Carol Vorderman: “Why I haven’t weighed myself in 26 years”

It’s safe to say that, over the past 30 years, our attitudes towards health and fitness have changed. Instead of embarking on fad diets to lose as much weight as quickly as possible, the focus has shifted towards getting stronger and looking after your future self.

Somebody who definitely advocates this attitude is broadcaster and writer Carol Vorderman, who has always been interested in health & wellbeing with a scientific approach, rather than just quick fixes.

Since Saga Magazine last caught up with Carol, 64, she’s had a lot of changes in her life. Being rushed to hospital with chest pains, caused her to acknowledge overwork and burnout, forcing her to take stock of her life and find out what’s really important.

Happily single, Carol has started to put her own wellbeing first and part of that is making sure she’s as healthy as she can be.

In 1995, she became Benecol’s first-ever ambassador raising awareness of the fact that the plant stanols in their products help reduce cholesterol, a major risk factor in heart disease.

As she partners up with Benecol once more for its Numbers That Count campaign to celebrate its 30th anniversary, we catch up with the former Countdown star to discuss her thoughts on getting older, having fun and owning scales.

“There’s a very big difference between 55 and 65”

“As I get older, health is absolutely my number one priority, even above fitness. I’m coming up to 65 and my priorities have changed. My daughter is in the gym three or four times a week, she’s super fit and it’s all about numbers and measurements. Whereas I just work out when I feel like it and do it because I want to and it improves my overall health.

“And there’s also a very big difference between being 55 and 65, it’s massive. I’ve noticed the difference with my friends as well because if you’re going to have any long-term growth diseases, they generally hit from age 60 onwards. Obviously, some poor souls can suffer with them at a younger age, but we’re thinking more about our health and our longevity.

“At 65, for women, we’ve gone through the menopause and we’re thinking about the future. I’ve never ever done a recreational drug, I’ve never smoked and I hardly drink. So those things I know are all completely under control and I want to live to 100 if I can so it’s all about looking after myself.”

“Re-evaluating my life has saved me”

“Last year, I was very poorly because I was overworking, which is why I’ve changed my life. I got rushed into hospital, and I had burnout. They did tests on my heart and all of that was absolutely perfect. The consultant told me I had to take it as a warning, so I did. I gave up my radio job at LBC as it was every Sunday and I gave up a lot of my tweeting because I was obsessed and it’s stressful being active on there.

“I’ve become much more sociable again and discovered that my friends actually really like me, even though for years I couldn’t see them much because of work. I’ve literally switched my life around and I’m having the best time. I’m very, very happily single. I’m not remotely interested in a long-term relationship with a man. And I managed to drop a few bad people who are around, and that makes such a difference.

“I’d like to live till I’m over 100, but realistically I’ve probably got about 20 years left and anything after that is a bonus. And it’s not a negative mindset, it’s about making the most of everything and living as well as you can. I’ve still got lots of energy but now I’m focusing on my social life and looking at what my priorities are. For me it goes health, social, fitness and then work is very low down.”

“I never beat myself up for having a ‘bad’ day”

“I try to eat correctly about 70% to 80% of the time because sticking to something 100% is near-on impossible as life gets in the way. I have my regular things, like a daily green juice and I have a bowl of fruit with Benecol yogurt on it.

“But there is no point beating yourself up if you have a bad day. And I always say it’s better to be moderately consistent and make some tweaks to your diet, than be super healthy for two weeks and then binge for one.

“It’s about getting the right balance. For example, I never buy bread but I’m staying at my sister’s right now and she’s got some sourdough so I’ve had a slice. And when I’m working, it’s a lot of travel, where you have something like a croissant on the train and then something stodgy while filming. I just make sure I try and get my five-a-day from a green juice, or I’ll have a bag of salad and add an avocado as I know I’m getting goodness from that.”

“I refuse to use scales”

“I literally have not weighed myself since 1999. I just thought, ‘What is the point?’ It was stupid things like people standing on tiptoes to weigh themselves or not weighing yourself at night and I just didn’t want to become a slave to that. So, I have not known my weight since 1999.

“I had to go for a medical for a job that I was doing for health insurance and the doctor had to weigh me but I said I didn’t want to know because I’ve not known for 26 years.

“I know if I put on weight because my clothes are tighter and I vary between a size 9, as I call it, and an 11. I never talk about weight but I can probably guess what I am. I’m at the lower end of my size right now, and I’m very happy about that. I know making little tweaks to my diet or walking more will help me feel better in my mind and how my clothes fit.”

“We’ve come a long way in 30 years”

“I was Benecol’s very first brand ambassador back in 1995 and I’ve always been very proud to work with them as it really does help people lower their cholesterol and maintain happy and healthy hearts. And it’s amazing how far we’ve come in those 30 years in terms of our health and our attitude to it.

“Back then, what we were encouraged to eat by the British Nutrition Foundation was very much your meat and two veg, which hadn’t really changed since the 1950s. I’m not against that but it didn’t really take anything else into account and a lot more research has been done since then. So when Benecol came in, it was quite revolutionary and it’s still relevant today.

“I’ve also been into numbers and health isn’t about fad diets or quick fixes but about consistently tracking and managing the numbers that matter. Cholesterol levels, understanding LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol), and total cholesterol is one of these key metrics, all of which Benecol helps with.

“And 25 years ago, I introduced the term ‘detox diet’, with my books where I eliminated certain food groups like wheat, sugar and ultra processed foods. I was criticised for that and Watchdog even dedicated a show to how bad the diet was. That show wouldn’t be made any more because we now know that it’s good for you as it was about resetting your attitude towards food and eating healthily to give you more energy. It wasn’t about fad diets or getting skinny, it was to help change your mindset to food.”

“Brussels sprouts are the king of veg”

“I’ve been a fan of Brussels sprouts before they became trendy and I’m very excited we’re going into the winter months as it means I can get more of them. And I have them as a snack, but they’ve also got to be cooked – steamed is the best.

“When I was on Countdown with Richard Whitley, we were the only people on the team who liked sprouts. So, when we filmed the Christmas shows, in our canteen the chef would always do a sprout main course, like sprouts in puff pastry, sprout curry, spaghetti and sprouts, whatever it might be. We were so happy.

“About 25 years ago someone brought in a stick of sprouts because they grew in sort of spirals and we had no idea that’s how they grew. So we had to name them and we called them the Wetwang Windies after our favourite village in Yorkshire and they were known as that.

“I’m going to try this winter to do some sprout soup and other things with them. And it’s interesting because all people could associate sprouts with previously was being very windy.

But in the last year or so, I’m sure you’ve read the research about how they are the very best vegetables for your microbiome. I didn’t know that, I just liked them, but they are very good for you. They fill you up, are great for fibre and taste delicious!”