Fast800 Misery

I did Fast 800 Mediterranean a couple of years ago and it worked for me. I have kept it off after stopping by aiming for one or two days a week of low carb and I work out regularly too.

If you want to make Fast 800 work I would recommend plenty of protein to keep you full plus some healthy fats like olive oil, nuts etc daily. Mini milks are a good low cal dessert and I ate tonnes of watermelon which I love. Black coffee is good too.

@CareerChange24 Are you actually following any of the posts on the Fast800 website, or using any of their books/recipe books? Or are you just trying to eat 800 calories a day?

Your posts would suggest the latter.

I’m also wondering if you’ve done much reading about the Fast800 approach -when you say:

I know the rationale behind it being unhealthy

… would suggest that you haven’t! The approach is based on extensive research by Professor Roy Taylor, of Newcastle University, who devised the plan to help Type 2 diabetics reverse their diabetes.

I know. I’m on a weight loss journey myself. I’ve plateaued for a good 12 months but I’m eating healthily and exercising and it’ll move again eventually. Losing more than a pound a week isn’t necessary. Just be healthy. (Was size 22, now 16/18 for reference).

Why do you need to shift it quicker than a pound a week? The size you start at is irrelevant. A pound a week is a good loss, and you shouldn’t expect it to be every week either. Weight loss isn’t linear for most people.

I was about to post the same thing.
It is fine to do a short term 800 calories a day plan.

I've done the fast 800 diet and have lost 6 stone over the last year. Have a look at the pinch of nom recipes and set a day aside to batch cook and freeze.. the last batch cook I did I got 60 meals and only spent just over £100 (excludes the rice ect). Look for the low calorie ones, my faves are the creamy garlic chicken, the chicken tikka masala (I add a load more garlic to this one) and the chilli. Use the recommended serving size of brown rice or pasta alongside them. It's handy on the website too as you can change up the amount of servings you want and it'll adjust the quantities on the ingredients.

I only did one meal a day to start with and it equates to a pretty hearty bowl full. I always use a bowl as it makes it look more substantial. Your body soon adjusts to just one meal but I've only ever really had dinner before starting this anyway. I also have two rolo yoghurt and a bowl of strawberries as desert. 😂 satisfies the sweet tooth.

Don't waste calories on drink, drink as much water as you can. I did have one caramel latte each morning and the odd diet redbull. If you're still hungry just drink more, it'll fill your tummy.

Hiya ... absolutely go for it! Michael Mosley is so right - the psychology of being low calories (eg 800 pd) for up to 12 weeks means you lose weight fast and feel motivated to keep going. And after 12 weeks, you then eat more and lose the weight more slowly.

You may well lose a stone in the first month, as you can easily lose 5-6 lbs in the first week, with lots of it being water, and then 2lbs a week brings you to the stone. After that it will slow down - so not unusual to do a stone in first month, and then take 2 months to lose the next stone or a bit more... but you may find you settle in to losing 2lbs a week for a while before it slows down.

Remember you are learning new ways of eating while losing the weight - and establishing what works for you eating in the future for health, vitality and pleasure is as important as most people put the weight back on.

Agree with all the great advice above - lots and lots of veggies, lots of fish, chicken, some lean meat... basically healthy + high protein + low carb is best for your body. I eat lots of berries, a few nuts and some very dark chocolate (which feels like a treat) as well.

Have a read on some of the other threads - great for learning and for keeping you motivated!

Much healthier to do the maths! Work out what you basal metabolic rate is for your height/weight and then use the online calculators to work out the amount of calories needed to lose weight. Then work out how many’s calories half of that figure is - that’s how much protein you need to eat, the remaining half is split equally carbs and fats (dairy/olive oils/avocados etc). Add in a small amount of f
daiuy exercise - a walk around the block a swim etc and gradually increase it as you feel
comfortable. I’m 5’1 and weight 15.5St and I eat around 1500 calories a day. I was 18 stones but have lost weight doing this. I joined a gym in April and it’s coming off a little faster now. The protein goal is important as this is what makes you feel full!

I've been doing a version of fast 800 based on a couple of the recipe books by claire bailey and mimi spencer. I'm not doing it perfectly - holidays and birthdays have got in the way - but I've lost 6kg over 3 months. I know you're not supposed to do fast 800 for more than 12 weeks but since I've had breaks, and I feel well, I'm going to carry on. Tell us what a typical day's meals look like for you?

My advice is to stop with the ridiculously low unsustainable calories, which will mess up your metabolism and won't give your body the nutrition it needs (leading to all sorts of nasties from low immunity to muscle wastage) and walk walk and walk again. Aim for 15-20k steps a day, proper walking, but also jogging or walking in place in front of the TV counts, and eat 12-15k calories a day, and you should see weight loss.

