Chef Tom Kerridge cut two things from his diet to lose whopping 12 stone
A decade ago, television chef Tom Kerridge was no stranger to knocking back 15 pints in the pub and tucking into bags of crisps and cheese on toast in between cooking meals. But now the Masterchef the Professionals star has a completely different lifestyle and diet, after losing an incredible 12 stone in five years.
Tom, who hosts The Hidden World of Hospitality with Tom Kerridge on BBC Two tonight, weighed 30 stone when he was approaching his 40th birthday, and realised he had to make a change after fearing he was going to die young. So, the Michelin star chef made the decision to cut two things out of his lifestyle - and they're surprisingly simple.
Tom Kerridge is well known for creating mouth-watering dishes, but also for his incredible weight loss journey (Tom Kerridge Twitter)Speaking to The Sunday Times after his weight loss journey, Tom claimed he was "mortified" by how he used to look. He said: "Say we live to 80. Well, I thought, I'm halfway there. And then I thought... I'm not going to get there. If I'm like this, I'm not going to make it." At his heaviest, he would go on massive drinking sessions, which usually started with a Negroni cocktail followed by a whopping 15 pints.
And so he made the decision to ditch alcohol and go cold turkey - which wasn't an easy task. He told the Mirror in July last year: "I stopped drinking all by myself. I knew what I wanted to do and then I got on with it. It was all about mental strength. I have an addictive personality. People ask me whether I'm an alcoholic, but I think it could have been anything, it's just that alcohol was the thing I found. Maybe I am an alcoholic, I don't know. Some days are really, really hard and some days are easy. Most of the time it's not relevant in my life. I channel all that old drinking energy into work now."
Tom was 'mortified' by how he used to look at 30st and feared he'd die young (PA)As well as ditching booze, he decided to cut down on the amount of carbs he was consuming, and started following the dopamine diet. This focuses on eating dopamine-inducing foods which are delicious and satisfying. Dopamine is a "happy" hormone, which transits signals between nerve cells in the brain. Eating food causes dopamine to surge in our body, especially after eating sugary, fatty food. But in theory, protein-rich food should give the same effect, and is a lot better for you.
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"It's impossible to lose weight and keep the weight off for good if you don't enjoy what you're eating," he told The Mirror in 2017. "The cooking techniques mean there's no compromise on flavour and you're promised a generous plate of food! I'm hoping this will help more people to lose weight and still love what they eat."
Tom lost a whopping 12st thanks to overhauling his diet (BBC/Bone Soup Productions LTD/Richard Hill)
He ditched the booze completely and cut down on carbs (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Montblanc)Tom realised this wouldn't be a quick fix, so had to make a plan for what he would eat, and which foods he needed to remove from his diet. It took him 12 weeks to make the change and decide which recipes he would use. He told GQ: "As a chef, I was grazing and snacking throughout service. Or I'd be eating cheese on toast and packets of crisps because they were quick and there and ready to go. I was a big one to skip breakfast. I didn't have any."
In order to achieve his transformation, Tom added foods that were high in protein, including vegetables, tinned beans and eggs, as well as cutting out sugar so that he wasn't tempted to snack. Tom, who wrote a book about his health journey, eventually lost the weight, while still enjoying some treats, including dark chocolate.
Because he followed the dopamine diet, he was still able to enjoy dairy products, which he called his "dopamine heroes" - such as full-fat cheese, milk, yoghurt and double cream. He added: "There is nothing wrong with a flapjack in the afternoon when you get that 4pm lull if everything else is in place." Exercise is also important for Tom in order to stay in shape.
*The Hidden World of Hospitality with Tom Kerridge airs on BBC Two tonight at 8pm
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