On his third attempt to lose weight, Dr. Gaétan Barrette that he managed to regain control.
The former minister turned political analyst for LCN has lost more than 110 pounds since his years in the Liberal government.
“I didn’t have any surgery. I have not undergone bariatric surgery,” assured Gaétan Barrette in an interview with Sophie Thibault.
“That’s the question I get asked most often,” he added.
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Instead, Dr. Barrette participated in a research protocol with teams from the Montreal Heart Institute's EPIC Center. He was followed in particular by an endocrinologist and a nutritionist.
The former politician, who developed type 2 diabetes due to his excess weight, first had to undergo nutritional rehabilitation.
“They don’t call it that. They call it diabetes reversal,” he explains. “It can be done, but we have to change our eating habits”
The hypothesis of the research team that followed Gaétan Barrette was this: Can weight loss reverse diabetes?
“I’m announcing it today: I’m off my medication and I’m no longer diabetic. It works out. The program works for every second person,” announces the ex-minister.
The recipe from Dr. Barrette
To take it forward and provide solutions to other people who want to lose weight, Dr. Gaétan Barrette shared the changes that worked for him.
Firstly, Gaétan Barrette emphasizes the importance of reducing portions and eating what you like
“There are people who think that when you go on a diet […] We're going to step away from what we eat today and just eat tofu and carrots now! It’s not,” he claims.
“You definitely need to figure out what you like in fruits, vegetables, meats, recipes and desserts and you need to change the proportions. Everything is in there,” says the former politician.
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Gaétan Barrette says he quickly stepped on the gas to avoid eating foods he didn't like.
“I told the nurse and the nutritionist, ‘Listen to me carefully. I am a carnivore. It's not true that you're going to put me on a diet, it's not true that you're going to put me on tofu.' .” They started laughing and said to me: “We'll see.” I told them: “My condition is that I only eat what I like.” And today I only miss what I love”, he says.
When shopping for groceries, Gaétan Barrette claims he limits himself to four categories: fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and legumes.
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The latter even admits that he had to learn how to cook legumes, a dish that he has learned to prepare and appreciate.
“I have a great boyfriend now. His name is Alain, for “À l'Internet”, because I regularly call Alain on the Internet and find recipes,” he jokes.
The former minister also mentions the importance of satisfying one's cravings.
“You can’t satisfy your cravings with chips. In my case I correct it with raw vegetables. Sometimes we develop new guilty pleasures. My new guilty pleasure is crazy,” he says.
Next, Dr. Barrette to address his drinking.
“We're coming into the holiday season and we're going to open a bottle together. To be honest, it's rare for people to only take half a bottle. We have to stop this because one drink leads to another drink. So you have to limit yourself to one drink and not the big ball,” he emphasizes.
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Finally, when it comes to physical activity, the former minister emphasizes that it is not about becoming a super athlete or training for an hour every day.
He trains for just 25 minutes three times a week.
“In my case it can be cycling locally, walking, walking uphill or not and with different intensity. That’s all,” says Gaétan Barrette.
To watch the full interview, watch the video above.