'I lost half a stone following the Mediterranean diet for a week and one food took me by surprise'
There are many reasons to try the Mediterranean diet, but I was keen to see how it would impact my weight
The Mediterranean diet has been making waves on social media, with many claiming it's the secret to shedding pounds and warding off diabetes.
Inspired by the mid-20th century culinary traditions of Mediterranean countries, this diet emphasises cutting down on refined sugars and adopting a more plant-based approach. This means loading up on veggies, fruits, beans, nuts, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil.
Fish is a staple in this diet, while poultry, dairy, and eggs are consumed sparingly throughout the week. Red meat is allowed occasionally, as the plan isn't meant to be overly restrictive.
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As a journalist who has penned numerous articles about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, I was intrigued to see how it would affect my own health. As a 32-year-old, I strive to maintain a healthy lifestyle, running several times a week with my local club and playing football every week.
However, I had been hoping to shed a few pounds (or kilograms, if you prefer). So, I decided to give the Mediterranean diet a whirl for a week, armed with a meal plan I knew I wouldn't stick to it religiously, but it seemed like a sensible approach, reports Wales Online.
The first thing that struck me was the ban on "sugary drinks". While I don't usually consume sugary beverages, I assumed this also applied to artificial sweeteners, meaning my afternoon zero-sugar colas had to go. Instead, I found myself reaching for my refillable water bottle throughout the day.
With a plan in mind, I set off to the shops, armed with a list and a sense of curiosity. However, I soon encountered a hurdle. I had chosen my meals with gusto, noted down the ingredients, but hadn't actually considered their availability in my quaint Cheshire town.
How difficult could it be to find edamame beans? They were an ingredient in my first meal of the week salmon and Mediterranean veg. As it turned out, they proved elusive, and after visiting three different supermarkets, I gave up hope and substituted them for another item on my list.
My meal plan suggested preparing breakfasts and lunches in batches, which I found very helpful, especially while working from home where the temptation is to remain at your desk for extended periods. My breakfast for the entire week - purely for convenience - was cinnamon roll overnight oats.
This was delightfully simple to prepare, involving mixing your oats portion, fat-free Greek yoghurt, cinnamon, vanilla essence, and oat milk in a container before leaving it in the fridge overnight.
Another early observation was the inclusion of snacks. I'm not usually one for snacking, but there were nuts, clementines, pears, and a variety of fruits and nuts on the menu.
The experience was a pleasant detour from the usual routine, offering a smooth transition from breakfast to lunch, although admittedly unconventional for me. I quickly realized that maintaining fullness can help ward off tempting munchies and perhaps even those controversial diet fizzy drinks that are making headlines.
In a successful meal-prep endeavour, I whipped up what I call a "super food salad" jam-packed with quinoa, kale, lettuce, beans, and chicken slices to notch up that all-important protein at midday.
Lunchtimes became a breeze with these ready-to-go nutritious bowls just waiting in the fridgean absolute gem for anyone, including us home workers who'd rather not spend precious time pondering over our next meal. Dinners were freed up to focus on seafood delicacies, often accompanied by plentiful greens and the odd wholemeal pasta side.
Adapting to this dietary change took a tad bit of effort through the week, and trust methere were hiccups, like near-fiery fish fiascos, ingredient vanishing acts and a tomato-related turmoil. But overall, it paid off handsomely, and secretly, I was hoping the scales would tip just a few pounds in my favour.
To my surprise, I found myself 3.4kg (7.5lb) lighter at the end of the week compared to the start. Even though you expect a bigger loss when you first tighten up your diet, the level of weight loss was unexpected, especially since I thought my diet was fairly healthy for the most part.
After completing the week, I definitely think there are some valuable lessons to be learned. Preparing meals in advance for breakfast really helped me start the day right, opting for a healthy, natural snack and water cut down my cravings for "ultra-processed" soft drinks, and making lunch myself removed the temptation to "nip to the shop" for a pre-packaged sandwich when there was "nothing in".
The one food that took me by surprise
Initially, I was a bit sceptical about hummus, which featured heavily on the meal plan. My only other experience with it was during my student days, and I wasn't too keen on it then.
But now, faced with a meal plan that included it daily for lunch, starting with a hummus-based sandwich on the first day, I had no choice but to give it another go.
I have to say, it did win me over. It proved to be a great addition to bulk up my daily salad and paired well with mashed avocado. I can definitely see myself incorporating more hummus into my diet from now on.
Typical daily meal plan on the Mediterranean diet
For breakfast, I had cinnamon roll overnight oats with walnuts and blackberries, totalling 453 calories. My morning snack was a pear and an easy peeler, coming in at 104 calories.
- Lunch - chicken super food salad - 546 calories
- Dinner - Roasted salmon and vegetables - 422 calories
Total calories - 1,525
What to buy on a Mediterranean diet
There were definitely some staple ingredients whatever diet plan, website, or book I read about the Mediterranean diet. These included:
- Olive oil
- Fish
- Beans and pulses
- Nuts - walnuts were a hit!
- Grains - I stuck to mostly quinoa but a good number of recipes out there used cous cous too!
- Herbs and spices - for that flavour kick
- Healthy fats - avocado, olives etc
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