Lucy Mecklenburgh didn’t start dieting and exercising the way she’d expected to after having her son.

Lucy Mecklenburgh

Lucy Mecklenburgh

The 29-year-old star and her partner Ryan Thomas welcomed son Roman into the world in March, and though the brunette beauty expected to hit the gym as soon as she had the all clear, she was far too tired to put extra pressure on herself.

She said: "I thought I'd get back into training and eating really well as soon as I got the OK from the doctor but it didn't happen like that.

“I was so sleep-deprived and it got to a point when I thought, 'Luce, give yourself a break. You can get back into it when you’re ready.' “

Though she's shed the 50lbs she gained during her pregnancy, Lucy insisted she hasn't done anything significant to lose the weight.

She told Closer magazine: "If I go for a walk or manage to fit in a little workout, that's an achievement, but I don't put pressure on myself.

"Being a mum is a workout in itself!

“I love Pilates and on my fitness platform there are a lot of postnatal stretching routines, which help with back pain from breastfeeding."

Now Roman is in a regular routine, Lucy and Ryan - who also has 12-year-old Scarlett with former partner Tina O'Brien - make time for a date night at home every week.

She said: "I think it's very important to make time for each other now Roman goes to bed at 7pm, otherwise it can start to feel like Groundhog Day.

"On Fridays we make a conscious effort to cook and have a meal.

"I'll put on a bit of make-up and we'll eat together at the table and have a glass of wine then maybe watch a film. It makes a difference."