He loses nearly 11 lbs by removing one food from his diet for two months

Melisa DecanMelisa Decan|published: Fri 21st February, 09:59 2025
Photo: shutterstockPhoto: shutterstock

Summary

British journalist Steffan Rhys eliminated sweets and ultra-processed foods from his diet for 2 months, thus changing his eating habits.

This approach allowed him to lose almost 11 lbs and improve his overall well-being, without strict dieting.

Professor Tim Spector recommends distinguishing between simply processed and ultra-processed foods and favoring natural and homemade food.

Rhys shares practical tips, such as choosing foods with short and simple labels, to simplify his cooking without sacrificing quality.

A simple dietary change, unexpected results

Can you truly transform your body simply by removing one food from your plate? This is what Steffan Rhys, a British journalist, wanted to test. For 2 months, he decided to eliminate not just one food, but two major categories: sweets and ultra-processed foods. An audacious experiment that yielded more effects than he expected!

By modifying his eating habits, Steffan discovered much more than just weight loss. This approach led him to reflect on the impact of processed products on our daily lives, a subject that concerns all of us. So, what were the results? And more importantly, what can we learn from his story?

Steffan Rhys' experience

Steffan Rhys' decision to give up sweets and ultra-processed foods marked a turning point in his daily life. For 2 months, he carefully avoided these ubiquitous and often misunderstood products for their impact on health. He imposed on himself this simple yet ambitious rule: cook more and prioritize raw or minimally processed foods.

For him, this approach was not a strict diet, but a desire to better understand what he consumed. He wanted to test if these foods, so easy to consume but so rich in chemical additives, truly had an influence on his health and weight. The experience quickly changed his habits, allowing him to adopt a new perspective on food.

The results of the experiment

The outcome of his experiment was impressive. In 2 months, Steffan Rhys lost nearly 11 lbs, without feeling the frustration that often accompanies more restrictive diets. According to him, this weight loss was just one of the positive effects. He also noticed an increase in energy and a general sense of well-being.

What surprised Steffan the most was the simplicity of the process: no radical deprivation, no endless lists of forbidden foods, but a refocusing on more natural and less processed products. A transformation that seems accessible to everyone.

Professor Tim Spector's insightful advice

This personal experience aligns with the research of Professor Tim Spector, a genetic epidemiologist at King's College London. He emphasizes the need to understand the difference between simply processed and ultra-processed foods. 

The former, such as whole grain bread or aged cheese, undergo minimal processing while retaining their nutritional qualities. The latter, on the other hand, are heavily modified and enriched with chemical additives that reduce their beneficial contributions.

Tim Spector warns against excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods, which, according to his work, can contribute to problems such as obesity, diabetes, and digestive disorders. He encourages a return to a more natural diet, either by cooking at home or opting for simple products with understandable labels.

Practical tips from Steffan Rhys

To simplify his daily life, Steffan Rhys developed easy-to-implement tips. Among them, he recommends not aiming for perfection: it is not always essential to cook everything. Instead, he suggests choosing processed alternatives that are not ultra-processed. This could be bread with simple ingredients or a spread without additives, for example.

He also learned to carefully read food labels to avoid surprises. Products with long lists of additives, artificial flavors, or stabilizers are now absent from his shopping list. These small habits, easy to adopt, have allowed him to maintain this lifestyle without excessive constraints.

An impact accessible to all

By modifying just one aspect of his diet, Steffan Rhys has proven that it is possible to achieve concrete health and well-being benefits. This experience can inspire anyone to consider the role of ultra-processed foods in their daily lives. There is no need to aim for a radical change; sometimes, as simple an objective as revising the quality of the consumed products can be enough to make a difference.

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