Mark Labbett shed a whopping 10 stone (Image: ITV)
shared his secret to shedding an impressive 10 stone, revealing he cut out two main food groups.
star, 59, has been transparent about the dramatic lifestyle changes that led to his significant weight loss, which reached its pinnacle during the 2020 lockdown.
Mark, hailing from Tiverton, disclosed that he cut back on carbs and sugar, resulting in a “complete nutrition overhaul” and a significant weight loss of around 10 stone.
The father-of-one clarified that he did not resort to surgery for weight loss, citing medical advice that his body’s unique way of processing sugar could make having a gastric band too dangerous.
In 2003, when he was a full-time teacher, Mark weighed in at his heaviest – 29 stone. However, his Type 2 diabetes diagnosis in 2016 prompted the former maths teacher to make serious lifestyle changes to safeguard his health.
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Mark weighed 29 stone at his heaviest (Image: ITV)
Now, the professional quizzer is the slimmest he’s been in three decades, despite standing tall at 6 foot 6.
He shed three stone before lockdown, but the challenge of keeping up with a hyperactive toddler during the pandemic, due to lack of childcare, helped him lose even more weight.
Mark also committed to healthier eating habits during the pandemic, revealing that contracting suppressed his appetite.
Speaking on Loose Women in 2021, Mark disclosed: “I found at the end of the evening instead of going to the fridge for late night snacking, all I could do was collapse on the bed.”
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The quizzer cut down on sugar and carbs (Image: ITV)
Mark also credits his dog for aiding his impressive weight loss journey. On ITV’s The Pet Show, during a conversation with presenters Dermot O’Leary and Joanna Page, he praised his Labrador Retriever, Baloo, for encouraging him to be more active.
“I was walking him around the fields, taking me places… I think he’s helped a lot, simply because I’m doing more activity,” he said.
Reflecting on his weight loss journey, Mark expressed his happiness with the results, saying: “This is the lightest I’ve been in 25 years. I’m now under 20 stone, and I am really feeling the difference, as well as seeing it.”
He added to The Sun: “My knees really feel the difference. I will never be athletic again but I just move so much better for not carrying that extra weight.”