The actress explained that she didn't look like her character Myra McQueen after slimming down from a size 22 to a size 14.
"I lost so much weight that my producer told me I didn't look like Myra any more, and would I mind putting a bit more weight back on?" she told PA.
"So now I'm a happy medium - a size 18 - but know that I can always lose weight again, once I want to."
Barber-Lane explained that she slimmed down by using a tapping therapy, which involves tapping on certain acupressure points on the body.
"Over the course of the year, tapping every day, I went from being a complete couch potato to enjoying running, doing two marathons and going down from a size 22 to a 14," she explained, adding that she has also used the technique on the Hollyoaks set.
"Tapping is great for remembering your lines," she said. "Once the whole set was negative and I got everyone tapping - even if no-one believed in it, it definitely lightened the mood on set and got everyone laughing, whereas just ten minutes earlier everyone was anxious and running late."
