Josie Gibson was given some cold hard truths about her lifestyle as she took part in a new TV show where she road tested a 1970s diet
Drinking champagne, eating in Michelin-starred restaurants and flying by private jet might sound like the best way to live – but it left Josie Gibson facing a health crisis. After filming her Channel 5 travelogue Around The World In First Class, Josie Gibson went for a health MOT ahead of her next TV challenge The 1970s Diet.
And the results were not good – blood tests showed Josie was suffering from gout.
“I kept saying to the nurse ‘My toes keep hurting’,” explains Josie, 40. “I thought gout was only for old men but I have been living quite a lavish life. Before I filmed this show, I caught a lot of flights, I drank a lot of champagne, I ate a lot of rich food and I had little sleep. That’s how I ended up getting gout. ”
Luckily there is a lot less luxury involved in Josie’s new series The 1970s Diet, which sees her swap fancy restaurants for boiled potatoes, liver and spam. “I’ve come from one extreme to the other,” laughs Josie. “I went from living my finest life ever to being brought down to earth with a bang. ”
READ MORE: Josie Gibson says ‘I’ll never diet again’ after major health scare
The 1970s Diet sees Josie immerse herself in the food, drink and health culture of the 1970s to see if our lifestyles were actually healthier back then. Back in 1970 only around 10% of British people were classified as obese – a figure that has now tripled. “I was surprised by that,” says Josie. “I think of the 1970s and I think of madeira cake, trifles, angel delight… it doesn’t scream healthy – not to me! ”
A nutritionist was on hand to give Josie an authentic meal plan with smaller 1970s portions – and even a smaller authentic 1970s dinner plate. However, when she saw the food she was expected to eat, Josie feared it would make her gain weight – and she didn’t like the look of tripe or liver. “There were a lot of carbs on the menu,” she says. “I thought looking at the diet, I’d definitely put on weight. ”
However, it’s not just menus that were different in the 1970s, people were also a lot more active because they were walking more and doing housework without gadgets and many were working a vegetable patch.
To measure her results on the show, Josie travels to Kingston University to have her body fat and weight recorded. Josie has always struggled with her weight, yo-yoing between a size eight and a size 22. It’s a brave thing to find out on national TV that you weigh 16 stones (102 kilos), and are 48 percent fat but Josie was happy to jump on the scales for the sake of the experiment.
“If I’m taking on this experiment, then I’m showing it all, that’s the experiment,” says Josie. “If you don’t show the experiment, what’s the point? ”
And she was pleased when her fitness level came back as superior. “It was nice to know that even though I was overweight, I was at a supreme fitness level,” says Josie. “I was expecting to have a low fitness level, even though I’ve always exercised. But he was like, ‘No, you’re at a superior fitness rate. ’”
Indeed on the show, Josie jumps on an exercise bike and barely breaks a sweat as she pedals at speed. It’s something that perplexes Josie, who says she has tried every diet going. “I’m one of the most on the go people I’ve ever met,” she says, “but my size doesn’t fit with my activity. It never has. I do not stop. I’ve got friends that are really slim and I’m thinking, ‘I run rings around you! ’ Sometimes I think, ‘Is it fair? ’ but we’re all different. I am fit but I am also overweight. ”
For Josie, she’s just glad she’s in good health – well now her gout has cleared up. “As soon as I stopped catching all the flights and started drinking a bit more water and less champagne, it leveled itself out,” says Josie.
Josie got more exercise on the show, walking to her local greengrocer and butcher with her wheeled shopping bag most days, with a daily 1970s step count to hit.
She even joined a disco-themed exercise group and enjoyed 1970s fashion on the show. However, when Josie went shopping for vintage clothes she was saddened to discover that dress sizes in the 70s were much smaller and that the clothes she’d chosen didn’t fit. After she learned that clothes shops now make their smaller sizes bigger so they don’t upset their customers.
“I think 1970s fashion was my favorite era,” says Josie. “It’s so gorgeous. When I got down there, I picked up my sizes that I am and went to the changing rooms and I was absolutely devastated. I didn’t know about vanity sizing. ”
Josie feels at her happiest when she can fit into size 12-14 clothes. However, she isn’t tempted to alter her weight by using weightloss injections such as Wegovy.
Though she admits many of her friends are using weightloss jabs. “If something new comes out, I am not one to sign myself up for it first,” says Josie. “I will sit back and watch what happens. ”
Having said that, Josie isn’t one to judge others. “If you know about the side effects and then you want to weigh it up, that is down to you,” says Josie. “It seems like everyone’s on it and I know lots of people that are on it. ”
You’ll have to watch The 1970s Diet to find out if Josie lost weight on the diet but it’s certainly inspired her to make some changes to her life. Firstly she wants to be more involved in her local community, and secondly she wants to do more walking – which she says will benefit her seven-year-old son Reggie too. “What I realised about Reg is he is a bit lazy,” says Josise. “I’m like, ‘Reg, come on, let’s walk up the shop. ’ And he’s like, ‘No, mum, can we take the car? ’ We have kept trying to keep at the walking but I’ve got to really gear him up. ”
Immersing herself in 1970s culture made Josie realise how important the family unit was back then. As a single mum, Josie doesn’t have the luxury of a supportive husband. “It has really opened my eyes. Back then I think the man needed the woman, and the woman needed the man,” says Josie. “I love the fact that I can have a career but relationships in the 70s I suppose they stuck together because they needed each other more. They were more solid as a family. ”
However, Josie insists she doesn’t have time to date saying, “It wouldn’t be fair. ”
Instead she’s pitching her next TV show – and she wants to investigate biohacking.
“I would like to do a biohacking experiment,” says Josie. “I would love to do that. I don’t know whether I should have given my idea but I’d like to experiment being a biohacker. You’ve got to be careful being a biohacker because there is so much stuff. How do you know what’s good and what’s bad?
Source: Mirror
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