Diet plan, fitness regime or an app: what is the best way to shape up? Meet the women who will be testing three methods for three months
Georgina Horne wears Fly Sport tank top by Pearl Izumi, her own leggings and trainers by New Balance Photo: SOPHIA SPRING
We all like the sound of a body transformation. Bring on the kale chips, the 2014 pioneering health-trend gurus shout - or a juice cleanse, or a two-day fast. But with so many methods to choose from, what is the most realistic way to shift weight and keep it off? Over the next three months three women will each embark on a different route to the same finish line: shaping up their bodies for the long term.
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Women's wacky weight-loss regimes from the early 1920s and beyond
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Kimberly Davis, the founder of the marketing firm Sarsaparilla , will be undertaking the Metabolic Balance nutritional programme under the guidance of Stella's own nutritionist, Petronella Ravenshear . The three-month programme is designed to reset metabolism and hormone levels to regulate fat storage. Key features include an eating-plan comprising the foods best suited to your personal biochemistry (determined through a blood test), leaving a five-hour gap between meals and no aerobic exercise until your target weight is reached (as, according to Metabolic Balance, exercise causes fat-burning to stop).
Georgina Horne, a plus-size blogger and nanny, will be in the hands of the personal trainer James Duigan and his team at his London gym, Bodyism . Duigan begins with a data-driven assessment, and his workout sessions include a long warm-up to activate muscle groups and are punctuated with high-intensity exercise bursts. Horne will also be committing to Duigan's popular Clean &Lean diet , which champions eating organically and takes processed foods firmly off the menu.
And in our increasingly digital world, what role can technology play in the quest for weight-loss? Enter Alice Dogruyol, the creator of the plus-size-jeans label Beauty in Curves . Dogruyol will be testing WatchFit , an app that provides specialised exercise and nutrition plans compiled by a roster of top British nutritionists and personal trainers.
Keep up with our three women's journeys via their online diaries, which will be posted on the Telegraph website every Friday. They will share exercise and nutrition tips as well as their weekly highs and lows. Visit telegraph.co.uk/beauty . Their results will be published in Stella on 11 January.
Kimberly Davis wears tank top and leggings by Marks & Spencer and trainers by Reebok. Photo: Sophia Spring
Age: 39
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 16st 2lb
Dress size: 18
Waist: 116cm
Bottom: 130cm
Upper arm: 36cm
Thigh: 68cm
Shape-up method: Metabolic Balance nutrition plan with Petronella Ravenshear
When I was on the The Apprentice in 2009 I was called obese by a fellow contestant. Though I was certainly not obese, I recognised I had a few pounds to lose so I hit the gym and lost about 1½st. I was in the best shape of my life. Then I ran into some bad luck. A basic hospital procedure led to an E. coli infection ending with major surgery, so I was inactive for three months. In six months I gained 5st and my health and relationships suffered. Despite many efforts since, I have not been able to get rid of my extra weight. I weigh 16st but do not eat 16st worth of food, so I have a suspicion that my weight issue is to do with the stress of running my own business. I broke both my feet falling down some stairs six months ago and now I cannot get on a bike or go to the gym as I used to. I feel 39 going on 80 because I am unable to go out and do basic things. My goal is to shift some weight so I can start taking control of my body and health and get my quality of life back.
Georgina Horne wears Fly Sport tank top by Pearl Izumi, her own leggings and trainers by New Balance. Photo: Sophia Spring
Age: 26
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 17st 7lb
Dress size: 18
Waist: 111cm
Bottom: 135cm
Upper arm: 41cm
Thigh: 80cm
Shape-up method: Personal training sessions three times a week at Bodyism
I feel really enthused about getting in shape for about a week and a half - I will go running, do some skipping and watch my eating - and then it tails off because, actually, I like food and sitting on the sofa. (I do make sure I hit 10,000 steps every day with my Fitbit activity tracker .) I also lack motivation because I am not unhappy about my body shape. As a blogger, I can post a photo of my body on Instagram and receive some lovely comments about it. My main vices are snacking - I adore chocolate and popcorn - and eating big portions. I am getting married in July and have bought my dress already. It's a size 14, the size I was pre-relationship, when I felt the pressure of being on the pull and before my fiancé and I started going out to drink and eat all the time. My goal isn't to be really slim; I don't think I would enjoy life trying to maintain my weight at a size 10. I just want to feel a little less wobbly and to be able to run for a bus and not collapse when I get on it.
Alice Dogruyol wears tank top and leggings by Marks & Spencer and trainers by New Balance. Photo: Sophia Spring
Age: 36
Dress size: 22
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 17st 9lb
Waist: 110cm
Bottom: 142cm
Upper arm: 40cm
Thigh: 80cm
Shape-up method: WatchFit app and wearable technology
I have always been bigger than my friends. I love having a curvy body, but I don't like having a fat body, which I think I am getting into the realms of now. In the past year I have felt heavy and uncomfortable, and I feel pressure on my joints and back. I am the biggest I've been and can't move as fast as I'd like to. My relationship with food is connected to my emotional state. Having seen nutritionists over the years, I know what I should be eating and have probably done nearly every diet under the sun, but when life kicks in I go for a sugary hit. I overeat and comfort eat. I've been gaining weight steadily since I was 10, by snacking, secret eating and yo-yo dieting. But now I feel in the right mental state to stick to an app. I have new self-awareness and an understanding of my body. If I am lying to myself, the app will prove it. My aim is to get back to a size 16, where I feel happy. I love feeling fit and judge my weight by how I feel and how my clothes fit, rather than what the scales tell me.
