It is a fact that the majority of diets end in failure. So which ones actually work?
I set out to answer these questions in my new C4 series How To Lose Weight Well
Just a few years ago, I ballooned to 19st while my identical twin brother Chris stayed at my previous weight of 12½ stone, writes DR XAND VAN TULLEKEN +7
Just a few years ago, I ballooned to 19st while my identical twin brother Chris stayed at my previous weight of 12½ stone, writes DR XAND VAN TULLEKEN
Like millions of other Britons, you may well have just embarked on a diet in an effort to shape up and slim down in 2018. You may already be losing a few pounds and gaining compliments from friends.
But it is a fact that the majority of diets end in failure. So which ones do work? And which ones simply aren’t worth the misery? And more importantly, why?
I set out to answer these questions in my new five-part Channel 4 series How To Lose Weight Well.
As we are told constantly, we are in the grip of a health crisis. About 62 per cent of British adults are classified as overweight and one in four is obese – the medical term for excess weight known to raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and a host of other diseases.
Weight is also a subject close to home for me. Just a few years ago, I ballooned to 19st while my identical twin brother Chris stayed at my previous weight of 12½ stone.
At 6ft, this gave me a body mass index score of more than 35, meaning I was obese.
As a doctor with a degree in public health, it was not just soul-destroying, but also highly embarrassing.
I made a dedicated study of the world’s most popular diets and took all the good bits – and discarded the waffle and gimmicks – to formulate my Definitive Diet.
This is based on the principle that healthy eating must be built seamlessly into your life without any great feeling of sacrifice or social isolation. After all, we all have the odd party or wedding to go to.
Not only that, but if you really love food, as I do, a strict diet can be utterly miserable and simply not sustainable. This, I discovered, lies at the crux of whether any diet succeeds or fails.
Many plans work in the short term if the draconian rules stop your diet saboteurs – whether they are cheese, wine or chocolate – in their tracks. But long-term, our willpower cracks.
I made a dedicated study of the world’s most popular diets and took all the good bits – and discarded the waffle and gimmicks. File photo +7
I made a dedicated study of the world’s most popular diets and took all the good bits – and discarded the waffle and gimmicks. File photo
My new series hammers home this point even further.
We asked 30 male and female volunteers to test a different diet plan, having screened them to make sure it was medically safe for them to participate.
From five-day to two-week very-low-calorie crash diets, to celebrity-endorsed juice diets, high-carb regimes and even one that involves eating up to four eggs a day, we left no fad unexplored.
Share this article
RELATED ARTICLES
DR MAX THE MIND DOCTOR: There's no need to be smug about your vegan 'detox'
Pregnant women who eat up to NINE eggs a day have babies with higher IQs, study suggests
'I'm surprised that I'm 104!' Woman believes a can of DIET COKE a day is the key to her long life (but the experts would disagree)
Interestingly, all of the plans worked and everyone lost weight, some more successfully than others. One woman who weighed 11st at the start lost an incredible 1st 4lb in just two weeks.
But it is sticking to diets that is the real problem. Some are bland or monotonous, or the food is difficult to source and needs a lot of preparation, which is offputting.
Others are simply extreme, requiring incredible willpower to stick to as little as 600 calories a day, as advocated by the Copenhagen Diet that volunteer Sheena followed for 13 days.
So which one worked best?
BEST ONE-WEEK DIET: Slimfast, a combination of six shakes and bars a day. Mark lost 1st 3lb, going from 17st 2lb to 15st 13lb.
BEST TWO-WEEK DIET: CSIRO Low Carb Diet – low-GI, high-protein foods and wholegrains, and two indulgence foods a week. Lucy lost 1st 4lb, going from 11st 4lb to 10st.
BEST FOUR-WEEK DIET: The Karl Lagerfeld Diet – protein-rich, reduced-carb, maximum of 1,250 calories a day. Connor lost 1st 13lb, going from 22st 9lb to 20st 10lb.
BEST SIX-WEEK DIET: Ayurvedic diet, based around your body type and whether your system is fast or sluggish, plus meditation to stop cravings. Charlotte lost 2st 3lb, going from 19st 10lb to 17st 7lb.
BEST FOUR-MONTH DIET: The Banting Diet – increased fats and decreased carbs. Elimination of most grains, processed foods and sugars: 1,900 calories per day for men, 1,400 for women. Jake lost 4st 4lb, going from 20st 8lb to 16st 4lb.
Yes, she lost a stone, but she was dizzy and constipated and vowed never to do it again.
To some degree, there was a common theme. Pretty much all of the diets involved cutting down on (if not cutting out completely) refined sugar and carbohydrates – cakes, biscuits and fizzy drinks – and eating as much freshly prepared food and vegetables as possible.
It’s not just about what you put in your mouth, though. Many of the diet plans stipulated doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week.
Our biggest weight loser, Jake, who shed an impressive 4st 4lb in four months, soon found himself in the gym five days a week – and feeling a thousand times better for it.
He was also a great example of making a diet plan work long-term by making it a lifestyle choice.
At the end of the four months, he vowed to keep up his low-carb regime five days a week, giving him room to indulge a little at the weekend.
One pair who did brilliantly were IT support worker Si Fong, 40, and his husband Simon Herbertson, a 42-year-old university administrator from Manchester.
