STRICTLY Come Dancing legend James Jordan has revealed why he’ll never have a ‘Buddha belly’ again after his incredible four stone weight loss.
Having spent the autumn tearing up dancefloors around the country with fellow Strictly all stars Pasha Kovalev, , Ian Waite and Vincent Simone, would be forgiven for putting his feet up this festive season and gorging on mince pies.
James Jordan has revealed how he’ll stay in shape this ChristmasCredit: Instagram
Ola and James took action after putting on 8st between themCredit: Instagram
James shared these before and afters following his transformationCredit: Instagram
Ola also revealed her own incredible before and afterCredit: Instagram
While dad-of-one James will allow himself some festive treats – namely creamy glasses of Baileys and rich chocolate – he’s not going to get carried away with the calorie-heavy treats that are overflowing from supermarket aisles.
“I’m the same as everyone else. I love my mince pies. I love my Christmas pudding,” he tells The Sun in an exclusive chat.
“I’m going to eat turkey, loads of potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, gravy, sweets, chocolate. I will do it all. Baileys, I love my Baileys, a couple of beers.
“You’ve got to still live your life. But at the same time, it’s about trying not to be greedy.”
His sweet tooth and an inability to limit himself to one or two was a primary reason for his weight gain in his early 40s, which saw him tip the scales at 15st 6lb.
Admitting he’s “greedy” when it comes to food, James adds: “I’ll eat the whole bag.”
He continues: “And that’s why going back a few years, I put on four stone and looked a little bit like a Buddha. However,
In the last few years like Ozempic and Mounjaro have become widespread, with millions of Brits injecting themselves weekly with the appetite suppressing drugs.
James has nothing against people who choose to do that, but suggests they have turned to the jabs because “they’re not wired the same as I am”.
The straight-talking star decided he was going to make the lifestyle changes he needed to slim down the natural way, reducing his portion sizes, watching his calories and hitting the gym… hard.
He’s also supplementing his diet with magnesium, vitamins and electrolytes and is adamant his transformation is permanent, telling us: “I don’t ever want to go back to that stage again”.
It helped that James’ wife Ola, who gained nearly three stone herself, bought into the lifestyle change too, and they were able to support each other towards reaching their goals.
They danced together throughout the day, in addition to regular workouts, and the end result saw them healthier, looking better and
Though not for everyone, the key to James’ discipline and motivation lies with the scales.
He checks his weight daily and, if he starts slipping, he’ll make immediate changes.
“I like to know every day when I wake up because I don’t want to suddenly get on the weighing scales and go, ‘s**t, I’ve put on three kilos’,” he says.
“It’s so hard to lose it that I weigh myself every day so I can manage it.
“If I see the scales go up a few pounds, I’ll eat less, maybe go and do a bit more walking. So I’m just much more aware of what I’m doing with my body and I try to eat as healthy as I can.
The pair were mainstays on Strictly for yearsCredit: BBC
They decided to shed the pounds without the help of weight loss jabsCredit: Getty
“But like I said, because I’m a greedy person, I do eat sweets and chocolate and things like that, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”
When he’s at the gym, you won’t find James chatting by the water cooler or mindlessly scrolling on his phone for an eternity between sets.
The dancer tells us “I work my ass off” in each of his six weekly sessions, which he follows by unwinding in the sauna.
“I try and do everything possible to stay in shape because as you get older, like I’m 47 now, it gets much, much harder,” he says.
“When I was younger, I could eat what I wanted and I’d naturally burn a lot more calories. It’s about lifestyle choices, isn’t it?
“There’s lots of people that hate the gym. I’m not saying I love it, but when I’m there, I know why I’m there.”
Those with tickets to see the Strictly Legends next year can rest assured they’ll get the best version of James.
Ola and James promoting their Dance Shred workoutCredit: Dance Shred
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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