Great Welsh Diet Experiment: One Year On

Now, straight up with those arms, and deep and push.

Last year, Swansea fitness instructor Tara Hammett

left her regular work to try an experiment.

Good morning, guys.

How are you feeling? All right?

First of all, I just want to say a big, massive thank you for all

agreeing to take part in this experiment.

She wanted to see what happened

when a group of people from the DVLA, more used to sitting down

than exercising, took on an intense diet and exercise regime.

So, nice and high with those knees. Nice one, Kirsty.

..Two, one and relax. Good job.

It was a tough regime that pushed Tracy, in particular, to the limit.

But four weeks later, Tracy and the team had embraced the challenge,

lost weight and made a huge difference to their lives.

Whoo!

This was all last summer.

Now Tara wants to know what happened to her team.

Did they really change for good or, once she left their lives,

did they slide back into their old ways?

So they could come in here now all leaping and bounding,

like I left them last time,

or maybe they've slipped back into their old habits

and I haven't managed to convince them

that a healthier lifestyle is good for them,

so goodness knows what they're going to be like when they come in

but I'm excited to see them, and a little bit nervous at the same time.

Hello! The guys are all back.

-How are you?

-Not bad.

Can you believe we're all back together?

So, how have you all been doing?

Well, I exercise in the gym about three or four times a week now.

-It's good. I train a lot.

-I managed to get rid of a lot of my wardrobe

so if I did put weight on, I can't go back into my big clothes.

I deliberately got rid of those.

Duncan and I, we joined a gym... with a pool.

But the project hasn't been a success for everyone.

I've put some weight back on.

Tara's way is very, very, very strict.

And without Tara on hand,

Tracy has not entirely stuck to Tara's way.

I'll have a bar of chocolate or a packet of sweets or I'll have this...

Honestly, I've probably gone back to most of my old habits.

I still go home and kind of loaf on the sofa.

Exercise-wise, I really haven't been that good.

Lifestyle-wise, it hasn't really changed much for me.

I still haven't flipped that switch.

Tracy is a personal disappointment for Tara.

They've all done amazing.

It was so fab to see them today, but Tracy has failed,

and she was the one that I wanted to really get stuck into and to be

an incredible transformation, and she just hasn't done it.

A year ago, during Tara's programme,

Tracy revealed eating habits that Tara was keen to tackle.

-Strawberry-flavoured cereal.

-Strawberry-flavoured cereal?

-Would you like some?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

This pot will probably last about two days,

-and I graze at it throughout the week.

-And is this for afters?

-Yeah.

Very interesting. So Jelly Tots and now strawberry cereal...shapes.

Hmm...

But when Tara visited Tracy at home,

she found the problem didn't stop there.

-Hey!

-Biscuit cupboards. Lots of chocolate biscuits.

-Mm-hm.

TARA GASPS

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my goodness.

How deep is this thing?!

Quite deep.

A detailed health check quickly showed the impact

that Tracy's lifestyle was having.

A high propensity for certain diseases, especially cardiac,

heart disease.

It's classed as morbidly obese because it is likely that you will

cut your life shorter than it should be by the fat that you're carrying.

-OK?

-Mm-hm.

-You've made, probably, the hardest step.

-One month with Tara and you will be on the road to recovery.

-Yes.

-OK?

But then you've got to keep it going.

-And you've got to keep it going for ever.

-Mm-hm.

-All right.

So I hope you understand.

But Tracy didn't keep it going, and she's not alone.

Some studies suggest that up to 90% of people who diet to

lose weight eventually put all of the weight back on again.

Many people, when they go on a diet, they end up failing.

It's a short-term thing.

They do something short fix and it doesn't work,

and with Tracy now, she hasn't changed her environment.

She's got all the prime ingredients for continuing with

her Tracy-ness,

and I got an amazing idea.

It's going to be brilliant and I'm going to go with it.

Tara is going to put her idea to Tracy.

-Tracey!

-Hello.

I've come to chat with you. Can I come in? Thank you.

One thing which blew me away last time was the chocolate drawer.

How is it?

-Now I have got dog food in it.

-Dog food? And a bit of chocolate.

But the chocolate in the drawer is only the start of the problem.

Tracy's house is full of temptation.

Hmm. Crisps, biscuits...

Baking cakes.

Ohh! Cookies. And batter.

Christmas puddings I'm seeing.