They described themselves as cliches: fat, middle-aged men with no hair. Ideally, they wanted to drop a couple of stone each. At the beginning, Si weighed 18st 9lb and his weakness was cheese, while Simon weighed 15st 12lb and loved red wine and chocolate.
We put them on diets specifically for men – the Dude diet, created by a culinary school graduate who wanted to get her food-obsessed boyfriend eating healthily; and the Skinny B*****d diet, which is vegan.
BEST ONE-WEEK DIET: Slimfast, a combination of six shakes and bars a day. Mark lost 1st 3lb, going from 17st 2lb to 15st 13lb. Stock photo +7
BEST ONE-WEEK DIET: Slimfast, a combination of six shakes and bars a day. Mark lost 1st 3lb, going from 17st 2lb to 15st 13lb. Stock photo
The Dude diet is not your typical regime and consisted of ‘real’ food such as beef, curry and tacos with unlimited tea and coffee, and alcohol in moderation.
No white carbs were allowed but Si could indulge during one cheat day a week. The one rule was food had to be cooked fresh and portion sizes had to be reduced.
A typical recipe was baked meatballs (rather than fried) to cut down on the fat content, made with lean beef, and riced cauliflower instead of breadcrumbs. Si loved it because it felt like real food. And he managed to lose 3st 1lb.
Booze ruins your hard work
Not only is alcohol full of sugar and so-called empty calories, it also slows down how we process food – meaning we’re more likely to store it as fat.
Our experiments found that eating a high-fat meal such as a burger, and then consuming alcohol, caused the amount of fat in the bloodstream to increase by 45 per cent and blood sugar levels to rise by 50 per cent.
If you’re going to drink at dinner but want to reduce your risk of gaining weight, opt for a high-protein meal +7
If you’re going to drink at dinner but want to reduce your risk of gaining weight, opt for a high-protein meal
A similar effect was seen when a high-carb meal such as pizza was followed by booze – there was 50 per cent more fat and sugar in the blood than before the alcohol was consumed. This is highly likely to cause weight gain because the body uses the alcohol calories first, and the fat and sugar are stored rather than metabolised.
Your best option? A high-protein meal. To our astonishment, our test revealed no change in the level of fat in the blood after a chicken burger was consumed – and only an 18 per cent rise in blood sugar. So if you’re going to drink at dinner but want to reduce your risk of gaining weight, opt for a high-protein meal.
The Skinny B*****d diet involved no meat, fish, eggs or dairy. Simon ate a lot of tofu, stir-fried with green veg and soba noodles. He could also have beans, grains and pulses, which were made into chilli. Simon was horrified and initially found the lack of meat really difficult, but no longer missed it as time went on.
He even began to enjoy the gym, and lost an astonishing 3st 4lb.
What the series confirmed is that it is very, very difficult to stick to a diet, although some are less like diets than others.
BEST TWO-WEEK DIET: CSIRO Low Carb Diet – low-GI, high-protein foods and wholegrains, and two indulgence foods a week. Lucy lost 1st 4lb, going from 11st 4lb to 10st +7
BEST TWO-WEEK DIET: CSIRO Low Carb Diet – low-GI, high-protein foods and wholegrains, and two indulgence foods a week. Lucy lost 1st 4lb, going from 11st 4lb to 10st
Rob tries the 'Sleeping Beauty Diet' on How to Lose Weight Well
Loaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00
Play
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 0:29
Fullscreen
Losing weight effectively is about changing how you eat – as the Paul McKenna diet advocates – adjusting recipes so that they are healthier, and changing how you live and exercise.
I don’t advocate abolishing bread, pasta, rice and desserts completely, just keeping them under control. And my most important rule is to fill your plate as high as possible, whenever possible, with a great big pile of green vegetables.
What is key to remember is that there is always something we can do, even if it is pulling on shiver pants (see panel, right) or simply walking a bit further than normal.
How To Lose Weight Well begins tomorrow on Channel 4 at 8pm.
168
comments
Home
Showbiz
Femail
Sport
NEXT STORIES1/30
Former paratrooper died alone after he waited 90 minutes for an ambulance when he called 999 complaining of chest pains
Former Strictly star Kristina Rihanoff reveals how a vegan diet helped her drop two dress sizes - and gave…
Less than eight hours sleep is linked to anxiety and depression: Insomniacs are unable to overcome negative…
Facial yoga makes women look two years younger: Puckering the lips and sucking in the cheeks…
Health trend for drinking RAW water is potentially deadly and could contain animal feces
Daughter, 24, writes an open letter to the Prime Minister after her 84-year-old father waits for 3 HOURS in an…
Ask the pharmacist: How long do nicotine withdrawal symptoms last?
