How you can lose inches on a diet of butter, full-fat cheese and pork scratchings

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Natalie Brown, 34, did the Natural Ketosis 28-day plan after birth of her son
The unconventional diet is about inch loss rather than weight loss
She lost three inches from around her waist after eating full-fat foods

Published: 02:57 EST, 27 July 2015 | Updated: 06:08 EST, 27 July 2015

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Butter, double cream and full-fat cheese are often big no-no's when it comes to dieting, but not on the Natural Ketosis 28-day plan.

Full-fat products are on the menu every day in order to get your body into ketosis – the body's natural way of burning fat for energy by restricting sugar and starches.

I was intrigued. Having given birth to my second child nine months ago it was fair to say I'd become a little soft around the edges – and I couldn't even blame the pregnancy.

Natalie Brown, pictured before the diet, decided to try the Natural Ketosis 28-day plan after giving birth to her second child

After completing the high-protein and high-fibre plan Natalie lost three inches from around her waist (pictured)

I returned to work two months after my son was born and like many busy mothers, when it came to my diet, I took my eye off the ball.

I was so busy juggling work with looking after the children and making sure the household ran smoothly that it was the last thing on my mind.

And exhausted owing to broken nights breast-feeding, I was unconsciously veering from one sugar hit to the next simply to get me through the day.

Whether it was a smoothie at lunchtime, a mid-afternoon slice of malt loaf or a diet coke and chocolate bar – rounded off by a takeaway for dinner because I was too tired to cook - without even realising it I was on a constant sugar roller coaster.

A sugar detox in the form of a diet delivered to my door was exactly what I needed to get back to my pre-pregnancy shape in time for summer. I didn't even have to muster the energy to cook – you just pop the pre-prepared meals in the microwave. The question is: could it be done?

Apparently so if actress Claire Sweeney's recent two-stone weight loss is anything to go by.

After four weeks on the plan Natalie's was happy with the results which left her with a visibly flatter stomach

The star is said to regularly use the plan, which includes a 28-day supply of portion-controlled breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks – including pork scratchings - which come in ambient pouches (so no taking over the fridge), plus treats for every other day.

Made with all natural ingredients and no artificial sweeteners or additives, the idea is you eat as nature intended – high-protein and high-fibre foods low in starches and sugars.

Although alcohol and caffeine are banned, you can drink decaffeinated tea or coffee plus plenty of water and a glass of whole milk a day.

The plan is the brainchild of 54-year-old former corporate lawyer Hannah Sutter, who gave up a 17-year career in the city and launched the Natural Ketosis plan after developing and following the principles herself.

Hannah, who has also written a book called Big Fat Lies: Is Your Government Making You Fat? told me: 'Sometimes weight loss can mean you're losing muscle which isn't a good thing. When your body is burning fat for energy it's in ketosis, and when it's using sugar or glucose it's not.'

Unlike many diets the plan is about inch loss rather than weight loss and it encourages you not to be a slave to your scales.

'You're losing fat and sometimes building muscle,' Hannah said. 'Fat weighs less than muscle so if you're losing fat but gaining muscle you can actually weigh more.'

Everything you need to know about the natural ketosis diet

Unlike many diets the plan is about inch loss rather than weight loss and it's even possible to gain weight whilst getting slimmer because you're building muscle but burning fat

The plan starts with a personal consultation in which a qualified nutritionist devises a bespoke programme based on your needs and goals. Because I'm breast feeding I wasn't advised to aim for complete ketosis, so my plan included complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and quinoa with my evening meal.

The cost of the plan ranges from £6.50 to £10 a day, but it doesn't include everything you need: you'll need to buy all the necessary fruit, vegetables and fat.

That said, because we weren't buying our usual meat and alcohol, the cost of our weekly grocery shop went from an average £90 a week to less than £50.

It's a completely new way of eating and it took a while to get my head around. I instinctively reach for skimmed milk, fat-free yoghurt and low-fat cheese in the supermarket, but on this diet such products aren't allowed because they're often full of sugar.