That's Ian's cupboard.

Because it's got that "blueberry" word or there,

that doesn't mean it's part of your five-a-day.

See, this room now is just asking me to do this... Ah!

So this is your other lounge-y one and sit by here quite a bit,

-perfectly in front of the TV.

-Yep.

The thing is, your home does scream to relax. Doesn't it? Yeah.

-Cool. So, I've got a bit of an idea, right?

-Oh, no!

I think it's quite an amazing idea. I want you to move in with me.

What?!

You're having a laugh?

You are going to live in my house, you are going to get up when

I get up, you're going to eat what I eat, you're going to do what I do.

We're going to leave the Tracy recipe and you're going to come

and experience what the Tara recipe is like. So bye-bye, couch.

Bye-bye, chocolate.

-Tara days.

-OK.

Oh, dear God.

In for a penny, in for a pound. Oh, my God.

Tara has one visit left to make.

There is one member of her old team that was absent from the reunion,

and for a reason that had shocked everyone.

-Kirsty!

-Hello.

-Hello. How are you?

-I'm OK. Are you OK?

-Yeah. Good.

Thank you.

A year ago, Tara put the team through a number of tests.

While some got the results they were expecting,

Kirsty, the smallest member of the team, had a surprise.

There is 26% body fat, which is not obese

but it is more than the average for women, more than you should be.

-Just bite it.

-Oh, no. It smells green.

-It smells green?

Like Tracy, Kirsty was eating almost no vegetables

and was suspicious of anything that smelt green.

The calculation takes into account the visceral fat, which is

around your organs inside your body.

It's much more detrimental to your health,

and that you can't see from the outside.

The whole team are in shock.

Everyone is like, "You're the smallest person on the team.

"How can you be overweight?"

But if that's what they say that's what they say, innit?

But that was nothing,

compared to the shock that came shortly after filming finished.

After the show was aired in October, I noticed

a lump on my neck on the right-hand side. I went to the doctor.

He sent me to a specialist. Seven weeks later, results.

Positive for cancer. So, you know? Even thinking about it...

-Of course. Because it is so scary, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Like...

-Having my little boy, knowing I've got a little boy...

-Of course.

I'm upset now, as well.

The first thing I thought was, "I'm going to die," you know?

How the hell... How can this happen to me?

I even had to ask the doctor, "Are you serious?"

I just thought he was joking. I didn't...

I couldn't understand how that could even be possible.

I don't smoke, I don't drink much,

don't do anything to cause something like that.

So, did they tell you why they thought that you got this?

Absolutely nothing.

You can't safeguard against something like cancer.

If you've got it, you've got it.

That's when you've got to start taking care of yourself.

-You've really got to be mindful of what you're eating and drinking and doing.

-Good.

-Do you feel better for it?

-Yeah, much better.

I didn't realise this over the years,

but food changes how you feel completely.

Happy given the all clear? Is it all positive news now?

I had a full body scan before leaving the hospital

the last time I was there.

I had the results of that a couple of weeks ago and they were good results.

It hasn't spread anywhere else, so nothing else has been affected.

Even the other half of my thyroid wasn't affected.

I'm needing more scans in the future, you know,

checkups and whatever, but right now it's looking good.

Everything is looking back to normal.

Excellent. So an exciting future, then, for you.

I'm looking forward to it now.

-I can actually look forward to my future now.

-Good.

For Tara, fitness is very much a way of life,

but she's realising that some people will only

change their way of life when given a shock to the system.

Tracy's more modest shock to the system is about to begin.

Hello.

Hello. The day has come! How are you feeling?

Nervous, sick, terrified.

-Come in. Let me get your bag.

-Thank you.

-Welcome home!

Yeah. Hi.

So, we'll have to get you settled, then, and give you some lunch.

I thought, you know, a typical meal that people love is,

like, bacon and eggs,

so I thought we'd have a nice meal like that for you.

-Bacon and eggs sounds awesome!

-It does, doesn't it?

Oh, my God.

Tara, no offence, but this stinks.

We don't do ready meals in my house. We have shreddy meals.

We shred it all up raw and get stuck in.

I've got raw kale, raw mushrooms, raw tomatoes,

raw spinach in there, lovely flavourings, and you don't have

to be eating stodgy food all the time for you to enjoy it.

It's a really healthy meal and...yummy.

