Television presenter Fern Britton has opened up about the significant change she made to her diet and how it has shaped her weight loss journey. Fern, 68, who has featured on programmes including BBC Breakfast, Celebrity Big Brother, Ready Steady Cook and This Morning, was discussing her health journey on the Postcards From Midlife podcast when the topic of her diet arose.
Recognising the problem
She revealed that she recognised excessive snacking was having a detrimental effect on her wellbeing and resolved to make changes for the sake of her health. Regarding her relationship with sugar, Fern said: 'I realised the sugar intake. I'm addicted to sugar and, funnily enough, if you're not eating donuts, biscuits, cake, jam, you know...it makes you feel a lot better. So now if I'm eating sugar, it's too sweet for me because I used to be able to tolerate an awful lot.'
Comparing sugar to cigarettes
Fern went on to liken her newfound lower tolerance for sugary treats to her reduced tolerance for cigarette smoke. She said: 'And like cigarettes as well, I used to be able to tolerate anybody smoking anything in my face, but now it's like now 'stop it'. Apart from that it was very much kind of sensible.'
Breakfast changes
Despite her broader dietary overhaul, Fern acknowledged there were smaller adjustments she had made too, such as switching up her breakfast choices. She said: 'In the mornings I used to have, I do a bit nowadays but not so much, nice whole meal bread, toasted, and then peanut butter on top of that and then sliced banana on top of that. Two slices of that with a couple of pints of tea keeps you going for a long day and eggs are the best thing to eat because they keep you full for longer. Porridge is fine, but it doesn't keep you satisfied for long. So that was it really, I would have breakfast and then main meal maybe about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. It worked for me, but we were also in the winter at that stage when I started. Tuck into something sensible for supper and that was it.'
Butter is non-negotiable
Reflecting on her previous eating habits, she revealed there was at least one thing she simply couldn't give up: 'There was nothing that was forbidden except for sugar and I'm a great believer in butter. I couldn't possibly stop butter and it seems to be working and then yes, running, picking up couch to 5k and I've got some weights here at home. I try to do something every other day.'
Previous weight loss discussions
This is not the first occasion Fern has opened up about her weight loss journey, having previously discussed the subject with Hello! magazine last year, where she spoke about the benefits of weight training. She said: 'My legs and arms are much stronger; my tummy is much stronger after four children and everything else my body's been through.'
