The Mirror asked Dr Gareth Nye, a Senior Lecturer at Chester Medical School, about the key changes Kathy Bates made to her life in order to shed seven stone
Kathy Bates has opened up about her impressive seven-stone weight loss, after many years of eating ‘terribly’. The 76-year-old actress, who starred in Stephen King’s Misery and crime series Matlock, explained that her dieting journey started in 2017 following a type two diabetes diagnosis.
The common condition, often linked to unhealthy dietary choices, is triggered when blood sugar levels become too high. In turn, sufferers may be at an increased risk of developing heart disease and other issues related to the eyes, feet and nerves.
“I used to eat terribly: burgers and Cokes and pizza,” she confessed in a recent interview with People magazine. “[Diabetes] runs in my family, and I’d seen what my father had gone through. He had had a leg amputation.”
Kathy also explained that one of her sisters is dealing with diabetes too and the whole situation completely ‘terrified’ her. So, she decided to shake up her daily habits and change her life for the better.
While Kathy attributed 20 pounds of her weight loss to Ozempic – the treatment for type two diabetes which is not prescribed for this purpose in the UK – there are a few more habits she swore by in her routine.
The Mirror asked Dr Gareth Nye, a Senior Lecturer at Chester Medical School (@dr.gareth.nye), about his thoughts on three of these steps and how others can use them in day-to-day life.
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1. Timing your meals
Kathy now opts for healthier food choices and no longer eats past 8pm. For some, this may be considered a form of intermittent fasting – referring to an avoidance of food for extended periods of the day or week, followed by a window of eating normally.
For individuals struggling with obesity, Dr Nye explained that intermittent fasting can be especially beneficial for shedding pounds, while also adding that late-night meals are often linked to weight gain. However, these strategies might not work for everyone.
“There are theories to suggest that eating later at night or closer to sleep time can lead to weight gain,” he told the Mirror. “It’s suggested that food being broken down can alter your hormonal cycles (circadian rhythms) which can alter your metabolic processing.
“Research also seems to indicate that your sensitivity to insulin changes through the night and this can indirectly lead to fat deposition instead of cells using it for energy… [Importantly,] fasting alone is not effective in people who don’t also lead an active lifestyle, although this doesn’t need to be hitting the gym every day, just meeting guidance on daily steps or active time is sufficient to maximise the fasting.
“Ultimately this doesn’t change the psychological approach to diet which is why relapse rates are high and the recommendation will always be to slowly change diet lifestyle and exercise levels to bring about whole body changes.”
2. Occasional treats
Importantly, Kathy doesn’t deprive herself of the tastier foods in life, explaining that she absolutely relished the opportunity to dig into a hot dog on the Paramount set. Echoing this, Dr Nye explained that ‘cheat days’ and the occasional takeaway are a ‘good way to compensate’, but it’s all about ‘willpower’.
“In order to lose fat weight, you need to get your body breaking it down to use for energy,” he explained. “Your body will do that if it has lower levels of sugars in the diet. By reducing the level of sugar or fats in the diet, the body will have to use reserves to keep your body going.
“Cheat days can be a good way to compensate but too often they turn into a return to poor dietary habits. Patients should think of the numbers game, if they’ve been more active in a day then they can afford a treat for example.
“Ultimately though, the path to sustained weight loss is through cutting out treats and cheats.”
3. Increasing exercise
Finally, the 76-year-old star said that she not only likes to use a treadmill but might try Pilates some point soon. This has enabled her to walk around on set all day without feeling too exhausted – which is especially beneficial while filming Matlock.
To lose weight, Dr Nye said that you don’t necessarily need to have a extensive gym routine planned either. Simply going on walks can do the trick.
He explained: “Walking is a very effective way of losing weight as is jogging or swimming. If someone is trying to lose weight, it’s a good idea to track their walking activities to see how many calories they burn on a normal day. If your calorie intake far exceeds the calories burnt, you may want to look at ways to increase your walking time per day.”
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