Usually, Tracy spends her working hours sitting at a desk,

while Tara's work as a fitness instructor

means she is constantly on the move.

-OK?

-Yes.

-Off we go.

But at the first opportunity, while Tara is distracted,

Tracy slips into her old ways.

Thank you very much.

So, with you, normally, Tracy, you would be rocking up into work,

getting to your desk, sitting down, but as you're following me

and doing everything that I do, I'm on my feet all the time...

-Do you want to bring you back around here?

-Yes.

..so you are going to do exactly everything that I do now.

So, we've got the spray here to clean them down,

and the paper towels, so just give them a wipe over,

so you're going to have to be down there, up there,

over there, moving your arms, squatting,

lunging and everything, so there's your tools.

I'm going to prep up my client. I'll see you in a mo. OK? Enjoy.

But while Tracy gets to work, Tara is discovering her secret.

-She just bought one?

-Yes. £2.

Why, wasn't she supposed to?

Is it in her bag?

SHE LAUGHS

HE LAUGHS

-What's the matter, Tara?

-Is this wind-up?

-What?

-I haven't bought that, really.

-You were under my rules.

This is going back in the box.

-No way.

-It was worth a try.

-Rumbled.

Royal rumbled. Again.

Get back in the gym and do squats on the bike while cleaning. Good.

Tara gets to work with her first client.

For Tracy, it's a reminder of just what can be achieved.

Jump in and out. Down, jump in and back.

And five...

In, out.

One hand on, jump off. Amazing.

I think Tracy had a bit of a surprise watching that then

and witnessing what the human body is actually capable of.

But it just goes to show that your body can adapt and it can do things.

If you work intense and want to be strong and fit and healthy,

you can do these things.

Hold onto the wall,

so you are going to come down and just be in this position here, OK?

-Super easy. Just leaning.

-Agh!

Can you feel that stretching?

Tracy's first one-to-one gym session is a little easier.

Three, two, one and relax. What are you feeling?

-Back.

-OK, up you come.

But after just a few minutes, Tracy decides she can't go on.

It doesn't have to end there

because I've got some other ideas of what I'm going to do with her now,

so she may think that she's not doing any exercise in the gym,

but we'll do some other things instead.

-OK?

-Yep.

-Cool.

Righto, we're going to take some more action. We're walking the dog.

-Yay.

-Whoo!

Tara has noted that Tracy is a dog lover and has recruited Reg,

the boisterous dog of a neighbour.

If the gym doesn't work for Tracy,

then maybe this is the kind of workout that will.

-Good boy.

-Good boy, Reg.

Come on, then.

TARA LAUGHS

Come on.

THEY GIGGLE

-Good boy.

-How are you feeling, Trace?

-OK.

-You're out of breath. I like it.

This has definitely got your heart rate up.

Do you normally get your heart rate up like this on a walk?

No.

LAUGHTER

-Come on, Reg.

-All right, who's walking who here, Reg?

She's laughing, she's out of breath.

This just goes to show that she can be doing something

she really enjoys, part of a lifestyle,

and getting outside and taking the dog for a walk.

Taking the pace up, getting the heart rate up and having loads of fun.

Reg has given her a really good workout there.

She should be thanking him for it later on.

She's absolutely loving it.

Oh, you silly boy.

A year ago, Tara's team did very little exercise,

but she's always keen to find new ways to prove that exercise

doesn't have to be something you dread.

Welcome to the new theatre in Cardiff.

Inside is dancing royalty.

Excited?

Oh, good God. Good God, wasn't expecting anything like this.

Let's go. Let's go.

-Hi, guys.

-This is the amazing Vincent and Flavia.

-Hello.

-They're going to be doing a session today.

-I think Kirsty's gobsmacked.

Follow us.

Vincent and Flavia became famous as stars of Strictly Come Dancing.

If anyone can communicate the enjoyment of dance, they can.

I think more than enjoy it, it's kind of part of our lives.

So this is our little world that we perform every night,

and sometimes in the morning as well.

Wow. Exciting.

-I can't believe it.

-How are you feeling?

CAROLE: Emotional.

I was always dancing. I used to do all this fancy footwork, dancing.

I mean, my kids don't believe me.

When I was younger, I used to really... I enjoyed dancing.

-You enjoyed it?

-I was pretty good at it. I'm older now and...

It's all good.

Doesn't matter what kind of dancing it is, it's all good.

On Strictly, we deal with celebrities all the time.

