Dr Eva Orsmond is passionate about tackling Ireland's growing obesity crisis and encouraging healthy eating.
However, like the rest of us she is only human and recently shared that she herself had struggled with weight gain after an intense number of years that saw her experience, a pandemic, split with her husband and major lifestyle changes.
The TV doctor admits that her extensive knowledge gained from running weight-loss clinics and educating viewers on her TV shows made her feel she was immune from weight gain. "I thought I was immune to it, Little did I know."
"Despite daily long walks, I started piling on belly fat", she told the Irish Mirror.
"I needed to become healthy again, mentally strong and physically fit."
However she revealed that despite her efforts, she struggled to lose weight from her stomach, adding: "But holding me down were those stubborn extra kilos that clung to my middle, determined not to be shifted.
"I had to become a patient. I had to ask myself the same question my patients have asked me, 'Where do I start?'"
She took it all the more seriously for the associated health implications adding: "It can manifest in high blood pressure, silently progressing to heart disease, fatty liver and pre-diabetes and then diabetes. It can impact your mental health and self-confidence."
Her action plan to shift it prompted her to write her new book, The Belly Fat Solution which looked at both the scientific causes behind weight gain around your middle and how best to tackle it.
"It's when there's an excess level of visceral fat that problems arise, surrounding the organs and almost suffocating them."
Dr Eva said: "Our bodies have evolved to save rather than spend. In order to lose fat, we need to try switching this saving to spending.
"You need to take in less energy [by eating fewer calories than you need] so the body uses its saved energy."
It includes tips Dr Eva used herself such as the impact of alcohol on your progress as she explained: "Drinking alcohol is like drinking fat: 1g of alcohol has 7 calories, while 1g of fat has 9 calories.
"A healthy liver is very important in weight loss. If the liver is busy detoxifying alcohol, fat metabolism is inhibited, hence weight loss will not happen at the optimal rate.
"It causes blood sugar to fall, making you hungry. It makes you less diet-compliant.
"An average pint of beer will set you back about 200 calories, while a glass of wine is 120."
With calorie-counted meal plans, and delicious recipes, The Belly Fat Solution has everything needed to shift unwanted weight. The Belly Fat Solution by Dr Eva Orsmond is published by Gill books and is out now, priced €19.99.
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