SPONSORED
Pregnant women who eat up to NINE eggs a day have babies with higher IQs, study suggests
How busy is YOUR hospital? NHS statistics reveal how the winter crisis has crippled trusts across…
'These drinks are turning our kids into addicts': Jamie Oliver urges the Government to ban the sale of…
Do you have cold hands and feet? Doctors suggest spicy foods and loose clothing can improve…
The herbs that are scientifically proven to ease anxiety and those that are useless (but the top supplement…
'I'm not the same person I was': Former college football player believes his depression and mood…
Rare case of sexually transmitted Zika reported in California: Woman becomes one of only 51…
Mysterious eye cancer cluster strikes young women within 25 miles of a North Carolina town - as 15…
Get your gym groove back: Personal trainer reveals top secrets to sticking to your fitness goals
Why are we losing the fight against the obesity epidemic? Expert explains how the odds are against getting fit
Grandmother, 88, dies from a heart attack after waiting FIVE HOURS in an ambulance and TWO…
'I'm surprised that I'm 104!' Woman believes a can of DIET COKE a day is the key to her long life (but the experts would disagree)
Asthma and hay fever sufferers are 50% more likely to develop cataracts, study finds
Teenagers are having less sex as 'risky behaviors' decline, study finds
Boy, 3, desperately needs a cure after being diagnosed with 'ultra-rare' brain disease that only affects 20 people in the world
Could THIS be why you have to wait weeks to see your doctor? GPs are spending nearly 400,000…
Onion farmer, 62, catches pneumonia after breathing in deadly fungi from the vegetable's peel
These three children have never met - but they have all been the gift of life after surgery to correct 'blue-baby syndrome'
2018 is going to be spicy: Why cumin is the new kale in the latest healthy-eating trend
Would you have a HAIR TATTOO? Reclusive woman, 46, who spent £25,000 trying to conceal her…
May finally apologises as nearly 17,000 patients were stuck in ambulances waiting for beds to…
Jeremy Corbyn leads attacks on the government over NHS crisis... while sunning himself on holiday 5,000…
NHS reels as flu epidemic bites: Spike in hospital admissions, GPs overwhelmed, half a million calls to…
Former paratrooper died alone after he waited 90 minutes for an ambulance when he called 999 complaining of chest pains
Former Strictly star Kristina Rihanoff reveals how a vegan diet helped her drop two dress sizes - and gave…
by Taboola Sponsored Links FROM THE WEB
15 Warning Signs of Diabetes
Healthy, Sporty & Beautiful
The Ultimate Way to Get Cheap Hotel Rooms
tripsinsider.com
2017’s Most Expensive Cars in The World
TopCars
5 Countries That May Give Free Housing To New Residents
Women's Article
10 Countries That Don’t Want You To Visit
Bored Articles
These 15 Plants Help You Sleep Better
drhealth
MOST READ NEWS1/18
A woman wraps up warm as she walks through the streets of London where the temperature is dropping
As cold as Siberia! Temperatures to plummet to as low as -15°C in parts of Britain as icy Arctic weather plunges...
Imran Khan with his then-wife Jemima.
Has Imran Khan married for the third time? Speculation mounts cricketer-turned-politician has wed his spiritual...
James Bulger's mother Denise reveals her biggest regret about the day of her son's murder
'If I'd turned right instead of left, I'd have saved his life': James Bulger's mother reveals her biggest regret...
Services found out about the appalling conditions the children were living in after a school flagged up their absences
Parents who kept their four children in shocking squalid house strewn with filthy nappies and rubbish are spared...
John Paul Getty II - his right ear missing - after being freed by his kidnappers in December, 1973
My bloody kidnap torment: Harrowing words of Getty heir who was held to ransom then mutilated by the mafia as...
Prince Harry, fifth right, pictured with his battle group in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in March 2008, with Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt, circled, who took his own life last week and Corporal James Dunsby, extreme right, who died on an SAS selection course in 2013
Shell-shock 'suicide' of Harry's pal who beat Taliban bombs: Decorated British soldier who fought with the...
Gemma Warne (picutred) admitted the she and the baby's father Lee Chambers did not take the baby to accident and emergency when instructed to do so by a GP
'Unforgivable': Judge slams parents of five-month-old baby as he jails them for leaving the boy with a fractured...
Kelly Brook has been of 'victim blaming' after she said young women put themselves at risk by getting too drunk on nights out
Kelly Brook is accused of 'victim blaming' for saying women who get too drunk on nights out put themselves at...
Helping hand: In a rare outing, former Spanish King Juan Carlos (pictured left) was seen at Epiphany Day celebrations just days after complaining bitterly, and publicly, about feeling sidelined by the royal family
Spain’s former King Juan Carlos makes rare public appearance alongside his son Felipe and new Queen Letizia at...
Diving ace Tom Daley, pictured, is seen posing on the bed he now shares with his husband in the images
New anguish for Olympic diver Tom Daley as naked selfies of him in the bed he now shares with his husband are...
Melissa Ede says her £4million lottery win is the perfect ending to her journey to womanhood
'I didn't snub my children but they won't see a penny of my money' says…
The limited edition white chocolate Creme Eggs were revealed by Cadbury's last week with 350 to 400 white chocolate eggs hidden in normal wrappers
Revealed: The giveaway sign that your Cadbury’s Creme Egg is a rare white one that could be worth up to £2,000...
In happier times: Five-month-old kitten Storm playing with a piece of fabric before she was found headless in Staines
Has the Croydon Cat Killer finally been snared? Police arrest 31-year-old man after five pets were decapitated...
Pictures released by Birmingham City Council show several of the boards found at the restaurant covered in charcoal black and pink stains
Steakhouse is fined £50,000 for serving food on trendy wooden boards as health chiefs brand them ‘incapable of...
Shocking images taken at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield show members of the public being forced to sleep on floors
Shocking photographs show patients ‘forced to lie on the FLOOR with people stepping over them’ at a busy...
