Johan lost 30 kg (66 lbs) in 90 days – by eating hamburgers!

Johan före och efter

Max hamburgers takes up the story
One day, Max received a phone call with a difference from Johan Groundstroem. He said: ”I’ve decided to lose weight by eating nothing but hamburgers. Would you be interested in giving them to me for free?” We certainly were! And for 90 days, Johan ate a diet consisting of nothing but hamburgers.

After 90 days and 180 hamburgers, he had lost 30 kg (66 lbs)! Johan’s diet consisted of Max Delifresh meals, which are lean and carry the official healthy-eating keyhole symbol. Fries and fizzy drinks were replaced by carrots and bottled water. The only non-hamburger meal was breakfast.

One of the conditions of our sponsorship was that Johan went for regular medical check-ups and agreed to undergo tests before, during and after the diet. Medical specialist Lennart Reithner, who monitored Johan during the diet, concluded that “the diet has benefited Johan’s health” and that he saw no signs of any medical complications.

Johan’s diet is clear proof that healthy food can also be tasty. Johan’s doctor had told him to lose weight, but he needed a diet which he would be able to stick to. He wanted a ”tasty” diet. The result of Johan’s efforts was that he went down from 127.7 kg to 97 kg.

Johan’s attracted world-wide attention. Newspapers and blogs in the US, Europe and Asia wrote about Johan’s attempt to lose weight with a hamburger diet. Johan kept a diary of his experience on his own blog, www.minimizeme.se. The name is, of course, a take on the film “Supersize Me” by Morgan Spurlock, who did the opposite with McDonalds. As Johan has shown, hamburgers can be used as a slimming food.

From 127.7 kg to 97 kg  
Johan’s diet is clear proof that healthy food can also be tasty. Johan’s doctor had told him to lose weight, but he needed a diet which he would be able to stick to. He wanted a ”tasty” diet. The result of Johan’s efforts was that he went down from 127.7 kg to 97 kg.

Johan’s attracted world-wide attention. Newspapers and blogs in the US, Europe and Asia wrote about Johan’s attempt to lose weight with a hamburger diet. Johan kept a diary of his experience on his own blog, www.minimizeme.se. The name is, of course, a take on the film “Supersize Me” by Morgan Spurlock, who did the opposite with McDonalds. As Johan has shown, hamburgers can be used as a slimming food.

“Slimmer Johan” one year on
An interview with Johan about what happened next.

“So what has the year after MinimizeMe been like?”
”It’s been a year of upheaval and major changes. I’ve been through a divorce, moved house and met a new wonderful girl. A real rollercoaster ride, with these massive changes taking a lot of energy.”

”So what’s your diet been like?”
”I haven’t looked after myself during the past year. I’ve ignored the diet, and have eaten far too few hamburgers. I have focused on traditional home-cooking and on avoiding fast-food lunches, and have skipped fries and fizzy drinks completely.”

”Have you managed to maintain your weight?”
”On the positive side, I haven’t actually gained any weight during the past year. I’ve even managed to keep in pretty good shape as a result of the work on the new house, and I’ve started to cycle to work. This has stopped me turning into a television-watching couch potato. The result is an unchanged 97 kg.”

”What will the future bring?”
”Perhaps it’s time for a new challenge? If I managed to lose weight, there are others out there who most certainly will succeed. In 2009, I will be coaching a new project, MinimizeYou, where I will challenge 5 individuals to change their lifestyles through a sustainable healthy diet and exercise, both individually and as a group.