Carol Vorderman's daily diet regime to be a size 9 and she doesn't calorie count

The 64-year-old has shared the secrets behind her age-defying figure, revealing that she eats just one meal a day and carries a strange snack with her everywhere

Carol Vorderman has revealed the surprising secret behind her enviable figure - and it's actually quite simple. The former Countdown star recently opened up about her mission to slim down to a preferred 'size 9' - just shy of a size 10 - though she remains unbothered about public opinion.

Following the publication of her explosive book, 'Now What?: On a Mission To Fix Broken Britain', she spoke to Saga magazine about her go-to health habits. This includes eating raw sprouts as snacks, while doing 'squats for the bum', as she puts it.

"I wear a good bra and jeans that hold you up," the 64-year-old explained in September. "I generally have one meal a day – late afternoon – and I do three 45-minute sessions in the gym a week, which I love."

Carol practices OMAD -an intermittent fasting method short for One Meal A Day, according to Healthline. It's an eating pattern that creates a calorie deficit, aiding weight loss while potentially slashing the risk of heart disease.

Within the Earth's rare Blue Zones, which reportedly host the most 100-year-olds in the world, residents also adhere to similar dieting patterns in what's dubbed the '80% trick' or 'Hara Hachi Bu'. Typically, this involves eating just one small meal per day in the late afternoon or early evening, while only eating until 80% full.

Dr Deborah Lee, a GP at Dr Fox Pharmacy, previously told the Mirror: "Calorie restriction is believed to slow the ageing process. Eating less lowers the metabolic rate. With less metabolic processes underway, less oxidation is taking place.

"Oxidative stress probably underpins the development of many of the chronic diseases we see today – heart disease, cancer, type-2 diabetes and dementia... Nutritionists believe that when you look at your plate, if you eat mindfully, eating slowly and chewing every mouthful thoroughly, you can feel satisfied by eating only 80% of that is on your plate."

Crucially, counting calories isn't part of Carol's regime, though she does partake in a bi-annual 'detoxing'. In her book 'Detox Your Life', she penned: "The detox is not about counting calories or fat units, it's about being aware of the kinds of foods we put into our bodies. It's about eating more, not less."