I’ve tried every diet going – this is what works

I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life and tried every diet going. You name it, I’ve given it a go: WeightWatchers, Slimming World, Cambridge Diet. I’d lose a few pounds then regain it again. 

At the beginning of the first lockdown in 2020, I started the Joe Wicks diet plan. I was really optimistic as I love Wicks and think his workouts are fantastic, but after a month of following the plan religiously I’d only lost 1kg (just over 2lb). His plan works for so many people, but it just didn’t seem to work for me. When I started the plan, I took a photo of myself wearing a sports bra and leggings, and made a note of my weight against it. I weighed 70kg (11st) and looked bloated – you can see I had a bit of a belly. 

Susanna Reid had been talking about her BMI on Good Morning Britain and how it had prompted her to lose weight and that resonated with me. I was fast approaching 50 and so that was another incentive. People say, “Oh you looked great before”, but I was firmly in the overweight category. I couldn’t exercise without wearing two bras and my bust was painful. I even considered a breast reduction, but I wanted to try losing weight first.

The moment of truth came at school sports day when one of the parents commented: “Gosh Cath, you do like your food don’t you. Your bum looks big in that outfit.” It was a well-intentioned comment, but it broke my heart. I was devastated.

My ‘sugar monster’

I’m someone who is prone to bad choices around food. I’ve always had a weakness for sugar and I could never leave a packet of biscuits alone. Just knowing they were there in the cupboard would gnaw away at me, so I’d just rather eat them all and get that feeling out of the way.  

It was a constant battle with my sugar monster and, despite all the diets, I never managed to re-educate my taste buds or change my relationship with food. For example, when I tried WeightWatchers, it worked on a point system, so if I could have 27 points a day and a Mars bar was 9 points, I’d think: “Oh, well I can have three Mars bars then”. I was focused more on the number of calories rather than the quality of those calories.

I work long hours and would often buy ready meals from Slimming World and WeightWatchers. Then I’d snack on “health” bars and low-cal chocolate mousse, but all those foods are often ultra-processed and full of carbs that spike your blood sugar – and that makes you hungry again.  

Transforming my gut health

All that changed when I found The Human Being Diet (HBD). I’d never heard of it before, but came across it when I noticed a friend was losing weight and asked her how she had done it. I now weigh around 8st and I’ve been that weight for three years. But it’s not just about weight loss, there have also been plenty of other victories. I’ve gone from a 34FF to a 28G bust. It has totally reset my relationship with food and my gut health and skin issues have totally cleared. 

Before I started the diet I was battling hormonal acne and my belly was often tender and bloated. All the processed foods and sugar I was eating were affecting my blood sugar and moods. I now prepare all my food from scratch and instinctively make healthy choices.

How I lost 3st

The diet is divided into four ‘phases’ – although I would not call it a “diet”, it’s more a way of life. For the first two days you do a vegetable detox. After that, for the next two weeks you can have 120g of veg and 120g of protein three times a day, all cooked from scratch (it’s the same for anyone who weighs 65kg or less. If you weigh between 65 and 80kg, you can have 130g of veg and 130g of protein; if you weigh more than 80kg you increase the portions to 140g). On top of that you can have an apple a day – an apple is good for gut health as it contains pectin, so it’s a prebiotic. 

You aren’t allowed to snack between meals and need to leave five hours between one meal and the next as the human body isn’t designed to graze all day and too much snacking can cause inflammation. 

Was I hungry? Yes, you are hungry in the first week until you get used to it and I’m someone who doesn’t really like vegetables, so that wasn’t easy. But the results were so astonishing, it was incredibly motivating. When something really does work, you want to stick with it. I lost 11lb in the first two weeks and I could feel a difference in my health straight away. My gut was less tender and my skin was glowing. 

I like the HBD because it’s so simple, there’s no faffing around endlessly totting up calories or points. Some people say, “Oh I couldn’t weigh everything”, but if you want to lose weight, there’s no getting away from that. You either need to control the calories or the portion size. 

When I started the diet, I was working as a director at a housing association and was working long hours. I barely had time to eat. Once I got to 3pm and I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, but I had something already prepped in the fridge which helped me stay on track. 

