Denise Welch will have a six-pack at 60 as she reveals how life-changing CBT therapy helped her lose weight and quit smoking
The former Corrie actress is focusing on fitness and a healthy lifestyle after binning the booze
ACTRESS Denise Welch has her sights on a set of rock hard abs for 2017 and is using a combination of cardio and cognitive behavioural therapy to create her super six pack.
Flying the flag for body-confident women in their fifties, she admitted stripping to her bikini and showing off her impressive two-stone weight loss was a way to make fellow females feel "empowered."
The ex Corrie star, who battled a food addiction in 2012 after quitting booze, said: "I don't think I'm bad for 58.
"It's not easy to keep the weight off at my age, but I feel as if I'm starting to keep it under control.
"I've started working out more over the past couple of months and I now want a six pack at 60!"
Mum of two Denise added: "Life is good. I'm not frightened of turning 60.
"I feel like I'm in the best shape I can be."
Part of her new look she credits to counselling sessions.
Size 12 Denise shed more than two stone, going from 11st 5lbs to her current weight of 9st 12lbs ahead of her wedding to husband Lincoln Townley.
She credits a combination of her other half and CBT - which is a solution-based form of talking therapy - and said she is focused on maintaining her weight.
She added to : "I lost two 2st for my wedding and now it's about maintaining my weight.
"But cognitive behavioural therapy has taught me how to eat sensibly.
"I recommend CBT to everyone - it's not just as a weight-loss programme, but it changes your attitude to food.
"I've also stopped smoking since having CBT."
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: The Facts
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a type of talking therapy.
- It aims to give clients a way to manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave.
- The therapy is based on the concept that thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, with negative thoughts causing people to become trapped in a vicious cycle.
- It is often used to treat anxiety and depression, but is also helpful to battle eating disorders, sleep problems and issues relating to alcohol misuse.
- CBT is usually delivered in weekly sessions and each can last between five and 20 minutes.
- The eventual aim is to teach the patient to apply the skills during their everyday life. (Source: nhs.co.uk)
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Both Denise and Lincoln also binned the booze together.
Denise has spoken openly about hitting the bottle while suffering post-natal depression after the birth of both her sons, Louis and Matthew.
She recently admitted her life-changing wake-up call came when he threatened to leave her after she was 'self medicating' on alcohol and drugs.
She told Cheshire Magazine: It was only when Lincoln threatened to end our relationship if I didn’t follow his example and stop drinking,
“I got the wake-up call I needed.”
“I’m proud to say I also gave up self-medicating other substances, stopped smoking and I’ve never felt better.”