Catherine Tyldesley changed her diet to be around for her son.
The 36-year-old actress has four-year-old Alfie with husband Tom Pitfield and she dramatically changed her food intake so she can be "on the planet for as long as possible" for her son after dropping from a size 22.
In an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper, she said: "Since I have had Alfie things are no longer about weight-loss, it is just about being on the planet for as long as possible. When you are busy working mum you can’t afford to get poorly. Children are unforgiving like that.
"I love being busy and making the most of life. I feel like to do that I have to fuel my body correctly – you wouldn’t put petrol in a diesel car."
The former ‘Coronation Street’ star initially changed her diet when she dropped six stone, but discovered that she was lacking vital nutrients when she thought she was sticking to a balanced diet.
She recalled: "I was a stickler for meat, meat, meat. At one point I was even eating steak for breakfast when I was doing a lot of weight training. I have a good friend who is a nutritionist and when I told him what I was eating he said, ‘Blimey, Cath, you’re not a bodybuilder.’
"But at that point in time, if you went to the gym or had a personal trainer, the message seemed to be protein, protein, protein. When you are on a weight-loss journey and weight-train, you can almost develop a fear of carbs."
Now, the ‘Scarborough’ star is more "energised" after switching to a plant-based diet following test results which showed her mircobes were not working as they should.
She explained: "My gut bacteria wasn’t flourishing. In order for it to work properly, diversity is key. And although I was eating some vegetables, you should really be aiming for 30 different plant-based products each week.
"I feel more energised, mentally and physically, since becoming more plant-based. I feel a greater sense of vitality. And I enjoy food a lot more as I eat a wider range now and making all kinds of different recipes, rather than sticking to the same high-protein ones."
Catherine Tyldesley changed diet for her son
