The Only Way Is Essex star Yazmin Oukhellou is showing fans what her strength conditioning workouts look like. Oukhellou, 30, shared a video of herself wearing a black one-piece unitard, lifting heavy weights in front of a mirror. “I’m back 💪 🍑 Message my girl @hayleywheatonfitness to get that summer body 👙,” she captioned the post. “There she is ❤️❤️❤️,” a fan commented. Here’s how the reality star and real estate mogul stays fit, healthy, and happy.
Oukhellou works out with a personal trainer and has never been happier. “Training with a PT three times a week, drinking lots of water and being kind to myself was the new me,” she told OK!. “I didn’t live for the weekends to go partying, I just stayed in. Now my body has changed, but more importantly – so has my mind. My confidence has gone through the roof and I’ve started @LiveLikeYaz on Instagram to show other women how to keep it real, feel inspired and work hard. I’m still living alone but now I’ve got a happier version of myself, more comfortable and content than ever. I couldn’t be happier.”
Oukhellou made the best of the pandemic lockdowns by overhauling her health and fitness. “It was a difficult time, there I was at home alone with my puppy Prince and having got stuck in at some DIY, I found myself with nothing left to do,” she told OK!. “I was just there, on my own. Friends were there for me at the other end of the phone, but I knew the signs. I’d suffered depression badly in the past and taken myself to a wellness retreat for help. There was no way I was going back to that misery so it was time to motivate myself. I was feeling a little tubby and sluggish so I decided – time for a transformation.”
Oukhellou enjoys a protein-packed diet with the occasional treat. “For breakfast, I’ll have a protein shake, usually a cookies and cream flavor,” she told Closer. “I love it with a dollop of peanut butter. For lunch, I’ll have something Turkish, like chicken with either bulgur rice or plain rice and salad. For dinner, I’ll make a chicken stir fry or fajitas, or a Bolognese. I love sweets, and I’ll snack on Haribos and chocolate. I’ve got a whole sweet cupboard in my house!”
Oukhellou enjoys home cooking. “I can’t stand Brussels sprouts, not even at Christmas,” she told Closer. “My roast dinner is amazing. My secret to good roasties is to use goose fat, rub them in garlic paste and sprinkle Parmesan on them. I serve runner beans covered with Parmesan too, and they’re mind-blowing.”
Oukhellou is open about having therapy in the past. “I think people are now understanding depression more, and coming out more that they suffer from it,” she told Luxurious Magazine. “However, I think those that don’t suffer from it don’t really understand it yet and we need to change this in society. It is not just a down day or something you can just simply get over. Education and awareness is key, and I think this will only improve as more people talk about their personal experiences.”