Fast 800 has killed my appetite- what should I do?

[Proude]

I needed something to kickstart my weight loss. So for 10 weeks I did fast 800. Dr gave me permission to do so. The issue now is my appetite is absolutely dead. I have to force myself to eat. Obviously not good. Is there anybway I could reset my appetite? I just had some sliced chicken and lettuce and could quite easily be done for the day (not a flex). I need to eat as I’m very active and don’t want to look ill.

If you did it to kickstart your weightloss you presumably want to lose more weight? In which case I’d be delighted I had no appetite! Your stomach has probably shrunk so you need to build it back up slowly. Eat small amounts of healthy stuff that’s high in fat - smoked salmon, eggs, avocado. It’ll start coming back in a few days

I am somewhat grateful but to be honest I could go a few days without eating. That’s how out of whack my body is. I’d just like a happy medium! Not bingeing but not a complete lack of appetite either

tbh I probably only want to lose another stone. The weight loss was far more rapid than I expected. I’m happy losing weight in a less extreme manner

Was it the one where you just have 800 calories a day, or 2 days of 800 and then the others normal?

800 cals for 10 weeks. 7 days a week

I think you might need to choose a new diet plan and then make yourself eat for a few days. I usually do 1500 calories, you could have three 500 calorie meals.

I had thought that the strict 800 calories a day was for a shorter period than 10 weeks. 2 weeks to kick start then move onto the 5:2. 10 weeks of 800 calories a day sounds really difficult. So I admire your willpower in managing that!

What does your typical day look like? Might be an idea to start there and see what small increases you can make.

What was your favorite healthy food before the fast 800? I love scrambled egg on sourdough, for fast 800 i suspect you could have the eggs but not the bread, could you make small adjustments like that.

I would guess you will probably find your appetite comes back pretty quickly if you keep eating 3 decent meals a day. I think you might need to add in more healthy fats - roast chicken with skin still on rather than a skinless chicken breast etc, add extra olive oil, more nuts and berries for your yogurt etc. There are tips for increasing calories on non fasting days during phase 2 in the recipe books and it is things like adding extra avocado, cheese or a slice of sourdough bread to your eggs etc I think. I could check in the books later if you don’t have them?

In Phase 2, you should stick to guidelines for a Mediterranean diet but more along the lines of maintenance calories for 5 days per week and then just have 2 days a week at 800 cals, but it sounds like you don’t need the two days at 800 at the moment and just need Mediterranean style eating 7 days per week without calorie counting.

I guess if your appetite doesn’t come back you might need to see a GP as it could be something unrelated to the diet?

Phase 1 can last between 2-12 weeks but if op didn’t need to lose much maybe 10 weeks was a bit too long. But technically 10 weeks is acceptable within the guidelines and she still has weight to lose so shouldn’t really cause a problem?

Just to add there are ‘occasional treats’ in all the recipe books and even a recipe book just for treats / maybe one of these would help tempt your appetite as an extra after dinner? Examples from one of the books are cinnamon apple crisps, orange and almond loaf, ginger and parsnip tray bake, mango and passion fruit pots.

Could I ask what your starting weight and after weight?

I didn't think you were meant to do it for 10 weeks

How did you feel at the beginning?

how do you feel now any negative side effects?

if you don't force it, I reckon your appetite will come back naturally anyway

800 cals a day for 10 weeks for someone who only had a few stone to lose is really not advisable. Very surprised your GP said you should do it. It’s designed for morbidly obese people as a last resort. The problem with it is your body will have gone into starvation mode with so few calories, which is why you’re not hungry now. This is ok while you’re losing weight but as soon as you start eating more calories your body’s going to start storing them as fat, your metabolism will have slowed down, making it much harder to burn calories, and you’ll also have lost a significant amount of muscle as well as fat. Losing muscle can impact long-term weightloss. 1200 cals a day is the lowest amount you should go down to daily, without negatively impacting your body and long-term weightloss.

@Brightbluestone that's really unhelpful response

Also, you casually say a few stone to lose like it's no big deal!

How are you OP? I'm sure everything will be fine.

Could you stomach protein shakes ? Or smoothies with oats blended in ? Could top
up your intake between meals

I was flicking through the blood sugar diet cook book last night. There are suggestions for 'extras' for non-fasting days. So a slice of bread, or a small helping of brown rice, a snack or a desert. Could you try adding in one a day to slowly increase your calories and appetite. Aiming to get to a 5:2 ratio with the majority at your sustenance level.

I'm not a big fan of measuring everything but perhaps you need to. I personally prefer to listen into what my body wants. I wouldn't go mad, nor introduce snacks. Perhaps just increase the flavour in my meals if what you're eating is chicken and lettuce, could it be more exciting? With a marinade or a more varied salad?

A bit of an odd situation to be honest. What is making you want to up your intake? Is it alarming to you it's so quick? Is your mind keeping up in terms of thinking of yourself as a thinner person?

Sometimes when we lose weight, we self sabotage. I see it sometimes that people still keep dressing for their old figure even though it's unflattering as obviously when they look in the mirror that's who they still see. There are some signs some people on GLP1s are finding that their mental health isn't good. This might be if they've often used food to smother emotions or it might be that they're struggling for their minds to catch up.

I also think there is probably a physiological element to it. I fast one day a week and yesterday, week 7 or 8 I think? I genuinely didn't feel hungry till about 4/5pm which was 22-23 hours in. I didn't think about food. On other days I do. Bizarre. It's like my body switches to "oh, we know what this day is, no point bugging her about food today as she'll not listen". I also think that 8-10 weeks is pretty much the sweet spot on forming new habits too. I have certainly found that with exercise. So if you really do want to change, it probably is just a habit. So start introducing more high quality calories if you really do want to. E.g. nuts and seeds.

@Lemonthyme if OP has been eating 800 calories a day for 10 weeks I think really they NEED to increase a small amount, its not a case if if you really want to. A diet of just 800 calories a day is not going to be enough long term.

Most of the Michal Mosley recipe books do include changes for the recipes from fast to non-fast days. If OP has been following the plan then I would return to that and look at the suggestions for moving onto the next stage. I would hope appetite returns, but not hunger to sabotage the work done so far.

I know when I lost a lot of weight a couple of decades ago once the low calorie eating became habit i really didn't crave food, I ate what I enjoyed but never felt hungry like I do now on twice the calories.

If a few small changes don't increase appetite consider discussing it with your doctor as decreased appetite can be an indication that not all if right in mind and body.

I don't disagree and I was suggesting increasing not just food but interesting food, just not snacking drinking shakes etc as others have suggested. As you say, if it's that severe, I would be going back to my GP, not MN and be asking to see a dietitian, what you're implying could be the start of an eating disorder and obviously if that's the case, more professional help might be needed.

How’s it unhelpful? I told her it’s not a healthy or sustainable way to lose weight so maybe she’ll take that advice next time and won’t try it again. I also told her she needs to build up her appetite slowly by eating small amounts regularly…..