Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge lost 12 stone in just five years and has now revealed the secret behind his astounding weight loss.
The Hand and Flowers chef, who has become a household name over the past few years thanks to BBC shows such as Lose Weight and Get Fit With Tom Kerridge, claims to have used something called the dopamine diet to shed the pounds.
The dopamine diet involves boosting your levels of the so-called ‘happy hormone’ so that it’s easier to stick to the diet. Foods which you’re allowed to eat on the diet include unprocessed meat, dairy and dark chocolate, meaning that it doesn’t overly restrict what you can eat.
However, talking to The Spectator, Kerridge has now revealed that he believes a large part of losing weight is about ‘arming yourself’ with healthy alternatives so that when you’re hungry, you aren’t tempted to reach for the unhealthy snacks.
He says: “Celebrate the foods you can eat, instead of focusing on the ones you can’t. Have low calorie skinny popcorn next to you.” Kerridge goes on to explain that it’s all about saying to yourself “that burger and chips on the advert looks great – however, I’m cooking myself this lovely penne pasta with pesto and pine nuts and a little bit of parmesan, and it’s delicious!”
In the past Kerridge has explained that it was the lifestyle of working in restaurants that led to him putting on so much weight initially. Last year 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.”
Are you on a diet but still want to eat out sometimes? Check out our list of 25 healthy restaurants in London that you need to try.