On today’s episode of The Ask Prof Noakes Podcast we look at some of the reasons why you are unable to lose weight on the Banting Diet. Prof. Tim Noakes gives us some hints and tips of what we have to let go of until we reach our ideal weight.

Is it a mystery why you can’t lose weight?

On this edition of the podcast we answer a question that was submitted by Jeremy. He says he is on the LCHF or Banting diet and sticking to it as strictly as possible.

For example, for breakfast he has a cup of fruit, a small tub of yoghurt, a spoonful of cream with a cup of sugarless tea. For lunch he will have a 100g piece of steak with broccoli and cauliflower with a Banting cheese sauce.

For dinner he’ll have cauli-mash and salad with a piece of chicken with the skin on it. He drinks either white Sauvaignon Blanc, 1 – 2 bottles a night or whiskey on the rocks. He may also have the occasional castle light (Light beer).

Jeremey went on to say the following: My problem is that after 3 months my weight is still at 110kg’s. It shows mainly around his gut.

Jeremy exercises twice a week and walks whenever he can. He doesn’t have any sugar problems. His only illness is his thyroid and is tested on a regular basis.

However, he does have a small problem in the morning and mainly at lunch time – within 20 or 30 minutes of eating he feels like he needs to go to the loo with an upset stomach and it just feels like everything is going straight through him. What is the story here Prof?

Why is Jeremy not losing weight on the LCHF diet?

Prof Tim Noakes: Well, that is really interesting. Firstly, the 1 or 2 bottles a night – you can never lose weight on that. The carbohydrate content of that is probably 100grams or maybe more – I’m not sure.

But there is a whole bunch of carbohydrate and ethanol (which acts as a carbohydrate in the body). So that is the problem. We always tell people that if they want to lose weight, they must stop drinking alcohol until they have got down to their proper weight.

Then they can reintroduce it. Also, the fruit for breakfast is no good. I think the key to Jeremy’s problem is that he is just taking in too much carbohydrate. And Jeremy, if you are 110kg’s, it is probable that you have to eat 25g’s of carbs a day, which is what I eat.

Sacrifices need to be made

We, and anyone over 110kg’s, we suggest that you have got to cut right back to 25g’s a day. So you are wiping it out with breakfast alone, probably the fruit present in it. You breakfast alone is over 25g’s. That 2 banana’s or a banana and an apple is 25g’s. So you have wiped out your carb allocation. Then in the evening you go and drink your 1 – 2 bottles, that’s just it. So the fruit has to go, and your wine has to go and your weight will suddenly start dropping.

When you get back to 82kg’s you can stop and you can have some more wine. Your weight will go up a bit but maybe it will stabilise at 83 or 84kg’s. But that is what you should aim for. There is no reason that you should be 110.

It is quite easy to get down, and you have made so much good effort, you are eating so well. But you are just sabotaging it with the fruit and the wine.