James Martin shares three foods that helped him lose weight - and keep it off

21 September 2023 , 08:12

1191     0

James Martin lost three stone in a dramatic transformation (Image: Getty Images)

James Martin underwent a dramatic transformation back in 2005 when he took part in Strictly Come Dancing. As a result of the vigorous training schedule, he lost three stone - dropping from 17st down to 14st.

As a man whose life and career revolves around food, the celebrity chef could have easily slipped back into old habits. But he has managed to keep the weight off by making a few simple changes to his diet and his lifestyle.

James had previously always eaten on the go, fitting in food around his long days and nights working. And by his own admission, he wasn't making great choices - preferring to grab a takeaway at the end of a long tiring shift rather than cook something at home.

But he decided to make a change. "I no longer stuff my face with really bad things such as takeaway pizza, Mars bars and fizzy soft drinks, which I used to have tons of during my working day, just like almost every other chef in the country," he previously told the Herald.

Instead, he brought healthier foods into his diet - eating fresh fish twice a week, as well as plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Fish is an excellent source of high-quality protein, low in saturated fats and calories, and high in omega-3 fatty acids, making it a perfect weight-loss food. Its protein content keeps you satiated for longer, while omega-3 fatty acids speed up metabolism, burning more calories.

Dr Michael Mosley shares exercise that can cut cholesterol and blood pressure

(Getty Images)

James noted: "We might admire the Mediterranean diet but we don't eat the way the French, Spanish or Italians eat. On holiday, we insist on going to restaurants that serve the full British breakfast, and at home we just slather on the butter and eat far too many processed foods."

The 51-year-old now also wears a pedometer when he's working in the kitchen so he can keep track of how many steps he has done each day. Most pedometers recommend the user take 10,000 steps a day. Some can also provide heart rate monitoring.

It comes after James called for the sale of margarine to be banned, after slamming the butter alternative as "dreadful stuff". The celebrity chef wrote a book about the virtues of butter in 2021, citing the advantages of growing up on 'full fat milk and cream'.

While butter is made from cream or milk, margarine uses a blend of oils without any saturated fats - but James thinks it's "horrendous". Claiming people are not aware of the 'plastic-like' food product's 'hidden fats', he said: "Margarine should be banned. It's dreadful, dreadful stuff, it's two elements away from plastic, it's horrendous stuff.

"It's the ready-made food, it's the packet food, the hidden salt, hidden fat. That's the problem in this country. It's not the butter in a butter block or butter you put on your toast. It's the fact that not as many people cook in the UK as they do in France or Italy or Spain," reports The Sunday Post.

Gemma Strong