Gary Barlow was in reasonable shape during his early Take That days, he was never “ripped” but he was certainly fit and healthy, most of the time. But he gained weight and by 1999 he was around 17 stone (107 kg) and he remained overweight for many years. Today Gary is 12 stone (168 pounds / 76 kg) and 5 foot 8 tall. So his BMI is a healthy 25.5. Tonight he will be leading the UK in celebrating the close of 2013 in Gary Barlow’s Big Ben Bash on the BBC.
In November 2013 Gary spoke about his weight loss and fitness. He revealed that he actually lost about 70 pounds – he used to dress well to disguise the extra weight. His tips for losing weight are simple: sleep well, exercise regularly and eat healthy.
“Big Changes”
Gary made some big changes to get in shape. What he did is actually very similar to the advice we share on our page how to start losing weight. The first and foremost is that he now takes exercise more seriously. He also works on getting better sleep as good sleep is vital to good health and helps to maintain a lower bodyweight (read our page on The Relationship Between Sleep, Health and Body Weight).
Gary Barlow’s Diet
The most radical change is that Gary no longer eats sugar, fried foods and avoids all fast food. Burgers and chips are certainly off the menu.
Gary has recognized, after years of trial and error, that he does not have the sort of body that allows him to eat what he wants. He has to pick the right foods to avoid weight gain (and sustain weight loss). He tried diets such as Atkins, but they never worked for him.
However, his avoidance of sugar and caffeine is working for him now. He has mostly ignored the advice of numerous nutritionists to develop his own system which works for him – a lesson for all of us right here!
No solid food after 2pm
Some people say “no carbs after 4pm”, but for Gary it is no solid food after lunch. Here is his typical daily diet:
- Breakfast: Eggs and / or smoked salmon
- Lunch: Chicken and salad
- Evening: Soup
He makes his own soups which he eats in the evening, this allows him to follow his no solids after 2pm rule.
He also drinks plenty of water and avoids all other drinks. Regular alcohol is certainly a big no-no.
No cheat days
Many dieters allow themselves cheat days when they can eat whatever they want. Gary does not do this, every day is healthy living.
He does find his new lifestyle easier when he is working and busy. Time off work is the hardest time, when temptation is more difficult to resist.
Exercise
Gary hits the gym on the regular basis and has used personal trainers to keep him on track. He does cardio and weight lifting. He enjoys exercising outdoors in parks too. He keeps his exercise very simple and this is what makes it easy for him to follow.
He runs four to fives times every week and mixes up 6k run days with sprint intervals in he park. He says that after six or seven hill sprints he is “absolutely knackered”.
He also walks a lot, walking his daughter to school and whenever he is on the phone he walks. It is all about being more active in all things throughout the day.
Gary has developed his own way to stay in shape. A combination of healthy eating, portion control and food avoidance with regular cardio and weight training exercises is all he now needs. He knows that if he drops his healthy lifestyle for just a short time he will start to regain weight, so it is now a 7 day a week, 52 weeks a year fitness and diet plan.
Photo by Matt Deegan.
Reference: The Mirror
I read that Gary Barlow eats cake out of hemp. Is that true? Do you have a recipe?
Hi Gillian, we do not have any specific recipes making cake out of hemp, but there are some out there on other sites. I just found one with chocolate, kidney beans, brown rice protein, zucchini, quark and egg whites. By my calculation it is about 40% protein and very low in carbohydrates, and has more fiber than the average chocolate cake (and more beans!). Looks lovely in the photo!
I would suggest his high level of exercise is the main reason for the weight loss and his condition. The no solids after 2 is not needed. Diets are simple, cut out the crap- sugary drinks, snacks, Eat a good balanced meal made by yourself so you can control what goes in it. +plus regular exercise.
Im sure hemp cake is as disgusting as it sounds. Something is wrong with your diet is hemp is the solution.
I agree, hemp cake does not sound too tempting does it?
I would like to learn more on the latest. Gary seems to be doing juice fit or something like that.
We’ll take a look.
I would like to know if He doesn’t eat fruit at all. Thank you!
Hi Maria, at the time this was written that was the case.