The participants on the 800 calorie diet made a gradual return to a more normal diet after the 12 weeks of 800 calories. Both groups were then followed for two years. The results in the rapid weight loss group were astounding. Average weight loss was 10.5kg and nearly ¼ of participants lost over 15kg.
After a period of 12 weeks (or the achievement of a BMI within the healthy range) you should transition to The New 5:2 or The Way of Life, by way of gradually increasing your non-fasting days by introducing intermittent fasting and non-fasting days each week.
The NHS advise that for the majority of us to lose weight in a safe and sustainable way, we should reduce our calorie intake to 1,900 calories for men and 1,400 calories for women. Dr Mosley claims that by following the rapid weight loss stage of the Fast 800 you may lose as much as 14kg over 8 weeks.
Some people go on a very low-calorie diet for rapid weight loss, often consuming only 800 calories a day. This type of diet usually includes special foods such as shakes, bars, or soups to replace meals and for added vitamins. Very low-calorie diets can help a person achieve weight loss of up to 3 to 5 pounds per week.
The Fast 800 diet has quickly become one of the most popular weight loss plans out there, with slimmers typically losing around 10kg in three months. While the plan involves limiting calorie intake to just 800 each day, Michael Mosley's plan ensures that followers receive all the nutrients and vitamins they need.
Your portions are too big. Yes, you may be checking the calories per serving but not many people realised just how big the servings should be. Think about cereal; the recommended serving size is considerably smaller than you may think with most brands recommending between 30-40g, which is less than 3 tablespoons.
You Are Likely To Regain All The Weight Back
Most of us would not be able to sustain an 800 calorie diet plan for more than a week, let alone for a whole month without medical support. This means that eventually, you will have to quit the diet and go back to your normal eating habits.
It simply takes time. Another common reason why people report not losing weight despite reducing their calories is that they don't give it enough time. Our bodies will do their utmost to hold on to our fat reserves and you often have to be in a calorie deficit for a while before you will see any meaningful weight loss.
The 800-calorie rapid weight loss phase is safe for most individuals for up to 12 weeks, as long as you stick to our recommendations, drink plenty of water and use a multivitamin.
Exercise is not important on The Fast 800
However, the benefits of exercise are far beyond weight loss; exercise is a great tool for building muscle mass, improving your mental wellbeing and managing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome 2.
An overweight, out-of-shape person who starts a healthy weight-loss diet and exercise regimen may get a bigger bump that first week, maybe up to 6 pounds—but that's fleeting. Even that person will quickly revert to 1-2 pounds per week. So, a realistic healthy weight loss for 12 weeks would be 22-24 pounds.
Watch out for foods that get rapidly converted to sugars in your blood, such as: Potatoes, bread, white rice and white pasta. Most breakfast cereals and 'instant oats' (rolled oats are OK).
“We recommend that you don't go on the 800 calories a day eating plan for more than 12 weeks” Michael advises “once you've done that or if you've hit your target weight, we recommend that you transition to the 5:2 or The Way of Life plan outlined in The Fast 800 book and online program in order to maintain your results ...
The Research So Far. A systematic review of 40 studies found that intermittent fasting was effective for weight loss, with a typical loss of 7-11 pounds over 10 weeks.
Doctor Michael Mosley - the nutritionist behind a range of diets including The Fast 800 and 5:2 - advised that you should cut out some foods, including a common fruit, if you want to shed some pounds. The experts says that eating bananas is not as beneficial as you may think, reports The Express.
They will not support you in achieving your health goals. To reduce your intake of simple carbs, white bread, white pasta, potatoes and also sugars, including maple syrup and agave nectar, are best eaten sparingly, if at all. Instead, eat carbohydrates that contain lots of fibre, “complex carbs”.
If you want to cruise through your fasting window without consuming calories, you can have black coffee, black tea, herbal teas, water and sparkling water - we like adding a squeeze of lemon or lime and some fresh herbs!
Coffee lovers should “be mindful” of their caffeine intake, and The Fast 800 recommends no more than two cups of coffee a day. For anyone who enjoys coffee or tea with milk, The Fast 800 suggests having “one cup outside your eating window with a dash of full-fat milk” which is less than 30ml and around 20 calories.
Consuming 800 calories or less on a daily basis has the greatest effect of slowing your metabolism. Not only does consuming too few calories slow your metabolism while you are dieting, it will also cause your metabolism to stay in “slow-down” mode for a period of time even after you go off the strict diet.
Too few calories can hamper your metabolism, sabotaging any goal to lose weight. Although some combinations of macronutrients or types of foods may affect weight loss synergistically, when it comes to dropping pounds, there's no denying that calories matter.
It's possible to gain muscle and reduce body fat without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight may stay the same, even as you lose inches, a sign that you're moving in the right direction.
Dr Michael Mosley revealed that starting your day with eggs can be key to losing weight, with a mushroom omelette being one of his own "go-to breakfasts". On his website, he wrote: "Boiled, poached, scrambled or as an omelette - they'll keep you feeling fuller for longer compared to cereal or toast."
That means I am burning over 500 more calories per day, and either say "Oh, the lost weight is OK" or "I need to eat more when gardening." So, if you are exercising enough to burn 800 calories, you are eating 2200 calories and maintaining your weight, you are in a balanced state.
2,326 pre-diabetic patients from eight countries followed an 800-calorie diet for eight weeks as part of a longer term weight loss management and diabetes prevention study. Results: After eight weeks, participants had lost an average of 11kg, and experienced an average reduction of 10cm in waist size.