Most of them, I remember Rachel Stevens saying

that she used to go to the gym almost every day doing yoga,

Felicity Kendal the same thing.

But as soon as they start dancing, after a month they say,

"My goodness, my body's changing.

"I can really feel more tone in my arms, in my legs."

She said she'd never seen any exercise better than this one.

We're going to start by pointing the right foot for the men,

left foot for the ladies, to the side.

Then we go step, replace, cha-cha-cha.

Step, replace, cha-cha-cha.

Back, replace, cha-cha-cha.

Forward, replace, cha-cha-cha.

MUSIC: "Bang Bang" by David Sanborn

That was fantastic. That was nerve-racking and...

I've still got it, from years ago. Oh, my God, wasn't he amazing?

He was so cool. So sexy.

Well, you can see how it gets your heart rate going,

but you're listening to something that's really nice to listen to,

smiling, having fun.

Did you ever think while you were doing this about bills,

mortgages, boyfriends.

You haven't got time to think, have you?

-You see? It's amazing.

-It's a great way to...

-You thought about me though.

-Oh, I'm sure.

-You did, I saw that.

-CAROLE: Of course.

-There you go.

-FLAVIA LAUGHS

Yeah, so that's why it's such an amazing way,

because you're using every little bit of your bodies.

Exercise gives you some sort of positive vibe,

and it's like the more you exercise the more you want to feel that.

'It changes not only the way you look, the way you move,

'but changes your life in general because it improves everything.

'Because mentally, in your heart, you feel better within yourself

'and everything seems easier.'

How many diets have you been on?

Oh, good grief. Too many to count.

I think I've tried most of the main ones -

just having a milkshake twice a day,

soup or the cereal diet, the Mars Bar diet.

But as soon as you think, "Oh, I'm where I want to be now,"

you go back to your old way of eating and it just falls apart.

Right, I've got to go back again.

I've got to pay all this money and it's harder this time

because I've put the weight back on, plus a half stone.

It's a never-ending circle and I so want to be out of it.

Tara's days start early, and while she checks her schedule at her

standing desk, Tracy's expected to get time in on the treadmill.

TRACY YAWNS

After a quick breakfast, Tara has a radio interview scheduled

talking about the reasons people go on diets.

Sometimes you find a great motivator is when you get this wake-up call

and something happens to your health,

or unfortunately someone loses a loved one through their lifestyle.

Sometimes that can't even be the wake-up call for people.

The interview prompts a frank conversation

about what will ever provide a wake-up call for Tracy.

What's it going to take though?

-I don't know, I'm trying.

-Something terrible happening?

-No.

-You don't want it to be that, do you?

So what if I could fast-forward you now two years

or maybe even one year or six months

and show you something really terrible that happens to you?

I would do everything in my power to stop it happening.

Then why don't you do that now?

Because it will happen.

I guarantee that if you carry on the way that you are,

it will definitely happen to you.

Fact.

Fear is a powerful driver, as Tara found when she started

working with the group and first encountered Ashley Williams.

Go, go, go!

You didn't come in here for an easy session.

Ashleigh, I didn't say hip extensions.

What is holding you back and not feeling that you can... "Grrr..."

-give it everything?

-Yeah, I lost my mother, just like, erm...

Really suddenly. Like, one day, she's there, happy...

you know, went to a friend's party and stuff and then the next

day I had a phone call about six o'clock...to my home,

like...she had died, erm... it was like...

A heart attack, they said, um...

something similar happened to her mother and...when I'm...

When I'm pushing myself and...

trying to push myself, this thing comes in the back of my mind,

"What if..." you know, "What if I push myself too hard

"and all of a sudden...I just drop?" I've got a little boy to think of,

as well and a family...

Tara sent Ashleigh to a leading heart expert who ran a number

of tests only to discover that all Ashleigh was really lacking

was more exercise.

-Down and push, well done, Ash.

-Ashleigh was immediately

transformed in Tara's classes and a year later is well on the way to

becoming qualified as a full-time professional fitness trainer.

Today's session has gone really well, his confidence is growing

with every session that he does. Once he's got his qualification

he could then work full-time as a gym instructor.

Tracy might be having a breakthrough of her own.

Having completed a shift at Tara's leisure centre

she asks to spend a bit of time in the gym.

But is this really a breakthrough?

Tara wants to see if Tracy will still give in to temptation.

