‘I'm The Version Of Me'

Katie Piper tells Nathalie Whittle how, months after having her second child, she shed2stgetting into strictly shape

- Nathalie Whittle

Katie Piper is a woman who doesn’t do anything by halves. Having rebuilt her life after surviving a horrific acid attack 10 years ago, the 34-year old’s CV now includes running a charity, The Katie Piper Foundation, writing six bestselling books, presenting numerous TV shows and documentaries – and her latest challenge? Waltzing across the ballroom of the nation’s favourite dance competition, Strictly Come Dancing. That’s all while juggling caring for Belle, four, and 10-month-old Penelope, her daughters with husband Richard Sutton.

The star has also lost 2st since Penelope’s birth last December, which is one of the reasons she launched her own diet and fitness guide, the Healthy Happy Mum Plan, with the help of weight-loss guru Terri-Ann Nunns, this year.

‘When I lost the weight, women were asking, “How on earth did you do it with two kids?”’ she tells us. ‘And it was important for me to say it’s not as easy as all these celebrities often make it look. I wanted to share the real story, not just one that looks good on paper.’

The plan involves following a diet of 1,500 calories per day (1,800 for breastfeeding mums), within an eight-hour window, as well as committing to regular exercise, which meant a complete lifestyle overhaul.

‘I didn’t diet or exercise for the first three months after I gave birth, because I had a Caesarean and I wanted to enjoy my time with the kids,’ she says. ‘But we all reach that point where we want to get back into our pre-pregnancy wardrobes.

‘Plus, I wanted to have the energy to work and be a mum. Instead, I found myself eating toast while doing the school run and lacking the energy to do any exercise – or anything that didn’t involve taking care of the kids. I felt rubbish.’

‘You have to be creative to fit fitness in’