Graham Elliot weight loss: How the celebrity chef dropped a third of his body weight
Surrounded by unhealthy ingredients, fatty foods and calorie-laden dishes, it can be hard for chefs to stay in shape, often piling on the pounds. US celebrity chef Graham Eliot has gained numerous awards and critical acclaim for his cooking, appearing on Iron Chef, Masterchef, Top Chef Masters and opening his own eponymous French restaurant. But despite a successful and lucrative career, the TV chef was at risk of serious health complications and even an early death, due to his 400lbs frame. Graham was the perfect candidate for a duodenal switch, a process that limits the food intake of patients with a BMI of over 50. But due to the nature of the 41-year-old’s career, Graham needed to constantly ingest small bites of food, meaning this surgery was off the cards.
Graham Elliot weight loss: How the celebrity chef dropped a third of his body weight, and kept it off
Graham was instead fitted with a gastric sleeve, reducing his stomach size and shape dramatically, but still allowing him to ingest and digest food. In less than a year Graham lost a staggering 150lbs, nearly a third of his previous total bodyweight. Once in seriously poor health and sleeping with a device for sleep apnea, Graham now has dramatically lower blood pressure and levels of cholesterol. But the challenge for Graham has been maintaining his jaw-dropping weight loss, changing his outlook on food as a whole. "I now look at food as fuel and focus on my protein intake. I'm in love with 'pure' flavours, things that are natural and delicious, minimally fussed with, that showcase the season. I combine that with portion control," he told the Mail Online.
Getty Images The celebrity chef lost 150lbs post surgery and has kept it off with a clean diet
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After years of gorging on his calorie-laden creations, Graham has stripped back his diet to that of lean protein, fruits and vegetables. His current diet includes dinners of chicken and salmon with salad or vegetables, and he is also known to had cut our nearly all bread, pasts, sugary fizzy drinks and beer. To curb his sugar cravings and keep his weight loss sustained and on-track, the former 400lbs chef now snacks on fruit and cottage cheese or apple slices with peanut butter. Speaking to People magazine on his weight loss, the TV chef said: “In the past I would get stressed and ask craft services for cookies and candy. “But now I know my stomach is the size of a banana and I need to have food that just gives me energy. So I can either have a moment of sweetness but feel really bad or I can order something delicious and light like sashimi.”
Getty Images Before his surgery and following diet plan Graham weighed over 400lbs
Getty Images Graham maintains his new physique with dinners of chicken, salmon, salad and vegetables