Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley on maintaining her sobriety and life after weight loss
WORDS: ANNA MATHESON.
Seven years after choosing to go sober, Lisa Riley has admitted that she doesn’t regret her decision in the slightest. In fact, the star says her life is infinitely improved without the booze. The actor - who is best known for playing Mandy Dingle on Emmerdale - revealed, ‘I still don’t drink alcohol. When Mum passed away, I overdid it and I played a game with myself and I won so I kept going. My life is so much better without it. I live vicariously through Mandy, but I’m camomile tea all the way!’
The star, who has previously described herself as a ‘human Malbec bottle’ who could binge up to a bottle of wine a night, has said she is now living the life she’s always dreamed of. Lisa, 46, explained, ‘My life is so much clearer, happier, gained more glow, laugh so much harder, having the life I always dreamt of, no fake friendships, needing that someone who NEVER knows when to go home.’
And ditching the booze has done wonders for her figure too, as combined with a healthy diet Lisa has lost over 12 stone, taking herself from a size 28 to a size 12/14. The star, who first revealed her slimmer look in 2016, lost her weight over an 18-month period and has managed to maintain it since. ‘I’m really happy and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, but I needed to do it for health reasons as well,’ she has explained. ‘I don’t believe in fad diets, I’ve seen family members do it. And I have tried them before. Why are you going to do it when they go “you’re allowed to cheat?”... if you’re going to do something and stick to it, do what I’ve done and it’s become my life.’
However, the actor has had to fend off accusations that she had surgery to help her achieve her new slimmer figure – but she has insisted she’s done it all herself. Lisa explained, ‘Everyone was like “you’re a liar, you have had a [gastric] band…” but I haven’t.’ While Lisa has had to undergo surgery for excess skin since losing weight, she maintains that the initial weight loss was all down to lifestyle changes. The star says it was the ‘fear factor’ that she could develop type 2 diabetes if she didn’t make any changes in her diet and lifestyle. She explained, ‘I don’t want to be a statistic. I just want my health to carry on, to live my life to the fullest.’
CHANGING HABITS
Much of Lisa’s new lifestyle centres around eating smaller portions, cutting back on takeaways, sugary junk food and snacks. Lisa explained, ‘I now eat out of a bowl
