Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones opens up about weight loss journey after making one change

Writer and star of Gavin and Stacey Ruth Jones has opened up about her weight loss journey. Many have noticed Jones' slimmed down figure, with fans being eager to find out how she did it.

Jones explained that her weight loss journey began in January 2010 after indulgence on holiday. She explained previously: "I came back from holiday — January 2010 — and we all overdo it on holiday, don't we?

"Something just clicked. I felt this is now or never, I wanted to make a positive change for me and I haven't looked back," the Express reports.

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With months of working on Stella ahead of her, Ruth realised that this was a chance to start making some changes. And rather than go for a strict diet, she instead made incremental changes including focussing on portion control.

This meant that she looked at her calorie intake, and created a deficit. She said: "It's taken me 22 months to lose 4.5 stone. Although I have done loads of diets in my time I have never done it the old-fashioned way: taking in less calories than I was using."

Jones said that she aimed for a daily calorie intake of 1,250 to 1,500 calories. This is below the advised 2,000 daily calories recommended for women.

Over time this strategy meant that she had significant weight loss. This saw her drop down to a size 12.

"Some days are better than others," she said. "But, if you think about it, there are calorie values on the back of everything - supermarket sandwiches, chocolate bars, everything."

Rather than turning to a more extreme dieting practice, Ruth decided that a more gradual approach was better. This meant that while it would take longer to lose the weight, it would be more likely to stay off.

She said: "The main thing is that I realised I was going to have to be patient. When diets promise you things like 'lose a stone in a week' it's just not realistic. You have to make a decision that if you've got a few stones to lose (seven in my case! ) then it's going to take time."

Ruth put the calorie deficit into her daily routine. This meant simply burning more calories than she consumed.

The NHS outlines general guidelines for calorie intake, saying: "Generally, the recommended daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men." However, individual calorie needs can vary from person to person based on factors such as genes, body sizer, and activity level.