- Gregg Wallace’s weight loss journey
- Mediterranean diet key
- Exercise not essential
Gregg Wallace, host of MasterChef, stated that individuals do not need to abstain from carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, and potatoes to lose weight. He revealed the secrets behind his five-stone weight loss.
The 59-year-old former greengrocer changed his diet after reaching a critically obese BMI of nearly 17 stone and receiving heart attack warnings from his doctors.
After trying “every diet under the sun,” he found that the key to his weight loss success was “eating proper meals” and avoiding takeaways, chocolate, and crisps, rather than cutting out carbohydrates.
Gregg stated that a Mediterranean diet rich in whole grain carbohydrates is “the best you can have,” citing France, Italy, and Spain as examples of countries that consume a lot of bread, potatoes, and pasta yet remain “everyone in those countries slim.”
The fitness enthusiast also argued that going to the gym is not essential for weight loss, encouraging people to maintain their weight by engaging in daily physical activities such as swimming, walking, or playing table tennis.
Yesterday, while discussing his new podcast, A Piece of Cake, he said, “There is so much contradictory information out there that it’s difficult to know what to do.”
In one episode, Dr. Giles Yeo, author of Why Calories Don’t Count and a renowned geneticist from the University of Cambridge, claimed that exercising to lose weight is “the most ridiculous thing that could possibly be done.”
Gregg’s Health Journey and Business Launch
Gregg used a 250-calorie chocolate bar to illustrate his point, saying, “As he astutely pointed out, to burn off the chocolate bar, one would have to run on a treadmill for thirty to forty minutes.” This does not include the chocolate wafers, takeaway pizza, and half-bottle of rosé that are scattered across the sofa.
Four years ago, Gregg launched his weight loss business, Gregg Wallace Health (GWH), which offers weight loss advice and recipes.
Some individuals following the plan, which does not ban any foods but discourages excessive snacking, have reported losing up to 12 stones.
The program recently partnered with Loughborough University, where researchers are conducting efficacy tests in the hope that the NHS will endorse it.
Gregg, speaking about his own weight loss journey, said he was motivated to change when he became “progressively unhappy” with his physical appearance and concerned for his health.
Turning Point in Gregg’s Health Journey
“I was getting huge,” he said. Additionally, there’s a photo of my dear friend John Torode and me in India. He looks great, and although I’m large, my shirt is hanging over my trousers; I was not happy.
At the same time, my doctor conducted a blood test and warned, ‘Mr. Wallace, we need to do something. According to this blood sample, your cholesterol level is through the roof. “You’re about to have a serious illness.”
“The combination of being unhappy with my appearance and the doctor’s warning that I was about to suffer a massive heart attack made me take a close look at my lifestyle.”
Gregg said he then tried “every diet imaginable, but none of them worked.” “You just end up beating yourself up emotionally because you think you have a weak will,” he explained.
He has previously stated that despite trying to reduce his calorie intake, skipping lunch, cutting out carbohydrates, and using Weight Watchers, he was “constantly hungry and frustrated.”
Carbs Not the Enemy: Gregg’s Insight
What ultimately worked for him was “stopping the snacks, stopping the takeaways, and cooking more.”
He hailed the Mediterranean diet, rich in wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta, and oats, as “the best you can have” and debunked the myth that people need to limit their carbohydrate intake.
Carbohydrates, including cereal, rice, and grains, are rich in calcium, iron, and fibre. They are the main source of energy and nutrients in human nutrition.
Health professionals have long refuted the claims of some diets that cutting carbohydrate intake is the key to weight loss. In fact, carbohydrates contain less than half the calories of fat per gram.
Gregg stated, “We all think we have to avoid carbs.” You think about the Mediterranean diet.
“The French eat a ridiculous amount of bread; they’re all slim.”
“The Spanish, with their patatas bravas, paellas, potatoes, and rice, are slim.
“The Italians, the amount of pasta they eat, they’re all slim.” It’s not the carbs.’
“What you don’t see [in those countries] is loads of takeaways,” he said.
You don’t see people eating crisps and sweets.
They take an hour or two for lunch so they can eat a proper meal.
They’re just eating healthy food.
“That’s what I’ve learned, how I managed to lose five stone, what I advise others to do, and what the healthiest parts of the world are doing.” They’re eating healthy food.’
Gregg also said that while regular exercise is important for maintaining weight loss, spending endless hours in the gym is not necessary for weight loss.
“Movement is crucial for maintaining weight loss.” He said, “It doesn’t have to mean being gym bunnies to go for a walk, swim, or play table tennis.”
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Body Coach and fitness expert Joe Wicks appeared as a guest on Gregg’s podcast.
He differentiates between movement and exercise. “We need movement, not necessarily exercise,” Gregg continued.
Gregg has previously shared his typical breakfasts, which include an omelette with turkey bacon, sausage, and mushrooms, or high-protein yoghurt topped with oatmeal and fruit.
For lunch, he assembles a meal of cooked or canned meat or fish on Ryvita slices with a few handfuls of rocket. He says, “I can grab this on the go from any supermarket.”
Often, dinner is a homemade curry or chicken fillets in pitta bread with shallots and peppers.
He said his plate is always full of these foods, and he eats as much of them as he wants.