Author of Fire and Fury Michael Wolff has made astonishing claims about Donald Trump's (pictured) mental state, speaking exclusively to the Mail on Sunday
Trump would resent not being invited to Harry and Meghan's wedding, could put a post-Brexit deal at risk - and...
Not happy: Trump (pictured at Camp David with the Republican leadership) attacked Fire and Fury author Michael Wolff for his book that alleges the president's White House is in disarray
'I'm mentally stable and like, a really smart genius': Trump tweets back at book’s claims then DENIES Wolff...
The deadly 'Aussie flu' virus has now spread to five more UK towns in the past 24 hours, with cases of the H3N2 strain reported in Perthsire, Inverness, Preston, Glasgow and Midlothian. Only a handful of areas in the UK remain untouched by the virus (see above)
Map reveals Aussie flu has spread to FIVE more UK towns in the past 24 hours as doctors warn it could be the...
A woman wraps up warm as she walks through the streets of London where the temperature is dropping
As cold as Siberia! Temperatures to plummet to as low as -15°C in parts of Britain as icy Arctic weather plunges...
Imran Khan with his then-wife Jemima.
Has Imran Khan married for the third time? Speculation mounts cricketer-turned-politician has wed his spiritual...
MOST WATCHED NEWS VIDEOS 1 / 3
Moment four sharks swim up to boy in the Bahamas
Terrifying moment several people are trapped in swinging...
A video shows a nurse squashing the face of a newborn baby
Passengers scream in terror as airplane wing bursts into flames
Phelan hunts Luke down and murders him on Coronation Street
Incredible footage of alien like spider shedding its skin
'This is not a movie': Cruise ship battles terrifying storm
Fleet feet! Fennec fox sprints around owner for attention
Bouncer attacks man outside Ink nightclub in Nottingham
A man jumps over a balcony and falls to his death
Meet Ronnie the puppy: Eight-week-old mongrel dumped by owners
Amazon Echo is 'confused' by potty mouth pensioners...
DON'T MISS
Learn to speak a language in just 15 hours? This app makes it possible!
Babbel
by Taboola Sponsored Link
'There's no way back': Ant McPartlin 'holds emotional crisis talks with wife of 11 years Lisa Armstrong'... as she 'struggles to accept marriage is over '
Taxi for King of the North! Game of Thrones star Kit Harington is booted out of a New York City bar after a drunken pool table row turns nasty
'Just keep going': Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson advises Davina McCall on her heartbreak following marriage split
It's a wrap! Angelina Jolie oozes sophistication in navy skirt and grey scarf at the Golden Globes Foreign Language Symposium
Simon Cowell's stunning girlfriend Lauren Silverman, 40, parades her age-defying figure as she hits the surf in Barbados
The blacklash begins: Hollywood stylists are running out of black dresses for Golden Globes Time's Up protest
Celebrity Big Brother: Dapper Laughs makes shocking sexual remarks about Jess Impiazzi... just minutes after apologising for THAT rape gag
GIRL ABOUT TOWN: Meghan Markle hosts a 'bride-to-be breakfast' to catch up with friends before the big day
Glamorous Michelle Keegan sets pulses racing while putting on a VERY busty display in fitted white blazer... as she continues to takes Los Angeles by storm
Lucy Mecklenburgh FINALLY forgives ex Mark Wright as she insists she's 'really proud' of his TV career... after he branded her 'kiss and tell girl'
Cancer! Stop Eating These 15 Foods Please
drhealth
by Taboola Sponsored Link
'It's soul-destroying': Dancing on Ice pro Frankie Seaman says she was 'axed via EMAIL' from the reality show after having to re-audition
Why I've put my eggs on ice: Lady Victoria Hervey, 41, reveals she has visited a fertility clinic to prolong her chances of motherhood
'I swear on my daughter's life!' Tina Malone insists cocaine was PLANTED in her bag after panto drugs arrest in 'set-up' Furiously denied claims
Ex appeal! Katy Perry and ex boyfriend Orlando Bloom 'spotted relaxing together' in the Maldives as they rekindle their 'close connection'
'Make a circle around them': Evan Rachel Wood calls on Golden Globes attendees to identify sex predators at the CEREMONY
PICTURED: Gemma Collins shares a passionate kiss with on/off flame James 'Arg' Argent on romantic holiday in Marbella
PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Pregnant Candice Swanepoel sizzles in barely-there crop top as she proudly cradles bump on the beach
PICTURED: Proud parents Jessica Alba and husband Cash Warren step out with five-day-old son Hayes for the first time
Davina McCall, 50, steps out without her wedding ring as she visits a tattoo parlour with her sister after Christmas with ex-husband of 17 years
App From Germany Built By 100+ Language Experts Gets You Speaking A New Language In 3 Weeks
Babbel
by Taboola Sponsored Link
CBB: Malika Haqq slams housemate India Willoughby for 'playing the victim' as she defends Ginuwine in transgender dating debate
Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry parades her VERY peachy posterior in skimpy bikini as she cosies up to beau Sam Gowland during idyllic Thailand break
She's got that Glow! Alison Brie stuns in navy dress while Taylor Hill is pretty in pink at W Magazine's star-studded It Girls bash
'Just a sprinkle of paradise!' Britney Spears shares bikini beach video from Hawaiian vacation The 36-year-old Grammy winner also donned a hat
Beaming Dancing on Ice star Kem Cetinay oozes confidence on the rink with pro partner Alex Murphy in final rehearsal
'I didn't feel comfortable there anymore:' Tom Jones SELLS £6.5million Los Angeles mansion... nine months after putting home on market
'Bride to be!' Excited Paris Hilton dons bridal veil for Instagram selfie as she gears up for dream wedding to Chris Zylka
Vanessa White nails winter dressing in opulent fur coat and all-black outfit as she storms catwalk show during London Fashion Week Men's
I'm A Celebrity star Vanessa White nails retro double denim ensemble as she cuts a cool figure to attend London Fashion Week Men's 2018
20 Foods That Combat Diabetes
drhealth
by Taboola Sponsored Link
Shining star! Nicole Kidman wears sleek black blazer over silky white dress for annual Gold Meets Golden event
PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Ellen Page and Emma Portner put on loved-up display as they step out for the first time since announcing their secret wedding
×
© Associated Newspapers Ltd
Contact usMobile apps
View desktop siteAdvertise with us
SyndicationTerms
Privacy & cookiesHow to complain
I made a dedicated study of the world’s most popular diets and took all the good bits – and discarded the waffle and gimmicks. File photo
My new series hammers home this point even further.
