The three things that helped Tom Kerridge lose 12 stone

The celebrity chef cut two things out of his diet 

Chelsea Ritschel
Tuesday 26 June 2018 21:28 BST
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TV chef Tom Kerridge talks about losing 12 stone

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Chef Tom Kerridge has revealed the three things that helped him drop 12 stone (168 pounds) in weight - and they’re surprisingly simple.

Kerridge, a Michelin-starred chef and pub owner, decided to change his lifestyle when he turned 40 and realised his weight and unhealthy diet may keep him from ever reaching 80, he revealed in an interview with the Sunday Times.

Recognising that his diet had a lot to do with his weight, which reached 30 stone (420 pounds) at his heaviest, the celebrity chef decided to give up two things - alcohol and carbs.

Kerridge told the Radio Times: “I own pubs and, you know, I’m quite good at tasting. So I knocked all booze on the head. Stopped drinking, went completely teetotal.”

Drinking alcohol is known to cause weight gain as it can add hundreds of calories to daily intake.

The calories from alcohol also hinder the body’s fat-burning process, as the metabolism is busy ridding the body of alcohol, according to integrative medicine specialist Dr Pamela M. Peeke, author of the book "The Hunger Fix.”

In addition to omitting alcohol from his diet, the 44-year-old also became conscious of how many carbohydrates he was consuming.

“Carbs are a big thing,” he told the publication. “The more you understand it and the more you look into it, you see that there are so many carbohydrates involved in sugar as well.”

Apart from his diet changes, Kerridge began a rigorous swimming routine.

Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: “My alarm wakes me up at 6.15am every morning and I go to the swimming pool at a hotel up the road.

“On a busy day I swim a kilometre; on a relaxed one I’ll do a mile.”

The cardio provided by swimming makes it an excellent way of staying in shape - and it also helps burn fat.

Kerridge changed his diet when he realised he would not make it to 80 (Getty)
Kerridge changed his diet when he realised he would not make it to 80 (Getty)

According to the University of California, Berkeley, swimming burns an average of 600 calories an hour, depending on the stroke and intensity.

The exercise is also shown to lower blood pressure and it’s more gentle on joints compared to other cardiovascular exercises.

By limiting his alcohol and carb intake, and starting his day with cardio, Kerridge successfully slimmed down to 18 stone (252 pounds).

He does, however, make a carb exception for fruit. “I love apples and grapes as a snack now,” the chef told The Telegraph.

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