Alexandra Burke has shown off the incredible results of focusing on a healthy lifestyle in a naked photoshoot.
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ favourite stripped off for the Women’s Health shoot having lost two stone, after adopting a healthy diet and taking regular exercise.
The 29-year-old revealed she dropped three dress sizes by sticking to eating six small meals a day and regularly hitting the gym.
She said: “By the summer of 2015, I’d piled on three dress sizes over two years, going from a size eight to a 14.
“My hectic tour schedule meant that I’d often skip the gym, miss meals and then gorge on takeaways late at night.
“I wasn’t overly troubled by how I looked - I was in a happy relationship with my boyfriend Josh Ginnelly and my career since The X Factor was going brilliantly well.”
The former ‘X Factor’ winner says she was inspired to kickstart her transformation because she was worried about potentially developing diabetes like her mum, who died earlier this year.
Alexandra explained: “I started eating six small meals-a-day: porridge for breakfast, soup for lunch, a dinner of chicken or fish, with salad, and fruit and nut snack in between.
“I suddenly had so much energy from eating regularly.
“Healthy eating encouraged me to kick-start my gym routine. I now work out five or six times a week and my training schedule never changes, not even when I’m on holiday...
“Two years later, I’m three dress sizes smaller and 2st lighter, and I’ve built up muscle.
“It’s been a slow process but the rewards are for the long term.”
Alex is the current favourite to win this year’s ‘Strictly’ after her Jive on last week’s show bagged her an almost perfect score of 39.
The star was delighted when Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli all gave her top marks.
But the joy was tinged with sadness as after a celebratory hug with her partner Gorka Marquez, Alexandra was seen crying and saying: “I just wish my mum was here.”