We asked 30 male and female volunteers to test a different diet plan, having screened them to make sure it was medically safe for them to participate.
From five-day to two-week very-low-calorie crash diets, to celebrity-endorsed juice diets, high-carb regimes and even one that involves eating up to four eggs a day, we left no fad unexplored.
Share this article
RELATED ARTICLES
DR MAX THE MIND DOCTOR: There's no need to be smug about your vegan 'detox'
Pregnant women who eat up to NINE eggs a day have babies with higher IQs, study suggests
'I'm surprised that I'm 104!' Woman believes a can of DIET COKE a day is the key to her long life (but the experts would disagree)
Interestingly, all of the plans worked and everyone lost weight, some more successfully than others. One woman who weighed 11st at the start lost an incredible 1st 4lb in just two weeks.
But it is sticking to diets that is the real problem. Some are bland or monotonous, or the food is difficult to source and needs a lot of preparation, which is offputting.
Others are simply extreme, requiring incredible willpower to stick to as little as 600 calories a day, as advocated by the Copenhagen Diet that volunteer Sheena followed for 13 days.
So which one worked best?
BEST ONE-WEEK DIET: Slimfast, a combination of six shakes and bars a day. Mark lost 1st 3lb, going from 17st 2lb to 15st 13lb.
BEST TWO-WEEK DIET: CSIRO Low Carb Diet – low-GI, high-protein foods and wholegrains, and two indulgence foods a week. Lucy lost 1st 4lb, going from 11st 4lb to 10st.
BEST FOUR-WEEK DIET: The Karl Lagerfeld Diet – protein-rich, reduced-carb, maximum of 1,250 calories a day. Connor lost 1st 13lb, going from 22st 9lb to 20st 10lb.
BEST SIX-WEEK DIET: Ayurvedic diet, based around your body type and whether your system is fast or sluggish, plus meditation to stop cravings. Charlotte lost 2st 3lb, going from 19st 10lb to 17st 7lb.
BEST FOUR-MONTH DIET: The Banting Diet – increased fats and decreased carbs. Elimination of most grains, processed foods and sugars: 1,900 calories per day for men, 1,400 for women. Jake lost 4st 4lb, going from 20st 8lb to 16st 4lb.
Yes, she lost a stone, but she was dizzy and constipated and vowed never to do it again.
To some degree, there was a common theme. Pretty much all of the diets involved cutting down on (if not cutting out completely) refined sugar and carbohydrates – cakes, biscuits and fizzy drinks – and eating as much freshly prepared food and vegetables as possible.
It’s not just about what you put in your mouth, though. Many of the diet plans stipulated doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week.
Our biggest weight loser, Jake, who shed an impressive 4st 4lb in four months, soon found himself in the gym five days a week – and feeling a thousand times better for it.
He was also a great example of making a diet plan work long-term by making it a lifestyle choice.
At the end of the four months, he vowed to keep up his low-carb regime five days a week, giving him room to indulge a little at the weekend.
One pair who did brilliantly were IT support worker Si Fong, 40, and his husband Simon Herbertson, a 42-year-old university administrator from Manchester.
They described themselves as cliches: fat, middle-aged men with no hair. Ideally, they wanted to drop a couple of stone each. At the beginning, Si weighed 18st 9lb and his weakness was cheese, while Simon weighed 15st 12lb and loved red wine and chocolate.
We put them on diets specifically for men – the Dude diet, created by a culinary school graduate who wanted to get her food-obsessed boyfriend eating healthily; and the Skinny B*****d diet, which is vegan.
BEST ONE-WEEK DIET: Slimfast, a combination of six shakes and bars a day. Mark lost 1st 3lb, going from 17st 2lb to 15st 13lb. Stock photo +7
BEST ONE-WEEK DIET: Slimfast, a combination of six shakes and bars a day. Mark lost 1st 3lb, going from 17st 2lb to 15st 13lb. Stock photo
The Dude diet is not your typical regime and consisted of ‘real’ food such as beef, curry and tacos with unlimited tea and coffee, and alcohol in moderation.
No white carbs were allowed but Si could indulge during one cheat day a week. The one rule was food had to be cooked fresh and portion sizes had to be reduced.
