THE WEIGHT LOSS WINNERS OF 2008

IT’S NOT JUST HOUSE PRICES THAT HAVE BEEN SHRINKING THIS YEAR. WAISTLINES HAVE BEEN GETTING SMALLER IN CELEBLAND, TOO!

THE BIGGEST LOSERS…

1. Claire Richards Weight loss: Four stone

After the birth of her son in May 2007, the ex-Steps singer weighed 15 stone. But as her wedding in November approached, she stuck to calorie-counted ready meals to keep her diet on track, dancing herself fit and releasing a workout DVD called Five Step Fat Attack on Boxing Day. "I was determined to having wedding photos I was proud of," she said.

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2. Jennifer Lopez Weight loss: Three stone 2lbs

Admittedly some of J-Lo's weight loss was the twins, Max and Emme (born in February), but she still got back to her pre-pregnancy weight of 8st 7lb in a mere eight weeks. Her secret? Training for a triathlon with her body coach Gunnar Peterson. She got up at 4am to complete a 2 1/2 hour regime, banned all carbs from her diet and limited herself to 1,400 calories per day.

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3. Fern Britton Weight loss: Two stone 2lbs

It was the diet story of the year… finally Fern admitted the reason her dress sizes were dropping faster than she could shop was because she'd had a gastric band fitted in 2006. But the presenter insisted the surgery wasn't the cure-all people imagine and told reporters she still has to eat a low-fat diet and cycle regularly to keep up her weight-loss. In total, she's lost six stone since the op.

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4. Kelly Osbourne Weight loss: Two stone

The secret behind Kelly Osbourne's svelte new bod is steering clear of ping cuisine. "I've thrown away my microwave," revealed the 24-year-old. "It's the easiest thing to chuck some three-minute meal in. If you don't have one, you'll pick up something fresh."

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5. Jessica Alba Weight loss: One stone 11lbs

Even Jessica Alba's trainer was impressed by how quickly the star lost weight after giving birth to Honor in June of this year. She went from a size 12 to an 8 by hitting the gym six days a week, and sticking to a low-fat, low-carb diet.

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6. Britney Spears Weight loss: 1 stone 6lbs

After her very public meltdown last year, Brit's finally on the mend. She's said to have lost nearly a stone and a half by ditching her unhealthy junk food and Red Bull habit. "I try to do just 1,200 calories a day," she said. "It's actually a lot of food if you eat the right things." Her diet secret is grilled chicken, as it's filling and boosts metabolism. The singer's been working out too, rediscovering her mum's old Jane Fonda videos.

7. Mariah Carey Weight loss: One stone

She may have a big voice, but at the start of 2008, it looked as though Mimi was growing some curves to match. But then she started a 1,500 calorie a day diet, devised by her trainer Patricia Gay. "For breakfast, Patricia will make some boring eggs," says the singer. "Her favourite thing for lunch and dinner is this plain vegetable soup. It's very bland - no cream. Cream is the tastebud's friend but the body's enemy!"

8. Liv Tyler Weight loss: 10lb

A gruelling filming schedule for earlier in the year and hiring a personal chef meant means Liv Tyler didn't even have to try to shape up. "Filming was incredibly intense," she says. "And because I've been eating a lot of vegetables and protein, I've been eating like a pig and the weight just fell off me."

9. Lindsay Lohan Weight loss: 12lb

It's not like she had any fat to lose, but svelte Li-Lo is now a super-skinny size 6 again. The actress insists she has a healthy diet which includes "drinking buckets of green tea" and "eating fresh fruit smoothies with aloe vera, sushi, pasta salad and lots of green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach".

10. Coleen McLoughlin Weight loss: 7lb

There's nothing like a Marchesa dress and a £3.2m wedding to motivate you to get in shape, so it's no surprise Coleen slimmed down before marrying Wayne Rooney in June by working out with her trainer Elise doing cardio-training, Pilates and weights and sticking to healthy low fat meals.

And the ones who weren't so successful...

Natalie Cassidy: The ex-EastEnder fell off the diet wagon, ballooning from a size 8 to her former size 16 – although friends have suggested it's a desire to conceive rather than cupboard love.

Claire Sweeney: The actress piled on two stone for a new TV show, although she's been dancing her way back to slenderness since.

Janet Jackson: After she lost 60lb in 2006 publishers were falling over themselves to offer her a diet book contract. Recent reports suggest that now her curves have returned, they've withdrawn the offer.

Demi Moore: The star recently relaxed her eating and training plans to gain a stone for the sake of her daughters, arguing that her new body shape will show them what's healthy.

Eva Longoria: The usually tiny Desperate Housewife piled on almost half a stone, sparking rumours she was pregnant. Insisting it was all for a storyline, she's since cut out meat and watched the weight fall off.