Mum of two Danielle Armstrong says she can totally understand why some women - especially women - feel under pressure to seek out a quick fix in the form of the so-called skinny jab. The former TOWIE star, who has spent the last eight years expanding her knowledge about health and fitness and helping others gain confidence, says she now sees the jab "everywhere", but would never go near it herself.
In an exclusive chat with OK!, the 36-year-old, who gave birth to her youngest daughter Una in summer 2023, explains how she developed and maintained a healthy attitude to weight loss and body confidence. "Look, I’d never judge anyone," she says of a weight loss quick fix. "If I didn’t have my plan, I might have considered a quick fix, like the skinny jab, but that’s definitely not for me."
She continues, "I’m seeing it everywhere. If it’s prescribed by a GP, that’s different. But in my opinion, it ages people. When you starve yourself, you’re depriving your body of fuel. It’s like trying to get a car to drive without petrol."
Danielle, who shot to fame when she joined TOWIE in series 10 back in 2013, says she can also appreciate the negative impact of people comparing themselves to others, especially when it comes to social media and being a new mum.
"[After Orla's birth] a few of my friends in the industry had babies around the same time, like Ferne [McCann] and Kate Ferdinand – and sometimes you compare," she says. "They’re all beautiful girls and everyone’s different, so this time I didn’t do the comparison thing, and it was a lot easier."
After Danielle and her husband Tom Edney welcomed their first daughter Orla, now four, Danielle said realised she'd jumped from a size 8/10 to a size 16. But second time around, during her preganncy with Una Rae, she says she felt better during the pregnancy itself so it was easier to maintain a healthier diet - but adds that she refused to put any pressure on herself whatsoever.
"When I had Orla I went from a size 8 to 10, then up to a size 16, and being naturally quite petite, that was quite a shock for me," she recalls. "So then there was a big rush to try and get my body back – I put a lot of pressure on myself and compared myself to others. So, second time around, I wanted to be kinder to myself, and not on Instagram looking at other new mums. It’s been a nice journey this time. As soon as I stopped having expectations, I could just enjoy the process and life as a mum of two."
She also admits her time on TOWIE led her down the path of the odd faddy (and unsustainable) diet - including the "Special K diet", when she only ate cereal for around 10 days.
"I probably did lose a bit of weight but as soon as I ate anything else, I put it back on. I once tried cutting out all sugar and carbs. Yes, I was losing weight but I was miserable because I was thinking about food all the time."
Now she wants to use all that she's learnt to help other mums feel good about themselves and adopt small habits over time that will make a big difference long-term. Not knowing where or how to start is the biggest challenge, she says, and something she'd love to help others address.
"Don’t be too harsh on yourself, and trust the process," she says. "Not knowing what to do initially is the hardest thing. I understand why some women feel daunted. And we live in a world where people want a quick solution. But diets don’t work, they give you a quick fix but it’s long-term habits that make a difference."
