THE GC DIET
Gemma Collins’ incredible weight loss with expert’s 12-step vegan diet plan
The GC is just the latest celeb to jump aboard the vegan wagon - and it's much easier to follow than you think
GEMMA Collins has been showing off her incredible weight loss.
And unlike many reality TV stars, the GC doesn't credit her newly svelte figure to any fad, she has been following a vegan diet.
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She started losing weight as part of her training for Dancing On Ice but she's revealed that going vegan has been the real secret to her success.
In a caption on Instagram, she wrote: "Thanks for your weight loss comments my hard work is defo paying off #veganlifestyle #eatlifenotdeath".
So far, Gemma's shed 2.5st on the regime.
According to a 2018 review of 11 clinical trials, published in the BMJ, veganism can help with weight loss.
In all but one of the studies, participants followed a vegan diet with no calorie restriction - meaning that they ate as much as they wanted.
Despite that, they still lost weight.
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But going vegan doesn't mean having to give up your favourite foods. Loads of stuff is "accidentally" vegan.
1. Chips are still vegan
Veganism just means that you don't eat any animal products.
So that means binning your morning bacon butty.
But you can still have things you enjoy. Chips are just potatoes. Baked beans are just beans in a tomato sauce. Kebab shops often offer a falafel alternative to the donner meat.
2. Lots of curries are plant-based
Eating out may seem a bit of a faff at first but a lot of Asian cooking is vegan.
Dal is incredibly nutritious and filling, while aloo gobi, mushroom biryani, Bombay potatoes, okra balti and saag aloo all revolve around veg.
Most Chinese restaurants will offer a tofu alternative, while places like Wagamama have entire vegan menus.
3. Read the labels
Reading packets for ingredient lists is a must if you want to avoid accidentally eating milk, butter or beef gelatin.
While that can be a faff, it's actually a really good habit to get into because you'll also see how much fat, sugar, and calories are in the food you're buying.
Weight loss ultimately is about trying to avoid eating a lot of highly calorific foods and if you're in the habit of checking and understanding what you're eating, that's more likely to happen.
4. Look out for "accidentally" vegan treats like bourbon biscuits and Oreos
You don't necessarily have to buy "free from" products - there are loads of goodies out there that just happen to be vegan.
Follow on Instagram for tipoffs on supermarket favourites that just happen to be plant-based.
Lots of sweets contain beef gelatin but Refreshers Choos, for example, don't. Sainsbury's raspberry jam doughnuts are vegan, as are Asda's crumpets.
5. Swap meat for alternatives like tofu, tempeh or seitan
One mistake many vegans make initially is not getting enough protein and not feeling full.
While you don't necessarily need to try meat alternatives, they'll definitely help with the transition.
And some will genuinely shock you by how tasty and realistic they can be.
Don't fancy tofu? Try seitan (made from wheat gluten) - the stuff which is often used to make mock-meat.
It's lower in fat and higher in protein than steak.
It's also got a high calcium content which has been linked to increased metabolism and fat burning.
It also contains 28 per cent iron (compared to steak's 13 per cent).
Check out (£2).
7. Try supplementing with protein shakes
Still worried about protein? Why not swap your morning fry-up for a protein shake, as an easy way to inject your diet with the nutrient?
Most protein companies offer plant-based protein blends that taste every bit as good as the whey alternatives.
Try baking with (£26), or mixing (£10.49) into your shakes.
8. Try the vegan ranges at Morrisons, M&S and Sainsbury's
If you enjoy ready meals or pre-cooked bits, every supermarket seems to be expanding their range of vegan dishes.
M&S recently launched their Plant Kitchen (think hoisin "duck" wraps and vegan mac 'n' cheese), Tesco has a huge free from range and Morrisons boasts a massive V Taste line, which includes dairy-free Red Leicester Cheese.
9. Don't just load up on junk vegan food
Saying that, the key to vegan weight loss is going for whole foods over junk.
Rather than eating fried seitan every evening, try to cook as much from scratch as possible.
Load up on veggies, beans, dal and fruit before adding in your healthy fats like peanut butter and avocado - and then have a little processed food.
Nutritionist Sarah Flower told The Sun: "Have a look at some food labels and you may need a degree in chemistry to decipher the ingredients list. Real food doesn’t need a label.
"I saw a quote on Twitter recently which said ‘Don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognise as food’ this pretty much sums up my philosophy! Vegan food is becoming more and more processed, with fake food being produced to satisfy cravings, to me that is not healthy, whether vegan or not, we need to stick to real food and not something produced in a laboratory."
Health benefits of going vegan
Veganism won't just help you to shed the extra pounds, it may improve your health overall.
