BBC 2 Now - Tom Kerridge's Lose Weight For Good

Mbaker

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Tom Kerridge is doing calorie controlled diets. Shame he didn't promote the low - carb as per his Dopamine Diet, anyway let's see what he delivers.
 
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Boo1979

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Hmmm well lasagne without pasta was a good start but rice pudding with sweetener was less impressive
 

Mbaker

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Make of the below what you will. My comment is that in Tom's book it is hard not to find on each page of the non-recipes, a positive reference to low-carb, and as below low calories low fat wasn't promoted:

Page 10:
"..I realised pretty quickly that calorie counting wasn't for me."

Page 10 - 11:
"Following a fat-free diet would prove difficult because of my job. Butter, dairy and animal fats are in high use in both of my pubs and, as all chefs and good cooks know, fat carries flavour."

Page 11:
"So next up, I looked at a low-carbohydrate diet and tried to understand how that works. It quickly became clear to me that a traditional way of eating even if it's "balanced", is high in carbohydrates, which increases insulin production, and which in turn leads to more fat accumulation."

"As I came to understand the low-carb diet, I realised I could have double steak, no chips, or swap the chips for a side order of vegetables from the menu, such as cabbage, spinach or sprout tops."

"..I discovered that swapping bland white carbs for leafy greens has another advantage. Those side dishes are high in iron and have strong, huge, flavours that leave you feeling very satisfied and banish cravings."

Page 15:
"I am not claiming this is a traditional balanced diet that's low-calorie. low-fat and all of the things we've been told for years will help make us thin (while we get fatter and fatter). "..Alongside taking exercise and cutting out alcohol, they have helped me lose a huge amount of weight without once feeling hungry or deprived."

Dairy products. "I use full-fat cheese, cottage cheese, wholemilk yogurt and double cream (in the program he selected single)

Page 23:
"I try to stay below 90g of carbohydrate per day."

Tom used the low carb high fat protocol for his great weight loss (page 15, food types such as full fat dairy, oily fish, nuts. He uses, lots of butter, coconut flour, flaxseed, dark chocolate, berries. He does use some honey and sugar substitutes.).

It looks like on this occasion low calorie, low fat is the way politically, in the context of Tom's book it does seem strange, but I get this on the BBC; as a public broadcaster they probably have to follow the standard guidelines. Again in fairness his lasagne dish was definitely low-carb (not referenced) and another dish was low calorie / low fat. The irony is people will look for Tom's current book after this, so might be surprised it is low - carb (unless he brings out another due to this series).
 
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Sue192

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Tom Kerridge was all over Google yesterday, most of the headlines regarding his amazing weight loss. Now I know why, @Mbaker - thanks for posting this thread. Has anyone on here followed his Dopamine Diet?
 

caroline_92

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I watched the programme and thought it was pretty rubbish - standard 'diet' stuff about reducing calories and many of the recipes were very sweet/carb heavy. There was the odd good idea eg a no pasta lasagne as already mentioned, but not much.

I think this is a real shame, as I understood he lost his own weight through a low carb and no alcohol approach (apparently 15 pints a night wasn't uncommon for him!). A real missed opportunity to promote a much better way of eating than the standard advice trotted out this time of year... Yesterday I was told off by my friends on facebook for criticizing Slimming World as people think this will sort them out. :(
 

ixi1429

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I saw most of it and was disappointed as well. I though he would have made more of the Low carb approach. I did say to my wife that before being diagnosed I would have been making some/most of the recipes we saw.

We have his Dopamine Diet book (my wife bought it some time before I was diagnosed) and when I first opened I was quite impressed as it listed the Carb content. On deeper reading though I was very surpised byt some of the carb levels in the recipes.
 

Boo1979

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Well to cut the guy some slack - he started the programme saying that he had lost his weight by low carbing combined with execise and limiting alcohol and that while low carb worked very well for him, its quite strict and doesn't fit for eveybodys lifestyle etc. He acknowledged that those people for whome LC isnt a sustainable option need something different but that low cal food is often s***, so his recipes were aimed at them, making a low calorie diet more appealing / easier to follow
People with T2 diabetes will necessarily need to focus on carb restriction at least as much / more than calorie restriction bur we are only a small fraction of the target audience
 
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Brunneria

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I've got his Dopamine book, and made a few of the recipes - all of which have been great.
But I admit I have flicked over quite a few of them on the grounds of too much phaff, or not suitable for my way of eating.

I do credit him with introducing me to celeriac, for which I will always be grateful.

It is very easy to forget how many carbs 'normal' people eat. I suspect that many of us on here (esp the T2s) are at the lower end of lower carbing. So even if his recipes look too high carb for us, they may be much lower carb than 'normal' people are used to.