A typical recipe was baked meatballs (rather than fried) to cut down on the fat content, made with lean beef, and riced cauliflower instead of breadcrumbs. Si loved it because it felt like real food. And he managed to lose 3st 1lb.
Booze ruins your hard work
Not only is alcohol full of sugar and so-called empty calories, it also slows down how we process food – meaning we’re more likely to store it as fat.
Our experiments found that eating a high-fat meal such as a burger, and then consuming alcohol, caused the amount of fat in the bloodstream to increase by 45 per cent and blood sugar levels to rise by 50 per cent.
If you’re going to drink at dinner but want to reduce your risk of gaining weight, opt for a high-protein meal +7
If you’re going to drink at dinner but want to reduce your risk of gaining weight, opt for a high-protein meal
A similar effect was seen when a high-carb meal such as pizza was followed by booze – there was 50 per cent more fat and sugar in the blood than before the alcohol was consumed. This is highly likely to cause weight gain because the body uses the alcohol calories first, and the fat and sugar are stored rather than metabolised.
Your best option? A high-protein meal. To our astonishment, our test revealed no change in the level of fat in the blood after a chicken burger was consumed – and only an 18 per cent rise in blood sugar. So if you’re going to drink at dinner but want to reduce your risk of gaining weight, opt for a high-protein meal.
The Skinny B*****d diet involved no meat, fish, eggs or dairy. Simon ate a lot of tofu, stir-fried with green veg and soba noodles. He could also have beans, grains and pulses, which were made into chilli. Simon was horrified and initially found the lack of meat really difficult, but no longer missed it as time went on.
He even began to enjoy the gym, and lost an astonishing 3st 4lb.
What the series confirmed is that it is very, very difficult to stick to a diet, although some are less like diets than others.
BEST TWO-WEEK DIET: CSIRO Low Carb Diet – low-GI, high-protein foods and wholegrains, and two indulgence foods a week. Lucy lost 1st 4lb, going from 11st 4lb to 10st +7
BEST TWO-WEEK DIET: CSIRO Low Carb Diet – low-GI, high-protein foods and wholegrains, and two indulgence foods a week. Lucy lost 1st 4lb, going from 11st 4lb to 10st
Rob tries the 'Sleeping Beauty Diet' on How to Lose Weight Well
Loaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00
Play
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 0:29
Fullscreen
Losing weight effectively is about changing how you eat – as the Paul McKenna diet advocates – adjusting recipes so that they are healthier, and changing how you live and exercise.
I don’t advocate abolishing bread, pasta, rice and desserts completely, just keeping them under control. And my most important rule is to fill your plate as high as possible, whenever possible, with a great big pile of green vegetables.
What is key to remember is that there is always something we can do, even if it is pulling on shiver pants (see panel, right) or simply walking a bit further than normal.
How To Lose Weight Well begins tomorrow on Channel 4 at 8pm.
168
comments
Home
Showbiz
Femail
Sport
NEXT STORIES1/30
Former paratrooper died alone after he waited 90 minutes for an ambulance when he called 999 complaining of chest pains
Former Strictly star Kristina Rihanoff reveals how a vegan diet helped her drop two dress sizes - and gave…
Less than eight hours sleep is linked to anxiety and depression: Insomniacs are unable to overcome negative…
Facial yoga makes women look two years younger: Puckering the lips and sucking in the cheeks…
Health trend for drinking RAW water is potentially deadly and could contain animal feces
Daughter, 24, writes an open letter to the Prime Minister after her 84-year-old father waits for 3 HOURS in an…
Ask the pharmacist: How long do nicotine withdrawal symptoms last?
SPONSORED
Pregnant women who eat up to NINE eggs a day have babies with higher IQs, study suggests
How busy is YOUR hospital? NHS statistics reveal how the winter crisis has crippled trusts across…
'These drinks are turning our kids into addicts': Jamie Oliver urges the Government to ban the sale of…
Do you have cold hands and feet? Doctors suggest spicy foods and loose clothing can improve…
The herbs that are scientifically proven to ease anxiety and those that are useless (but the top supplement…
'I'm not the same person I was': Former college football player believes his depression and mood…
Rare case of sexually transmitted Zika reported in California: Woman becomes one of only 51…
Mysterious eye cancer cluster strikes young women within 25 miles of a North Carolina town - as 15…
Get your gym groove back: Personal trainer reveals top secrets to sticking to your fitness goals
Why are we losing the fight against the obesity epidemic? Expert explains how the odds are against getting fit
Grandmother, 88, dies from a heart attack after waiting FIVE HOURS in an ambulance and TWO…
'I'm surprised that I'm 104!' Woman believes a can of DIET COKE a day is the key to her long life (but the experts would disagree)
Asthma and hay fever sufferers are 50% more likely to develop cataracts, study finds
Teenagers are having less sex as 'risky behaviors' decline, study finds
Boy, 3, desperately needs a cure after being diagnosed with 'ultra-rare' brain disease that only affects 20 people in the world
Could THIS be why you have to wait weeks to see your doctor? GPs are spending nearly 400,000…
Onion farmer, 62, catches pneumonia after breathing in deadly fungi from the vegetable's peel
These three children have never met - but they have all been the gift of life after surgery to correct 'blue-baby syndrome'
2018 is going to be spicy: Why cumin is the new kale in the latest healthy-eating trend
Would you have a HAIR TATTOO? Reclusive woman, 46, who spent £25,000 trying to conceal her…
May finally apologises as nearly 17,000 patients were stuck in ambulances waiting for beds to…
Jeremy Corbyn leads attacks on the government over NHS crisis... while sunning himself on holiday 5,000…
NHS reels as flu epidemic bites: Spike in hospital admissions, GPs overwhelmed, half a million calls to…
Former paratrooper died alone after he waited 90 minutes for an ambulance when he called 999 complaining of chest pains
Former Strictly star Kristina Rihanoff reveals how a vegan diet helped her drop two dress sizes - and gave…
by Taboola Sponsored Links FROM THE WEB
15 Warning Signs of Diabetes
Healthy, Sporty & Beautiful
The Ultimate Way to Get Cheap Hotel Rooms
tripsinsider.com
2017’s Most Expensive Cars in The World
TopCars
5 Countries That May Give Free Housing To New Residents
Women's Article
10 Countries That Don’t Want You To Visit
Bored Articles
These 15 Plants Help You Sleep Better
drhealth
MOST READ NEWS1/18
A woman wraps up warm as she walks through the streets of London where the temperature is dropping
As cold as Siberia! Temperatures to plummet to as low as -15°C in parts of Britain as icy Arctic weather plunges...