According to research from the, it can also:
- reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by 40 per cent
- unblock blocked arteries partially or fully in up to 91 per cent of people
- drop the risk of hypertension by 34 per cent
- lower your risk of heart attack by up to 94 per cent
The study's author Dr Hana Kahleova said: "A plant-based diet has the power to not only prevent heart disease but also manage and sometimes even reverse it - something no drug has ever done".
10. Carbs are necessary but be careful
"Vegan diets can be much higher in carbohydrates, which can increase our risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease, so you need to be mindful of this," warns Sarah.
"Again, eating a real food diet as opposed to a processed diet will decrease this risk.
If you do want to lose weight, make sure that you're prioritising veg over other forms of carbs and if you can, try going for protein-rich bean pastas.
that are high in protein and fibre, while most gluten-free aisles offer pea or lentil alternatives to wheat.
Vegans tend to get a lot of their protein from carby sources too, so while no one is saying that you should neck a loaf of bread a day, there's no need to be scared about increasing your carb intake.
11. Take it slowly
Any change takes time to set in, and you're more likely to stick with something if you take it slowly.
If you're used to eating lots of meat and dairy, cut it out little by little rather than just going cold turkey.
Start using oat milk in your tea instead of cows' milk. Try having dark chocolate rather than the milky stuff for your 3pm snack (it's way better for you anyway!). Do Meat-Free Mondays and gradually add more days until you're meat-free all week.
And give yourself a break; if you accidentally slip up, just get back on the wagon and keep it moving.
12. Watch some documentaries
It's important to realise that veganism isn't actually diet, it's a philosophy.
You can eat plant-based or be vegan. Veganism is about avoiding animal products in every part of your life, for the good of your health, animal welfare and the planet.
If you need a little inspiration beyond seeing celebs lose weight, try watching something like or Cowspiracy which can explain a little more why small lifestyle tweaks are so important.
The GC isn't the only celeb who has credited plant-based eating with helping them shed body fat.
Simon Cowell revealed this week that he's gone vegan, following a horrific fall on his stairs in the middle of the night in October 2017 — which saw him rushed to hospital amid an unhealthy lifestyle where he lived “like a vampire” by staying awake each day until 8am.
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Beyonce revealed last week in her Homecoming doc that she ate vegan to shed her baby weight.
“In order for me to meet my goal, I’m limiting myself to no bread, no carbs, no sugar, no dairy, no meat, no fish, no alcohol,” she said.
“And I’m hungry!”
While it's definitely not necessary to go to those extremes to lose weight, it's proof that veganism is helping loads of people to get into shape.
What do the experts think?
Leading Harley Street Nutritionist and Author of , , told The Sun that people should be encouraged to eat more vegan grub.
"However, a poorly planned vegan diet can leave you at risk of certain nutrient deficiencies.
"The good news is that it is entirely possible to maintain a healthy vegan diet. Ensuring you’re getting the nourishment you need does require a little thought and planning though. Please seek advice from a Registered Nutritionist or Dietitian if you are unsure."
Variety is key, she advised.
"It’s particularly important when it comes to making sure you get plenty of different types of protein sources in your diet, to get enough complete amino acids. Buy ingredients that you’re not necessarily familiar with, stock your cupboards full and mix it up each day!"
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Sarah told us that although veganism is growing in popularity, "just like other diets, interpretation and application is key".
"There is no doubt of the benefits of including more vegetables in your diet improves your health. The grey area is deciding on all the other factors. I spend a lot of my time advising clients on dietary changes, including ensuring my clients have a balanced, nutrient-rich diet.
"The popularity of plant-based, vegan diets has resulted in more of my clients wanting to opt for this way of eating, either on a part-time or full-time basis. You can have a very poor vegan diet, just as you can with any other dietary choice."
Greef leafy veg - not dairy - is the best source of calcium, while also being rich in magnesium and vitamin K.
"Some people worry about whether they will get enough Iron in their vegan diet. Iron is found in red meats, particularly liver, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, dark chocolate and green leafy vegetables but if you are low in Iron you may want to take a good quality iron supplement, especially females who are menstruating, though ensure you are also adding vitamin c to ensure you can absorb and utilise the iron correctly."
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You may also want to consider supplementing vitamin B12.
"Another vitamin to consider is vitamin B12 (Cobalamin); deficiency can cause anaemia, fatigue, depression and has even been linked to dementia.
"Vegans are especially prone to Vitamin B12 deficiency, as the richest sources are found in animal products (although a very small amount is found in some vegetables, yeast spreads and fortified cereals). "
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