‘i’ve made peace with my body’

Former Loose Women star Saira Khan has not had it easy when it comes to her relationship with her body. As a teenager she was taught to hide it. ‘I was brought up to believe I should keep myself covered at all times… If I was not careful, my body would bring me shame and disgrace,’ she said. Then, after giving birth to her son, how she felt about her body changed again. ‘Nobody really tells you how much your body changes after giving birth,’ Saira said. She explained, ‘My stomach was unrecognisable, it looked like a sac just hanging away from my body, skin all dimpled, loose and I was disgusted, mortified and so self-conscious.’ After that came the menopause and in turn weight gain, something Saira previously described as ‘not easy’ and ‘confidence knocking’.

But today she has not only learnt to love her body, but also to celebrate it. ‘I feel the sexiest, strongest and healthiest I ever have,’ Saira admitted. So how did the TV personality, who has just had her 54th birthday, get her spark and shape back?

MAKING CHANGES

Four years ago, menopausal and about to turn 50, Saira found herself ‘down and miserable’. She revealed, ‘I felt irritable, annoyed and just p***ed off with who I was, had become and the direction I was heading.’ The former Apprentice star continued, ‘I knew something had to change. I had to engage my head and start turning the negatives into positives. I had to get my life back – no more excuses of no time, too tired, busy with kids, got no energy.’

Just two weeks later Saira said she felt like ‘a different person’. Filling fans in on the lifestyle adjustments she made and continues to make, the businesswoman shared, ‘I’m following a very holistic approach to life. I exercise five times a week at my local gym, I do a lot of weight training to help keep my bones strong, I drink 2ltr of water a day.’ Saira explained, ‘As you hit the menopause there are lots of things you have to watch, like the thickening of the waist, weak bones, hormonal changes, depression and anxiety. A lot of it is to do with your diet and physical activity.’ She revealed, ‘I started to focus on my feelings, on getting a healthier diet inside me full of good fats, more protein, I switched my fitness to more strength work, I started to walk more.’ And while Saira confessed, ‘I’ve got a long way to go