Imran Khan with his then-wife Jemima.
Has Imran Khan married for the third time? Speculation mounts cricketer-turned-politician has wed his spiritual...
James Bulger's mother Denise reveals her biggest regret about the day of her son's murder
'If I'd turned right instead of left, I'd have saved his life': James Bulger's mother reveals her biggest regret...
Services found out about the appalling conditions the children were living in after a school flagged up their absences
Parents who kept their four children in shocking squalid house strewn with filthy nappies and rubbish are spared...
John Paul Getty II - his right ear missing - after being freed by his kidnappers in December, 1973
My bloody kidnap torment: Harrowing words of Getty heir who was held to ransom then mutilated by the mafia as...
Prince Harry, fifth right, pictured with his battle group in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in March 2008, with Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt, circled, who took his own life last week and Corporal James Dunsby, extreme right, who died on an SAS selection course in 2013
Shell-shock 'suicide' of Harry's pal who beat Taliban bombs: Decorated British soldier who fought with the...
Gemma Warne (picutred) admitted the she and the baby's father Lee Chambers did not take the baby to accident and emergency when instructed to do so by a GP
'Unforgivable': Judge slams parents of five-month-old baby as he jails them for leaving the boy with a fractured...
Kelly Brook has been of 'victim blaming' after she said young women put themselves at risk by getting too drunk on nights out
Kelly Brook is accused of 'victim blaming' for saying women who get too drunk on nights out put themselves at...
Helping hand: In a rare outing, former Spanish King Juan Carlos (pictured left) was seen at Epiphany Day celebrations just days after complaining bitterly, and publicly, about feeling sidelined by the royal family
Spain’s former King Juan Carlos makes rare public appearance alongside his son Felipe and new Queen Letizia at...
Diving ace Tom Daley, pictured, is seen posing on the bed he now shares with his husband in the images
New anguish for Olympic diver Tom Daley as naked selfies of him in the bed he now shares with his husband are...
Melissa Ede says her £4million lottery win is the perfect ending to her journey to womanhood
'I didn't snub my children but they won't see a penny of my money' says…
The limited edition white chocolate Creme Eggs were revealed by Cadbury's last week with 350 to 400 white chocolate eggs hidden in normal wrappers
Revealed: The giveaway sign that your Cadbury’s Creme Egg is a rare white one that could be worth up to £2,000...
In happier times: Five-month-old kitten Storm playing with a piece of fabric before she was found headless in Staines
Has the Croydon Cat Killer finally been snared? Police arrest 31-year-old man after five pets were decapitated...
Pictures released by Birmingham City Council show several of the boards found at the restaurant covered in charcoal black and pink stains
Steakhouse is fined £50,000 for serving food on trendy wooden boards as health chiefs brand them ‘incapable of...
Shocking images taken at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield show members of the public being forced to sleep on floors
Shocking photographs show patients ‘forced to lie on the FLOOR with people stepping over them’ at a busy...
Author of Fire and Fury Michael Wolff has made astonishing claims about Donald Trump's (pictured) mental state, speaking exclusively to the Mail on Sunday
Trump would resent not being invited to Harry and Meghan's wedding, could put a post-Brexit deal at risk - and...
Not happy: Trump (pictured at Camp David with the Republican leadership) attacked Fire and Fury author Michael Wolff for his book that alleges the president's White House is in disarray
'I'm mentally stable and like, a really smart genius': Trump tweets back at book’s claims then DENIES Wolff...
The deadly 'Aussie flu' virus has now spread to five more UK towns in the past 24 hours, with cases of the H3N2 strain reported in Perthsire, Inverness, Preston, Glasgow and Midlothian. Only a handful of areas in the UK remain untouched by the virus (see above)
Map reveals Aussie flu has spread to FIVE more UK towns in the past 24 hours as doctors warn it could be the...
A woman wraps up warm as she walks through the streets of London where the temperature is dropping
As cold as Siberia! Temperatures to plummet to as low as -15°C in parts of Britain as icy Arctic weather plunges...
Imran Khan with his then-wife Jemima.
