Shocking photos by MuscleFood reveal what a week of eating junk food does to your body

Four fitness addicts swapped their healthy diets for a week of junk food and no exercise – and they were all shocked by how quickly their bodies changed.

David Templer, 27, of Tooting, London, Paige Modeste, 25, of Stevenage, and James Tilley, 25, and his partner Emma Taylor, 25, of Devizes, Wilts, all struggled with weight gain, spotty skin, low mood, and a lack of energy after just a few days of eating nothing but sugary, salty and fatty foods.

They undertook the challenge to find out how quickly a drastic change in diet and exercise would affect them both physically and mentally.

But within just a few days, her skin became oily and she started to get spots

Blogger and Harrods shop assistant Paige Modeste had clear skin before she started the challenge to eat nothing but junk food for seven days (left). But within just a few days, her skin became oily and she started to get spots (right)

All found that within just seven days of the challenge set by healthy online food retailer MuscleFood.com, they gained weight and went from being toned and muscular to spongy and undefined. 

Their skin also became oily and all suffered from fatigue and changeable moods. 

On day one of the challenge, all four fitness addicts swapped their usual meals of lean chicken and rice for kebabs, pizza, and fish and chips.

Their breakfasts changed from protein porridge and overnight oats to sugary cereals, pastries and fry-ups, while their snacks became crisps and chocolate bars instead of nuts and seeds.

The gym addicts then returned to their normal routines the following week. 

Find out how each one got on below – and how their bodies drastically changed.

1. JAMES 

Personal trainer and former Marine James lost definition in his six-pack after just a week of eating junk food (pictured before the challenge)

Pictured, after a week of eating junk food, James said he felt anxious and 'spongy'

Personal trainer and former Marine James Tilley lost definition in his six-pack after just a week of eating junk food (left, before the challenge, and right, after a week of eating fast food)

Junk Food Challenge: What James ate in a day

Breakfast: Three cereal bars, glass of milk, glass of orange juice

Lunch:  Footlong Meatball Marinara Subway sandwich, double chocolate cookie

Dinner:  Goat’s cheese pizza, 6 chicken nuggets, garlic bread

Snacks: Double chocolate mint ice cream lolly, Creme Egg McFlurry, 3 custard cream biscuits

James Tilley, a personal trainer, found the challenge particularly hard because as a teenager, he was overweight, weighing 17 stone.

But after spending four years in the Royal Marines, he transformed his body and now maintains a healthy weight of 10.5 stone. 

The prospect of eating nothing but junk food was therefore a daunting one for the strapping fitness addict.

He said his body changed almost immediately, with his abs less defined, and he felt very anxious because he couldn’t go to the gym. 

James, who lives with his partner Emma, said: ‘I was anxious heading into the challenge because I’ve been there before. I ate a diet packed with takeaways and fast food and after transforming myself, have no intention of ever going back to that place.

James and his partner Emma both took part in the challenge and ate meals such as pie, mash with sweetcorn and peas

James and his partner Emma both took part in the challenge and ate meals such as pie, mash with sweetcorn and peas

‘The first couple of days I enjoyed eating rubbish but then I noticed the change in my body. My abs were less defined, and my body felt spongy.

‘That really got me down mentally. I began to picture myself as that fat teen again and that left me feeling stressed and frustrated. Normally if I felt like that I’d head to the gym and train, but I couldn’t so the anxiety built up.’ 

He added: ‘Getting back to my stir fries, lean meats and high protein chicken in week two was the best feeling. My body felt full, I felt energised and my motivation was back. That anxiety I’d been feeling had vanished.’

2. EMMA  

Emma Taylor lost definition in her abs after a week of eating nothing but junk food (pictured before the challenge)

Emma after the challenge

Emma Taylor lost definition in her abs after a week of eating nothing but junk food (left, before the challenge, and right, after seven days of eating fast food)

James Tilley and his partner Emma, both 25, with their week's shopping for the challenge of eating nothing but junk for a week. Their haul includes (from left to right): milk, sugary cereals, butter, processed ham, bacon, chocolate bars, white baguettes, biscuits, sugary rice cakes, pot noodles, a pizza, frozen potato wedges, processed porridge pots and a huge bag of crisps

James Tilley and his partner Emma, both 25, with their week’s shopping for the challenge of eating nothing but junk for a week. Their haul includes (from left to right): milk, sugary cereals, butter, processed ham, bacon, chocolate bars, white baguettes, biscuits, sugary rice cakes, pot noodles, a pizza, frozen potato wedges, processed porridge pots and a huge bag of crisps

Junk Food Challenge: What Emma ate in a day

Breakfast: Pancakes with five bacon rashers and maple syrup

Lunch: Roast lamb with gravy, green beans, roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese, and a slice of double chocolate cheesecake.

Dinner: Entire Galaxy Easter egg

Snacks: More chocolate 

James’ partner Emma Taylor, a salon owner, said her body reacted badly to the increased amount of artificial ingredients she was eating.

She was left feeling sick, bloated and tired, and suffered from headaches.

She said: ‘I have a sensitive stomach so filling it with all those E numbers and sugary foods left me feeling sick and bloated. I was really lethargic and found I couldn’t concentrate. 

‘Even the simplest tasks became tricky. I also suffered with a lot of headaches.

‘As soon as the clean eating kicked in, the headaches went, my energy came back and my concentration came back.’