Some need to read the science and evidence base behind the fast800. So much incorrect information in a lot of these posts.

I absolutely CANT calorie count. I just can't do it, it leaves me thinking about food all the time. So what I've started doing is a 36 hour fast once a week. So I eat dinner, then don't eat at all the next day then start from breakfast the day after that and just eat the same as I always do on the days I'm eating. It just makes it so much easier for me. But I'm an all or nothing sort of person. Would that maybe be better?
Apparently it's what Rishi Sunak does too. Now I'm no Rishi fan but you have to admit the man is slim!

Losing a stone a month isn't a good thing for the vast majority of people. Your body has a natural limit on how much fat you can lose. If you do lose a stone a month, the likelihood is that will include a fair proportion of muscle mass, doing so will make you weaker, might leave you with an overall shape you didn't want, and it will mean that your body will regain more fat once you start eating 'normally'.
Crash diets don't work for long term weight loss. If they did, we wouldn't have so many people constantly trying them!

I did 1,000 and intermittent fasting, works for me. Vegan so eat lentils/chickpeas, veg, 1 slice sourdough After a month I had the odd cheat day (wine). It was hard the first two weeks, then I fasted longer 27 hours plus and felt great. Ate clean, loads of water. Wall Pilates, planks and squats just a few mins a few times a day.
I do have a dog though, so have to take the dog out no matter how I feel.

Skin never better, stomach getting flatter, clothes fitting well.

Don’t be horrified - you’re just you. Nothing horrifying about your own self. Fluctuations happen.

Protein and green veg is filling. White fish and prawns and things like that are low calorie and filling. Skipping breakfast helps me - once I wake my appetite up I feel like eating all day.

I also like a jacket potato in the evening weighed for calories - then just butter, salt and pepper. Butter also weighed. But it’s not likely to be more than 350 cals in total and it’s hot, delicious east comfort food that is filling but not meat or fish.

I did the Fast 800 5 years ago, for 10 weeks, and lost about 2.5 stone / 16kg. I wouldn’t worry too much about it being slightly more - you will still loose weight. Don’t do it for more than 12 weeks. Whilst is it perfectly manageable, the really important thing is where those calories come from. Wholefoods, protein and fats and what you need. If you are eating processed, carbs, sugars etc, then it will be very difficult to stick to that calorie level, and you will then most likely binge.

In the last year I have noticed I was starting to put a little bit of weight back on - not loads (a little under a stone), but enough for me to notice. And I knew it was because I was falling slowly back into old habits - snacking, biscuits late at night, having ‘treat’ meals regularly. I am now doing another quick bout of the 800 (or more like 1000). Partly to lose that stone, but more importantly to get me back in the right habits. I find its enough to reset my eating so I stop craving those types of foods that will lead me to put the weight back on. So for me, the 800 WAS the way to change my lifestyle.

I can’t guarantee it will work the same for you, but it’s definitely been the easiest and most long lasting weight management approach I have found. It has not fucked up my metabolism (quite the opposite) and it has not led to muscle loss. However it is really important though that you maintain your muscle - I do 3 weight based training sessions a week.

I did a month. Lost a stone. Haven’t put the weight back on. Key for me was massive salads, plus protein and minimal carbs. Crustless quiche for lunch (with massive salad). Granola and yogurt for breakfast (small portion of granola). Meat and more veg for tea.

OP get something like MyFitnessPal (or similar there are loads to choose from) and get an idea of the calories you should be aiming for to lose weight steadily. You cannot sustain 1000 calories a day.

Losing a stone a month you just fuck your metabolism and lose muscle. Its never sustainable (unless you really are huge to begin with) however you try and do it

If you eat 800/1000 calories a day for an extended period, your body will go into starvation, and it'll try it's very best to cling onto fat to keep you alive. That's very stressful for your body as well which isn't healthy. Calculate the calories needed to maintain your weight (calculators online), then deduct 500 calories from this, increase your exercise (even just walking an extra 30 mins per day) and you'll lose a stone in a few months. Consistency is always key with weight loss.

I am eating a lot of fish, vegetables and salad. Eggs sometimes, chicken. I don’t eat breakfast, never have. I have a coffee with couple of tablespoons of cream instead.
I am obese and just had a blood test that shows my blood glucose is high, hence why I have started this.
Before this my diet wasn’t terrible but I was eating big portions of carbs, wholemeal, but still too much and crisps/pizza probably too much too and wasn’t doing any exercise. The blood test has given me a kick up the arse really. I am really annoyed at myself.

You'll just end up bingeing. Find another way. Mine was that I found exercise i enjoyed (home workouts) ans at the same time reduced evening snacking