-Here we are, after you, Tracy.

-Thank you very much, Tara.

So what would you normally do now if you were here now

and I wasn't with you?

-Go for that.

-The chocolate one?

-Oh, yeah. Or the custard slice,

or the Welsh cakes

-but if I feel really, really bad, all three!

-Would you do that?

-Would you order three?

-I have done it.

-Serious?

-Yeah.

I'd probably go for that first then the custard slice,

-then the Welsh cakes.

-OK.

If that wasn't available that's the order I'd go with.

But do you think you could come somewhere like this and...

when you, say, are going to meet your friends for coffee, just have coffee?

-I could say, "I'm just going to have a cup of tea."

-OK.

If that was full of ice cream...

-it would be a completely different matter.

-OK.

Shall we stand over there and have this conversation, then?

-Oh, my...!

-So, now we're talking... OK.

-Sorry, you're not here.

-Go home.

-OK, so imagine I'm not there.

Oh, my God!

I'd have some of that and some of that.

With a little bit of that.

Yeah, I'd make my own sundae and it would be huge.

I would say I would try to limit it to two scoops

but in all honesty I'd probably have three.

So, what do you think...? OK, bearing in mind that me and you

had a conversation earlier on... this is going to shorten your life.

So, remember, you said now...those cutting words I had to say to you,

if I could fast-forward you now and you keep on coming here

every Sunday and you have three scoops and then you come again

and you have another three scoops and you come again and you have

another three scoops and then the next thing you find out

that you've just had a heart attack or you've just had a stroke

because of your weight...

Yeah...

it does put a different spin on it.

In the end the choices she makes will be entirely down to Tracy

but, for now, Tara has one more job for her to do.

OK, so...

Here's my desk and my computer. I'd like us to get the team,

our little troop together. I want us to do something fun,

a great experience, so I want you to have a look now at

something that we can all do together that's going to be

-active, great fun and a little bit of teamwork.

-OK.

-OK.

Tracy scans the internet to find an event to get the women

of the team moving.

But Cancer UK's Pretty Muddy event has a particular resonance

for Kirsty.

Kirsty now with her cancer scare, erm, that's something that can't

have been prevented, you know, she's super young but the great thing is,

she's bounced back but lots of people are eating themselves to

ill health, you know. They are putting on tons of weight,

they are becoming diabetic, they are running the risks then, of

heart attacks, stroke and all these things and none of

us are invincible. The food that we put inside our body

is either going to fuel disease or fight it.

And we should be fighting it.

ALL: 3, 2, 1...

CHEERING

Obviously, having such bad news, I just thought, "Oh, my God..."

you know, "This is the end for me." I didn't know what to expect and no, I'd have never imagined doing this,

you know, it is seven, eight months on, I'd never expect this to happen

so, yeah, it's amazing.

Come on, Trace, over.

Oh. Get right down in it.

If you want to live a long and healthy life

you've got to change how you eat, for ever. It's so damaging to

your health when you do something that's yo-yoing and losing it fast

and putting it on even quicker. Keep moving and enjoy your life.

CHEERING AND SHRIEKING

Not Tara, I'll never be like Tara.

You know, eating spinach for breakfast and stuff, I wouldn't do it.

But, yeah, I do, I include good food every single day now, yeah.

And it's part of my life, you know.

SHRIEKING

CHEERING

CHEERING

Makes me realise just how much I achieved last year

and how much I've let it go so now it's like,

"Right, I'm looking to get off the heart-attack train I'm on

"at the moment and see what new challenges it can bring."

-You're hiding your medal, you know that?

-I know that,

but it's getting wet and filthy and I don't want it to get

-wet and dirty.

-Show it off, you've achieved that.

I'll show it off when I'm changed! As much as I say she's crazy

she's awesome and she will continue to help me change my life.

And, I owe so much. I think I can quite safely say,

"You've probably helped save my life..." and...

-Ohhh, Tracy!

-No...

And continuing to do that every day. So, thank you.

-You're welcome, it's my pleasure.

-It's...

you should be really proud of the work that you do,

-cos you do change things.

-Mwah! Thank you.

-You're welcome!

-Thank you so much.

-You're welcome.

-I'm going to

-continue being a pain in your arse.

-Good, cos we're friends now anyway.

LAUGHTER

-You go get dry now.

-Yeah, I'm freezing. Let's go.

-Come on!