an alert on your phone to ping up during the day – and re-read them whenever you need a kick up the backside.

I’ll remember that I don’t have to be great to start, but I have to start to be great

The quote, ‘You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great’, has pushed me to do a lot of things in my life, because we can all get held back by fear. It’s easy to see yourself at the end of the journey – to picture yourself lean and healthy and loving life – but the reality of getting there can seem massively intimidating and a lot of work.

I’ll be clear: this 12 weeks is going to be tough. It’s going to demand sacrifice and you’re going to struggle at times along the way. But there’s no magic pill that’ll give you these results (not even on the dark web). There should be no embarrassment associated with getting fitter. So what, you have to tell your friends you’re not drinking for a while because you’re on a fitness plan? So what, you’re so exhausted after 10 kettlebell reps you have to lie on the floor in a puddle of your own sweat? That’s bloody great! You’re working hard, you’re committed and you’re getting stronger.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is good for you. If you never start, you’ll never finish and so will never know what you can achieve. Yes, you’re nervous. Yes, gyms can seem intimidating. Yes, you won’t know what you’re doing to start with. But you were petrified on your first day of school and you got through that. Your first kiss – you got through that. Your first day at work – you got through that. You got through all of those major things so, no matter what size or shape you are right now, you can sure as hell get through starting a fitness plan, okay?

I will try everything at least once and ask for help when I need it

Remember that story I told you about my mum keeping secret the fact she was taking me to the modelling agency? I’ve always been dismissive, uninterested or suspicious about things I don’t know. When I was younger, if someone was doing something I wanted to do but was too scared to try, I’d say, ‘It’s not for me that, I can’t be arsed with it.’ When inside I’d be thinking, ‘I’d love to be able to do that!’ Stop talking yourself out of trying something through fear: ‘I can’t do that because I’m not tall enough/slim enough/funny enough/fit enough/good enough’, or ‘I simply don’t like it’. You’ll miss out on things you might actually love and that could really improve your life.

If this sounds familiar, catch yourself the next time you do it and force yourself to have a go at whatever it is you’re avoiding. You might think you ‘can’t’ do Swiss ball exercises because you’ll look like a plonker, but who cares? If you don’t try you’ll never learn. If you’re working out at home and don’t get how something works, google it and watch a video or log onto an online forum and chat to others about it. Call up a friend who works out and ask them. Or bite the bullet and book a one-off personal training session. Make it work.

The same goes for food! You can’t ‘not like’ something if you’ve never tried it before (just ask my mum!). And you can’t dismiss certain recipes because ‘I don’t know how to cook’. Just try! So what, you might make a couple of mistakes. No one ever learned anything or improved themselves by being perfect first time.

I will fit in training (and food prep) like an important meeting

I treat training and food-prepping schedules the same way I would important meetings. I book them in and that’s that. There can be a tendency to think of training as something lower down the priority scale than everything else. We often de-prioritise things we’re doing for ourselves, which is silly because training is partly what gets me through the day – it’s what gives me the energy to do everything else. Without it I’m sluggish, angsty and not at my best. I wouldn’t be on form for the radio show first thing if I hadn’t worked out or eaten well the day before.

If Becca, my agent, messages, ‘When are you free for a chat?’ I’ll say, ‘I’m training until 2pm, but after that I’m free’. Same with my friends. If we’re organising a lunch, I’ll say I can come after training, and it’s never an issue. This is something I do that’s important to me – and you need to make it important to you too. It should never be, ‘Oh, it’s only the gym’, or ‘it’s only food prep’ – things easily cancelled for anything else. It’s essential you change your mindset about exercise, eating and looking after yourself, otherwise they’ll become a drag and you’ll give up. This plan shouldn’t be a drag! How you prioritise it will determine what you get out of it.

Looking after yourself should be at the top of your list. We often put other people’s time, comfort and schedules above our own. This is your time. This is something you’re doing for you. What is more important than that? So book it in – people will get used to it, respect it and it’ll save a lot of stress and guilt.

I will ignore my mind when it tells me to quit

It’ll be your mind that wants to quit first, long before your body. That whiny little voice in your head will say, ‘You’re done. You’re exhausted. You’re not fit enough. This was a mistake. You need to stop’, and so on.

I did a bungee jump once and all the way up in the cable car I was thinking, ‘This is ridiculous. I won’t be able to do this. I don’t want to do this!’ and so before I’d even got to the top I’d already talked myself out of it. Luckily someone talked me into it again, because I did do it – and bloody loved it! So much so that I went and did it again straight after because I’d enjoyed it so much.

We always doubt ourselves before we try anything new. It’s a protection mechanism. But you must push past it. You CAN do this! The first three weeks are going to be the hardest. You will ache and hurt and want to gorge on chocolate, because that’s safe and comforting, but I promise that if you give this your absolute all for just three weeks, you then won’t want to quit. Fitting the plan into your life will have got easier (scheduling in workouts, prepping food, giving up some ‘bad’ habits, and letting friends and family know you’re serious), plus, by that stage, you’ll start seeing and believing the results. You’ll already be getting leaner, fitter and healthier. You’ll also feel incredibly proud of yourself for having kept at it. Your thoughts will have changed from, ‘Oh God, I’ve got to do this workout today’ to, ‘Oh good, I get to do this workout today’.