Tom Kerridge’s incredible weight loss of 65 kilos after following a famous diet

Ever since Tom Kerridge lost 72 kilos in 2015, he has been bombarded with questions about his weight loss secrets.

At his heaviest, the Michelin-starred chef weighed 197 kg, but to lose weight he started with the famous “dopamine diet” before refining his methods and focusing on the long-term benefits of a balanced diet and regular exercise.

As a chef, Tom knows exactly how to use British ingredients to create delicious, nutritious dishes, and he shares this knowledge with his fans through books such as Fresh Start and his latest TV show, Tom Kerridge’s British Cook.

Check out everything Tom has said about his weight loss, diet and fitness…

Dietary change

Tom admitted that in his job as a chef, he tries a lot of delicious foods and relies on quick and easy meals that fit his work schedule.

“As a chef, I would snack and nibble throughout the entire service. Or I would eat cheese toast and bags of chips because they were quick and easy to get. And I would often skip breakfast. I wouldn’t eat any at all,” he told GQ.

Tom said that he didn’t find a quick fix for losing weight, but rather it was a gradual change in his goals and habits.

The 50-year-old previously told the Irish News: “For me it probably took about 12 weeks, maybe longer, from making the decision to actually making the change. It was January, so it was a bit of a New Year thing. You can’t just walk into changing your life. You can’t just wake up one morning and say, ‘This is what I’m going to do’.”

“Especially with food, it’s quite a habit. You have to think about a path you want to take. A very simple example of this is recipes, you have to know what you want to cook. You have to plan to go out and buy it.”

Tom also admitted that convenience food is one of his worst habits. “Ready meals and takeaways are easy and quick, but living on processed food comes at a price.”

He gave up pasta, bread, potatoes, rice and alcohol and began cooking healthier, less processed meals at home with his family.

The Dopamine Diet

Tom developed the diet and it revolves around dopamine, also known as the “happy hormone”. According to BBC nutritionist Emer Delaney: “Dopamine is a neurotransmitter – a chemical responsible for transmitting signals between nerve cells in the brain.”

“Dopamine directly affects the reward and pleasure centers in the brain, which in turn affects mood. Its activation occurs for a number of reasons, including the sudden availability of food.”

The Dopamine Diet contains no alcohol, is low in carbohydrates, and involves smaller portions and regular meals to keep mood and blood sugar levels under control. But don’t worry, dark chocolate is allowed!

Tom’s most popular dishes include deep-fried halloumi salad and shepherd’s pie with creamy cauliflower puree. Tom considers dairy to be “dopamine heroes” and uses full-fat cheese, milk, yoghurt and double cream in his recipes.

According to the author of Lose Weight for Good, one of life’s greatest pleasures is taking the time to eat real, home-cooked food together. “The first step is to cook more fresh food from scratch and thereby reduce consumption of processed foods,” he said.

“It all starts here – and it must continue. For non-chefs, this means learning to cook and building confidence. For former chefs, this means dusting off the apron and reviving old skills.”

Exercise routine

In addition to food, Tom also changed his attitude towards exercise. The Food & Drink star spoke about which exercise helped him lose weight during his appearance on Desert Island Discs.

“Exercise is important, so I started swimming. I swam a mile, really slowly, and I didn’t give up. Going into a pool that big is a big step. You have to be aware of your body and take care of it,” he said.

“You don’t just go to the gym with clothes on, you’re basically walking around in your underwear. Swimming is very good because you’re isolated. No one can talk to you, the phone doesn’t ring. You’re on your own.”

Leniency after the lockdown

Tom has spoken openly about how his diet and exercise routine have changed over time. After the coronavirus pandemic, he became more lenient as he was no longer able to go to the gym and spent more time preparing delicious meals at home.

“I obviously couldn’t go to the gym and I don’t have any dumbbells at home, so I lost a lot of strength, but I started running,” he told the Guardian in 2020, before admitting that he “hates every minute” of his 25-kilometer runs.

The strict avoidance of carbohydrates and swimming gave way to strength training, cardiovascular training and a balanced diet with indulgences such as homemade fish and chips from his deep fryer.

CONTINUE READING: MasterChef star John Torode’s third weight loss explained