3. PAIGE

Blogger Paige Modeste had clear skin before she started the challenge

But after seven days of eating junk food, her skin turned oily and she had spot breakouts

Blogger Paige Modeste had clear skin before she started the challenge (left). But after seven days of eating junk food, her skin turned oily and she had spot breakouts (right)

Junk Food Challenge: What Paige ate in a week

Monday

Breakfast: Croissant    

Lunch: 2 pork sausages, 1 bacon, 2 slices of brown toast, 2 fried egg

Dinner: 1 mighty meat pizza 

Snacks: Kellogs bar, Lemon drizzle slice

Tuesday

Breakfast: Golden syrup porridge, Nutella topping

Lunch: Prawn linguine ready meal 

Dinner: Beef BBQ rib, paprika fries, cabbage 

Snacks: Kellogs bar, Salt and vinegar Kettle crisps, honey cashews

Wednesday

Breakfast: 2 sausages, white bagel 

Lunch: Thai Red Chicken Curry Ready Meal

Dinner: Rump steak, chips, Deep fried calamari

Snacks: Kellogs bar, Slice Victoria sponge

Thursday 

Breakfast: Fried egg, bacon, sausage, toasted white bagel

Lunch: Chicken and bacon tortellini with pasta sauce, two M&S ready made deep fried chicken pieces (2) and salad

Dinner: Chinese special fried rice 

Snacks: Kellogs bar, Kettle crisps, dark Chocolate bar 

Friday

Lunch: Chicken and bacon pasta with pasta sauce, garlic bread 

Dinner: Pizza and garlic bread

Snacks: Nutella on toasted bagel, Kellogs bar

Saturday

Breakfast: 2 sausages, 2 bacon pieces, 1 toast, 1 fried egg

Lunch: King Prawn chilli noodles ready meal 

Dinner: White pasta topped with pasta sauce and diced sausages

Snacks: Honey cashews, Kellogs bar

Sunday

Breakfast: Croissant stuffed with Nutella

Lunch: BBQ pulled beef and rice ready meal 

Dinner: Fish and chips ready meal

Snacks: Kellogs bar, Kettle crisps 

Paige’s measurements at the start of the week: 53.9kg, waist: 69cm

Paige’s measurements at the end of the week: 54.3kg, waist: 73cm 

Harrods shop assistant and blogger Paige Modeste was left with spotty skin, a four-centimetre gain around her waist and an overwhelming feeling of tiredness after eating junk food for just seven days.

She has always led a balanced lifestyle so eating processed foods for a week came as shock to her system.

Sugary porridge and pastries full of chocolate spread became a breakfast staple, with ready meals for lunch and dinner with no veg or salad.

Paige said: ‘I felt terrible by the end of week one. I had no energy, my skin was spotty and itchy, I had a constant feeling of nausea and huge bags under my eyes.

‘I couldn’t leave the house without make-up because my skin looked terrible. And I felt so tired. Regardless of what I ate I felt shattered.

‘I also put on a little weight but the biggest difference was my waist measurement. I went from 69cm to 73cm in just seven days. 

‘Considering waist size over 80cm in a woman is now an indicator for type 2 diabetes, that’s a frightening amount to put on.’

Paige added: ‘I can understand why people get into the rut of eating unhealthy processed food. It’s easy to prepare, there’s no prepping and it does contain lots of addictive sugar which it can be hard to give up.’

4. DAVID 

David lost definition in his six-pack after eating nothing but takeaways and junk food for seven days (pictured before the challenge)

David after eating junk for seven days. He lost definition in his abs

David lost definition in his six-pack after eating nothing but takeaways and junk food for seven days (left, before the challenge, and right after)

David had clear skin before taking on the junk food challenge (left)

But after seven days, he started to get spots

David had clear skin before taking on the junk food challenge. But after seven days, he started to get spots

David lived off takeaways such as a meat feast pizza from Domino's during the challenge

David lived off takeaways such as a meat feast pizza from Domino’s during the challenge

Marketing specialist David Templer lives with three takeaway loving housemates in Tooting and decided to follow their diet plan rather than his normal healthy lifestyle for a week.

David’s typical meal plan

Breakfast: Greasy full English café breakfast, triple sausage sandwich with hash brown and two fried eggs

Lunch: Beans on toast with lots of cheese

Dinner: Fried chicken takeaways, fish and chips, Domino’s pizza, supermarket ready meals

Snacks: Crisps, multipacks of chocolate bars.

Drinks: Beer 

He started each day with high sugar cereal, and despite eating three times the recommended amount, he found himself hungry within a couple of hours.

Lunches were meal deals and dinner was often a takeaway or eating out with friends, all washed down with pints of lager.

David said: ‘Physically I felt tired, found myself getting out of breath walking up a couple of flights of stairs, began to develop spotty skin and I started to put weight on.

‘Mentally I felt demotivated and despite being a confident person, found myself doubting my decisions.

‘Staying away from the gym hit me mentally and physically. I use gym time to train but also to think, destress and gain some perspective. I didn’t realise quite how important that was to my mental health.’  

Dietician reveals how a week of junk food can really affect your body

Army dietician Rachel Hobbs said that the biggest impact on the body after eating a week’s worth of junk food will be a mental one.

She said: ‘One week consuming a highly processed diet with minimal physical activity may not have a huge effect on an individual’s physical health; however, it’s impact on their emotional and mental health can be huge.

‘A diet high in processed foods such a takeaways, biscuits and crisps contain fewer vitamins and minerals than a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, high quality proteins and wholegrains.

‘This means nutrients essential for a healthy mind such as vitamin B, zinc and omega 3 will be lacking.

‘A diet deficient in omega 3 particularly is linked to poor mental wellness due to its anti-inflammatory properties. High inflammation in the body, can result in depressive symptoms and a diet high in processed foods may cause high inflammation.

‘Consuming some processed foods once in a while is absolutely fine and part of living a healthy life, however it is important that individuals predominantly choose foods high in nutrients to protect their mental health.’



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