Edited to add:
Decades ago, when I made my first rice pudding (Delia Smith's awesome recipe, as it happens), I was shocked at how little rice went into creating a huge dish of the stuff. In other words, it was much less carby than it looked. Substituting the sugar for something else, and cream for the milk, improves things even more. I no longer eat rice at all, but not on carb grounds. And in fact I could easily fit a small portion of homemade, non sugary, creamy rice pudding into a low carb way of eating. I recommend Delia's recipe, if anyone wants to try it, with dilute cream and erythritol instead of milk and sugar.
 
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caroline_92

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I think eating fewer carbs is not just good for diabetics, or pre-diabetics. It is good for anyone who is overweight. 60% of people in the UK are now overweight or obese and this has increased dramatically since everyone was advised to eat low fat & have a third of calories from carbohydrate (as in the ‘eat well’ plate). The eat well plate also lumps fats together with sugar as the baddies!

I just feel sad about the lost opportunity for Tom to promote a better way :(
 

Crtmmc

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Does he have diabetes or was it just a weight issue and is his book useful for a diabetic diet. Just diagnosed so still finding my way.
 

ickihun

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Hmmm well lasagne without pasta was a good start but rice pudding with sweetener was less impressive
Sounds like he's covering all capabilities. Rice pudding is classed as an old fashioned dessert these days but I appreciate we are all different. Some may argue better than tiramsu or death by chocolate huge cake wedge covered in icing/cream cheese/glaze. The new desserts make black forest gateau look harmless?
 

Boo1979

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Does he have diabetes or was it just a weight issue and is his book useful for a diabetic diet. Just diagnosed so still finding my way.
As far as im aware he isnt diabetic ( although he was 30+ stone in weight)
In terms of whether the recipes are useful / appropriate for T2 diabetics - Ive had a look at some of the recipes and there is a wide variation in the amount of carbs in each of them.
There is also a hugh variation in the amount of carbs different individuals bodies can tolerate before blood sugars get too high although you will find people advocating their personal limit as being appropriate for all people with T2. Lowering overall carb intake does seem be essential for T2 diabetics, but a low carb diet starts at anything under 120g carbs a day although some people need / choose to go as low as under 20g a day
The only way to find out your personal threshold is to get yourself a meter and a supply of strips and use them to test the impact foods have on your blood sugars. An online tracker such as my fitness pal can also help as it will give you the carb content of individual foods and also allows you to enter recipes in order to get the nutrient breakdown - just ensure you enter your country into the search bar to ensure you get correct data for your area
Re testing machines / strips - have a look at the Tee2 (http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/) or the codefree. Take a reading just before you eat the food you want to test, and another 2 hours later
 

ickihun

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Does he say why he got to 30st without type2?
If overeating then not overeating may have solved his obesity.

Not any help to some on here who has metabolic disorders causing their obesity, like me.
I have to have 4 things just perfect before I lose weight. One of those things not perfect and I don't lose.
Its very very hard work but I have more than obesity or type2 to configure to get that 1kg off.

It must be nice to just be overweight and only have to put that right, only.
 

Frenchie1730

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I watched the programme and thought it was pretty rubbish - standard 'diet' stuff about reducing calories and many of the recipes were very sweet/carb heavy. There was the odd good idea eg a no pasta lasagne as already mentioned, but not much.

I think this is a real shame, as I understood he lost his own weight through a low carb and no alcohol approach (apparently 15 pints a night wasn't uncommon for him!). A real missed opportunity to promote a much better way of eating than the standard advice trotted out this time of year... Yesterday I was told off by my friends on facebook for criticizing Slimming World as people think this will sort them out. :(
I’ve been to slimming world many times, lost three stones put it back plus more several times. All it taught me was to eat large portions and lots of fruit.
 
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Crtmmc

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As far as im aware he isnt diabetic ( although he was 30+ stone in weight)
In terms of whether the recipes are useful / appropriate for T2 diabetics - Ive had a look at some of the recipes and there is a wide variation in the amount of carbs in each of them.
There is also a hugh variation in the amount of carbs different individuals bodies can tolerate before blood sugars get too high although you will find people advocating their personal limit as being appropriate for all people with T2. Lowering overall carb intake does seem be essential for T2 diabetics, but a low carb diet starts at anything under 120g carbs a day although some people need / choose to go as low as under 20g a day
The only way to find out your personal threshold is to get yourself a meter and a supply of strips and use them to test the impact foods have on your blood sugars. An online tracker such as my fitness pal can also help as it will give you the carb content of individual foods and also allows you to enter recipes in order to get the nutrient breakdown - just ensure you enter your country into the search bar to ensure you get correct data for your area
Re testing machines / strips - have a look at the Tee2 (http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/) or the codefree. Take a reading just before you eat the food you want to test, and another 2 hours later
Useful information and advice - thank you.