Natalie, pictured with a typical dinner, was satisfied with the variety of meals available

Breakfast consists of 100g of berries, two spoonfuls of full-fat Greek yoghurt and Natural Ketosis granola, and lunch is soup – there's everything from pea & pancetta to blue cheese and broccoli - with Ryvita, butter and six olives.

Dinner is basically meat in a sauce – coq au vin, sausage casserole and pork Milanese are among my favourites – with vegetables from an 'allowed' list which are prepared with either butter or double cream.

Green vegetables fried in garlic and butter and celeriac or cauliflower mashed with double cream are a regular feature.

You get a chocolate treat to enjoy every day – either chocolate coated brazil nuts or chocolate coated raspberries – and while I thought I'd crave these by the end of the first week, I could take them or leave them. I just didn't fancy chocolate anymore.

I've always understood you're supposed to 'eat the rainbow', but on the Natural Ketosis plan most brightly-coloured fruits and vegetables are off the menu – no bananas, tomatoes, carrots or red or yellow peppers.

'They're high in sugar which stops you burning fat for energy,' Hannah told me. 'They will stimulate insulin which will stop you burning fat for energy.'

So where on other diets I might waiver and sneakily take a biscuit from the tin, on this diet I found myself popping a cherry tomato in my mouth and feeling vaguely guilty about it.

The fact our son's christening and our fifth wedding anniversary took place while I was on the plan wasn't ideal, but let's face it, there's never a good time for an all-out lifestyle change.

Before both events I decided beforehand to have a day 'off' when it came to alcohol – I didn't go through the heartache of two miscarriages not to celebrate the safe arrival of my son with a glass (or two) of fizz, and I haven't achieved five years of marriage not to honour that milestone either.

Hannah even kindly sent me a magic ingredient called inulin – natural sugar from a root – to make cupcakes so I could stay 'on plan'.

That said, the diet was surprisingly easy to stick to when you're not eating the supplied pouches and food. Smoked mackerel or smoked salmon and a green salad make an ideal lunch, and steak and salad is a good option if you're eating out.

Breakfast consisted of 100g of berries, two spoonfuls of full-fat Greek yoghurt and Natural Ketosis granola

Lunch was soup - everything from pea and pancetta to blue cheese and broccoli - with Ryvita and six olives

You can even order takeaways and the plan booklet comes with an eating out guide, telling you what to go for and what to avoid. Think shredded duck soup and stir-fried vegetables but no sticky sauces when ordering a Chinese.

By the end of day one I was full of enthusiasm for the month that lay ahead, but by the end of day two sugar withdrawal had started to kick in and by day three I felt appalling.

The first signs of ketosis include headaches, nausea, lethargy and interrupted sleep, and it's not nice. I felt tired, sluggish, and as though I'd been hit over the head with a blunt object. My mind felt 'foggy' and I couldn't muster the energy for anything much – even getting out of bed felt like a chore.

Then I woke up on day four and felt fantastic. Smug that I was waking up on a Saturday morning without having had a glass of wine the night before, the fogginess had lifted and I felt lighter – both in mind and body.

The first week was probably the hardest as I adapted to the plan, but as I began to feel better I found myself looking forward to the next meal rather than it being a hardship. It was also great not having to come up with meal ideas every day.

Admittedly my weight loss wasn't amazing – just under 4lb – but given I'm breast feeding I didn't want to compromise my milk supply. My husband, who did the diet with me, lost an impressive 11lb. What did surprise me was the inch loss from around my waist: three inches in 28 days.

Hannah told me: 'When you see inch loss around the waist you know it's fat because muscle isn't stored there.'

I'd never have thought spreading butter on Ryvita and mashing vegetables with double cream could achieve such results, and what I've learnt will stay with me forever.

There will be no more fat-free yoghurt and half-fat cream in our house from now on.