Kristina Rihanoff has revealed how she got back into shape following the birth of her little girl.
The blonde dancer - who welcomed a daughter named Milena in July 2016 - decided to embark on a vegan diet and was seriously impressed with the results.
'I really struggled to get rid of the last bit of my baby weight', she said.
'I went from a size eight to a size 12 after giving birth and I have never been bigger than a size ten in my life. Within two months of going vegan, I lost the weight and was trimmer around my hips and waist area.'
Kristina is currently preparing for her new Dance To The Music tour and says the weight loss has really boosted her confidence. 'Now I finally feel able to perform on the stage, wearing the outfits, surrounded by the other girls,' the 40-year-old told the Daily Mail.
The couple welcomed their first child together in 2016
'There's so much more pressure on women and it's hard because I have to look a certain way as I'm on TV.'
The Russian star - who is in a relationship with former Northampton Saints rugby player Ben Cohen - noticed that her body started to change after she left her position as one of the Strictly Come Dancing professionals and became a mother.
'When I was dancing for nine hours every day, I could eat whatever I wanted and it wouldn't matter because I would burn it all off.
'Potatoes, chicken, fish and vegetables were the main meals but I ate snacks in between and managed to stay in top shape for the whole six months. Then I stopped dancing and had a baby.'
Kristina will take to the stage at various venues around the country alongside Robin Winsdor and Oksna Platero during her tour.
Having more babies might be in store for the pair, as Kristina told The Sunday People in November: 'Another baby is some time in the future – we both like to take it one step at a time.'
