Inside Shirley Ballas’ remarkable transformation: The 64-year-old Strictly Come Dancing star has shared her age-defying looks and fitness regime, revealing a significant five-month weight loss in preparation for her return to the new series.
Shirley Ballas consistently dazzles with her glamorous appearances on the Strictly Come Dancing live show every Saturday night.
The 64-year-old head judge follows a rigorous weight loss regimen each year to ensure she is in peak condition for the BBC dance show. As she prepares for this year’s 20th anniversary series, Shirley revealed that she can fit into the same jeans she wore at 20, showcasing her impressive weight loss.
From intense juice diets and the controversial paradox plant diet to countless yoga classes, Newsafro.com explores how the queen of Latin achieves her remarkable transformation.
However, a significant amount of hard work goes into her incredible transformation behind the scenes.
Inside Shirley Ballas’ remarkable transformation: The 64-year-old Strictly Come Dancing star showcases her age-defying looks and fitness regimen, revealing a significant five-month weight loss in anticipation of her return for the new series.
Shirley has disclosed that she embarks on a weight loss journey each year in preparation for the start of Strictly Come Dancing. Setting a goal on April 14 of this year, she shared an Instagram video trying on a pair of trousers she has owned for over forty years.
In a clip filmed five months earlier, she stated, “These are a pair of trousers I’ve had since I was 20; as you can see, they are not quite zipped up, but they will be by Strictly, I can assure you.”
On Thursday, just before Strictly, she updated her followers, saying, “I did say I wanted to get into these trousers. Here they are zipped up! It has been some hard work, but I am thrilled with the results. So yes, I promised myself I would be in these trousers.”
“So yes, I have fulfilled my promise to fit into these trousers.”
Shirley is a proponent of a juice-only diet and participates in an annual juice retreat to prepare for Strictly. At the retreat, known as Juicy Oasis Portugal, attendees consume only juices for a duration of seven days, with no food provided except for an optional salad upon arrival and departure. Although guests may extend their stay for multiple weeks, Jason Vale, known as the Juice Master, advises against staying more than four consecutive weeks.
Prices for the retreat commence at £1,600, and controversially, it permits attendance for individuals as young as 14.
After this year’s retreat, Shirley showcased her impressive results in a polka dot bikini, captioning the photo: “Starting day six at @juicemasterretreats feeling so much better, cleaner, lighter, with a clearer head space.
“This is an annual necessity for me to ensure I am in a good place. @jasonvale, thank you for creating simply the best experience for so many people here in Portugal.”
In 2023, Shirley revealed she lost 9 pounds in just seven days at the juice camp. She has also experimented with the controversial “plant paradox” diet, which restricts certain vegetables.
The plant paradox diet advocates for the consumption of some fruits and vegetables while warning against others that may not be as healthy as they appear. Followers of this diet aim to avoid lectins—carbohydrate-binding proteins found in legumes like beans, lentils, and chickpeas, as well as grains and “nightshade” vegetables, such as tomatoes and bell peppers, which tend to thrive in shaded areas.
The plant paradox diet, promoted by US doctor Steven Gundry, suggests that lectins may contribute to weight gain and chronic diseases, although evidence supporting this claim is limited. Shirley explained to Closer magazine that her approach involves primarily plant-based foods, including nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. She emphasized that the focus is on healthy eating rather than dieting, stating, “Diets don’t work. I’ve yo-yoed all my life.”
Shirley also incorporates intermittent fasting into her routine, eating only within a six-hour window each day. She shared with Weekend Magazine that she typically avoids “anything that’s white,” preferring to consume foods that are green and grown in the ground. However, she allows herself a daily treat: “One cup of coffee a day, in a china cup, with a teaspoon of brandy, Coffee-Mate, and two brown sugars. That is the highlight of my day.”