Paige Chohan from Real Housewives of Cheshire has opened up about her weight loss journey, sharing how it’s positively impacted her mental health. At 33, Paige is one of the younger faces on the ITVBe show and has recently proven she’s a force to be reckoned with.
Following the birth of her daughter Nora last year, whom she shares with husband Amir, Paige has been on a mission to reclaim her pre-pregnancy fitness levels and mental wellbeing.
During her pregnancy, Paige put on three stone but was determined to “feel herself again” postpartum. “I’ve always been into fitness prior to being pregnant. She further explained: “I think throughout pregnancy, I gained three stone and your body changes so much.”
The reality star discussed the challenges new mothers face, saying, “Even after your child is born, you go through so many changes – you’re up all night with a newborn. I just wanted to get back in the gym and feel like myself again. I needed something for my headspace as well.”
For Paige, the focus wasn’t solely on shedding pounds; it was about gaining mental clarity and strength. “I wanted to feel strong and healthy,” she told the Mirror, emphasising her desire to keep her curves while getting fit.
“I love having curves, that’s something I wanted to maintain as I was losing weight. I was making sure I was maintaining my curves and keeping strong and weight lifting.”
The businesswoman admitted that her fitness journey was no easy feat, revealing she enlisted the help of a personal trainer for seven straight months. “I did seven months straight,” she shared, before confessing that she had to take a break due to the “crazy” filming schedule for Housewives.
Recently, she’s been doing the “bare minimum”, but now that filming has wrapped up, she’s back on track with her PT and ready to be “consistent”. Paige also gave a shoutout to her “glam squad”, who she credits for her stunning looks. “I love them loads and they’re lifesavers,” she gushed. Despite working from home, Paige ensures she gets in her 10k steps every day, even if it can be challenging. She, Amir and their daughter make sure to get out for daily walks to clear their heads.
Paige revealed that Amir also joined her on her fitness journey, which she says “did help” their family. During series 18 of the show, which marked its tenth anniversary, Paige opened up more about her personal life, including her faith. Raised in a Church of England family, Paige converted to Islam later in life after studying different faiths from the age of 17.
“It was really important for me to show more about my personal journey, especially with my faith and my religion,” she expressed. “It’s a massive part of mine and my family’s life and sharing more about what changed my life for the better and what gave me direction and perspective when I was growing up – Islam really did save me and give me a lot of clarity.
“I think it’s really nice that the show was able to document that.” She continued: “It was great that they were able to show faith and have that conversation on camera. I was able to share that with the audience and the girls.”
Paige expressed how her upbringing wasn’t shaped by strict Protestant beliefs, but rather a more laid-back approach to religion. “I kind of sat there and questioned, there was more meaning.”
Paige went on to explain that she “wanted to explore,” with her spiritual journey leading her to delve into Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism before feeling a deep connection with Islam. “I was able to go on such a journey at a young age, and I found a connection with Islam and I grew that over time.”
Paige spoke of her unending commitment to her faith, stating, “My faith is never ending, it’s not just I found Islam and that’s it – I consistently study and research every aspect of faith. I always learn and I always want to understand more and I think that’s what I love and I think I’ll continue to do it forever.”
Motherhood has been transformative for Paige, reshaping her outlook on existence. She mused about the selflessness parenting brings: “It’s not just about you, it’s yourself, your partner, you’re doing what you want, when you want. It doesn’t become about you anymore, that’s a huge change, you learn to love something more than yourself and you don’t know that until you have your children.
“It’s just a great feeling to give so much love and care to another soul other than yourself, you see the benefits that child has.” Paige’s relationship with her fellow Housewives, particularly Seema Malhotra, has changed significantly. Their friendship took a hit after Malhotra mentioned that Paige was a client at her clinic before they became friends.
“It’s definitely been an emotional rollercoaster,” she admitted. Despite the tense moments, there have also been incredible highs. “I’ve really enjoyed it, filming four, five months of your life, it feels intense. It’s coming to an end now and it feels surreal, I’m really happy with how this season’s gone – I’m very happy for it to air on the screen and see the storylines.”
However, watching it back has been “hard” for her. “There’s a lot more to come and a lot more of a journey that you’re going to see,” she revealed. The Housewives series is set to wrap up on May 5 and while it may seem “crazy and emotional,” she assures that there is a “positive outcome” towards the end of the series.
Last week, fans witnessed a significant change as Seema and Paige mended their friendship following an emotional conversation at a party hosted by Lauren Simon. Both parties confessed their desire to restore their friendship to its former glory due to the close bond they shared, as well as the friendships their families had formed.
Despite facing accusations of being attention-seeking, Paige from the show insists she’s just being her “authentic” self. “I don’t want to go and be fake,” she declared.
“I’m not afraid to say what I think which is really important in life. Sometimes that may be seen as a negative but from my perspective, I see that as a positive and I do think that becomes well respected throughout the season.”
In the glamorous world of Cheshire, sharp remarks are nothing new. Paige found one of Lauren’s comments particularly “harsh,” yet she acknowledges that her castmates are beginning to understand the real her as she initially finds it difficult to let people in.
“It can be hard to watch, but I do know that I have a lot of friends in the group who do see my side and do support me,” she shared. Her besties, influencer Ellie Egar and Lystra Adams, are totally in sync with her.
“They’re just so much fun,” she enthused.