Celebrity chef James Martin is known for his delicious butter-laden recipes and epic puddings - but he has revealed one simple lifestyle change has helped him to lose an impressive three stone without ANY change to the food he eats. James was wowing fans at the Bolton Food and Drink Festival this weekend with a series of mouth-watering recipe demonstrations.
And he cut a lean figure as he posed for photos with fans at the huge food and drink event. But the secret to his trimmer physique is actually a fairly simple lifestyle change that others aiming to lose some pounds may be keen to give a try.
ITV Saturday Morning star James was among a host of top celebrity chefs at the annual festival, now in its 12th year. It brings together food and drink operators from across the UK in one of the biggest events of its kind across the bank holiday weekend.
Read more : The Hairy Bikers' Si King gives update on Dave Myers' cancer battle at Bolton Food and Drink Fest
And, when asked about his recent weight loss on Monday, James said it was drinking WATER that has been the key. For he says that ditching his fizzy drinks habit, and replacing them with 2.5 litres of water every day, is the secret to his slimming success.
He said: "I think when Covid hit, everyone started to re-evaluate their lives and what can you do better, and I think it was just a different focus on life. I lost three stone, and for me the main thing was cutting out fizzy drinks and I now drink 2.5 litres of water every day.
"When you get to 50, when you get the phone call and hear some of your mates are not very well, or that some some of your mates have passed away, you just have a different outlook on life. You still have the same drive, but how you achieve that, you do things slightly differently.
"I don't really drink much alcohol, only about three or four units a month anyway, so I'm not much of a drinker - it was cutting out the fizzy drinks was the main thing for me. I think the problem when you're travelling from A to B all the time, you need that sugar hit, I don't drink tea or coffee, so fizzy drinks was the way I got it."
James, who cooked up a storm at the festival with recipes for his potted shrimps, scampi and summer puddings, said he's not had to change what he eats at all to lose the weight, nor alter his exercise regime.
He said: "There's been no gym, no running or anything like that. I've been eating exactly the same things. It's just the water. It's true."
James was full of praise for the Bolton Food and Drink Festival during his appearance on Monday, where he also met fans and signed copies of his books. He said: "You've got people travelling here from all over the UK now because it's just the biggest and best event."
James is a regular visitor to Greater Manchester, thanks to his self-named Manchester restaurant based in the Great Northern Warehouse. He said: "The restaurant in Manchester is so busy, the last dinner I hosted here, we had 20,000 people on the waiting list.
"It's 12 years since we've been open now, and we've got such a loyal following particularly in the Manchester area, it's brilliant."
But James warned of tough times ahead with the growing economic crisis and impending fuel price rises. He said the food and drink industry is also at the cusp of a further crisis with predictions that food prices are also set to rocket in the months ahead.
He said: "We've just got through Covid thinking that was bad enough, and then hit with these energy prices and you don't even know when it's going to end, so how do you manage that?
"It's the independent restaurants I feel sorry for, it's going to be such a struggle, but it's horrendous for everyone not just hospitality.
"The big tidal wave is the cost of food - there's not much talk about it now, but my god there will be next year. It's the perfect storm of everything right now."
But James said he's doing all he can to stay positive and build his own businesses for the future. He's continuing with plans to expand his restaurant and hotel empire, and says he's eyeing three more sites in the months ahead.
Will Manchester or Cheshire be among the locations? He laughs: "I can't say where yet, but it is three or four locations. You've got to look forward, you've got to drive forward, and think positively."
READ NEXT:-
- What Manchester Pride means to me
- Playgrounds Manchester kids loved - that probably wouldn't be built today
- In pictures: the parties, singalongs and fashions of day three at Manchester Pride
- Manchester's best beer gardens to make the most of the sun
- Nadine Coyle parties with Popstars friend from 20 years ago