Has Imran Khan married for the third time? Speculation mounts cricketer-turned-politician has wed his spiritual...
MOST WATCHED NEWS VIDEOS 1 / 3
Moment four sharks swim up to boy in the Bahamas
Terrifying moment several people are trapped in swinging...
A video shows a nurse squashing the face of a newborn baby
Passengers scream in terror as airplane wing bursts into flames
Phelan hunts Luke down and murders him on Coronation Street
Incredible footage of alien like spider shedding its skin
'This is not a movie': Cruise ship battles terrifying storm
Fleet feet! Fennec fox sprints around owner for attention
Bouncer attacks man outside Ink nightclub in Nottingham
A man jumps over a balcony and falls to his death
Meet Ronnie the puppy: Eight-week-old mongrel dumped by owners
Amazon Echo is 'confused' by potty mouth pensioners...
DON'T MISS
Learn to speak a language in just 15 hours? This app makes it possible!
Babbel
by Taboola Sponsored Link
'There's no way back': Ant McPartlin 'holds emotional crisis talks with wife of 11 years Lisa Armstrong'... as she 'struggles to accept marriage is over '
Taxi for King of the North! Game of Thrones star Kit Harington is booted out of a New York City bar after a drunken pool table row turns nasty
'Just keep going': Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson advises Davina McCall on her heartbreak following marriage split
It's a wrap! Angelina Jolie oozes sophistication in navy skirt and grey scarf at the Golden Globes Foreign Language Symposium
Simon Cowell's stunning girlfriend Lauren Silverman, 40, parades her age-defying figure as she hits the surf in Barbados
The blacklash begins: Hollywood stylists are running out of black dresses for Golden Globes Time's Up protest
Celebrity Big Brother: Dapper Laughs makes shocking sexual remarks about Jess Impiazzi... just minutes after apologising for THAT rape gag
GIRL ABOUT TOWN: Meghan Markle hosts a 'bride-to-be breakfast' to catch up with friends before the big day
Glamorous Michelle Keegan sets pulses racing while putting on a VERY busty display in fitted white blazer... as she continues to takes Los Angeles by storm
Lucy Mecklenburgh FINALLY forgives ex Mark Wright as she insists she's 'really proud' of his TV career... after he branded her 'kiss and tell girl'
Cancer! Stop Eating These 15 Foods Please
drhealth
by Taboola Sponsored Link
'It's soul-destroying': Dancing on Ice pro Frankie Seaman says she was 'axed via EMAIL' from the reality show after having to re-audition
Why I've put my eggs on ice: Lady Victoria Hervey, 41, reveals she has visited a fertility clinic to prolong her chances of motherhood
'I swear on my daughter's life!' Tina Malone insists cocaine was PLANTED in her bag after panto drugs arrest in 'set-up' Furiously denied claims
Ex appeal! Katy Perry and ex boyfriend Orlando Bloom 'spotted relaxing together' in the Maldives as they rekindle their 'close connection'
'Make a circle around them': Evan Rachel Wood calls on Golden Globes attendees to identify sex predators at the CEREMONY
PICTURED: Gemma Collins shares a passionate kiss with on/off flame James 'Arg' Argent on romantic holiday in Marbella
PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Pregnant Candice Swanepoel sizzles in barely-there crop top as she proudly cradles bump on the beach
PICTURED: Proud parents Jessica Alba and husband Cash Warren step out with five-day-old son Hayes for the first time
Davina McCall, 50, steps out without her wedding ring as she visits a tattoo parlour with her sister after Christmas with ex-husband of 17 years
App From Germany Built By 100+ Language Experts Gets You Speaking A New Language In 3 Weeks
Babbel
by Taboola Sponsored Link
CBB: Malika Haqq slams housemate India Willoughby for 'playing the victim' as she defends Ginuwine in transgender dating debate
Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry parades her VERY peachy posterior in skimpy bikini as she cosies up to beau Sam Gowland during idyllic Thailand break
She's got that Glow! Alison Brie stuns in navy dress while Taylor Hill is pretty in pink at W Magazine's star-studded It Girls bash
'Just a sprinkle of paradise!' Britney Spears shares bikini beach video from Hawaiian vacation The 36-year-old Grammy winner also donned a hat
Beaming Dancing on Ice star Kem Cetinay oozes confidence on the rink with pro partner Alex Murphy in final rehearsal
'I didn't feel comfortable there anymore:' Tom Jones SELLS £6.5million Los Angeles mansion... nine months after putting home on market
'Bride to be!' Excited Paris Hilton dons bridal veil for Instagram selfie as she gears up for dream wedding to Chris Zylka
Vanessa White nails winter dressing in opulent fur coat and all-black outfit as she storms catwalk show during London Fashion Week Men's
I'm A Celebrity star Vanessa White nails retro double denim ensemble as she cuts a cool figure to attend London Fashion Week Men's 2018
20 Foods That Combat Diabetes
drhealth
by Taboola Sponsored Link
Shining star! Nicole Kidman wears sleek black blazer over silky white dress for annual Gold Meets Golden event
PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Ellen Page and Emma Portner put on loved-up display as they step out for the first time since announcing their secret wedding
×
© Associated Newspapers Ltd
Contact usMobile apps
View desktop siteAdvertise with us
SyndicationTerms
Privacy & cookiesHow to complain
Thank you for voting With you and with your support develops my Steam