Georgina Horne wears Fly Sport tank top by Pearl Izumi, her own leggings and trainers by New Balance Photo: SOPHIA SPRING
We all like the sound of a body transformation. Bring on the kale chips, the 2014 pioneering health-trend gurus shout - or a juice cleanse, or a two-day fast. But with so many methods to choose from, what is the most realistic way to shift weight and keep it off? Over the next three months three women will each embark on a different route to the same finish line: shaping up their bodies for the long term.
Related articles
30 minutes of exercise better for weight loss than longer workouts
Women's wacky weight-loss regimes from the early 1920s and beyond
Top 10 diet books
Kimberly Davis, the founder of the marketing firm Sarsaparilla , will be undertaking the Metabolic Balance nutritional programme under the guidance of Stella's own nutritionist, Petronella Ravenshear . The three-month programme is designed to reset metabolism and hormone levels to regulate fat storage. Key features include an eating-plan comprising the foods best suited to your personal biochemistry (determined through a blood test), leaving a five-hour gap between meals and no aerobic exercise until your target weight is reached (as, according to Metabolic Balance, exercise causes fat-burning to stop).
Georgina Horne, a plus-size blogger and nanny, will be in the hands of the personal trainer James Duigan and his team at his London gym, Bodyism . Duigan begins with a data-driven assessment, and his workout sessions include a long warm-up to activate muscle groups and are punctuated with high-intensity exercise bursts. Horne will also be committing to Duigan's popular Clean &Lean diet , which champions eating organically and takes processed foods firmly off the menu.
And in our increasingly digital world, what role can technology play in the quest for weight-loss? Enter Alice Dogruyol, the creator of the plus-size-jeans label Beauty in Curves . Dogruyol will be testing WatchFit , an app that provides specialised exercise and nutrition plans compiled by a roster of top British nutritionists and personal trainers.
Keep up with our three women's journeys via their online diaries, which will be posted on the Telegraph website every Friday. They will share exercise and nutrition tips as well as their weekly highs and lows. Visit telegraph.co.uk/beauty . Their results will be published in Stella on 11 January.
Kimberly Davis wears tank top and leggings by Marks & Spencer and trainers by Reebok. Photo: Sophia Spring
Age: 39
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 16st 2lb
Dress size: 18
Waist: 116cm
Bottom: 130cm
Upper arm: 36cm
Thigh: 68cm
Shape-up method: Metabolic Balance nutrition plan with Petronella Ravenshear
When I was on the The Apprentice in 2009 I was called obese by a fellow contestant. Though I was certainly not obese, I recognised I had a few pounds to lose so I hit the gym and lost about 1½st. I was in the best shape of my life. Then I ran into some bad luck. A basic hospital procedure led to an E. coli infection ending with major surgery, so I was inactive for three months. In six months I gained 5st and my health and relationships suffered. Despite many efforts since, I have not been able to get rid of my extra weight. I weigh 16st but do not eat 16st worth of food, so I have a suspicion that my weight issue is to do with the stress of running my own business. I broke both my feet falling down some stairs six months ago and now I cannot get on a bike or go to the gym as I used to. I feel 39 going on 80 because I am unable to go out and do basic things. My goal is to shift some weight so I can start taking control of my body and health and get my quality of life back.
Georgina Horne wears Fly Sport tank top by Pearl Izumi, her own leggings and trainers by New Balance. Photo: Sophia Spring
Age: 26
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 17st 7lb
Dress size: 18
Waist: 111cm
Bottom: 135cm
Upper arm: 41cm
Thigh: 80cm
Shape-up method: Personal training sessions three times a week at Bodyism
I feel really enthused about getting in shape for about a week and a half - I will go running, do some skipping and watch my eating - and then it tails off because, actually, I like food and sitting on the sofa. (I do make sure I hit 10,000 steps every day with my Fitbit activity tracker .) I also lack motivation because I am not unhappy about my body shape. As a blogger, I can post a photo of my body on Instagram and receive some lovely comments about it. My main vices are snacking - I adore chocolate and popcorn - and eating big portions. I am getting married in July and have bought my dress already. It's a size 14, the size I was pre-relationship, when I felt the pressure of being on the pull and before my fiancé and I started going out to drink and eat all the time. My goal isn't to be really slim; I don't think I would enjoy life trying to maintain my weight at a size 10. I just want to feel a little less wobbly and to be able to run for a bus and not collapse when I get on it.
Alice Dogruyol wears tank top and leggings by Marks & Spencer and trainers by New Balance. Photo: Sophia Spring
Age: 36
Dress size: 22
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 17st 9lb
Waist: 110cm
Bottom: 142cm
Upper arm: 40cm
Thigh: 80cm
Shape-up method: WatchFit app and wearable technology
I have always been bigger than my friends. I love having a curvy body, but I don't like having a fat body, which I think I am getting into the realms of now. In the past year I have felt heavy and uncomfortable, and I feel pressure on my joints and back. I am the biggest I've been and can't move as fast as I'd like to. My relationship with food is connected to my emotional state. Having seen nutritionists over the years, I know what I should be eating and have probably done nearly every diet under the sun, but when life kicks in I go for a sugary hit. I overeat and comfort eat. I've been gaining weight steadily since I was 10, by snacking, secret eating and yo-yo dieting. But now I feel in the right mental state to stick to an app. I have new self-awareness and an understanding of my body. If I am lying to myself, the app will prove it. My aim is to get back to a size 16, where I feel happy. I love feeling fit and judge my weight by how I feel and how my clothes fit, rather than what the scales tell me.
