The 90 kg Transformation: How a Renowned Chef Reshaped His Body by Cutting Out Just Two Common Foods

Achieving a profound physical transformation often seems like an insurmountable challenge, especially when juggling a demanding career and a chaotic lifestyle. For professional chefs, the challenge is multiplied. Surrounded by gourmet ingredients, heavy cream, rich sauces, and high-calorie temptations for twelve to fourteen hours a day, maintaining a balanced lifestyle can feel nearly impossible.

This was the exact reality for Michelin-starred Italian chef Matteo Grandi. At his heaviest, the 34-year-old culinary expert tipped the scales at an alarming 185 kilograms (approximately 408 pounds). The combination of grueling kitchen shifts, erratic eating patterns, and a complete lack of personal wellness had taken a massive toll on his physical and mental well-being.

However, in less than a year, he completely reinvented his physique, shedding an astonishing 90 kilograms (around 200 pounds). The most surprising element of his journey? He did not rely on complex fitness regimes or expensive supplements. Instead, his initial breakthrough came down to one radical nutritional decision: completely eliminating just two major food groups from his daily intake.

Here is the deep dive into the inspiring story of his transformation, the specific items he removed, the nutritional science behind his success, and how you can apply these principles to your own wellness journey.

The Wake-Up Call: Reaching 185 Kilograms

For years, Matteo Grandi poured his heart and soul into his culinary art. His restaurant, Matteo Grandi in Basilica, located in Vicenza, Italy, earned prestigious recognition, but his professional success came at a steep personal cost.

“I had lost sight of my health—not just for appearances, but to feel good about myself again,” Grandi shared in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere del Veneto. He admitted that at a certain point, he simply stopped stepping on the scale because the numbers had become too disheartening.

The turning point arrived in June, driven by sheer willpower. Realizing that his current path was unsustainable and dangerous for his long-term survival, he decided to trigger a radical personal revolution. He understood that as a chef, he possessed an intimate knowledge of flavor profiles and food chemistry. It was time to redirect that expertise toward healing his own body.

The Two Foods He Cut Out Completely

To kickstart his massive weight reduction, Grandi bypassed conventional restrictive diet programs and focused on the two fundamental macro-components that were driving his chronic fat storage:

1. Refined and Simple Sugars: This included processed desserts, sugary beverages, pastry items, and hidden sugars found in commercial condiments and processed kitchen staples.

2. Traditional High-Carbohydrate Staples: Specifically, he completely eliminated standard Italian staples like traditional pasta, white bread, refined rice, and highly processed carbohydrate products.

By removing these two primary groups, Grandi essentially stripped away the dense, fast-digesting energy sources that keep insulin levels perpetually elevated. For an individual weighing 185 kg, constant insulin spikes prevent the body from ever accessing stored adipose tissue for fuel. Eliminating these items forced his metabolism to pivot completely.

The Science of Eliminating Sugars and Refined Carbs

To understand why this simple two-step elimination resulted in such a dramatic, rapid transformation, it is essential to look at basic metabolic biochemistry.

1. Resetting the Insulin Response

When you consume simple sugars and refined white flour, your gastrointestinal tract breaks them down rapidly into glucose. This causes a sudden spike in blood sugar levels. In response, your pancreas secretes a massive surge of insulin—the body’s primary fat-storage hormone.

High insulin levels act as a one-way valve: they force glucose into fat cells and simultaneously block the body from breaking down existing fat for energy. By cutting out sugar and refined carbs, Grandi lowered his baseline insulin levels, effectively unlocking his fat stores to be burned as daily fuel.

2. Reducing Chronic Systemic Inflammation

Carrying excess body weight creates a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation within the body, which is further exacerbated by a high-sugar diet. Refined carbohydrates alter the gut microbiome, feeding harmful bacteria and compromising the intestinal barrier. This inflammation disrupts leptin signaling—the hormone responsible for telling your brain that you are full. Removing these inflammatory triggers helps restore normal appetite control.

3. Eliminating Empty Calories and Water Retention

Refined carbohydrates are incredibly calorie-dense but nutrient-poor. Furthermore, every gram of carbohydrate stored in the body as glycogen holds approximately three to four grams of water. When an individual cuts out dense carbohydrate sources, the body quickly depletes its glycogen stores, leading to a massive and rapid reduction in inflammatory fluid retention.

What Did He Eat Instead? The New Chef’s Menu

Cutting out sugar and heavy carbohydrates did not mean Grandi stopped eating. As a culinary professional, he refused to consume bland, uninspiring food. Instead, he restructured his daily routine around whole, nutrient-dense, real foods that supported metabolic health while satisfying his sophisticated palate.

He transitioned to a structured eating schedule consisting of just two high-quality meals per day: one at noon and another at 5:00 PM, utilizing a practical framework of intermittent fasting.

His new dietary foundation centered on:

• Healthy Lipids and Proteins: Wild salmon, fresh chicken, high-quality red meat, fresh seafood, and whole eggs.

• Plant-Based Fats: Avocados, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, and seeds.

• Fibrous Vegetables: Abundant portions of green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and non-starchy plants to provide essential micronutrients and fiber without spiking blood glucose.

This shift allowed him to maintain stable energy levels throughout his intense kitchen shifts without experiencing the classic “sugar crashes” that plague individuals on high-carbohydrate diets.

The Nutritional Debate: Is This Approach Safe for Everyone?

While Grandi’s individual success is undeniably impressive, his drastic method has sparked a healthy debate among clinical nutritionists and medical professionals regarding long-term sustainability.

The Argument for Balance

Many traditional nutrition experts caution against the absolute elimination of entire food groups. Italian nutritionist Daniele Nucci, commenting on the case in local media, emphasized that carbohydrates themselves are not the enemy.

“Carbohydrates should not be eliminated. What makes the difference is the quantity and the balance,” Nucci explained. He suggested that consuming a controlled portion of 80 grams of whole-grain pasta paired with ample broccoli and a lean protein source provides a perfectly balanced, sustainable meal. In contrast, consuming a massive 200-gram plate of heavy, processed pasta is where the metabolic issues begin.

Long-Term Compliance Considerations

Public health studies, including data published in The Lancet Public Health, have occasionally noted that extremely low-carbohydrate diets must be managed carefully to ensure an adequate intake of essential dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. For the average individual, transitioning too quickly to a strict regimen can sometimes lead to fatigue, irritability, or cravings if not executed with proper nutritional planning.

However, for Grandi, this dramatic intervention was a necessary medical course correction to rescue himself from severe obesity. His strategy has since evolved to focus on clean, high-quality, whole food choices rather than lifelong absolute deprivation.

How This Inspired His Michelin-Starred Kitchen

Grandi’s personal journey did not just alter his appearance; it completely revolutionized his approach to gastronomy. He brought his new health-conscious philosophy straight into his restaurant kitchen.

Today, the menu at his restaurant features innovative, low-carbohydrate, dairy-free options crafted with fresh, premium local ingredients. He has demonstrated to the culinary world that high-end, luxury dining does not need to rely on heavy flour thickeners, excessive sugars, or processed additives to deliver world-class flavor.