After 16 days, in phase three, you introduce olive oil and a treat meal once a week. This is when you can eat what you like. That’s important, not just because it keeps you sane and motivated but because it keeps your metabolism on its toes. You stay in phase three until you’re at your goal weight. Then you’re in the maintenance phase, which is where I am now.

It took about four months to reach my initial goal weight of 9st. Then I met nutritionist Petronella Ravenshear, who wrote The Human Being Diet book. I went for a coaching session and she asked what my ideal weight would be. I told her that I’d love to lose another half a stone, but didn’t think that would be possible. But then, after another eight weeks of simply sticking to the plan, I’d lost another 12lb.

Support from the community 

After a few weeks, I started posting my weight loss on Instagram and people would ask me about how I’d done it, so I started doing informal support and coaching for people who wanted to try the diet. It’s not something I charge for, but I get the pleasure of helping people. 

People become quite evangelical about the diet, I think because it really does transform their lives and the community is incredibly supportive.

Ravenshear does a free Instagram live every Tuesday and we’d all go on and watch her. Then we’d start little WhatsApp support groups to support each other. We share our good days and bad days and trade recipes. Now there’s even The HBD Cookbook with recipes created by the people who’ve tried the diet. 

How I’ve kept the weight off

I don’t have a lot of time for exercise, but I do take my dog Margot for a 40-minute walk before work and that’s when I think and process everything, it’s like a form of meditation. Other than that, I do 10 minutes of HIIT (high-intensity interval training).

I don’t eat ready meals or any ultra-processed food. The other major difference is the quantities I eat. I love cheese but now I’ll only eat a matchbox-sized 80g piece or three slices of halloumi. I only eat carbs at the weekend as part of a treat meal. I’ll also treat myself to the occasional Thai takeaway on the weekend.

Toast is my weakness, but I am much more careful with bread these days. I keep a rye sourdough loaf in the freezer and take it out one slice at a time. 

The other tip that helps me is that I’ve switched to using 8in dinner plates. A smaller portion looks bigger and tricks your brain into thinking you’ve eaten a bigger meal. 

I’m very organised and cook for the week ahead at the weekend. Eating like this has forced me to be more creative with my cooking. Now I make vegetable soups. I’ll dry-roast peppers, tomatoes and onions and bung them all in the oven with cherry tomatoes, then whizz it all down with fresh basil. It makes a beautiful soup. Another favourite is a rainbow slaw which I can add to any protein choices. 

I’m still prone to sugar cravings, especially after a glass of wine or if I’m bored or tired, but most of the time I eat for fuel, whereas before food was an emotional crutch and I ate if I was stressed, bored or tired. 

Reactions to the weight loss

People started to notice I’d lost weight at about the 2st mark. But when I emerged after the third lockdown 3st lighter, people that I hadn’t seen during lockdown really noticed the difference. I’m also a brand ambassador at a clothing company alongside my full-time role. People often ask me for styling tips, and I find it incredibly rewarding to help people feel more confident. 

The other bonus has been the way my energy has sky-rocketed. Matt, my husband, will say: “Gosh Cath, where are you getting it from?” Eating well and staying away from processed food has definitely helped. But it’s not about what other people think, it’s how I feel – and I feel renewed. I’d battled my relationship with food for so many years and now I’m healthy and I feel fantastic. It’s a feeling that money can’t buy. 

thehumanbeingdiet.com

As told to Sharon Walker

What I ate before

Breakfast

Toast and peanut butter

Or just-add-water porridge pot

Lunch

Sandwiches and a packet of crisps

Low-fat yoghurt or low-fat dessert

Snack

Low-calorie bars such as Nature Valley fruit & nut

Dinner

Processed ready meal from M&S

Or pasta

Or a jacket potato

What I eat now 

Breakfast

Full-fat Greek yoghurt and strawberries

Or apple walnuts and seeds

Or one egg and asparagus soldiers

Lunch

80g of Saint Agur cheese, or extra mature cheddar or halloumi with rainbow salad made with red cabbage, carrots, celery and coriander 

Pickled onions or kimchi

Snack

I don’t snack

Dinner

Fillet of steak and broccoli

Or omelette with mushrooms